Spicy Cajun Mac and Cheese

I have a confession.

Very, and I mean veeery rarely, do I ever follow a recipe.

Gasp. I know.

I got it from my mom to be quite honest. I've said it before that she could go to the pantry at any given time and whip up something amazing. She has talent, and I like to think she passed a little of it on to me! ;)

Anyways, moral of the story, this is how I came up with this delicious bowl of scrumptiousness. It's spicy, and cheesy and FILLED with veggies! What's not to love!?

 

1/2 box of pasta (I used penne)

1 C chicken ( I used leftover)

3 large carrots, cut into matchsticks

1 large red bell pepper, cut into matchsticks

1/2 a yellow onion sliced thinly

1 cup of frozen peas

6 TBS of butter

2 T flour

1 t Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 C Milk (+ a little more at the end)

1 TB Franks Hot Sauce

1 C Mozzarella Cheese

 

Cook pasta according to package. And chicken if you aren't using pre-cooked.

In a large skillet, melt 1 TB of the butter, and the add carrots, bell pepper, and onion. Sauté until the veggies are tender. Once veggies are tender, add the rest of the butter, and melt it down. Then sprinkle in the flour and mix well, cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk and stir until sauce is smooth. Add hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, mix well. Add peas  and allow to heat through. Add cheese at the very end, and allow it to melt, stirring well.

Serve with breadsticks.



Menu Monday

 

Sorry I missed last week! We were at my Sisterinlaw's funeral, so the day was pretty busy.

But I'll tell you what, I never did sit down and actually make a menu for the week, and it was CHAOS every single night for dinner! I never realized how much I depend on these menus! So NO more skipping weeks! ;)

Monday: Meatloaf, roasted red potatoes and broccoli

Tuesday: Tilapia and roasted butternut squash

Wednesday: Mushroom & Onion Cheeseburgers and sweet potato fries

Thursday: I'm hosting a Lia Sophia Party so we'll have pizza I'm guessing!

Friday: Date Night

Saturday: Asian Lettuce Wraps

Sunday: Sweet Chile Pork Roast, carrots and rolls.

Smothered Beef and Bean Burritos

We are all home sick today. Boo. I seriously hate it when my family doesn't feel good! Anyways, I needed something fast, and filling for lunch, and burritos sounded absolutely amazing! So I raided he freezer and pantry, and these babies came to be! It's a combination of a few recipes I've come across on pinterest, but I didn't follow a recipe at all... so you don't have to either! Just take this as an idea and run with it!

1/2 yellow onion

1 lb. ground beef

1 can pinto beans

2-3 TBS taco seasoning

1 can enchilada sauce

4 large burrito size tortillas

shredded cheese

sour cream

In a skillet, sauté onions until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Drain pinto beans of about 1/2 of the canning liquid, and then in a shallow dish, mash beans and liquid until almost completely mashed, leaving a few chunks of beans. Once the meat is done, add taco seasoning, stir, and then add beans. Heat through. 

 

No too glamorous... but OH SO yummy!

Microwave your tortillas for 20 seconds to soften, and fill with about 2/3 cups of filling. Add cheese and roll. Top with enchilada sauce and cheese, microwave to melt cheese and top with sour cream.

Foto Friday

It was Pioneer Day here in Utah! On the 24th to be exact! We ventured out to the park early that morning to watch the parade, where Elder Holland was the Grand Marshall! Pretty exciting, if I do say so myself!

Here's a few from an afternoon of swimming we had. Quinn was not thrilled about the heat, and only lasted a few minutes outside before I took her in for a nice cool nap. ;)

 And one of my handsome hubby with our babies.

 

DIY Minky Tag Blanket

 



Quinn is finally getting to the 'toy' age! It's so fun to watch her discover new things and play with anything and everything she can get into those chubby little fingers!

I've had the supplies to make this taggy blanket for quite awhile now, as in, I bought it all when she was like 5 days old! But it's taken me this long to get around to it! ;) I don't know why either? Maybe because until now, I knew she wouldn't have much interest in it!

Oh and just a warning... this was my very first time sewing with Minky fabric... so don't judge me too harshly! ;)

You'll need...
2- 13x13 squares of Minky fabric* ( I think I got 1/3 yd and had lots leftover)
Around 40 strips of ribbon, 4 inches long. I used 36 strips, but some of mine were the 1 inch ribbon, so those took up more room.
Pins and a sewing machine.

1.After you cut your fabric and all your ribbon, fold each piece of ribbon in half, and pin it to the right side of one of the minky squares, facing IN.

 2. Sew all the way around the minky, attaching the ribbon strips to one of the minky squares.

 3. Pin the other square of minky on top, right sides together, and pin pin pin!! Leaving about 2 inches so you can turn it around. Then, sew all the way around, sewing both squares together, with the ribbon in the middle.

4. Then, flip the blanket rightside out, through the 2 inch hole that you left open.

5. Sew around the edge. (This is the part where you don't judge me)

 

AAAAND... you're done! ;)

This really was an easy project! It's not PERFECT... but, it's for a 3 month old ;) I don't think she'll mind one bit. 

*Side note: I think looking back, I wouldn't of done both sides minky... I would of done one side with flannel, or even cotton. I'm pretty sure it would of been easier to sew.

 

DIY Koolaid Playdough

It's hot outside. Enough said. Southern Utah is especially toasty right now. Like 110 degrees everyday. Bluck. The heat really never used to bother me, it meant going to the lake, and laying out. But now I have kids. And I have to worry about sunscreen and if they are drinking enough water. It's a lot more stressful! So the more activities we can do inside... the better!

Playdough is the perfect solution to those boring 'inside' days. And anything that can keep my little guys attention for more than 10 minutes, is okay by me!!

 

Koolaid Playdough

1 cup of flour

2 TBS of cream of tartar

1/4 cup of salt

2 pkgs. of  Kool-Aid of one color/flavor

(as in: don't mix grape and orange... you'll get grey playdough)

1 cup of room temp. water

1 TBS vegetable or canola oil

 

In a medium saucepan, off the heat, mix together everything but the oil.

Mix everything well. and THEN add the oil and stir.

Place the saucepan on the stove, and cook for 3-5 minutes on medium heat. Stir the whole time.

When a ball starts to form, turn off the heat and remove the pan. The playdough will be very HOT, so be careful.  Remove the ball of dough from the pan and allow to cool for a second. Once the playdough is cool enough to handle, knead until it becomes a soft ball.

Store in a ziplock baggie in the fridge. Mine has kept for at least 6 months!

Quick and Easy::Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps

These were a HUGE hit at our house! I kind of expected my husband to turn up his nose at this kind of 'chick' food, but he LOVED them! I will most definitely be making these over and over again!

 

1 large chicken breast, diced

2 small zucchini, cut into a small dice

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp of each salt and pepper

1/3 cup of Kraft Asian Toasted Sesame Dressing

6-8 lettuce cups, I used romaine

1 large carrot, finely diced

1/2 cup finely chopped peanuts

 

In a sauté pan, cook chicken in a little vegetable oil. When the chicken is about 1/2 way done, add your zucchini, garlic, and s+p. Allow to sauté for about 10 minutes until chicken is cooked through and zucchini is softened. Then add the dressing and simmer for about 5 minutes until the dressing is mostly absorbed.

Add about 1/4-1/2 cup of the filling to a lettuce cup, and top with carrots and peanuts. Top with siracha hot sauce if you like.



Rolled Fabric Flower

Seriously... is she not the cutest little nugget you've ever seen!? I can't get enough! There's a joke amongst our family that this girl never wears the same headband twice. And while that's not entirely true... it isn't far from it!

But I just can't help it! Headbands are SO much fun! And a really in-expensive way to accessorize! ;)

Fabric flowers are one of my very favorites! They are so easy and cheap and fast! You can make one for every outfit for just pennies! You can even use scrap fabric!

You'll need:

Fabric (1 strip = 1.5 inch x 3 feet)

scissors

hot glue

felt (or more fabric)

elastic headband material (or a clip)

 

 1. Tie a knot in the end of your fabric strip.
2. Begin rolling the fabric around the knot. As you roll, add small dots of hot glue to keep the coils in place. The tighter you roll, the smaller the 'coils'.
3. Keep rolling... and rolling... and rolling.
4. Once you have about 2 inches left, glue your coil around the back, and once its dry, cut off the excess.
5. Glue a circle of felt onto the back, to keep the coils in place.
6. There you go! All there is left to do is add a clip, or an elastic headband (you can find those on etsy or, even at walmart and joannes!)

 

What are your favorite headband's to make?

Insta-Snippets :: Follow me on Instagram!

I've gotten the question a few times now, of weather I am on Instagram! And the answer is... YES! I sure am!

In fact, I'm probably on it a little too much for my own good! But for any of you who want to follow me, here's my Insta-address!

http://instagram.com/stef_stratton

 

Ps... I am usually a pretty private person, so this is big for me, haha! But if you say anything rude or harmful to me and/or about my family... I will block you. And not feel bad about it. ;)



Menu Monday and Foto Friday

Sorry I missed Foto Friday! We had a crazy week... my sweet Sister in Law passed away, and between spending time at the hospital, a wedding, and a family reunion... I barely had time to keep it all together! I did, however, have a lot of time to think. About choices we make, and how they affect others, positive or negative. It's amazing how a family can be brought together in times of joy, and in times of sorrow.

Monday: Cowboy Lasagna (rollover)

Tuesday: Spaghetti and Olive Garden Breadsticks

Wednesday: Chicken Parmesan

Thursday: Sloppy Joes

Friday: Date Night

Saturday: Breakfast for dinner :: Cinnamon Wheat Pancakes

Sunday: Garlic Lime Tilapia

 

Now for a few photos!

Okay okay... Now Mcdonalds makes me cringe just as much as the next mom, but to be fair it wasn't our choice. But I was over the moon when Blake tried a chicken nugget! He is beyond picky! So for him to try new foods is a big deal for us! Even if it is processed!

My sweet Polka Dot girl!

Swimming with Grandma

Family Reunion

Wedding Time...

Trip to the Temple

Swimming at my Mom's

Mini Road Trip to Cedar City

 

Baked Chubby Chicken Flautas

I made these for lunch today and after my first bite, I couldn't WAIT to get the recipe up! These were so darn easy and yummy!

 

2 cups shredded chicken

1 can pinto beans- drained and rinsed

1 small can of green chilies

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 cup salsa

1/2 cup shredded cheese

10-12 fajita size flour tortillas

 

Preheat oven to 400.

In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix well. Spoon 2 spoonfulls of filling into softened tortillas and roll tightly, place onto a greased baking sheet SEAM SIDE DOWN.  Spray tops with a good amount of coming spray and bake about 20 minutes until golden brown.

Cheesy Broccoli Soup

Haha, ok I know it's summer, and for the most part soup is the LAST thing on my mind, but when we were headed up to the mountain the other weekend, I knew we were going to want something warm and filling for dinner. So I utilized what I had in my kitchen, and came up with this! And it was so yummy! Definitely a recipe I will come back to!

 

(feeds 4-6)

1 lg head of broccoli, florets removed

8 oz velveeta cheese, cubed

1 can cream of chicken soup

4 C milk

2 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

 

Add cheese, soup, and milk to a pot and bring to a simmer. Once cheese is melted, add broccoli and seasonings, and simmer until broccoli is tender. After the broccoli has cooked, add about 1/3-1/2 of the soup into a blender and puree until smooth. Add that back into the soup and stir. Top with lots and lots of grated cheese and stir in to melt.

Do you ever have cravings for soup in the middle of summer!? Or am I just crazy?? ;)

Menu Monday

 

Monday: Grilled Chicken Strips, corn on the cob and green salad

Tuesday: Burgers and oven fries

Wednesday: Baked Fish and chips

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Pizza

Friday: Jolley Family Reunion

Saturday: Jolley Family Reunion

Sunday: Jolley Family Reunion

Summer Recipe Roundup

So since Summer is in full swing, I thought I'd share a few of my favorite summer recipes all in one place! I love grilling in the summer, followed by a yummy dessert! Hopefully these help with some of your summer party planning!

 

 Asian BBQ Chicken

 

 Easy & Cheap Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken

 Sweet Citrus Grilled Chicken

Grilled Zucchini

 

 Dutchoven Peach Cobbler

Raspberry Coconut Jello Cake

Foto Friday :: Star-Spangled Edition

Hope you all had a wonderful and safe Fourth of July!

We sure as heck did! We started out the day with a trip to the park, and then out to lunch, and finally ending the day with a picnic and fireworks with the family!

I'm so grateful for this amazing country that we are blessed to live in, for all the freedoms we enjoy, and for those who are fighting, or have fought, to make it that way!

What about you all? What does your family do for the 4th? Anything fun or exciting? Do you have traditions, or does it change every year?? I LOVE hearing about other family traditions!