Enjoying Wife Life

Happy Monday, Friends! Like many in the southeast, it is a cold and dreary day. I hope that this post will spice things up for anyone reading. You may be tempted to run to the store and then get into the kitchen to start cooking! I know that is what I will be doing later today. :)

Again, as stated in yesterday's post (CLICK HERE), I am very grateful to all the veterans past and present! Thank you for your duty to America and all that was sacrificed. I hope you enjoy your day and receive all the respect and honor deserved.

I am a newlywed who has new found obsessions for grocery shopping, Pinterest recipes, flowers, and scented candles! I used to hate going to the grocery store, spending money on flowers that will die, and candles that were strong enough to cause headaches. I guess you can say that I have found a level of each that tolerable enough that I have developed obsessions.

 

 

In Friday's post (click here) I mentioned that I made some new recipes for our Alabama vs.Texas A&M tailgate. For today's post I am going to share one of the tailgate recipes and one recipe that we tried at home last week. If you have a good recipe that you think we would like to try, send it our way. I would love to hear from you!

First, I will admit that I LOVE grocery shopping, especially in the fancy grocery stores near where we live. My husband hates grocery shopping with a passion. He thinks that we must only go into the store and come out with what is on our list. However, I have caught him enjoying Publix a bit more lately. (Especially the grilling and seafood sections.) I like to take my time, read the labels, compare prices, and just breathe as I walk up and down the aisles. So many times I see people rushing into and out of stores, typically forgetting items on their list only to cause another trip to the store. (Hence, my husband.)

Secondly, I am obsessed with being in the kitchen. I like to call the kitchen my happy place because it is the very spot in our home where I am able to experiment. It is small, but I maximize the space like crazy. Being in the kitchen serves as a little therapy session, too. Plus, I truly enjoy being able to cook and provide for others at events that we attend. As picker a eater as my husband is, I know that if he likes it everyone else surely will like it.

"Texas Trash" Cheese and Re fried Bean Dip

I brought this to the tailgate. It was supposed to be served warm but as the day wears long it was cold. It was still good cold, but the cheese no longer was as tasty. Overall, it was a delicious hit to try again!
 

 

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 cans (16 ounces, each) re fried beans

2 packet taco seasoning

2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

2 cups Monterrey jack cheese, shredded

DIRECTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together cream cheese and sour cream in a large bowl. Mix in re fried beans until combined. Stir in taco seasoning. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray. Spread mixture evenly into the bottom of the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with both cheeses.Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese in melted and slightly browned. Serve with tortilla chips.

 

 

Cheddar Ranch Chicken

This recipe was a huge hit in our home last week!
 

4 boneless skinless chicken breast

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 packets dry ranch dressing seasoning

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup crushed Ritz crackers

cooking spray/butter

 

DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Place the chicken in a large baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, ranch, and cheddar cheese. Spread on top of the chicken breasts. Sprinkle the crushed crackers on top and spray lightly with cooking spray OR drizzle with melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

If anyone tries these recipes let me know what you thought! Until next time, happy blogging!