In The Life Of Me

A Blog About Things That Happen In My Life

[inthelifeofme]

Creamy Sausage & Mushroom Rigatoni

This is another one of those meals that my family loves to eat. The reason is because it is somewhat of a quick meal to make, and it makes enough so that you will have leftovers for another night. I am one that loves anything that has any kind of pasta in it. I hope you all really enjoy this recipe.

Ingredients:

12 oz rigatoni

12 oz sausage

1 tbs. butter

1 lb. fresh mushrooms

2 cloves garlic

½ tsp. slat

¼ tsp. pepper

2 cups heavy whipping cream

Minced parsley

Directions:

Cook rigatoni as directed on box

Brown sausage and drain and place to the side

In same skillet heat butter, mushrooms, garlic, salt, and pepper until liquid is evaporated.

Stir in heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil

Reduce heat and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes

Return sausage to skillet

Drain rigatoni and then add to skillet

Sprinkle with parsley

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Vanilla Dream Boat Desert

My aunt gave my wife this recipe at a summer party we went to, and my wife fell in love with it. She brings it to everything that needs a sweet dish at, and it never last. As soon as people find out that my wife brought this dish is gone in like 2 minutes.

Ingredients:

1 pack golden Oreo’s finely crushed

6 tbs. butter melted

1 pack cream cheese (8 oz.)

¼ cup sugar

2tbs. cold milk

1 tub of cool whip

2 packs of instant white chocolate pudding

2 cups whole milk

1 bag white chocolate chips

Directions:

In large bowl combine Oreos, butter, and mix until crumbs a fully coated with butter

Press into 9x13 baking dish and put in fridge

In large bowl mix cream cheese until fluffy, then add 2 tbs milk and sugar and mix well

In another large bowl combine instant pudding with 2 cups milk and whisk until thickens then spread over top of crumbs in dish, then put back into fridge for 5 minutes

Spread cool whip over pudding and then sprinkle with chocolate chips, then freeze for 1 hour or place in fridge for 4 hours.

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Wife’s Sweet Potato Casserole

When I went to my wife’s family house for their Thanksgiving, there was a dish there that was go good I would always go back and get more. I didn’t know what it was, all I knew was that it was so good and so sweet. After a few years of dating and going to these family thanksgivings I finally asked what was this orange dish that was so sweet. Well, I was shocked to find out that it was a Sweet Potato Casserole. I was like there is no way that this dish was sweet potatoes

Ingredients:

3 cups of cooked mashed sweet potatoes (about 4 potatoes)

¾ cup sugar

2 eggs beaten

2 tsp. vanilla

½ cup milk

½ tsp. salt

½ stick of butter

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix all ingredients together and place in casserole dish

Topping Ingredients:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 stick butter melted

1/3 flour

1 cup chopped pecans

Topping Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and sprinkle over sweet potato mixture

Bake uncovered for 30 minutes

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

BB-Q Sauce

I love to smoke meat. I love to smoke ribs, Boston butts, steaks, pork chops, pork shoulder, and even like to smoke homemade mac-n-cheese. When I smoke either ribs or a Boston butt or pork shoulder, I love you use this home-made BB-Q Sauce. I have let my family and friends try this sauce and I end up making gallons of this stuff at once just so I can give it out to all the family and friends. I have given them this recipe many times before and they always come back and tell me that it doesn’t taste the same when they make it, so I am giving to all of you so that you can make it first because I feel like you would say the same thing if I was to make it for you.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups packed brown sugar

2.5 tsp. ground mustard

2 tsp. paprika

1.5 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 ¼ cup ketchup

½ cup of red wine vinegar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

Whisk all ingredients together until all the sugar dissolves

Put is container and place in fridge

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Brown Rice Casserole

When it come to side dishes for a meal, I love to make this Casserole. It is always good with anything else you cook, and I promise you it will be a hit at the next family gathering. This is one of those meals that you always get asked to bring to a gathering whether with friends, family, or co-workers.  Growing up I didn’t like anything besides pizza, mac-n-cheese, chicken, or steak. But my wife’s home introduced me to this amazing Brown Rice Casserole, and I was hooked. I wanted it for every meal every night because it is so good.

 Ingredients:

2 cups white rice

2 cans of Beef Consommé soup

1 can of French Onion Soup

1 Stick of butter

Directions:

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Mix the rice and all 3 cans of sour together

Cut stick of butter into slices and place in different places on top of rice and soup mixture

Bake for 55 minutes

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Food Prep Chicken

When it come to life with kids today, it feels like you are on the go from the time your eyes open to the time you go to bed. One of the things that you must do is eat. You got to do something for dinner. Well, we are always on the go and never stop until we fall asleep, one way we try and take some off of our plates in the evenings is food prep. I know it takes time to food pre, but it also saves you time when you are running short on time. This one of those meals. We prep it on a Sunday when we are getting dinner ready for the night and then throw it in freezer until we need an easy meal one night. We pull it out the freezer and thaw it and then place it in the crock pot set the timer and then off to work and when we get home it is like magic. Dinner in ready.

 Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

1 cup pineapple juice

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup light soy sauce

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a gallon zip-lock bag and then freeze.

Cooking Directions:

Remove from freezer and thaw in refrigerator

Once thawed place into crockpot

Cook on high for 4-5 hours or low for 6-7 hours

Serve over rice

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Parmesan Crusted Chicken

This recipe has been one of my families go to meal when we what chicken and don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen preparing and cooking. This normally taken me about 10 minutes prep time and 20 minutes cook time. My children are picky eaters, and this chicken will have them asking for seconds. We usually have this about 2-3 times a month and it never gets old and it seams like it gets better each time I cook it.

 Ingredients:

4 Boneless chicken breasts cut in half

½ Cup Dukes Mayo

¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese

Panko breadcrumbs

Any flavor you like of Mrs. Dash

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Combine Mayo and parmesan cheese in bowl

Arrange chicken on baking sheet

Spread mayo mixture onto chicken breast evenly

Sprinkle Panko breadcrumbs on chicken

Sprinkle your favorite flavor of Mrs. Dash over chicken

Bake chicken for 25 minutes or until done

enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Yummy Yummy Chicken

Here lately I have gotten into cooking. I love to smoke ribs on my smoker or grill steaks on the grill, but this is cooking in the kitchen. I am going to share a good chicken recipe with you now that I think you will love. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do.

Honey Pecan Chicken:

Ingredients:

2-4 Boneless chicken breast (Either pounded or cut in half

¼ Cup finely chopped pecans

1/3 Cup cornflake crumbs

1 T Honey

1 T Soy Sauce

Directions:

Pre-Heat oven to 425 Degrees

Combine chopped pecans and cornflakes in shallow bowl.

Combine honey and soy sauce in another shallow bowl.

Dip chicken breast into honey mixture and then into the pecan mixture making sure to coat the chicken evenly and then place on a sprayed baking sheet

Bake chicken for 10 minutes on each side or until done.

Enjoy

[inthelifeofme]

Charlotte Auto Fair

This weekend I went to the Charlotte Auto Fair in Concord Nc. This event happens twice a year with a Spring Show a Fall show. This is a great place to go and spend the day with the family or friends and look at some cool car and trucks. They also have and really good food trucks and venders there serving some good food. They normally have entertainment for people to watch. They also have a huge swap meets. Swap meet are where you can look around to find something that you might need, you’re your old classic you might be working on or that cool old retro sign you would like to put up in you man cave. If you love cars this is an event that you don’t want to miss out on so next time is come to a city near you, go and see for yourself.

[inthelifeofme]

Land Surveying

Hello everyone, today I want to tell you about Land Surveying. What is land surveying you ask? It is the procedure that you go about find your property corners for your land or house lot. We use what is called a total station what has a measuring laser built in that shots a laser to a mirror and then back to the total station and it gives us a distance from one point to another. When you buy your house or land it should come with a survey plat showing you the dimensions of your property so that you know where your property lines are. Sometimes you don’t always get a survey of your property at the closing. I think that it always a good idea to have what you are buying survey so that you know where your property lines are and to know if anybody else is encroaching on your property. Let me ask you this, would you ever buy a car or truck with out test driving it and looking all over it to make sure it was a good one? No So I wouldn’t recommend buy property with out having it surveyed first.

[inthelifeofme]

Pot Roast

Hello everyone. Today I would like to tell you about a good Pot Roast recipe that I received from a good family friend the other day. I don’t really like roast but this one is to die for and it is very simple and easy to make in the crockpot.  Get yourself a 4–6-pound post roast and place it in the crockpot. Next take a Hidden Valley ranch packet and sprinkle it over the pot roast. Next take a pack of AU JUS Gravy and sprinkle it all over the pot roast. Then the last thing you will need are 4-5 whole pepperoncini’s and put them on top. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. There is no need to add any liquid because it will make its own. You can serve it over some rice or by itself. I is supper tender and full of good juices. I hope you enjoy this Pot Roast Recipe.

[inthelifeofme]

Weekend To Remember Retreat

Good evening, everyone, Last weekend was the wife’s and I marriage retreat in Concord NC. It was GREAT. The speakers were knowledgeable and funny, it wasn’t like sitting in a class or anything. We weren’t there because of any troubles but just needed a tune up to say. We need a way to get connected a little bit better. It was a great weekend with great company. We meet a lot of great couples there and made new friends. It you and your spouse are in need of help or just wanting to learn how to connect again, then I would HIGHLY recommend you looking up Focus on The Family Weekend To Remember. It was so good that we plan on going to one each year it is within driving distance from us. Not only did we get some great advice and understanding of one another but got 3 days and 2 night without any kids or interruptions.

[inthelifeofme]

Parents Get Away Weekend

In about 2-3 weeks, I can’t remember which one, me and the wife are going away for the weekend to Concord NC. We will be attending a Christian based marriage retreat. This will be second one we have been on, and it is amazing. The first one we went on was over Valentines Weekend at the Myrtle Beach. It was a great conference not only to help marriages that was having trouble but also help the ones doing good be even better. I really enjoy the time that the wife and I get together, we really don’t get a lot of one-on-one time because of our kids and the activities throughout the week and on the weekends, so when we get a chance to get a way for a few days we jump at the opportunity. It just helps us not lose sight of why we fell in love in the first place

[inthelifeofme]

February Family Fun Day

This weekend was Family Fun Day. We had a day (Saturday) that we took our kinds to Discovery Place in Huntersville NC. My kids looked forward this day all week. They Have so much to do there for kids and it brings out the kid in the adults too. After spending a few hours at Discovery Place, we walked across the street to a pizza house and ate some of the best New York style pizza ever. My kids LOVE pizza. After running around and then getting our bellies full we went to the movies and let the kids pick out a movie for us to watch. They chose Sing 2. It was a great move and a good follow up to the first one also. By the time we got home we are all tired and really didn’t what to do a whole lot of anything, so we ordered take out and just relaxed the rest of the night watching AFV.

[inthelifeofme]

Family Fun Day

Hello everyone, I hope you have a great week-weekend. My wife and I have decided that next month for our family fun day that we are going to be taken our two boys to Concord, NC to Great Wolf Lodge. We are going to go there early Saturday and spend the day at the water park. Then we are going to spend the night in a family suite and then get a few more hours Sunday at the water park before we must check out and head home. This is something that we have always wanted to do with our boys because they love a water park so much. The great thing about Great Wolf Lodge is that their water park is inside, and temperature controlled so that you can play in the water park no matter what the weather is like outside.

https://www.greatwolf.com/concord

[inthelifeofme]

Siblings Day

Hello everyone, it has been a somewhat relaxing weekend for us. Friday after work I grabbed for wings at our favorite local bar that was some of the best wings around, and then just relaxed with the family watching movies. Saturday, we got up and cleaned the house because all our siblings came to our house for our siblings get together and diner. We decided to start once a mouth a sibling’s day. We will all gather at one of our houses and just spend time together. I think that with us doing this has brought all of us closer together because before we started this, we might have either seen or spoke to one another when every we had a family together that only happen a few times a year. If you have siblings, I will highly recommend start getting together more often.

[inthelifeofme]

Soccer Club for Kids

Hello everyone, this week for me was crazy with work, school and kids sports. This week my son had is first soccer game in Columbia, SC for his traveling soccer team. He has been with this group of kids for about 2-3 years now. He is apart of the Charlotte Independence Soccer Club based out of Rock Hill, SC. We had him in the local Recreational soccer league but didn’t feel like he was getting the skills that he needed to improve his game. We Heard about the league from some friends and thought that it was a good idea to try out. It was the best decision that we made. He gets professional training from professional coaches, He practices 2 times a week for about 2 hours each and then he has games about every weekend, and 2 games for that day with about 1.5-hour break in between the games. He has shown so much improvement in the last 2-3 years than he did in the 3-4 years he was in the local leguage. If you have children that like soccer and live in or near Rock Hill, SC I would highly recommend you checking out this league.

https://www.independencesoccer.club/