Bacon Pesto Spread~SRC Leprechauns and Bunnies

I'm participating in a special Secret Recipe Club project:  Because there are 5 Mondays in February, we get to play with a theme and this month the theme is Leprechauns and Bunnies!  This fun and funky event, I was paired up with Ashley from Cheese Curds in Paradise .  What a great name! Ashley is from Green Bay and if she only knew how big of Packers fans this family is, she'd just hand over her season tickets and call it a day.  Wishful thinking on my part, I know.

Shepherd's Pie Hand Pies #SundaySupper

This week's theme for #SundaySupper is PIE!  You know it is pie month, as we've celebrated here at Our Good Life in a couple of different ways!  I love hand pies , and have a board on Pinterest dedicated to them! I make the filling for a shepherd's pie and encase it into puff pastry that is sealed around the edges with a fork.  Sometimes the filling leaks through, but that just makes it more delicious!  Instead of putting the mashed potatoes in the filling, I serve them on the side.  These neat mashed potatoes will be featured on the blog on March 6.  Come and check them out!

Food 'n' Flix~

Our movie this month was The Lunchbox, an Indian film about a crotchety accountant who received the wrong lunchbox, or rather, tiffin box, over and over. It seems that in India, housewives cook lunch during the morning, pack it up in a tiffin box, where it is picked up and delivered to working men in an elaborate system that has been recognized by Harvard and other institutions for its efficiency. Efficient or not, the lunchbox is delivered to the wrong person.  Realizing that he is not receiving the bland food he typically gets from the restaurant he orders from, he places a note into one of the tiffin containers.  In case you haven't seen a tiffin, it looks like tuna fish cans stacked one on top of the other.  The housewife who receives the notes, is lonely and looking to impress her husband, who is a louse.  From the notes, a relationship develops between the accountant and the housewife.  I won't tell you more, but I am glad I saw this film.  It's not one I would h

Easter Morning Breakfast Casserole

Easter breakfast is one of my favorite times to cook, but usually with church and all, it is difficult to get everything ready before services.  This wonderful dish, can be made the morning of or the day before, so all you have to do is bake! Look for fresh berries in the store.  This is delightful with blueberries, strawberries and blackberries. The fresh berries make this dish spring fresh!  I like to use the croissants that can be purchased at the bakery, not the ones you make ahead from the can.  The canned ones are too small and soft to make this dish. Easter Morning Breakfast Casserole by Terri Steffes Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 40 minutes 6077529 Ingredients (serves 8) 12 croissants torn into pieces 1 cup fresh blueberries or a mix of berries 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened ⅔ cup sugar 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup milk or cream Instructions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place croissant pieces in a 9 by 13 in

He Named Me Malala #withMalala

I was given an advanced copy of the television debut of He Named Me Malala to view and to promote for the February 29 show.  Between now and the debut, supporters can change their profile picture on Facebook using a custom designed animation AND with the hastag #withMalala, Twitter fans can contribute by sending out a tweet (with the hashtag) and 21st Century Fox will donate $1 for the Malala Fund. (up to $50 grand!) The show will premeier commercial free on Monday at 8PM ET/PT on the National Geographic Channel and on Nat Geo MUNDO.  It will roll out within a week to 171 countries and in 45 languages. Please leave a comment if you are going to tweet and change your Facebook profile.  In the meanwhile, you can learn more about the film by continuing to read!

Benvenuto! Welcome to Dinner!

Tonight we are featuring Italian cuisine from bloggers all over the world!  You will be served several courses and even a couple of printable a and table decor to round out your experience! Soups are a traditional peasant fare all through Europe and here, too, and this minestrone is so satisfying.  The soup is best made with a bean broth, but that not always being available, I have substituted chicken broth.  The bean of choice is the fagioli romani (the Roman bean), hence the name of the soup.

Lebanese Potatoes and Eggs~SRC Reveal

Welcome back to the Secret Recipe Club .  I was so thrilled and a bit nervous, to get Tara from Tara's Multicultural Table as my partner this month.  I know Tara from a couple of different foodie groups and she is a consistently wonderful chef and to recreate one of her recipes, well, I'm shaking a little bit. Tara is a stay-at-home mom for her two littles and lives in West Virginia.  Someday I hope to visit West Virginia, and if I do, I'm inviting myself to Tara's for lunch.  She's a traveler and loves many types of cuisines.  So do I. I went through Tara's extensive list of recipes, which is sorted by CONTINENT and food group, by the way.  Knees are knocking together, now!   When I saw Loco Moco , I did find myself calming down, as I love this and it isn't too hard to make!  I settled on the Egg category because we love eggs and when I did, I knew I made the right choice, because then I found this: Batana Wa Bayd Mfarakey.  Just for fun, though, I

Breakfast Salad #SundaySupper

I crave salad in the winter and it is easy to understand why.  Even in this world of fresh produce all year long, my body longs for Farmers Market goodies during the winter.  I began ordering my avocados from California recently and so this avocado breakfast salad was a perfect addition to this week's #SundaySupper Winter Salad week!

Top Ten Rainbow Cupcakes

Shamrocks and leprechauns aren't the only thing that March is famous for, the typically rainy month gives us great opportunities to talk about and see rainbows.  But in case the weather doesn't cooperate, here are some darling cupcakes to demonstrate how gorgeous a rainbow can be!  Be sure to visit their lovely blogs to find out exactly how these were made!

Mug Cake

I have seen these mug cakes all over the Internet. I have actually made one I really love that is so simple and tasty. I was out of that mix so I tried another one that is a bit more complicated but very tasty. This is a mash up of many recipes so here goes!

St. Patrick's Budget Craft Hop

One thing I love about blogging is the chance to meet others all over the world who love the same things I do.  Last month I was fortunate to meet Megan from C'mon Get Crafty  when she asked if there were others who liked to do budget crafting.

Homemade Febreze

I love using Febreze in my house to eliminate odors.   I love the smell and how quickly it works.  I use it a lot, and when I realized that, I wondered what chemicals I was adding to the air in my home.  I did some research on the product and this post was instrumental in motivating me to do something different. I experiemented with a couple of different homemade versions, one with vinegar that didn't leave a super pleasant smell, and one that uses hair conditioner, which is also full of chemical.  I settled on this recipe, which I believe is effective at removing odors.

Garden Planning Time!

Three things have happened this month to get me thinking about spring and planting. The first was my husband asking me what plans I have for our backyard this spring and I was so glad he asked!  I would like to stain the concrete, purchase a table set for the deck, refinish the wood table and plant our small garden and fill our planters.  I would also like to expand our butterfly garden a bit and maybe put in a window box where the our garage window is.  Hoping to create the planting station I've been wanting and, if I'm not stretching my luck too much, build an overhead awning over the back door. (smile)

#asweetpairing

My husband and I are busy people.  He is the director of a college campus and teaches college course for the same college.  I am an educational consultant and teach college courses.  So when we both are home on the same night, it feels really nice and very special.

Potatoes with Broiled Citrus Dressing

It's National Potato Lovers' Day and I wanted to share with you a simple recipe that is fancy enough to serve guests, but super easy to do.  I'm always looking for a side dish to accompany my husband's delicious steaks.  This side dish will hold it's own but not take the star away from the main dish. Potatoes with Broiled Citrus Dressing by Terri Steffes 6077189 Ingredients (2 servings) 10 baby yukon gold potatoes 2 T olive oil 2 T juice from roasted lemon, orange or lime 1 T grainy mustard 1 clove garlic salt pepper red pepper flakes Instructions Cut each potato in quarters. Coat in olive oil. Salt. Roast at 400 for 25 minutes or until fork tender. Set aside. Mince garlic, then mash it with a little salt. Broil fruit for 10 minutes, cut side up. Let cool for 5 minutes, juice using a citrus press. In a small bowl, whisk citrus juice, red pepper flakes, oil, garlic, mustard and salt and pepper (to taste). Pour over pota

What I Like, Products I Love!

It's been a crazy fun month trying out some new products and I want to share with you some of my favorites.  I like it when I know that someone else has tried a product and given their seal of approval, so I hope that some of these products will be helpful to you, too! 1.  I loved my Ipsy bag this month!  The bag itself was adorable, covered with sunglasses, and inside were products for the eyes.  Nothing to outlandish, and I have used all the products.  If you haven't tried Ipsy, you can do so by clicking on this link and signing up! 2.  My two furbabies were in love with Merrick's Grammy's Pot Pie Kitchen Bites this month.  These are oven baked treats with real chicken, potatoes, peas and carrots in them.  I love watching how excited they get to have one!  I get excited knowing I know all the ingredients in the treat! 3.  This darling picnic blanket is going to be so useful this summer.  It has a waterproof bottom and folds up fairly small.  I think

It's Friday and We're in Love...with Crock Pot Meals!

It's the middle of the winter and some of us are needing a boost in our crockpot meals!  Here are some of the best crock pot meals on the planet, just in time to freshen your recipes for the end of winter.  Spring is certainly around the corner! It's my turn to host this lovely Blog Hop and Linky Party!  Each week there is a different theme which makes it so fun and exciting to participate!  I am so excited to share these recipes with you! First highlight is this wonderful shredded beef recipe and it includes how to use the leftovers!  Head over to Momcrieff's for the entire recipe! My second feature is this brisket!  The pictures of the sauce made me swoon!  I think that these larger cuts of beef are perfect for the slow cooker.  Visit Oak Hill Homestead for the recipe! Now for a soup!  This Tortilla Soup from Close to Home will please your family for its fun factor and for the easy-to-make recipe. I love anything served in a bowl and this Southwe

The Choice

How far would you go to keep the hope of love alive? Literally.  Fun and fiesty medical student, Gabby (Teresa Palmer) meets confirmed bachelor, Travis (Benjamin Walker) when her dog becomes pregnant supposedly through Travis' male dog.  Gabby "reams him a new one" by complaining about loud music, boisterous friends and a promiscuous dog.  The pair find themselves attracted to one another and what seems most unlikely, become involved with each even though both are in relationships with other people. The story continues to build with their marriage and the family comes along.  Life is treating them very well, until a tragic accident puts Gabby in the hospital. Travis is confronted by Gabby's doctor (her ex, by-the-way) and her parents, asking to make the most difficult of all decisions, when to pull the plug.  A hurricane postpones "the choice" and if you want to know the rest of the story, you are going to have to see the film. Nicholas Sparks is th

It's Pie Month! Baked Penne Pie

"February has so many food holidays...chocolate, of course, heart healthy, Red foods, Fondues, Berries, Cherries, Grapefruit and Hot Breakfasts to name just a few. And American Pies....perfect...you can make them red, you can make them chocolate, you can use berries or cherries, you can make them savory and serve them as a hot breakfast, you can make them out of grapefruit....well, maybe not, but if you do you will be my hero!!!"  This is what us going on Pie Month!  And.... there is a grapefruit pie among us! Welcome to the 2016 February issue of #FoodieExtravaganza!  We're a bunch of foodie who love to blog and cook together.  Here's what we created with the theme of Bye Bye Miss American Pie. This is my pie:  pie for dinner!  Made with whole grain pasta, jarred pasta sauce, leftover veggies and cheese, it is a frugal and healthy choice! Baked Penne Pie by Terri Steffes Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes 6077060 In

DAR Good Citizens Brunch

This year I took on the challenge of organizing the DAR Good Citizen Award.  I know my interest in the DAR came from my Aunt Sissy (Florence Oliver Leach) who had worked for years on her papers but didn't finish before she passed away in 1999.  Her advanced work helped me get my papers in and I became a member in 2008. In addition to organizing the Good Citizens for the brunch, I made this breakfast casserole that was featured in a video called Tasty.  It was very well received! Biscuit and Gravy Casserole 1 can of canned biscuits, I used the large biscuits 9 eggs salt and pepper 1/2 c milk 1 lb ground sausage 4 T butter 4 T flour 2 c milk 1 c cheese Preheat the oven to  350.  Prepare a 9 by 13 pan with cooking spray.  Cut the biscuits up into eighths.  Beat eggs, salt and pepper, and milk.  Set aside.  Fry sausage in a large skillet until done, then remove from grease, set aside 2 T grease for gravy.  Melt butter into grease, spoon in flour.  Stir with a whi

Taste Creations: Leeks!

Welcome to this month's Taste Creations Linkup where we will be sharing recipes using Leeks! The Taste Creations Linkup happens on the 1st Monday of Every Month at 7am PST / 10am EST . You can participate by submitting your recipes below any time until the 8th February at 7am PST / 10am EST . Next month we'll feature our favourite and most creative recipes from this month, so make sure you submit your post below! Here are the rules for participating in the Linkup 1) Everyone is welcome to link up 1 family friendly recipe, using the featured ingredient of the month. (No homepages please). We reserve the right to delete any posts we don’t believe to be “family friendly.” 2) Please follow your Hosts on social media! Lauren Caris Cooks / Youtube / Instagram / Pinterest / Our Good Life / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram Tikkido / Pinterest / Facebook / Instagram Mom Home Guide / Facebook / Instagram / Twitter 3) Have a Visible L