Shelley CAN cook like SANDRA LEE from Semi-Homemade

I love cooking shows.....I am sure a lot of that has to do with my passion for FOOD!!
Just look at me!! I am a recipe girl..... I have to have a recipe, and I have to follow it! I am not too much for winging it!

My friend Jennifer gave me two of Sandra Lee's cookbooks for Christmas. She has a cooking show, called Semi-Homeade and it ROCKS. It's on the Food Network. All of her recipes are quick, fast, easy and she uses a lot of ingredients that should already be in your cupboard. She is also famous for using ingredients that kind of cheat to get you done faster.
Jennifer came over on Jan 6th & 7th and again on Jan 13th & 14th we tried some of the recipes.
One being:
Mediterranean Chicken Bugers (I only could find ground turkey)

How YUMMY, does that look? It was pretty tasty if I do say so myself. The following night I made Szechuan Chicken with Green Beans and Basil. That was tasty too. All these recipes can be found in the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade 20-minute meals cookbook. The first thing I made out of the cookbook was Kahlua Jerk Chicken. THAT ROCKS!! I've already made that twice. Jennifer also gave me the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Grilling. I am excited to GRILL and test out some of those too! YUM! I was so excited about these cookbooks I had to order the Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes. Then I find out, they sell them ALL at SAMS Club. So far there is only one recipe I don't like.... Jennifer will vouge. Spicy Peanut Noodles. The picture looked so good, but it was NOT! Oh well. 1 out of 6 aren't bad!

So, if you need a gift for someone, I highly recommend. Every recipe has a FULL bright, colorful picture. Those are the BEST kind of cookbooks. SO THANK YOU JENNIFER!

Christmas 2006

WOW, I am a bit behind in BLOGGING.... to say the least!
My life isn't too exciting, but I always like to post pictures and I just finally uploaded them! Christmas this year was the most FUN yet! I did much better about my spending. This time I bought quality and quanity! I am sure I made Bill happy! This was also the first year the kids got almost everything on their list. And for like a week they kept saying, "Thank you so much Mommy, I really, really wanted this." They were so appreciative. Which makes me feel happy. Happy that they love what they got, but they were greatful they received! Being a parent is so hard, but times like this, it's rewarding!

We had a great Christmas, and we hope you did as well.

After the gift opening, we ate breakfast. I tried a new recipe my friend

Jennifer gave me.

It was VERY TASTEY. French Bread Casserole

I highly recommend it, especially if you like french toast. This recipe is very filling!

French Bread Casserole

10 oz. loaf French bread – cubed
1 1/2 half 8 oz. bricks of cream cheese - cubed
9 eggs
2 cups of milk
½ cup maple syrup
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
¾ cups chopped pecans (optional)

1. Grease a 9 x 13 pan. Cube bread and put in pan. Cube cream cheese and sprinkle over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon and nutmeg (optional) to taste.

2. Mix eggs, milk, and maple syrup together and pour over the ingredients in the pan. Cover and put in the fridge over night.

3. In the morning preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pull casserole from fridge while oven is heating. Bake for 35 minutes. Sprinkle pecans over casserole and bake for an additional 10 minutes. Casserole is done when center is set.

After I pulled it from the oven I drizzled a little more syrup over the casserole and or you can drizzle more on eat plate when you serve.

After breakfast, we got dressed and went to Bill's moms house.

We had a nice afternoon. It was the 4 of us. Lee and we invited Brian over as well, Jennifer too, but I think she was on the phone, I left a message!

Food was wonderful we had turkey with all the trimmings and PRIME RIB.

YUM.... I was SO full afterwards.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE.....