Creamy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

Apr30

Another recipe to try.

The Happy Endings Cafe

Mac & CheeseMy mom taught me this basic recipe when I was about ten years old. I’ve been making it ever since.

Creamy Baked Macaroni & Cheese

(Prep time 30-45 min. Bake time 45 min.)

Ingredients:

  • 2 – 8 oz bricks Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese (16 oz total), shredded
  • 1 – 8 oz brick Pepper Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1 Cup shredded cheese blend (I use Mexican but 4 or 6 cheese blend will work)
  • 4 1/2 Cups uncooked elbow macaroni
  • 1/2 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 5 Tablespoons flour
  • 5 Cups milk
  • 1 Teaspoon salt
  • 2 Teaspoons ground black pepper
  • 1/2 sleeve of Saltine Crackers, crushed (10-15 crackers)

Prep:

Shred all cheeses, place near your stove-top

Chop half of a small onion until it is finely diced

Crush saltines into uneven rough crumbs and chunks, set aside

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Directions:

Boil macaroni until almost done (it should…

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Chocolate Madness Cheesecake

Apr30

This sounds amazing! I’m definitely going to have to try this.

The Happy Endings Cafe

This recipe came to me via an old friend. I don’t know where she got it. I think it’s a fairly common recipe so I’m not taking any credit for it. However; it’s very rich, very decadent chocolate fudge cheesecake.

Use Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips and Sweet Ground Baking Cocoa? You just took it to the next level. If your friends start moaning, don’t blame me.

Chocolate Madness Cheesecake

Prep Time: 30 mins | Cook Time: 1 hr 15 mins

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 1/2 Cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
  • 1/2 Cup 10X (Powdered) Sugar
  • 1/3 Cup Sweet Ground Baking Cocoa
  • 1/2 Cup Melted Butter (1 Stick)

Cheese Cake:

  • 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
  • 1 Cup Milk Chocolate Chips
  • 3 8 Ounce Packages Cream Cheese
  • 1 14 Ounce Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
  • 4 Eggs
  • 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Directions:

Crust:

Melt butter. Combine with other crust ingredients and press firmly into bottom of 9 inch spring-form…

View original post 251 more words

Steel Magnolias and Sweet Tea is now on Facebook!

Apr30

Steel Magnolias and Sweet Tea is now on Facebook!

I know it’s been a long time since I posted on this blog. I’m sorry for that. School has been ridiculous this last semester and I have been busy with making art and have neglected to post any. I started a fan page for my art on facebook at the suggestion of my best friend. There’s not much there at the moment, but there will be more coming. I hope you will check it out.

 

Ashley

Latest pages

Sep27

 

This page spread was done for Connie’s 21 Secrets workshop.

And I dyed my hair.

I’ve done a couple more pages but haven’t taken pictures of them yet.

Too many emotions

Sep12

Considering buying Remember Me on amazon instant video. I always meant to see it but never got around to it. I know I could just buy it from Walmart or whatever but I kinda wanna watch it now and am not going to Walmart at 1 a.m. just to buy a movie when I’m already in pajamas.

(Just kidding, I never got out of pajamas today.)

But seriously, though.

And I’m tempted to buy Titanic on instant video too, but I know I want the blu rayfor it, so I’m going to wait on that one.

Also I collaged/painted a fall fairy in my art journal today. The only thing I don’t like about it is that the magazine image I used for her head was a little bigger than what I had sketched out so now it sort of looks like she has no neck. It looked fine when I laid the image down to check its position but when I glued it.. no neck. And by the time I realized the problem, the glue had dried.

But her dress and the background turned out really awesome.

I miss my mom. And part of me thinks that the reason I haven’t been in any hurry to graduate is because she won’t be there. And I think that’s part of the reason I never want to get married. When it comes to major changes in my life, sometimes it feels like… what’s the point if she can’t see it? And also I have this nagging feeling that she wouldn’t be proud of me if she could see me now and it makes me feel bad but at the same time, I like the person I am becoming, even if she wouldn’t.

…I think maybe grief would be easier if I really believed in an afterlife, but I don’t anymore. It’s been four and a half years since my mom died and some days it feels like it was yesterday. Today is one of those days, thanks to a particularly heartbreaking september 11ths tribute.

I have too many feelings today, and I just want to hug my kitty.

I’ll have some artsy pictures up soon. I’ve been making some really cool stuff.

New collage

Sep3

I was up until three a.m. last night working on this collage. Some personal things have been going on, and I’ve been working through my feelings about them in my art journal, resulting in some intensely personal pages. This page in particular means a lot to me. I cried when I finished it, honestly.

 

School

Aug29

School has started back. I’ve only got two classes so I’m not that busy but somehow I find that I don’t have much to say. I’ll post a recent journal page later though, because it turned out really cool.