I'm Nicole. I am a wife, mother, shop owner on Mackinac Island, and lover of handmade. The little things and little moments inspire me. Follow me on my blog as I write about shop news, my travels, island life and motherhood.
Nicole
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little luxuries
I can’t believe that the boys will be back to school very soon! They are getting excited to see their friends and I’m getting excited for more structure!
I’ve been on Pinterest lately, looking for some new recipes to incorporate into our meal schedule! Here are a few that I’m going to be making as we head back to school - these look easy and delicious!
This first one is a make ahead breakfast idea, which I love for the busy mornings!
Greenletes has made these Mushroom Freezer Breakfast Burritos that look amazing! They are packed full of nutrition, which is great! She offers ideas of what to sub out if you don’t like mushrooms, or the cheese she uses, etc!
I love trying new things! This next recipe that I found is Nut Free Cold Noodles from Chelsey Amer's Nutrition Blog. Again, this recipe is filled with protein and nutrition making it an excellent dinner option!
Photo from Chelsey Amer's Nutrition Blog
This final new recipe I’m trying is from Greenletes, again! :) She has so many amazing options, but this one looks especially delicious: Coconut Fried Rice! I can’t wait to try!
Have you started thinking about back to school meal prep? If you know me, you know that I don’t meal prep a lot! But these are three recipes that I’m going to try this fall and add to the rotation! They look too good and easy not to try!
- 3 Corn Cobs
- 2 Large Avocados
- 1 Cup Grape Tomatoes Cut in Half
- 1/4 of a Small Purple Onion
- 2 Tablespoons of Chopped Cilantro
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
Salad Dressing:
- Juice of 1 Lemon
- 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil
- 3/4 Teaspoon of Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
Instructions
1. Boil the corn for 5-7 minutes and then allow to cool. Cut off the corns flesh with a knife or corn slicer tool.
2. Cut the avocado into large cutes, tomatoes into halves, thinly slice the onions and chop the cilantro.
3. Place everything in a bowl and add the dried cranberries.
4. Prepare the dressing by mixing the salad ingredients together. Pour over the salad ingredient and toss to coat everything well.
5. Serve and Enjoy!
The next recipe that I am excited about for Spring is from Amanda's Cookin'. It's a Mexican Chicken Casserole that is delicious and the whole family will enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 3 Cups of Crushed Tortilla Chips
- 15 oz. Black Beans, Drained and Rinsed
- 2 Cups of Chopped Cooked Chicken, If you're in a hurry a rotisserie chicken works great for this!
- 1 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 21 Ounces of Cream of Chicken Soup
- (1) 10 oz. Can of Rotel Tomatoes, Undrained
- 2 Cups of Shredded Jack Cheese
- 2 Cups of Shredded Medium Cheddar Cheese
- 1 Tomato, Diced
- 1 Bunch of Cilantro, Rinsed and Chopped
- Jalapeños, optional
Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 350 F and grease a 13×9 casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
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Crush tortilla chips lightly and sprinkle approximately 1 cup across the bottom of the baking dish.
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Layer diced chicken and black beans over the crushed chips.
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Stir 1 teaspoon of cumin into the cream of chicken soup. Spread the soup mixture over the chicken and beans, using a spatula to gently spread it evenly over the entire top. Add canned tomatoes over the soup layer.
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Sprinkle cheese evenly over the tomato layer and top with remaining crushed chips.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes or until casserole is hot and bubbly and the cheese is fully melted.
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Garnish casserole with cilantro and chopped tomatoes.
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Serve immediately with a slice or two of fresh jalapeño.
Tips & Trips:
- Do not drain Rotel tomatoes before adding to casserole.
- You can substitute Doritos for regular tortilla chips.
- For another flavor element, mix a 4 oz. can of diced chiles into the soup/cumin mixture.
- Prepare ahead of time except for the tortilla chips over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. When ready to bake, remove the plastic wrap and sprinkle with chips. Bake until hot and bubbly.
I hope that you and your family love these as much as we do! If you make them, tag us in your photos over on Instagram!
This past weekend, I made this new recipe and we all LOVED it! It was so delicious and incredibly easy.
For the ingredients list you need —
- 1 lb. lean ground beef
- 4 tsp minced ginger
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup of beef broth
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 6 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 green onions diced
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a medium skillet with high sides on the stovetop, brown the ground beef along with the ginger and garlic until beef is cooked through. Use the back of a wooden spoon to make sure meat is broken up well. Drain any fat and return the pan to the stovetop.
- While the ground beef is cooking, get a pot of water started for your pasta noodles. Be sure to salt the water well so that your noodles soak up that flavor.
- Combine the remaining ingredients -- the soy sauce, beef broth brown sugar, red pepper flakes, pepper, and hoisin sauce in a small dish and pour into ground beef mixture.
- Let them saute in the pan for about 3 minutes to allow the ground beef to absorb the flavors.
- Once your pasta is done cooking, transfer the noodles to the mixture. Mix thoroughly and allow to cook for a couple of more minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
- Top with green onions and toasted sesame seeds for the perfect noodle dish!
This recipe and picture is from https://jenaroundtheworld.com/mongolian-ground-beef-noodles/. I’m saving it to our recipe book for future, easy meals!
I hope that you try it and love it as much as we do!
One of my favorite soups to make for winter is Tortellini Minestrone Soup! It was so chilly and rainy this past weekend, so it was the perfect meal to warm us all up!
Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Yellow Onion, Diced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, Chopped
- 4 Large Celery Stalks, Diced
- 2 Large Carrots, Peeled & Diced
- 2 (14-ounce) Cans Diced Tomatoes with Juice
- 2 (14-ounce) Cans Kidney Beans, Rinsed and Drained
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 2 Teaspoons Dried Basil
- 4 Cups Chicken Stock
- 1 (9-ounce_ package cheese tortellini
- Grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Set a large pot over medium-high heat with olive oil. Once hot, add in the onions and garlic and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes with their juice and the beans.
- Season with salt, black pepper, oregano and basil.
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the veggies soften, about 10-15 minutes.
- Add the tortellini and cook until they float, about 3-5 minutes
- Serve the soup with a sprinkling of cheese on top.
This recipe takes just around 50 minutes to make and is so delicious! Tell me, what’s one of your favorite soups to make for winter?
