Munchie Monday- I'm Back With a Great Meal!

Hi everybody. Sorry that I've been MIA for several weeks I've had a lot going on. Today I will be sharing a recipe that I absolutely LOVE! If you love lasagna or Italian food this is hands down the best I have ever had!

You will need:

1 box of lasagna noodles (oven ready or the kind you have to boil)

1 lb ground Italian sausage

1 ¼ lb ground beef

½ medium onion, diced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can crushed tomatoes, 28 oz

1 can Italian diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz

2 cans tomato paste, 6 oz each

2/3 cup water

2-3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon parsley

2 teaspoon dried basil

2 tablespoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon slat

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

4 cups shredded Italian blend cheese

Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook noodles according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook sausage, beef and onion over medium heat for 10 minutes or until meat is cooked, breaking up meat into crumbles. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Drain.

2. In a large pot dump the cooked meat mixture, tomatoes, tomato paste, water, sugar, parsley, basil, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes; stir occasionally. Meanwhile combine both cheeses in a bowl.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Spread a thin layer of meat sauce on the bottom of your baking dish. I used a 1.5 quart and a 3 quart glass baking pan. On top of the meat mixture add one layer of noodles, then add another layer of meat, then a layer of cheese. Repeat layers till the dish is full. Top with any remaining cheese and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

4. Place on a cookie sheet to catch drips. Bake, covered, 25 minutes. Bake, uncovered 25 minutes longer

I hope you enjoyed this lasagna as much as my family and I do. You can also use the meat sauce as a homemade spaghetti sauce. I will be back blogging more often!  To stay up to date with me and the blog through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Garden Tuesday- Garden Update

So in my previous post today I am kinda in  the process of moving from my home in Lockhart to my boyfriends parents house in Buda. My thoughts and plans for a fall garden are no more. I will not be having a fall garden this year maybe next year but for sure not this year. There is just to much going on right now! 

As for my plans for a spring/summer garden in 2015 I have no clue at this point if I will be having a garden next year. If I do decide to have a garden I am unsure as to where it will be. I might still have it at my current location because this years garden took very limited work and effort so I will be able to make it work with going over there once a week.

My Current Garden!

Two weeks ago I said that my tomatoes were dying and that I was going to pull them up and if your follow my Instagram you will know that I did indeed pull up all my tomato plants.

Left is before, right is after. Comment below if you can find the chicken! :D

I still have my basil, jalapenos, banana peppers,  poblanos and tomatillos still going strong. My chocolate mint and strawberries are dead. I did have a chance to pick anything from my garden this past week and I probably wont be able to this week either.

I'm sorry that this post is all over the place. :) I might not be able to blog as often as I should be but I promise I have not forgotten about you guys. Right now the best places to stay up to date with me is through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

Garden Tuesday- Bye Bye Tomatoes

Sorry that this is late. The heat has finally finished off my tomato plants. :( The tomatoes are turning brown (even though I water them often) and they have no more flowers and no more fruit. 

I'm planning on ripping some of the tomato plants out later on this week. Be sure to look on my Instagram for pictures. The rest of the plants are doing really well except for my chocolate mint which is still trying to die on me.

Garden Haul

This weeks garden haul is just a handful of banana peppers.

What would you guys like to see on blog? Leave your suggestions below. Follow my Facebook, Twitter, Instagram for updates on my blog and my life. :)

Munchie Monday- Better Than Restaurant Style Salsa

My boyfriend says the best way to find out if a Mexican restaurant is any good is by the taste of their salsa. If you don't like the taste of their salsa then you might as well walk out. This salsa is to me and my boyfriend is the best salsa we have tasted.

Ingredients:

1 can of whole peel tomatoes (28 oz)

½ a bundle of cilantro

4 jalapenos

1 clove of garlic

½ small onion

pinch of salt and pepper

*Optional*

1 Tomatillo 

Directions:

1. Drain the tomatoes but keep the juice. Pour the tomatoes into your blender.

2. Add cilantro, salt and pepper, garlic, onion, jalapenos (with the stems cut off) and my secret ingredient a tomatillo. The tomatillo will also make the salsa more green in color then it would if you don't add it.

Remember the tomatillo is optional.

3. This is the part that is a bit more up to you. I personally like my salsa more chunky so I use the blender setting 'chop' until its as chunky or smooth as I like it. Also you remember that I had you guys keep the tomato juice if its to spicy when you taste it add a little of the juice and a pinch of salt.

Now you guy have some yummy salsa to snack on or have it as a whole meal! :)

The little dish is from Walmart only $1! :)

I hope you guys enjoy this salsa as much as I do. Let me know what you guys think about it  either on  Facebook, Twitter, Instagram  or just by commenting below! :)

Garden Tuesday- Garden Haul + Chick update!

There is not much going on with my garden. I think that its about finished for the year. My tomatoes are turning brown and starting to die. Here's my garden haul for this week.

One red poblano pepper, a sprig of basil, two tomatillos a tomato and a handful of banana peppers!

This little guy came in on my poblano.

Found this spider in my garden. Took a picture then went to the opposite side of my garden LOL!

Baby chick update!!

I first introduced you guys to these chicks about three weeks ago here. Well now they are so big, just look for yourself!

Do you have any idea how hard it is to take a picture of theses guy! They are super fast.

This guy here is getting red and white strip feathers on its chest along with the black and whites ones everywhere else.

This one started getting black legs a week or so ago! Look at those legs silly chicken! :) I have no clue if they are going to be hens or roosters.

Be sure to follow my Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all blog updates or just random things that are going on in my life. :) Follow my blog with Bloglovin.

Garden Tuesday- Fall Planning

So nothing much has happened in the garden this week. I have gotten a few cherry tomatoes and jalapenos. The darn grasshoppers have eaten more of my larger tomatoes! I weed whacked the grass down and trimmed back the tomatillos some.

Before the weed whacking.

After weed whacking.

This fall I want to try to and make some sort of a fall garden. I also want to make some sort of plastic cover to go over top of the garden so I can try to get the plants to go around till next spring. 

A few plants I would love to grow are:

Carrots

Green Onions

Garlic

Spinach

Cauliflower

All of the links above are from Burpee Seeds and Plants. I might buy this from the local plant nursery instead of trying to plant seeds. I am excited to start planning this falls garden and next years spring garden and I can't wait to share this with all of you. :)

Sorry this is short this week nothing really happened like I said. Be sure to follow me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Garden Tuesday- Heat Kills

Well the temperature here I think is killing my tomatoes already. The leaves are turning brown and falling off. I still water it about every other day so it is still getting plenty of water. I still have tomatoes that are going to get ripe soon though. 

My jalapenos, poblanos and tomatillos are still doing great! haven't gotten much off of them but I should be getting more within a week or two.

Garden Haul:

 This week I didn't get much but I did find 9 EGGS in a corner of my garden! LOL Silly chickens! :)

Weekly Tip:

Provide shade! I have a big tree by my garden that provides some shade and cools the garden some, but being in Texas that only works so much!

How do you garden? Show me by tagging me on Instagram or tweeting me or posting on my Facebook page

Munchie Monday- Family Dish

This week I'm sharing with you guys a dish that has been passed down through my boyfriends family. His abuelita (grandma) has passed this to his mom, his mom to him and him to me. Now I'm sharing it with you guys! Enjoy! :)

Beef Enchiladas

Ingredients:

My boyfriend thought this looked cool LOL!

1lb Ground beef

2 Roma tomatoes

1-1 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (about half a bundle)

1-1 1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt (we like to add a little extra)

1/4 teaspoon steak seasoning

1/5 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

3 cups pinto beans

oil

corn tortillas

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef, while its browning add cumin, salt, steak seasoning and garlic salt.

This is when it's cooked down some.

2. Drain ground beef. Add cilantro, onion and tomatoes and cook with the ground beef for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Don't forget to stair and it will cook down so if it looks like a lot don't worry.

It may not look good but its delicious!

3. Put the beans on to boil. You know that they are ready when they aren't hard anymore. Take about 2/3-1/2 of the entire pot drained and and them to the ground beef mixture and mash them with the mixture.

We like using cast-iron skillets!

4. Pour oil in a small skillet about half full. Heat oil up on medium-high heat. Fry 1 tortilla at a time for 10-20 seconds on each side. Shake off extra oil with a non-fried tortilla.

I had the flash on the aren't as greasy as the picture shows.

5. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the ground beef mixture in a tortilla, roll and set on a serving platter and form a pyramid with each enchiladas to keep them warm.

Our snack! Just the ground mixture on a slice of bread.

6. Serve with shredded cheese and or the green sauce on top with rice and the remaining beans on the side. These will make quite a few the most we made was like 24+. They taste good as leftovers!

Green Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 bundle (1-1 1/2 cup)Cilantro

2 Large Tomatillos

1/2 Onion

2 Roma tomatoes
3 large Jalapenos
Garlic
Salt

Directions:

1.  Place all items in a medium sauce pan and boil till tender.

2. Take each item out and place in a blender. Try not to get any of  the water, a little is okay but you don't want little to no water!

3. Add one clove of garlic and a pinch or two of salt. Liquefy it in the blender. This sauce is NOT suppose to be chunky at all its suppose to be smooth.

I hope you enjoy this traditional Mexican meal! Let me know how yours come out by tweeting me, tagging  on Instagram or posting on my Facebook page.

Garden Tuesday- Garden Haul + Cuteness

There is not much change in my garden from last week so I will be showing yall my garden haul this week.

I got a bunch of Black Cherry tomatoes this week. Also this week I have noticed that my Chocolate Mint has started to die from the top of the plant to the bottom. I have no clue why but if anyone has an idea as to why comment below or on Facebook please.

Garden tip of the week:

Do your research when you start thinking about purchasing vegetable plants. Make sure that they can grow in your area/zone. Like for me I live in Texas zone 8-9 and summers here can reach 100+* F so I have to find plants that can tolerate the heat and not die. So do your research.

Prepare for cuteness!

They were about a week old here.

About 3 weeks ago now we had baby chicks hatch out at our house. Unfortunately 4 died and now we have 7 little baby chicks with two mamma hens. They are so cute! 

They were about a week old here.

These two mamas co-parent these little babies

We only have one dark baby left :/

These little one rap up this weeks Garden Tuesday. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram. Also don't forget to like our new Facebook page.