Polish Reuben Casserole {my favorite casserole in the whole wide world}

Polish Reuben Casserole is one of my very favorite foods. I could eat it all day, everyday. I really can't get enough of it. Although, it wasn't always like that. The first time my dad made it, I hated it. But after several years, I grew to like it. But not just like it, I loved it. 

So, what exactly is Polish Reuben Casserole? Polish Reuben Casserole has layers of sauerkraut, noodles, and polish sausage topped with a creamy mushroom mixture, bread crumbs, and Swiss cheese. If you like Reuben sandwiches, you'll love this casserole. 

My dad first found this recipe in a big cookbook. However I can't remember which cookbook. Through the years we have made small changes to suit our family. It originally called for only 8 oz. of wide egg noodles, but we wanted more noodles on it. So, I doubled the noodle amount, and in doing so, I have doubled the amount of milk called for in the recipe. 
Everyone always asks me if I'm Irish simply because of my red hair. When I tell them "no", they go onto ask if my parents have any Irish blood in them. I then answer "no" and that I am actually very German. On St. Patrick's Day, however, I become an adopted Irishmen with my friends very Irish family. Polish Reuben casserole may not be  corned beef and cabbage, but it would make a great substitute if you are in a time crunch. As St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, Polish Reuben casserole would make a festive sauerkraut dish for St. Patrick's Day. 

Polish Reuben Casserole

Ingredients:

2-3 cans (10.75 ounces each) condensed cream of mushroom soup

3-4 cups milk (I do 3.5 cups)

1 onion, chopped

1-2 Tbsp. prepared mustard

1 can (16 oz.) sauerkraut, drained and rinsed

1 pkg. (16 oz) wide egg noodles (uncooked)

1 1/2 lb. Polish Sausage, cut into 1/4 - 1/2 inch pieces

8 oz. shredded Swiss cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

 2 tsp. butter, melted

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. 
2. Combine soup, milk, onion and mustard in a medium bowl and blend together well.
3. Spread sauerkraut on the bottom of a greased 9x13 pan. Top with uncooked noodles.
4. Spoon soup mixture evenly over the top. Top sausage.
5. Combine butter and bread crumbs in a small bowl. Sprinkle bread crumb mixture over top. Then sprinkle the cheese on top. 
6. Cover tightly with foil. Bake in oven for 40 minutes- 1 hour or until noodles are tender. 
7. Serve up and enjoy!

This casserole is so easy to make. I hope you find to love this recipe like I did. The great thing about cooking at home is that you can make the way your family likes it. So if your family wants more sauerkraut, add another can of sauerkraut. Want less noodle, but the same amount of sauerkraut? Then halve the noodle amount and milk amount. This recipe is simple a blueprint. And with that I shall I say goodbye and have a Happy St. Patrick's Day!

 Peace, Love, Bake on... & the luck of the Irish.

                                                  Andrea 

How to Make a Heart-Shaped Valentine's Day Cake (without a heart-shaped pan)

Any occasion that I can bake up something festive is right up my alley. Valentine's Day is one of those holidays where it's easy to bake up something special.
There's something out there for everyone when it comes to festive bakery treats. The best place to find festive treats to make for Valentine's Day (or really any holiday) is on Pinterest. I love Pinterest. I could talk all day about my love for Pinterest. Anyway, I saw a pin that I thought was really ingenious. It was directions on how to make a heart cake without having to use a cake pan shaped like a heart (those can be difficult to find). So, I thought I was share it with ya'll because something so cute and easy must be shared.

Valentine's Heart Shaped Cake
adapted from BetterRecipes.com

1 cake mix (2- layered or 9x13 size)
Eggs, oil, water (as directed on cake mix)
Frosting
Red food coloring
Sprinkles or other decorations

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix up cake mix according to directions on the package. Divide the batter evenly into an 8 inch greased round and 8x8 greased square pan. Bake for the labeled amount of times on cake mix (or until when a tooth pick comes out clean).
Remove from oven when baked. Cool in pan for ten minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Once cake has cooled, cut the round cake in half. Assemble to cake on a serving tray of some sorts. Use a little bit of frosting to "glue" to pieces together (Follow the picture guide below from BetterRecipe.com) Frost cake and decorate with sprinkles or other candy decorations.
Take pictures at your amazing creation and enjoy!

BetterRecipes.com

I hope my directions don't confuse, but in the likely chance that they do please go to BetterRecipes.com for beautiful photographs and detailed instructions. I hope you have a very happy and LOVELY Valentine's Day!

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                          Andrea 

Blueberry Cobbler {updated}

I thought I would update my one of my old posts, Blueberry cobbler. This recipe has become a staple in my house for couple years now. My old post didn't really do this recipe justice. Really the picture on this post does not do this recipe justice either. I found this recipe several years ago just when I was starting up my blog almost 2 years ago. 
This dessert is always a hit where ever I take it. Everyone always asks for the recipe. I could eat this whole thing by myself. There's not just eat one serving. It's so scrumptious. Words or pictures really can't describe it loveliness. It's even better served warm with a scoop of French vanilla ice cream. Consider yourself warned. 
This recipe does call for blueberry pie filling, but you do not have to use blueberry filling. I use this recipe as the basis for all my cobblers. I sometimes use canned peaches instead. You can use any fruit, but you would might need to put a little water over the fruit and sugar or make compote with the fruit. Also, I don't always have 2 or 2.5 quart dish so I use a 9x13 dish. This way it can easily be double for a larger crowd or for hungrier appetites. If you don't have an hour to bake it, you can do 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees, which is what I do sometimes. 

Blueberry Cobbler

adapted from allrecipes.com

Ingredients: 

• 6 tbs. butter
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 1 cup self-rising flour (or 1 cup flour, 1 1/3 tsp. baking powder, & 1/3 tsp. salt)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 (21 oz.) can blueberry pie filling or other fruit(You don't have to use pie filling)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Melt butter and pour into a 2 or 2.5 quart casserole or baking pan. Mix sugar, flour, and milk together.
3. Pour mixture into pan over butter, but do NOT mix. Pour blueberry pie filling over mixture, but do NOT mix. 
4. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. 
5. Serve warm with ice cream, if you desire to do so.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do. Have a happy Sunday! I will enjoy mine inside since its snowing out.

Peace, Love, Bake on.

                                                          Andrea  

6 things I realized my first semester of college.

I survived my first semester of college-- just barely. It had its up and downs. I made through with only a few scrapes and bruises. I'm just joking. I survived my first semester with out any major hiccups. You may even say that I learned something. Those long hours of typing up papers at the last minute and memorizing equations the last few seconds before a Calc 1 test were all well spent. All that is left to show for my first semester of college are the grades that I earned and the knowledge & experiences gained from the past four months. I did manage to earn all A's my first semester.
The thing about your fist semester of college is that everything is new-- new school, new home, new friends. I, however, did not leave my home; I in the end decided to go the university in my hometown instead of going to a university away from home. There were so many factors that in the end helped me decide to stay home to go to college instead of going out of town. 
I learned so much my first semester of college. Even though I went home to my own bed each night instead of a dorm room, I made friends on campus and felt as though I could make a home their. I have outlined six things that I learned my first semester of college. They maybe viewed as tips, or ,perhaps, they maybe me heading warning. 

1. Don't be afraid to ask questions. 
• Why did I make this my number one? First off, to succeed in college, I feel you have to be able to ask questions even when no one else does. If you have a question about an assignment or a particular point that the professor addressed, ask it. You won't look stupid; if you have a question about, someone else probably does, too. 
• I don't know how many times, I had a question about something but was afraid to ask it during class. I thought people were going to judge me or think I was dumb for asking a question that they may have felt was self explanatory. In the end, I learned, I and my parents are paying good money for me to be in this class, if I have questions I need to ask.
2. Be on time to class. 
• I know this may sound like a no brainer, but let's face it, during high school it was easy to be on time for class. You went to one class right after the other. Teachers and other students urged you toward your next class. There were people always on top of you to make sure you were there on time. You don't have that anymore. Your classes aren't always right after the other. Your parents aren't on you to move it to your next class on time. There are a ton of outside distractions that will tempt you to skip or just make you late. It's up to you to make it there and be on time.
•  Don't take this as gospel, but I think all teachers say the most important information at the beginning of class. They may outline what will be discussed during class, talk about the test coming up, or state material that will only be mentioned once (at the beginning of class).
• Don't just be on time for class, show up a few minutes early. That way if you have a question, you can ask the instructor before class. I found that most teachers were at class several minutes early to set up, and were usually happy to answer my questions or help me with my homework. 
3. Don't wait till that last minute to type up that paper. 
• Let's be honest, your probably going to wait till the last minute to type up that paper or speech. I'd highly recommend that you don't. I always tell myself that I'm going to type it up early, but then something fun turns up and so, I put it off. So, then it's a night or two before the paper is due, and something major actually does come up. Now your going to have to do that thing, and type up that paper till the wee hours of the night. 
• It'll probably happen, but that's the college experience, right? I don't know about you, but I'd like to skip that part of the college experience. I find that it always takes me longer than I thought it would to write and type up that paper. When I thought it'd only take an hour, it actually took several more than that.
• Make time to type up that paper. Make yourself reminders and stick to them. It's easier said than done. Maybe type it up in chunks. Type up one part one day and the next day do another part. That way it doesn't seem like such a big paper. Also you could make revisions while your typing it up. If your going to procrastinate at least wait to do that until the second paper.
4. Keep track of all your assignments.
• There were several times that I forgot about an assignment on accident. I had plenty of time to do it, but I forgot about it.
• Write it down. Write all of your assignments in a planner or on a sheet of paper dedicated to all the things that you have to do. I have a planner that I write down everything that I have to do and when it's due. 
5. Don't wait for someone to talk to you.
• So, your the only person you know in the class, and you have to sit by someone you don't know. This happened to me in every class I was in. I was pretty shy, and most of the time, I didn't even say anything to the person I was sitting next to. It was really awkward. Outside of class, I would see them, and we would make eye contact knowing who each other was but not acknowledging it. 
• Talk to the person your sitting next. This person your sitting next to you is just a nervous or shy as you. The person may be your coworker  or your boss in the future. You may even become friends. You already have something in common. All you have to do is introduce yourself. 
6. College = Work.
• Going to college is kind of like going to work. You are going to school with potential coworkers or teachers that could be giving you recommendations for future jobs or scholarships. I'd recommend that you present yourself as so. That doesn't mean you need to dress up, but act like you want to learn something, and that you care that you are paying to be their. College isn't cheap, it's an investment.
• I had a professor that often spoke about the secondary school system, and the future job market. He advised which classes to take with which teacher because some teachers had great internships or jobs that they offered. 
• I'd also recommend that you have an advisor or professor that you can speak to about your classes and stuff.
7. BONUS: Have fun.
• Don't let your classes always overwhelm you. Take the time to have fun. Spend time with friends, read a book, or watch an entire series on Netflix (hopefully not all in one day.)

By no means is this all that I learned my first semester. However, these are things that I came to realize during my first semester. I hope you gather something from this post. I hope it wasn't completely pointless that I wrote this. These things may seem obvious to you, and they were to me. But they didn't really sink in until my first semester of college. Good luck!

                                                      Andrea

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

I love finding new soup recipes to try. It's winter, and so, it's pretty chilly outside. Because of this, I have been in a soup making mood. I have been trying to make a new soup once a week. A great thing about having soup is that it goes great with sandwiches like paninis. My amazing boyfriend got me a panini grill for Christmas, and it's amazing. I have been using it daily. Soup is also easy to make for large families, which I have. 

I purchased some tortellini from the store and decided that I wanted to incorporate into a creamy tomato soup. I found a ton of great recipes. 

This creamy tomato tortellini soup is amazing. I could eat the whole bowl, but I restrained my self. It's really delicious. My family loved it especially with grilled cheese that I made with my panini grill (yummy). I'm drooling just thinking about it.  

Creamy Tomato Tortellini Soup

adapted from The Recipe Critic

Ingredients: 

• 1 package (9 ounces) refrigerated cheese tortellini (also the tortellini found in the pasta isle works)
• 2 cans (10-3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups 2% milk
• 2 cups half-and-half cream
• (or 3 cups milk & 1 cup heavy cream)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese (I used the Italian blend cheese, use what ever is on hand)
• Additional shredded parmesan cheese for topping, optional
• Oyster Crackers, optional

Directions: 

1. Cook the tortellini according to package directions. In a large pot, add the tomato soup, broth, milk, cream, tomatoes, onion powder, garlic powder, dried basil, and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and reduce soup to a simmer.
2. Drain tortellini and add to the soup. Add parmesan cheese. Serve and sprinkle with additional cheese on top and/or crackers if desired.
3. Enjoy! 

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Oh, and I hope everyone had a safe and joyous holiday season. 

Peace, love, bake on.

                            Andrea 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies {my favorite cookie EVER}

Hello world! I hope everyone had a very joyous Christmas and a happy New Year. During the Christmas season I made Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies. To me the holiday equals baking season. I made several batches of these delicious Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies. A few times I added both chocolate chips and crushed Andes Mints. I love them. I love going to Olive Garden and getting them when they give you your receipt after paying the check. These cookies came out soft and chewy every time. They are my go oatmeal chocolate chip cookie. 

These cookies are hands down my favorite cookie. I could eat a whole batch by myself. So let that be your warning, they are addicting. Bake and eat at your own risk. Don't let my poor photography shy you away from such a life changing, yummy cookie. 

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from Radiant Dust 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (or some other chip)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. 
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt; stir into the creamed mixture until just blended. Mix in the quick oats, and chocolate chips. Drop by heaping spoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets.
3. Bake for 11-12 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. 
4. Eat up and enjoy. (My favorite is to eat them while they are still slightly warm. I also love to dip them in almond milk.)

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. Until next time.

Peace, love, bake on.

                                    Andrea  

Christmas Cupcakes.

It has been a very busy Christmas season. I meant to put up a new post several days ago, but time got away from me. 

Let me first say, Merry Christmas! I hope you and your family have a very blessed Christmas. 

Now, its the day before Christmas, aka Christmas Eve, and you are thinking to yourself, "What can I make for dessert that's festive, creative, and easy to make?" Well, I believe I have the answer for you. Cupcakes. 

Make any cupcake you like and any frosting you like. After piping the frosting on, decorate like this (below). 

You may be wondering what "this" is. All I did was melt some almond bark, put in a sandwich baggie with a small corner tip cut off, and then wrote words with it.  It's really that simple. 

Everyone who saw these cupcakes were amazed. They couldn't figure out how I did it. I basked in the glory of stumping some people. Not only, these cupcakes are festive, and it looks as though I put immense work into them but in all reality, it was pretty simple. 

To make these you will need:

• Frosted cupcakes
• Chocolate to melt (almond bark, chocolate chip, Wilton melties)
• Sandwich baggie, with a small tip cut off in one corner.
• Wax paper

Directions:

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Place a sheet of wax paper on cookie sheet (That's what I do so that it can easily be moved).
2. After chocolate has melted, spoon some chocolate in the sandwich baggie. 
3. Now carefully, with the baggie like you were piping frosting, write words on the wax paper. 
4. Allow to cool (you may put it in the freezer or the fridge so that it will harden quicker or to store)
5. Carefully remove from wax paper, and place gently on top of frosted cupcake.
6. Enjoy and be amazed. 
   
   
   
   

           

Have a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to comment or email me. 

Peace, love, bake on.

               Andrea