ColleensLife

DId you know i used to work for Starbucks?  Yep!  Back in the day.  I really enjoyed working for that company.  As well, i met some great people there too.

Dave, a great coworker and awesome cook would open with me many-a-morning.   I worked the morning shift most the time so that i could have the evenings with Brett.  Three or so Thanksgivings ago, i volunteered to open.  Dave was scheduled to open with me that morning and assured me that working Thanksgiving morning would not go without its rewards.  ”I’ll make a special Thanksgiving breakfast for us.”

He made Egg Casserole.  I dont know if it was because it was 5am and i was super hungry, or that fact that the idea of Thanksgiving makes me want to eat , but it was the best egg casserole i ever ate!  Most-likely, i loved it because Dave is a good cook

I loved it so much i got the recipe and i now make it every Christmas morning for Brett.  We hope to carry on this little tradition for many years to come.

Here it is!  I call it…

Awesome Egg Casserole:

1 cup milk

4 eggs

2 cups shredded cheddar

1 lb Bob Evans Sausage cooked and drained.  (Get the Zesty sausage if you want a little kick!)

2-3 slices of fresh Italian bread.

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 9×9 pan with butter or non-stick spray.  Place bread on bottom of pan until completely covered.  Place sausage over bread.  Sprinkle cheese over bread and sausage.  Beat eggs and milk together and pour over sausage, cheese and bread.  Season with salt and pepper.  Bake for 30-40 mins or until top is lightly brown and middle is cooked.  Cut into squares and serve!

Thanks Dave!

Im pretty sure all of my recipes have a story behind them.   Discovering Creme-de-mint Brownies is one of my favorite stories.

I met Lena two years ago in May.  There I was, a new Eagles Nest manager, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to interview potential workers.  In walks Lena fresh out of college.  She had a fantastic interview.  She was sweet and confident.  A real team player.  A go getter. AND I would later find out…she is a fantastic cook!

Lena and I became great friends.  She was with me only a few short months as she ended up finding a job in her field.  Before she left, she said something to me that I will never forget.  She said, “I know I didn’t work for you long, but I think God allowed me to work here just so I could meet you.”  Thanks Lena.  I feel the same way about you

One day in the middle of those few months, Lena brought me a yummy surprise: Creme-de-mint Brownies.  They are a delicious chocolaty and minty treat.  It’s a brownie, topped with a minty cream, topped with melted chocolate.  I dont even like brownies, but i LOVE these ones.  Add a little green food coloring to the cream and they are perfect for your St. Patrick’s Day party.

Ingredients

1 box of brownie mix (my favorite is the chewy fudge kind)

2 cups of powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter

3 Tablespoons Butter

2 Tablespoons fat free milk

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

few drops of green food coloring.

Directions

Bake the box of brownie mix and let cool.  Mix together powdered sugar, melted 1/4 cup butter, milk, peppermint, and desired color of food coloring. Spread over brownie mix.  Let thicken.

Mix together chocolate chips and the 3 tablespoons of butter.  melt in a pot on stove until chips are smooth and completely melted.  Spread over mint layer.  Let thicken and serve.  YUMMY!

To this day, Lena, her husband Brian, her daughter Brianna, and her little one growing in her womb are very dear to Brett and I.  Thank you Lena for your wonderful brownies!

I love to cook.  Especially soups!  I have three soups that I really enjoy that are made mostly from scratch. I will be sharing 2 more in the weeks to come.

About a month ago I went to Panera Bread (shout out to Panera) and tried their Black Bean Soup for the first time.   I enjoyed it so much that I thought I would try to make my own.   A friend of mine (shout out to Dave!) actually found a recipe for a Black Bean Soup that is similar to Panera’s and sent it to me via facebook (shout out to facebook!)  Here is the website Dave found the recipe on.  But i posted it just for you here on my blog.  http://www.recipezaar.com/Panera-Bread-Black-Bean-Soup-49737

Here it is.  Let me know how it goes for you!  OH!  The creator of this recipe says to use vegetable stock to make it vegetarian.

Ingredients

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
• 1/4 large red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 2 small chicken bouillon cubes
• 1-1 1/2 cup boiling water
• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, undrained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 lemon, juice of
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions