ITALIAN NIGHT!

Italian. One of my favorite types of food. I'm a sucker for any type of pasta and everytime Publix has any type of pasta or sauce (alfredo, marinara...I don't discriminate) I stock up. Because I know that, when in doubt, you can turn anything into a pasta, and it will turn out delicious 95% of the time! Quick, easy, crowd pleaser.

L to R: Laura, Alison, Brandi, and Julie

Aren't they so cute?!?!

Singing HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Brandi!! 

(I would also just like to point out to the haters that I am actually in this picture...)

Brandi making a wish :)

In other news... we are heading up a CANNED FOOD DRIVE COMPETITION for the church to help stock the food pantry for The Grace Place this Thanksgiving. The competition will run now through November 19th and will be among the Wednesday night life groups, because a lot of our groups overlap. For example, a lot of us 'Tis-So-Sweeters are also in either the Couples Class or the Best of the Bible class on Wednesday night. The winning group (group with the most items by Nov. 19th) will win a homemade dinner in the fellowship hall on Sunday night, November 23rd. Cooked by us, of course...

So, tonight, we got the drop-boxes ready to put in the life group classrooms, which was, well... interesting...

So...after all that, we finally constructed these adorable collection boxes!! Now, we hope that the church will work just as hard to donate as we worked to take our picture with the boxes!! :)

Enough of that, let's get to the good stuff. Check out this delicious food!

I now present to you...the recipes of the week!!

PASTA SALAD
Contributed by: Alison

1 - 16 oz pkg fusilli (spiral) pasta
3 cups cherry (or sweet) tomatoes, halved
1/2 lb provolone cheese, cubed
1/2 lb salami, cubed
1/4 lb sliced pepperoni, cut in half
1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 - 10 oz can black olives, drained
1 - 4 oz jar pimentos, drained
1 - 8 oz bottle Italian dressing

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well to coat with dressing. Serve chilled or room temperature.


SPINACH & CHEESE STUFFED MANICOTTI
Contributed by: Brandi

1 - 10 o pkg frozen spinach, thawed completely & squeezed dry
8 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
15 oz ricotta cheese
4 oz cream cheese
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 box (12 to 14 shells) manicotti noodles
3 to 4 cups marinara sauce (1 jar + a little more)
1/2 cup shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, for topping

Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, mix spinach, cheeses, eggs, salt and pepper. Stir together until well blended. Place approx. 1 1/2 cups of marinara sauce in a 9x13 inch pan. Spread it around to cover the bottom. Place the mixed filling into a plastic bag. You can use either a frosting piping bag or a gallon zip bag. Snip the corner, gather the top and squeeze the filling into the corner. Hold an uncooked manicotti shell in your hand and squeeze the filling inside the shell. Let it overflow on both sides. Place the filled shell into the sauce-lined pan. Repeat with remaining manicotti and fill the pan with the stuffed shells, until you run out of shells and filling. You should be able to fill 12 to 14 shells - if you run out of room in your pan, use a separate smaller pan to accommodate the extra. Cover the pasta with marinara sauce, using about 2 1/2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle 1/2 cup Romano/Parmesan on top. At this point, you can cover with foil and refrigerate until you're ready to bake, or you can cover with foil and place it in the oven immediately. Bake, covered with foil, 50 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 10 minutes.


PORCUPINE MEATBALLS
Contributed by: Laura

1 lb ground beef
Salt & pepper to taste
3/4 cup Minute Rice
Onion to taste
1 cup water
1 medium can of tomato sauce

Preheat oven to 375F. Mix together the ground beef, salt/pepper, rice, and onion, and shape into golf size balls. Place in a casserole dish. Mix the water and tomato sauce together and pour over meatballs. Bake 1 hour covered on 375F.


ITALIAN PASTA
Contributed by: Julie

1 medium onion, diced
1 pkg sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 stick butter
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
8 oz parmesan cheese
1 pint whipping cream
1 lb diced ham
1 box penne pasta

Saute onion, garlic, mushrooms in butter. Add ham until warm. Add tomatoes and cream. Let cream heat through and then add cheese. Stir occasionally and reduce heat (cheese will stick to pan if left too long on high heat). Boil 1 box penne pasta. Drain and mix all ingredients together.


ROASTED TOMATOES WITH PESTO
Contributed by: Mallory

2 to 2 1/2 lbs tomatoes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
Salt & pepper
1/2 cup basil pesto (found mine in the aisle with the pasta sauce)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 425F. Set aside a baking sheet. Core the tomatoes and slice them across into slices 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick. Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle on salt, pepper, and the oregano. Bake at 425F for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and spread each tomato with a spoonful of the pesto and sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Return to the oven and cook until the Parmesan is melted and starts to brown, 7 to 10 more minutes. Serve warm sprinkled with a touch more salt.

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I leave you tonight with two things:

1. A picture of my Buddy trying to get out of "bath time"

2. The Word of God
"This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything." 1 John 3:19-20

Thank you Lord for providing me with comfort. I'm so thankful that you can set my heart at rest by being in your presence. You know my deepest desires even when I fail to admit or recognize them. Before a word is on my tongue, Lord, you know it completely. How precious are your thoughts God! How vast is the sum of them! Search me, God, and know my heart. Lord, I pray that this week, there would be more of you and less of me in my life. That others would see you in me, and that I would see the world through your eyes. In your name, Amen.

BREAKFAST FOR DINNER - a southern favorite (or at least my husband's...)

Who doesn't like breakfast for dinner? Or anytime, really... If you're from the South, you know that it's perfectly acceptable to break out the bacon, grits, and biscuits & gravy a-n-y-t-i-m-e. Period. So, we celebrated that fact this week at 'Tis So Sweet :)

Let's just start off by acknowledging how stinkin' cute these ladies are... right?!? Go ahead. Admit it. They cute.

L to R: Julie, Lindsey, Super-woman Alison (story below), Brandi, Melissa, Michelle, 

Michelle's Fancy Hand, Shelly, and Laura

Special acknowledgement goes to Super-woman Alison who RAN A HALF MARATHON this morning and yet somehow still had the strength to make it to 'Tis So Sweet. Do y'all even know how long a half marathon is? 13.1 miles, yes, miles. That is like running from McCalla to the Galleria... I'm exhausted just typing it.

Way to go ALISON!! We are so proud of you girl!

L to R: Alison, Lindsey, and Brandi chatting about...well, who knows...

L to R: Michelle, Julie, Shelly, Laura catching up on what's been going on this week

Mmmmmmm

Nom nom nom nom nom 

Okay, enough drooling. I now present...the recipes of the week!!


CHEESE GRITS
Contributed by: Super Woman Alison

4 cups milk
1/4 cup butter
1 cup uncooked quick-cooking grits
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 350F. Bring milk just to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heath; gradually whisk in butter and grits. Reduce heat, and simmer, whisking constantly, 5 to 7 minutes or until grits are done. Remove from heat. Stir in egg and next 3 ingredients. Pour into a lightly greased 11x7in. baking dish. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Bake, covered, at 350F for 35 to 40 minutes or until mixture is set. Serve immediately.


SAUSAGE GRITS CASSEROLE
Contributed by: Julie

1 cup uncooked grits
1 lb ground sausage
1 onion, chopped
2 - 4 1/2 oz cans green chilies, chopped
8 tbsp (1 stick) butter
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
10 dashes Tabasco
1 tsp paprika
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 325F. Brown and drain sausage. Set aside. Cook grits, then temper your eggs and add all ingredients together in a 9x13 in. baking dish. Bake at 325F for 1 hour.



APPLE SAUCE CAKE WITH MAPLE FROSTING
Contributed by: Shelly

4 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt

FROSTING:
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter an 8-inch square nonstick pan, stirring until butter has melted and sugar dissolved. Remove from heat; whisk in applesauce. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add applesauce mixture and stir until combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (35-40 minutes). Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 mins, then turn out onto rack to cool completely. Mix frosting ingredients well and spread on top.


SAUSAGE LINKS
Contributed by: ???

1 package sausage links cooked according to package.



FRIED BISCUITS (Yes, you read that right...)
Contributed by: Lindsey

Grands biscuits
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup melted butter
Powdered sugar

Mix together honey and melted butter. Fry biscuits on medium low heat (so they cook in the center) until golden brown. Inject with honey butter mixture and dust with powdered sugar. Serve warm.


BACON PANCAKE DIPPERS
Contributed by: Mallory

1 package bacon (12 slices, cut into halves = total of 24 pieces)
2 cups Bisquick mix
1 1/4 cups milk
1 egg
Syrup

Cook bacon halves fully. Mix Bisquick mix, milk, and egg until well blended. Heat griddle to medium high and grease. Pour pancake mix onto griddle in multiple oval shapes approx. 6 inches long. While cooking, top with bacon pieces and pour remaining pancake mix on top of each. Once the sides of the pancake mix starts bubbling, flip over to cook other side. Cook other side until golden brown (and consult Melissa to see how to properly make a pancake...). Serve warm with syrup for dipping.


BACON, EGG, AND TOAST CUPS
Contributed by: Brandi

12 slices whole wheat bread, crusts removed
12 eggs
12 slices bacon, cooked or uncooked
Shredded cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter or grease 12-piece muffin tin (or 2 if you have 6-piece tins) and set aside. While oven is preheating, fry bacon slices until partially cooked, but not crispy -- skip this step if using precooked bacon. Remove from pan and drain on paper towel. Gently press the bread into each tin, creating a well for the egg. Sprinkle a small amount of cheese into the center of each bread cup. Crack an egg into the center of each bread cup. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook at 400F for 10-15 minutes to your desired level of doneness. Pop toast cups out and serve warm.


SAUSAGE CHEESE BISCUITS
Contributed by: Melissa

1 1/2 cups Bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1 package hot sausage
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 450F. Brown and drain sausage. Stir together bisquick mix and milk until soft dough forms. Add sausage and cheese. Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 mins or until golden brown.



CRESCENT SANDWICHES
Contributed by: Laura

1 lb Tennessee Pride sausage
8 oz cream cheese
1 can Crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 350F. Brown and drain sausage, and let cool to room temperature. Add cream cheese to sausage. On a greased baking sheet, lay out 4 crescent rolls, flat and side-by-side to make a bottom layer. Place the sausage and cream cheese mixture on the layer of crescent rolls. Top with remaining 4 crescent rolls to make top layer. Bake on 350F until the crescent roll is browned.



SPICY SAUSAGE PINWHEELS
Contributed by: Michelle (aka A Southern Ruckus)

1 can Pillsbury crescent rounds
8 oz hot or spicy breakfast sausage
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/4 cup shredded cheese
2 tbsp green onions, diced

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook sausage as directed, drain and set aside. Gently unroll the crescent rounds dough onto a flat surface. Brush eggs across the dough and top with cooked sausage, cheese, and green onions. Roll the dough back up into a long tube shape and press along the seam. Carefully separate each round and place them on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350F for 10-12 minutes.

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Tonight, I leave you with two things:

1. A picture of my sweet Buddy worn out after a weekend at the hunting club...

2. The Word of God

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

Lord I thank you for the promises you give to us in your Word. The promise that we will not be separated from your love. And God I pray that you will open our eyes to opportunities to show your love to others. I thank you for loving me so much that you would sacrifice the blood of your Son to cover my sins. I thank you for this group of ladies and the sweet time that we get to share together each week. I pray that you watch over each of them and their families. In your name, Amen.

WE'RE BACK!

Get excited people...yes, fall is in the air, and football season has kicked off, but something even more exciting is happening...WE ARE STARTING OUR NEW SEASON OF 'TIS SO SWEET!

I can't even put into words how excited I am to start back. I have missed my girls so much! Yes, we still see each other each Sunday and Wednesday at church, and will text throughout the week or catch up on Facebook every now and then, but I NEED to see them each week! I need to hear about what is going in their lives. And I am even more excited to see new faces this semester, and to announce that we will be doing "theme nights"!

Our first theme night was FOOTBALL FOOD!!!

Look at all those Alabama fans! Good thing they are pretty :)  WAAAAARRRR EAGLE!!!

L to R: Julie, Caroline, Holly, Alison, Lindsey, Brandi, Shelly, Laura, Melissa
(special guest appearance by Buddy...well, sort of....)

It was so good seeing everyone again, and meeting new people! We caught up on each others' lives and talked about some new things we can add to our ministry efforts this semester. I'm not gonna lie - I'm pretty pumped about what God has in store for this group, so be sure and stay tuned! In the meantime, here are the recipes of the week:

TERIYAKI CHICKEN WINGS

Contributed by: Alison 

3.5 lb chicken wings

1 tbsp olive oil (or enough to coat all the wings completely)

1 tsp seasoned salt

1 tsp onion powder

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

TERIYAKI SAUCE:

1 1/2 cups cold water

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tsp garlic powder

3 tbsp cornstarch

2 tbsp sriracha sauce

1 tsp red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 400F. Place wings in a large bowl and add olive oil, toss to coat all wings completely adding all olive oil if necessary. Add seasoned salt, onion powder, garlic powder, and black pepper to wings. Toss to coat. Spread wings evenly on a baking sheet. Cook in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, flipping halfway through. When wings are finished transfer them to a Tupperware container. Add sauce to the Tupperware, close the top tightly and shake to coat the wings. 

For teriyaki sauce, whisk together water, brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, corn starch, sriracha sauce, and red pepper flakes in a medium sauce pan. Turn heat to medium high heat. Watch your sauce and whisk frequently, as soon as it starts to boil, whisk continually until it thickens and remove from heat. Mix together with wings and enjoy! 

TOUCHDOWN TACO DIP

Contributed by: Shelly

1 can refried beans

1 - 16 oz tub sour cream

1 pkg taco seasoning

Guacamole (either make your own or pre-purchase)

1 block colby jack cheese (or 1 pkg of the 2 cups mexican cheese blend)

1 can black olives either pre-sliced or slice them yourself

1 bunch green onions (typically will use 2 out of the bunch)

Bite-sized tomatoes cut into halves

Mix together sour cream and taco seasoning. In a 9x13" dish, layer the ingredients by spreading refried beans into the bottom, top with layer of guacamole, then sour cream mixture. Finally, top with cheese, sliced black olives, chopped green onions, and tomatoes. Enjoy and WAR EAGLE!

PUMP-FAKE POPPERS

Contributed by: Holly

1 - 8 oz block cream cheese

1/4 cup jalapenos (1/2 can, drained)

1 tub regular crescent rolls

Preheat oven to 375F and grease a cookie sheet. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese and jalapenos - mix well and set aside. Open your crescent rolls (do not separate them) and lay them on the counter (after sanitizing...). Separate long ways on the perforation, so you have two long sheets of crescent rolls with 4 rolls each in them. Pinch the remaining perforations together on each of the two sheets (use a rolling pin if necessary) to make two continuous crescent roll sheets. Divide the cream cheese mixture and spread evenly over both crescent sheets. Roll them up hot-dog-style (or from the short end), to make a long cream cheese/crescent roll - do this for both crescents. Cut each cream cheese/crescent roll into 12/16 pieces, depending on how big you want your resulting poppers to be. Place each one, standing up, on your cookie sheet and bake in the oven for 11-13 minutes. Enjoy!

"MOVE THOSE CHAINS" CHINESE COLE SLAW
Contributed by: Laura

2 bags Angel Hair Slaw

3 green onions, chopped

2-3 Ramen noodles, crushed (do not add flavor packet that comes in package)

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup sliced almonds

SAUCE:

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup oil

1/4 cup vinegar

2 tsp soy sauce

Butter pan and bake noodles and almonds for approx. 10 mins on 350F (note; they burn easy). Put in a bowl and add sesame seeds. Mix together ingredients for sauce and mix well. Enjoy!

WINNING WONTONS

Contributed by: Lindsey

32 wonton wrappers

1/4 cup melted butter

1 - 4 oz can jalapenos, well drained OR 4-6 fresh jalapenos, roasted and diced (include seeds if you want it really spicy)

1 - 8 oz package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (+ 1/4 cup for topping)

Preheat oven to 350F. Brush each wonton wrapper with melted butter and place into a mini muffin tin, bake 5 minutes, remove and cool. Mix remaining ingredients (except 1/4 cup cheddar cheese) in a small bowl. Fill each wonton wrapper with the cream cheese mixture and top with the remaining cheddar cheese. Bake 8-10 minutes or until cheese is melted and wonton is browned. Cool for approx. 3 minutes and serve warm. 

COMEBACK COOKIES

Contributed by: Caroline

Go to the store and pick some up!! :)

CHAMPIONSHIP CHEX MIX

Contributed by: Brandi

8 cups Oatmeal Squares cereal (Quaker, 1 whole box)

2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup brown sugar (firmly packed)

1/2 cup light corn syrup

4 tbsp butter or margarine

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt (optional)

Preheat oven to 250F. Spray 9/13" baking pan with cooking spray. Combine cereal and pecans in pan; mix well. In a large microwaveable bowl, combine sugar, corn syrup and margarine. Microwave on high 1 minute 30 seconds, then stir. Microwave an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute 30 seconds or until boiling. Stir vanilla and baking soda and optional salt into sugar mixture. Pour over cereal mixture; stir to coat evenly. Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet, spreading mixture into even layer. Cool completely; break into pieces. Store tightly at room temperature.

MINI-CHICKEN-AND-WDE-WAFFLES

Contributed by: Mallory

1 package Tyson Anytizers frozen chicken bites

1 package Eggo Mini's (homestyle, frozen)

Syrup

Cupcake liners, optional

Lollipop sticks, optional

Decorative team flags, optional (looked up printables on Pinterest...)

Cook frozen chicken and waffles according to packages, assemble, and enjoy!

GAMETIME GARLIC CHEESE DIP

Contributed by: Melissa

1 1/2 lb fontina, rind removed and cubed into 1-inch pieces

6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp Kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Adjust top rack of oven so that it sits about 5 inches under the broiler unit. Preheat broiler. Spread cheese out in the bottom of a 12 inch cast iron pan. Drizzle olive oil over the cheese. Mix together the garlic and herbs in a small bowl and sprinkle the mixture evenly over the cheese. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the top of the cheese. Bake for 6 minutes until the cheese is bubbly and melted through. Carefully remove the pan from the oven and set it on a heatproof surface - the pan will be hot! Serve immediately.

BLITZING BACON-WRAPPED ASPARAGUS

Contributed by: Julie

1 package turkey bacon

1 bunch asparagus

Olive oil, optional

Kosher salt, optional

Preheat oven to 400F. Divide asparagus into bundles and wrap with turkey bacon. Lay in low-sided casserole dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt (optional). Roast approximately 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Tonight, I leave you with two things:

1. A picture of my sweet, sweet Buddy with his new toy...

2. The Word of God.

"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Thank you, Lord for this day. For the gift of life and the air that I breathe each morning when I wake up. For these ladies and their families. For the freedom and opportunity to worship you. God, I pray that your Spirit will be evident in our gatherings, and that the sacrifice that you made by sending Jesus to die on the cross for us...undeserved sinners...will be on the forefront of our hearts and minds throughout each day. In Your name, Amen.