Sew God's Grace

  I'll be honest, some of my kids will only eat boxed macaroni and cheese.  However, one day we were out  and decided to make homemade in the instant pot.  I adapted my recipe slightly from this one  so that it would make a bigger batch! Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese (adapted from this recipe ) 1 sixteen ounce box rotini pasta Approximately 6 cups water 4 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 twelve ounce can evaporated milk 3 cups shredded Colby and Monterrey Jack cheese (or your favorite shredded cheese) salt, to taste Place pasta in instant pot crock (I used my eight quart one) and cover with water.  Secure lid on instant pot and pressure cook for 3 minutes.  Release pressure and drain pasta.  Set instant pot to saute, add butter to the crock, and stir until it is melted.  I then press the cancel button and put the instant pot on the "Keep Warm" setting.  Then add milk and shredded cheese and stir.  Taste and add salt if needed.  If th...

This is a family favorite recipe that I remember my mother-in-law making when Matt brought me home to visit one time.  It's easy, cheesy, and delicious, so I thought I'd better add it to the blog!  Here's the recipe: Taco Casserole 1 pound hamburger, browned and drained 1 small can refried beans 1 small can cream of chicken soup 1 cup cubed Velveeta cheese 3/4 cup salsa 2 cups shredded cheese (we like the Colby/Monterrey Jack blend) Doritos nacho cheese chips Grease a 9 by 13 inch pan and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except Doritos well.  Crush some Doritos, and put them in the bottom of the pan.  Spread taco mixture over the chips and add more crushed Doritos on top.  Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.  Serve with lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, or other taco toppings as desired! Note: this recipe also freezes well.  Just thaw overnight in the fridge and bake as directed.

The first time I ever had these was when I spent Thanksgiving with my then-fiance's family.  Matt's mom had made a batch that were in the crock pot available while we were waiting for lunch.  I think I ate at least six!   So for Thanksgiving yesterday I decided to make some.  These sausage balls keep well in the refrigerator for several days.  You can also freeze them.  Enjoy! Sausage Balls 2 cups Bisquick 2 cups shredded cheese 1 pound sausage, cooked and crumbled 1/2 cup water In a large bowl, mix all ingredients with a spoon.  If the dough is not sticking together, add up to a tablespoon of water.  Scoop onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.  I use a medium-sized cookie scoop.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18 minutes or until browned.  Serve immediately or place in lightly-sprayed crockpot on low/keep warm.  

This year, our school did not have an official eighth grade promotion celebration due to COVID-19 restrictions.  However, I wanted to have a small celebration with close family at our house to celebrate my oldest son's eighth grade promotion.  I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, and he requested a chocolate chip cookie dough cake.  My sister-in-law had made one for my nephew's birthday a while back, and it was a hit!  I made the recipe that my sister-in-law used with a few tweaks.  Since some of my other children have already asked me to make it again, I wanted to get everything down in my blog for future reference. The original recipe can be found here , and it uses a boxed cake mix.  I have no problem with that, but I decided to use my friend's homemade chocolate cake recipe.  I think it produces a little denser cake that holds up better to that thick cookie dough layer.  I also used the option to bake two 9 inch round cakes instead ...

My oldest daughter ran cross country this year, and every Friday one of the moms would provide breakfast after their early-morning practice.  One Friday, she told me that they had a biscuit and gravy casserole that was so good that I had to get the recipe.  I did, and I also looked up several variations on Pinterest.  Here is my version. Biscuits and Gravy Casserole:  (adapted from this recipe ) 2 cans refrigerated biscuits 12 pre-cooked sausage links, halved and chopped (or you can use 1 pound sausage, cooked and drained) 2 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup flour 1/4 teaspoon pepper salt to taste (I find that with using the pre-cooked links that I don't need any.) 1 -2 tablespoons butter, melted Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a 9 by 13 inch pan with cooking spray.  Press one can of biscuits into the bottom of the pan and bake about 8 minutes or until browned.  Meanwhile, whisk milk with flour and seasonings.  Place mixture and sausage int...

My friend Michelle gave me this recipe several years ago.  I forgot about it until I found it in a bin in my kitchen recently.  I decided I needed to get it on my blog so that I wouldn't lose it again.  My second daughter, Anna, is a big fan of oatmeal raisin cookies, so we made them today.  Here's the recipe. Oatmeal Raisin Spice Cookies 4 cups all-purpose flour 2 cups old fashioned oats 2 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt (I omit) 1 cup butter 1 cup granulated sugar 1 cup brown sugar 4 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup raisins Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, mix together dry ingredients--flour through salt.  In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugars for 2 minutes or until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.  Gradually mix in flour.  Then stir in the raisins. Bake on greased or parchment-lined cookie sheet for ...

I have made this recipe more times than I can count!  I got the recipe from my mother-in-law years ago, and I finally am getting it onto my blog.  It calls for onions, but I always omit those since my family doesn't care for them.  I included them in the recipe, though, because I know many of you out there like them in your meatballs.  This is a great recipe for the freezer, too! Here's the recipe: BBQ Meatballs 1 can evaporated milk 3 lb. hamburger 2 c. quick oatmeal 2 eggs 1/2 tsp. garlic powder 1 c. chopped onion (I omit) 2 tsp. chili powder 2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper      Sauce: 2 c. Ketchup 1 c. brown sugar 1/4 c. yellow mustard (I added this to the original recipe because that's what my mom always put in our BBQ sauce) 1/2 c. chopped onion (I omit) 1-2 Tbsp. liquid smoke (I omit) 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (I omit)     For meatballs, mix ingredients (I put them in my Kitchenaid mixer--so much better than using yo...