Cheesy Mac and Ham

We had some super nasty storms yesterday.  I'm talking trees being ripped out of the ground, buildings loosing their roofs, no power, and hail.  Yuck.  Anyway, this morning it was gorgeous (like it usually is after a terrible storm) and while driving down the road I see people coming together to clean up the mess.  Since moving to the South, that is one thing that has really dominated this area.  People truly come together during the bad times.  I associate this with homemade macaroni and cheese.  I guess comfort and the South make my mamaw come to mind and this woman is the true epitome of comfort, love, and the best homemade macaroni and cheese ever.  EVER.

Now I can't feed a family of five a dish of macaroni and cheese (no matter how awesome it is) but I can feed them mac and cheese with ham...or just combine it all together and make an awesome dish of Cheesy Mac and Ham.  So that's what I did.  I skipped a lot of steps that people take when making homemade macaroni and cheese, but I think it still tastes awesome.

Cheesy Mac and Ham Recipe:

16 oz bag of elbow macaroni, cooked

1 lb of ham, diced

4 cups of finely shredded cheddar cheese

12 oz evaporated milk

Mix all ingredients in a large pot.  Pour in to an 8x11 inch pan (lightly greased) and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until golden.  My daughter also asks that I add the step "lick the spoon" as soon as you finish mixing all the ingredients.  Hehe.  I love her.

Spicy Rice and Beans

Lately just about everything I have been cooking seems to be begging a tortilla to snuggle up in.  Granted foods don't have feelings or crave a warm blanket/tortilla to curl up with, but sometimes it's easier to blame the food than my own laziness.  So yes.  I've been cooking easy food and rolling it up as a burrito or folding into a taco.  No forks needed (i.e. less dishes to be washed).

The newest creation is basically rice and beans but with a twist.  It stays within the strictest of budgets, gives you plenty of leftovers, and isn't the plain old rice and beans that are so boooorrrrring.  Did I mention it's easy?  Like beyond easy?

Spicy Rice and Beans:

4 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups fiesta mix cheese
1 can rotel tomatoes with chilis
2 cans pinto beans
1-2 small tomatoes, diced
Tortillas

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, heat up, and throw on a tortilla.  Told you it was easy!!  ;)

Hello Pinterest!

It's official. Find Bratty Budgets on Pinterest here. Not much to it yet, but it's a start.

As you were.  ;)

Birthday Freebies

© Photographer Jinyoung Lee | Agency: Dreamstime.com

I'm on kitchen strike today.  The hubby grilled a late lunch for us so that is a good enough reason for me to encourage the kids to eat leftovers or scrounge the cabinets if they want something else.  There's nothing wrong with PB & J every once and awhile.  :) 

So if I'm not eating (or thinking about eating...or cooking...or baking) then I'm looking for a good deal or a freebie.  And since my lovely birthday is coming up (August 30th...I'm giving you all plenty of time to come up with some nifty gifts for me) in just a few months-just under half a year mind you-I believe it's time to get ready for reaping in the birthday freebies.  The following links are mainly made up of places around where I live but I will gladly add on to it if anybody has any they know of.

Enjoy!

Academy Sports - Sign up for their email to get a $5 gift card on your birthday.

Ace Hardware

Arby's

Captain D's

Chicken of the Sea - Don't judge.  You get a coupon. 

CVS - Seriously!  You usually get $3 in rewards!

Dippin' Dots

Firehouse Subs

Great American Cookie

Kmart - You won't get anything, but your child(ren) will get a $5 gift card!

Ihop

Old Navy

Sonic

Starbucks

Vera Bradley - Apparently most Vera Bradley stores will give you $20 off on your birthday as long as you bring id.  I'd call ahead to be sure but WOW! 

Waffle House - You guessed it--a free waffle!

Wendys

Wingstop

For real?!

So a couple of my recipes made it to Pinterest.  Oh.my.goodness.  My views skyrocketed which was a pleasant surprise.  I've neglected my poor little blog but with all this new traffic I believe it's time to start cooking and finding freebies. It feels good to be back!