Coastal Oaks

Do you know what you call cheese that is not yours????? Nacho Cheese! For those who know me you can imagine what my face looks like when saying that! So this Nacho Taco Casserole...... Yummy and crowd pleasing! I have a few friends dealing with some difficult personal issues. As a true friend you worry about them and want you to know I'm thinking about you..... =) About a month ago was my daughters first week at school. I've been fortunate enough to keep her home with us the first year just as I did Derek. I did have a lot of help but I think its extremely important that first year to be surrounded by family. I remember when pregnant with my second child being told it gets easier with your second to leave them at school or with others.... I don't know what they were thinking or who they were fooling because it does not! However the only difference was I was more aware of my emotions and tried to keep them at bay in front of her. In her fi...

Froberg's Farm is located in Alvin, Texas. We go there quite frequently throughout the year. In the winter and early spring time there is Strawberry Picking and in the Fall there is the festival! They have added even more events such as citrus fruit picking and in the winter they do Christmas carol hayrides with hot chocolate. I have never been disappointed with any of our visits. The money spent supports a local farm, we are out in nature, and establishing healthy habits. There is a little store at the front of the farm where they have tons of produce. I should have taken pictures of that. After our event I always take my kids through the store pointing our all the beautiful fruits, vegetables and even dried goods. They each pick out a few things and they we'll cook at home together to try. We also stop at the bakery and pick out a fried pie too! We always bring something home for Nana and Papa too because they make a variety of sugar free items. After we are finished we head ...

Everyone in my household loves meatloaf! Sometimes my son will have it at school and then unknowingly I make it for dinner too. He feels like he won the lottery that day since he got to have it twice! I always accompany my meatloaf with creamy mashed potatoes and buttered corn. At Christmas we usually have a special night set out for each special family to enjoy time with. One year at KK's she made meatloaf and it just melted in our mouth. I thought gosh, what is she doing to this that makes it so wonderful so she shared how she makes it. I now call this KK's meatloaf! I like that I can make this ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven at the right time for dinner. I always make sure I make enough for leftovers because even the second day this is amazing and hearty for my growing babies! Maxey was our first baby. Matt and I adopted her at a benefit we attended. When we got up that particular morning and even on our way to the benefit we had no intenti...

Take me out to the ball game..... My son is really into Baseball so for his 4th birthday we threw a classic American baseball party for him. His favorite player is Babe Ruth which was our inspiration. For his gift I also redid part of his room in vintage baseball décor. The Babe Ruth sign you see in the pictures is now on his wall but went well as a part of the centerpiece of the table! The party was so much fun that I didn't even pick up my camera to take pictures. The pictures below were compliments of others gracious enough to send them to me afterwards for keepsake! Here is my version of a Veggie and Fruit Tray Ball Field! I really loved making this. Home and first are fruit dip and second and third are ranch for the veggies. The pitchers mound is pineapple. Baseball cupcakes... would you expect anything less???  With a bat candle! Classic Coca-Coal in the glass bottle! I was not sure if our crowd would like these... Who was I kidding everyone loved them. My mother...

Pesto is so beautifully yummy! It makes any dish super tasty! One of my go-to meals for lunch is this Pesto Pizza! It’s easy and tasty! It also pairs well with a salad for a light quick fare! Ingredients: 1 refrigerated pizza crust 13.8 oz 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese 3-4 tomatoes 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tsp minced garlic 4 tbs basil pesto 1/2. tsp ground pepper Directions: Preheat oven to 425 and gather your ingredients. Unroll pizza dough on a greased baking sheet. Peirce with a fork. Bake about 8 minutes or until lightly browned. In a bowl mix parmesan cheese, mayonnaise, garlic, 1/2 cup mozzarella, pesto, and pepper. Slice your tomatoes. Sprinkle 1 1/2 cups mozzarella on pizza crust. Evenly spread out your sliced tomatoes on top of the cheese. Spoon on your basil sauce and spread out. Finish baking 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted and crust is lightly browned. Cut, serve and Enjoy! While reading the “O” ma...