With American Thanksgiving just a week away, I thought this would be a perfect time to share my HOMEMADE Green Bean Casserole. It’s so yummy and comforting and you can honestly mix it up any way you like. Bacon? Mushrooms? You can do it all. I’ll share a few of my variations down below. Anyway, it’s a perfect dish to bring along to family gatherings and goes great with a side of FOOTBALL. You’re welcome.

Thanksgiving done right

You might not have figured this out yet but I love food. And I love America, which is why I am so excited to head down to the states next weekend. Canadian Thanksgiving is long gone and while I am proud to be Canadian, I will be the first to admit that America does Thanksgiving right. The food, the football, and it’s on a THURSDAY! They just shut right down from there on and I love it. It’s like a kick off to all things Christmas and it’s amazing.

I’ll be spending my American Thanksgiving at CRACKER BARREL. Which in case you didn’t know (you’re not from around here are you) is my favorite place on earth. Followed by an awesome weekend with some of my favorite people. You might even catch me at a Bengals game. Guys doesn’t this already sound glorious? Fried chicken, white gravy, my favorite people and football. Stick a fork in me because I’m done. Who knows, with all the magic that’s in the air maybe the Bengals will actually win a game. But hey, if they don’t at least there’s leftover turkey which always makes everyone feel better.

Okay, back to the green bean casserole.

Or should I say the ultimate green bean casserole. I have been making this recipe for years and I have so many variations of it depending on who I am serving it to, but this version is my favorite. The cheesy roux sauce is so good you could eat it with a spoon, and those crunchy fried onions are the perfect pairing. I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t love it, and I really don’t think you can have Thanksgiving or even a Sunday dinner without this.

A couple of things.

A couple of things to note. I absolutely HATE mushrooms. I have never understood how people can like them? SO you will probably never see me cooking with them. In fact I can almost guarantee you will never see me cooking with them. That being said, I know there are a few people out there that love them (how??) and you can easily saute some up and throw them in here. I say don’t do it though. DO add bacon. I tend to leave it out when I am bringing this dish to a larger gathering in case there are vegetarians but if you know your group then add that bacon!

If you find you are pressed for time and can’t whip up a cheesy roux, then I LOVE substituting it for a can of cream of broccoli soup, 1 cup of milk and a cup of cheese. It tastes just as good!

Prep! This recipe goes much smoother if you pre-measure your ingredients. I like to mince my garlic and grate my cheese, and have everything else measured out in dishes ready to go. Call me crazy but once I start I just like to go at it and this is a good way to focus on what you’re making instead of getting distracted by multi tasking.

I think pretty dishes are an easy way to take your casseroles up a notch. Also they make me feel happy, so make this dish in your nicest 1.5Qt-2Qt baking dish.

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The Ultimate Green Bean Casserole

Thanksgiving isn't complete without this classic green bean casserole made from scratch. Tastes just like your grandma used to make. Fresh green beans, french's onions, bacon, and a whole lot of cheese. SO good. The perfect Thanksgiving side dish or Sunday dinner staple.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword casseroles, comfort food, dinner recipes, green bean casserole, green beans, side dishes, sunday dinner, Thanksgiving Dinner, Thanksgiving sides

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 680g fresh green beans about 1 bag, washed and trimmed
• 6 slices bacon cooked and chopped into pieces
• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup flour
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dry mustard powder
• 2 ¼ cups of whole milk
• 1½ cups shredded cheese orange cheddar, or marble
• 1 cup French's fried onions

Instructions

DIRECTIONS

• Preheat the oven to 350 °
• In a large frying pan, cook your bacon and set aside.
• In a large pot of boiling water cook the green beans for about 5 minutes. Don't overcook them. After 5 minutes run them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain and place in a baking dish.
• In a medium saucepan, melt the butter then add garlic and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Whisk in your flour and then cook for about two minutes.
• Slowly whisk in the milk, stirring constantly, and then add in your salt, pepper, and dry mustard. Whisk your sauce for a few minutes while your sauce thickens up and then slowly whisk in your cheese.
• Pour over green beans and mix well. Add in half your french's fried onions reserving half for the topping.
• Add in your chopped bacon, mix well.
• Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until bubbly. Remove and top with remaining fried onions and bake for an additional 5 minutes

Need a little sweet treat for dessert? Try these Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies or Milk Chocolate M&M Cookies. You won’t be disappointed!

Enjoy!

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The post Homemade Green Bean Casserole appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.

A few years ago Aaron and I started doing something a little non traditional and I honestly think if you tried it you would do it too. We really weren’t planning on doing it, it just sort of happened and I can honestly say we haven’t looked back. We’ve been doing a toy free, guilt free Christmas, and I have to say, WE LOVE it. And when I say we, I mean ALL of us. Kids and everything. I am so glad that we are doing it, that I just had to share. Now before you write me off and silently judge me for ruining my kids life, just hear me out.

Years ago we were just like most people. So caught up in stress and the chaos of Christmas that we barely even had a chance to see it and then it was gone. We spent so much time wondering what we were getting the kids, driving around like maniacs, trying to get our hands on a stupid rainbow loom because our 12 year old daughter JUST HAD to have one. Lining up at a Miko Toy warehouse like cattle being led to the slaughter. Only to wake up on boxing day with a whole lot of junk in the house that our kids don’t really need and probably won’t remember come next year. Exhausted and happy that it’s all over. It sounds crazy, but I know you know it’s true.

Like us, our kids have to much stuff. Like way to much stuff and honestly it makes me feel gross. We buy, gather, and collect because we think that it will make us (or them) happy. But it doesn’t. Maybe in the moment, but nothing kills the mood in a house like a pile of unused and unnecessary junk. And yet we keep it. And then next year we add to the pile. Marie Kondo would be so unimpressed. Year after year we would tell ourselves, next year will be different. And although our intentions were good, we always ended up in the same boat. Can you feel me?

Then something happened. We got tired. We got tired and unhappy and we didn’t like the example we were setting for our kids. We knew something had to change. So we decided we weren’t going to do it anymore. We weren’t’ going to buy into the craziness and we would test the waters and pray that our kids (and us) survived. And you know what? We didn’t just survive. We thrived!! Instead of giving gifts of toys and electronics, we gave an experience. One for each child, Mom and Dad too, all tied together over the holidays. And I can tell you that we’ve been doing it ever since.

Now I know what your thinking, “my kids would never be okay with that” or, “what would they play with on Christmas?” and of course,”It takes the fun out of Christmas.” I know everything you’re thinking because I thought it too. But can I tell you that I was wrong! Our kids actually love this tradition and love spending the time with us even more. And you know what else. They remember EVERY SINGLE TRIP. That’s right, if you ask them what they did for Christmas for the last 4 years they can tell you. In detail. Go ahead and ask your kids what they got 4 years ago and what are they doing with it now?

One year the whole family got tickets to the World Juniors in Buffalo. We stayed at the Indoor Fallsview Water Park and went to Cracker Barrel for lunch (that was for me clearly). We left a few days after Christmas and spent New Years Eve in the falls so Felicity could see her favorite concert while I slept in a hotel bed with room service. It was SO MUCH FUN! Another year we went down town Toronto for a little stay-cation with an indoor pool, and last year we went big and did a trip to Ohio/Florida and finished off with a cruise.  The kids got sunglasses and Royal Caribbean flip flops in their stocking and it was so much fun to see the running around going crazy with excitement.  Obviously every year can’t be like that but you get the idea. Our kids have come to love the idea of spending time together as a family, and so have I. We have made memories and built bonds and it feels good to know that we can still enjoy Christmas without having the pressure of purchasing elaborate gifts and junky toys. It feels good to know that the gifts we give have lasting effects on our family.

Our kids still get to open presents. I’d be lying if I said there were no gifts under the tree each year. But we have  just became strategic and intentional about it. Any tangible gifts would have to be practical or useful. A new hockey jersey if we were taking them to a game. A baseball bat or a gift certificate for an activity we think they would enjoy. We would even print off hotel pictures or logos of the activities we had planned and wrap them up. The year we went on a cruise, we left a envelope on the tree that said your gift is on the TV. When they ran over and turned it on it was playing a Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas promo. They freaked!

Guys, so many of us are missing the point of Christmas and I fear we are training our kids to do the same. What kind of examples and traditions are we passing down to them? We run around from house to house tired and exhausted because we feel guilty for not seeing absolutely everyone. Our kids are overloaded with gifts at each and every stop. And then we over spend to over compensate, trying to make sure our kids feel happy. And if we’re honest, I don’t think we really feel all that good about it. We are missing the point. We are missing an incredible opportunity to bond together as a family. And we are missing the chance to show our kids whats really important in life. And I’m just here to say, we don’t have to.

We don’t have to accept this as the norm anymore. We don’t have to go everywhere and see everyone and spend money on useless items because we think our kids will somehow be deprived if we don’t. Our family doesn’t and you know what? We couldn’t be happier. Our lives are crazy busy. With work and kids activities, responsibilities and other commitments,  spending quality time together as a family is becoming harder and harder to do these days. It constantly gets put on the back burner, and yet its one of the most important things we can do for ourselves and our children. I can tell you that family vacations and outings bring you together in a way like nothing else can. Memories and bonds are made that last a lifetime. My kids still talk about swimming in hotel pools and ordering Papa Johns pizza at 11 pm to this day.

Guys, wouldn’t it be nice to actually enjoying the holidays?  To only purchase what you could actually afford and not feel bad about it? Instead of running around and trying to figure out what i’m buying, then spending hours wrapping everything. I have the peace of knowing that we get to spend the holidays doing fun family activities together, uninterrupted and guilt free. I get to relax and get my festive cheese ball eating sweatshirt on while having lots and lots of red wine. Oh and then after all that ACTUALLY ENJOYING TIME WITH MY FAMILY! Yeah that’s right I said it.

Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year. And I think we all do a great job of pretending that it is. But I bet if we took a second to really evaluate what we’re doing, we could all admit to buying things we didn’t need and running around to parties we didn’t enjoy only to impress people (and kids) who really shouldn’t care. But what if it actually could be the most wonderful time of the year? What would that look like for you? What if instead of toys and junk, chaos and stress, we were intentional about our gifts? What if we didn’t over book and over commit and actually enjoyed our time with our loved ones. Spend time together but if you can’t fit everyone in over Christmas without keeping your sanity, take turns. Aaron and I do one year with his family and the next year with mine. Of course we would LOVE to see everyone over the holidays but we have chosen quality over quantity and refuse to spend the holidays driving from one place to another, burning the candle at both ends.

And listen, toys are not bad. If that’s all you are hearing me say then you have completely missed the point. I’m not saying I will never buy a toy at Christmas again. Toys are not the problem. The problem comes when we overload and over spend on things that don’t add any value in our lives, or worse, do the opposite. The LAST THING our kids need is another IPad or video game that will only fuel their addiction to electronics. You can’t complain 11 months of the year that your kids won’t get off the iPad and then buy them the newest version for Christmas. Just sayin.

This Christmas choose quality over quantity. Choose to be intentional about your gifts and about the time you have. And most of all choose to enjoy your family and those delicious festive cheese balls because of course it’s the most wonderful time of the year.

Lots of Love,

Laila

The post The Toy Free Christmas appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.

The Christmas season is finally here and we are already thinking of all things Christmas around here. Especially about Santa’s Favorite Cookies (soooo good!) If you’re American you may not be fully on board just yet, but us Canadians have Thanksgiving in our rear view mirrors (and our waistlines), and are already singing our hearts out to Mariah Carey’s O Holy Night like we’ve been in the church choir for years. I’m just going to go ahead and say that if your not jamming to Mariah’s Christmas album all season long then you seriously need to ask yourself what you’re doing with your life.

These Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies are the BEST!

I am fully aware that claiming these cookies are Santa’s favorite cookies is a bold statement but it’s true. I used to HATE Oatmeal cookies. What a rip I thought, who wants oatmeal in a cookie? But then I started adulting and all of a sudden Oatmeal in cookies was a win. Just like Sunday afternoon naps and decaf coffee. I think I feel less guilty eating multiple oatmeal cookies because let’s be honest, they are “healthier”.  Anyway I now have a love for oatmeal in my cookies. But let’s be clear, I will never give up the chocolate. Which brings me to my next point. The chocolate.

These cookies are made with dark chocolate callets, which is one of the reasons they are so great. What’s a callet you ask? Callets are chocolate morsels formulated for melting rather than baking. They are usually made from Belgian chocolate which is a VERY good chocolate. And I happen to be an expert at delicious chocolate. They melt perfectly in the cookies and stay soft which in my opinion is better. Not feeling adventurous? Substitute for chocolate chips but keep them dark. These are seriously the best oatmeal chocolate cookies you will ever eat!

You’re instincts are going to want to do a few things with this recipe and I’m here to say don’t!

At least give this way a try. If you hate it or need to make a modification I am open to your comments.

1. DON’T leave them in the oven any longer. Trust me, you will pull them out after 12 minutes and think to yourself, these need a few more minutes. They don’t. The cookies will continue to cook after you take them out. They just need to rest. As my Dad always says, “patience is a virtue”
2. DO use dark chocolate callets. I don’t know why they are better but they just are. Don’t fight it.
3. DON’T over mix. Just enough to blend the ingredients.

These cookies are not only Santa’s Favorite, but they will be your family and friends favorite too! Which is why they make the PERFECT GIFT. This year I did a lot of extra canning and I my goal is to make gift baskets filled with lots of homemade goodies. People have enough stuff and I wanted to be really intentional about my gifts this year. A basket full of my award winning (yeah I just dropped that there) preserved peaches, my strawberry jam, spicy dill pickled beans, homemade BBQ sauce and more. These cookies will definitely make it into the basket.

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Santa's Favourite Christmas Cookie

There's a reason these are Santa's favourite cookie! These oatmeal cookies are so soft and chewy. Made with loads of dark chocolate. They are the perfect holiday treat.

Course Dessert, Snack

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 24

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1 cup brown sugar packed
• ½ cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 cups quick oatmeal
• 1 cup dark chocolate callets (or dark chocolate chips) generous

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 330 ° F-random I know but it works best.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar.
• Beat in eggs and vanilla.
• In a separate bowl combine flour, baking soda, and salt. I sift just a tiny bit! Stir into the creamed mixture until just blended.
• Mix in the quick oats and chocolate callets.
• Drop generous tablespoon sized balls onto a baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 12 minutes in the preheated oven. Don't be fooled. Not a minute longer! Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before moving.

Enjoy,

Laila

TRY THESE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE CANDY CANE COOKIES!

TRY THESE TURKEY STUFFING MEATBALLS STUFFED WITH CHEESE!

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The post Santa’s Favorite Cookie Recipe appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.

I LOVE Halloween. Okay, I love all holidays, but I especially love Halloween. Not because I like all that scary, gory, gross stuff (I don’t even watch horror movies). But because I love how much fun the kids have! All those deliciously spooky treats, fun Halloween recipes, and lets just be real, free chocolate. I cannot wait for my kids to go to sleep that night so I can raid their bags for my favorite bars. Oh and those Lays regular chips are worth every minute spent outside in the cold. You know you’re adulting when you all of a sudden you dig the regular chips.  If you are silently judging me then stop. Y’all know you do it too and if you don’t, you really should. You’ve earned it. If you’re tired of waiting hours for pizza this Halloween and want a quick and delicious meal before the kids head out this October 31st than these Halloween Jack -O- Lantern burgers are for you.

Jack-O-Lantern cheeseburgers are SO FUN!

My kids go crazy for these Halloween Jack -O- Lantern burgers and for good reason. They are stinkin cute and they taste good too. Who doesn’t love a good burger? While I will be the first to admit this picture isn’t exactly Pinterest worthy (I’m not a food photographer) they are super cute and super fun. AND in my defense I was taking them while I was serving dinner to the family. Did I mention I accidentally set the BBQ on fire…. (it’s not the first time either) and running after 5 kids,  two of which are toddlers. So please don’t judge me or the burgers.

I love recipes that take little to no effort at all but have a big pay off. These fit perfectly on that list. So if you are looking for a way to step it up this Halloween with out all the work then these are your go to burgers.

I made these burgers from scratch mostly because ground beef was on sale and I was in the mood but you can definitely go frozen burgers for even more convenience. Especially for all you working moms trying to beat the clock. Vegetarian?  No problem! Just replace the burgers for your fav veggie burger and away you go. I should also say I hate hamburger buns and think that fresh kaiser rolls are the way to go (there’s that fresh bread obsession again). But you can use whatever you like!

If you’re making your burgers from scratch I recommend using a patty press so you can have even burgers for grilling. But if you don’t have one don’t sweat it, you can use an old sour cream or margarine container lid for shaping!

Burger Toppings

Having a good recipe is just the beginning of a good burger and the topping are literally endless. Seriously, I feel like you could put almost anything on a burger and it would taste good but here are my favorites that I make sure to have on hand especially when I am having guests

• Condiments like mustard, mayo (Hellmanns!) ketchup, relish, BBQ sauce
• Sliced Dill Pickles
• Sliced Tomatoes, White Onion, Lettuce
• French’s fried onion
• Hot Peppers
• Bacon

I usually serve these Halloween burgers with a side of fries and my famous homemade coleslaw!

PIN ME!

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Halloween Jack-O-Lantern Burgers

These homemade hamburgers are a fun and easy meal for your Halloween party or even Halloween night. Juicy hamburgers with jack-o-lantern cheese on a fresh kaiser bun make these burgers the star of the show.

Course lunch, Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword BBQ sauce, ground beef, Halloween dinner, Halloween food, hamburgers, mac and cheese

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 12 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. ground beef
• 1 egg beaten
• 3 tbsp. evaporated milk
• 2 tbsp. worchestire sauce
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• ½ tsp. ground pepper
• 2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. chili powder
• ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 Kraft Singles cheese slices
• 6 fresh kaiser buns

Instructions

• Using a kitchen knife, carefully cut out Jack -O- Lantern faces from the Kraft single cheese and set aside.
• Preheat a greased BBQ or grill to medium high. In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients. I hate to say it but there's no better kitchen utensil for mixing burgers than your hands. Roll up your sleeves!
• Using a patty press (or the lid from a margarine or sour cream container for 6 patties.
• Grill patties (optional but really good idea? Baste them with my homemade BBQ sauce regularly while cooking) until an internal temp of 160 F is reached (about 5 minutes per side). If you don't have a meat thermometer I recommend this one!
• Remove from heat and top with cheese slices and let sit for a minute or two before serving.

  (Optional: Butter and lightly toast buns before serving)

I hope you love this Halloween Jack-o-lantern burger recipe as much as I do. As always I love to hear from you and I LOVE to see your creations. Upload your pictures on social media using #thegoodwivesblog and invite me into your kitchen  

Enjoy!

Laila

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I’ve connected with some amazing Bloggers to share some blogs featuring some spooky and sweet treat! Head to each of their blogs to check out what they are sharing.

cheyenne babybumpsandmombuns,
Cheyenne
Spooktacular Sugar Cookies

https://babybumpsandmombuns.com/2020/10/16/spooktacular-sugar-cookies/

cheyenne babybumpsandmombuns,
Jessica
Fun And Spooky Pumpkin Quesadilla Treat For Kids

https://mamabearwooten.com/fun-and-edible-pumpkin-quesadilla-craft-for-kids/

Kimmy
Graveyard Smash – Halloween Treat

https://kimmymanzo.com/2020/10/14/graveyard-smash-halloween-treat/

Laura
Kids Halloween Charcuterie Board

Kids Halloween Charcuterie Board

The post Halloween Jack -O- Lantern Burgers appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.

I love holidays. Mostly because it gives me a chance to cook, throw parties, and get together with family and friends. Pretty much all my favorite things at once.  I’m always looking for cheats when it comes to throwing parties because let’s be real, it’s expensive and unless you roll with the real housewives of Toronto than you probably can’t really afford to be spending a ton of money on desserts. A girl can dream though!! With Easter next weekend (yay!), I I thought I would share my recipe for Chocolate Covered Oreo’s (Easter Edition). Who doesn’t love everything chocolate at this time of year?

These chocolate covered Oreo’s are a perfect way to take your dessert table up a notch without spending a ton of money. They are also super easy and can pretty much fit any theme! Simply change the color of the melting chocolate and you’re good to go. Chocolate covered Oreo’s are going to be your new favorite dessert. And for good reason.

I have to say that most of the recipes I’ve come across say to use a “dipping aid” and I don’t think it’s necessary. I’ve done it both ways and I would say that using it makes it harder. I also use a special mold I got on Amazon. It was only $8 and I love it! You can see it pictured below. I’ve heard you can use a muffin tin too although I’ve never tried it and for $8 why not just have this tool handy! I should also say that I get my melting chocolate from the Bulk Barn but you can probably find it anywhere!

So without further ado here it is!

Chocolate Covered Oreo's (Easter Edition)

• Time: 25 min including set
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

Ingredients

6 Oreo cookies

1 generous cup of melting chocolate (whichever color you prefer)

cookie mold 

Directions

Step 1

I don’t know why but I love melting chocolate on the stove. You could probably use the microwave just as easily but I don’t. I place a pot with some water in the bottom and then place a glass bowl over top and add my chocolate. The steam from beneath melts the chocolate perfectly and makes me so happy! If I was doing it in the microwave I would probably do it for 30 seconds at a time and then stir so it doesn’t burn!

Step 2

Put some melted chocolate in the bottom of the mold. They are pretty deep so I would do it generously but not all the way. You’re going to cover them. You’re going to want to work fast, the chocolate hardens up quickly!

Step 3

Place the Oreo cookies into the chocolate and gently push down. You want to push it fairly deep but not to deep as to see it through the bottom. If you’re worried just lift up the mold and look at the bottom.

Step 4

Cover the Oreo’s with more chocolate and then gently bang the tray on the counter to bring any air bubbles to the surface. I wouldn’t spend to much time trying to perfect them. Once they harden you can trim the sides with a knife.

Step 5

Place tray of chocolate covered Oreo’s in the refrigerator for 15 min

If you want to get creative you can play around with different colors of drizzled chocolate and sprinkles etc! I also add a little white chocolate to more vibrant colors to get a nice pastel colored chocolate. These chocolate covered Oreo’s store nicely in the freezer or in a Tupperware container in the cupboard (if they last that long!)

Don’t forget to show me your creations!

TRY THESE MINI EGG COOKIES 

Enjoy

Laila

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The post Chocolate Covered Oreo’s (Easter Edition) appeared first on The Good Wives Blog.