Bella Grace Boutique

I am sooooo incredibly happy with how the Bella Grace Boutique Logo turned out! Big thanks to the best hubby in the world, Jason Ashe, for helping put all my ideas into a logo. What do you think??? Everything for BGB seems to be coming together which is an absolutely awesome feeling!

The Facebook page is also up! Like BGB'S Facebook page!! The link is right here (lol)                              ----> https://www.facebook.com/BoutiqueBellaGrace

We still have some minor changes to make as far as pictures & setup, but it is coming along. I have also added a album called "New Arrivals" which is pretty self explanatory, but I will be featuring some of the new items from the store in that album.

This is the link to the actual eBay store! ------>  http://stores.ebay.com/bellagraceboutique

I have about 70 items listed as of right now. It will take a little time to get everything
 completely categorized. Currently, I have a vast array of items for sale... women's clothing, 
shoes, jewelry, accessories, kitchen tools, prom/evening dresses etc..

Bella Grace Boutique also has an email.

 ------> thebellagraceboutique@gmail.com

My vision for the store is to have high end designer fashion, shoes, accessories, and jewelry
 at a very affordable price. Essentially you'll be getting "THE LOOK FOR LESS".

We have a couple more ventures to tackle. We want to build a fully functioning website 
specifically for Bella GraceBoutique and I also want to make a blog for BGB. The blog would
 feature fashion advice and trends, how to achieve the look for less, and I would also like to 
show celebrities wearing certain fashion with either the same clothing from BGB or an item from 
BGB that looks very similar to the celebrity clothing, etc.. I have so many ideas for BGB, I can't 
wait to see the mall implemented. I am hoping to get the blog and the Bella Grace Website
 going very soon.

Thank you all for all your love, support, advice throughout this process. I am eternally grateful 
for each & every one of you!! It would not be possible without YOU! If any of you have any 
comments, concerns, or ideas please, please, please, let me know! hehe I am open to all advice! 

Wedding Picture 

Hopefully yal aren't tired of seeing our wedding pictures yet!! lol They just keep trickling in, 
so I have to share! This was one of our favorites!

Well, I guess that pretty much does it for now. I hope you all had a wonderful Monday!

xoxo, 

Jessica Ashe

Respect & Recipe for Pecan Rum Cake

R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Find out what it means to me! lol That is what first comes into mind when I think of that word, but in all seriousness, this is a serious topic. 

This morning as I was reading my daily devotion, I was very inspired to tell this story. My devotion reading was Esther 1:1 which talks about Queen Vashti being disposed by King Xerxes because the king was hosting a great celebration and in addition to displaying his wealth and power, he also wanted to showcase his wife's beauty. The king commanded that the Queen be brought before him and his guests. She refused. If Queen Vashti had obeyed, she would have allowed the king to degrade and disrespect her. Since she refused she risked losing her life. Vashti didn't want to compromise her character by being reduced to a piece of property. Her desire for respect led to her banishment. There is no record that Queen Vashti feared the Lord, but her courage shows that she understood the God-given dignity accorded to EVERY human being.

God created us in His image and crowned us with glory and honor, having made us "a little lower than the angels" (Psalm 8:5). Out of love and reverence for him, let us treat ourselves and others with honor, dignity, and respect. Even the most difficult people we know bear the image of God.

This brings to mind all the ladies who are in relationships where they are being disrespected. You do NOT deserve that! You deserve to be treated like a Queen! My prayer for anyone who is going through a situation similar to that is that you gain the courage that Queen Vashti had and that you take yourself out of that situation with God's help. God created a perfect man for you and if he isn't treating you with honor and respect... well, then you haven't found him yet. Actually, that statement makes it sound as if you should be looking for a man, which I completely don't agree with! God will SEND him to you. In the meantime, focus on your relationship with God. God's timing is perfect.

This subject is pretty dear to my heart because I was in a relationship for FIVE years where I was disrespected frequently. I completely understand it can make you feel that you are not good enough and that you are constantly doing everything wrong among a variety of other negative feelings. Don't buy into that. It is NOT you. Someone who truly loves you with God's love will NEVER treat you that way. By no means am I saying that anyone is perfect. Everyone has their issues. It took me 5 years to get out of that relationship. I pray that it doesn't take anyone else that long. I am still very thankful for that experience because it transformed me into a strong woman who will never allow ANYONE to ever treat me that way again. Plus, it brought me to the man God put on earth just for me, Jason. I also pray that EVERYONE finds their Jason. :) When you find THE ONE, never stop loving them, and never let 1 day go by that you don't express your love for them because we never know how many more days we have on this earth. This is only our temporary home as Carrie Underwood would say.

If anyone ever needs to talk, even if we aren't very good friends, I will always be here to listen. :)


Ok... now for that RECIPE!

PECAN RUM CAKE

1 cup PLANTERS Pecan Halves, coarsely chopped 

1 pkg. (2-layer size) yellow cake mix 

4 eggs 

1 cup Sour Cream 

3/4 cup dark rum, divided

1/2 cup oil 

1/2 cup sugar 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Sprinkle pecans evenly onto bottom of well-greased fluted tube pan. Place cake mix, eggs, sour cream, 1/2 cup of the rum and oil in large bowl; beat with electric mixer on medium speed 2 min. or until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.

BAKE 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center of cake comes out clean; cool cake 10 min. in pan on wire rack. Remove cake from pan; cool completely.

PLACE sugar, butter and 2 Tbsp. water in small saucepan; bring to boil on medium heat, stirring frequently. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup rum, stirring until well blended. Drizzle over cake slices.

Well... I love you guys! XOXO Jess

Bella Grace Boutique & Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese

Don't you just love my blog makeover?? It looks so much better than before.


Drum roll please..... and the name of my new store will be BELLA GRACE BOUTIQUE!!!!  It has taken quite awhile to find the purrrrrfect name, but I knew when I heard the perfect name I would just know it was right. This name holds such significance to my heart! Logo will be coming soon thanks to my wonderful hubby! Thank you all for all your support, prayers & opinions!

RECIPE

Jalapeno Bacon Mac & Cheese

what you need

1 pkg. (12.6 oz.) KRAFT HOMESTYLE Macaroni & Cheese Dinner Classic Cheddar Cheese Sauce (or any other of the styles that you would like)

3 Tbsp. chopped pickled jalapeño nacho slices (add or reduce depending on your taste)

1 Tbsp. chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (I had a hard time finding these, if you don't use them it still tastes great)

1 Tbsp. chopped green onions

1/2 pack of bacon (put a couple tsp to the side to top)

 PREHEAT oven to 425 F.

PREPARE Dinner as directed on package except do not top with Bread Crumb Topping. Stir in jalapenos, bacon, and chipotle peppers; cook 1 min. or until heated through.

SPOON into 1-1/2-qt. casserole dish; top with onions and crumb topping and extra bacon.

BAKE 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown.

This is in all seriousness one of the best dishes I have ever made! You just can not go wrong with bacon, jalapenos, and cheese!

WEDDING PICTURES

We got a couple more wedding pictures back! They are some of my favorites!!

Ok... well ta ta for now! 

<3 Jess

Help Me Name My eBay Store! (I'm sharing recipes too!)

Help Me Name My eBay Store

I have been selling items on eBay for awhile now while contemplating opening a store. After much deliberation, Jason & I have decided I should open the store. My store will feature a wide variety of items from clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc.. I am SO excited, but I need YOUR help to find a cute, catchy, unique name. I have come up with a few names, let me know what you think. The list is as follows: GoodBuy Sweetheart, Glambition, Retail Therapy, Bella Rosa, Kaleidoscope Closet and Uptown Boutique. They are all available on eBay. My ebay seller name right now is jmac9985, which is obviously not very unique or catchy. It is my initials & birthdate. I can't tell you how much I appreciate your help! :)

Random

We just got another wedding picture back!! I just had to share :)

Recipes

If you know me, you know I LOVE to bake & cook. If I can make it, you can too! So, here are a few recipes I have tried lately that Jason & I loved. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Cake Batter Cheesecake Bars

“Boxed Funfetti cake and cheesecake are two of my all-time favorite desserts, so I figured it was about time to combine the two. The result? A sweet, creamy, colorful cheesecake bar filled with all the flavors of Funfetti cake! 

•               1 ¾ cups vanilla cookie crumbs (I used Nilla wafers, but any type of vanilla cookie should work!)

•               6 tablespoons butter, melted

•               16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used low-fat.)

•               ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided

•               ½ cup yellow cake mix

•               2 eggs + 1 egg yolk

•               ½ cup + 2 tablespoons milk (I used 1%.)

•               1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

•               ¼ teaspoon salt

•               ¼ cup sprinkles

•               ~5 drops blue food coloring (optional)

•               ~3 drops green food coloring (optional)

Directions:

1.            Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan, then line with parchment paper; set aside.

2.            Stir together cookie crumbs, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and the melted butter. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until the crust is just brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

3.            Meanwhile, beat the cream cheese with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining granulated sugar and beat for an additional couple of minutes, until smooth. Add the eggs and yolk, milk, vanilla, salt and beat again until completely combined and smooth. Finally, stir in the cake mix and sprinkles until smooth.

4.            Pour the filling over the crust. Set the pan in a larger pan (a 9×13-inch works for this), and add enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake until just set, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the water bath, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cool for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight. Cut into bars. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

CHERRY PINEAPPLE DUMP CAKE

Ingredients:

1 can (16 oz.) crushed pineapple 

1 can (20 oz.) cherry pie filling 

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1/2 to 2/3 c. chopped nuts

1/2 c. butter

Directions:

Grease a 9 x 13 inch pan. Dump in the pineapple and juice, spreading evenly. Pour cherry pie filling over the pineapple, spreading evenly. Add dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Add nuts, then slice butter and lay all over the top. Do not mix. Bake in a 350 degree oven 1 hour.

Baked Cream Cheese Spaghetti Casserole

12 oz spaghetti 

1 (28 ounce) jars prepared spaghetti sauce 

1 lb lean ground beef 

1 tsp Italian seasoning 

1 clove garlic, minced 

8 ounces cream cheese 

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. In a skillet, brown the ground beef until cooked through; drain fat and stir in spaghetti sauce. Set aside.

Cook spaghetti according to directions on packet. Drain and place cooked spaghetti in bowl. Add cream cheese, Italian Seasoning and minced garlic. Stir until cream cheese is melted and the spaghetti is thoroughly coated.

Lightly grease a 9x13" pan. Spread a small amount of meat sauce in the bottom of the dish. Put spaghetti on top of sauce and top with remaining meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until bubbly.

BUTTER-PECAN SWEET POTATOES

8 medium sweet potatoes (5 lbs.), or one per person 

olive oil 

course salt 

2 T. butter, cut into small pieces

2 T. light brown sugar 

1/3 c. pecan pieces 

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peel potatoes and halve lengthwise; slice crosswise 1/2 inch thick. On a baking sheet, toss potatoes with olive oil (we brush it on both sides); season with salt.

Transfer half the potatoes to a second baking sheet; cook both sheets until potatoes are tender, tossing occasionally, 25-30 minutes.

Sprinkle with butter, brown sugar, pecan pieces and cayenne pepper, dividing evenly. Bake until sugar is carmelized and hard, about 10 minutes. Toss gently; serve immediately. Serves 8.

Crustless Bacon and Cheese Quiche

5 green onions, chopped, divided 

1 tomato, chopped, divided 

12 slices OSCAR MAYER Bacon 

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

12 eggs 

1/3 cup BREAKSTONE'S Reduced Fat or KNUDSEN Light Sour Cream 

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Cheddar Cheese 

1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

HEAT oven to 325 F.

RESERVE 2 Tbsp. each onions and tomatoes. Cook bacon in large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon from skillet, reserving 1 Tbsp. drippings in skillet. Drain bacon on paper towels. Add mushrooms to reserved drippings; cook and stir 2 min. or until tender. Remove from heat. Crumble bacon. Add to skillet with remaining onions and tomatoes; mix well. 

BEAT eggs and sour cream with whisk until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9 inch baking dish; top with bacon mixture & cheeses

BAKE 30 min. or until center is set. Top with reserved onions and tomatoes. Let stand 5 min. before cutting to serve.

Tomato-Basil Soup with Grilled Cheese

1 tsp. oil 

1 onion, finely chopped

1 small carrot, finely chopped 

1 stalk celery, finely chopped 

2 cups fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth 

1 cup water 

1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 

1/4 tsp. black pepper 

4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) Cream Cheese, cubed 

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil, divided

Directions:

HEAT oil in large saucepan on medium-high heat. Add onions, carrots and celery; cook and stir 5 min. Stir in

broth and water. Bring to boil; cover. Simmer 10 min. or until vegetables are tender.

ADD tomatoes and pepper; stir. Return to boil. Simmer 5 min. Stir in cream cheese and 1/4 cup basil. Remove from heat. Use immersion blender to blend soup until smooth. Return to heat; cover. 

CUT each sandwich into 6 pieces. Ladle soup into 6 bowls; sprinkle with remaining basil. Serve immediately.

Better Than Sex Cake

1 package devil's food cake mix

1/2 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

 6 ounces caramel ice cream topping 

3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped 

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Make slits across the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine sweetened condensed milk and caramel topping, stirring until smooth and blended. Slowly pour the warm topping mixture over the top of the warm cake, letting it sink into the slits; then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake while still warm. (Hint: I crush my candy bars into small chunks as opposed to crumbs - I like to have pieces I can chew on!)

3. Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar chunks and swirls of caramel topping. Refrigerate and serve right from the pan!

Million Dollar Pie

1 (15 ounce) cans crushed pineapple, drained

1 (14 ounce) cans eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 cup flaked coconut

1/3 cup chopped walnuts or 1/3 cup pecans

1 (8 ounce) cartons Cool Whip

2 graham crackers, pie crusts

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients as listed above. 

2. Divide mixture evenly into the 2 graham cracker pie shells. 

3. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Ok, well that is enough for now! I hope you all have a fabulous weekend! Don't forget... HELP ME NAME MY EBAY STORE!!!!! <3 Jess