Honey Glazed Pork

YAY! So excited to back on here blogging. I may lack on my own personal blog, but anything to help me get some new recipes in the kitchen DELIGHTS me to the core! Ok, so I loved Holly's post about the TACO PIE, so gonna make it tomorrow, and does Beck make cookbooks look chic or what?!?! So, I don't know about you all, but there is one consistent comment that comes from my boys almost every meal time (besides "grooooooooos", because unless it is pizza, hamburgers, or grilled cheese, everything is "grooooooooos!")... it is "Chicken, AAAAAGAIN?!?!" Let's face it, chicken is economical, easy, and supposedly better for you then red meat, so it is a main staple during many weekday dinners at my house. Well, at my last grocery store outing, I saw pork loin on sale. The butcher was kind enough to show me how to pick out a "good piece" and I immediately went home and looked on pinterest for a recipe. I came across MANY, but this particular one caught my interest....and IT WAS DELICIOUS!!! Honey Glazed Pork: http://mommahenskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/09/honey-butter-pork-tenderloin.html (EVEN MY BOYS LIKED IT!!!). I served it with baked red potatoes and green beans. The only thing I did differently from the recipe was I do not have a pot that can go into the oven so I transfered the pork to a baking dish and poured the glaze on top when it was required to go into the oven. I also cooked it for a bit longer (making sure the temp was 170 degrees on my meat thermometer) and then left it covered in foil to "self cook" while I finished up the potatoes (about 10 minutes more). So, there you have it. If you have any more pork recipes that are easy, let me know. Also, with baseball starting, I need to add to my collection of crock pot recipes! Glad to be back girls! XoXo

I'm Cooking Again!

I have been so out of the loop with cooking for the past 3 months but I am excited to announce that I am feeling better and back at it!  So needless to say my Hubby is happy, and I'm having fun in the kitchen again!  Here are 2 recipes that I made this week that were delish.  Not wonderfully healthy, but budget and kid friendly which wins in my house right now.  I found both of these on pinterest so here are the original links!

Million Dollar Spaghetti
I followed this recipe as close as I could, subbing different pasta and spicing up the meat and it turned out really good.  I had leftovers today!
http://ashleykaitlin.blogspot.com/2011/01/million-dollar-spaghetti.html

Taco Pie
I subbed out the beef for Turkey in this one and it was really good as well!
http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/03/impossible-taco-pie.html

Indulge a little and enjoy!

Cook Books

My Mom and I are a little obsessed with Cookbooks. They are so fun, aren't they? However, if there are no pictures, then no way! You have to show me how good the recipe is going to look!
These two pictures don't do justice to how many Cookbooks I have. I also save recipes from Cooking Light, Better Homes, etc and I received many from my Bridal Shower.

I can't wait to see all the recipes my Girlfriends are going to post on this fabulous blog. xo

 

 

Fool Proof Pie Crust

Receipt fits one whole cookie sheet

This Pie Crust comes from: A Taste of Georgia; the Newnan Junior Service League (like the ladies in The Help)

I renamed it fool proof, because if came out perfect when it should have been tuff as leather.

3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups Shortening
5 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon vinegar (I used white)
1 egg, beaten

Mix Flour and salt together. Cut in shortening until particles are the size of small peas. Mix water, vinegar and beaten egg. Add to flour/shortening mixture and stir ingredients together with fork.
Turn onto floured board or pastry cloth and knead  serval times. Divide into 3 portions.
If bakes pie shell is needed, prick bottom and sides with for and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.

Ok, so I didn't have enough shortening the 1st time and used 1/2 butter. It still came out great. Plus I just added all the wet ingredients into the flour/ shortening mixture. (I did beat the egg though) And that was fine too.
It was really wet the first time I made it, so I just added flour till it looked like a pie crust should.
The second time I made it, I halved the receipt and it came out perfect still.

Oh and I never knead it. I just dump it into the pie pan or in one case the cookie sheet and tell the girls to spread it out.

See all the stuff I did to it and it still came out perfect! And I baked it for an hour and a half once and it never burned!!!
This receipt rocks.

WW in 20 minutes!

If you haven't already, buy this Cookbook!! I have made so many great recipes out of it that the whole family have enjoyed! And the postive thing is I know they are all healthy and made in 20 minutes. Love it!

Simple Summer Rice

Since there has been no recent post in awhile, I decided to post a "simple summer recipe" that I truly enjoyed and thought I would share.

As I have said in a previous post, I am ALL ABOUT the time saver recipes that are economical and use items I have around the house....so enjoy my Simple Summer Rice.

Ingredients:
1 whole zucchini thinly sliced
10 cherry tomatoes cut in half
1 stalk of white corn cut off the cob
1 (or if you are me, 2) cloves of garlic finely chopped
1/4 a cup of freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 cup of brown rice (I cheat and use one package of the Trader Joes instant brown rice)
1 tablespoon of olive oil
Pepper to taste

Directions:
- Cook your rice how you chose to do so. Set aside.
- Place the olive oil in a skillet and brown the garlic until golden-brown.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the corn. Cover and let cook for about 5 min, stirring about half way through.
- Take off the cover and add the zucchini and tomatoes. Turn up heat to medium-high.
- Saute until all vegetables are to the desired crispiness. (about 10-15 minutes is what I prefer)
- Add pepper for taste (I prefer about 1/8 a tsp)
- Add the cooked rice and stir over low heat for about 2 minutes.
- Top with parmesan and stir until cheese is melted.

My kids love this rice and never complain about eating their veggies this way.
I LOVE this rice with breaded chicken stuffed with prosciutto ham and a cold glass of chardonnay.
Perfect SUMMER meal.
Yum!

Hi Ladies! To wet your appetite for tomorrow (and for those of you who can't make it!) here are the links to the recipes I will be making.

Lemon and Basil Eggs over Foccacia

Ingredients

• 1 large loaf foccacia bread (I use whatever bread looks good that is crusty)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil combined with 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan (I also switch this up as far as the cheese I use, but it has to be finely grated)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk (I use non-fat)

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Cut the top off the foccacia and hollow out the bread inside. Tear the top of the foccacia and the inside bread into 1-inch pieces and save for the egg mixture. Brush the inside of the foccacia with the lemon olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and toast for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the basil, cheese, salt, pepper, and milk. Whisk lightly. Stir in up to 4 cups of the bread pieces.

Carefully pour the egg mixture into the toasted foccacia bottom. Return to the oven and bake until the eggs have cooked, about 35 to 40 minutes.

Cut the baked foccacia into 6 to 8 pieces and serve immediately.

OPTIONAL - I sometimes add sausage to this to make it more of a complete breakfast meal. I use spicy Italian sausage (or whatever you like) and cook it up, then I add it to the the egg mixture. A tip: if the sausage is in casing, ly un-case the sausage and cook it or if it's pre-cooked, just cut it into bite-size pieces. You could add anything you like to this, just remember to lessen the amount of bread you add to the egg mixture!

Creme Brulee French Toast

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons corn syrup
• 1 (8 to 9) inch round loaf Challah bread (I use Brioche)
• 5 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon Grand Marnier (I don't use this)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

In a small heavy saucepan melt butter with butter with brown sugar and corn syrup over moderate heat, stirring, until smooth and pour into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Cut 6 (1-inch) thick slices from center portion of bread, reserving ends for another use, and trim crusts. Arrange bread slices in one layer in baking dish, squeezing them slightly to fit. In a bowl whisk together eggs, half and half, vanilla, Grand Marnier and salt until combined well and pour evenly over bread. Chill bread mixture, covered, at least 8 hours and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bring bread mixture to room temperature. Bake uncovered, in middle of oven until puffed and edges are pale golden, 35 to 40 minutes.