This was another “test” meal that I created, I was very unsure how this one would turn out. After we were finished eating, we ended up eating TWO pork chops a piece! That never happens for me. The first time I made it, however, I felt like the gravy was too “oily” (you can see that in the picture below) so the next time I made it I used a lot less oil to fry my pork chops!

Pork Chops and Gravy:
4 boneless pork chops
1 cup flour
Salt & Pepper (to add to the flour)
Vegetable Oil (enough to cover the bottom of the skillet)
1 tablespoon flour & 1 tablespoon butter (roux)
1 can chicken broth

Place the vegetable oil into the bottom of the skillet, heat it up on medium-high heat. Coat the pork chops with the flour mixture, and add to the skillet. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on each side, or until each side is golden brown. Place the cooked pork chops on a paper towel, and salt lightly (if you’d like). Lower the heat to medium-low, add the butter into the skillet, and use it to help break off the pork chop “pieces” off the bottom of the skillet. Add in the 1 tbsp flour, and mix together. Then slowly add the chicken broth, continuing to get the pieces unstuck off the bottom. Continue mixing the gravy until it starts to boil, then remove from heat. Add the pork chops back in, or pour the gravy over the pork chops when you plate them.

We had our pork chops with rice-a-roni the first time I cooked it. When I cooked these the second time, I had succotash as a side (corn and lima beans simmered in a butter/milk broth). I bet this gravy would be great over plain rice or potatoes!

Enjoy!!

One of the many things that were welcomed into our family after marriage was Micah’s favorite meal; chicken and rice. I had to chat with his Mom to find out just what this was! It’s very simple to make, and is very good to eat on a day when you aren’t feeling too well or just need some comfort food!

I don’t have a picture of it yet, but will get one the next time that we cook it!

Micah’s Favorite Chicken and Rice:
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
salt & pepper
Can use up to 1 pound of chicken, breasts or tenderloins. We usually only use 2-3 pieces of chicken and freeze the leftover “gravy”!
1 can of water

All you need to do is place your chicken in a skillet or large saucepan, then mix together your can of soups with the can of water, and pour it over the chicken. Add some salt and pepper, to taste. Bring the soups to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat to low and let it simmer for about 30-45 minutes! It’s so easy, and I put some rice in our rice cooker while that is simmering, then pour the chicken and gravy over the cooked rice.

Enjoy!!

I can claim that I made this recipe on my own…very proudly so. I was actually very worried about this pork roast while it was in the slow cooker all day! I was hoping that it would turn out well while I was at work, and it did!

I bought a Smithfield pork roast on our last grocery store trip, only because it was on sale. When it came time to cook it, I really didn’t want to put it in the oven when I got home, I thought it would have better potential elsewhere. Plus, I haven’t perfected oven cooking enough…my meats always turn out too dry. After much thought, I decided to throw it into the slow cooker, and threw in a can of beef stock and some frozen carrots. Then, voila! A wonderful meal was ready for us when we got home.

I also perfected the Roux/gravy method with this meal, and I’m very proud of that!

The picture isn’t exactly “top quality” but the food is amazing!!

Pork Roast Ingredients:
1 package Smithfield Teriyaki marinated pork roast
1 14.5oz can beef broth
1-2 cups frozen carrots (depending on how many people are eating them, I just poured enough for the 2 of us! And I’m pretty sure any kind of veggie would work, I like the fact that the carrots don’t taste like carrots in the finished product!)

Place all three ingredients into a slow-cooker. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours, or 4-6 on high.

I made homemade mashed potatoes with our roast, so I could have use for the gravy that I made with the juices in the slow-cooker. For homemade mashed potatoes, I washed and scrubbed about 3-5 medium red potatoes and sliced them (with the skins on, that’s a personal choice!), then added them to a pot with enough cold water to just cover them. Once the water started boiling, I let them cook for about 15 minutes, then drained them. I added butter and salt to taste, and about 1/4-1/3 cup milk to make them creamy. I have even added sour cream to them, when we ran out of milk…no one can tell the difference!

To make the gravy, I put 2 tablespoons of flour and butter (a “roux”) into a saucepan and mixed them together for about a minute on medium-high heat. Using a whisk helps also, especially when you pour the leftover juices in to mix with the roux. Once everything is mixed well together, I let it get to almost boiling before I take it off the burner.

Enjoy!!

I love my slow cooker. If there”s a chance to cook something in it then I’m all about it. It makes dinner so much easier; all you need to do is put everything in it in the morning, set the timer, and leave it! Then you come home to a nice smelling home and dinner is ready!

A co-worker of mine told me about how she makes her lasagna in her slow cooker. I was a little skeptical at first, but decided one day to give it a shot. I cooked it on the weekend, so I could keep an eye on it. I absolutely loved the way it turned out! My husband even liked it! (he”s not a big fan of the cream cheese I use, but with the slow cooker it helped to smooth out the chunks I placed in it!)

I have no picture yet…but I will hopefully get a picture the next time I cook it!

Here”s how I made my slow-cooker lasagna:
1 jar Ragu traditional spaghetti sauce
3/4 cup water (I put that into my spaghetti sauce jar to swish out the leftover sauce)
1 lb. hamburger meat
2 cups mozzarella cheese
1 8oz package cream cheese, softened
lasagna noodles (I used about 2-4 on each layer; there are 3 layers)

Brown up your hamburger meat in the skillet, then drain. Add in your spaghetti sauce and water, then stir together. In your slow cooker (I put in one of those plastic liners, easy clean up!) add in 2 scoops of spaghetti sauce, then add in your lasagna noodles, and break them up so they can fit into your slow cooker. Mix together 1 cup mozzarella cheese with the cream cheese and put 1/2 of that mixture of the lasagna noodles. Add more spaghetti sauce until noodles and cheese are covered. Layer more lasagna noodles, and the rest of the cheese mixture. Add more sauce, and the last layer of noodles. Spread more spaghetti sauce on the top to cover the noodles, then cook it on low for 4-6 hours. (I only had to cook it on low for 5 hours and it was ready). After its cooked, layer the last cup of mozzarella on top and let it melt for 10 minutes. Enjoy!!

Its been a while since I’ve posted here, so it”s time for a new recipe! I stole this idea from Pinterest (again!) But made a few modifications to our tastes. The original recipe is called Baked Chicken and Rice, and that recipe sounds awesome. However, I’m most definitely NOT a fan of broccoli, so I had to make some changes.

As you can see from the photo below, it was a hit!

Cheesy Baked Chicken and Rice Ingredients:

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup water (or milk!)
1 Box Rice-a-Roni Cheesy Rice
1/8 tsp seasoning salt (or whatever chicken-type seasoning you like)
4 boneless chicken breasts, or 8 chicken tenderloins

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Stir the soup, water/milk, and rice (with the seasoning packet in the box also) in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Top with the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with the seasoning salt. Cover the baking dish. Bake for 1 hour or until the chicken is cooked through. Check on it about halfway through, I had to stir my rice once to keep it from sticking. Enjoy!

I have found a new favorite meal….and it comes from one of my other favorites, Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole. I’ve had a lot of issues with heartburn/reflux recently, so I wanted to reate a milder version of this casserole. I thought about it for a few minutes then it hit me…usually a mild version of buffalo wings are BBQ wings, so lets just use BBQ sauce! So then came my little creation.

I didn”t get a chance to take a photo of it before we dug into it…we were kinda hungry! But you can see how much of a dent we put into it! Micah even had another serving after I took the photo. It was AMAZING!! The flavors blended perfectly. My only mess up was not putting olive oil on my potatoes before I baked them, they ended up sticking to the pan when I was cooking, and I had to transfer them to a new pan when I added the chicken.

If you like chicken, potatoes, BACON, and CHEESE…you”ll love this casserole!! I may even make it for a Thanksgiving side! Enjoy the recipe below:

Loaded Potato BBQ Chicken Casserole
8-10 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
1-2 tbsp seasoning salt (or other seasoning you like, I wish I had some bacon seasoning but I ran out!) use however much you want – to taste.
Olive Oil
3-4 Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used Jack Daniels, my FAVORITE!!)
2 cups Cheddar Cheese\nBacon bits (this is to taste…but I used a LOT)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Put your potatoes into a bowl and add in the seasoning and mix well, then add the olive oil and mix. Pour the potatoes into a Pam-sprayed pan, and bake for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes, until potatoes are brown and crisp. While that’s cooking, cut the chicken breasts into small chunks and mix with the BBQ sauce. Once the potatoes are done, pull them out of the oven and sprinkle the chicken on top of the potatoes. Mix together the cheese and bacon (you can also add in green onions) and spread it on top of the chicken. Lower the oven to 400 degrees, and bake the casserole for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cheese is melted and bubbly. Enjoy!!

I wish I could take credit for this creation…but I cant. A friend that I used to work with made it at a Christmas party and I got the recipe from her. We simply call it “Pizza Bread”, and its amazing!

It’s also very easy to make! If you love olives, you”ll love this bread!

Ingredients:
1 loaf french bread (I used a “take n bake”)
1 8oz package cream cheese
2 tbsp Italian seasoning
1 package pepperoni minis
1 sm. can black olives, sliced
1 sm. jar olives, sliced
2 cups Mozzarella cheese

Preheat the oven to the oven temperature on the take and bake package (I think it was 375 degrees or 400…). Take the french loaf out of the package and slice in half, like you’re making a sandwich. Put the cream cheese in a microwave-safe bowl and warm for one minute, especially if its cold. If you have enough time, you can let it warm to room temp, so its easy to mix, and add in the 2 tbsp of Italian seasoning. Once mixed, spread the mixture onto the sliced french bread, being as liberal as you want, to taste. Then, layer the pepperoni, black and green olives, and mozzarella cheese on top. Once all the ingredients are on the bread, place into the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the cheese and bread is browned. After its finished, allow the bread to cool before slicing. And slice very carefully, or you may lose all your ingredients!

Enjoy!

So happy for the weekend…even though I was sick the last few days with a cold it’s always nice to see another Friday! I wanted to post a recipe that I love making whenever I have leftover rice laying around, especially on Saturdays for lunch.

Its Japanese-style fried rice, that same wonderful stuff that you get in the restaurants where the guys cook the food in front of you. I love this stuff…it’s so awesome! Its very easy to make…all you need is some sesame oil, butter, an egg (or two, depending on how much rice you cook), some cooked rice, and soy sauce. Salt and pepper too, if you use it.

In a sauce pan, you put some sesame oil and butter and let the pan warm up. When its hot, crack and drop your egg straight into the pan, scramble it up and let it cook until almost dry. When its ready, drop in the rice and mix everything really well. I usually let the rice sit for a little bit and let it get warmed up and cooked some. Then, add in some soy sauce, as much or as little as you want, depending on your taste. Then mix the rice more and let everything get all nice and cozy together…then put it on a plate and enjoy! Some people like to add in some frozen veggies to it or chicken, but I love it plain. Sometimes if I cook it for dinner, I”ll saute some chicken with terriyaki sauce and serve it with the rice.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

I got creative in the kitchen Saturday morning, and created what I’m gonna call “bacon and cheese roll-ups”. I’m not sure if its been posted before on any site, or even Pinterest, so for now I’ll call it my own.

Here”s how it started…I came downstairs to the kitchen hungry Saturday morning, not really wanting to go anywhere but wanting something better than dry cereal. We needed to make a grocery store trip, so the milk and eggs were gone for pancakes. I saw a can of crescent rolls, and an almost empty pack of bacon. Then my creative mind kicked in….how about combining my favorites (bacon and cheese) with the crescent rolls! And here’s what the finished product looked like:

It kinda looks like a crescent dog, but instead with bacon! It was very easy…unroll the crescent rolls, place a small handful of cheese on the wide end of the crescent triangle, and a half slice of cooked bacon. Then, very carefully, roll up the crescent roll and place on a baking sheet. I say ”very carefully” because I had to use shredded cheese instead of sliced. Then, bake it at 375 degrees for as long as the crescent roll package says (about 10-11 minutes for me).

Can I just put in a little side about bacon….thick cut is the way to go! Food Lion has a reasonable store brand, but “Wright” brand is the best one out there! Its also good to cook it “low and slow”, according to my dad. I hope everyone had a great weekend! Happy cooking!

Pinterest is the coolest website that I’ve ever come across…much better than Twitter and Facebook combined. My mom showed me the site while I was wedding planning and I haven’t turned back since. There are all kinds of stuff on that site – crafts, wedding ideas, paintings, hairstyles…and most importantly FOOD. I’ve made many recipes from their site. Pinterest didn’t create these awesome recipes, they come from all around the world…from other people’s blogs, Kraft, Food Network, etc. They’re all “pinned” by various people and find their way onto my computer screen and sometimes on our dinner plates.

After much thought, I think I have decided that my blog site will be mostly about food, the thing I love the most! I love to cook, and I definitely love to eat! My husband likes to eat too, and I think he’s perfectly happy trying my crazy meals, many of which he really likes too! Pinterest has helped me to find some pretty cool “food stuffs” to eat, and you guys get to hear all about it. I will try to post pictures as I work along, and you’ll get to hear how well I did or failed…hopefully no failing!

Here are a few recipes that I have tried and loved! I don’t have pictures of my finished products, but they pretty much ended up looking like the photos that were posted on Pinterest. I’ll also include the link to their website (just click on their recipe title), in case you”d like to try it too!

Recipe #1: Loaded Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

This casserole was one of my favorites. It had spicy chicken, potatoes, and of course BACON and
CHEESE! I”m a bacon-fanatic! I love any excuse to cover something in bacon. This casserole was a little spicy though, so if you”re not a big fan of the Frank’s Red Hot, you may want to replace it with a buffalo sauce or use less hot sauce. I thought about adding in ranch with the chicken also, to help calm down the heat more. I really love Frank’s Red Hot…but I think this was pretty spicy.

Recipe #2: Peel & Eat Shrimp with Homemade Cocktail Sauce

I really liked these shrimp…and considering that Micah isn’t a shrimp fan, I made this on a night that he wasn’t at home. I ended up almost eating an entire bag of shrimp, they were very good! I didn’t make the cocktail sauce, I”m not a big fan of it. I also used a Miller Light vs. the Corona, but I think as long as its a light beer it doesn’t matter! I’ve also seen others add in sausage, corn, and potatoes to their “shrimp boil”, and that has turned out pretty awesome too.

Recipe #3: Spicy BBQ Bacon Wrapped Chicken Tenders

Another AWESOME recipe!! Like I said before, I love any chance to wrap anything in bacon! I sometimes like to cook chicken tenders with Jack Daniels BBQ sauce, but one night we didn”t have any of their sauce to cook with. I had to do some searching (on Pinterest of course!) and came across this recipe with a homemade BBQ sauce. I didn”t have the “Dale”s” sauce they were talking about, so I just used the soy sauce it called for. It was a very good recipe for us when we have no BBQ sauce! I love my Jack Daniels BBQ sauce though, that”s some good stuff! When I cook the bacon-wrapped chicken with it, I usually add in the BBQ sauce last, so it doesn”t get too burned.

Recipe #4: Smore’s Krispy Treats

I love a rice krispy treat. I also love anything to do with smores. This was a wonderful combo of those two, and was also a big hit with my family over Christmas Eve last year. You make these treats the same way as regular rice krispy treats, except after the marshmallows melt you mix in Graham cereal and chocolate chips. Also, if you freeze the chocolate chips before mixing them in it helps to keep them from melting in the hot marshmallow! Mixing in unmelted marshmallows is a nice touch, too.

Thanks for reading! I hope you guys feel inspired from my recipes as I did! Happy cooking!