Crockpot Salsa Chicken

Some of my friends have raved about this crockpot salsa chicken recipe that has been floating around. I loved the sound of it because I love to use the crockpot and we really like Mexican food so I thought this would be a winner. And it is beyond easy. It smelled SOOO good when I got home from work today. YUM! : )

This is taken from my friend Nikki's blog...I believe she got it from Sparkpeople.

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts - put in frozen if you’re worried about overcooking

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1 packet reduced sodium taco seasoning

1 16 oz jar salsa

1 can corn (I didn't use corn)

1 can rinsed and drained black beans

1 cup reduced fat sour cream

PS - this recipe makes a ton. I will half it next time.

Directions

Mix soup, salsa, and taco seasoning together and pour over chicken. Cook on low for 8-10 hours. Before serving, shred the chicken, add corn, beans, and sour cream. Cook for a few more minutes until everything is heated through. Serve with tortilla chips or in a tortilla.

Pig Rating: He said it was good but it wasn't something that he will crave. He said it was a little too Tex Mex for him. He says that a lot lately - all that is in this is taco seasoning and he likes regular tacos, so who knows. : ) Anyway, he thought it was okay but he likes my chicken nachos way better.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Super easy recipe which is always good. I liked this one pretty well, but I probably won't make it again for awhile. Not my favorite, but I didn't hate it either. I am still getting used to chicken in Mexican food so maybe that was why I wasn't in love with it.

Recipe from Nikki's blog, picture from my kitchen

Pasta with Sausage and Vodka Sauce

As you can probably tell, I love pasta. I could live on it - I am convinced of that. I do try to limit it though and I always use wheat/whole grain pasta to try to convince myself that it's still okay to eat it often. HA!

My friend Amanda posted a pasta recipe that I have been dying to try. I have heard this recipe before (Rachel Ray maybe?) but had never heard how good it was. If Amanda says it was good, that was good enough for me!

Ingredients

1/4 pound spaghetti (I used penne pasta)

1tablespoon olive oil

1/4 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casing and crumbled or chopped

1/2 cup chopped yellow onions

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup crushed tomatoes

3 tablespoons vodka

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 to 2 tablespoons chiffonade of fresh basil leaves

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, for garnish

Sprig fresh basil, for garnish

*Note: I doubled the sauce on this per Amanda's recommendation and I agree with her. Doubling the sauce led to the perfect amount. I would say this is about 2-3 servings depending on how much you eat.

Directions

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain in a colander and return to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onions, salt, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the onions are soft and golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring, until thick, about 2 minutes. Add the vodka and cook until the sauce reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

I served with salad and crusty Italian bread.

Pig Rating: The Pig thought this one was so-so good. In Tommy language that means it was good :) He asked for some leftovers for his lunch.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I ate so much I felt like I was pregnant. HA! Does that tell you anything? I really liked this one a lot - I really liked the heat from the red pepper flakes mixed with the sausage and the sauce. Definitely a keeper in my book. YUM!

Menu: October 28 - Nov 3

Sunday: Amanda's Vodka pasta with sausage, bread, and olive oil dipping sauce
Monday: Nikki's crockpot salsa chicken with spanish rice
Tuesday: Smothered pork chops, mashed potatoes, corn, steamed broccoli
Wednesday: Halloween - eat dinner at Tommy's parent's house
Thursday: Jambalaya
Friday: Date night
Saturday: Out to eat for a birthday party

Easy week for me! :)

Mushroom Pork Chops

Now that I have decided that I can tolerate pork chops in an effort to switch things up for my husband, I am always looking for new chop recipes that we will both like. Tommy loves mushrooms...me, not so much but I don't mind to make them in recipes that I can pick around them. : )

Ingredients

4 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
1 onion, chopped
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup

Directions

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
In a large skillet, brown the chops over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, and saute for one minute. Pour cream of mushroom soup over chops. Cover skillet, and reduce temperature to medium-low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.

I actually followed the reviews online and changed some things up a bit. Intstead of cooking them in the skillet, I first browned them a bit and finished cooking them in the oven, covered at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Not sure how this changes it as I have only done it this way but everyone seems to like it better that way. : )

Pig Rating: The Pig says that this one is a keeper. He still likes the smothered chops better but says this one is a goodie as well.

Mrs. Pig: I am still getting used to pork chops, but this one is definitely good as far as pork chops go. : )

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/, picture from our kitchen

Mexican Pizza

We love Mexican food (as you can probably tell) and Sheridan's favorite food is tacos so any variation of that is usually a winner. I found a recipe for Mexican pizza - we like Mexican, we like pizza, so I thought I would give it a shot.

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 pound ground beef
1 (1.25 ounce) package taco seasoning
1 (2.25 ounce) can sliced ripe olives, drained
1 medium tomato, chopped
3/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce

Directions

Unroll crescent roll dough and place in an ungreased 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan. Flatten dough to fit the pan, sealing seams and perforations. Bake at 375 degrees F for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown; cool. In a small bowl, blend cream cheese and sour cream with a wire whisk; spread over crust. Chill 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a skillet, brown beef; drain. Stir in taco seasoning. Add water according to package directions and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Spread over cream cheese layer. Top with olives, tomato, cheeses and lettuce. Cut into serving-size pieces. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

Pig Rating: Just so-so. He said having that kind of crust with Mexican food was kind of weird.

Mrs. Pig Rating: Just so-so also. It was good but it just kind of tasted like soft tacos to me, nothing really special.

Little Pigs: Sheridan didn't like it. She likes tacos but the crust she didn't like. Will ate, well, the black olives. : )

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com and picture from my kitchen

My Fave Bread Bowl

I loved getting cool new stuff for the kitchen for our wedding - even if I didn't really NEED it. :) One of our gifts was an awesome biscuit basket made by Eucalyptus Stoneware (http://www.eucalyptus-stoneware.com/).

This basket is awesome if you eat a lot of bread, biscuits, etc. You put it in the oven for about 15 minutes on 350 degrees. Then you wrap your bread, biscuits, etc. in a cloth napkin, place them in the basket and serve. The "ropes" on the basket will cool off in a few minutes, but the base stays hot for a really long time. It's a great way to keep bread warm on the table!

Broccoli, Potato, & Cheddar Cheese Soup

My friend Nikki gave this recipe to our friend Clara as one of her first "cooking dinner for my husband" recipes. Clara said it was awesome and of course Nikki likes it, so I had to make it. What could be better than loads of cheese and potatoes??? YUM! It has been such a cold, rainy, icky day today so I am glad that it was on the menu for tonight's dinner!!

Recipe taken directly from Nikki's blog: http://crazydeliciousfood.wordpress.com/

Ingredients

1/4 cup all purpose flour

2 cans chicken broth (the regular soup size cans)

2 cups broccoli florets chopped (I usually just use frozen broccoli … I heat it for a minute so I can cut it, then I chop it up)

1 1/4 cups milk

8 oz of shredded cheddar cheese

3 peeled and cubed potatoes
you can also top with cooked bacon and green onions (I usually skip the onions, but the bacon is good)

Directions

Mix 1/3rd cup of chicken broth with the 1/4 cup of flour until smooth and set aside
Combine remaining chicken broth, potatoes and broccoli in a pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat. Cook for 8 mins or until potatoes are tender. (now here I usually wing it and just leave it uncovered and let it cook until the potatoes are soft … you will need to taste test here so pay attention. Also sometimes I put a few more potatoes and/or broccoli in so I make sure that the broth covers them and if I use more I throw a little bit more milk in …. not half a gallon)
Then you’re going to gradually stir in the flour mixture from step 1 and cook for another 3-5 mins
Then stir in the milk and cheddar cheese. Stir constantly until the cheese is melted and your done.
When you serve it put a little bit of cheese on top and break up a piece of bacon

The only things that I changed - I was out of broccoli so I skipped that but next time I will use it. Also no onions on ours.

Pig Rating: He said "It's good." He isn't a huge soup fan, but he did clean his bowl and he seemed to like it pretty well.

Mrs. Pig Rating: I really liked this a lot!! I love potatoes and cheese...a goody for cold rainy evening for sure!

Recipe from Nikki's blog, picture from our kitchen!

Flatout Bread Thin Crust Pepperoni Pizza

I love Flatout brand flat breads. I eat them all of the time for wraps for lunch. I recently discovered that their website has a ton of neat recipes on it! http://www.flatoutbread.com/. Awesome!

My favorite food is pizza but I try to be somewhat healthy most of the time, so recently I started making these for lunch whenever I am craving pizza. They are pretty healthy and pretty tasty and quick.

Ingredients

1 Flatout flat bread

1/3 c. pizza sauce

18 pepperoni slices (I use turkey pepperoni)

1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese (I use lowfat)

1/4 tsp. Oregano (optional)

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lay Flatout on nonstick cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes. Spread pizza sauce evenly over partially baked Flatout. Top with pepperonis, mozzarella, and Oregano. Bake 15 additional minutes or until mozzarella melts.

Recipe from http://www.flatoutbread.com/ and picture from my kitchen

Weekend Winery Trip

This weekend we took our annual fall long weekend trip to Lexington, KY. Tommy is a UK grad and we love going back there for a weekend to go to Keeneland, a walk around campus, a UK football game, etc. This year while Tommy was planning the trip he surprised me by suggesting that we go to a winery while we were there. I knew I married him for a reason! HA! : )

I chose Talon Winery. It is out in the country in a very quaint setting. It was a super windy day so we didn't walk around too much but I did get one pretty funny picture in front of the vineyards with my hair blowing as if though I had stuck my finger in a light socket. : )

Moral of the story is that the wine was really good. I love Traminette and they had one and that was all I needed to hear for me to choose them. They also have one called "Sweet Evening Breeze" which is like a Reisling. Both of them were so good! I definitely bought a couple of bottles to bring home. : ) If you haven't tried a Traminette before...do it!

Check out this winery at: http://www.talonwine.com/

Spanish Rice

We can eat rice with pretty much anything. I love the rice that is served at Mexican restaurants so I was interested in finding a recipe that was similar to what they cooked. I found an awesome recipe on allrecipes.com for Spanish rice. If you like this type of rice at all, this is the best, easiest recipe for rice that I have found. I will definitely be making this more often with our Mexican dinners!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil)
2 tablespoons chopped onion
1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup chunky salsa

Directions
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in chicken broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 25 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.

Pig Rating: He loved it! He said it was better than the rice that we get in Mexican restaurants. I will definitely be making this one again for him. : )

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picure from my kitchen

Salsa Chicken

We love Mexican food but it always makes us feel so full and well, let's be honest - it isn't really that good for you most of the time. But, I found this awesome recipe on another foodie blog (One Tiny Pink Kitchen) and it is actually a WW recipe. We really liked this one a lot - I really recommend cooking it if you like Mexican food and chicken. It's really good and not too bad for you.

With my new cooking phase, Tommy has kind of been the "guinea pig" for a lot of things. I always shorten this and just call him the "pig" and we think it's pretty funny. When I bring out something new I always say, "Okay, you get to be a pig tonight again" and he knows that he is going to have something new. : ) So, I will now be adding a "pig rating" to all of my new foods that he tries. I mean "pig" in the most lovable way possible : )

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts, skinless

1 cup salsa

1/2 cup low fat cheddar cheese

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tbsp cumin

1 green pepper, sliced (I used chopped up jalapeno pepper instead)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375. Brown chicken in skillet (no need to cook through). Toss chicken with seasonings, then add to casserole or baking dish. Add salsa and green pepper. Bake uncovered for 25-30 minutes. Add cheese and bake for an additional 5 minutes until cheese is melted.

I served this with Spanish rice (recipe to come).

Pig Rating: Really good but he doesn't like "Tex Mex" food and the chili powder was a little too "Tex Mex" for him so next time I will leave that out. He cleaned his plate though so...he liked it pretty well. : )

Recipe from "One Tiny Pink Kitchen", picture from my kitchen

Menu: October 21 - October 27

Sunday: Salsa chicken (I didn't get to make it last week!!) & spanish rice
Monday: Kids - tacos
Tuesday: Broccoli, cheddar, potato soup, fresh bread
Wednesday: Kids - mushroom pork chops for us/chicken for the kids, mashed potatoes, corn
Thursday: Amanda's pasta with vodka sauce & sausage
Friday: Kids - Mexican pizza
Saturday: Will's bday party - chili

My Kitchen

I know some of my friends have gotten into posting pictures of their kitchens on their blogs so I figured that I would join in. I have a fairly small kitchen but I like it nonetheless. We have done a ton of work on it - laid hardwood ourselves, Tommy knocked out a wall, we recovered our chairs, painted, etc. It's pretty homey if I do say so myself. I love it right now because my fall decorations are out and they match my kitchen perfectly : )


Here is one view - our kitchen table. My camera was being weird, but you get the idea. The signs on the wall say "Pinot Noir" and "Bordeaux" - how "me" : )

We recovered our chairs recently with the help of my mom. The chairs look a ton better than they did!

This is where the magic happens....the cooking magic! : ) Nothing fancy, but it serves its purpose. Don't mind all of the clutter...my kitchen is in desperate need of a good cleaning.

This is the other side of the kitchen - basic sink, dishwasher, etc. I like that it opens up to our living room though. It makes the room seem so much bigger!

My favorite wedding gift and addition to our kitchen - my six bottle Cuisinart wine refrigerator! I love it!

I still have some work to do on it but this is the room where I spend a lot of my time!

Breakfast for Dinner

We had the kids tonight and I wanted something different and fun for dinner. I can remember when I was little I always thought it was cool when my mom made breakfast for dinner. The kids love helping me cook breakfast on Saturday mornings, so why not on a Wednesday night? : ) So, Sheridan did the eggs, Will set the table and helped me stir the eggs, and we did it.

I cooked bacon, scrambled eggs, biscuits with jelly and honey, and hash browns. It was super yummy for something different. Now only if it were really Saturday already.... : )

Faux Jerk Chicken

Tommy and I went to Jamaica a couple of years ago and had such a fabulous time. One of the things we remember most about the trip is the tour bus ride that we took to Dunn's River Falls. On the way back to the resort we stopped at this random little road side shack/bar/restaurant. I do mean shack. Well, the guy cooking was standing over this grill looking thing saying, "We have jerk chicken, jerk pork, jerk goat, jerk this, jerk that..." and we thought it was hilarious. The hilarious part was when at that time a wild goat chose to cross the road. Uh...no way was I going to watch my dinner cross the road then become "jerk".

But, I do love chicken so I decided to try this recipe for "Faux Jerk Chicken" that I found on http://www.allrecipes.com/. We will be having this for dinner tomorrow night, but it has to marinate for 24 hours so I just completed that part of the process.

I will update tomorrow night once this is a finished product!

UPDATE: We had the jerk chicken tonight with rice and beans. The chicken was just okay in our opinion. I don't think we liked the cinnamon flavor that it had. It was decent though...we both cleaned our plates so it couldn't have been too bad. :)

Ingredients

1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 scotch bonnet chile pepper, minced (I couldn't find this so I used a jalapeno)
1/4 cup minced green onions with tops
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions

In a large dish, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the scotch bonnet pepper, green onions, and garlic. Pierce chicken on all sides with a fork, and place in the dish. Cover, and marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill for high heat.
Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/

Baked Ziti

We love Italian food. If we have a date night, typically we end up at our favorite Italian restaurant in town - Angelo's. Yum. I try not to make a habit of cooking pasta too often, but even when I do, I use wheat pasta most of the time so I don't feel quite so bad about it.

Tonight I tried the baked ziti recipe that I found on Amber's Delectible Delights (love her blog!). I modified it a bit - I didn't use cottage/ricotta cheese. We aren't fans of it so I just doubled the mozzerella. Also, I didn't have any penne pasta, so I used wheat rotini. We both agreed that this one is really good and we have leftovers for our lunch tomorrow - bonus!

Ingredients

1 box (16 oz) Ziti pasta1 jar spaghetti sauce

1/2 lb ground beef (I used ground turkey)
1/2 lb pork sausage

Salt, black pepper, garlic, red pepper flakes (all to taste)

12 oz cottage cheese (or ricotta if you prefer)

1/2 cup (4 oz) mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

8 slices provolone cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and grease the bottom and sides of a 9 x 13 casserole dish.- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, season water with salt, boil pasta till al dente; drain and set aside.- Meanwhile brown sausage and ground beef in skillet and season with desired amounts of salt, black pepper, garlic and red pepper flakes. Drain excess grease away from meats and return back to skillet. Add the jar of spaghetti sauce and let simmer until you are ready to assemble the dish.- Place enough sauce mixture on the bottom of the pan so the noodles won't stick. Then assemble the rest of the dish- half of the cooked noodles, all of the cottage cheese, 4 slices of provolone cheese, 1/2 of the remaining sauce, remaining noodles, half of the mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, remaining sauce, remaining cheese.- Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. Let set 10 minutes to cool before serving.

Recipe from Amber's Delectible Delights, picture from my kitchen

"Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie"

I am in the baking mood this weekend - I think it is the fall weather that is making me want to bake. Anyway, tonight I made the "Best Big, Fat, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies" according to allrecipes.com and several other bloggers. We typically are big fans of the Pillsbury break and bake. HA! Lazy, maybe, but they are always so good!

The cookies I made tonight are pretty good. I liked them a lot and so did the kids - they were a little too cakey for Tommy, which is odd because a lot of the reviews on this recipe said that they were too flat. Who knows...anyway, I might do something different next time to make it not quite as cakey. They definitely are big and fat though. :)

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Recipe from http://www.allrecipes.com/ and picture from my kitchen. (I have to get better at picture taking...)

Menu - October 14 - October 20

Another week, another menu! I didn't stick completely to this past week's menu because things kept coming up so some of those things are going to carry over. A short week of cooking for me since we are taking a long weekend to Lexington next week! : )

Sunday: Baked ziti, salad, garlic bread
Monday: Smothered pork chops, garlic mashed potatoes, green beans
Tuesday: Faux jerk chicken, rice, veggie of some sort ??
Wednesday: We have the kids...not sure yet on this one.
Thursday: Salsa chicken, rice,..??
Friday: We will be in Lexington
Saturday: We will be in Lexington

Chicken with Cream Cheese Sauce

I love pretty much anything with chicken so I thought this would be a good one to try - cheese and chicken? What's not to like right?? : ) I liked this one okay. Not my favorite, but definitely a keeper nonetheless. I served this over brown rice and had a side of sauteed mushrooms (well, my husband did anyway...I can't deal with mushrooms just yet).

I think I will try serving it over wheat pasta next time - I am much more of a pasta person.

Ingredients

2 chicken breasts

1 can of chicken broth (or about 2 cups

3 cloves of garlic, crushed

Crushed red pepper flakes (a good shake! Probably about 1/4 tsp. - you can add as much or as little as you like)

4 ounces of cream cheese (I used light)

1 1/2 tbsp. flour (I ended up adding a little extra to help it thicken up)

2 tsp. white wine

Extra-virgin olive oil

Cooked pasta/egg noodles/rice

Directions

Season chicken and cook in a large pan with some of the olive oil (medium heat).

Add the red pepper flakes and crushed garlic to the chicken. Cook about 1-2 minutes more, then add the white wine and 3/4 of the can of chicken broth. Bring this mixture to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked (if you use thin chicken breasts or strips, it might only take 10-15 minutes)

Remove the chicken breasts from the broth and place them on a plate with a cover to keep them warm.

Mix the remaining broth with the flour. Add this mixture to the broth in the pan and mix well. Add the cream cheese and mix until the sauce is thick and bubbly. You may need to add some more flour to help it thicken - do so a little bit at a time.

I cut my chicken into small strips, placed the strips on top of a bed of rice.

Original recipe from Amber's Delectable Delights (or at least where I saw it first!), picture from my kitchen

Parmesan Crusted Pork Chops

As I've said a million times, I am not a big meat fan at all. However, I am learning to tolerate pork chops more than I used to as to add some variety to our menu. Last week I made smothered pork chops and my husband thought he had died and gone to heaven. I wanted to try a different pork chop recipe this week - I knew he wouldn't like this one as well, and I was right. He said they were really good, just not as good as the smothered. I actually liked this one a little more though...I like things "crusted" more than he does though. : )

Ingredients

2 large eggs

¾ cup dried Italian-style bread crumbs

¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan

4 pork chops

salt and pepper

3 tbsp. olive oil

Directions

Whisk the eggs in a bowl to blend. Place the bread crumbs in a plate. Place the parmesan cheese in another plate. Sprinkle the pork chops generously with salt and pepper. Coat the chops completely with the cheese, patting to adhere. Dip the chops into the egg, then coat completely with the bread crumbs, patting to adhere. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pork chops, in batches if necessary, and cook until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer the chops to a plate and serve with lemon wedges.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentiis, picture from my kitchen

Zesty Red Potatoes

Tonight I was looking for a side to go with our pork chops and I found this awesome red potato recipe. These are super yummy!! We love anything spicy and "zesty" so I knew this would be a winner and I was right! I seriously think I could eat potatoes all of the time.

Ingredients

4 medium red potatoes, halved and thinly sliced
2/3 small onion, halved and thinly sliced
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
salt to taste

Directions

Arrange potatoes and onion in an ungreased 9-in. square baking dish. Combine butter, pepper flakes and salt; drizzle over potatoes and onion. Cover and bake at 400 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; bake 15-20 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender.

*Note - Next time I will use more red pepper flakes than this recipe called for as we like our food pretty "zesty". It is good as the recipe reads, but if you want a little more "zest" add a little more.

Makes 4 servings.

Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen : )

Chicken & Mushrooms in Roasted Garlic Sauce

I LOOVE pasta so I am always willing to try out a new pasta recipe. I am not a mushroom fan but my husband is so I have learned to just pick around them when I add them to recipes. : )

I made this recipe tonight and I can't remember where I found it - on someone else's blog, but not sure which one. This is a pretty good recipe. We both liked it a lot and I will be making it again.

I doubled the sauce in this as we like quite a bit of sauce. Doubling it led to the perfect amount for us.

Ingredients

1 pound of chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
2 tbsp flour

1 tsp dry sage

1 tsp dry parsley flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup of sliced mushrooms

1 bulb of garlic roasted (400 degree oven for 1 hour with a drizzle of EVOO)

2 tbsp butter

a drizzle of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

1 tbsp flour

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup white wine

1/2 cup half and half

1/2 bag of No-Yolk egg noodles

Directions

Start by combining the flour, sage, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss the bite size chunks of chicken in the flour mixture to coat. In a large skillet melt 1 tbsp of butter and a drizzle of evoo. Saute the chicken for a minute then add the mushrooms and some of the roasted garlic (I think I squeezed in 3 cloves for this part). Continue to saute for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the skillet and cover in foil. (Now is also a good time to cook your egg noodles)

To the skillet add the remaining tbsp of butter and flour. Then add the chicken broth, white wine and remaining roasted garlic. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Slowly add the half and half and let it reduce. When the sauce has thickened return the chicken and mushrooms to pan and let simmer. Serve with the egg noodles.

Menu for Oct. 7- Oct. 13

My menu for next week is still tentative at this point but I need to get started on it : )

Sunday: Parmesan crusted pork chops, garlic red potatoes, salad
Monday: Cream cheese chicken, rice, and ??
Tuesday: Baked ziti, salad, garlic rolls
Wednesday: Have the kids. Probably will make Sheridan's favorite meal - tacos
Thursday: Jerk Jamaican chicken, rice, and ?? (Maybe..not sure about this one yet)
Friday: Have the kids. Turkey (slow cooker), mashed potatoes, and green beans
Saturday: Have the kids. Probably will go out to eat that evening.

I am sure this will change 100 times. I know last week's change slightly here and there, but this is a start anyway.

Nachos craving!

So, if I had to eat three foods for the rest of my life and I wouldn't gain weight or be unhealthy, they would be: french fries, pizza, and nachos. I can't even tell you how much I am craving nachos this week!! Tonight in honor of the UK football game, I am going to make chicken nachos. I have never made them before but I can't wait to get home and do it! I'll update with the recipe and pictures this evening... : )

Update: I have now made the nachos...and YUM!!!!!! These are so good. I know that there are probably countless ways to make chicken nachos. I followed a recipe on allrecipes.com and added a few things to it. We are loving these! Definitely not an every week thing but a good treat for a middle of the week football game!

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, crushed
6 green onions, sliced, white parts and tops separated
3 tablespoons canola oil (I used olive oil)
1 shredded, cooked, whole chicken breast
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup salsa
1/2 (12 ounce) package tortilla chips
1 (8 ounce) package shredded Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend
1/2 large tomato, diced

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a 12 inch skillet over medium heat, cook and stir the garlic and white parts of the green onions in canola oil until tender. Mix in shredded chicken, salt and pepper. Toss until well coated with oil. Stir in the salsa.
Arrange tortilla chips on a large baking sheet. Spoon the chicken mixture over tortilla chips. Top with Cheddar/Monterey Jack cheese blend and tomato. Bake in the preheated oven 10 minutes, or until cheese has melted. Remove from heat and sprinkle with green onion tops before serving.

Notes: I heated the chips for 5 minutes before cooking the nachos to avoid sogginess. We also added jalapenos, fat free sour cream, and I added about a teaspoon of taco seasoning to the chicken mixture. Mmmm...

Smothered Pork Chops

Tonight I made smothered pork chops - my first time cooking pork chops actually! This was Tommy's favorite meal that I have cooked so far. He LOVED these pork chops and he can be a tough critic sometimes ; ) He said he could have eaten about 5 more. HA! These will definitely become a regular on our menus.

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 pork chops, 3/4-inch thick, bone-in

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup buttermilk

Directions

Put the flour in a shallow platter and add the onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper; mix with a fork to distribute evenly. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels to remove any moisture and then dredge them in the seasoned flour; shaking off the excess.

Heat a large saute pan or cast iron skillet over medium heat and coat with the oil. When the oil is nice and hot, lay the pork chops in the pan in a single layer and fry for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the pork chops from the pan and add a little sprinkle of seasoned flour to the pan drippings. Mix the flour into the fat to dissolve and then pour in the chicken broth in. Let the liquid cook down for 5 minutes to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir in the buttermilk to make a creamy gravy and return the pork chops to the pan, covering them with the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes until the pork is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with chopped parsley before serving.

I served these with garlic mashed potatoes and green beans. Super yummy meal! :)

Recipe from Tyler Florence; Food Network, Picture from my kitchen!

Menu for Sept. 30 - Oct. 6

My mom is really good at making menus for her week so she always knows exactly what to buy at the grocery store and what she will be cooking for dinner. I have never been this disciplined and organized...until now. I made my first menu this past weekend and I am loving knowing what I will make for dinner and knowing that I bought all of the right things at the grocery store in advance. I know a lot of people are interested in menus of other bloggers so here is/was ours for this week:

Sunday night: chicken parmesan, linguine pasta (wheat), and salad
Monday night: slow cooker pot roast, mashed potatoes, and corn
Tuesday night: smothered pork chops, garlic red potatoes, and salad
Wednesday night: soccer game - out to eat with the kids
Thursday night: chicken nachos in honor of the UK game
Friday night: chicken and mushroom pasta in a garlic cream sauce, salad, garlic bread
Saturday night: date night

I am already working on next week's menu. I'm loving it! :)

My first pot roast

As I've mentioned, I am not a big "meat eater" by any means. But today I made my first pot roast. It was awesome coming home and smelling it when I opened the door. YUM! We both thought it was really good and it goes in the "will have again" list. : ) This is a good easy recipe for a nice home cooked meal.

Ingredients

2/3 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/3 (1 ounce) package dry onion soup mix
1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon water
1-3/4 pounds pot roast

Directions

In a slow cooker, mix cream of mushroom soup, dry onion soup mix and water. Place pot roast in slow cooker and coat with soup mixture.
Cook on High setting for 3 to 4 hours, or on Low setting for 8 to 9 hours.

(Recipe from www.allrecipes.com, picture from my kitchen! Meat does not photograph well...HA!)

Makes 4 servings.