Crock pot Pot Roast

My undying love for my crock pot is going strong. Mike loves pot roast and I have never made one. This was super easy and very yummy.

1 beef roast
1 bag a baby carrots or a few carrots cut up
4 potatoes peeled and cut up
1 envelope onion soup mix

Place roast in crock pot. Sprinkle onion soup mix over meat on all sides. Wrap carrots and potatoes in foil, season with salt and pepper or seasoning you like. Place foil wrapped veggies on top of roast. Cook for 8 hours on low. Remove foil wrapped veggies, plate and enjoy.

Salsa Chicken

This recipe is super easy and really good. Gotta love the crock pot! You can serve it over rice, in a burrito or a taco. We made fried corn tortilla tacos...SO good! Best homemade tacos ever!

4 chicken breast (you can use more or less just adjust the salsa accordingly)
1 1/2 cups salsa (I used this recipe)

You can also add drained black beans or frozen corn kernels.

Place chicken and salsa (and any add ins) in crock pot and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken and enjoy!

Homemade salsa

I love restaurant salsa, so does Mike. I have never been able to make it just right. It is always too chunky. This version turned out perfect! I will never buy salsa again! You can adjust the recipe to your liking.

28 oz can (or 2 14.5 cans) diced fire roasted tomatoes
half an onion
1 jalapeno
1 Serrano chili
1 bunch cilantro leaves
4 cloves garlic
lime juice
chili powder
salt
lime juice
pinch of sugar

Using a food processor blend tomatoes, onion, jalapeno, Serrano chili, cilantro leaves, and garlic until smooth. Add lime juice, chili powder and salt to taste. Add a pinch of sugar. The longer it sits together the better it gets.

Key Lime Pie

Mike loves key lime pie. I had never really had it before so I thought I would make one. This recipe is super simple and very good. The pie didn't last a week in the house, it really had no chance. I used a pre-made crust so the recipe below is just for the filling.

Source: outofthefryingpan.com

1 cup key lime juice
2- 14 oz. cans sweetened condensed milk
2 egg yolks
2 whole eggs
zest of 2 limes

Mix ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until firm. Remove from oven and let cool. Refrigerate to set completely.

Fried Corn

I had heard about this fried corn business online and knew we had to try it. So glad we did because it was so good! Make this as soon as humanly possible!

Source: About.com

6 ears corn
2 tablespoons fresh bacon drippings or butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Slice the corn from the cob. Scrape the cob downward to get any remaining corn left near the cob. Heat a heavy skillet and add the bacon fat or butter. When hot, add corn and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar, and pepper. Serve hot.
Serves 4 to 5. (note: I had bacon from "making bacon drippings so I threw it in too. It would have been great either way)

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sorry for the less than lovely picture, I was hungry. My dad taught me how to make perfect garlic mashed potatoes one year at Thanksgiving. I haven't made them any other way for years now. They are super easy!

Source: My dad

2 red potatoes per person, washed with skins left on (or off whatever floats your boat)
1 clove of whole peeled garlic per person
Salt
Butter
Milk or cream

Cut the potatoes into 1 inch pieces. Try to make them about the same size since this will help cooking all evenly. Throw them in the pot with the garlic and cover with water. Salt the water until it is "salty like the sea" as my dad would say. Make sure you taste the water and you say ugh salt water, then and only then is it perfect. This is your only chance to salt the potatoes and if you do it right they will be perfect. Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook until the are nice and tender. Drain off water and place them back in the pot. Keep them covered and do not mash them until you are ready to serve them, this will help them stay nice and hot. Warm your milk or cream to prevent it from making the potatoes cold, just makes sense. I usually heat it in the microwave but you could also heat it on the stove on low while you cook the potatoes. Mash the potatoes up with some milk and butter to the texture of your liking. Mike likes them with lots of butter and a little milk so that it how I usually make them. That's it...enjoy!

Zesty ginger beer BBQ sauce

I made this to put on crockpot BBQ pork. It was great. Different from any BBQ sauce I have ever had.

Source: Food Network

2 cups ginger beer
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Eggplant Parmesan

I have never made or really ever even eaten eggplant parmesan. I had been craving it since I tasted some on our vacation to Atlanta. I got the basic idea of how it is made and threw this together. It was pretty quick and easy. Mike and I both enjoyed it.

1 eggplant, sliced into rounds
Italian breadcrumbs
2 eggs
olive oil
1 can tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (sliced or grated)
pasta (any kind you like)
salt

Heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a large pan. Place breadcrumbs in a bowl big enough for the rounds of eggplant. Crack eggs onto a bowl the same size. Beat the eggs. Salt eggplant. Dip eggplant slices into egg them coat with breadcrumbs one at a time. Place in hot oil. Fry a few minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove from oil and place on paper towel to drain. Using a 9 by 13 baking dish spoon a layer of tomato sauce into the bottom, enough to coat the bottom. Place the fried eggplant rounds on top of the sauce. Spoon additional sauce on top of eggplant rounds. Top with cheese. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Then broil for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Cook pasta as directed and mix with remaining tomato sauce. Place pasta on plates and top with eggplant rounds.

Hoisian Shrimp

Mike and I are in love with the Hoisian Chicken I made a few weeks ago. Mike came up with the idea to use it on shrimp and it was a great idea! I simply marinaded the shrimp and sauteed them in a pan. Delicious!

Good ol'Beans

I think I am addicted to recipes from Pioneer Woman. This is the second weekend in a row I have made one of her recipes for a BBQ. Homemade beans have always intimidated me. This recipe was super simple and turned out great. I added browned ground beef for some extra texture but I think they would be great without the beef also.

Source: Pioneer Woman

4 cups pinto beans
4 slices thick bacon (or you can use salt pork or ham hock or dices ham)
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
6 to 8 sliced jarred jalapenos chopped (optional)

Rinse beans in col water. Pick out any beans that look questionable. Pour beans into large pot, cover with water by 2 to 3 inches. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 2 hours or until beans are tender. Add water to pot as needed. Beans should have a thick broth. Towards the end of the cooking time add salt and pepper and season to taste. Don't over salt. I added chopper jarred jalapenos at this point along with the browned ground beef.

Classic Potato Salad

Mike and I were having friends over for BBQ and game night and I wanted homemade potato salad and remembered seeing this recipe on the Pioneer Woman's website. It is a very classic recipe and very good. Sometimes the simplest ingredients came make the best tasting things!

Source: Pioneer Woman

5 pounds russet potatoes

1 1/2 cup real mayo

4 tablespoons prepared mustard (regular Dijon or both)

5 green onions, sliced up to the darkest green part

8 small sweet pickles (or dill pickles) chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt (more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

4 hard boiled eggs, coarsely chopped

Cut potatoes in halves or thirds, then boil until fork tender. (make sure the water is salted, salty like the sea) Drain. mash potatoes or run them through a ricer or food mill to make them extra fluffy. (I mashed mine to get some chunks). Fold potatoes together with mayo, mustard, green onion, salt, pepper and other seasonings you like. Fold pickles and eggs, then taste for seasonings, adding more salt. mustard or mayo as needed. You may also splash in juice from the pickle jar if salad needs a little moisture.

Hoisin Chicken

I was searching for one recipe and I stumbled across this one on foodtv.com. It is good. Spicy and sweet and so simple to make. Mike and I both loved it.
I served it with cucumber salad

Source: Food Network

3/4 cup hoisin sauce
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic
1 2 inch piece fresh ginger, sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, stemmed and halved (remove seeds for less heat) (I did not steam the jalapeno)
Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus lime wedges for garnish
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks (separate pieces)

Preheat a grill to medium heat on one side. In a mini food processor combine all ingredients excluding chicken. Process until smooth. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Reserve some marinade for basting. Toss the chicken with the hoisin mixture in a large bowl. Grill the chicken over direct heat until the skin is crisp, 5 minutes per side, basting with extra marinade. Transfer chicken to the cooler side of the grill, cover and grill until cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.

Breakfast for dinner: Pancakes

Sorry for the blurry picture, I was in a hurry to eat! I love to have breakfast for dinner and so does Mike, yet another reason we are meant to be =] I have never made pancakes from scratch but this recipe from The Pioneer Woman is awesome! I had all the ingredients on hand and they came together to make some great cakes!


Mike always makes the pancakes in our house. I can cook a lot of things but for some reason I can't make good pancakes. Here is Mike cooking up the cakes:PW’s Perfect Pancakes

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups milk
2 large eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
4 tablespoons butter
Extra butter
Maple or Pancake syrup

Mix together dry ingredients in large bowl. Mix together milk, eggs, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring very gently until just combined.
Melt butter and add it to the batter, stirring gently to combine.
Cook on a greased skillet over medium-low heat until golden brown. Serve with an obscene amount of butter and warm syrup.

**note: we made maple butter by melting butter into maple syrup in a sauce pan. Don't know how I ever ate pancakes without it!**

Product review: Popchips

Popchips are good, real good. Mike couldn't stop eating them. I heard about them recently and finally found them at Target. I was at Target today and decided to buy some. I got BBQ because you can never go wrong with BBQ. They are so good, not greasy at all. The only have 120 calories and 4 grams of fat for one third of the bag! The chips are all natural which makes me feel better about eating chips. It is also nice to read the ingredients of a package and know what everything listed is. They have 7 flavors including BBQ, sour cream and onion and salt and pepper. I will definetly be trying a few other flavors.

www.popchips.com

Homemade Korean food

Mike and I took a trip to see his sisters in Atlanta during the 4th of July weekend. His mom and step dad also came down from New York along with his cousin from Alabama.

This is everyone:

Mike's mom and cousin taught me how to make Korean food. I could not tell you a recipe since it is a little of this a handful of that. Once we came home to California I decided to invite my parents over and make them Korean food. If you have never had homemade Korean food...you are missing out! It is better than any Korean restaurant I have ever eaten at.

This is Mike and his mom Katy:

This is fried tofu and it is awesome! My mom and dad both liked it which shocked me.

This is chop che, my favorite:

Tupperware

This is my loot from my recent Tupperware party. My sister recently started selling Tupperware and I needed some in my kitchen very badly! This stuff lasts forever. My mom still has the cake carrier she bought before I can remember and she made a lot of birthday cakes on that thing! I really needed big bowls and as you can see I really scored some! I am not afraid to admit that I love my Tupperware!

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This was super easy and very good. Tamales are a lot of work but this is not. I changed the recipe a little from the original recipe from Food alla Puttanesca. This would make a great week night meal since I use a store bought rotisserie chicken.

Adapted from: Food ala Puttanesca

1 cup (4 ounces) pepper jack cheese (separated 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (I used Jiffy)
1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with sour cream.

Ryan’s Bolognese

I have collected a couple bolognese recipes over the past couple years but never made one. This recipe from the Pioneer Woman's blog looked simple and it really was. It also tasted great. Next time I make it I will add red pepper flakes. I like my Italian food a little spicy. I halved the recipe and I was able to freeze what we didn't eat for another night. So the recipe below would probably feed at least 8 people. This is a Pastor Ryan recipe and I think he knows my husband because all of his recipes Mike loves.

Source: Pioneer Woman

1 1/2 cups grated carrots
1 large red onion, diced
1/2 cup olive oil
2 pounds ground beef
2 tablespoons oregano flakes
2 tablespoons dried basil flakes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
5 cloves garlic, minced
1 to 2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
salt
pepper
2 28-ounce cans whole tomatoes
1 cup milk
Fresh Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or skillet over medium heat. Add grated carrots and onions and cook for a few minutes.
Make a well in the center of the mixture, then add in the ground beef. Cook for a few minutes until brown, gradually stirring it into the carrot mixture.
Throw in oregano and basil. Use fresh if you have it; if you don’t, it’s fine.
When the meat is browned and combined with other ingredients, make another well. Add tomato paste and let it heat.
Add garlic and stir to combine.
Make a well in the center of the mixture and add red wine. Stir together.
Add Worcestershire and stir.
Add canned tomatoes.
Finally, pour in milk, stir, and let simmer for 30 minutes to 2 hours—however long you need.

Serve with pasta and a generous sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Olive Oil Muffins

I saw Giada make these once and thought they sounded different. I tried them this weekend and they are good but I don't think they are something I would make again. Mike did not like. They are definitely different. Savory and sweet at the same time.


Source: Giada De Laurentiss

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Powdered sugar, for sifting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, eggs, and zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and milk. Gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Crush the almonds with your hands as you add them to the batter and stir until mixed. Fill the muffin tin almost to the top of the paper liners. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins onto a platter and let cool for 5 more minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the muffins and serve.

Summer Shrimp Rolls

It has been hot here lately. Typically when it gets hot here it does cool back down till October. I have been looking for simple meals that don't require an oven so to not heat up the house anymore than it already is. I found this recipe in the June/July issue of Everyday with Rachel Ray. It is the first recipe I have made from the magazine even though I have had a subscription for over a year. It was very light and refreshing.


Source: Everyday with Rachel Ray

1 1/2 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 pound large shrimp-peeled, deveined and chopped
3/4 cups fresh corn kernels (I used canned because it is what I had)
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup pesto
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 scallions, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper
4 hot dog buns (I used french rolls)

In medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring until opaque about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in the corn and let cool.
In a medium bowl, stir together the mayo, pesto and lemon juice. Add the shrimp-corn mixture, bell pepper and scallions; toss. Season will salt and pepper. Serve in the hot dog buns.

Shrimp Ceviche

I really like shrimp ceviche. I have never made it at home. I was so happy this recipe turned out so well. The recipe makes a lot. The next time I make it I will probably half the recipe and it would still feed 4 to 6 people in my opinion. This recipe does boil the shrimp instead of "cooking" the shrimp in lime juice but it is still very good! We ate it like salsa on chips. It would also be good on a tostada.


Source: Food Network

Kosher salt
2 pounds medium-small shrimp, peeled and deveined
8 limes, juiced
8 lemons, juiced
2 oranges, juiced, preferably sour oranges
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 red onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and roughly chopped
1 serrano chile, roughly chopped
2 large avocados, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
Tortilla chips, for garnish

In a large pot of boiling salted water, add the shrimp and simmer until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to a bowl of ice water to chill. Drain the shrimp, cut into 1-inch pieces, and transfer to a bowl. Add the lime, lemon, and orange juice, stir to combine, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 6. Stir the tomato, onion, cilantro, and chile into the shrimp mixture and let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes.(Before I added the shrimp to the tomato mixture I drained most of the citrus juice and added some back in the end so that it wouldn't be too wet.)
When ready to serve, gently stir in the avocado and cucumber. Divide the ceviche among 8 chilled martini glasses and tuck 2 to 3 tortilla chips around the sides of each.

Asian Shredded Pork

I love my crock pot, especially on work days. I have been trying to use it more to make week nights easier. Tonight I made Asian shredded pork in the good ol'crock pot. Mike and I both loved it. I would recommend using a pork butt or shoulder as I could not find boneless ribs (sort of makes it not a rib right?) and the bones in the ribs were kind of a pain to pull out once the meat was done. Best part is I have nearly all these ingredients in my kitchen at all times.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce (I used a tablespoon)
12 boneless country style pork ribs

Mix everything but the ribs in the crock pot. Once the sugar is dissolved add the ribs and marinade 8 hours or overnight. Drain the marinade off and cook on low for 9 hours. Drain again and shred. Serve over rice or noodles.

Ultimate Meatloaf

I have never really liked meatloaf. My husband however loves it. When I saw Tyler Florence make the "Ultimate" meatloaf I thought I would give it one more chance. I am so glad I did. The meatloaf includes a tomato relish and I think it really makes the meatloaf. The recipe included bacon over the top but Mike and I agreed it could be left off, shocking I know! The recipe also included bread soaked in milk instead of breadcrumbs, different. I served it with homemade mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Mmmmmmm

Tyler Florence's Ultimate Meatloaf with tomato relish

Tomato relish:

Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and finely diced
2 tomatoes, halved, seeded, and finely diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Meatloaf:

3 slices white bread, crusts removed, torn into chunks by hand
1/4 cup whole milk
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork
2 eggs
Leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 to 4 bacon slices

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic, and bay leaves for a few minutes. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes. Stir in the parsley, ketchup, and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat.

Place the torn white bread in a bowl and add the milk to just barely cover, swish the bread around in the milk and let it sit while you get the rest of the ingredients for the meat loaf together.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef and pork with 1 1/2 cups of the tomato relish, the eggs, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the excess milk from the bread and add the soaked bread to the meat mixture.

Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Transfer the meat mixture to the center of the cookie sheet and form into a log about 9 inches long and about 4 inches wide. Coat the top of the meatloaf with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish. Lay the bacon across the top lengthwise.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the bacon is crisp and the meatloaf is firm. Rotate the meat loaf while it's baking every now and then to insure that the bacon browns evenly. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side.

Dear Nutella...I love you!

I had never had Nutella until about 4 years ago. My sister said I had to try this hazelnut spread. She was right. Nutella is the best thing to spread on well just about anything! It is also rather delicious on a spoon =] I needed to find new ways to get Nutella in my belly so here is Nutella ice cream. It turned out like Nutella chip ice cream but still SO good.

Nutella Ice Cream
1 cup Nutella
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 cup whole milk
1 - 1/3 cups heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract

Combine the Nutella and sugar until smooth. Add the milk. Blend on low speed until smooth and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and the vanilla.

Place in your ice cream maker and let it run for 20-25 minutes. Let it sit in a freezer overnight.

Vegas baby!

This past weekend Mike and I took an early anniversary trip to Las Vegas. We got a great deal on rooms so we figured it was okay to celebrate early for a bargain. We ate some of the best food either of us have ever eaten...ever, so I decided I should blog about it. I think Mike got irritated every time food would come and he would pick up his fork and I would say WAIT! Take a picture! But he did it anyway, such a good husband!

Friday we stayed at the Golden Nugget. I was rather surprised at how nice the hotel and our room was. I would definitely stay there again. Fremont St is a great place to people watch. Once we got fancy in our going out clothes we went to Red Sushi inside the Golden Nugget. I was shocked at how awesome the food was. We split an entree of Chicken Katsu and NY Steak, SO good! It also came with sweet potatoes that were steamed then pan fried...YUM!Dynamite Roll

Red Tiger Roll...one of the best rolls I have ever had!

And a Sapporo, of course!

The next morning we had reservations at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill for brunch.

Mike has scrambled egg enchiladas. He loved them, especially the sauce.I had chicken and sweet potato hash. I am not crazy keen on sweet potatoes but I loved this!

After brunch we decided to check in to our room at The Mirage. We had booked a suite but were told that we had been upgraded to a penthouse for free! We were only one floor from the top of the hotel. It was rough but we managed =]

Saturday night we had tickets to see the Cirque De Soleil show 'LOVE'. It was by far the most amazing thing both of us had ever seen. Hard to describe but amazing!

After the show we had a late dinner at BLT Burger inside The Mirage, where we stayed Saturday night. BLT Burger is fancy burgers, fancy fries and fun milkshakes.

I had the classic cheeseburger. We didn't manager to get a picture of Mike's but he had a burger with bleu cheese, mushrooms and onions, all his favorites. The burger was perfection.

We also ordered fried pickles. Mike was unsure of them but I thought they were super good. I love pickles with a weird passion though. I wouldn't eat them everyday but they were fun!

Before we headed home the next morning we had already decided to go back to Mesa Grill for brunch again because there was so much we wanted to try. I had the Ranch Style Eggs Tostada, sauce was amazing! The eggs were the fluffiest eggs I have ever eaten. I enjoyed this one more than the hash the day before.

Mike had the Spicy Scrambled Eggs with Apricot-Mustard Glazed Ham and Buttermilk Biscuits. He liked it but enjoyed his meal the day before more.

Typically Mike and I have the worst luck with trying restaurants that we don't know. We usually get horrible service or ever worse horrible food. We never get upgraded to first class or a room upgrade for free so this trip was really amazing because we had the best luck ever....but not with gambling. But that is okay! We had a great time and have an awesome memory of our first anniversary.

Happy Valentine's Day

These are a little something I made in honor of Valentine's Day, mini cupcake truffles.
Hope yours was loverly!

Italian Chicken Sticks

Oh how I LOVE Paula Deen. She seems like the sweetest southern lady ever! Mike and I took a day trip to Savanna when we were in Georgia visiting his family over the summer and I must say they love them some Paula Deen. We intended to eat at her restaurant but we should have made reservations....whoops! We plan to go back soon WITH reservations. Anyway I saw this recipe for Italian chicken sticks and since it used a stick of butter I knew it would be good. Very simple weeknight meal.

Italian Chicken Sticks
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
11/2 teaspoons dried thyme
11/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Pinch ground red pepper
8 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter
Marinara sauce or honey mustard, for dipping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
In a pie plate or platter, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, thyme, basil, oregano, salt, garlic powder, and red pepper. Dip the chicken strips in the melted butter, then dredge them in the bread crumb mixture. Place the chicken strips in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Serve the chicken sticks hot with marinara sauce, or serve hot or cold with honey mustard.

Pizza Bake

Not another hot mess of cheese I promise! I found a recipe for a pizza bake online and made a few changes. This came out like deep dish pizza, which I love but only in Chicago. The best way to describe Chicago style pizza is it looks like a cheesecake at first. This was also awesome leftovers!

Pizza Bake
1 pound Italian sausage (I used half hot half mild)
1 jar spaghetti sauce (I used Hunt's because it is cheap and tasty)
1 small can slice olives
Mozzarella cheese, use as much or as little as you like
1 tube store bought pizza dough

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain if needed(mine needed it) Add the spaghetti sauce and olive and heat on low until everything is heated through. Spray a glass baking dish with non stick spray or grease with butter. Roll the pizza dough out and smoosh into the baking dish, mine cover the bottom and about half way up the sides, I think this is best. bake the pizza dough, without any toppings, for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven. Sprinkle cheese over dough. Add sausage mixture, spreading it out evenly. Top that with more cheese and bake for another 12 to 15 minutes or until the crust is brown enough for your taste. Let it cool a bit before you cut it so it doesn't run everywhere and enjoy!

Mike's Monday Night Dinner/Product Review

This week Mike took a simple route when making his Monday night dinner. He still managed to cook something I had never had. It was good because I wanted to start doing product reviews on the blog too, so it worked out.

Mike made brown noodles. They are Korean but Mike says they are much better in Korean restaurant. The Korean restaurant here doesn't have the noodles so I will have to wait to have them in the proper form.

This is the type her bought at our local Asian market, which is one of my favorite markets:Chapagetti, sounds very Italian doesn't it? They are pretty starchy but good. They would be good with a pickled vegetable like cucumber kimchi (my favorite).

Overall they were good.

Crockpot BBQ Pork

I love my crock pot. I love just through stuff in and having dinner done when I get home from work. My crock pot is named is Carol and she is metallic red, who would have guessed?!?! Yes I name my kitchen appliances, don't judge me. This recipe for BBQ pork is very easy and very good.


Crock pot BBQ Pork


Pork roast between 2 and 4 pounds
Pappy's Seasoning (If you can't find this brand, I am sorry you are really missing out! HA - Use a poultry seasoning)
Rootbeer any brand will due , we used Dad's
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce
Any type of bun or roll you like
**we added an onion the first time we made it and didn't like it so we left it out the second time**

Place the pork roast in the crock pot and season with a good amount of seasoning. Fill the crock pot with rootbeer about have way. Set crock pot on low for 6 hours. After the 6 hours drain the rootbeer out and shred the pork. Add BBQ sauce and mix. Spoon pork onto your bread of choice and eat.

Mike's Monday Night Dinner

I asked Mike if he would be interested in cooking dinner once a week to help me out, he gladly said yes. Lately he has been helping more and more with the cooking and I really love cooking with him. When I asked him if I could put this on the blog he said sure, it is very blog worthy. For his first round he made something his dad used to make, Saltine chicken. It was GOOD! I knew it would be coming from Papa Bailey.

Saltine Chicken
Crushed up saltine crackers
Pepper
Chicken breast sliced or pounded thin
2 to 3 eggs cracked in a bowl big enough to fit one chicken breast in
Enough vegetable oil for frying (we used about 1 and 1/2 cups)

Heat oil in large skillet hot enough that when you throw in a cracker crumb it bubbles. Mix the pepper and crushed crackers together. Coat the chicken in egg first them in cracker crumbs. Place into oil. Fry on one side 3 to 4 mins then flip and cook an additional 2 to 3 mins. Remove from oil and get to eating. This is very addicting!