Slow Cooker Beef Stew

adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by BUCHKO

INGREDIENTS:

2 pounds beef stew meat, cut into 1 inch cubes 1/4 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 clove garlic, minced 1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon paprika 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/2 c red wine 1 onion, chopped 1 1/2 cups beef broth 3 potatoes, diced 4 carrots, sliced 1 stalk celery, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Place meat in slow cooker. In a small bowl mix together the flour, salt, and pepper; pour over meat, and stir to coat meat with flour mixture. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, onion, beef broth, potatoes, carrots, and celery.
2.	Cover, and cook on Low setting for 10 to 12 hours, or on High setting for 4 to 6 hours. I made some Bisquick biscuits to go with the stew. Husband rating:  3.5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

from allrecipes.com, submitted by Gina

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin puree 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Frosting: 2 cups confectioners' sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon melted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, and salt; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and white sugar. Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy. Mix in dry ingredients. Drop on ungreased cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven. While cookies are baking make glaze/frosting by combining confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add milk as needed, to achieve preferred consistency. Cool cookies on baking sheet for about five minutes, move to cooling rack, then ice with frosting. 

Here's a tip: to easily scoop your cookie dough into perfect mounds on your cookie sheet use a small ice cream scoop. This is a new family favorite!!!  We love these cookies.  The boys asked for them every day in their lunches until they were gone.  Make them.  Share them (if you can stop yourself from eating them).  Happy fall! Husband rating:  5 stars Boys say:  thumbs up

Steak and Mango Stir-Fry

adapted from ourbestbites.com

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons soy sauce (if this needs to be gluten-free, check the soy sauce label)
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
12 ounces flank steak, thinly sliced (if it’s semi-frozen, it’s easier to slice)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon cooking oil (olive, coconut, or canola), divided
1 small red onion, sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
1 cup cubed, ripe (but not too ripe) mango
1/4 cup fresh basil, roughly chopped or torn
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Instructions:

Whisk together the water, lime juice, sugar, soy sauce, and corn starch. Set aside.

Toss together the basil, cilantro, and mint and set aside.

Sprinkle the steak with crushed red pepper and black pepper and toss to combine. Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. When hot, add the steak and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until almost cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the remaining oil in the skillet and add the onion, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until tender-crisp. Add the garlic, steak, mango and stir-fry until the steak is cooked through. Add the sauce and cook until thickened slightly. Serve immediately over rice and sprinkle with herb mixture. Serves 4.

I served this over Seeds of Change quinoa and brown rice mix as was recommended on ourbestbites.  This was better than I expected.  There is a nice depth to the flavors.  

I had a mango for this dinner but when I cut in to it it was a bad mango.  I've never picked a bad/brown/gross one before!  So I improvised by thinly slicing dried mangoes and adding them to the mix when I added the red peppers.  It would have been better with a fresh mango but it was still good.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up (which is shocking since there was quinoa and brown rice on the plate!)

Thamnak Thai

The great thing about moving to a new city is trying all the restaurants!  Especially here in Austin!  We had a night out with friends at a thai restaurant called Thamnak Thai.  I chose the pineapple curry and it was delicious.  The Pad Thai also got rave reviews.

Lonestar Cafe

On a recent trip to San Antonio with friends we took the boys to the Tower of the Americas.  They loved the 4D video you watch before you take the long elevator ride to the top of the tower.  After enjoying the view of the city we walked to the Riverwalk.  We had lunch at the Lonestar Cafe.  This was my lunch.  Don't you love the Texas flag?!  The pulled pork and sweet potato fries were great.  In a group of 12 people we all enjoyed our lunch picks.  Thank you Lonestar Cafe!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

1 pre-made pizza crust (or make your own!)
your favorite BBQ sauce
1 chicken breast cooked and chopped
1/4 c red onion, chopped
mozzarella cheese, shredded
fresh cilantro, chopped
pineapple tidbits

Place crust on a cookie sheet.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spread BBQ sauce on pizza crust.  Top with chicken, onions, pineapple, cheese and cilantro.  Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

I'm the only one who ate this so I give it 4 stars.

Meat Sauce for Pasta

adapted from foodnetwork.com, submitted by Ree Drummond

1 pound ground beef
1/2 pound Italian sausage
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onions, diced
1 green bell peppers, seeded and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup white wine or stock (your choice)
One 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
One 24-ounce jar good store-bought marinara sauce (you can use another jar if you like the sauce to be more saucy than meaty)
One 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground thyme
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
2 bay leaves
1/8 cup finely minced fresh parsley or 1.5 tablespoons parsley flakes, plus more for serving
grated parmesan for serving
2 pounds spaghetti, cooked al dente and tossed with olive oil, for serving
Garlic-cheese bread, for serving

In a large pot over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef and sausage until totally browned. Remove the meat from the pot with a slotted spoon and put it into a bowl. Set aside.

Discard any grease in the pot, but do not clean the pot. Drizzle in the olive oil. When it is heated, throw in the onions and bell peppers. Stir it around for 1 1/2 minutes, and then add the garlic. Stir and cook for an additional minute.

Pour in the wine and allow it to bubble up and reduce for about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, marinara sauce and tomato paste. Stir to combine, and then add the sugar, salt, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper if using and bay leaves. Stir, and then add the cooked ground beef and sausage and stir to combine. Place the lid on the pot and allow to simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or some low-sodium broth if it needs more liquid.

After an hour, add the minced parsley.  Allow sauce to simmer for another 30 minutes or so. Discard the bay leaves before serving.

Serve a big bowl of oiled noodles and the meat sauce so guests can serve themselves. Top each serving with minced parsley and grated Parmesan (or Parmesan shavings) and serve with a big piece of garlic-cheese bread.

I really like this sauce.  It's something you can always double and freeze the extra for another night.  I didn't even double it and we had extra sauce.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Lemon-Herb Zucchini Fettuccine

from ourbestbites.com

2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 lemons
2 T Red Wine Vinegar
Olive Oil
1/2 lb Fettuccine (that’s just 1/2 of a normal box like in the picture)
2 medium zucchini
1 C shredded parmesan cheese 

5-6 cloves garlic
Fresh Basil (about 1/2 C)
Fresh Oregano (about 1/4 C) If you don’t have fresh oregano, just add a little dried.
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Prepare grill. You could also do this on the stove top in a skillet, or a grill pan.

Place chicken in a zip-lock bag with the juice of one lemon, a couple tablespoons of olive oil, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Smoosh around and set bag aside while you get your other things ready. (If you’ve got time to spare, let the chicken marinade for 30 minutes, if you don’t, just take what you can get. I did mine for 15 min and it was great.)

Put the pot on the stove to boil water for the pasta. While you’re waiting for the water to boil, slice the zucchini in half length-wise. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Press, or finely mince garlic cloves. In a small sauce pan on the stove, place 1/4 C olive oil and add garlic. Turn burner onto low-med heat. It shouldn’t be popping and frying, it should just slowly warm, infusing the oil with the garlic and removing that zing fresh garlic has. 

When water boils, add pasta and a spoonfull of salt

Remove chicken from bag and salt and pepper both sides. Place chicken, and zucchini on grill. 

While chicky and zuchs are grilling and pasta is boiling, chop herbs and get out cheese. Zest both lemons and juice the one that hasn’t been juiced. 

See, now you’re all ready. When everything is done cookin’ you can throw it together! Keep an eye on that garlic. You DON’T want it to get brown and crispy. It should still look nice and white. Give it a stir. If it starts really cooking, just take it off the heat and set aside. 

When zucchini and chicken are done take them off the grill and chop ‘em up. 

Reserve about 1/2 C pasta water. Drain pasta and immediately place in a big bowl. Place chopped zuch and chicken on top. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, cheese, herbs, and garlic-olive oil mixture. Just pile it all in there. Then stick your face up real close and inhale. Ahhhh, heaven.

Now take some tongs and give everything a big toss. If you feel it needs more moisture, add a little of the pasta water, or a little more olive oil. 

This will make 4 generous servings.

I liked this dish but my family wasn't as crazy about it.  You'll have to give it try and see what you think!

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  mixed reviews

Rita's

It's hard to believe I haven't blogged about Rita's yet.  We discovered Rita's early this last summer.  All summer we enjoyed cool treats on hot days.  And now that it's getting colder and we've moved to another state where we don't live so close to a Rita's we still go regularly to satisfy our Rita's cravings!  

What is Rita's?  It's Italian ice (think very finely shaved ice) and custard together.  How can you go wrong?!  Our favorite flavor is Swedish Fish with vanilla custard.  They usually have about a dozen flavors on hand and they change daily.  The pumpkin ice with vanilla custard is perfect for this time of year.  

About half the states in the union have a Rita's so hopefully you can find one near you!

Husband Rating:  5 stars 

Boys say:  thumbs up

Avocado Chicken Salad Sandwich

adapted from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients
1 shredded rotisserie chicken
2-3 avocados, chopped 
1/2-1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp garlic powder 
1/4 tsp onion powder
salt & pepper to taste

6 ciabatta rolls, dinner rolls or hamburger buns

Instructions
Stir the chicken, avocado, cilantro and seasonings in a bowl. Taste the mix. Add a little more seasonings, if desired.
Serve on rolls or buns.

In this picture I grilled chicken and then chopped it. Although the rotisserie chicken would have been easier, the grilled method was tasty too.

This would be a good sandwich for a St. Patrick's Day lunch since it's green!

Husband rating:  3.5 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Outback Chicken and Honey Mustard

adapted from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
seasoning salt
6 slices bacon, cut in half
1/2 sweet onion, sliced

your favorite honey mustard sauce 1 tablespoon cooking oil 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms 2 cups shredded Colby/Jack cheese




Directions:
Sprinkle and rub the chicken breasts with seasoning salt. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cook bacon in a large skillet until crisp.
Remove the bacon and drain the bacon drippings but don't clean the pan.  Add the onions and cook over medium low until soft, about 8-10 minutes.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet and saute for 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned. Move chicken to an 11x7 inch or 9x9 inch pan.
Apply the honey mustard to each breast, then layer with mushrooms, onion, bacon, and shredded cheese. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cheese is melted and chicken is done.

This recipe has two big things going for it:  1-BACON!  2-It says to pound the chicken.  I always have fun doing that!  I left the mushrooms out since we don't have many mushroom lovers around here.  I also left the cheese off of mine and it was still great.  

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  most liked it

Baked Herb Lemon Chicken

from andicakes.com

4 split chicken breasts, skin on
Kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon sliced in wedges, 6-8 slices
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
9 cloves minced garlic, about 3 tbsp
1/3 c dry white wine
1 tbsp grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves, plus 4 sprigs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  First prepare the chicken breasts by rinsing them and drying them with paper towel.  On a cutting board using boning knife, carefully remove the breast bone leaving the skin on and still attached to the breast.  Trim any excess fat from the breast and place in a 9 x 13 baking dish skin side up.  Repeat with the remaining breasts.  Sprinkle the breast with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.  Now slice one lemon lengthwise into 6-8 wedges and set among the chicken breasts in the dish.

Next add the extra virgin olive oil to a small sauté pan and heat over medium-low temperature, once warmed add the minced garlic and cook for just a minute and stirring constantly.  Turn the heat off and add the dry white wine, lemon zest, lemon juice, dried oregano and minced thyme.  Pour the warm mixture into the dish to surround the seasoned chicken breasts.  Using a brush lightly brush the chicken breasts skins with the oil mixture so it will brown and crisp during baking and then add the 4 sprigs of thyme on the top the chicken breasts.

Bake the dish uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, until the breast are cooked and reach 165 degrees.  Turn the oven to broil for 1-3 minutes and broil the dish if necessary to brown the skins on the breasts.  Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil and allow resting for 10 minutes before serving.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and pour desired amount of cooking liquid onto the platter for service.

I simplified this recipe by using boneless skinless chicken breasts.  I only did the sprigs of thyme on top since I was running out of time and didn't feel like getting the thyme leaves off the sprigs.  You will probably need less time to cook the chicken breasts if you do the boneless kind so keep that in mind.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Bellini's Texas Grill

If you're in the north Austin area you should stop by Bellini's Texas Grill.  We had lunch there.  Although my husband thought his lunch was just alright (he ordered a sandwich) I thought the salad I ordered was amazing.  This is the berry and nut salad.  The pineapple balsamic dressing was a unique dressing that helped make this special.  

Slow Cooker Sweet Glazed Pork Chops

from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients:
4-6 boneless pork chops (mine were pretty thick) 
1 (12 oz) bottle chili sauce
1 cup grape jelly

Directions:
Spray slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Place pork chops at the bottom. In a bowl, mix together the chili sauce and the jelly; pour on top of pork chops. Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (do 8 hours if your pork chops are frozen) or HIGH for 3-4 hours (I prefer the low and slow method for these). 

Husband rating:  3 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Lupe Tortilla

One of the great things about moving to a new place is trying out all the new restaurant options!  This last weekend we had a short trip to Katy, Texas which is a suburb of Houston.  We had dinner one night at Lupe Tortilla.  This restaurant has a great atmosphere.  There is a sandy area for children to play while the grown-ups eat.  There is a bar with sports games to watch, if you like that.  But the food and the service are the highlight.  We had the fajitas and they were excellent.  They bring you everything and you can create your fajita just how you like it.  I'm getting hungry just thinking about it!  Go early or plan on a wait.  This place is popular!

Chicken Zucchini Casserole

from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients
6 ounce package of boxed stuffing mix (I used Stove Top) 
1⁄2 cup melted butter
4 cups of zucchini, diced
2 cups of cooked chicken, cubed
10.75 ounces Cream of Chicken Soup 1⁄2 onion, chopped
1⁄2 cup of sour cream

Instructions
1. In a large bowl, combine the stuffing mix and melted butter. Set aside 1⁄2 cup of the mixture for the topping. In a large bowl add the zucchini, chicken, soup, onion and sour cream to the remaining stuffing. Place the zucchini mix into at greased 9x13 glass pan and spread out evenly. Sprinkle reserved 1⁄2 cup stuffing mix on top and bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. 

This sounded like it would be a winner with the boys but it was just okay.  That being said, it was easy and inexpensive.  And definitely better than a bowl of cereal for dinner!  

3 stars

Slow Cooker Honey Soy Chicken

from sixsistersstuff.com

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chili sauce

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon pepper

1 (8 ounce) pkg. Soba Noodles, cook according to package directions

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:

Place chicken in slow cooker.  In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, garlic, chili sauce, mustard and pepper.  Pour prepared sauce over chicken.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 5-6 hours.  Shred chicken and return to slow cooker.  Add in cooked noodles and stir until combined.  Garnish with sesame seeds.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Apple Cinnamon Pancakes

Follow the instructions on a your favorite pancake mix, such as Bisquick.  Once the batter is made add 1/2 a finely chopped apple and 1 tsp ground cinnamon.  Mix.  Pour about 1/4 cup of mix onto hot griddle and cook until lightly browned on each side.

I love these pancakes, but my kids didn't like the apple chunks.  So this time I actually used a food processor to chop the apple into even smaller pieces.  This time they didn't even notice them.  Now I can eat the pancakes I like and they don't complain!

Remember to remove the skin from the apple.

Husband rating:  4 stars
Boys say:  thumbs up

Hello again!

Hello Blog Readers!

My last week of posts was the end of May.  You probably thought I'd given up cooking or blogging or both!  Here's what happened:  At the end of May my husband and I took a trip to Austin, Texas to see if we might want to move there.  We loved it!  So, between then and now we've been selling a house (try keeping a house clean with four boys running around during the summer-that's a fun challenge!), packing up and moving, saying good-bye to friends we dearly love, and unpacking again in Texas, getting kids started in school, getting lost every day trying to figure out this new city and basically having one great big adventure.  It's a strange feeling to turn your entire life upside down and move to a new place after living in Utah for 18 years.

I'm back to the kitchen and computer now and looking forward to adding new recipes and ideas to this blog that will hopefully help you and your family.

Melanie

Garlic Chicken with Orzo

from allrecipes.com, submitted by VBRAUER671

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup uncooked orzo pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast

halves - cut into bite-size pieces salt to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley 2 cups fresh spinach leaves grated Parmesan cheese for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add orzo pasta, cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente, and drain.

2.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, and cook the garlic and red pepper 1 minute, until garlic is golden brown. Stir in chicken, season with salt, and cook 2 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned and juices run clear. Reduce heat to medium, and mix in the parsley and cooked orzo. Place spinach in the skillet. Continue cooking 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted. Serve topped with Parmesan cheese.

I added one can of italian stewed tomatoes, chopped in the blender for a few seconds, instead of the parsley.  It just sounded good!  And it was good.  The only complaint was the spinach.  I used baby spinach so the leaves were smaller than the regular kind, but I didn't break them up into even smaller pieces.  And when they are wilted they are long and slimey, really.  The boys didn't like that one bit!  I'd probably decrease the amount of spinach by half and chop the leaves a little before adding it to the dish.

Husband rating:  3 stars

Boys say:  mixed reviews

Fruit Dip

from allrecipes.com, submitted by RNACSHHS

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup brown sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium bowl, blend the cream cheese, brown sugar and vanilla extract. Chill in the refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

I followed some suggestions from other reviewers.  I added a little lemon juice and wish I'd added some of the zest from the lemon.  I also added two spoonfuls of strawberry yogurt.  I thought the strawberry yogurt was a little overpowering for the flavor I was expecting.  

The kids loved this!  As if you couldn't make fruit any better, give the kids something to dip the fruit in and it kicks things up a notch!  

This does make a lot of dip.  I would cut it in half for personal use or use the normal amount for a party.  

Boys say:  thumbs up

Orange Rosemary Chicken

from allrecipes.com, submitted by DEERPANT

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups orange juice 1/4 cup olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 (2.5 pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces

DIRECTIONS:

1.	In a medium bowl, mix the orange juice, olive oil, chives, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken in the mixture. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 4 hours.
2.	Preheat the oven broiler.
3.	Remove the chicken from the marinade, and shake off excess. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for 10 minutes; set aside.
4.	Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet. Broil 30 minutes in the preheated oven, 6 to 8 inches from heat. Turn and brush frequently with the remaining marinade mixture, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

I actually tossed the chicken (I used chicken breasts) on the grill but using the broiler would be fine too.  I really enjoyed the flavors in this dish.  We had steamed chopped zucchini and yellow squash with this.  This is another healthy, easy and inexpensive meal.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Grilled Pork Chops and Sauce

from allrecipes.com, submitted by ScorpioGG

INGREDIENTS:

2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons brown sugar 3 tablespoons honey 3 tablespoons soy sauce 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 teaspoons ketchup

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 2 (6 ounce) thick-cut boneless pork loin chops

DIRECTIONS:

1.	Mix the garlic, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, ginger, onion powder, cinnamon, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Pour half the mixture into a large plastic zipper bag, and place the pork chops into the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag, and seal the bag. Refrigerate 4 to 8 hours, turning occasionally. Refrigerate remaining marinade in the bowl.
2.	Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate.
3.	Remove the pork chops from the plastic bag, and shake excess droplets of liquid from the chops. Discard the marinade from the plastic bag. Grill chops on the preheated grill, basting with the reserved marinade until meat is browned, no longer pink inside, and shows good grill marks, 8 to 10 minutes per side. A meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a chop should read at least 145 degrees F (63 degrees C).
4.	Pour remaining reserved marinade into a saucepan over medium heat, bring to a boil, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook the marinade until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly; serve sauce with chops.

We had these tasty pork chops with steak fries and a green salad.  We made more pork chops than we needed.   We used some the next day in a wrap.  I thinly sliced the pork chops and added some coleslaw to that and wrapped that all in a tortilla.  

Husband rating:  4 stars

Boys say:  thumbs up

Oatmeal Pancakes

found on rachaelray.com by Emily Wyckoff, with a few changes

Oatmeal Pancakes

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 cup white or white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup oats, ground in food processor

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 egg

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 1/4 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted (or 4 tbsp applesauce)

1/3 cup chocolate chips or blueberries

Directions

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

2. In a small, bowl whisk together the egg, milk and butter. Add this mixture to the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

3. Heat a griddle or frying pan over medium heat (about 375 F) and butter or spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Pour batter in 1/4 cupfuls, add any extras like the chocolate chips or blueberries and cook until the edges are cooked and bubbles form on the surface. Flip the pancakes and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.

4. Enjoy!

I doubled this recipe for our family of six. I poured the batter on the griddle then dropped a few blueberries on some, a few chocolate chips on others and left a few without anything else so we had three different flavors to choose from. My husband and I liked the blueberry ones the best. The boys liked the chocolate chip ones, which I'm sure doesn't surprise you!

I tried it with the applesauce and they were great.

Husband rating: 4 stars
Boys say: thumbs up!

Baked Ziti with Italian Sausage

from ourbestbites.com

1 pound Italian sausage or Italian turkey sausage (“hot” or “sweet”)
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt
3 cups water
12 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) ziti pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (fresh is best, but if you need to sub dried, use a heaping tablespoon of dried basil and add it in with the tomatoes)
ground black pepper
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Note: This recipe is to be cooked in a 12 inch skillet.  I recommend using one slightly larger if you’re adding the sausage as well.  Make sure your skillet is oven proof (no plastic handles) and has a lid.

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 475 degrees.  Pulse the tomatoes with their juice in a food processor until coarsely ground and no large pieces remain, about 12 pulses.

Remove sausage from casings and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes.  Heat 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet to medium high heat and add 1/2 tablespoon olive oil.  (If you’re not using sausage, just add a little more olive oil and start with the next step, sautéing the garlic and pepper flakes.)  

Add garlic and red pepper flakes to sausage and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant.   Stir in the processed tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.

Stir in the water, then add the pasta.  Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often and adjusting the heat to maintain a vigorous simmer, until the pasta is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top.  Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, about 8-10 minutes (or just until melted, like, 1-2 minutes).  Serve.

I recommend dumping everything into an oven safe dish and cooking it in there, instead of in the pan.  Or you could do that but be very very careful not to think the handles are cool or you might burn yourself when you take it out of the oven or are serving this. Just saying!  

I don't like ground turkey.  I have never found a version of ground turkey or a recipe with it I could like.  Until now!  I used the Italian sweet turkey sausage and it was actually good in this recipe!  I love using fresh basil. Don't substitute the dry basil in this recipe.  Fresh basil and tomatoes are a match made in heaven!

Also, my store didn't have ziti so if you run into that pick a pasta with some texture to help hold onto the sauce.

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