Honey Glazed Chicken

When I showed this recipe to Nate, he had to have it! So I added to our menu and made him help me cook it today. The chicken turned out so moist and tender, it was really good! The glaze was a bit sweet for me, but as long as I pulled the skin off I was fine. I may switch up the flavors next time, but I will definitely use this method for roasting chicken again. I adapted this recipe from one found at Mel's Kitchen Cafe, one of my favorite recipe blogs.

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds, giblets discarded
1 Tbsp. salt
2 tsp. pepper
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 cup plus 1 Tbsp. water
1/4 cup honey
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 cup chicken broth

Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and make sure the oven rack is in the middle of the oven. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper and paprika. Pat the chickens dry with paper towels and rub the spice mixture under the skin and over the outside of each chicken. Tuck the wings behind the back and tie the legs together with kitchen twine.

Arrange the chickens, breast side down, on a V-rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast until the chickens are golden, about 35 minutes. Remove the roasting pan from the oven and carefully with a wad of paper towels, flip the chickens so that they are breast side up. Raise the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Pour 1 cup water and the broth into the roasting pan. Return the roasting pan to the oven and roast until the thigh meat registers 165 to 170 degrees, about 35-45 minutes.

Stir the cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water together in a small bowl until no lumps remain; set aside. In a small saucepan bring the honey and 4 tablespoons vinegar to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until the mixture is reduced to about 1/2 cup, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the glaze. Return to a simmer and cook for one minute.

Brush the chickens evenly with a layer of the glaze. Continue to roast until the glaze is golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let it rest for 15 minutes (this is important – if the chicken is cut too quickly, all the delicious juices will escape and the meat will be dry).


I didn't notice until after the pictures were taken that my chicken was upside down! Sorry!

Homemade AuGratin Potatoes

I finally used my mandoline slicer that I got for my birthday (in February)! It made this recipe really easy. I was surprised that the recipe was so simple. I saw the idea over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes, but I adapted it for us.

Ingredients:
3 russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch slices (love using my mandoline for this!)
3 tbsp. butter, plus more for buttering baking dish
3 tbsp. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
paprika


Preparation:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Butter an 8x8" baking dish and layer 1/2 potatoes into the bottom. Season with some salt and pepper.
In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in flour and salt; stir constantly with a whisk for a minute and then add milk. Cook until thickened. Stir in cheese and continue stirring until it is fully melted.
Pour half the sauce over the potatoes. Add other half of the potatoes on top, season with salt and pepper and top with remaining sauce. Sprinkle paprika over the top.
Cover and bake for 90 minutes.

Again, not an amazing photo, but the potatoes taste really good.

Meatloaf Muffins

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2-1 package dry onion soup mix (depends on how much seasoning you like)
1/4 cup crushed saltines
1 egg

Preparation:
Combine ground beef, soup mix, crackers, and egg. Don't over-mix or meat will be tough. Spray a cupcake tin really well with non-stick spray. Evenly spoon meat into cupcake tin. I got about 9 cupcakes, but next time I am going to make them bigger, so aim for 6. Bake uncovered at 350 for about 30 minutes or until meat is cooked through. Enjoy!

*You can use whatever meatloaf recipe you like and just make them into muffins.

Okay, this is not the prettiest picture, but it gives you an idea.

Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce

The first few years of our marriage I barely made any Italian food. Nate claimed he didn't like pasta very much so I didn't make it. Once in a blue moon we would have pasta because I love pasta. However since I've really gotten into becoming a better cook and trying new recipes these past 9 or so months, we've tried several pasta dishes. Nate now likes pasta and I put in on our menu every other week or so. I saw this recipe over at Better than Burgers. I used mild sausage and it was just right, I'm a spice wimp. It's a super easy recipe and nice variation on pasta.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, removed from casings (you can use hot if you want)*
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1 (16 oz.) can Italian seasoned diced tomatoes
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
salt
pepper
hot cooked pasta

Preparation:
In a large skillet, heat sausage, garlic, and onion until meat is browned. Drain any excess fat. Pour in tomatoes and tomato sauce; mix in parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over hot pasta.

*The original recipe calls for a full pound of sausage. I found that to be too much meat for my preference. I like more sauce to meat ratio, so from now on I'll just use a half pound.

Easy Baked Chicken and Red Potatoes

Since Nate was so sad that he didn't get any potatoes last night, I thought I would make him some tonight. The fact that I had a couple leftover potatoes didn't hurt either! I wanted something simple and comforting, and this is what I came up with. We both enjoyed it and Nate is looking forward to leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

After dinner we decided that this recipe is so easy even Nate could make it. We are slowly building up his repertoire of meals.

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1.5 lbs. red potatoes (you could use russets also)
1 envelope ranch dressing mix
1 envelope Italian dressing mix
4-5 Tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
Wash and pat dry chicken. Rinse potatoes. Cut potatoes into evenly sized bite sized pieces. Add both chicken and potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Pour olive oil and both dressing envelopes over the chicken and potatoes, mixing really well. Spray a 9x13" baking pan with cooking spray. Add chicken breasts to baking dish and then potatoes. Bake at 400 for approximately 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender.

Roasted Italian Potatoes

I took these to a church function tonight (I doubled the recipe) and I totally forgot to take a picture! Sorry. They were pretty tasty though, the whole dish was gone pretty quickly. This is a super easy recipe that Nate wants me to make again really soon. I saw this idea over at Miranda's Recipes.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. red potatoes
1 envelope Italian seasoning mix
2-3 Tbsp. olive oil
shredded parmesan or mozzarella cheese (optional)

Preparation:
Wash the potatoes. Chop potatoes into evenly sized pieces. In a mixing bowl drizzle olive oil over the potatoes and add the Italian seasoning. Mix well. Spray a 9x13" baking dish with pam and add the potatoes. Bake at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until fork tender. Stir potatoes halfway through cooking time so they don't stick. Sprinkle cheese over top of the potatoes during the last few minutes of cooking. Serve hot.

Salsa

For some reason salsa has always seemed so intimidating to make. If I had known it was this easy, I would have started making my own long ago! This recipe was really good. I blended it into a really fine consistency, we're not huge fans of chunky salsa. I kept it on the mild side, but feel free to heat it up if that's what you like. The only thing I would change is to halve the cilantro, other than that, I thought this recipe was amazing. I saw this recipe over at My Kind of Cooking.

Ingredients:
2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed (I added 2, and it was nice and mild)
1 small onion, diced
1 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (the original recipe calls for 2 Tbsp. but I think it would be better with just one, unless you really love cilantro)
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. oregano
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Preparation:
In blender container, combine jalapeno peppers, onion, cilantro, and 1/2 of tomatoes. Cover. Blend well. Add remaining ingredients. Cover. Pulse until blended.

P.S. Have you tried the new Tostitos chips that have a hint of pepper jack? If not, you really should, so good!


Nate is such a good taste tester!

Taco Casserole

The best way to describe this recipe is a mix between nachos and taco salad. Both Nate and I really enjoyed it and I will definitely make it again. I saw the idea over at Better Than Burgers. I adapted it for our tastes.

Ingredients:
Casserole-
1 lb. lean ground beef
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 small can enchilada sauce (I used a little bit of Taco Bell sauce and plain tomato sauce)
2 cups broken tortilla chips (you could use Doritos too)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed (I left these out)
shredded cheddar cheese

Toppings-
shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, sliced olives, sour cream, avocado, salsa, etc.


Preparation:
Brown the ground beef. Once cooked through add the taco seasoning and mix well. Add just enough enchilada sauce to the meat to get the consistency of a thick sloppy joe mix, you don't want it soupy. Spray the bottom of an 8x8" baking dish with cooking spray. Place chips into the bottom of the baking dish, add black beans, and then top with the meat. Sprinkle some shredded cheese on top. Bake uncovered at 375 degrees for 20 minutes. Serve with your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Twists

As you've probably learned by now, my husband Nate LOVES cinnamon rolls and all the variations thereof. I knew these cinnamon twists would be a big hit, and they were! These were so easy, and so quick too. This is one dessert I don't mind making. I hope you like these as much as we did. I saw the idea over at Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients:
Dough-
1-1/2 cups hot water
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. butter, cut into pieces
1 egg
4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. yeast

Topping-
3 Tbsp. melted butter
Cinnamon-sugar mixture (1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbs. cinnamon)

Icing-
1/2 cup butter, melted
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 Tbsp. milk

Preparation:
In a large bowl, add hot water, egg, 1 cup flour, sugar,salt, butter, then yeast. Mix for 2-3 minutes, then add remaining flour. Knead for about 8-10 minutes. *I did this all in my bosch mixer with the dough hook.

Divide dough into 2 roughly equal portions. Pat dough (since it's a soft dough, I found I didn't need a rolling pin) to about 1/4-inch thickness in a rectangular shape. With a pizza cutter, cut dough down the middle then into strips (about 1-1/2-inches wide). Brush with butter and then sprinkle generously with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Take each strip, fold it in half and then twist up. Set twists on a baking sheet lined with tinfoil and sprayed with pam. Allow to rise in a warm place for 20 minutes. *I just set them on top of my preheated oven. Bake at 400° for about 12 minutes or until very lightly golden brown.

While twists are baking, in a large bowl, beat all ingredients together until smooth. Heat in the microwave until nice and runny and a good drizzling consistency. Drizzle over hot cinnamon twists.

This recipe made 18 twists.



This is what it looks like when I allow Nate to add the amount of frosting he wants.

Five Peppercorn and Dijon Pork Tenderloin

This recipe is really simple, but it looks and tastes gourmet. It's perfect for a Sunday dinner when you don't want to spend all day in the kitchen. We really enjoyed it. I saw the idea over at Taste and Tell, but adapted it to our tastes. Enjoy!


Ingredients:
1.5-2 lb. pork tenderloin
3-4 Tbsp. dijon mustard
coarsely ground five peppercorn blend
Kosher salt
olive oil

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rub pork tenderloin with a Tbsp. or so of olive oil and then coat with ground peppercorns. Sprinkle a little bit of Kosher salt over the top. Bake in a roasting pan or glass baking dish for 35-45 minutes, depending on your preference of doneness.

Simple Chicken Marinade

Sorry, I wish I had a better name for this recipe, but I can't think of anything fun right now. This was the second new recipe of the evening and it was really good as well. I saw this idea over at Our Family Treat. I just adjusted the amounts a bit.

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 green onions, diced
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. Lawry's seasoned pepper
1 tsp. celery salt

Preparation:
Combine and whisk together all the ingredients except for the chicken. Put chicken in a gallon size ziploc bag and pour the marinade in. Seal up the bag and put it in a large dish. Refrigerate and let marinate for 4 hours before cooking. Grill, bake, saute, whatever you'd like, although I do think grilling is the best!



photo updated 06/04/13

Vegetable Rice Pilaf

Both recipes I made tonight are definite keepers! I love when that happens! I've had this recipe bookmarked for quite a while now, it's so good I wish I would have made it sooner! I saw the recipe over at Mommy's Kitchen. This is going in my favorite file, I will be making this again and again!

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp. olive oil or 1 1/2 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, uncooked
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1/4 cup green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
3 cups low sodium chicken broth
kosher salt & pepper to taste

Preparation:
Heat olive oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, celery and green bell pepper and saute until tender and fragrant (about 5 minutes). Add rice and saute 2 minutes more. Raise heat to high and add chicken broth, mushrooms, thyme, kosher salt and pepper. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes, until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, let stand for 5 minutes, fluff with fork and serve.

Photo updated 04/16/14.

Beef Stroganoff

This recipe is a 10! I seriously LOVED it! Now I hate sour cream, but this was amazing. Perfect comfort food, I can't wait to make it again. I really might add it to next week's menu, it is that good! This was my first time making and eating stroganoff and this recipe was awesome. I got the recipe from Jenna's Journey.

Ingredients:
1.5 - 2 lbs. top round steak (I only used a pound)
Salt & Pepper
5 Tbsp. butter, divided
4 Tbsp. flour
1 carton beef broth (I used 2 cans)
1 Tbsp. dijon mustard
1 cup sour cream (I used fat free)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. extra wide egg noodles, cooked

Preparation:
Heat 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 Tbsp. olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until tender. Slice steak into small thin strips. Season the steak with salt and pepper and add it to the skillet and brown. Once cooked, remove pan from heat and set aside. In another skillet melt 4 Tbsp. butter, slowly stir in 4 Tbsp. flour whisking constantly to make a roux. Add your beef broth, stirring well. Let the sauce thicken for a few minutes. Once thickened whisk in mustard and sour cream. Let thicken for another 3-5 minutes until desired consistency. Taste sauce, add any salt and pepper you need. Add steak and onions to the sauce. Heat through and serve over cooked egg noodles.

Kalua Pulled Pork

I try to make pork every so often. Nate could have bacon nearly every day, but I want something a little leaner. I thought this recipe looked nice and easy, and it was. It was a nice variation to a pork roast. I saw this idea over at Favorite Family Recipes. They served it as a pulled pork sandwich, I served mine over some basmati rice, but I think sandwiches would be awesome as well.


Ingredients:
3-4 pound pork roast
1-2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1/3 cup liquid smoke
1 cup water
4 washed ti leaves (if ti leaves aren't available or you don't know what they are, no worries-- it is still great without them. They just add a cool local Hawaiian element to the dish)

Preparation:
Line bottom of crock pot with 2 ti leaves (if you have them). Rub pork generously with salt, pour on liquid smoke then place on ti leaves (or in the crock pot). Add water. Fit remaining ti leaves (again, if you have them) around outer edge of crockpot. Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours or until it will easily shred into juices (do not drain).

*Okay, I just made a two pound roast for Nate and I so I cut down the liquid smoke to 1/4 cup and the water to 3/4 cup. I didn't use the ti leaves. Also, once I shredded the pork, I didn't add all the juice, just about 2 cups, and I thought it turned out great!

Milky Way Ice Cream Cake

Nate's cute aunt invited us over for dinner last Saturday night, and I brought this dessert. Nate loves ice cream and milky ways are his favorite candy bar, so this recipe was a big hit with him. I saw the idea over at I Heart Naptime. This recipe comes together really quickly and is super easy.

Ingredients:
10 ice cream sandwiches
1 tub cool whip, thawed
1 bag of snack sized milky way candy bars (you could totally do snickers or whatever candy bar you like)
1/2 jar of caramel topping
1/2 jar of chocolate topping

Preparation:
Arrange the ice cream sandwiches on the bottom of a 9x13" glass baking dish. You may have to cut some of the sandwiches to get them to fit. Heat up both the caramel and chocolate toppings so they are easy to drizzle. Drizzle 1/2 of caramel (a 1/4 of the jar) and 1/2 of the chocolate over the top of the ice cream sandwiches. Unwrap and chop up the milky way bars and sprinkle half of them over the ice cream sandwiches. Evenly cover the cake with the cool whip. Drizzle the remaining caramel and chocolate over the cool whip and top with the rest of the milky ways. Cover and freeze for a couple hours before serving. Enjoy!

Sauteed Corn and Bacon

My little brother came over this weekend and barbecued with my husband. They have both been wanting to try grilling beef ribs. We've made pork ribs several times, but never beef. Since they wanted a nice manly dinner of ribs, I made this sauteed corn and bacon, and some biscuits for them. I also added a salad, but they didn't eat any of that. So here is a side dish to accompany any manly dinner.

Ingredients:
1/2 a small onion, chopped
3 slices bacon, diced
1/2 bag (8 oz.) frozen corn
salt
pepper
2 green onions, sliced (optional)

Preparation:
In a skillet, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, and set aside. Remove all but about 1 Tbsp. of bacon grease from the pan. Cook the onions over medium-high heat until tender. Once cooked add the corn, salt and pepper, and the bacon and continue to cook until the corn is hot. Once finished, garnish with green onions and serve hot!


Not the best picture, but you get the idea.

Little Nummies

Oh my gosh I just came across the cutest food website! It is called Little Nummies and it is all about making food appealing to little ones. I don't know if you have picky eaters, but this is sure to help, and even if they aren't picky you can make lunch time so fun. Seriously, there so many darling ideas! Here are a few of my favorites:







Okay, now go check out Little Nummies!

Homemade Deep Dish Pizzas

On Sundays I like to make dishes that involve Nate. It is one day that we get to cook together, and I really enjoy that. I feel like pizza is a fun dish and I don't know why I don't make it more often. I saw this recipe over at Kimmy's Kitchen. I didn't change a single thing. This recipe is by far the best homemade pizza we've made! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 1/3 – 3 cups flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. yeast
1 cup warm milk
2 tsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preparation:
In your mixer combine the flour, salt, and yeast. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine warm milk, sugar and olive oil. While your mixer is on low, slowly pour the liquid mixture into the dry ingredients. Let the machine knead the dough for 5 minutes. Put in a greased bowl and let rise. After dough has doubled in size put dough on lightly floured surface and divide in half. Roll each half into a 7 inch circle. Place over your knuckles moving the dough around in a circle so that the middle is thinner than the sides. Put 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in the bottom of pan. Spread the olive oil evenly throughout the pan. Place the dough into an 8" or 9" cake pan and press out to the sides of the pan, trying to avoid getting the oil on top of the dough. You need enough so that it will fry the bottom of the dough. Let the dough rise 10 minutes. Then put on your favorite toppings. Bake on bottom rack of oven at 400 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

*Just for reference- my dough took just over an hour to double in size. I was really nervous cooking the pizzas on the bottom rack, but they were perfectly cooked at 20 minutes. So good!

Watermelon Smoothie

Nate's favorite fruit is watermelon. I am always trying to get him to eat more fruits and vegetables, so when I saw this recipe I knew we had to try it. I saw this idea over at Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients:
3 cups cubed seedless watermelon
1 cup crushed ice
1 cup watermelon, raspberry, or lime sherbet
4 tsp. lime juice

Preparation:
In a blender, combine the watermelon, ice, sherbet, and lime juice; cover and process for 30 seconds or until smooth. Stir if necessary. Pour into chilled glasses. Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Churrasco Style Steak and Vegetable Kabobs

This dinner was so good! We ate this with a salad for dinner, a nice carb-free dinner! My husband served a church mission in Brazil for two years and he grew to really love their churrasco, their version of barbecue style cooking. Churrasco is usually cooked on a spit over an open flame. We adapted and grilled our kabobs, but they are still so good! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did!

Ingredients:
1 lb. steak
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
rock salt
8-10 kabob skewers (depends on how much you want on each skewer)

Preparation:
Cut steak into evenly sized cubes. Sprinkle rock salt over the meat and let marinate for 4-6 hours. Once finished marinating brush all the salt off. Soak the skewers in water for 20 minutes before using. Assemble your kabobs with steak, onion, and green peppers. Grill on a hot grill until the steak is at your desired doneness.

*Nate put a little seasoned pepper on them just before cooking, I prefer these without the pepper.


This is my husband, so excited to grill some kabobs!

Bacon-Wrapped Cheesy Chicken

This recipe is 100% my husband's doing. I was having a really rough day a week or so ago and he told me not to worry about dinner, that he would take care of it. Seriously, Nate is the best husband. This is the dish he made. Thanks again babe!


Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices of bacon
shredded cheddar cheese
salt
pepper
poultry seasoning

Preparation:
Rinse and pat dry your chicken. If the breasts are really thick, butterfly them. In between two pieces of parchment paper, pound your chicken out to an even thinness. Season your chicken with some salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Sprinkle some of the shredded inside and then roll it up. Wrap bacon around the rolled chicken. Grill until fully cooked. Enjoy hot!

3 Packet Crock Pot Chicken

This chicken is AMAZING! Oh my goodness, the flavor was great and my chicken came out so tender and juicy. I loved it, and I will most definitely be making this chicken again and again! Do you remember our 3 Packet Pot Roast? Well this recipe is the same idea, except for chicken. I saw the idea over at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. Make this soon!

Ingredients:
boneless, skinless chicken breasts (I just made two, but you could definitely do more)
1 packet Ranch dressing mix
1 packet Italian dressing mix
1 packet chicken gravy mix
1 cup water

Preparation:
Mix all three packets in the water and stir well. Add the chicken and seasoning/water mixture to the crock pot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours, turning halfway through. Enjoy!



Image updated 03/14/13

We're hoping to adopt, check our profile out at http://adoption.com/profiles/nksmithfamily-1800 and feel free to pass it along!

Baked Chicken and Bean Taquitos

Oh goodness these were so good! Honestly, one of my new favorites. We've made taquitos a ton before, but never this version. This is my favorite way to enjoy taquitos. I saw this recipe over at Recipe Shoebox.

Ingredients:
1 lb. cooked and shredded chicken
1 (16 oz.) can fat-free refried beans
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1 cup salsa
1-2 cups shredded cheese (I only used 1 cup and it was perfect)
small flour tortillas

Preparation:
Over medium heat, warm the refried beans and the 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning. Once hot, stir in the chicken, salsa, and cheese and heat through. Warm the tortillas for 10-20 seconds in the microwave to make them easier to work with. Spoon some of the chicken mixture onto the tortilla (if you keep it on the bottom third of the tortilla, they are easier to roll) and roll up. Place filled tortillas on a tin foil lined baking sheet. Cook at 450 for just a couple minutes until the tortillas crisp up a bit. Serve warm with whatever toppings you'd like, sour cream, guacamole, salsa, etc. Enjoy!


Sorry, these photos don't do this recipe any justice!

Sloppy Joes

Sorry for being so absentee lately! My in-laws are moving to Oregon today and we've spent several nights a week the last couple weeks having family dinners with them. I haven't been cooking too much. Things should be back to normal though around here. The other night I made sloppy joes. My brother, sister, and I all looked forward to when my mom made sloppy joes, it was one of our favorite dinners. I haven't made them since I've been married because Nate told me he doesn't like sloppy joes. Well I decided to go ahead and make them anyway and guess what? Nate LOVED them! He ate three for dinner and asked to have again on our next week's menu! I'd say that's a keeper recipe! These aren't a sweet sloppy joe, which is why we like them so much. It is just so good! I hope you enjoy them too! Sorry,no picture this time.

Ingredients:
1 lb. ground beef
1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce (you may not use all the sauce, just add until you get the consistency you like)
1/2 yellow onion, finely diced (optional)
1 green pepper, finely diced (optional)
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 Tbsp. taco seasoning
1-2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
seasoning salt
seasoned pepper
shredded cheese
hamburger buns

Preparation:
In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and season with salt and pepper. Halfway through cooking, add the diced onion and pepper and finish cooking. Drain any fat/grease. Turn down the heat and add the chili powder, taco seasoning, mustard, and ketchup. Mix well to combine. Once that is all incorporated add the beef mixture to the crock pot and top will tomato sauce. Stir to combine. Cook on low for 3-4 hours (or until you're ready for dinner), stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns and top with some shredded cheese if you'd like! Enjoy!

-Okay, the seasonings are my best estimate. Just start slowly and add until it tastes good!

Bacon Topped Slow Cooker Pork Chops

This recipe is adapted from one I saw over at Mel's Kitchen Cafe. I am not a huge fan of thyme, I just don't really like the way it tastes. I only added a tiny pinch to this recipe, next time I am going to leave it out all together. Other than that we really enjoyed these pork chops, you didn't even need a knife to cut them, they were nice and fork tender. Nate loves anything topped with bacon :).

Ingredients:
5 slices bacon, chopped
4 pork chops, about 3/4-inch thick (I only made 2 for the two of us)
Salt and Pepper
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 tsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup water
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 bay leaf

Preparation:
In a large skillet, fry the bacon until lightly crisp and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Once the bacon is cooled, store in the refrigerator until later. Keep about 2 Tbsp. of bacon grease in the pan. Salt and pepper both sides of the pork chops and sear them in the bacon grease until they are golden brown. Transfer them to the crock pot. In the same skillet add onions, brown sugar, and water. Cook until onions are tender, about 4-5 minutes, adding the minced garlic the last minute. Pour all of that into the crock pot, being sure to get all the bits off the bottom of skillet. Add chicken broth, soy sauce, and bay leaf to the crock pot. Cover and cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Before serving, reheat the bacon and top the pork chops with the bacon.