Glazed Pork Chops

This is so quick and easy.  And YUMMY!

Glazed Pork Chops

2/3 c. apricot preserves
1/2 c. Italian salad dressing
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Pork Chops

Mix the first three ingredients and marinate pork chops in Ziploc bag overnight  Save the marinade for basting during the cooking process.  Grill until chops are ready.

Chile Verde Pork Balls

I saw a recipe for beef meatballs using salsa verde and decided to try my own spin on it.  I opted for ground pork instead of beef.  The Dish Washer loved this, but it was WAY TOO HOT for me!!!  Next time, I will look for MILD salsa.  Here's what I did...(already forgot about pictures again)

Chile Verde Pork Balls

2 lbs. ground pork
1 egg
1 onion, chopped fine
1/2 c. oats
cumin powder to taste
salt and pepper to taste
1 jar of salsa verde (watch out for heat!!)
Sour cream

In a bowl, combine first 6 ingredients and form into meatballs.  In a large skillet, cook balls until done.  Once they are done, pour salsa over the top, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.  If you would like to have a thicker sauce, uncover and turn up the heat stirring constantly until it reaches the consistency you would like it to be.  Serve with sour cream to cut the heat.

These also went in the freezer once they were completely cooked (with the sauce) and The Dish Washer can eat them later for lunch!

Chicken Florentine

I certainly don't claim to be a good photographer!!  In fact this is more delicious than it looks in this picture!!  Anyway, wanted to have a picture since I haven't been too good about pictures lately!  I wanted to try this recipe and now it is a family favorite!  Such great taste!!!  It would be great for company because it makes so much!! 

Chicken Florentine

5 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

2 (10 oz.) packages frozen spinach, thawed and drained completely

2 cans cream of mushroom soup

1 c. mayo

1 c. sour cream

2 c. shredded cheddar cheese

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. dry white wine (can substitute with chicken broth)

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 c. bread crumbs

2 Tbsp. butter

In a bowl, combine soup, mayo, sour cream, cheese, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, and wine.  Stir together until combined.  Add shredded chicken and drained spinach.  Mix well.  Place mixture in greased 11x7 casserole dish.  Combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.  Sprinkle over the top.  Dot with butter.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes or until bubbly. 

It made such a large amount for the two of us, so I put some of the meat mixture in a freezer bag with directions about the topping and baking.  When I am ready to cook it again, I will thaw completely before baking.

It would be great served with rice, but since The Dish Washer doesn't eat rice, we just ate it as is.  BORING!!

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

This past weekend, we had The Bun's baby dedication at our church.  Afterwards we had our family over to our house for lunch.  Because we would be at church and had such a large crowd coming, I wanted to do something easy.  So we had all cold foods that I made the day before and just pulled out of the fridge when the service was over.  Our menu consisted of:

Luncheon Chicken Salad with Croissants
Sweet Potato Salad
Roasted New Potato Salad (that I normally serve warm, but served chilled this time)
Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding
Granny's Cut Out Cookies (shaped with a cross cookie cutter)
And this delicious trifle!  Chocolate/Peanut Butter lover's dream!!!

I tore the recipe out of a magazine months ago and saved it this whole time for this special occasion!

For the kids, I did have grilled cheese sandwiches and chips.  The sandwiches were baked in the oven and kept warm until lunch time.

Peanut Butter Brownie Trifle

1 fudge brownie mix (13x9 pan size)
1 pkg. (10 oz.) peanut butter chips
1 pkgs. (13 oz. each) miniature peanut butter cups
4 cups cold milk
2 pkgs. (5.1 oz. each) instant vanilla pudding mix
1 c. creamy peanut butter
4 tsp. vanilla extract
3 (8 oz.) cartons frozen whipped topping, thawed

Prepare brownie batter according to package directions; stir in peanut butter chips.  Bake in a greased 9x13 baking pan at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and cut into 3/4 inch pieces.

Cut peanut butter cups in half; set aside 1/3 cup for garnish.  In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mixes for 2 minutes.  Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set.  Add peanut butter and vanilla; mix well.  Fold in 1-1/2 cartons of whipped cream.

Place a third of the brownies in a 5-qt. glass bowl; top with a third of the remaining peanut butter cups.  Spoon a third of the pudding mixture over the top.  Repeat layers twice.  Cover with remaining whipped topping; garnish with reserved peanut butter cups.  Refrigerate until chilled.

Spam and Potatoes

I love fine dining or even just casual dining for that matter, but I am not too proud to admit that I LOVE fried Spam!!!  Just this week our Sunday school had a discussion on Spam and they were shocked to find out I had just bought three cans of it at the grocery store!!! 

I think Spam gets a bad wrap.  I would bet that the majority that say they hate it have never tried it!  The Dish Washer is anti-Spam, but if he tried this he would like it.  It is pork, afterall.  One of his favorite meats.  :)

Spam and Potatoes

3 medium baking potatoes
1 large onion
1 can Spam
vegetable oil

Chop potatoes, onion and Spam into bite size pieces.  In a large skillet, pour some vegetable oil into the pan.  Allow to warm.  Cook the potatoes alone for a little while before adding the onions, so that you don't burn them.  Once onions and potatoes are browned, add Spam and continue until browned.

I only season the potatoes with pepper.  The Spam is salty enough for me, so add salt according to taste.

Very good served with ketchup on top!!  :)

Taco Seasoning

The other day I was planning to make Taco Meatloaf and went to the pantry to get a taco seasoning packet.  Not one!  Bummer!  I went straight to the internet and found out how to make my own.  Very easy and the meatloaf tasted just right.

Taco Seasoning

1 Tbsp. minced onion
2 tsp. chili powder
1-1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Mix all ingredients.  Makes the equivalent of a 1-1/4 oz. package of taco seasoning.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Sitting around waiting on The Bun has not been easy. My to do list is complete, bags are packed and literally all I am doing is waiting for him now. And the gates aren't even beginning to open for his arrival! I'm trying to stay busy, so I got in the kitchen and made a soup because I love to freeze soup and this will give us something to pull out after his arrival. Or maybe before if I am 42 weeks pregnant and don't feel like cooking!! :) I've got my other household chores on a schedule now that I am a full time "homemaker." Today is washing sheets and going to the grocery store. That transition from full time worker to full time housewife hasn't been as easy as I expected it to be, even though that is all I have ever wanted to be! It was tough giving up something that I had worked so hard at, but I am learning to release control.

This soup was so easy because everything was out of a can. And honestly, I have tasted better versions of this soup but can't argue with easy!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 (10 oz.) can chicken, drained
1 onion
olive oil
cumin, to taste
chili powder, to taste
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 can Rotel
1 can black beans
1 can white corn, drained
1 (14.5) oz. can chicken broth

In a pot, heat olive oil and add onion. Cook until tender. Add chicken to onions and season liberally with cumin and chili powder. Next add the other cans and stir. I did have leftover chicken stock I saved from last week, and not really sure how much I ended up adding. Add as much as you want until your soup reaches the consistency that you would like it to be. Simmer on low until heated through. Serve with tortilla chips.

To freeze: Allow to cool and place in freezer safe container (I use ziploc bags.) and freeze up to three months.

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