Just Like Outback Makes...

We don't often go to Outback for supper, but when we do my favorite thing to order is their Alice Springs Chicken. It is so tasty. Last week, when my parents were in town they took the bro and I there for supper...and to my surprise they had made my favorite into a Quesadilla! I tried it and it was delicious!!!!

I often thought that it would be so nice to be able to make this at home. I searched and I found this recipe and thought that I would give it a try. I will post it as it is and then I will tell you what I did differently. You know me, I NEVER seem to follow a recipe directly...

ALICE CHICKEN

INGREDIENTS:
4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
5 oz. Worcestershire Sauce
8 Slices of Bacon
2 Tbsp. Butter
8 oz. Fresh Mushrooms; sliced
1 (8 oz.) Monterey Jack Cheese; shredded
1 (16 oz.) Honey Mustard Dressing

Place Chicken in a glass dish or bowl; poke with fork several times; then pour Worcestershire Sauce in and turn to coat. Cover dish or bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Place Bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, set aside. Heat Butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add Mushrooms and saute for about 10 minutes, or until soft; set aside. Preheat Oven to broil. Remove chicken from marinade (discard any remaining liquid), and broil for about 5 minutes; each side. When chicken is almost finished, top each breast with 2 slices of bacon, then cheese. Continue to broil until cheese has melted, then remove from oven. Serve with Mushrooms and Honey Mustard for topping.

**NOTE** I followed the directions until it was time to broil. Instead we fired up the trusty grill and grilled that delicious chicken! When it was cooked through and brought into the house, I topped it with the bacon and the cheese and popped the plate in the microwave until the cheese melted. Then I followed the directions again until the end!

Here's what we had for supper:

It was so tasty, and if we closed our eyes we could imagine that we were actually at Outback! Only we didn't have to pay Restaurant prices for supper! BONUS!!!!

So Happy For Rhubarb!

I am so thrilled that Rhubarb season runs from April to September here in Michigan! I LOVE Rhubarb and really haven't done much with it in past years. I will be changing that this season around!!!!

Today with the help of a young man from our church we cleaned up our yard and cut out the thick, hard roots from around the tree in the middle of the yard. This the area that I plant flowers and last year they didn't do so well, so I killed everything in the flower bed and will start over this year! I went to a local Nursery and was able to get some great deals on a few flowers...I ended up with a flat of VERY colorful Pansies and a few other flowers. I will post pictures of them all soon! I decided to let my new flowers just sit on the porch for the time being, that way if we do get frost yet I am able to take them into the house. I'm itching to plant them though.

So, after all the yard work and errands were ran today, I spent the rest of the day baking and cooking! I made some very yummy bread today and I want to share the recipe with you! I was even nice and brought the second loaf over to my brother and sister-in-laws house for them to enjoy! ;-)

RHUBARB BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
1 C. Milk
1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar
2/3 C. Oil
1 Egg
2 1/2 C. Flour
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Baking Soda
1 1/2 C. Chopped Rhubarb
1/2 C. Chopped Walnuts
TOPPING:
1/4 C. Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tbsp. Butter; melted
***NOTE*** I also added about 1 1/2 tsp. of Cinnamon to the batter to give it a little more taste.

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease 2 9x5 loaf pans. In a small bowl stir together Milk, Lemon Juice, and Vanilla; let stand for 10 minutes. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 C. Brown Sugar, Oil and Egg. Combine the Flour, Salt and Baking Soda, stir into Sugar mixture alternately with the Milk Mixture just until combined. Fold in the Rhubarb and nuts. Pour batter into prepared loaf pans. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 C. Brown Sugar, Cinnamon, and Butter. Sprinkle this mixture over the unbaked loaves. Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes OR until toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

This smelled absolutely AMAZING while it was baking! The loaves are very moist and the bread has a great texture. I hope that you'll give it a try!

Supper Was Delicious!

And the best part was that it was super easy to make as well! My parents came over for supper tonight after my Dad's conference in downtown GR wrapped up at 1600 hours. They are now back in the car and making the 3 hour drive back to their home as they both have to work tomorrow. I thought that it would be nice if I made supper for them so they didn't have to stop along the way.

All throughout supper my Mom kept commenting on how delicious this dish was. I told her that the best part was that even someone who doesn't like to cook all the time (wink, wink...HER) could make this and it only takes about 20 minutes!

I apologize for not posting any pictures but I was trying to get this all done at a decent time for them!

2-STEP INSIDE-OUT CHICKEN POT PIE

INGREDIENTS:
1 Lb. Bonless, Skinless Chicken Breasts; cut up (I baked the chicken at 350 for 1 hour and then cut up and put in the fridge until ready to use)
2 Cans (10.75 oz. each) Reduced Sodium Cream of Chicken Soup
1 (16 oz) Pkg. Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 Roll (8 count) Pillsbury Grands Biscuits; baked and halved

Cook Chicken in skillet until browned (SEE ABOVE NOTE); stirring often. Add Soup and Vegetables. Cover and simmer until done. Serve over biscuits.

See, I told you that this was super easy!!!! I hope that you will enjoy it as much as we did!

Oh and in case you were wondering how the pie turned out...here's a picture to make you drool! ;-)

A Promised Post!

I was so very excited yesterday to find a VERY small stash of Rhubarb at the local grocery store, and I just HAD to pick up a few stalks to make some yummy pie! I will also be making a few other things as soon as I am able to find a bunch more of this yummy, tart goodness!!!!

I decided to bake a pie last night, and the great thing is that my parents will be coming over for supper tonight and I will share some of this with them as well!

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB CRUMB PIE

The ever so wonderful cast:

INGREDIENTS:
1 Egg
1 C. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 tsp. Vanilla
3/4 Lb. Fresh Rhubarb; cut into 1 inch pieces
1 Pint Fresh Strawberries; halved
1 (9-inch) Pie Shell; unbaked
TOPPING:
3/4 C. Flour
1/2 C. Packed Brown Sugar
1/2 C. Quick-Cooking Oats or Rolled Oats
1/2 C. Cold Butter

In a large mixing bowl, beat Egg. Add the Sugar, Flour and Vanilla; mix well. Gently fold in Rhubarb and Strawberries. Pour into pastry shell. For topping, combine Flour, Brown Sugar, and Oats in a small bowl; cut in Butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 400 for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Before the oven:

It was so hard to let this cool before cutting into it! I HAD to try a piece last night, and it was still slightly warm and OH SO GOOD!!!!!! I can't wait to make another one of these!!!!!

Reminiscent Of My Das Essenhaus Working Days!

I was over visiting with the retired Pastor & his wife who were involved in a head-on collision with a drunk driver at the beginning of March (they attend my church, & I've been helping them out since they came home from the hospital at the end of March), and Pastor G. made mention that he misses the Chocolate Cream Pie from Das Essenhaus since they haven't been able to go because of the extent of their injuries. I told them that once upon a time I used to work there...WAY back when I was in High School, and that I have many of their 'famous' pie recipes! So, this got me thinking, I should really make them a pie and surprise them with it...I knew that it would make their day. I didn't use the exact recipe from the Essenhuas, but one that I think is much better, believe it or not! There's really not much to the imagination of what's in the Cream Pie from there....:-)

Yesterday I set out on this adventure and made the pie and let it set in my fridge, and then after we went with my parents (who are in town for a conference for my Dad) for supper I went and brought this yumminess to them! I wish that I could've taken a picture of their faces when I walked in with it. They were GLOWING and SO SO happy, and of course surprised! It's nice to spoil others once in a while!

I thought that I would share the recipe with all of you as well!

CHOCOLATE CREAM PIE

The wonderful cast:

INGREDIENTS:
3/4 C. Sugar
1/3 C. Flour
2 C. Milk
2 (1 oz. each) Squares Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
3 Egg Yolks
2 Tbsp. Butter
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 (9-inch) Pie Shell; baked

Combine Sugar, Flour, Milk & Chopped Chocolate in 2 Quart saucepan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until mixture begins to bubble. Continue stirring for 2 minutes. Mix a little of the hot mixture into the Egg Yolks (this is called tempering), beating rapidly to avoid cooking the yolks. Stir the warm yolk mixture into the remainder of the chocolate mixture, and cook for an additional 90 minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in Butter and Vanilla. Pour filling into pie shell, and chill to set. Top with Whipped Topping and Grated Chocolate; if desired.

The finished product:

I can't wait to hear how this tasted! Their Home Health Aide gave me a hard time about bringing it over when she is about to leave and won't be back for several days! Sorry D.!!!! This really was an easy recipe to make and I hope that you will give it a try!

COMING SOON: A recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie that you won't want to miss! I'm SO EXCITED that I recently found some Rhubarb at the grocery store. I have a few Rhubarb related recipes that I will be sharing with all of you!!!!

Easter Dinner!

I hope that you all had a very Blessed Easter. Last week on Wednesday, J. and I left to go to our parents home so that I could help my Mom with a garage sale. J. and our Dad had a good time doing things together, and Mom and I had a very nice garage sale. Especially considering that it was her first (and she says ONLY) garage sale in their "new" home! We left to come home on Saturday. We stopped in Birch Run at the outlet mall and found some pretty good deals! We were even able to find a Birthday present for our adorable niece who will be 5 in May! Doesn't get much better than that!!! :-)

When we got home on Saturday I had to run to the local Meijer to get a ham and a few other items for Sunday dinner. Boy was that ever a MISTAKE!!!! I don't think that I have ever seen that parking lot that full! It was a mad house. Luckily enough, I could just jet in and get exactly what I needed and get out without having to fight the crowds too much!

It was just the bro and I here for Easter, but we still had a nice day anyway. We heard 2 wonderful sermons at our church, and I sang Sunday night with our church choir. It was a very nice day around here as well! When we were growing up, there were times that we would travel to Illinois and spend Easter with my Grandparents and Aunt and Uncle and cousins on my Mom's side. We haven't done that in quite a while, so I thought it would be nice to cook a Ham here this year. I made Ham, Sunday Potatoes and Deviled Eggs.

I cooked the Ham in the crock-pot. I put it in Sunday morning before we left for church; set to High. I used toothpicks and cut a Fresh Pineapple into rings and stuck them on it as well. When we came home from church I used a little bit of the Pineapple Juice and some Brown Sugar to make a glaze. I poured that over the top of everything the last hour of cooking. Our dinner turned out great, if I do say so myself!!

Here's the Ham:

We didn't need a very big one for the 2 of us!

Here is the whole meal all together:

We brought the leftover goodness to our friend N.'s house on Sunday night and our friends that were there were able to enjoy the rest of it!

We had a wonderful Easter here, and I hope that you did as well!

A Vegetable Of Sorts...

A GREAT Sunday dinner, nor a Holiday dinner is complete in our house without these Potatoes! I haven't made them in a while, and with Sunday having been Easter I told the bro that I would make them. He was thrilled!!!

Now,  I will say this....it probably is not the greatest of ideas to try and prep your Easter/Sunday dinner on Saturday night, especially when it's late and you have just gotten home from being gone for 4 days and are very tired! Yes, I ran into a little bit of a problem while doing this....Normally I am a great multi-tasker and have no problem doing 10 things at once, but apparently on Saturday night this was not one of those times. I peeled the potatoes, put them in the pot, filled it with water and set it to boil....then left it to go and do some other things. About 40 minutes or so later, I could smell this rancid smell from my kitchen (and mind you, the bro was sitting on the couch playing a game on his phone the whole time, a whole 3 feet away from this pot on the stove. And didn't say word ONE about it!!!), needless to say it was my potatoes. The water had boiled out and potatoes were burnt crispy to the bottom of the pan!!!! I couldn't help but laugh!!! The good thing was that I still had enough potatoes left that I could peel them and start over again. Even though I DESPISE peeling potatoes! QUIT LAUGHING AT ME!!!! hehehe

SUNDAY POTATOES

The cast:

INGREDIENTS:
8-10 Medium Potatoes; cooked and mashed
8 oz. Cream Cheese; softened
1 C. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Garlic Salt
1/4 C. Onion; diced
3 C. Sheredded Cheddar Cheese

Mix the Cream Cheese into potatoes. Stir in the Sour Cream, Onion, Garlic Salt, and about 2 C. Shredded Cheese. Place into 2 Quart Casseorle dish. Dot with Butter, Sprinkl with Paprika and cover with remaining 1 C. Shredded Cheese. Bake at 350 for 1-1 1/2 hours. You can make this the night before and place, covered in the fridge overnight and then bake at 275 for about 4 hours.

Before the oven:

Who Doesn't Like Deviled Eggs?

We used to have these every Easter when I was growing up. I haven't had them in a LONG time, so I decided to make them to go along with our Easter dinner.

I know, some of you are saying...'I already know how to make deviled eggs, why is she posting this?' Well...because people make them very differently, and maybe this might give you an idea!

DEVILED EGGS

INGREDIENTS:
As many Eggs as you would like to boil
Miracle Whip
Sweet Pickles; cut into small pieces
Small amount of pickle juice
Paprika

Boil the Eggs. I place the eggs in saucepan and bring the water to a boil. I then let them boil for 10 minutes; then remove them from heat and let them sit in the hot water until it is cooled. Peel the eggs and slice them in half length-wise. Scoop out the yolks into small bowl. Smash the yolks with a fork. Add enough Miracle Whip, pickles and pickle juice to mix with yolks. Spoon into Egg halves and sprinkle with Paprika.

Here's the finished product:

Just like my Gramma makes them!!! 

An Eggcellent Supper

It was the night for breakfast for supper here at our house. I haven't made this recipe in so long and have been craving it for a while now. Since I couldn't find my recipe, I had to ask my wonderful Momma to send it to me, which she did! Thanks Mom!!!!

FAMILY STYLE ROLLED OMELET WITH SPINACH & CHEDDAR

The cast:

INGREDIENTS:
Olive Oil; for pan
1 C. Milk
1/3 C. Flour
8 Large Eggs
1 Tbsp. Dijon Mustard
Salt & Pepper to Taste
2 Pkg. Frozen Spinach; thawed and drained
1 1/2 C. Shredded Cheddar Cheese
**NOTE** I also added cut up Cherry/Grape Tomatoes to mine. The bro thinks that it would be great with mushrooms and black olives.

Preheat oven to 350. Brush 10-15 jelly-roll pan with oil. Line with parchment paper; leaving a 1 inch overhang over short sides. Oil paper as well. Whisk Milk, & Flour. Add Eggs, Mustard, 1 tsp. Salt and 1/3 tsp. Pepper. Whisk. Pour into pan. Sprinkle Spinach evenly over the top of egg mixture. I also put the tomatoes on at this time. Bake until edges are done; 10-12 minutes. Spinkle with Cheddar Cheese; bake 2-4 minutes. Beginning at short end, lift parchment and roll up omelet tightly. Slice and serve.

Here is what's left of ours:

It is so good! And the best part is that it reheats nicely and tastes just as great the next day!!! I will be having this for breakfast tomorrow morning.

Tomorrow the bro and I are heading out of town until Saturday. My Momma is having a garage sale at her house and I have a lot of things to contribute to this sale. Plus, each year I go and help her with the one that she does. It's always a lot of fun, although I'm not really a fan of getting up at the crack of dawn...but if it means we get rid of the things we are selling it's worth it! "One man's junk is another man's treasure!" I look forward to be able to cook for my parents while we are there, and I hope that they will like what I make for them. So, with that, I hope that you all have a great rest of your week and I will post again after we are back home!

Here Fishy, Fishy, Fishy!!!

You guessed it, we had fish here for supper tonight! Not your ordinary fish though. I have never been a huge fish fanatic, but when I was grocery shopping at my friendly, local, neighborhood Meijer Store they were doing a sample day and this recipe was one that they had on demo. I tasted it, and it was so good, and didn't have a very 'fishy' taste to it. So, I was so sold and thought I should try it out at home!

BAJA STYLE FISH TACOS

The characters in tonights show:

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 C. Yellow Mustard
1 Lb. Tilapia
Salt to Taste
Garlic Powder to Taste
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
TOPPINGS:
1/2 C. Sour Cream
1/2 C. Lite Mayo
8 Tortillas
2-3 C. Shredded Cabbage
1 Jar Pico de Gallo

Spread Mustard on each side of fish with a butter knife. Sprinkle fish with Garlic Poweder and Salt. Heat oil over medium heat in a nonstick skillet. Add fish to skillet; cook about 5 minutes per side, until fish flakes easily with a fork. Meanwhile, mix Sour Cream with Mayo. Warm Tortillas. Let fish cool slightly; chop into small pieces. Divide fish evenly among tortillas; top evenly with Shredded Cabbage and Pico de Gallo. Drizzle with Sour Cream mixture.
**NOTE**I just mixed all the topping ingredients together like they did in the store.

These were pretty tasty. I hope that you will give them a try. I would like to thank one of my loyal blog readers who printed out a recipe for me and put it in my mailbox at church! Thanks L, I will DEFINITELY give it a try. Keep watching the blog for that post!!!! If any of you have a recipe that you have been wanting to try, but are not sure how it will turn out and would like me to give it a try before you do please feel free to contact me and let me know! I would be happy to be the guinea pig for you!! ;-)

An Easy Lunch or Supper

I made these on Friday for lunch since J. had to go and fulfill his Cadet Counselor duties and take them camping. I feel so bad for all those counselors and fathers that went, because it was SO cold here in Michigan, and not to mention the rain that fell as well! I have no idea how they all made it through the night and most of Saturday as well...such brave boys!!! Then yesterday we saw some of that dreaded winter weather with some snow flurries, at least they didn't stick! But only in Michigan are you able to see all FOUR seasons in the course of 1 week! Not so sure that's a good thing though.....hmmm

Anyway, these were pretty tasty! Again, I altered the recipe a bit and will tell you what I did.

THREE CHEESE STROMBOLI

INGREDIENTS:

1 (10 oz.) Can Refrigerated Pizza Dough

1/4 Lb. Sliced Provolone Cheese

1 (26 Oz.) Jar  Pasta Sauce

1 C. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1/4 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese

**NOTE** I added a can of Chunk Chicken and Green Olives to ours!

Preheat oven to 400. Roll pizza dough into 15 x 11-inch rectangle. Layer provolone cheese over dough, leaving 1-inch border around edges. Evenly spread 1 cup Pasta Sauce over cheese, the evenly sprinkle with your desired ingredients, then evenly sprinkle with mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Roll, starting at longest end, jelly-roll style. Fold in ends and pinch to seal. Arrange stromboli seam-side down on baking pan. Bake 20 minutes or until bread is golden. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with remaining Pasta Sauce, heated.

Here it is:

A Supper You Won't Want To Miss!

I think that I hit a home-run in the supper department tonight! This one by far was one of the best that we've had in a long time. So much so, in fact, that I called my Momma and told her that I would make this for her and my dad when I'm out at their house next week helping her with a garage sale! :-)

The bro made the comment that he's not sure that the leftovers will last the next few days, because he thought it was just that tasty! What a compliment to get, especially from my brother!!! YAY!!!!!

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE

Here's what you need:

INGREDIENTS:
4 C. Cornflakes; crushed
1 C. Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 C. Butter; melted
10 (I used 6) Bonless Chicken Breasts; cut into strips (I would cut into chunks next time)
Salt & Pepper; to taste
6 C. Shredded Swiss Cheese (I only had 2 C. and it was fine)
1 Lb. Cooked Ham; diced
1/2 Lb. Fresh Sliced Mushrooms
1 (10.75 oz.) Can Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 C. Sour Cream
2 Tbsp. Butter; melted

Preheat oven to 325. Grease 9x13 baking dish. Mix the Corn Flake crumbs with Parmesan Cheese and 1/4 C. Melted Butter; then spread 2/3 of this mixture into bottom of baking pan. Layer half of the Chicken Breast strips over the crumbs base, and sprinkle with Salt & Pepper. Cover with half of the Swiss Cheese, then sprinkle all of the Ham, then the Mushrooms over the top.
Mix th Cream of Chicken Soup and the Sour Cream together, and then spread over the Mushroom layer. Place the rest of the Chicken Strips onto the soup layer, followed by the rest of the Swiss Cheese. Top the casserole with the remaining 1/3 of the crumb mixture. Drizzle with the 2 Tbsp. of melted butter.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the casserole is bubbing, the cheese is melted and the crumb topping is brown, an additional 15 minutes.

Here is it ready for the oven:

And here it is all dished up and ready to enjoy:

It was so good! I can almost smell it through my computer screen as I type this! I hope that you will give this a try, it really is easy to make.

A Delightful Dessert!

With tomorrow being Wednesday, it is once again a day to attend Bible Study Fellowship! We had last week off for Spring Break, and it feels like I haven't seen the ladies in my group in forever! After the BSF meeting tomorrow is our last Fellowship of the year, as the BSF season ends in May. It is hard to believe that we started in October and that it is almost May already! Where did the time go?

I decided that I wanted to make a quick & easy, yet very yummy dessert! So, I used this recipe for a Pampered Chef Lowfat Cake. I know, I said Lowfat...but don't be mistaken that definitely doesn't mean that it's low taste at all! In fact, this cake is so good that I could eat it everyday!!!!

I did make a few variations from the recipe, and I will share those with you as well.

LOWFAT STRAWBERRY CAKE

The cast:

INGREDIENTS:
1 White Cake Mix (I used a Strawberry Cake Mix) (You could also use Lemon)
3/4 C. Water
1/3 C. Oil
3 Egg Whites
2 (6-8 oz.) Lowfat Strawberry Yogurt
12 oz. Lowfat CoolWhip
1 Qt. Fresh Strawberries; sliced

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, EXCEPT for 1 of the YOGURTS. Place in a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes. You can also put this into 2 Torte Pans--If using PC torte pans bake at 325 for 14-18 minutes. Let cool in Torte Pans for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling racks. If making 9x13 leave in pan.
Cool. Mix the remaining yogurt with the CoolWhip. Spread on top of cake, if using 9x13 recipe. Top with sliced Fresh Strawberries.  If using Torte's spread half of filling in center well of one cake, top with half of the fresh Strawberries. Top with second cake, well side up. Spread the rest of the filling into well of cake and top with remaining fresh Strawberries.

Here is my finished product:

Isn't it pretty?

I can hardly wait to enjoy a slice of this tomorrow! It's going to be hard to see it sitting in my fridge and not just cut into it tonight! I hope that that ladies at BSF will enjoy it.

Pork...It's What's For Dinner!

I have been wanting to make a good roast for a while now, but just never really got around to doing it. That is, until TODAY!!!! I came across this recipe and it sounded so good and easy to me, that I just had to give it a try!

You can make this recipe either in the oven or in the crock-pot. I chose to use my crock-pot, but I will tell you how to do it both ways, so that you can choose for yourselves how you want to make this!

APPLE & SPICE PORK ROAST

The cast of characters:

INGREDIENTS:

1 (4 Lb.) boneless pork roast

1 C Applesauce

1/3 C. Packed Brown Sugar

2 tsp. Vinegar

1 tsp. Yellow Mustard

1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves

1 Tbsp. Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 tsp. Sugar

1/8 tsp. Garlic Powder

1/8 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

The Sauce:

***NOTE*** I doubled the Applesauce, Brown Sugar, Vinegar, Mustard, Cloves, Flour, Salt, Sugar, Garlic Powder, & Pepper since I made it in the Crock-Pot. I also added 1 C. of Apple Juice to the crock-pot for cooking. As you can see from the picture, I also added chunks of potatoes and some baby carrots! YUM

OVEN VERSION:

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Stir together applesauce, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard and cloves in small bowl; refrigerate half of the applesauce mixture and set aside remaining applesauce mixture. Combine flour, salt, sugar, garlic powder and pepper in another small bowl. Rub flour mixture evenly over entire surface of pork. Place pork on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, until internal temperature is 140 degrees F. Spoon reserved applesauce mixture over roast. Roast 1 to 1 1/2 hours total cooking time (about 18-20 minutes per pound). Transfer roast to serving platter; cover with foil and let stand for 15 minutes before slicing. Heat chilled applesauce mixture in small saucepan until boiling; boil for 1 minute. Spoon heated applesauce mixture over pork slices.

CROCK-POT VERSION:
Follow the above directions for sauce and rub. Place roast in Crock-Pot, add in potatoes and carrots if desired. Pour ALL of the applesauce mixture over the top. Pour in about 1 C. of Apple Juice and turn to low for 7-8 hours.

This really was a very fast and easy meal to make! Not to mention, very tasty! I hope that you will give it a try.

A Quick & Easy Supper

My parents were in town earlier this week, and Mom & I went out to run errands. One of the places that we went was to Horrock's Market so that Mom could get some yummy flavored coffee for her and Dad to enjoy at home. The closest Horrock's to them is in Lansing, and that's quite a hike for them to drive. Anyway, while there I remarked to Mom that I had been craving cabbage with potatoes and sausage lately...I haven't made it in forever. Horrock's just happened to have some very lovely looking cabbages at a great price, so I picked one up. I also found some nice looking Turkey Sausage and got that as well. Since I already had some nice looking potatoes in the house I was now all set to make this yummy supper!

I used to make this all the time when I worked at the Federal Center in Battle Creek. It was a favorite of mine then, because it was so easy to make. It is also good if you are trying to shed some pounds, and it's very filling.

CABBAGE, POTATOES, & SAUSAGE SUPPER

Here is what you will need:

INGREDIENTS:
1 Large Cabbage; cut into chunks
3 Large Potatoes; cut into chunks
1-2 Pkgs. Sausage; cut into chunks
Salt to Taste

Fill a large stockpot about 1/2 full with water. Add in the cabbage, potatoes and sausage. Place on stovetop and let boil/simmer for 1 1/2-2 hours; until potatoes are tender enough to eat. Drain excess liquid and add Salt to taste. ENJOY!!!

P.S. I am happy to be able to post a few pictures again. This is only through using the bro's magnificent cell phone!!!! Unfortunately the lens in my camera is the problem and it would cost far more to fix it than it would to buy a new one. So the savings for a good digital camera begins!

FUN FUN!!!!

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day here and I'm so happy for that. Even though it was a bit chilly, Mr. Sunshine made an appearance for most of the day, and I know that the Vitamin D did me some good!

My parents were in town today. It is always GREAT to get to spend some time with them. My Dad and J. went bowling and did guy stuff, while Mom and I went shopping and ran errands. We went to the Zeeland Bakery, as I had ordered some Soft Rusk!!! I was so excited to get them, and I made Egg Salad (find the recipe in my archives) to enjoy on them! When we got home we each had a half with some Egg Salad and it was DIVINE!!!!!

Mom and I also went and picked up her 6 cupcakes that she won from my Birthday GiveAway! And since they have a Buy 1 Get 1 Half Off going on right now, she was able to get 8! How nice!!!! Oh my do they have some new yummy flavors over at Cupcake By Design! I highly recommend the Luscious Lemon! :-) It is light and moist, and lives up to it's name!!!!

Here's a picture of Mom's picks:

There is: Luscious Lemon, Carrot, Smores and Chunky Monkey

Now, you all need to quit scratching and sniffing, and/or licking your computer screens!!! If you are in the area, I highly recommend that you go and try out these yummy cupcakes! I would love to hear what you think of them!

What happened to Spring?

It has been cold, rainy and just generally dreary around here lately. What happened to Spring????? Oh how I miss the sunshine...there is something about the sun shining brightly that prompts me to have the energy to get the massive amount of things completed on my To-Do list!!!! Please come back Mr. Sunshine!!!!!! PLEASE!!!!

I did hear from the weatherman that the weather is supposed to get better around here this week. Although, it was information from a weatherman and we all know that this may or may not be the most reliable source! haha I do realize that April Showers bring May Flowers...but as I saw on a friends facebook status it also better bring better weather because I'm sure that the flowers will not appreciate ice balls as a form or watering!

With it being a cold and rainy day, it is a perfect night for some comfort food.

Here is a take on Grilled Cheese in our house.

GRILLED CHEESE & TOMATO SOUP

4 Slices Tomato Basil Bread (we use Panera's Bread)
Butter to spread on bread
6 Slices Provolone Cheese (2 slices cut in half)
4 Chunks of Cheddar Cheese
 1 Can (10.75 oz.) Tomato Soup
Milk to fill can

Heat the soup with the milk on the stovetop. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place one slice, buttered side down in a pan, top with cheeses and cover with non-buttered side of another slice of bread. Turn skillet on and heat through, until bread is your desired doneness. Repeat with second sandwich. Serve with Tomato Soup.

These are so ooey-gooey and good! Nothing makes me feel a little better than a good grilled cheese! In the summer I also like to put a slice of tomato on them, gives them a bit of a different taste, but so good!

What's for Supper?

It has been a gorgeous day here in the Grand Rapids area, and we decided we would break out the grill for supper tonight! I LOVE nights like this!

This recipe is just something that I decided to throw together. It combines a lot of my favorite things!

HAWAIIAN CHICKEN & CHEESE BUNS

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts; pounded a bit to make them thinner
4 Rings of Fresh, Sliced Pineapple (I suppose you could use canned, but I like fresh pineapple)
6 Tbsp. Barbecue Sauce of your choice
4 Hamburger Buns
4 Slices Provolone Cheese
Seasonings for your chicken


Grill the chicken to your desired doneness. Brush chicken with BBQ sauce. Grill the pineapple, until heated through. Place a chicken breast on bottom of bun, top with pineapple ring and slice of cheese. Add more BBQ sauce, if desired. Top with bun and enjoy!

We enjoyed this with just a few potato chips and it was quite delicious!!!!

A Scrumptious Treat!

So, I ask, is there anyone out there that doesn't LOVE caramel? I could eat it day and night...sure my hips and backside really don't need for me to do that, but I really could if forced to. You really wouldn't be forcing me though! haha I came across this recipe from another blog that I follow: StrawBerry Cake and thought that I just HAD to give it a try!

The bro, J. is not such a big fan of popcorn and asked me if I thought I could do some roasted almonds with this. I told him that I would give it a try! They look like they turned out pretty well, but I only had them in the oven for 30 of the 45 minutes in this recipe.

CARAMEL CORN

18-20 cups Popped Popcorn
2 cups Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Corn Syrup (light or dark)
1 cup Butter
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda

Preheat oven to 250 degrees.

1. Pop popcorn place in large roasting pan.  (I pop my popcorn the old fashioned way with an air popper or on the stove top, I have never used microwave popcorn for this recipe.)

2. In medium sauce pan place butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, and salt.  Cook until butter melts and starts to boil.  Give caramel a good whisk to get all the lumps out.  Let boil for 1-2 minutes.

3. Remove caramel from heat, add 1 teaspoon baking soda and stir, stir, stir, until caramel foams up, almost to top of pan.  

4. Pour warm caramel over popcorn, fold slightly.  Bake in preheated, 250 degree, oven for 15 minutes.  Remove from oven and stir around, try to bring the caramel from bottom of pan up over popcorn.  Return pan to oven and repeat this last step 2 more times.  Total time baked 45 minutes.
5. Cover counter top with parchment paper.  Remove Caramel Corn from oven and dump on to paper try to break up any large lumps of Caramel Corn.

Try not to just sit at the table or the counter and eat it all in one sitting/standing!!! It is THAT good! I only used about 2 1/2 Cups of Popcorn so that I wouldn't have a TON of this in the house!