Oh Mio! Hearty Italian Soup

I have been using the dutch oven I got for Christmas constantly. I love it.

Tonight's soup was: Hearty Italian Soup.
It was incredible. My husband couldn't stop talking about how much he liked it. He stopped only when he fell asleep on the couch after dinner. My kids ate it with out complaint. I was even asked to make it tomorrow.

It's worth trying. Oh mio, è delizioso!

Hearty Italian Soup

1 (16 oz) package mild Italian sausage (I used beef polska kielbasa sausage, two 13 oz packages)
2 tsp olive oil
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (48 oz) container chicken broth (I used two 32 oz cartons)
2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes (I prefer the organic kind)
1 tsp dried Italian seasoning
1 (5 oz) package baby spinach (I didn't find a package so I just used fresh cut-in-half spinach leaves)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
freshly shaved Parmesan cheese

1. Cook sausage in hot oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat 7 to 8 minutes on each side until browned. (Side note: I cute my sausage into 1/4 inch slices before I cooked it. This worked well for polska kielbasa sausage.) Remove sausage from Dutch oven, reserving drippings in Dutch oven. Saute' onion in hot drippings 3 minutes or until tender. Add garlic, and saute' 1 minute. Cut sausage into 1/4 inch think slices, and return to Dutch oven.
2. Stir chicken broth and next 3 ingredients into sausage mixture; bring to boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 25 minutes.
3 Stir in spinach, basil and parsley; cook, stirring occasionally 5 to 6 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Top each serving with Parmesan cheese.
I served it with a French Loaf Bread.


This recipe is originally from Southern Living. They also have a cornbread biscotti recipe that would be nice to try with it. You can find both original recipes here: Southern Living Hearty Italian Soup with Parmesan-Pepper Cornbread Biscotti

Friday Favorite: Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

This week we celebrated my husband's birthday. My husband loves bacon.

My son taped this sign on the door to greet my husband when he came home from work.

We celebrated by trying out bacon recipes. Let me say it again, my husband loves bacon.

We had bacon and eggs for breakfast. Chocolate covered bacon in the afternoon. For dinner, we had chicken thighs wrapped in bacon, sweet potatoes bites wrapped in bacon (and fresh corn) and a maple bacon cake for dessert.

My husband is still snacking on the chocolate covered bacon. I probably won't eat bacon for weeks. 

We were delighted with sweet potatoes bites. Such a savory vegetable recipe! The bacon adds a nice flavor to the sweet goodness of the potatoes.

Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potatoes

2 medium-small sweet potatoes
1 lb bacon
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder (I used regular chili powder)
1 Tbsp sea salt (I didn't have sea salt so I used one tsp salt)
4 Tbsp maple syrup (optional - but I recommend it)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them lengthwise into quarters. Then cut each quarter in half, and then half again. You'll wind up with about 32 bites.

Melt butter over low-heat an stir in chili powder and salt. Toss the potatoes in the spiced melted butter to coat.

Cut the bacon slices in half, so you have 32 mini slices of bacon. Wrap each sweet potatoes bite with a half slice of bacon. Use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place.

Place on a baking sheet and bake for 45 minutes, turning once halfway through. They are done when the bacon is crispy and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

Remove from heat and drizzle with maple syrup.

Let cool before serving.

I am linking up today with Food on Fridays. Be sure to stop by and check out more food related posts.

Friday Tried and Tasty Favorites

This week, my favorite new recipes were:

Taco Casserole
Easy Chicken Parmesan
Homemade Croutons  --not a new recipe this week but still a fairly new favorite recipe

Taco Casserole Courtesy of Melissa Guay

1 lb ground beef (I used almost a pound and a half)
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I just pressed mine)
1 cup of water
1/2 cup taco sauce (I used mild)
4 oz can diced green chilies
1 pkg taco seasoning mix
8 taco shells -- broken (I believe I used 10)
2 cups cheddar cheese -- shredded
1/4 cup chopped tomatoes
1/8 cup sliced green onions
sour cream
1 diced avocado

Cook beef, onion and garlic until beef is browned. Drain off the grease. Stir in water, taco sauce, chilies and seasoning mix. Cook over low heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Layer half of broken taco shells on bottom of greased 8" x 12" baking dish. Cover with half of meat sauce; sprinkle with 1 cup cheese. Repeat with remaining shells, meat sauce and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes or until bubbly and cheese is melted. Serve with tomatoes, green onions, sour cream and avocado as desired.

This dish was a hit with the family. This is recipe I referred to yesterday as getting 4 out of 6 stars from the family. Four of us loved it. One thought it was okay. Only one of my four kids claimed to not like it. I think it was because he could see the green chilies. Once we wrapped it up in a tortilla, he ate it up pretty quickly.

I didn't take a picture. We didn't have any leftovers. You get the picture!

Super-Easy Chicken Parmesan Courtesy of Jenny Vollmer 

1 jar spaghetti sauce
6 Tbsp, grated Parmesan cheese, divided
6 small boneless, chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Pour sauce into 13 x 9 baking dish. Stir in 4 Tbsp of the Parmesan cheese. Add chicken and coat both sides. Cover with foil. Bake at 375 for 30 minutes. Uncover. Top with mozzarella cheese and remaining 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese and broil on low for 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve over hot pasta.

Everyone in my family of six enjoyed this meal. I served it over angel hair pasta, with bread and a side salad. I would note that if you don't have small chicken breasts, you need to adjust the cooking time accordingly. I think next time I will use chicken tenderloins as we ended up cutting up the chicken before putting it on the plates.

I took this picture before I added salad dressing and my homemade croutons.

Croutons are so easy to make. I love making my own- they are quick, simple, cheap and tasty.

Here's the Crouton recipe: Quick and Easy Garlic and Herb Croutons

As you can tell, the crouton recipe makes plenty. I store them in a ziploc and enjoy them on salads at lunchtime.

Saturday Smoothie

I made smoothies this morning. What a medley of flavors!
I don't even remember the last time I've had a smoothie.
My 6 year old thought it was an "uh-maze-ing" drink.

Saturday Smoothie

1 1/4 cups (calcium fortified) orange juice
1 banana
1 1/4 cups frozen berries (I used blueberries and strawberries)
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Combine orange juice, banana, berries, yogurt and sugar, if using, in a blender; cover and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

Source: Eating Well

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Sweet Bacon Chicken

I've set a goal for myself to try at least 2 new recipes a week. Some of the new meals are mouth-watering good and some are just solid. I'm expanding my recipe base and enjoying cooking new things. That works for me!

Last week, we tried out this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken and it did not disappoint us. Not only did its taste delight us, but the aroma that filled the kitchen was marvelous.

Sweet Bacon Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
8 slices of bacon, halved crosswise
1 cup packed light brown sugar

1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, and garlic. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat well with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease a wire cooling rack or coat with cooking spray. Place the wrack on the baking sheet.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Wrap a bacon slice around each piece of thigh. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.

4. Crumble the brown sugar into a bowl. Dip each bacon-wrapped thigh into the sugar, taking care to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the prepared rack. Bake, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

I served this with creamy grits with sweet corn, homemade biscuits and sweet tea.

Recipe Source: Paula Deen

Comforting Pasta Fazool

This past weekend we tried a pasta fazool (pasta and bean soup) recipe that turned out quite tasty. It was delightful comfort food. I had gotten the recipe years ago from my good friend Sharon (at least I think that is where I got it) but I had never tried it.

As soon as I gathered the ingredients, I felt certain it'd be tasty- so I took a picture and continued to take pictures while the house filled with the amazing aroma of the soup.

Pasta Fazool

2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/4 pd prosciutoo di Parma, cut into medium dice (double-smoke bacon or italian sausage can be substituted)
1 small carrot, peeled and diced small
1 small spanish onion, peeled diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
Coarse salt
freshly ground pepper
1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste
1 quart store bought, reduced-sodium vegetable broth
1 quart water
2 medium baking potatoes, peeled
One 1 pound 13 ouce can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup dried ditalini pasta, cooked and drained (I didn't cook and drain it. I just cooked it in the soup.)


1. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring, until the prosciutto begins to render it's fat (about 5 minutes).

2. Add the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic. Season with salt and peper and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, about 5 minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste, stir to coat the other ingredients, and cook for 2 minutes.

4. Add the broth, water, and potatoes. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are very soft (a sharp knife should easily pierce their center, about 20 minutes.

5. Use tongs or a slotted spoon to transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Mash the potatoes with a masher or large fork.

6. Return the mashed potatoes to the pot and stir them into the soup. (If making this for another day, let the soup cool, cover and store in the refrigerator or freeze up to one month. Then reheat before continuing with the rest of the recipe.)
7. Add beans and pasta. Cool over medium heat until the beans are warmed through, about five minuets. Stir in the rosemary, crushed red pepper, and cheese.
8. To serve, ladle some soup in bowls. *Top with some more cheese and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. *We forgot to top it with cheese and olive oil and I really don't think it needed it.

My husband and I devoured our bowls of soup. Remarkably, all four of my kids enjoyed the soup, too. I did heat up extra broth, which I added to two of the kids bowls (One doesn't like potatoes and the other is picky about textures.)

Stop by Beauty and Bedlam's Tasty Tuesday to check out more tasty recipes.

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Tasty Tuesday: Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

This is the best banana chocolate chip muffin recipe ever. Really. I've misplaced my recipe more times that I want to admit and I've googled similar recipes but not one has been the same.

Try them. They are so good.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2 extra ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Puree bananas in a blender. (I just using a mixer on high speed.) In a medium bowl, beat pureed bananas, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla until well blended. In a large bowl, combine flower, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Stir in chocolate chips. Make a well in the center of dry ingredients. Pour in banana mixture. Mix until just blended. Spoon into well greased muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes. Remove from pan. Makes 12 muffins.



Seriously Tasty~ My kids love these, especially when warm out of the oven. Just a few minutes ago, my eldest (and most picky eater) saw the recipe and said, "Banana and chocolate? I'm glad I didn't know that. That doesn't sound good together." Never mind that he has been eating these for years and gobbled them up just yesterday morning before school.

So... even if you don't like bananas or chocolate (as if you could not like chocolate), try these. They are that good.


I'm linking up with Tasty Tuesday.

God's Own Food

Aw'ight, I reckon most ya'll don't know that I'm from Tennessee. My people are East Tennesseans. But hold up, before you picture me in orange, I am not a Volunteer fan.

Now that we've cleared that up, I've gotta tell all ya'll 'bout my dinner. I was full as a tick for about 3 hours after I ate.

Oh my word. Yep, I'm serious.

So, I've always thought of myself as a Southern gal. I wouldn't say Southern Belle... because, honestly, I ain't ever been good at keepin' the rules.

There are a few southern dishes that scream the South to me. One of them is chicken n' dumplin's. I've watched my grandmother make 'em. I've adored my mother-in-law making them. Oh law, I've loved eatin' them so many times. There was this place in Tuscaloosa (near the great University) that served up the biggest helpin' ever. Oh honey, chicken n' dumplin's defines comfort food.

Before Tuesday night, I'd never made them. Oh sure enough, I thought about it. I'd just not done it.

I gotta tell ya'll. I was fixin' to make dinner and my kids were creatin' the biggest ruckus. I was fit to be tied, ya know? Mad as a hornet. I thought about pullin' out the left overs right then and there. But I didn't. It was worth it.

The best part? Hearing my 9 year old say, "I want you to make these again and again."

Noooo... I take that back. The best part was eatin'. It was good. It was real good. God's own food. I'm tellin' ya'll.

Ok, I don't even claim that this is the best chicken n' dumplin's recipe ever. It's just a good one... course, it's good. I got it out of a Southern Living book I checked out of the library. (Thank the Lord, they have a Southern Living book in my Oregon library.)

JA's Chicken and Dumplings
Heck ya dadgum, I just put my name in the recipe title. That's how happy I am.

1 (3 to 4 pound) broiler-fryer
2 quarts water
2 stalks celery, cut into pieces
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

Place chicken in a Dutch oven; add water, celery, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until chicken is tender.

Remove chicken from broth, and cool. Discard celery. (For this, I put my large strainer on top of a large bowl and poured everything in it. That separated the chicken and celery from the broth.) Bone chicken, and cut into bite size pieces (Note to self, the chicken is hot. Next time, give yourself more time.) Set aside chicken and 3/4 cup of the broth. Leave remaining broth in pan. (Or, pour back in pan, like I did.)

Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cut in butter until mixture is crumbly. Add 3/4 cup reserved broth, stirring with a fork until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn dough out onto a well-floured surface, and knead.

Pat dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Cut dough in 4 x 1/2 inch pieces, and sprinkle with additional flour. (I gotta admit, I just cut them as I saw fit- the size I wanted.)

Bring broth to a boil. Drop dough, one piece at a time, into boiling broth, gently stirring after each addition. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in chicken,and serve immediately with sweat tea to drink.


Okay ya'll, a few things:
1. I made side dishes. You don't need 'em.
2. I know the steamed broccoli gives me away. I've lived away from the South for over 10 years. Real southern veggies are not steamed.
3. Aw'ight, I don't normally talk like this- not here in Oregon, anyway. Ya'll gotta know, it all comes back to me when I visit family.
4. Dad-freakin-frackin-gumit! I threw those utensils down in the wrong spot for the picture. Dang it. My momma will just die wring my neck when she sees that place setting wrong.

Next up (next Southern dish to make): Banana Pudding.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It's Friday now, and I've decided to link up to Food on Fridays. I made this on Tuesday and I am still thrilled with myself. Silly? Perhaps. (I mean, heck ya dadgum) But, wonderful, too.

Be sure to check out more tasty recipes at Ann Kroeker's "Food on Fridays".

More Zucchini, Please?

I tried a new Zucchini recipe over the weekend. I got mixed results from the kids. One son had seconds. He also said it was his favorite part of the meal. That was super surprising. I had seconds myself. I thought the casserole was delicious.



Zucchini Corn Casserole

1 1/2 pounds small zucchini
One 8 ounce small can cream style corn
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 small onion, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 grated sharp cheddar cheese
Paprika to taste

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook zucchini in boiling salted water to cover until just tender, about 6 minutes. Drain, cut into chunks, and combine with corn and eggs. Meanwhile, saute' onion and bell pepper in butter until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add to zucchini and corn mixture; add salt and pepper. Pour mixture into a greased casserole. Sprinkle cheese on top, then sprinkle with paprika. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

We had oven fried pork chops and roasted sweet potatoes with the casserole. Here's our colorful dinner:

Check out other wonderful recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Food on Friday: Maple Syrup Cake

This cake smells heavenly when it's baking. Think warm maple syrup. The cake tastes amazing. I've never had anything like it.

You don't need a fancy cake pan. (But I sure I love the one my mom gave me.)

Maple Syrup Cake

2 3/4 cake flour

1 3/4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I didn't have fresh)

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 1/2 vanilla extract

16 Tbs (2 sticks) unsalted butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Have all of the ingredients at room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees. **Using a small pastry brush, brush the inside of the cake pan with softened shortening or butter, making sure to coat the detailing in the pan. Dust with cake flour; tap out excess flour. (**I just used no-stick bakery spray.)

To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, maple syrup and vanilla. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the brown sugar and granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour. Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes. Tap the cake pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake. Invert the pan on wax paper or a serving surface and lift off the pan. Let the cake cool completely, at least 2 hours, before serving.

Be sure to check out more tasty recipes at Ann Kroeker's "Food on Fridays".

For the Love of Chocolate

...and coffee.



Last night, I made Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bar's.
Oh.my.word. They are delicious! I mean, they are oh-my-stars, where-have-you-been-all-my-life, delicious.

Chocolate Chip Brownie Bars

1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, divided
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 box brownie mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 13 by 9 inch baking pan with heavy duty aluminum foil with a 2 inch overhang. Spray with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar at medium-high speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add 2 eggs, beating until well blended. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating until mixture forms a soft dough. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. In another bowl, combine brownie mix, oil, water, and remaining 2 eggs, beating until well blended.

4. Spread cookie dough in prepared pan. Pour brownie mixture over dough. Using a knife, swirl mixtures together. Bake 40 minutes or until edges start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Let cool in the pan for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours (I couldn't wait that long to try these yummies.) Cut into bars.

These go great with coffee. (No, I am not having coffee and chocolate for breakfast dessert!)

Speaking of coffee, did you notice my empty Starbucks cup in the picture?

Beth from Outnumbered, Three to One, is giving away 2 Starbucks Gift Cards to celebrate 300 blog posts. Beth is a sweet Southern lady. She has a thoughtful husband, famously known at my house for bringing her vidalia onions for mother's day. She also has 2 grown sons, one of which has a peanut allergy. In short, Beth is one lovely lady that shares from the heart (often humorously) on her blog. Stop by her place to win: 300th Post Contest

Here's one more look at sweetness:

Easy Ranch Chicken

A couple of Sundays ago, I tried out this recipe. As I was getting it ready, I invited to some friends to eat dinner with us. I don't usually try out recipes on company. This dish was easy and tasty.

Easy Ranch Chicken

½ cups Breadcrumbs
½ cups Cornmeal
¼ cups Parmesan Cheese
1 teaspoon Cajun Season Salt
½ teaspoons Garlic Salt
1 cup Ranch Dressing
6 pieces Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs

Preheat oven at 425° F.

On a large plate mix together breadcrumbs, cornmeal, Parmesan cheese, Cajun seasoning and garlic salt, set aside.

Pour ranch dressing into a bowl and dip each chicken thigh into the dressing and then into the seasoned breadcrumb mixture.

Place on a foil lined cookie sheet and repeat until you have all of the chicken thighs on the cookie sheet.

Place in 425° F oven and bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

I only took one picture before I put the chicken in the oven (remember, I had company on the way). Once it was ready, we ate!

Check out other wonderful recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.

Me Oh My, Chicken Pot Pie!

I made a Chicken Potpie last night. My 5 year old called it "Chicken Popeye." I'd never made a chicken potpie before. It was pretty simple and very tasty! (Not healthy but it weighs in quite high on the comfort food scale.)

Comforting Chicken Potpie

1/3 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups water
2/3 cup milk
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
2 cups cubed cooked chicken
1 cup frozen mixed vegetables

PASTRY
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons celery seed
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, cubed
1/3 cup cold butter or margarine

Prepared the cooked chicken. You can use leftover chicken. I boiled my chicken with chicken broth (using chicken bouillon cubes and water).

In a saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour, garlic, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually stir in water, milk and bouillon. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat. Stir in chicken and vegetables; set aside.

For pastry, combine flour and celery seed in a bowl. (I thought I had celery seed but I didn't. So, I used one tsp of celery salt and one tsp of cumin seed.) Cut in cream cheese and butter until crumbly. Work mixture by hand until dough forms a ball. On a lightly floured surface, roll two-thirds of dough into a 12 in square. Transfer to an 8 in square baking dish.

Pour filling into the crust. Roll remaining dough into a 9 in square; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in pastry. Bake at 425 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly.


Stop by Ann Kroeker's Food on Friday for more food related posts and recipes.

Food on Fridays: Sweet Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I'll call this my new recipe "I'm stunned" moment. I picked out a recipe last week when I was hurriedly making the grocery list. I randomly found the recipe here: Hillbilly Housewife.

I thought, "Pulled pork? That sounds good and I bet my oldest will want it in his lunch." Then, I made sure I had the ingredients and that was that.

Enter Wednesday morning... I'm putting the ingredients in the crockpot, thinking "Wow, this could be really spicy."

Then, at dinner time, I grabbed some sunbutter and crackers as a standby because I was sure that the kids would not like the pork sandwiches. They had flavor alright. They were bursting with it.

I was stunned.

My oldest had 2 sandwiches and said, "Lunch is going to be awesome tomorrow!"
Both of the other boys finished their sandwiches as well. They did request a bit more to drink than usual but they all said they liked it...a lot.

My oldest had 2 sandwiches for dinner, then had it in his lunch and requested it for dinner tonight.

I am still stunned.

This is a great recipe, especially if you like a little spice.


Sweet Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches

1 (5 lb.) pork should roast or butt roast

dry rub:
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
3 small yellow onions cut into large wedges

sauce:
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp. honey
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

Put the onions in the crockpot first. Blend dry rub ingredients with fork and gently press and rub over the pork roast. The put the pork roast in the crockpot on top of the onions.


In a glass bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth.

Pour 1/2 the sauce mixture over the pork roast in the crockpot, coating the meat well. (Store the remaining 1/2 of the sauce mixture in the refrigerator for later.)
Cover the crockpot and set on LOW temperature. Cook, undisturbed, for 8 to 9 hours.

Remove the meat from the crockpot to a platter and shred with a fork. Pick the onion out from the crockpot and discard. Return the shredded meat to the crockpot, add the sauce mixture you refrigerated earlier to the crockpot and stir to combine well. Put cover back on crockpot and let heat through, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Keep warm and serve on hearty buns. You can make another small batch of the sauce to serve alongside the sandwiches if you wish. Just heat the sauce in a pan for about 15 minutes on low, then pour into a serving bowl with a ladle.

Note: because of the (quite tasty) intense spice to the sauce, I just drained the sauce and served the meat on the buns. The meat was still well coated and soaked in the sauce. Oh! And 3 of us thought the sandwiches were really good with dill pickles.


(Ok, this isn't a great picture. At that point in the evening, I was in get-the-food-on-the-table-because-the-kids-are-cranky-hungry-mode.)

Be sure to check out more tasty recipes at Ann Kroeker's "Food on Fridays".

Tuscan Chicken

I recently tried out this recipe. My whole family (all 6 of us) liked it. That means, it's a keeper.

Tuscan Chicken

2 lbs chicken breast tenderloins (I used chicken breasts and then cut them)
salt and pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, chopped
1 tsp ground thyme
1 tbsp flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup beef broth

Chicken
Salt and pepper all the chicken. Heat a large skillet over med-high heat. Add olive oil to the pan. Brown the chicken (1/2 at a time), cook for 3 min per side (or longer depending on the thickness of your chicken), drain on paper towels.


Sauce (I doubled the sauce)
Add vinegar to pan and cook for 30 seconds stirring up brown bits. Reduce heat to medium and add butter, garlic, onions and thyme and cook 4-5 minutes. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in wine and broth and reduce sauce for 5 minutes.



Chicken and Sauce
Add chicken to the sauce to warm through.


Tuscan Chicken Dinner
I made whole-wheat spaghetti and put the chicken and sauce on top. We had a side salad and fruit with it.

Check out other wonderful recipes at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam.