Ork's Bacon Bites

These may sound gross, but they are AWESOME. Our friend Ork made them for us at a cookout at his house last summer and I was hesitant to try them...dates, no thank you. My mind was changed immediately. I've made them for a few parties and friends are always hesitant until they taste them. They are one of those appetizers that you just keep eating more of!

-Bacon
-Package of pitted dates (you can usually find them by the nuts in the shell in your grocery store)
-Soy Sauce
-Hot sauce - we use Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce but any hot sauce would (Sriracha can be found in the Asian food aisle)
-Toothpicks

Cut bacon slices in half. Take a piece of bacon and wrap it around a date and secure with a toothpick. Continue until you have as many wrapped dates as you want. Layer in a tupperware container. Sprinkle with soy sauce until the dates are all sitting in a layer of soy sauce. Add hot sauce to taste (we do a couple tablespoons). Seal the tupperware. Shake the container occassionaly to make sure the dates get throughly coated. Let marinate for 30-60 minutes. Grill or broil until bacon is cooked through. I usually broil them since I usually need to keep an eye on the kids while prepping. Ork always grills them on his smoker and they taste even better that way.

These will blow your mind, I promise!

From the kitchen of Joerg Podschun.

Pork Piccata

I haven't made this for a while, but it was tasty. I originally found it while looking for a recipe to use up the jar of capers I had in my fridge.

-8 thin boneless pork cutlets
-1/4 t salt
-1/4 black pepper
-1/3 cup all-purpose flour
-2 T olive oil
-1 cup chicken broth
-3 T capers
-2 T lemon juice
-1 T butter

Season both sides of pork with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and shake off excess. Discard remaining flour.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute for 2 minutes per side. Remove pork to a plate and keep warm.

Add broth and simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Stir in the capers and lemon juice. Return the pork to the skillet and simmer gently for about 1 to 2 minutes, until pork is heated through. Whisk in the butter.

Serve with mash potatoes and peas and garnish with lemon and parsley, if desired.

Per serving: 366 calories, 21 g fat (7 g sat), 35 g protein, 7 g carbs, 0 g fiber, 582 mg sodium, 101 mg cholesterol.

All Day Flank Steak

This is one of our crock pot favorites in this house. Super easy, pretty health, and yummy!

-1 1/2 - 2 pounds flank steak
-1 large onion, sliced
-1/3 cup water
-1 can chopped green chiles
-2 T red wine vinegar
-1/2 t chili powder
-1 t garlic powder
-1/2 t sugar
-1/2 t salt
-1/8 t black pepper

In a large frying pan, brown steak on both sides. Put steak in crock pot. In frying pan, saute onion for 1 minute, then add water, green chilies, vinegar, chili powder, garlic powder, sugar, salt and pepper and saute for another minute. Pour over steak and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. Slice steak and serve with onions and pan juices. I serve it over rice.

When I am really running low on time, I just throw all the ingredients into the crock pot and it still turns out great.

From the kitchen of Lisa Stone.

Tamale Casserole

This is like a super easy, mexican pot pie. I usually make it with ground turkey and serve with a dollop of sour cream (and jalepenos for me) on top.

-1 pound ground beef or turkey, browned and drained
-1 can kidney or black beans
-1 small can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, sliced (I omit this ingredient...too spicy for my kids and it's just as yummy without it)
-1 green pepper, sliced
-1 small yellow onion, diced
-1 can enchilada sauce
-Fresh or canned mushrooms
-2 garlic cloves
-Salt and pepper to taste
-1 pkg. cornbread (or muffin) mix (and ingredients need to prepare it)

Brown the meat and put it in the slow cooker. Stir in everything except the cornbread. Mix cornbread according to package. Pour cornbread mixture over ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low, 5 hours.

**I mix all the ingredients together in the crockpot except for the corn bread mix. I set the crock pot on low. Five hours prior to dinner time, I prepare the corn bread mixture, layered it on top of the mixture already in the crockpot and kept the crockpot on low for another 5 hours.

Are you still cooking?

I hope you are still cooking because I have been on a cooking hiatus. I loved posting to this blog because it helped motivate me to continually try out new recipes. One of my goals for this year (yes, I am starting my New Year's resolutions a little late this year) is to get back to my cooking and blogging.

First of all, I need to know...who is really reading (and USING) this blog (besides Kate, of course)? Just as I requested on my personal blog recently, show me some love in the comments section if you stop here regularly. If you ever make any of these recipes, PLEASE comment. I'd love to hear how your meal turned out.

I love ya Kate...you motivate me to continue this blog. Thanks for continuing to come back, especially after I have been a slacker for so long.

At Kate's request, I have been on the hunt for some more crock pot recipes to post. If you have one to share, please e-mail/FB me with it or just post it in the comments section. I usually like to try out recipes before I post them. However, as I've mentioned, I've been a little bit of a slacker in the kitchen lately. I will post some crockpot recipes as I get them and let you know if they are one's that I have actually made.

I am ALWAYS looking for new recipes to try. With two little boys and very little time to get dinner prepped, cooked, and on the table, I am especially interested in simple and quick recipes that still manage to have a lot of flavor. Send them my way, PLEASE!

Keep the comments coming and become a follower of this blog!

Fall Off the Bone Ribs

-2-3 pounds baby back ribs
-1 medium onion, thinly sliced
-1 green pepper, thinly sliced
-1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
-1 red pepper, thinly sliced
-Lawry's seasoned salt
-Black pepper

Season ribs with a generous portion of Lawry's on both sides. Sprinkle black pepper on both sides. In a large baking dish (I use a turkey roasting pan), layer peppers and onions around ribs. Refrigerate for 24-48 hours. Bake at 300 degrees for about 8 hours or until meat is tender. I've never tried it, but you could also make this in a crock pot.

The meat will literally just fall of the bone it is so tender. I love to make pulled pork sandwiches with the leftovers. No additional seasoning required. Just put the leftover meat (minus the bones) in a crock pot with a little water so the meat doesn't scorch. Put it on low or high until warm through. Serve on fresh hoagie buns or kaiser rolls. YUM!

From the kitchen of Tava Musial.

Guacamole Salad

-1 pint grape tomatoes, (halved)
-1 yellow pepper (diced)
-1 (15 oz) can black beans (rinsed and drained)
-1/2 cup diced red onion
-2 Tbls. minced jalapeno pepper
-1/2 tsp. lime zest

Place above in a large bowl.

Dressing:
-1/4 cup fresh lime juice
-1/4 cup olive oil
-1 tsp. salt
-1/2 tsp. pepper
-1/2 tsp. minced garlic
-1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Whisk together, pour over vegetables and toss well.

-2 ripe avocados (DICED)

Just before serving, fold the avacados into the salad. Serve at room temperature.

French Toast Casserole

I haven't tried this one yet, but it sounds so yummy for a brunch.

-1 large loaf of French bread (not sliced)
-1, 8 ounce pkg. cream cheese
-12 eggs
-1 3/4 cups half and half
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-6 T melted butter
-Cinnamon
-Powdered sugar

Cut bread into cubes. Layer half of the cubes in a 9"X13" pan. Cut cream cheese into small cubes and scatter over bread. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Cover with remaining bread. Wisk together eggs, half and half, syrup, and butter and pour evenly over bread. Press down to soak up egg mixture. Sprinkle with more cinnamon. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with hot strawberry sauce.

Strawberry Sauce
-2 cups strawberry preserves
-2 cups strawberries (fresh or frozen)
-Heat in saucepan (do not boil)

From the kitchen of Sabrina Chango

Easter Quiche

I'm still trying to use some of the ham I have in my freezer from Easter. I threw the ham and a concoction of other stuff I needed to use up in my fridge together and it turned out pretty good. This turned out to be one of my best quiches yet!

-1 cup shredded swiss cheese
-1 cup shredded colby and monterey jack cheese
-2 T flour
-1 1/2 cups half and half
-4 eggs, slightly beaten
-1 - 1 1/2 cups finely chopped ham (could've been a little more or less...I just sort of eyeballed it)
-2-3 pieces of crumbled bacon
-salt and pepper to taste (about 1/4 t each)
-pie crust

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Pour into an unbaked pie crust. Place pie plate on a cookie sheet that is covered in foil to protect your oven from any potential spillovers. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-65 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

Bean Soup

Thanks to my sister-in-law, Kelley, for sharing her bean soup recipe so I could use up some of my left over Easter ham. Fab recipe!

-3 cups diced ham
-1 1/2-2 cups chopped carrots
-1 small onion, chopped
-3 cans of pinto beans, rinsed
-1 can of chicken broth
-1 T brown sugar
-1 t salt
-1 t pepper
-1/2 cup heavy cream
-Water to fill

Combine all ingredients in large pot. Cook on low for about 3 hours or unitl soup has thickened and veggies are tender. Add water as needed to keep a steady fluid base and so soup doesn't burn. Serve with warm French or Italian bread for dipping.

From the kitchen of Kelley Midagliotti

BTZ Alfredo Pasta

Creative name, huh? This is something I came up with last night while trying to use up stuff in my fridge. It turned out to be really yummy so I thought I'd share. Only took me about 15 minutes to put together. Enjoy!

-6-7 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled (the "B")
-1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half (the "T")
-2 small zucchinis, sliced in half lenthwise and then cut into 1/4 inch piece (the "Z")
-8-10 ounces, mini farfalle/bowties (Barilla's Piccolini line), cooked and drained
-1 jar of alfredo sauce
-shredded Parmesan cheese
-Olive oil
-1/2 tsp. minced garlic

While cooking your pasta, saute tomatoes and zucchini in in a skillet with olive oil and garlic for about 5 minutes. Add alfredo sauce, stir to combine, bring to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer. Add in drained pasta and bacon. Stir to combine. Top with Parmesan cheese and serve.

Hungarian Paprika Chicken

Very good. Reminds me of a tomatoey (is that a word??) chicken version of beef stroganoff. It was a hit!


-2 T olive oil
-1 large onion, chopped
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-1 large yellow pepper, chopped
-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
-1 t hot Hungarian paprika**
-1 t paprika
-2 t cornstarch
-1/2 t each salt and black pepper
-1 cup reduced fat sour cream.


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion to skillet and cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add chicken to skillet. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in pepper, tomatoes and both paprikas. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 18 minutes. In a small bowl, stir cornstarch, salt and black pepper into sour cream. Add sour cream mixture to pan and cook, uncovered for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Serve over rice or egg noodles.


Per serving: 416 calories; 17 g fat (6 g sat); 50 g protein; 14 g carbs; 2 g fiber; 462 mg sodium; 146 mg cholesterol

**I didn't have Hungarian paprika so I just used 2 t of regular paprika and it turned out just as yummy!

Creamy Pasta & Chickpeas

Yummy new Family Circle recipe for you to try. This is a great one for the Fridays of Lent!

-1 pound asparagus, cut into 1 inch pieces
-1 red pepper, chopped ( I use whatever color peppers I have on hand)
-1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper
-8 ounces penne pasta
-1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
-1 pkg. (4.4 ounces) light spreadable herb (I use a 6 ounce container of Alouette brand...you can find it by the feta, brie, and other soft cheeses)
-heavy dash of nutmeg

Cooke penne in boiling salted water for 12 minutes. Drain; reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, coat a medium-size nonstick saucepan with a few tablespoons of olive oil;  heat over medium-high heat. Add asparagus, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to pot. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes.

Over medium heat, stir pasta into veggie mixture.  Add remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, chickpeas, cheese and nutmeg, adding reserved pasta water as needed to thin sauce. Serve immediately.

Per serving: 280 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat); 15 g protein; 47 g carbohydrates; 8 g fiber; 553 mg sodium; 6 mg cholesterol

Cinnamon Cheesecake Streudel

Here's a yummy sounding recipe that my sister-in-law just shared with me. Sounds like homemade Cinnabon if you ask me. Can't wait to try it!

-2 cans cresent rolls
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 stick butter
-2 - 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
-1 T vanilla
-1 T cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread one can of cresent rolls onto the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 pan, sealing the seams. Mix cream cheese with 1 cup of sugar and vanilla. Spread cream cheese mixture onto bottom layer of cresent roll. Put remaining can of cresent rolls on top of cream cheese mixture, sealing the seams. Melt stick of butter and pour over top of cresent roll. Combine remaining 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 tbs of cinnamon in a bowl; sprinkle all over the top of the melted butter. Bake for about 30 minutes. Refrigerate until cooled - about 30-60 minutes. Enjoy with coffee or as part of a brunch!

From the kitchen of Kelley Midagliotti.

Chicken Saute

-4 tbsp. butter
-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
-2 tbsp. flour
-Salt & pepper
-½ cup onion, chopped
-1 ½ cups red potatoes, diced
-1 cup chicken broth
-2 sprigs fresh thyme (you can also use dried thyme)
-1 ½ cup fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1” pieces

In a large skillet, melt 2 tbsp. butter over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook chicken until brown, about 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken from skillet. Add 1 tbsp. butter to pan. Add potatoes, broth and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is almost cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add green beans; cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 2 more minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken and vegetables to plates. Raise heat to high; whisk in 1 tbsp. butter and about 1 tsp. flour to thicken sauce. Pour sauce over chicken and vegetables and serve. Serves 4.

Holiday Potatoes

These are the tastiest mashed potatoes I've even eaten! They are so much easier than regular mash because you make them the night before. My mom tried making them for the first time on Thanksgiving and I made them again for Christmas dinner. I don't think I'll ever go back to "plain old mashed potatoes."

-5 pounds of potatoes, cooked and mashed

Add the following ingredients one at a time and mix with an electric mixer:
-8 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
-1 stick butter or margarine
-1/2 cup sour cream
-1/2 cup milk
-2 eggs, slightly beaten
-salt and pepper to taste
-onion powder to taste

Pour into a 9" X 13" greased casserole dish (the mixture will be runnier than regular mashed potatoes). Bake at 350 degrees - covered with foil for 30 minutes and then uncovered for 15 minutes. Before putting it back in the oven for the last 15 minutes, I sprinkled with paprika - made it look and taste good too!

FYI - When I made these for Christmas, it was just the 4 of us so I cut this recipe in half and it turned out just fine. I just used a 9" X 9" square pan instead.

P.S. No one said these were healthy! Everything in moderation, right?

Comments please!

Hey everyone! Just a quick note to encourage your comments on this blog. If you ever make any of these recipes, please make a comment and let me know how you liked it. I find it fun to update this blog, but I'm curious if any of you ever end up trying these recipes.

Also, I'm always looking for new recipes so drop me an e-mail or Facebook note with any that you can suggest. I am the world's worst baker so I never seem to share any baking recipes. If you have a favorite cookie, cake, or dessert recipe, please share so the rest of us can enjoy it too!

Macadamia Caramel Clusters

I've never made this, but my sister-in-law says it's SUPER yummy and tastes like Snickers bars. They are low glycemic (don't cause a spike in blood sugar), vegan, and gluten-free.

-½ cup almond butter
-½ cup agave nectar
-1 tablespoon vanilla extract
-½ tsp celtic sea salt
-1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted
-1 cup dark chocolate 73%

Combine almond butter and agave in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in vanilla and salt, then add macadamia nuts. Allow mixture to cool a few minutes. Drop mixture by the tablespoonful onto a parchment lined dish. Place dish in freezer for 10 minutes. Melt chocolate in a medium saucepan over lowest heat possible, stirring continuously to avoid scorching. Remove dish from freezer and drop chocolate over each caramel cluster, spreading gently to coat. Store macadamia caramel clusters in freezer. Remove from freezer just before serving (if left out for long they become quite messy).

Crockpot Stroganoff

I usually double this recipe and then freeze the leftovers for any easy dinner down the road.  If I have them on hand, I will throw in fresh or canned mushrooms as well.

-1 inch chunks or strips of sirloin or sirloin tip (approx. 1 pound)
-1 can Golden Mushroom Soup
-1 can French Onion Soup
-1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

Combine all ingredients and cook in crockpot on low for about 8 hours. Serve over rice or noodles.

From the kitchen of Cheri Midagliotti

Coke Roast

I haven't tried this one yet, but plan to as soon as I dig my crockpot out from all these boxes!

-1 pot roast (or other crock pot beef of your choice)
-1 packet french onion soup mix
-2 cans regular coke

Mix the soup and coke together. Put in the beef and cook for 10 hours! Serve over egg noodles.

From the kitchen of Michele Toman.