Granola

Source: adapted from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook (14th Edition)

Ingredients:
2 cups regular rolled oats (since I don't have everything listed in the recipe, I usually do 3)
1 cup coarsely chopped sliced almonds, chopped walnuts, or chopped pecans (when I have them, I add about a half cup - if I don't I up the oats to 3 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup coconut (optional) (I up it to ~2/3 cup)
1/2 cup sunflower seeds (usually don't have any, so leave 'em out)
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ (again, don't have any, so just skip it)
1/4 cup flax seeds (I add 3 Tablespoons flax seed meal when I have it)
1/2 cup honey or maple-flavored syrup (I've been quite successful with half this amount and I always use honey)
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup dried fruit (cherries, snipped pitted dates, raisins, or cranberries) (optional) (I do half cup craisins, half cup raisins)

Directions:
Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and set aside.  In a medium bowl, combine oats, nuts, seeds, wheat germ, etc. (basically all your dry ingredients except the fruit).  In a small bowl, mix the honey or syurp and oil until smooth (it's a little tricky at first, but just keep stirring!  Also a quick zap in the microwave helps things come together nicely).  Stir honey mixture into oat mixture to coat evenly (I sometimes have to use my hands to make sure everything got covered).  Spread evenly on prepared pan.  Bake in a 300F oven for 30-35 minutes or until light brown, stirring after 20 minutes.  If desired, stir in dry fruit.

Spread on a large piece of foil to cool.  Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  (Or store in freezer bags and freeze up to 2 months.)

Notes:
I've been making this granola for a few years now, but I never follow the actual recipe.  I've discovered that I alter it almost the same way every time I make it, though, so I figured I'd post it so I can remember all the alterations instead of having to re-invent them each time.  This is yummy!

Asian Garlic Noodles

Source: Mel The Great

Ingredients:
12 ounces spaghetti (I did not have spaghetti - who doesn't have spaghetti? - so I ended up subbing a full pound package of extra wide egg noodles and it worked really well, I thought)
1 teaspoon olive oil or avocado oil
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp or boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed (I would have loved shrimp, but I used chicken since that's what I had, and I only used one chicken breast)
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
3 zucchinis spiralized or small diced (I think three zucchinis was a ton! you could get away with 2, I'm sure)
3 large carrots, cut into thin matchsticks or chopped (I tried the matchsticks thing, just to be cute and I think next time I'll just chop 'em small)
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms (my own addition to kind of make up for less chicken)
chopped fresh cilantro

for the sauce:
1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce, more to taste, if needed
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger (I used about a teaspoon of dry ground)
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar (I only had plain ol' white vinegar)
1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
5 cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Directions:
Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water according to package directions just to al dente. Drain and rinse quickly with cool water. Set aside.

While the pasta is cooking, whisk together all the sauce ingredients except for the cornstarch.

Measure out 1/4 cup and set aside. Whisk in the cornstarch to the larger batch of sauce.

Heat the 1 teaspoon oil in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Season the shrimp or chicken lightly with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Add the 1/4 cup reserved sauce. Saute until cooked through (just a few minutes for shrimp, 5-6 minutes for chicken). Remove the meat to a plate and return the skillet to the heat.

Add another teaspoon of oil, if needed, and add the bell peppers, zucchini, and carrots. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the vegetables are crisp-tender, longer for softer vegetables.

Add the cooked spaghetti, shrimp or chicken, and reserved sauce mixture. Toss to combine and cook for 2-3 minutes until heated through.

Sprinkle with chopped cilantro and serve immediately.

Notes:
This was yummy and colorful and different than our normal noodle dishes.  I loved it.  'Nuff said.

Eat the rainbow!

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Applesauce Bread

Source: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
1/4 cup oil (melted coconut, light olive oil, avocado, vegetable, melted butter)
2 large eggs (about 3.5 ounces)
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (3.75 ounces) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk or sour cream (I honestly can't remember what I used)
1 cup no-sugar added cinnamon applesauce (I didn't have cinnamon applesauce, so I upped the cinnamon a bit)
1 3/4 cup (8.75 ounces) white whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon (I think I added an extra tablespoon, as suggested in the comments on Mel's blog)
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9X5-inch loaf pan (line the bottom with parchment - optional, but helps prevent the bottom of the loaf from sticking - I didn't do this and it was fine).

In a large bowl, whisk together the oil and eggs until well combined. Add the granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, buttermilk and applesauce and mix until well-combined.

Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and stir until combined; a few lumps are ok (don't overmix - treat it like a good muffin batter that gets combined but not obliterated by mixing).

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly.

Bake for 45-60 minutes (ovens will vary on exact time) until the top springs back lightly to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs but not wet batter.

Let cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack. Serve with butter or honey butter (I did it with butter and a drizzle of honey and man-oh-man was it delish!).

Notes:
I made this back in March.  We had a week of sick kids and cold, dreary weather and I needed some sort of outlet.  Of course I turned to baking!  We gobbled up the first loaf of this bread in no time and I froze the second one for later.  I took the once-frozen-now-thawed loaf with me to my grandpa's birthday party to share, and, while it was still good just by itself, I must say it was best fresh, warm and slathered with butter and honey.

Chocolatey Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: The one and only Mel

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks, 8 ounces) butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup (7 ounces) packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup (3.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups (6.25 ounces) all-purpose flour  (I added just a few tablespoons more because my dough seemed overly sticky - it was still sticky even with the extra, but just not quite as sticky as before, and the cookies turned out great; also, I did about 1/2 cup white whole wheat + 3/4 cup all-purpose)
1/2 cup (2 ounces) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (3.5 ounces) old-fashioned oats
1 cup (3.5 ounces) quick oats
2 cups (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips (I never add quite as many chips as recipes call for - I probably did about half or maybe a bit more than half)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line two large, rimmed baking sheets (11X17-inches or so) with parchment paper (you can if you want to, but I never do and they were just great - no sticking at all).

In a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip together the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat until creamy and light in color, 2-3 minutes.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and both kinds of oats.

Add the dry ingredients to the batter and mix until a few dry streaks remain. Add the chocolate chips and mix until everything is just combined.

Drop the batter by heaping tablespoon-sized scoops (I use my #40 medium cookie scoop) about 2 inches apart.

Bake for 10-11 minutes until the edges are just set but the middles are still soft. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely. Repeat scooping and baking with remaining cookie dough.

Notes:
Mel teased us on instagram with these cookies a few weeks ago and I haven't stopped thinking about them since.  So when she finally posted the recipe on Monday, I knew I would be giving them a try.  I whipped them up yesterday and stashed most of the 3 dozen that it made in the freezer for some Memorial Day picnic dessert, but I did eat a few last night with a glass of milk and my-oh-my were they rich and delicious!  I decided today after eating another that they remind me a lot of the cake mix cookies from my grandma - oats and chocolate chips and a chocolate cookie - in totally homemade form.  Yum-o-rama!

Smothered Pork Chops with Bell Pepper Gravy

Source: P-Dub

Ingredients:
1-1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning (I didn't have any, but I found this handy-dandy substitution)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
black pepper to taste
8 whole thin bone-in breakfast pork chops (I had boneless loin chops, which were great, but I think I cooked them a bit too long, which is easy to do with that kind of chop)
1/4 cup olive oil
7 Tablespoons butter
1 whole large onion, peeled and sliced
1 whole green bell pepper, seeded and sliced (I used a combo of colors of peppers, but only about 2 whole peppers worth and it was very bell peppery, so I don't think three is necessary, personally)
1 whole yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 whole red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
3 Tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth, more if needed for thinning

2 Tablespoons cream (I used milk because that's what I have)

Directions:
Whisk together the flour, seasoned salt, lemon pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper in a pie plate. Dredge the pork chops in the flour mixture. Heat the olive oil and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry the pork chops in batches until well browned, 2 to minutes per side. Remove the chops from the skillet and keep warm.

Add the onions and peppers to the same skillet and cook them, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Remove them to a plate and set them aside.

To the same skillet, add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter and 3 tablespoons flour. Whisk it into a paste. Stir and cook until the roux turns dark golden about 2 minutes. Whisk in the stock a bit at a time, working out all the lumps, then add the cream. Add more stock if the gravy is too thick. Taste and add more salt and pepper as needed. Add the onions and peppers, coating them in the sauce.


Serve pork chops on a plate with the gravy spooned over the top and chow down!

Notes:
This were gooood.  Maybe it's because I get sick of my usual chicken breasts or ground beef options when it comes to meat, but pork chops just speak to my soul.  Ha.  Okay, so maybe that's a bit dramatic.  But I love 'em.  And these were fantastic.  A little "fancier" than my normal weeknight fare, but actually not a ton harder to put together.  We ate them with mashed taters and had a heavenly feast for a Thursday.

Easy Microwaved Baked Beans

Source: food.com

Ingredients:
1 (14 ounce) can pork and beans
1⁄2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup diced green pepper (if you have some)
3 Tablespoons brown sugar (I find that this is super sweet, so 1 Tablespoon or less is all I usually use now + 1 TB molasses instead)
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1⁄4 cup ketchup
1⁄2 teaspoon dry mustard
4 slices chopped cooked bacon or 2 tablespoons Bacos bacon bits (I'm sure it would be awesome with bacon, but I've never had any when I made it, so I've just left it out or added a couple drops of liquid smoke and a shake of smoked paprika)

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a 1 1/2 quart casserole.  Microwave, covered on high 8-10 minutes, rotating 1/4 turn halfway through cooking.  Let rest 5 minutes.

Notes:
That's it.  Easy and quick as can be.  I discovered this recipe when I was craving baked beans to go with one of our frequent hot dog roasts in the back yard, but didn't think about making said baked beans till the fire was going and the dogs were nearly roasted.  My typical favorite recipe of late would not have worked in my allotted time frame, but luckily these did.  And they were delicious!

Cinnamon Chip Scones

Source: Mel

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups (17.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/3 cup (2.75 ounces) sugar (I upped it to 1/2 cup because I didn't do the granulated sugar sprinkle at the end)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks, 6 ounces) cold butter, cut into tablespoon-sized chunks
1 cup cold buttermilk (homemade works great)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup (5 ounces) cinnamon chips (I found Hershey's brand at my tiny little local grocery store - they were even mini sized like Mel raved about)
2 Tablespoons butter, melted (I skipped this because I didn't do the granulated sugar sprinkle)
Granulated sugar for sprinkling (did not do - and I'll tell you why below)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl (or you can use a food processor if you have one) combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the butter and using a fork or two knives or a pastry cutter (or your fingers, if you get impatient like me), cut the butter into smaller pieces into the dry ingredients - don't overprocess here; the butter should be no smaller than pea-sized pieces.

Add the buttermilk and vanilla and stir a few times until the dough starts to come together; don’t overmix - it’s ok if there are dry, crumbly spots here and there. Add the chips, using your hands to knead them in a bit. Turn the dough out onto a surface dusted with 1-2 tablespoons flour and combine the dough and chips together with your hands, kneading briefly, just 2-3 times, until it comes together. Pat and lightly press the dough into a long rectangle, about 15X3-inches. (I opted for mini-sized scones, so I had a shorter and longer rectangle, which I didn't measure, but was probably 2 inches high and 18 or so inches long?)

Cut the length of dough into triangular wedges, about 12-14 (I got 18-19 from my skinnier strip) and place on the baking sheet, about an inch apart. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. (I skipped the butter and sugar because I wanted to freeze the scones unbaked to give as gifts, so instead of baking right away, I placed them on baking sheets and then froze them for a few hours till they were hard.  Then I transferred them into ziplock baggies with baking instructions written on top.)

Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes until just lightly golden brown and no longer doughy in the center.  (For the frozen mini-sized scones, you can bake them directly from the freezer at 400 degrees - I like to take them out and put them on a pan while the oven is heating up - for 12-15 minutes (or maybe longer depending on your oven).)

Notes:
I decided my love language is homemade food.  I adore it given to me, of course, but even more, it's the way I love to show love: through baked goods.  I have a problem, though.  I don't always try out recipes before I make them and give them away to other people.  Luckily, I haven't had any real disasters on that front.  And this one was no exception.  Of course, I trust Mel's recipes wholeheartedly, so when I saw this one pop up on her blog, I knew I had to give it a try.  I didn't know, though, (because I didn't test them out beforehand) if they'd be okay baked a day or two before I gifted them, or if they'd be better fresh.

So I did some googling about freezing scones.  Turns out it's a commonly done thing to freeze unbaked scones for quick snacks or breakfasts or treats.  I made up two batches of the dough (don't ask me why I didn't just double it in the first place) and froze up the individual scones.  Then I did a little test on three to see how long they took to bake.  That's where my numbers above came from and that's what I wrote on the ziplock baggies I gave to my mother and Gregg's mother and my grandmothers and sister in law for Mother's Day.  I've heard back from a few of them that it worked (and that they were delicious) so I call it a success.

(Oh, and the one I got to taste was fantastic - not too sweet, but perfectly golden and buttery and cinnamony.  Next time I might add a bit of cinnamon to the dry ingredients, but other than that - perfection!  And of course my mind is reeling with other flavor combos - lemon zest + blueberries? orange zest + cranberry? raisins? chocolate chips?  So many options here!)

Sweet Potato Taco Casserole

Source: Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:
2 medium-large sweet potatoes
1 lb lean ground beef
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves (large) garlic, minced
1 large red bell pepper, diced (I only had a green)
1 cup frozen corn kernels
1 can (15 oz. size) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (14 1/2 oz. size) diced fire-roasted tomatoes (do not drain) (I had diced tomatoes with chiles, so I used that instead)
2 cups chunky salsa (I used picante sauce)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika (just regular for me)
1 teaspoon dried mexican oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste) (skipped it)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
thick corn tortilla chips, as needed (we always have santitas brand because they're cheap and good and they were just great)
8 ounces, weight shredded mexican cheese blend (I just grated some sharp cheddar)
4 ounces, weight shredded pepper jack cheese
sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, for garnish (optional)
salsa, guacamole, sour cream, to serve (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick spray and set aside.

Peel and spiralize sweet potatoes, chopping just a bit to shorten very long strands. If you don't have a spiralizer, just dice the sweet potato into small cubes. (I don't have a spiralizer, but I kind of wish I did after seeing this application for it.  I just did the dice thing and it was fine.)  Set aside.

In an extra-large skillet over medium to medium-high heat, brown beef with onion, breaking up any large chunks and stirring occasionally. When the pink color is almost gone from the beef, stir in garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in red pepper, corn, and sweet potato. Then add the beans, tomatoes, salsa, chili powder, cumin, paprika, oregano, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper, folding to combine. Turn heat down just a bit to medium and cook for about 15 minutes, stirring a few times. If you are using diced sweet potatoes rather than spiralized, you will need to cook this a bit longer. Just make sure that the sweet potato has softened.

Spread 2 cups of the beef mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Layer tortilla chips on top, slightly overlapping the chips. Drop half of the remaining beef mixture  by spoonfuls over the chips, and then spread it out into an even layer. Sprinkle half the Mexican cheese and half the pepper jack cheese over the beef mixture. Top with another layer of tortilla chips, followed by the remaining beef mixture and then the cheeses.

Cover pan loosely with foil (so the foil doesn't touch the cheese) and cook for about 30 minutes (I think I had mine in the oven for a bit longer to get my chunks of sweet potato to cook through thoroughly), or until cheese is melted and the casserole is heated throughout. Remove foil, place pan under broiler, and broil until cheese is browned to your liking. Remove from oven and top with optional green onion and/or cilantro. Serve immediately with optional sour cream, guacamole, and/or salsa on the side.

Notes:
I love me some sweet potato tacos, a favorite in our meal rotation for four years now.  So when I saw this recipe pop up in my blog feed a few weeks ago, I knew I would love it, too.  Same flavors (plus corn and tortilla chips - bonus!) in a casserole form (I know they get a bad rap sometimes, but I LOVE casseroles!).  Perfect.  I set my sights on May 5th - Cinco de Mayo - to give this dish a try.  Oh, it was good!  I really love the addition of the tortilla chip layers.  It reminded me of what I imagine chilaquiles would taste like (I haven't had them, but what I know about them, I bet it's similar).  They lose their crunch, but add a delicious level of corn flavor, much like a tortilla would add, but without becoming soggy.  I am a fan.  Big time.

Homemade Oreos

Source: my friend from Colorado, Heather Hay (via cooks.com)

Ingredients:
for the cookies:
1 devils' food cake mix
1/2 cup shortening (which I used, but I'm certain you could use butter in place if you wish)
2 eggs

for the frosting:
8 oz cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2-4 cups powdered sugar

Directions:
Mix all cookie ingredients together with an electric mixer.  Roll into dime sized balls and place on a cookies sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes (I cooked mine for 11 because they were still super gooey at 8).  Cool on a wire rack.

Mix all frosting ingredients until smooth.  Frost backs of cooled cookies and place together to make sandwiches.

Notes:
I had a cake mix (mine was German Chocolate instead of Devil's Food) sitting in my pantry that was just dying to be made into something.  But I didn't feel like making (or eating) cake necessarily.  So I thought of cookies.  Usually, I'd make these cake mix cookies, which are delicious.  But this time I remembered my good friend, Heather, who always made these oreos at Christmas parties in our ward in Colorado (she would color the frosting green and red for added festiveness).  So, I whipped up a batch, and instead of using the cream cheese frosting that is listed here, I opted for a can of pecan-coconut frosting that I had sitting in my pantry, too.  (I must say that next time I think I'll make frosting - I was not impressed with the weird plastic/chemically taste that comes in this canned stuff.  But at any rate, we ate them all.)  Oh man.  German Chocolate homeade oreos?  Hook me up!  They were fantastic and super easy and really quite quick.  Winner winner!

Tres Leches Cupcakes

Source: the one and only Mel

(not as pretty as Mel's but looks aren't everything)

Ingredients:
for the cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups (7.5 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter
1 cup (7.5 ounces) granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk (I used the homemade 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + milk trick)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

for the tres leches mixture:
(Mel said there will be leftovers of this, so I halved it to begin with.  I froze the rest of the sweetened condensed milk for future use and used the evaporated milk in place of some of the water in breadsticks the next week.)
14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk (I just eyeballed half the can)
12-ounce can evaporated milk (ditto about half)
1 cup heavy whipping cream (1/2 cup)

for the topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Dash of vanilla extract
Fresh berries, for topping

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard muffin tin with foil liners (don't use standard paper liners; the milk mixture will soak through - I didn't read this note until after I had bought the foil liners "because they looked fancy" - phew!). This recipe makes about 16 cupcakes so you can line another 4 muffin cups in a second pan as well or bake a second batch.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.

In a microwave-safe bowl (you can also do this in a pan on the stovetop), melt the butter. Whisk in the sugar and continue whisking until the mixture is no longer warm to the touch. Whisk in the egg, buttermilk and vanilla until well-combined.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and whisk until the batter is mostly lump-free without overmixing (maybe 20-30 strokes of the whisk total).

Portion the cupcake batter evenly in the tins. Don't overfill! For this recipe, in particular, it is best to have the baked muffins sit slightly below the rim of the muffin cup to help when adding the tres leches mixture. Mel uses #20 cookie scoop to portion the cupcake batter - about 3 tablespoons batter, or slightly less, per muffin cup.  (I just used a measuring spoon three times, but I think mine could have been ever so slightly less full.)

Bake the cupcakes for 14-16 minutes until the tops spring back lightly to the touch.

Remove the cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, use a thin skewer to poke holes all over (and she means, all over) the cupcake. Go crazy, but don't poke all the way through the cupcake liner.  (I used a bamboo shish-kebab skewer.)

For the milk mixture, in a large liquid measuring cup or in a blender, whisk together or blend the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk and heavy cream. The milk mixture needs to be drizzled or spooned over the top of each cupcake one at a time. Mel finds it works best to pour the milk mixture in batches into a squeeze bottle (see her blog) and slowly squeeze the milk mixture onto the top of the cupcake while simultaneously pressing the milk mixture into the top of the cupcake with an small offset spatula. (I didn't have a squeeze bottle, so I used a soup spoon to drizzle the milk mixture over the poked cupcakes and then sort of pressed it in with the back of the spoon.  I had no idea how much I was adding, but I think I did about 6 or so spoonful-presses per cupcake.  Sometimes I lost track so I'm sure some got a little milkier than others.  It's messy, and takes a while, but it's not hard per se.)  You'll want to use about 2-3 tablespoons of milk mixture per cupcake (depending how soft and soaky you want them).

Refrigerate the cupcakes for at least an hour, or cover lightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 12 hours.  (I was a little worried about this "up to" limit because I milked mine around 9 pm and we weren't going to be eating them till 1 or 2 pm the next day (or possibly later?).  They were fine!  And the leftovers were great for a couple days more, actually, though they definitely got more soft and soaky as time went on.)

When ready to serve (up to two hours ahead of time but not before that), prepare the topping by whipping the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract together until stiff peaks form. Dollop

the sweetened whipped cream on top of each cupcake and finish it off with a fresh berry. Serve immediately or refrigerate for 1-2 hours until serving.

Notes:

I got to bring dessert to our Mother's Day lunch with the Blanchard clan.  Mel had recently posted these lovlies on her blog, and I knew we were having Cafe Rio chicken salads/burritos/however you get that deliciousness into your face for lunch, so I thought they would be kind of the perfect companion.  Well, they were.  I love me some strawberry shortcake and these were like a super fancified version of that.  Deeelish!

Grilled Lemon Herb Pork Chops

Source: allrecipes.com (after a google search for pork chops + lemons)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 (4 oz) boneless pork loin chops (I don't know how much mine weighed - I'm guessing they were a bit bigger than 4 oz each - but I only had three and left all the above ingredients as is and it worked out great)

Directions:
In a large resealable bag, combine lemon juice, oil, garlic, salt, oregano, and pepper. Place chops in bag, seal, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Turn bag frequently to distribute marinade.  (Someone in the comments suggested massaging the chops in the bag every so often, so when I remembered, I'd give 'em a squeeze and flip 'em over.  I think they were in the marinade for 6-8 hours?)

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat. Remove chops from bag, and transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan. Bring marinade to a boil, remove from heat, and set aside.  (I skipped the boiling the extra and just tossed it with the ziplock.)


Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill pork chops for 5 to 7 minutes per side, basting frequently with boiled marinade, until done.  (No basting necessary - just cook 'em and eat 'em.)

Notes:
As I mentioned before, I had some pork chops in the freezer and some lemons on the counter and I needed something that could combine the two together.  I opened the computer, visited my good friend google and two minutes later I was prepping these bad boys.  I thought they were delicious!  Callie said she didn't really like them (they were a bit on the tart side at first taste), but she ate what we gave her, so take that with a grain of salt.  I served them with a side of yummy rice pilaf (which I had made in my rice cooker) and it was a fantastic, easy and surprisingly quick midweek meal.

Caramel Apple Crisp Cheesecake

Source: a mix of Mel and my Uncle Bryan (cheesecake maker, extraordinaire)

Yield:
1 9-inch round cheesecake + an extra oval casserole dish of cheesecake bars (not quite as thick as a traditional cheesecake, but just as delicious)

Ingredients:
for the crust:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

for the cheesecake:
1 cup granulated sugar
24 ounces cream cheese (softened)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 cans apple pie filling
1/4 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon cinnamon

for the streusel topping:

1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup quick cooking oats

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened

for the caramel sauce:

4 Tablespoons butter

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

½ cups half-and-half or cream

pinch of salt

1 Tablespoon vanilla

(or you can just use your favorite stuff from the store, which is what I did the first time)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

For the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine all the streusel topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Set aside.

For the crust, in a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or two forks until mixture is crumbly but combined. Press evenly into a 9-inch spring-form pan.  (I had enough extra crust mixture to press into a small oval 1.5 qt casserole dish, too.) Bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.  Decrease oven temperature to 325 degrees F.

For the cheesecake part, combine cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla using a hand mixer.  Mix until smooth.  Add eggs and mix until incorporated.  Blend most of one can (enough to get you 1 cup blended) of apple pie filling until smooth. Add blended apple pie filling, sour cream and cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture. Blend with hand mixer until ingredients are incorporated (avoid over mixing to reduce cracking).  Pour filling into crust.  Evenly add apples from remaining cans of apple pie filling on top of the cheesecake mixture (you don't need to use all of the filing, just the apples).  (My 9-inch springform would have overflowed with all the cheesecake filling, so I added some to the small oval casserole mentioned above - it wasn't as thick as in the springform pan, but it worked great.  I had enough apples from the filling to cover the top of it, as well.)

Sprinkle the streusel topping over the apples.  (You may notice the amounts above are a half-batch of Mel's recipe - it was plenty to cover both my 9-inch round cheesecake, plus my "extra" oval casserole dish.)

Place a cake pan half-filled with water on the bottom rack of the oven.  Place cheesecake on top oven rack in middle of oven directly above the cake pan.  Bake for approximately 1 3/4 to 2 hours (the cheesecake is done when the top is lightly browned and is puffy and starting to show some cracks).

Remove from oven, cool for approximately 2-3 hours to room temperature, and then refrigerate 6-8 hours or overnight.

Drizzle with the caramel topping (or plate individual slices and drizzle with topping one by one).

For the caramel sauce, mix butter, brown sugar, half-and-half or cream, and salt in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thickened slightly. Add the vanilla and cook another minute to thicken further. Turn off the heat and pour the sauce into a jar. Refrigerate until cold. If the caramel sauce has cooled in the fridge long enough to harden, warm slightly before drizzling on bars.  (Or you can always just use store-bought caramel sauce of your choosing - that's what I did the first time and it was fantastic.  Actually, come to think of it, I didn't even serve it at the party with caramel sauce at all.  I only drizzled the leftovers with some caramel ice cream topping we had in our fridge after we got home.)

Notes:

For my grandpa's birthday in March (he turned 88!) my aunt requested that I bring a cheesecake for dessert.  When I asked Gregg for ideas on what kind I should bring, he wondered if there was such a thing as an apple crisp cheesecake combo.  I knew right where to look, and by doing a little mixing and matching, I came up with the above recipe.  It was a hit with the crowd at the birthday party, as well as with my dishy husband, because he requested a repeat appearance of it for his birthday in June.  Since I wanted to make sure I remembered everything I did back in March (I hope what I've typed is accurate - my brain is getting a little fuzzy in my old age), I decided to return to the land of the neglected food blog to share my notes and keep them safe for next time I attempt this creation in a couple of weeks.  

I hope to be back for good!  I don't know why my recipe posting habits have disappeared since last July (oh wait . . . I had a baby 8 months ago . . . maybe that has something to do with it?) but it isn't because I haven't been cooking!  I have a huge list in my "to blog" file that I have been meaning to share, so I have a new goal to post one each day during naptime for your viewing (and making and eating) pleasure.  Baby steps.

Crockpot Shredded Chicken- no msg version

I found that the regular Cafe Rio knock off shredded chicken recipes I found all called for a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing, which is full of MSG. :(
So I made up one and we loved it!
I served it at our Mother's Day dinner in 2016.

INGREDIENTS:
In large crockpot put:
1 bag of chicken tenders (large Costco bag) @4 lbs

Mix the following and pour over chicken:
1 cup zesty Italian dressing (I used Kraft)
1/2 cup ranch dressing (I used lighthouse)
1 cup Jacks Salsa (also from Costco)
2 T minced garlic (I used bottled)
1/2 Tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons of cumin

Cook for 5 - 7 hours until chicken is very tender
shred chicken

Will be soupy

I made it the day before, shredded the chicken and then put it in the fridge overnight and then just heated it up the next day.

It was yummy!

Carolina-Style Pulled Pork Sandwiches (Slow Cooker)

Source

Ingredients:
1 boneless pork shoulder butt roast (4-5 pounds)
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 medium onions, quartered
3/4 cup cider vinegar
4 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions:
1. Cut roast into quarters.
2. Mix brown sugar, salt, paprika, and pepper. Rub over meat.
3. Place onions in the base of a crockpot, and place meat on top.
4. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, worcestershire sauce, sugar, and seasonings. pour over roast. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until meat is tender.
5. Remove roast; cool slightly. Reserve 2 cups cooking juices and skim fat, discard remaining. Shred pork with two forks and return meat to reserved juices in slow cooker. Heat through.
6. Serve pork warm on hamburger buns, topped with your favorite BBQ sauce and coleslaw.

Notes: Bret and I LOVE Carolina-style barbeque and this did not disappoint! My adaptation was much more mild than the original, as I omitted all but a few dashes of the cayenne and crushed red pepper. I also increased the tenderness of the meat by adding some sparkling cider that we had leftover from New Year's and increasing the cooking time to 10ish hours (overnight). Absolutely delicious!