I finally made it for them...

Dinner tonight was a good enough reason not to ever go to a steakhouse again for dinner.  We had steaks, twice baked potatoes, salads, roasted broccoli, Yorkshire pudding and for dessert: No Crust Egg Custard Pie!

(Well, the only reason we really go to a steakhouse or out to eat now, is that there is NO CLEAN UP required on our part.  We learned a long time ago, that we can cook better than what we can go purchase and for much cheaper. But all that is beside the point.)

Tonight was the first time I have ever made the No Crust Egg Custard Pie for my family.  No clue to why I never have, but I didn't.  I use to make it a lot when I was growing up.  

I did run into a problem, as that the recipe which came from my Mom, is that I really wanted to make this but was out of vanilla extract.  I took a chance and used almond extract in its place.  It worked out great!  

The custard has a creamy texture that is just dreamy.

Yesterday, I made an Onion Quiche with a side salad for dinner.  Just thinking about this makes me want more!!!

Could it be Mamaw's Saucy Pineapple Pork Chops?

Hello there. It's time for another Adventure in Crock-potting!! I'm making a variation on my Mamaw's Saucy Pineapple Pork Chops.  I really wasn't big on pork until the last year or so and didn't appreciate this wonderful meal when it was made when I was younger. So while channeling my maternal grandmother's (aka Mamaw) love of pork, I decided to use her Saucy Pineapple Pork Chops recipe and combine it with a similar slow cooker recipe. Here's what I've got cooking now.

 Saucy Hawaiian Pineapple Pork Chops
4-6 large boneless pork loin chops, trimmed of fat & about 1/2 inch thick (2-3 lbs)
1 Tbsp vegetable or canola oil
Salt, pepper & paprika
1 8oz can of pineapple rings in juice
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 Tbsp. arrowroot (Cornstarch or quick cooking tapioca can be substituted)
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. reduced sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
2 Tbsp. water
A dash of ground cloves
2 cups of assorted sliced veggies (green, red, yellow & orange bell peppers and onion)
2 cups of cooked hot rice, for serving
1/4 cup chopped, toasted macadamia nuts (optional)

Salt, pepper & paprika the pork chops and brown both sides in hot oil. While the pork chops are browning, combine the pineapple juice, ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, arrowroot, dry mustard, cloves and water in a bowl with a whisk. When the sauce is combined and no lumps remain, set aside. Drain and place pork chops into slow cooker, cut to fit if needed. Arrange sliced peppers and onions on top (mine were already sliced and frozen and ready to throw in) Arrange pineapple slices on top of the vegetables. Pour reserved sauce over pineapple, vegetables and pork chops. Cover; cook on low for 6 hours or on high for 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Skim & discard fat from top of sauce, if any. Serve meat and sauce over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with toasted macadamia nuts, if desired. Steamed Sugar snap peas would be an excellent side to this dish. Enjoy.

Be sure to check out our Facebook fan page "Adventures in Our Kitchens"  and like us to see picture of the finished meal and other fun stuff. :D

Adventures in Crock-Potting.....

Wow, we've been a bit behind on the blogging bit. Our family is finally in the swing of things with school back in session and back to planning our evening around our favorite fall line-ups on television. So to work around the Monday night line-up on CBS, Survivor on Wednesdays and I about forgot my oldest having Cub Scout meeting on Thursdays we're Crock-pot cooking around here. As much inspiration as I have found from these lovely gals at Crockpotgirls(dot)com, it's made me also realize how much time I spend cooking while I could be playing with my kids, reading the next best seller, or spending time with my husband watching "How I Met Your Mother" or "Survivor". So I'm doing my own 
"Adventures in Crock-Potting" series on here.  Not all of my post will be Crock pot related, but this fall and winter will have lots of quick & delicious meals to make it a Crock-pot. Hopefully, this will catch on better than the Fabulous Friday thing I tried. :( Plus, it reminds me of that great 80's movie. You know, the one with Elizabeth Shue , where she takes the kids she's babysitting to downtown Chicago to help a friend. Good movie. Anyway, so today's adventure is a simple twist on a recipe that I posted several months ago on here: Roast Chicken with Pears.

 I was going to fix a simple beer can chicken this evening, but I drank my last Halcyon last night and didn't want to run out and buy a six pack for the chicken tonight. Well, I could have, but then I'd have 5 extra Halcyon's calling my name from the fridge. This beer is so far the best thing that has come out of Kansas. Check out my personal blog to read about our tour to the local brewery where Halcyon is made. But, instead I decided to cook this favorite of mine and with a bit of inspiration. My aunt back in NC who reads our blog, wrote me and told me how much she enjoyed this meal, but it was a bit labor intensive and saved it for the weekends. I didn't blame her, because it is a chore to roast the chicken and veggies after a long day at work.

Thinking to myself: Why not try it in the crock-pot? Well, I did. :D

Today I had everything on hand to make this dish, except the fresh pears, but I had canned. Starting the same way I did with the normal recipe, I used a few red potatoes that I quartered (in lieu of turnips), baby carrots (in lieu of parsnips) and an onion quartered, mixed with balsamic vinegar, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper.  **This step can be done the night before and placed in a gallon zip top bag with the marinade in the fridge, same goes for the chicken.
 I had a whole chicken, but it didn't fit in the crock-pot and had me cussing, so I chopped it up into quarters, coated it with some olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper. Then I  arranged it skin side up on top of the vegetables and topped it with two 15 oz cans of drained pear halves and a cup of dried cranberries that had soaked in water for a few minutes. (add some of that water to the crock-pot). I cooked it on low for 5-6 hours. When your time is up, preheat the oven *Broil* and grab a large baking sheet. Carefully scoop the pears off the top and lay them on a small plate while you remove the chicken from the crock-pot and arrange on the baking sheet along with the veggies. Add the pears to the baking sheet on top of the veggies, mix 1 Tbsp of honey with 1 Tbsp of EVOO and brush on the chicken and pears. Broil for 10 minutes until the skin begins to brown and crisp.  Remove and serve while hot. 

The only down side of using a whole chicken and including the breast was that it got a little dry, but other than that, it was a delicious dinner. Enjoy. :D

Pumpkin Bread

It's that time of year!!!!  It's pumpkin bread time!!!!!  I plan on making some this weekend, so excited!

Help from the "Sandwich King"

Last night, I wanted to do something different but not TOO dramatic since I didn't want to cook for hours.  So, I went through my normal recipe stash then decided to look on Food Network.  I saw that the Sandwich King - Jeff Mauro was featured on the front page.  He wasn't my favorite during the last The Next Food Network Start series (Sorry, I was a Vic fan!) but his point of view (POV) as they called it, stayed the same from the beginning to end.  I am sure that is what put him ahead of Vic & Susie , as Jeff's show was something different that hasn't been seen yet. 


Anyways, back to the actual food.  So, I clicked on the link and brought up his page. I scanned the recipes and landed on Chicago Steakhouse Sandwich.  After giving it a read, I made my grocery list.


To bad I couldn't afford 40oz of Boneless Ribeye, because it would have made this sandwich even awesome-er!  I say 40oz because I have to double things for my teenage garbage disposals. I ended up getting a nice top round that was on sale.  The recipe also calls for 30oz of fresh spinach.  I only got a 5oz box of spinach basically because I didn't know how well it would go over. Well, needless to say that I will probably do 10oz next time. I think 30 oz or the shocking 60 oz for doubling would be completely insane in the amount. The spinach adds another layer of flavor that will make you moan.  I also used sub rolls since they were BOGO at Lowe's Foods.  I made the blue cheese dressing as it calls for and it was a little runnier than needed for sandwiches as you can tell from the first bite picture, however it was really good. 

With a side of fries baked in the oven, the meal was complete. The only thing I think I screwed up on was the cutting of the meat.  I didn't get it "against the grain" so it was tough to bite off cleanly, but it was yummy. Even my mother-in-law said so. ;)

Veggie Day

Not having a lot of options for dinner in the house and not a lot of cash to do anything big for lunch or dinner today, I decided on the laco-ovo vegetarian option for our meals.

For lunch I made French Onion Soup. Instead of using beef broth, I used Better Than Bouillon Vegetarian No Beef Base. There are many other varieties of this product. I purchased this when I did my month of "Meatless Mande" from the very bottom shelf at my local Whole Foods store. The jar ran around $4.50 or so, but after seeing the other varieties at Food Lion, Wal-Mart, Harris Teeter and Lowes Food cost about the same amount, it didn't hurt the pocketbook that bad.

Now, I know the link above goes to my Vegan French Onion Soup, but the only thing that changes from what I made today is that I used regular no salt butter & sweet onions. I didn't have any cheese to go with it, but we made due and just had it with croutons. I do have to say that I did miss the cheese just a little bit, as did Emma & Michael.

I searched the cabinets for inspiration for dinner and found I had some Jiffy Mix. The thought of dumplings sounded good but I stopped buying chicken broth/stock ages ago. I had my supply of veggie broth though. I made the dough as it is called for, rolled them out & cut them. Then I brought to a boil 2 -32oz boxes of veggie broth and seasoned it with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper. I added the dumplings and cooked them as the packaged directed. I served them up in my Fiestaware bowls. OMM (Oh My Marshmallows), this turned out SO yummy! Joey had no idea that I didn't make the dumplings with chicken broth until I told him.

For our "dessert" I made some cornbread muffins as the kids have been craving them since Joyce sent some home with her Chili Beans that Jamey and Michael love so much. Matter of fact, I think I hear one calling my name right now!

Southern Style Cooking in Kansas

Yesterday, I had the privilege of spending the day with my neighbor, Tenisha and celebrating her birthday all day long. One of the joys of being an Army wife is that there's always a time when a spouse isn't here to help celebrate special occasions and this is were other Army wives step in and help fill that void. I did the best I could.
The day started off by dropping off a carrot cake that I had made for her and gave her a copy of "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. Then I went home and whipped up the two of us a simple breakfast of baked eggs, buttered toast, fresh fruit and coffee, which we enjoyed outside at her patio table. Then I chauffeured her around post, managing every close parking space possible (which never happens to me) and then we cooked and ate dinner together along with our children. Now after reading this, everyone will be wanting to be my neighbor.

Last night for dinner, she fried chicken and I made homemade Bojangles' biscuits. Let me tell you, that was an awesome dinner. We ate the chicken and biscuits alongside some pickled beets and capped off the night with a slice of carrot cake. Now if that's not a good birthday, I don't know what one would be.Now, there was nothing special to the chicken just the mini wings and arm joints coated in flour and fried up golden brown. The biscuits were a recipe I had never tried, but will be my go to biscuit recipe from now on. I found them in a cookbook that I've had for years. Don't be thrown off by the mayo in them. They're amazing!

Homemade Bojangles' Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk*
Butter, melted

Mix dry ingredients; add buttermilk and mayonnaise. Knead dough slightly and then roll out onto floured surface and cut into biscuits. Place onto a baking sheet coated with non-stick spray. Bake at 450* for 10 minutes. Brush melted butter on top and then continue baking about 5 more minutes or until golden brown. Makes 9 biscuits. Enjoy.

*Buttermilk Substitution -Place a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough milk to bring the liquid up to the one-cup line. Let stand for five minutes. Then use as much as your recipe calls for.

The Famous Mac & Cheese from Pickett Place

So last night, I finally learned the "secret" recipe for the famous macaroni and cheese our neighborhood is known for. My neighbor, Tenisha has lived here on the the same street for over four years. If people don't know her name, which very few people don't, she's know as the lady on Pickett who makes that awesome mac & cheese for bbq's and cookouts. I was skeptical about a German-born Army brat making better macaroni and cheese than an 85 year old lady from the South. After the first bite, I was in LOVE with this macaroni & cheese. The recipe makes a 9x13 pan and after a typical bbq with around 15-20 it's gone. Luckily, last night there was some left over. This much.

Now, if a picture is worth a thousand words, you know that this mac & cheese is a winner! It's creamy with melted cheese running through and a little "Oomph"! There are really no measurements, like all great recipes, just amounts used.

Pickett Place's Famous Mac & Cheese
1 box elbow macaroni
4 cups sharp cheddar, grated (Tenisha only uses Kraft)
3 eggs
Milk, maybe 1/2 cup or more
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Creole Seasoning, to taste (Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning)

Preheat the oven to 400*. Boil noodles and drain. Return the noodles to the same pot crack 3 eggs, add and mix well, then add 3 cups of cheese, stir and mix well. Add milk in small amounts as you stir to avoid making it too soupy. Add seasonings to taste. Spray a 9x13 pan with non-stick cooking spray and add macaroni. Top with the remaining cup of cheese and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese is melted throughout.

Now that I've shared the secret with you, it's your turn to make this simple, yet delicious mac & cheese. If you're not up to making a whole 9x13 pan, cut the recipe in half and use just one egg. Hope you all enjoy this dish!

Pork Chop kind of day.

Due to my super hectic schedule, I haven’t been cooking much at all much less being able to blog.Last Saturday was a Pork Chop kind of day. They were the thin boneless, but they packed a punch.I brought the pork chops up to room temp, drizzled them with some EVOO and then sprinkled on a packet of Lipton Recipe Secrets – Savory Garlic & Herb. I rubbed the seasoning packet in with the oil and then let them marinate while I began the prep and cooking of other dishes. When it was time to grill them, Michael our newest Grill Master, took them out to the grill.

During one of my searches on the Weights Watchers website, I found a recipe for potatoes that had OVER 5,000, yes FIVE THOUSAND positive reviews! I decided that I would give them a try. The recipe is for Dijon Roasted Potatoes. Potatoes are cut and cubed then dressed with Dijon mustard and several other spices before being baked in the oven. I can’t share it here unfortunately since it is a registered WW Recipe. These potatoes went from an unknown new dish to a place in our reoccurring recipes.

The other side dishes weren’t anything new just tried and true favorites: Broccoli with Cheese Sauce, Roasted Broccoli, Roasted Asparagus and Mice. Michael doesn’t eat Broccoli with Cheese Sauce but likes Roasted Broccoli so that is why we had two broccoli dishes at the table that night. The Roasted Asparagus is made just like the Roasted Broccoli, but just changing the veggie involved. The Mice are one of an acquired taste, but Emma and myself love them.

Fabulous Friday ~ Mande's Top 5

So, my little sister threw down the gauntlets for doing at Top Friday 5. I wasn’t able to do a post last night because I volunteered to work the concession stand at West Davidson for the NewBridge Bank High School Football Jamboree. But I can do it now! Here we go!

#5– Ketchup

I know you are like why plain ol’ ketchup. Simple. It is awesome. My kids go through about a bottle a week.

#4 – Lipton Recipe Secrets Savory Garlic & Herb

I have been using this since Jamey and I got married17 years ago for potatoes until the stores stopped stocking it. So, I just did without. Nikki moves to Kansas and finds it there then the store here start carrying it about 2 month after she leaves. She was kind enough to supply me with a stash.

#3 – Kraft Pineapple Spread

Can’t find this stuff NOWHERE, but they have it in Kansas. Go figure. This is awesome on an original Triscuits and even better on a spoon.

#2- Joy of Cooking Cookbook

This is one of the classics that I think everyone should have a copy of. I would even go as far as saying to have an older one as well as a newer one – just for the changes and new additions. I have made several things out of here and is my first go-to cookbook when I know what I want to try but don’t have the recipe.

#1 – Marie’s Blue Cheese Dressing

I have loved this stuff since I was young. My kids love it now. It has found other places to be used besides a salad, like eating it with fries, on a baked potato and dipping your steak/pork/chicken in it. I am proud to say that my kids got that from me. It’s also a special item in our home because of the cost, so the kids know to “cherish” it when is purchased.

My New Favorite Cake!

Last night I made a new cake recipe in preparation for a neighbor's birthday later this month. My neighbor said she liked carrot cake and I had found a recipe in the mini magazine I get at the commissary on post. So I decided to make it so Clay could test it out. It's actually a "healthy" recipe, only 342 calories per serving, which isn't too bad. I also made the cream cheese icing in the recipe, which very well could be the world's best cream cheese icing. After I pulled the cake layers from the oven, they smelt so good and I couldn't wait for the layers to cool before I put the cream cheese icing on it. So it got a little "melty" before it set up in the fridge, but by far one of the best cakes I've ever had.

This is after Clay has taken his slice. *joking* Click here for the recipe. I hope you all enjoy this cake as much as I did. I can't wait to make it again for my neighbor's birthday!

Fabulous Friday ~ Nikki's Top Five

Okay, so I know it's been awhile since I've done a post! *eek!* But, we've been busy. We've had family from out of town and I've been dealing with a nasty infection in my leg from a wolf spider bite. I'll spare you with the details, but it wasn't pretty. I'm going to attempt to start a list of our top five of fabulous things (kitchen or food related) every Friday and let my wonderful co-blogging family have a turn too!

Okay, so on to my Fabulous Friday ~Top Five!

#5 - Knorr Salad Dressing

This is a wonderful, light salad dressing my German neighbor introduced to me. I can even read in German now - mix 3 tablespoons oil and 3 tablespoons of water to the seasoning packet to make a fast and refreshing dressing.

# 4- Jäger-Sahne Schnitzel by Maggi

This is another wonderful German product that I found in the Commissary (okay, my neighbor told me about it). Add cream and sliced mushrooms to this seasoning packet along with some pork cutlets and you've got a tasty meal. Germans typically eat this over a plate of French fries, but we serve up this dish with roasted baby red potatoes and Brussels Sprouts. Mmm...delicious!

#3- Millstone Breakfast Blend Coffee and International Delight Almond Joy Creamer

We've been hooked on some Dunkin' Doughnut coffee for well over a couple years, until now. The price of coffee (even at the Commissary) is a bit high. I was looking for a *cough* cheaper brand to switch to, but came home with a $7.30 bag of this splendid treasure after trying a small $1.00 sample of it. Add some International Delight Almond Joy Creamer and you've got the best cup of coffee you've ever dreamed of!

#2- Small Santoku Knife Colori by Kuhn Rikon

This by far is the most awesome knife I have ever used. I got the blue one at Dillard's for less than $11.00 back in January. It slices, it dices, it chops, it does everything that a knife is supposed to do. As if that wasn't enough, it come with a plastic cover for the blade to use during storage, which means no more cut fingers while digging through your knife drawer!

#1- Narumi Phoebe China made in Japan

Okay, this is the most beautiful China I have ever seen! On weekends as a getaway from the kids and my husband and for sanity reasons, I go thrifting or visit local antique shops. I found this china pattern with a 16 piece plate setting complete with serving platter and two serving bowls for $40.00. I haven't bought it yet, but it retails online for $17.95 per dinner plate. So, I'm saying this is a steal! Hopefully, I'll get this for mine and Clay's 9th wedding anniversary in October. *hint hint*

Lunch

I have been wanting something that Dad & I saw last week on America's Test Kitchen on PBS - since they did it. There isn't really much I have ever seen on TV that I had the feeling to make immediately. I have tested, tried and liked many recipes I have seen done on TV, but a very small few gave me the notion to do then & there. This was one of them: Quick Tomato Sauce from the Italian Bread and Sauce from Season 10. To see the recipe, you have to go to there website, register (it's free - that's what you use that junk email address you created for right???) then just type the recipe in the search bar. The same episode, they made Ciabatta bread, I think I could pull it off, but it makes me want a Kitchen Aid mixer more than I already do!!!!

I went on a hunt this morning for the crushed tomatoes they said use. I started at the Food Lion in Salisbury at Innes Market looking for the Muir Glen kind because they are the Organic ones & I didn't feel like driving over to Harris Teeter on the other side of town. Well, FL had it but it was over $3 for

it and I only had $2.85 on me since I cleaned out the silver change holder in my room and didn't feel I should pay that much for them since I knew I could cheat and use something cheaper. I decided to go ahead and drive over to HT with a pit stop by Starbucks for my non-fat raspberry latte. I did find the Tuttorosso Crushed Tomatoes there for $2. Score! I did consider getting the Furmano's or Cento's brands if I couldn't grab one of the brands shown on the show. I suggest to definitely look at the pictures of the labels if you choose to go shopping for these as there are many choices they can blend together.

The cooking of the sauce was extremely easy and turned out super tasty!

I was going to make French Bread using a recipe from my Joy of Cooking

cookbook and I was reading over the recipe and Emma began looking with me since I mentioned about making it. The recipe beside of it was Egg Bread, but the picture is what caught her eye. It showed how to braid it. Needless to say, we made Egg Bread. Emma helped me measure and Michael sifted the flour. Emma and I mixed the dough (insert our wishing for that Kitchen Aid Mixer with dough hook here) then Michael helped us as we took turns kneading the dough. Then we waited it to rise....then we braided.

The picture to the right is Michael dividing his dough for braiding. The one here on the left is Emma braiding her bread.

Let me say, braiding hair is much easier!

Here is the completed sauce made by the directions with pasta and a slice of our Egg Bread.

Could Have Been from Mom's Kitchen

Our dinner tonight could have been found at my Mom & Dad's table on any given day in the summer. Grilled Cube Steak and Italian Potatoes with Hockey Pucks for dessert.

Hockey Pucks you say? I did, say!

Hockey Pucks is actually what we call Boiled Cookies or No Bake Cookies. Our Uncle Gary dubbed them Hockey Pucks because that is what they look like!

Porkchop's

Tonight I grilled Porkchop's we had cream taters, gluten free mac and cheese , greenbean's and pinto's. The chops turned out good the taters were good as always and I wasn't up for the bean's so I didn't eat any. The mac and cheese was gluten free and it is the only thing that I don't like that we fix that's gluten free. So all in all it was a great supper.

Forgot one thing.

I will be grilling some ol'porkchops tonight. Now I just got to decide what to spice them up with.

My new adventure

As many of you know I lost my job back in June. So I have been trying to decide what I want to do.
The first thing that I thought of was culinary school. But I thought that i would have to go to school at some big money racket school. I was wrong, Alamance Community College offer's culinary courses. So now I have to decide what I want to do.Find a real job or do something that I know I will enjoy. What are ya'll thoughts?

Ribeye's My Way

Today me and Chrislin were talking about what to fix for dinner. We both settled on steaks since we needed to make room in the freezer. Cam our picky eater had no complaints. The seasoning are alittle of this and alittle of that. When I have steaks to grill nobody knows what they will taste like since its never the same.

Creativity is the Fun Part of the Adventure

I was feeling the creativity bug in the kitchen today but couldn't find the inspiration I need in my kitchen. Michael and I headed to Whole Foods Market in Winston-Salem to get my usual supply of sunflower seeds and I figured I could find my answer for creativity there. When that shopping trip failed only in the department of figuring out what I wanted to do, I drove the couple blocks over to Edward McKay's Used Books.

After looking through my routine searches of fiction books I strolled over to the cookbook section. After a long search of picking up and putting down and page flipping, I found my inspiration I was longing for The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fondues & Hot Dips!!!

Yep, you read it right, fondue! I have a fondue set that I haven't touched in probably 8-9 years, so it just left me as having to pick out a recipe and head to a grocery store on the way home.

I stopped at Lowe's Foods and picked up everything plus some that I needed to make the Smoked Cheddar,

Tomato and Bacon Fondue on page 49. I couldn't find any Smoked Cheddar so, I just used the regular Kraft Sharp Cheddar and it worked out quite well. I just toasted up some sub rolls to dip into the fondue. Next time, I see some veggies happening. The

taste testers for this culinary tasting trip was Jamey, Joey, Michael & Jonathan. There were NO complaints!

The fondue served as a great appetizer for the main course tonight of Beef/Chicken Kabobs and Joey's Bacon Potatoes.

As for my next fondue trip, I see a dessert fondue happening!

Welcoming a New Adventurer!

Our brother Josh has DEMANDED for us to include him here on our blog. So, we have. He emailed this pic & short note since he is headed to the beach this week.

Grilling some chicken on short notice at the inlaws on my small old grill.