My house smells like Sausage Bread!!!

One of our favorite meals in this house is Sausage Bread. It took me 3 years to create it to get it to a recipe I use now for 9 years. The biggest change is from where I use to make 1 loaf with 2 pounds of sausage to 2 loaves with 4 pounds of sausage. I am almost scared to see the day I have to add a 3rd loaf and 2 more pounds of sausage!It does make sure there are leftovers, but the leftovers are first come first get! I know several of my co-workers are extremely happy when I show up on Monday morning with a slice for them. This is good for dinner and even better to have it for breakfast re-warmed.

I honestly don't think the pictures do the food justice. But it makes for super happy taste buds and makes my house smell AWESOME!!! (I will post recipe soon!)

Kaitlyn & Kasie Kakes

These two young ladies have begun on a lifelong dream and have goals set to accomplish them. Please support them!! Kaitlyn & Kasie Kakes. Emma will be getting her 14th birthday cake from these young ladies. She is so excited!

Pork Chops, Homemade Apple Sauce and Mac & Cheese

Last week I caught an episode of 30 Minute Meals with Rachael Ray. She made her version of a farmhouse dinner. It was a super simple meal that included pan seared Pork chops with a maple and mustard glaze, a warm apple and raisin sauce and whole wheat mac & cheese with broccoli. It looked amazing and something that the kids would eat without question.

I started off by omitting her homemade mac & cheese and subbed a box of Kraft Mac & Cheese dinner -3 cheese blend with shells and used frozen broccoli florets. The 3 cheese blend is no where near as orange and cheesy as the original blue box and not the overly salty like their yellow box of shells and cheese. I used boneless pork chops and in lieu of apple cider for the sauce, I used an organic apple juice and regular raisins.
Dinner turned out delicious and if I'm adventurous another time I make this, I'll do my own homemade mac & cheese and add broccoli to it. If you take the short cut and make a box of mac & cheese, steam your frozen broccoli and drain and then add it to the pasta as you're mixing in the cheese sauce or follow Rachael's tip for adding fresh broccoli in the pasta water during the last few moments.

Pork Chops, Golden Apple and Raisin Sauce, Whole Wheat Pasta Mac-n-Cheddar

Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray, 2007

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1/2 pound whole wheat shells or penne pasta
• 4 golden apples, cored and chopped
• 1 cup cloudy apple cider
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• A handful golden raisins
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 4 large center cut pork loin chops, 1 1/2-inch thick
• Black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 rounded tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 pound extra-sharp white cheddar
• A few grates nutmeg, to taste
• Dash hot sauce
• 2 cups broccoli tops, cut into small florets
• 2 tablespoons spicy brown or grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

Directions

Heat a large pot of water for pasta. Season water with salt and cook pasta to al dente.

Add apples to a medium pot and stir in cider, sugar, raisins, cinnamon and a pinch of salt. Place pot over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 12 minutes.

Season chops with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 6 to 7 minutes on each side.

While chops cook, heat 2 tablespoons butter in a sauce pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook a minute then whisk in milk and season with salt and pepper. Grate cheese and stir into sauce and season with nutmeg, to taste, and a dash of hot sauce. Reduce heat to low.

Add broccoli to pasta last 2 minutes of cook time. Drain and return to pasta pot. Add cheese sauce and stir to coat.

Add mustard and syrup to chops and glaze, 1 minute.

Serve pork with apple sauce, macaroni and cheddar with broccoli along side.

Winners!

Tonight we had winners! That was great since last night was such a dud. The menu tonight had 4 new recipes. First, I made Stuffed Double-Cut Pork Loin Chops that I watched Guy make the other day on Guy’s Big Bite. When I went grocery shopping, I forgot the stone ground mustard, pancetta, mushrooms, panko bread crumbs and

fontina cheese.

So, I made due with what I had. I used regular yellow mustard and 2 cup frozen corn kernels and the Cloverleaf Rolls that I crumbled & froze last week. I so prefer using my bread crumbs from leftover

biscuits instead of buying them if I can get by with it. And I used veggie broth instead of the chicken broth to deglaze the pan with. I served the sauce on the side just because I knew Joey isn’t big on having a sauce on his meat.

For the side tonight I decided to find a recipe to use the Orzo that I bought

at Trader Joe’s the other week. It was only 99¢! I took a look at several recipes and made my own Orzo & Rice recipe. Jamey said it tasted a little like Apple Jacks. I don’t care for them, but Joey agreed with him. The flavor was nutty and very filling.

The third new recipe for the table tonight was the Red Pepper, Spinach & Feta Quiche. Once again, I took several recipes and came up with my own.This was really good. I can’t wait to have my leftovers tomorrow!

Lastly, I attempted to make a Blondie Brownie. I say attempt because once again, I took several and changed them to make them mine. These weren’t too bad but I might keep searching for a better one.

Bummer, it's a dud.

My last trip to Marshall’s I found The Everything Quick Meals Cookbook for $3.99. I decided to make the Chili con Queso Dinner from page 108. The recipe looked simple enough and my family eats all the ingredients, so I thought it was a good idea to try it.

Apparently, it was time for me to hit a DUD with a new recipe. I am kinda glad I shorted it on some of the ingredients as Jamey was SWEATING from the spiciness of the dish. Emma kept mixing hers with her Spanish Style Rice to knock the spice down and Joey wouldn’t get more after his first 2 bites! Jamey says I can make it again but with definite changes. If you like spice, then by all means make it as it is written, but if you don’t then you might want to make some adjustments on your own.

Fruit & Veggie Smoothie aka Glowing Green Smoothie aka GGS aka delish!

Since I have quit smoking (12 weeks this coming Sunday!!) I have packed on some pounds. When I find a scale, I will let  you know exactly how many. But for now, let's just say I had to go shopping. So in order to remedy the weight gain, I have decided to start eating healthier and start exercising again. And in my quest to eat healthier, I have found some really great recipes that don't make me feel like I am eating healthy. :) That's my kind of eating! So the recipe I'm going to post is super, super easy because well, haha, I can't cook but you all knew that all ready. So here goes:


1 head romaine lettuce, washed & chopped 
1 bunch spinach, washed & chopped 
1/2  - 1 1/2 C water
4-5 stalks of celery, washed & chopped 
2-3 Tbs  apple cider vinegar (raw, unpasteurized, unfiltered for the health benefits)
2-3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/2 - 1 lb seedless grapes (red or white)
3  mangoes (the champagne variety or the regular ones), peeled and chopped
1 pint strawberries washed, capped & coarse chopped
2 bananas peeled, chopped
2 apples cored & chopped
 Optional: 1/3 small bunch cilantro 
                 1/3 bunch parsley, any variety, washed & chopped


Directions:


Add the water and the chopped head of romaine and spinch to the blender. Start blending on a low speed, mix until smooth. As you gradually move to  higher speeds, add the celery, apples, strawberries, mangoes, & grapes. Blend till smooth. Add the parsley &/or cilantro if you choose. (Fresh herbs like cilantro and parsley have cleansing properties that help extract heavy metals and other toxins from the body. Add the banana, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice last. 
(Yes, it looks gross. Kinda like baby poo. But it is so very, very good. You will want one every morning!)
This recipe is not exact by any means. These particular measurements will get you almost 2/3 a gallon of this smoothie. And I really eyeball the vinegar and the lemon juice. The above recipe is my version of Kimberly Snyder's recipe. She is a certified nutritionist and works with countless celebs (Drew Barrymore, Olivia Wilde, Owen Wilson, Fergie, Dr. Oz, well you get the idea).  Her original recipe can be found at http://www.kimberlysnyder.net. Look under "Recipes" or "Popular Posts".

Another bonus to this recipes is that you can vary it to your tastes like I did. Just make sure to balance the light green veggies with the dark green veggies.

Another couple of things I am going to try with this, is turning this ever delicious goop into ice pops and making a Greek yogurt smoothie. I'm thinking they will be pretty tasty.

I'll post a photo later so everyone can see what it looks like.

Lots of Flavor

Last night, I made two new dishes. The first was the Mini Pork Sandwiches that I watched Paula Deen & her friend make the other week while watching Food Network.

The other was Potato Gratins which I found from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook by Diana Shaw on page 228.

Jamey and the kids enjoyed the sandwiches and said that the spread tasted like the "dressing" that is used for potato salad, which I agreed with them on that. Ibelieve they made them on the show for a picnic and those would be really good for that as well. They are small and only require the spread to be put on before eating.

The Potato Gratins is a definite reason for me to go out and buy a gratin dish!

Make sure to use the Yukon Gold potatoes when making this! They give the potatoes buttery flavor that a white, red or all-purpose potato won't. Jamey didn't believe me when I told him that there wasn't any butter in the recipe at all.

Tonight, the table was offering Steaks with basil and butter,

Bell Pepper Risotto,

Salad and homemade Cloverleaf Rolls.

The steaks were done inside since I forgot to get some propane for the grill. My basil plant is looking good and I decided to try something different with the steaks. The Bell Pepper Risotto came from The Essential Vegetarian Cookbook also. My Cloverleaf Roll recipe came from American Home All-Purpose Cookbook by Virginia T. Habeeb. Page 110. The cookbook itself I am not sure I got it from one of my Grandmother's homes or picked it up at consignment shop that use to be in town. I didn't realize this cookbook was regarded as highly it was until I started Googling info on it to add a link. I haven't added the Cloverleaf recipe yet, but I will.

I am so stuffed from out awesome dinner and the flavors were comforting and will be welcome at our table anytime!

Toasted Sunflower Seeds

So, I checked out and read The Kind Diet by Alicia Silverstone and since doing that, I have learned some new things. But I am not here to sell her book. I am here to share a recipe!

The original recipe is on page 215, but it actually is pretty simple. They are so good to eat as a snack by themselves or added to a salad.

1. Rinse sunflower seeds & drain.

2. In a hot pan add the seeds and toast until they are dry and puff up a little.

3. Add just a little bit of soy sauce and toss the seeds.

4. Remove from the heat.

5. Store in a glass jar.

I buy my seeds in bulk at Whole Foods.

Something Old, Something New

Last night I made Hot Legs for dinner . The recipe came from a cookbook I picked up at Aldi's the other year that has now disappeared somehow from my cookbook shelf. Anyways, it was a super easy quick dinner that I served with mashed potatoes.

Tonight, we grilled some cube steak but I found a recipe in Mary Gwynn's 30-Minute Vegetarian Recipes, called Pasta Shells with Sprouts I wanted to try. I made some adjustments like changing out the goat cheese for mozzarella and the shape of the pasta itself (which I used fusilli shape tonight). I also didn't use the black olive paste. But I added mushrooms. My version of Pasta with Sprouts turned out wonderfully. I do hope you will try it.

Surprise, Surprise. It's Time for another Adventure!

Today I'm starting a new adventure and ending another. I just finished one month of going Vegetarian (again) and I'm shifting gears and going back on the meat band wagon. Surprise, surprise, I know.

It was fun, it made me appreciate the discipline that die-hard Vegetarians and Vegans do and expanded my options for meat-less meals, even more than last time. I'm sticking to seafood, poultry and limiting my intake of pork and beef products. But, I still failed short of my long term goal of cutting out as much processed foods as I can. No one tells beginning Vegetarians (or second time around one's like me) that any convenience food for someone on a plant based diet is as just as processed as regular foods with meat in them. I have a ton of appreciation for those who continue this lifestyle, but for someone who loves to cook as much as I do, the whole month I was miserable thinking that a lot of my favorite foods and recipes were "off-limits". No more Beef Wellington and roasted Brussels Sprouts for special occasions, a nice piece of grilled chicken topped with a fresh avocado salsa, Honey glazed Salmon with wild rice and steamed veggies. You get the picture. As good as I felt, I was slightly unhappy meat-free. Maybe my body needed to be reset and enjoy a hiatus from meat, but I'm still going to incorporate Meat-less Mondays into our menu. If you read my personal blog How to Turn an Average Day into an Adventure, this post might make you think you've read it twice, it's because you have. (Cut & paste, baby) Anyway, today I begin my Couch to 5k challenge. I'm super excited and as a plus, I'll be tracking my progress on my personal blog and giving you readers here at Adventures in Our Kitchens some new delicious recipes to try along with me. So hang on, it's going to be an awesome roller coaster of food and fun.

Supper Requested by Joey

Joey asked to have Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches for dinner, So, I accommodated him and his palate tonight. I also fixed French Fries to accompany the sandwiches and Vegan French Onion Soup for me. The marinara sauce that I used on the Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches was one that I kind made up on the fly, but I am sure any jar spaghetti or pizza sauce will do, or this Simple Marinara that I will use occasionally.

My soup was quite good as I have been searching for the correct ingredients to give me the same flavor as the stuff with beef broth. Michael didn't notice it wasn't made the same, he just said it was still super yummy as always. I did find many Vegan French Onion Soup options when I Googled it, but some had ingredients in them, I didn't use when I made Mom's version so, I just decided to make my own.

Our Cinco de Mayo Meal

Apparently, Nikki & I were thinking alike tonight! I made Strickland Style Chile Rellenos too!

I also made a picante type salsa. I made salsa & dumped it in the blender & beat it up pretty well.

To go with those items, I made Spanish style rice (from a box -don't get too excited), cheese quesadillas, and some thin pork chops that were seasoned with taco seasoning.

Cinco de Mayo Celebration

Yesterday was National Star Wars day (May the Fourth be with you) and today is Cinco de Mayo. A day in which everyone embraces Mexican culture and celebrates with lots of food and Margaritas. So, for tonight's menu we're having: Meatless Enchiladas, Chile Rellenos, fresh guacamole and Beer-garitas!

Now, the enchiladas are out of a Old El Paso dinner kit, I'm subbing the chicken for some LightLife Gimme Lean Beef. Mmm...and homemade Chile Rellenos. Now the kind my family makes are like a pancake and not a stuffed Chile like you see at some restaurants. I remember a fabulous Mexican restaurant when I was younger - Casa Gallardo's. They may have had the pancake style Chile Rellenos there and my family came home and recreated our own version. But, tonight I'm making these Mexican Stuffed Peppers. I'm swapping out the ground beef for black beans. The Beer-garitas are from a high school friend's blog - Southern Belle Mama and her version is not far from the original at Beer-garita.com.

Beer-garitas - (courtesy of Southern Belle Mama)

Here's the recipe:

12 oz of beer (I prefer Corona or Landshark)
12 oz of water

12 oz of Limeade concentrate (not the Margarita frozen mix)

6-12 oz of tequila (I LOVE Corzo Silver)
Mix all together and enjoy!
This recipe is enough to share, but if no one else wants to join in your margarita party (as it was this evening), just half all of the measurements and I go with 3-4 oz of tequila. That's plenty strong and you can enjoy the lime taste too.

The guacamole is a recipe that Clay learned how to make from his Battle Buddy Palma from basic training. Clay had this delicious guacamole while in Texas for Thanksgiving. It's a chunky and authentic guacamole at it's best!

Palma's Guacamole
Avocados, tomatoes, white onion, lemon or lime juice (fresh) , jalapenos (seeded and diced), salt and pepper to taste, and a bit of chopped cilantro.
Chop the veggies, toss in a bowl, add lemon juice and cilantro. Mix well and add salt & pepper to taste.

Chile Rellenos (Strickland Style)
1 can diced chiles, undrained
1 egg
1/4 cup green onions or white onion, diced
4 oz Pepper Jack cheese
1/2 cup all purpose flour
Combine all ingredients until the consistency of pancake batter. Cook on a griddle until golden brown on both sides. Serve with sour cream or pico de gallo.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!
Kick back and have an wonderful night with family & friends.

Grilled Pizza

So, Nikki was kind enough to let me use her grill since she is now in Kansas & my grill died last season. Emma & I decided to have grilled pizza's for dinner. We picked up all the toppings while shopping for her a dress this afternoon. When we came in, I began my search for the crust.

Well, I found one that turned out to be super awesome! It didn't hurt that 13,710 people have saved the recipe on All Recipes and 242 of them rated/reviewed it giving it 4.5 stars. I was the 243rd one to leave a 5 star rating!This RECIPE does have the dough go through 2 rise cycles with the yeast, but I think it was well worth the weight. I didn't brush the grill with oil & we chose our own toppings, but otherwise I followed it. This will be a do over and over again recipe. Next time, though I will have a table set up beside the grill with all my toppings so Emma don't have to make a hundred trips back and forth in the house.

Emma's Veggie Pizza

Michael's Bacon, Tomato & Ranch Pizza

Gracie's Pizza

Mande's Veggie Pizza

Dinners from the Past Week

Ginger Beef Stir Fry

Stir-Fried Chicken & RiceNoodles Easter Picnic Shoulder with Pineapple & Cherries Pineapple Casserole Emma's First Cake Design Red Velvet Cake

Simple Marinara Sauce & Wild Mushroom Pasta

Last night, it was cold and I wanted a bowl of spaghetti, but not just any spaghetti. I wanted a good bowl of pasta that would fill me up, but not make me fill like I had drown in a vat of grease.

I had recently stumbled upon a really simple marinara recipe last week and then remembered that I had first read about it in a Nicholas Sparks novel, True Believer. All you need is an onion, some butter & a can of San Marzano tomatoes. Then I saw a picture of this awesome pasta, telephone cord pasta also called Fusilli lunghi (available at Trader Joe's) and thought it was worth a try, but alas the Commissary didn't carry any. So, I settled for some Buitoni Wild Mushroom Agnolotti, which was superb and if you head over to their website you can get a dollar off any of their refrigerated pasta or sauces. For a side of protein, I used a very delicious & vegetarian-friendly Italian "sausage". Mmmm, the Smart Sausage by Lightlife was so good with the pasta & sauce. I also served up some 3 Cheese Texas Toast alongside the pasta.

Simple Marinara Sauce
Taste and adjust with more salt if needed.

One 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes (San Marzano, if you can find), tomatoes roughly chopped with their juices
5 tablespoons salted butter
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved

Heat a heavy, medium saucepan over medium heat. Add all of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat to low to keep a steady simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, or until droplets of fat float free of the tomatoes. Stir occasionally. Discard the onion or secretly enjoy. Serve over cooked pasta.

Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did. It's even better the next day! :D

Easy Dinner Night

So the menu for this evening was salmon patties, homemade mac n' cheese and deviled eggs. When I purchased the salmon, I picked up a can instead of vacuum pack. I remembered why I spent the extra $ now on the vacuum pack - it's because of taking the time to pull out all the "skin" and big bones!

The mac n' cheese was a touch cheesier than I intended but it was still yummy. The deviled eggs turned out well since I have learned how to cook the eggs properly.

Yummy Desserts

Anybody who knows me knows that my favorite part of the meal is the end because we get that yummy, sweet tasting dessert. So deciding on a dessert for company the other night I went with two choices, Pecan Pie, the traditional southern dessert and Lemon Meringue, which is my favorite. There is nothing like my cousin and I fighting over a lemon pie at a family dinner..lol. So while rummaging through my many cookbooks I came across these two recipes in my Martha Stewart cookbook. I am not a big fan of Martha, but I love her recipes. I did buy the crust out of the freezer section, but the rest is from scratch. The pecan was the easiest to make, took 15 minutes tops to prep and 45 in the oven and it turned out beautifully if I do say so myself. The lemon was a little longer because of course you use fresh lemons and you cook the filling, so not out of a can. I think the meringue turned out wonderful. It was my first time making meringue so I thought I did a good job. Hope you enjoy.

Veal Parmesan

Tonight I made Joey's favorite meal, Veal Parmesan. This use to be one of my favorite meals growing up and I am happy to share it with my family as well. Veal itself isn't that expense if you watch the dates on the meat and pick it up the day before it runs out since that is the day that the meat department will mark it down. I just freeze it so I don't waste my money. Jamey said that the meal tonight was better than what we could get in a restaurant. That made me feel so good!

I made a Simple Marinara for it yesterday so I didn't have to much work for the meal tonight. The Simple Marinara can have browned ground beef, ground pork, or Italian sausage added to it to make it into a meat sauce just to have over your favorite pasta.

A Classic

Dinner tonight was a classic that has grace dinner tables across the country for many years. We had Meatloaf and Roasted Veggies. Super yummy! I am having a meatloaf sandwich tomorrow for lunch.