EPIC FAIL.

I have failed at this.

Here is my excuse:

Measuring took the fun away from cooking. I have done a lot of cooking and baking.. enough to keep up with this blog. I also learned a few recipes from other people (shout out to Kendall and Barbie Cree and their sweet potato casserole).

But I guess I just realized to late that everybody has their own way of doing things in the kitchen... so, while I would love to be on a cooking show or have someone write down everything I am doing while I cook, I simply had to stop allowing measuring to steal the fun out of my favorite thing.

It is possible that in my next life stage I will find a way to share what I create.. but I am not promising anything. ;)

But, if you are following this and you live in southern Arkansas, feel free to call me up and have me cook for you sometime. I will be needing friends!

In honor of Stomp the Yard... Pork Chops

So here's the deal. If you are like us (Danielle and I) to buy cheap you buy bulk... so we still had some pork chops. These turned out way better.

1 cup rose wine

3 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup dried cranberries (which are also great on salads and good in home-made granola)

black pepper

olive oil

2 tbs brown sugar

2 pork chops

oven @ 350

In a small glass baking dish I placed the pork chops and poured the wine over them. Then, after mincing, I evenly spread the garlic over them. Then a layer of dried cranberries. then sprinkled the brown sugar and pepper over them. then drizzled just a bit of olive oil on top.

I put them in the oven for about 10-15 min (this will depend on how thin your chops are.. But remember when checking them that the cranberries and wine will keep them a little pink.)

I served them with garlic mashed potatoes, (boil potatoes, mash while adding a generous amount of butter, some whole milk, a little bit of cream cheese and some garlic powder... yum!) and some broccoli.

mmm good. mmm simple. mmm not wasting when you're on a budget.

Twice-baked Fajita Potatoes!

So I still had some baker potatoes that needed cooked. I had just bought some chicken and I had that glorious tub of fresh salsa (which would be gone soon with requests for more.)

So, if you're following, set your ovens to 400.

(serves four)

2-3 potatoes

2 chicken breasts

butter

fajita seasoning (or seasoned salt, pepper, garlic powder)

sour cream

shredded cheese (cheddar, colby jack or the "mexican cheese mix")

1/2 cup chopped yellow sweet onion

(add 1/2 cup chopped red and green peppers if desired)

Cut your chicken in fajita strips (small fajita strips). I suggest cutting perpendicular to the grain of the meat- if that doesn't make sense to you don't worry about it... just cut it to look like fajita strips. If you really want to make it good (this is what i do at least), before you cut it cover the chicken breast in saran wrap and pound it with the flat side of a meat pounder until tender/thin (about 1/2 inch thick).

Thoroughly wash potatoes, use fork to poke holes in skin (about 5 punctures on each side), wrap in wet paper towels and place them in the microwave on high for 4 min. (turn over and re-do until potato is a little soft)

Turn your pan on med-high and use about 2 tbs. butter in pan. throw in onion, chicken and peppers(if desired) and generously season chicken. cook until chicken is all white and golden brown and onions are soft and golden. Remove from heat.

Cut potatoes in half and carefully scoop out center into a mixing bowl leaving some potato on skin to hold it's shape. mix in 1/4 cup of sour cream, 1 tbs butter, and chicken/onion mix into potato. Hand mix (firmly) and ad in desired amount of cheese... I suggest about 1/2 cup. Chicken should sort of break up and that is good.

Use large spoon to scoop mixture back into skins leaving a mound on potato. Cover with shredded cheese. place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 min. Serve with salsa and a side of corn!

Bon a petite!

Salsa, Because I live with 3 other 20-something girls who like to SPICE THINGS UP!

I have this food processor/hand mixer/blender/most awesome kitchen gadget I own!

You should look into it. It's made by Cuisinart and it's called the "Smart Stick Hand Blender with Whisk and Chopper attachment."

I use it but you can use a food processor or a blender.

I use 4-5 Roma tomatoes

about 1/4 large sweet yellow onion

1/2-1 squeezed lime juice (depending on size)

1-2 pickled jalapenos (depending on size an spice preference)

1-2 cloves GARLIC depending on size

5-9 stems (leaves taken off the stems) of cilantro

1 cup frozen corn (thawed)

1 can black beans drained

Process everything but the corn and beans together until smooth. (I do the tomatoes separately from the rest then mix it all together.) then mix in the corn and beans. Chill for an hour (if you can wait that long. Really it is best to make it the night before so the flavors can get comfortable with each other... They can be a little shy at first but after a night together they seem to be more social. And yes, I just personified flavors. try it and you'll see what I mean.

ENJOY! Oh, and you may want to save a little for our next recipe!

Pork Chops and Potatoes

So, I say to Danielle: Yo, Mama D, can you pick up some meat on your way home today. I have plenty of veggies and sides but no protein. I assumed she would bring home some chicken but who knows, maybe some kind of beef.

Then she arrived with Brittany (who I was so happy to have with us for a few days) and a big package of pork chops... brainstorm, Katelyn, brainstorm.

So I pulled out old faithful and grabbed the sun dried tomatoes.

(I had a jar of sun dried tomatoes left over from making a party dip: inch layer of cream cheese, thin layer of pesto and thin layer of chopped sun dried tomatoes. Serve with wheat thins or sliced and toasted baguette bread.)

a few tablespoons of sun dried tomatoes.

A cup of flour

two eggs

4 pork chops

salt

black pepper

Italian seasoning

1 clove GARLIC (should be in every dinner dish in my opinion!)

olive oil

1/4-1/2 onion sliced

2 baker potatoes peeled and sliced thin (1/2-1 cm thick)

First turned the pan on med with about 2 tbs. of olive oil. (I used to pans at once because i don't have a very large one.)

I tossed in the sliced potatoes and onions and generously salted them. As those started to sizzle I got my pork chops ready. I finely chopped the garlic, mixed it in a bowl with chopped sun dried tomatoes, about 1/2 tbs of Italian seasoning and a splash of olive oil. Then I cracked two eggs into the mixture and lightly beat them in with a fork.

(keeping an eye on the potatoes and onion)

Next, I took the pork chops and covered them in the mixture. In another bowl I had the flour with a dash or two of salt. I placed the covered pork chops into the flour and salt to create a breading that would hopefully keep the moisture in while they fried.

then I made some room in my pans and added a little extra oil. In went the pork chops and dinner was almost ready!

While the first side of the pork browned I cooked some frozen peas with a little garlic salt, margarine and pepper. Peas are Danielle's and my favorite!

I kept and eye on the pork and flipped it as needed to keep the breading from burning. I was able to watch the process of when the pork was done by looking at the bone. (goes from pink to grey)

After about 10 min more I checked one of the pieces and it was ready (white on the inside and pulled apart with fork).

I trimmed off the fat and bone from the pork chop, put a bedd of potatoes and onion on the plate and placed the pork on top and served it with peas and Pillsbury crescent rolls!

Bon a petite!

Strawberry Shortcake

So, strawberries in the summer are a must, right? The best they come. Until two days after when they are already going bad and you have half the carton left. Wasting food does not save money... it wastes it. (Redundency intended.) So grab your flour and some sugar and throw those strawberries in the DUMP cake. :) I know... I am sooo cheesy.

Kate's Strawberry "Dump" Cake
You'll need:

Strawberries (or peaches) as many as you have or 1-2 cups sliced
2 cups Bisquick (can be replaced with 2 cups flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 2 tsp salt)
2/3 cup sugar + 1/3 cup sugar(with fruit)
1/3-1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 tablespoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

The best thing would be to "marinate" the fruit. Slice it, throw it in a ziplock with 1/3 cup sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. and let it sit. If you're baking it for dinner dessert then do that in the morning then bake it later or let them sit over night for a sweet breakfast. If you cant do either, just mix it up.

When you bake it: Pre-heat oven to 400. Mix together bisquick and 2/3 cup sugar then add milk until it turns into a bisquit-like dough. Butter and flour a casserole dish or bunt pan. (13"x5" ish) Roll dough in to small balls (inch in diameter-ish) and cover in brown sugar then drop into baking dish. After all of the dough is in the dish grab the bag (or bowl) of fruit and dump it in on top.

Bake in the oven for 20-25min. The way to test it is to lightly tap the cake part of it and if it springs back up it is done. That's the best way to test cakes too- keeps them moist unlike the toothpick test.

Some Vanilla Bean ice cream may be the perfect partner for this cake. Enjoy.

Hello Friends!

As you may, or may not, have noticed, I am behind my original start date (July 16. Unfortunately I do not have internet in my new place so I have not been able to blog my recipes. I have been cooking though, so no worries. They will be up soon! Get excited for my take on strawberry shortcake!

Sorry for the delay. :)