Crock Pot Sweet & Sour Pork

Since it's starting to get warmer and no one really LIKES staying in a hot kitchen, I've decided to post some of my favorite crockpot recipes :) So here is a super easy NO FAIL one :)

Whatcha need:

1-1/2 lb. boneless pork loin, cut into 1-inch pieces

**you can used pork chops cut into pieces or a pork roast**
1 onion, chopped
3/4 cup Barbecue Sauce
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
2 cups instant white rice, uncooked

Whatcha do:
Place meat in slow cooker; top with onions. Add barbecue sauce and broth; cover with lid. Cook on LOW 6 to 7 hours (or on HIGH 4 hours). Make sure you check it every hour or so. You wanna make sure everything is going along smoothly :) Stir in remaining ingredients. Cover your lovely pork and cook on LOW 30 min. or until rice is tender.

Now!! if you're not feeling the added taste the BBQ sauce adds, you can use 1 bottle (10 oz.) Sweet 'N Sour Sauce instead.

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

Okay folks! It's getting closer! Summer time and garden fun is right around the corner! At least, I think that if I keep telling myself that it will happen! Anyone else sick of this icky weather!??!! Snow?? In APRIL?! Anyways! I digress LOL Here's a fun recipe to help use up all that extra zucchini you'll have laying around :)

Whatcha need:

2 C sugar

1 C vegetable oil

3 eggs

2 grated zucchini

3 tsp vanilla

3 C whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

3 tsp cinnamon

Whatcha Do:

Preheat your oven to 350. Grease and flour 2(two) loaf pans. Combine sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and zucchini. In separate bowl combine flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Slowly combine mixtures and then pour into pans. Bake for 45-60 mins, until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from pan to cool on wire rack. If you'd like, you can always add your favorite nuts or raisins. I'm going to try some craisins in it today when I make some :)

lemon cookies

So, we're in B-town this weekend! My mother in law made the bestest lemon cookies :) :) SO I just HAVE to share :) She got the recipe from Sharon Dance, a woman here in the Btown :) So super tasty!!!

WHATCHA NEED:

1 1/4 C sugar

3/4 C shortening

1tsp salt

1 egg

2 tsp lemon extract

1/4 tsp yellow food coloring

2 C flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 C evaporated milk

WHATCHA DO:

Mix sugar & shortening and egg. Mix dry ingredients alternating with milk until blended. Make in to 1" balls and roll in sugar. Cook at 350 on ungreased pan for 12-13 mins

whole wheat banana bread

I'm trying to do better at eating better. So, I've been playing around with making some of my comfort foods a tad bit healthier. I haven't perfected this recipe just yet, but it's pretty darn close :) Please oh please, if any of you kiddies try this recipe and find something that's super tasty, let me know!!! I'm going to experiment some more when I get some time next week, but I HAD to share this today :)

Whatcha need:

3 LARGE bananas, mashed PDG (pretty dang good)

2 eggs,

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 C melted butter (i used I Can't Believe It's Not Butter)

3/4 C granulated sugar

1 3/4 C wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp nutmeg

Whatcha do

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. In mixing bowl, combine bananas, eggs, vanilla and melted butter. Mix well. And sugar and mix well again :) In separate bowl (or if you have AWESOME glass measuring cups from an even more AWESOME hubby, use those :) combine the remaining ingredients. Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet and mix well yet again :) Pour into greased/floured 9*13 loaf pan and bake for 50-55 minutes at 350. Pull out and let cook in pan for about 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to finish cooling.

I thought about adding some nuts, but I didn't have any on hand. But please, let me know if any of y'all come up with any variations :)

I will post pictures as soon as my little demon, ur, i mean ANGEL tells me when he hid the camera. Mr. Steven decided he's going to be a photographer I guess and Mom was wasting his memory space on the camera :)

Stay tuned for some more fun recipes this week and a super duper special linkin' up with a special site :)

"Mormon" Taters

So, my step mom grew up LDS. She's been inactive since she was, gosh, 16. The other day a while back we were chatting about food and stuff we grew up with. She made the comment about missing those mormon funeral cheesy potatoes things. She asked me if I knew how to make them. I was like heck yes!!! She light up like a Christmas tree and politely requested I make them. So!! She's now addicted!!! And I love it :) :) Our son Stevey is more than addicted. These things are full of calories, so he's allowed to eat them as much as he wants :) There's tons of different versions out there. I thought I would share mine :)

Whatcha need:

1 2lb bag of frozen hashbrowns*

2 cans of cream of chicken soup

2 cups of sour cream

2 1/2 cups of shredded cheese (medium or sharp cheddar is A-mazing)

1/2 cup melted butter

1 small onion diced (or 1/2 cup dehydrated onion)*

**optional**

2 TB melted butter

2 cups crushed corn flakes or wheaties

Whatcha do:

Preheat your oven to 350. Spray a 9*13 pan with cooking spray. Mix soup, sour cream, 1/2 c melted butter, onion and cheese. Fold in the hashbrowns, gently. If you wanna add the corn flakes, mix the corn flakes and butter and sprinkle on top. Bake for 30-40 mins.

*if you don't have frozen hashbrowns, you can use "fresh" taters. Just peel and boil and then shred them in your food processor. The cooking time will vary.

*I LOVE using green onions, but don't always them available. If you have them, then by all means, USE THEM :) 1/2-3/4 cup chopped green onions.

super easy TURKEY-esque dinner

Hey kiddies!! I feel like the biggest jerk. I have not updated this blog like I said I would. Who would've known that life could get busier?! :) But, after a freakin' amazing Sunday dinner with my family, parents included, I have some free time :)

For our Sunday dinner, I decided to use a turkey roast we had in our freezer. Sundays, I really LOVE to use my crock pot. It's all about being easy cheesy :) We have church at 11am and that's right in the middle of the day for us. I don't like spending all my time after church preparing dinner. So....i stumbled across this "recipe" for a turkey breast in the crock pot. Ready for it?

Whatcha need:

1 Turkey Breast Roast

1 pkt of dry onion soup mix

1 crock pot

Whatcha do:

Rub the turkey with the dry onion soup mix. Cook in the crock on high for 3-4 hours and the low for 1-2. Wall lah! You have a super tasty turkey :) I served ours with mormon taters (recipe to follow) and a veggie :)

YAY!!

And my lap top is fixed!! Thanks hubby :) So....check

back on Monday! There will be a plethora of recipes!!

Gotta make up for lost time!!!

so watch out kiddies :)