Pork and Tomatillo Stew

There is nothing better in the winter than a good, hearty stew. Except, we haven't had much of a winter. But I'm still craving soup and heartier type dishes that cold weather calls for. 

Julie at Mommie Cooks posted this a few days ago and I knew I HAD to make it! Regardless of 60 degree temps or not!

That also meant I wanted to go where I've never gone before, my local carniceria!! I was anxious at first but LOVED it when I got inside!!! The meat was cut to order and my little knowledge of Spanish definitely came to help (even with some texting to my Spanish Teacher Friend!!). Not only was the meat counter awesome, but they had Mexican Vanilla, cheap cheap cilantro and limes and corn tortillas and I seriously cannot wait to go back!

We decided to add the can of beans to the stew because we thought we needed it but again, that was our opinion and we are bean people!
 The flavors in this was amazing and definitely a dinner I can't wait to make again!

Pork and Tomatillo Stew

adapted from this recipe at Mommie Cooks

Ingredients

1 Pork roast, cubed
3 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Pepper
2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
6 Tomatillos, Roughly Chopped
1 Onion,  Roughly Chopped
4 Cloves Garlic, Minced
3 cups Chicken Stock
11/2 tsp, Cumin
1 tsp. Chile Pepper
1 Small Bunch Fresh Oregano
1 4.5 Oz. Can Diced Green Chiles
4 Russet Potatoes, Roughly Chopped
1/4 cup cilantro,chopped

1 can cannellini beans (or other white bean)

Salt and pepper To Taste

Directions

1. Add the flour, salt and pepper to bowl and toss the pork in until completely coated.
2. Heat the oil on medium high in a large dutch oven and toss in the meat to sear.
3. Cook for a minute or two to brown the outsides and then add in the tomatillos, onion and garlic.
4. Cook for 2-3 more minutes and then pour in 1 cup of the chicken stock.
5. Deglaze the pan and then add in the chicken stock.
6. Add in the spices and the green chiles.
7. Finally, add in the potatoes and can of beans.
8. Turn heat down to low and simmer, covered, for the next 4 hours. (You can also toss the mixture into a slow cooker at this point and cook it on low for 4 to 6 hours.)
9. Once done cooking add in 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro.
10. Salt to taste and serve with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro.
11. Enjoy!

“Come join SoupaPalooza at TidyMom and Dine & Dishsponsored by KitchenAid, Red Star Yeast and Le Creuset” 

Weekly Menu Plan

Here we are almost to March!! And Wednesday is a Leap Day!! I'm excited for March! There are lots of fun things coming up with my husband's restaurant and also myself! We have day trips planned to attend food shows and he also has an Iron Chef like competition happening soon!

We have so much food in this house it is kind of sad... I am probably one of the only females who love to grocery shop but that also means we have a surplus of food. I will be attempting to go through what we have and cook with what we have vs.buying new.

My mom actually did some grocery shopping over the weekend which equaled a can of sloppy joe sauce being brought home. My husband and I love sloppy Joes but we rarely have them so I'm glad she wanted them!

The only day that is officially planned is Friday which during Lent equals Fish.

Sloppy Joes and tater tots

Southwestern Sausage Quiche and salad

Weeknight Enchiladas and rice and black beans

one night will be out to eat (probably Thursday)

Foil Baked Salmon

Saturday-- party at my friend Kim's and  homemade pizza for dinner

Sunday-- The husband wants to make Fried Chicken!


Hope everyone has a great week!!

National Banana Bread Day!!

Better late than never right!! I could totally go for some banana bread baking but considering my kitchen is still a mess from when I was baking this time last night, it's not going to happen today!

Here are a few of my favorite banana recipes!!




Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins-- probably the moistest banana muffins I've ever had and chocolate chips are always good in anything!!




Banana Bars-- yeah, not really bread but cake is good too and I recently read that cake can be considered breakfast food so why not!?!??




Banana Nutella Bread-- saved the best for last!! I first tried Nutella at BlogHer food and this stuff is good!

Mini King Cake

While this is no King Cake that we normally have from a local bakery, it was super sweet and fit the bill! Super fast to make and I had the ingredients! (No little baby surprise in this one though!)

I can remember the first time I had a king cake. My dad had come home with this crazy looking pastry that was so colorful none of us knew what to think. (I had parents that were very busy outside of the house and we learned a lot about other cultures and how to appreciate them-- both of my parents were very musical and taught us the good sides of a lot of things--even if I didn't want to see dead rocks at 15 I can now appreciate them making me get out of the house!)

I call it mini because it is only made from one can of crescent rolls and would probably only feed 3-4 people but that's ok! I make a ton of sweets and I think my sister just wanted to have fun with sprinkles. And Sometimes older sisters need to make something for their siblings :)

Happy Mardi Gras Y'all!!

Mini King Cake 

recipe adapted from this recipe at Plain Chicken

1 can crescent rolls
2 Tbps of unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

powdered sugar
milk
yellow, green, purple sugar

Unroll crescent rolls and press to seal all perforations.  Spread  melted butter over crescent rolls.  Top butter with brown sugar and vanilla.  Starting with the long end, roll up jelly roll style and form into a circle.  Pinch edges together.  Bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes (until golden brown).  After the cake has cooled, mix together powdered sugar and milk to make an icing.  Top cake with icing and sprinkle with colored sugar

Southwestern Casserole: Secret Recipe Club

After a month off in January, the Secret Recipe Club is back!!

This month I Kristy from Darn Near Domestic. Kristy is the mother of two and has a great blog that is full of home, cooking, and fashion ideas!

I loved looking through all of her recipes! She has so many great dinner options!

I chose this Southwestern Casserole because a) it's winter and b) comfort food= casserole for me.

My husband is the complete opposite about casseroles but he will eat what I make because he loves me :). I love that is super quick to put together and get into the oven and it doesn't use any cream of whatever soups. While I don't have an aversion to those soups, I know that many people do.

I think the next thing I'm going to try from Kristy's blog is this loaded potato casserole so be sure to check out her blog for great food ideas!!

Southwestern Casserole
recipe adapted from Darn Near Domestic


1 4 ounce can of diced green chiles, drained 
1 tsp olive oil 
1 lb lean ground turkey 
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp chili powder 
1 1/2 tsp onion powder 
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder 
1 1/2 tsp cumin 
1 tsp of salt AND pepper
2 cloves of garlic, minced 
1 can of  roasted diced tomatoes , 14 oz.
2 cups frozen corn, thawed 
1 can of refried beans , 14 oz.
1 1/2 cups of medium cheddar, shredded 
Sour cream (optional) 
Fresh salsa (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Coat a large baking dish with cooking spray. 
3. Place the green chiles in a single layer on the bottom of baking dish. 
4. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion, ground turkey, and seasonings. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring often to break up the meat.  
5. Add the minced garlic and diced tomatoes. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes.
6. Pour the meat mixture on top of the green chiles; next add the corn. 
7. Carefully spread the refried beans on top of the corn followed by the cheese.
8. Bake for 30 minutes.
9. Enjoy!

Weekly Menu Plan

Is anyone else completely confused by their weather? Friday it was sunny and 65 and today it's rainy and 42. I would much rather have Friday back any day!!

I'm planning on putting my slow cooker to good use this week!!-- It's also the start of Lent-- which means fish on Fridays and giving up something. I think I have decided to give up diet cokes-- I Normally have 2-3 a day and while I now they are horrible for me I just can't give them up!! So that would be a good thing for me-- what about you? Do you celebrate Lent?



Sunday-- Roger and I are going to brunch out today-- by ourselves!!! But Dinner will be in the crockpot today too! Pork and Tomatillo Stew-- Julie's site is on my favorites and when she posted this I knew I had to make it soon! I love tomatillo in anything plus it gave me an excuse to go to a Carniceria! Yes, I went to a carniceria and it was awesome and I want to go again! Seriously cilantro at 49 cents! And fresh meat too at that!!

Monday-- Slow Cooker Ravioli -- I saw this on pinterest and couldn't wait to make it for an easy meal!

Tuesday-- Shrove Tuesday-- normally my church has a pancake dinner but not this year for some odd reason so we are making pancakes at home and namely these pancakes-- they are my absolute favorite and I haven't made them since I adapted these pancakes

Wednesday-- Leftovers

Thursday-- will probably go out to eat or Roger will cook as he is off work today

Friday-- getting Cameron for the weekend!! He has already said he wants to go to Mooyah Burgers!

Saturday-- planning on going to Murfreesboro to go to King Arthur's Traveling Baking Demo

Wordless Wednesday

Baked Fudge

Happy Valentine's Day!!!!!


I hope that everyone has a wonderful day filled with love, laughter and lots of extra hugs and kisses!!

Now, if you no absolute clue as to what you are making tonight for dinner or even you want something just for yourself to enjoy-- go into your pantry and grab everything for this little chocolate dessert. You will thank me later. And if you have whipped cream or ice cream to add to the top, you will thank me even more.

My husband has to work so we always celebrate Valentine's earlier in the week and
 this is the dessert I made for us.
Divine, Pure Chocolate and super simple to make!

Baked Fudge

recipe adapted from this recipe at Pioneer Woman Cooks

• 2 whole Eggs
• 1 cup Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons (heaping) Cocoa (I used Hershey's Special Dark)
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 cup Butter, Melted
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 to 325 degrees.

Beat eggs until light in color. Beat in sugar until just combined. Add cocoa, flour, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Mix gently until well combined.

Pour batter into four large ramekins or one 8-inch square baking dish. Set ramekins or pan into a larger pan halfway full of water.

Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until upper crust is crispy and the rest of the batter is firm but not set. Toothpick should come out…not clean, but mixture should not be overly runny. If you pull it out of the oven and have second thoughts, stick it back in for ten more minutes.

This is linked to Tasty Tuesday At Beauty and Bedlam and Trick or Treat Tuesdays at Inside BruCrew Life

Menu Plan Monday

Monday-- Going to go eat with the hubby (at his restaurant!!)

Tuesday-- Just me, my mama, and Coley tonight for Valentine's Day-- I'm planning on going to Fresh Market after work and get something special

Wednesday-- Breakfast for dinner

Thursday-- Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

Friday-- making my Secret Recipe Club recipe for dinner tonight!! Reveal day is Monday!!

Saturday--French Dip Crescents

WIll you be my Valentine? 30 by 30: Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

So a long, long time ago I created a 30 by 30 list. 30 Things I wanted to make by the time I turned 30.
I never got through the list. And now we are approximately 4 1/2 months away from my 31st birthday so I really want to try to get through this list!

 I have a little boy that is totally in love with color yellow right now so I colored these sugar cookies pink and yellow. I've always wanted to make sugar cookies and finally found  a recipe I can go to again and again . I had tried about 2 recipes before trying this one yesterday.
The Chef and I have fun decorating these this afternoon while Cole was napping. I guess the couple who decorates cookies together stays together?

I didn't want to delve into the world of royal icing yet but it was fun to get the decorating tips and colors out and play and I will definitely want to play some more and hone my skills!
(Because obviously, these aren't great but it was fun to do!!)

Sugar Cookie and Icing recipe

recipe adapted from these recipes at I am Baker

Sugar Cookie

1. 1-½ cup Butter (I Use unsalted and slightly softened)
2. 2 cups Sugar
3. 2 whole Eggs
4. 2 whole Egg Yolks
5. 3 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
6. 3 teaspoons Almond Extract
7. 4 cups All-purpose Flour
8. 1 teaspoon Salt
9. 1 teaspoon Baking Powder

Instructions

1. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until well combined, about 2 minutes.
2. Add in 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks and mix until combined.
3. Add in vanilla and almond extract; mix until combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly (about a cup at a time) add flour to butter mixture and combine. You can use a mixer or not, just depends on how strong you are. ( mix ingredients until they are combined, because if you over-mix this dough it will get tough.)
5. Put dough in some Saran wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour. When you are ready to bake, heat oven to 350 degrees. Roll dough out, cut out cookies, and bake for 6-8 minutes.

Cookie Icing

Ingredients

1. 1 cup Confectioners Sugar (powdered Sugar)
2. 1-3 Tablespoons Milk
3. 1 drop Lemon Juice (fresh Or Processed)
4. 1 Tablespoon Light Corn Syrup

Instructions

1. Combine powder sugar, corn syrup, and lemon juice in a bowl.
2. Just a drop at a time. If you have already outlined your cookies and need a to fill in or ’spill’ your cookies, you can add more milk (as much as you would need) to make your frosting very runny.If you need a thicker frosting, say for outlining your cookies, add LESS milk.
3. If you are using food coloring, be sure to use LESS milk. Most food colorings are liquid and can make your frosting more runny. If you are using a gel food coloring, your milk quantity can remain the same.
4. If you want to add different flavors, you can add drops of vanilla extract, almond extract, lemon, etc. to flavor your frosting.
5. If you want more SHINE, use more corn syrup and less milk. This frosting will stay good for days in the fridge.

Best Meals at Home $25 Publix Giveaway Winner

Congratulations to Allison!

She has been emailed and 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen.

Celebrate Valentine's Day with Aldi

If you know me in real life, you know that I am a true 100% Aldi grocery shopper. In fact, my knowledge of prices at Aldi vs. Big Box or grocery store prices is pretty spot on. I LOVE being able to go through Aldi and get what my family needs for just a few dollars.

I went to Aldi just yesterday and picked up some great produce deals: $0.49 for a one pound bag of baby carrots, $0.69 for celery and mushrooms and $0.99 for broccoli!


Aldi also wants you to keep them in mind for celebrating your Valentine's Day! (Which is now less than a week away!!!)

For around $10, you can get chocolate, wine, and even some flowers!

ALDI Product	ALDI Price
Moser-Roth Chocolates - Premium Dark Chocolate 70% Cocoa and Chili Chocolate	$1.89
Memoir Red Wine (California)	$4.99
Chaza Moscato (South Africa)	$4.99
Sovinello Private Collection, Pinot Noir (Italy)	$5.99
Bouquet of roses or assorted fresh flowers	$3.99

*Prices may vary by state.

Here is a great idea of a Smores Fondue recipe Aldi gave me to share with everyone!!

S’mores Fondue

Recipe courtesy of Chef Kates, ALDI Test Kitchen

Ingredients:

·         15 oz. Milk or Dark Choceur Chocolate Bars, chopped

·         1 cup (8 oz.) Friendly Farms Half & Half

·         Pinch Salt

·         2 cups (3.5 oz.) Baker's Corner Miniature Marshmallows

·         14 each (7.46 oz.) Benton's Graham Crackers

·         Optional: strawberries, banana slices, assorted cookies

Prep Time: 15 minutes         

Cook Time: 5 minutes           

Total Time: 20 minutes

Directions:

1.       Heat half and half in a small saucepan over medium heat, and bring just to a boil.  Immediately reduce heat to low, add chocolate pieces and a pinch of salt to the hot cream, and whisk the mixture until smooth and creamy.

2.       Once combined, transfer mixture to a crockpot or fondue pot to keep warm on low heat.  10 minutes before serving, add mini marshmallows and stir just to incorporate.  As the mixture sits, the marshmallows will melt and the chocolate will thicken.

3.       If desired, crush 2 graham crackers and sprinkle over the top of fondue mixture to garnish.  Serve fondue with graham crackers and your favorite fresh fruits or cookies for dipping.

Disclosure : I was provided this information from Aldi but all opinions are my own. I received no compensation but am getting some chocolate in exchange for this post. I decided to share it because I LOVE Aldi!