Jalapeno Poppers. ♥

Makes about 16-20 appetizers.

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese

6 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili powder

1 pound fresh jalapenos, halved lengthwise and seeded

1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

You will definitely want to put gloves on for this recipe! If the inside of the jalapeno gets on you, it will burn. Also, it burns real bad when you get pepper juice in your eye. ;)


1. Start by frying the bacon. I pre-cut mine because I feel like it cooks a lot faster! You can cook yours whole and then crumble it, doesn't matter.

2. While the bacon is frying, cut down the middle of the jalapeno, length-wise. I cut off the top, you don't have to. Then you want to scrape out the insides with a spoon. Watch your eyes, you don't want to get the pepper juice in them!

3. This step is optional depending on how hot you want your poppers. But I boiled them because our 5 year old probably couldn't handle the full heat. So we boiled them for 5-7 minutes. The longer you boil, the more heat you take out.

4. Start pre-heating your oven to 325 degrees. After the bacon is fried, take it out and place it on paper towels to soak up the grease.

5. Mix together the cream cheese, cheese, garlic powder, chili powder, and bacon.

6. Grease a 15 inchx 10 inch baking sheet with cooking spray and place mixture into the jalapenos. Its okay to overfill if you have extra mixture. Just make sure you have enough for all the jalapenos! I found that I could hand mold the mixture to fit inside the jalapeno!

7. Toss them in the oven for 25 minutes.

Nolan prefers HIS served with ranch, of course =)

Citrus Shrimp ♥

Serves 4.

• 1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (leave tail on unless you prefer otherwise)
• 1 cup orange juice
• 2 TBSP. lime juice
• 4 tsp. olive oil
• 4 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp. finely grated lime zest from 1 lime
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 1 TBSP. chives, chopped

1. I bought the frozen raw shrimp so my first step was putting all the shrimp in luke warm water (not hot, you don't want them to come out tough) in a big bowl. I also cut a lime in half and squeezed all the juice into the bowl and then dropped the halves in with the shrimp. The lime will prevent the shrimp from getting slimy as they thaw.

2. While the shrimp is thawing, add the orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, lime zest, salt, black pepper, garlic, & chives to a bowl. Whisk together, cover, and put in your fridge.

3. After the shrimp is done thawing, drain the water out of the bowl. Keep the existing limes.

4. Pour the marinade mixture into the bowl with the shrimp and try to make sure that the majority of shrimp is covered! Cover and put back in the fridge and marinate for an hour!

5. After the shrimp has marinated, pre-heat a large skillet on medium heat. Add the entire contents of the bowl to the skillet. Cook the shrimp until its curled and pink. Be careful not to overcook it, it will have a weird flavor and become super tough!

TO GRILL: Soak wooden skewers overnight in a water bath. This will prevent the skewers from burning while on the grill. Thread the shrimp on the skewer. Put cooking spray on the grill to prevent the shrimp from sticking and put over medium heat. Once again, cook until slightly curled and pretty pink! Make sure you reserve some of the marinade as well, because you'll want to baste the shrimp with it as you're cooking to keep as much of the flavor as possible. =)

I served this with a salad & honesty mustard dressing. But this would taste GREAT served with grilled marinated chicken or even steak!

Slow Cooker Pork Chops! ♥

Serves 4.

This recipe was super easy, very few ingredients and delicious! This recipe IS made in the slow cooker, so keep in mind that its going to take 4 to 5 hours to make! =)

6 pork loin chops (3/4 inch thick)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 large onion, sliced

1 medium green pepper, chopped

6 white mushrooms

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

2 tablespoon brown sugar

4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

3 teaspoons cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

Hot cooked rice, optional

TO MAKE!

1. Start off by browning the pork chops on each side.

2. While the pork chops are browning, slice the onions and chop the mushrooms and green pepper.

3. After the pork chops are done browning (they don't need to be cook ALL they way through), put them in the slow cooker. Top with the vegetables!

4. Mix together the tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, cider vinegar & salt. Pour over the pork chops and the vegetables.

5. Cover and cook for 4 to 5 hours on high heat.

I served ours with steamed white rice for a side. =)

Cajun Corned Beef Hash ♥

Serves 4.

No pictures again, because my memory card took a dump and my camera is nothing without its side-kick. ;) The next post will have a picture of the final product though. This is definitely one of the favorite recipes that I've tried!

6 cups frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup each finely chopped green onions, sweet red pepper and green pepper

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

3/4 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

3/4 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1-1/2 cups chopped cooked corned beef

TO MAKE!

1. I started off by throwing the corned beef in a crock pot. I got the smallest corned beef at Walmart I could find. You don't need a huge one for this recipe or you'll be over-powering everything else!

2. After the corned beef is done (around 4-5 hours), I cubed the corned beef and put it in a bowl and stuck it in the microwave to keep warm.

3. I chopped the green onion, green pepper and red pepper. If you want it super easy, you could always buy the frozen pepper mixture, works just as well!

4. Start melting the butter and cooking the thawed hashbrowns. After a little browned, stir in the peppers, onions, and the seasonings. Stir and distribute through out.

5. Add the corned beef and heat through. Voile! You're done.

NOTE: I served this with scrambled eggs on the side. Would make a super yummy breakfast dish if you made the corned beef the night before. =)

Sausage & Cabbage Supper!

This recipe doesn't have a picture, it was gone before I remembered to take one! =)

This recipe can be made either in the slow cooker or a pot. The slow cooker could take 4-8 hours, depending on your heat settings and how long you want to cook it. The pot method can take up to 45 minutes, but I'll give it to you both ways.

I will also mention that this recipe makes at least 12 servings, so plan according and cut the recipe in half if you need to!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. smoked sausage
• 1 large onion, cut into eighths
• 1 medium head of cabbage, chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 lb. carrots cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 5 medium potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

For the slow cooker:
Combine all the ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on high for 4 hours. Cook on low for 8 hours. I recommend cooking on low. =)

For the pot:
1. Put the sausage and onion in a pot. Over medium heat, brown the sausage and cook until the onion is tender.

2. Add the cabbage and the water. Turn your heat to low and cover the pot and cook the cabbage for 10 minutes.

3. Add the potatoes and carrots. Also, add 1/4 tsp. salt to this method to bring out the flavors faster. Cover and cook for 40 minutes. Try to keep the lid on as much as possible so that the potatoes and carrots cook fast.

NOTE: You could also try adding 1/2 a stick to butter instead of the salt. It would also work in both methods. =)