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. =)

Hollywood Candy!

Hollywood Candy
1209 Jackson St.
Omaha, NE 68102
(402) 346-9746

Antique Mall or freaking sweet retro candy store?!
BOTH!!!!

Mhmm! Hollywood Candy moved from a little cramped, hole-in-the-wall store to a massive antique mall, candy store & "cafe". If you don't go there for the massive amounts of old-fashioned and unique candy, then you definitely go there for the fun atmosphere. And if you don't go there for the fun atmosphere, then you definitely go there for all the vintage stuff that spews from the booths of the antique vendors in the back! Two of my "must visit" stores in the Old Market got married! ;)

When you walk in your eyes go straight to the wall to wall candy supply. While this isn't the entire candy store, this is just ONE aisle.
LOOK UP!
Movie posters are plastered all over the entire ceiling!!

Now keep walking straight back. You'll come across this...
Yep, that's a vintage car parked halfway into a wall with old drive in movie theater speakers in the back. Of course, Nolan thought that was one of the coolest things ever! Right after this when you take a turn, you'll land in the antique mall part of the building. Not as big as it used to be (duh!), but its still pretty sweet! I didn't get pictures of this because I was too busy staring at stuff. =)

After looking at antiques and sifting through candy, it was time to pay and leave. Somebody noticed a train set on top of the candy shelves!... guess who noticed that?!

We managed to get through their PEZ room unscathed, even though Nolan saw an entire collection of Star Wars PEZ dispensers. But we didn't escape completely free of candy... Nolan walked out with a 34" "Pixie stick" and Jonathon with an Abba Zabba! =)
Now that our pixie stick is full and our need for candy is fulfilled, its time to head out! So many other stores to visit! But not before we stop and take a picture with our favorite Blue's Brother. And for the little ones... stop at their .5 cent pony ride!

Biscuits & Gravy! =)

1 (12 oz.) package maple flavored sausage

3 TBSP. butter

1/4 cup all purpose flour

3 1/2 cups whole milk

salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to bake biscuits.

2. Start heating the pan and cooking the sausage.

3. After the sausage is cooked, use a slotted spoon to remove the sausage to a bowl, leaving the drippings behind.

4. Melt the butter in the pan and start slowly sifting in the flour with a whisk. Remember not to use a metal whisk on pans. It will scratch and ruin them!

The flour/butter mixture should be smooth and light brown when ready to add the milk.

5. Slowly add the milk so you can whisk out all the bumps!

6. Add the sausage back to the pan and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir often so that it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan and to make sure it doesn't get too thick.

I just used Pillsbury Grand biscuits instead of making home made... but whatever floats your boat! I do recommend steering away from the "flaky" ones, they don't have the right consistency for this recipe.

Enjoy, Nolan did!

Chicken w/ Lemon Mushroom Sauce!

• You will need!
• 
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon dried parsley
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (10.5 ounce) can condensed chicken broth
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons capers
• 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
• Fresh mushrooms of course!
• 
  
• 1. In a shallow dish, combine the flour, thyme, basil, parsley, paprika, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Mix well... I usually do this with a fork so my flour stays "fluffy". Drag or "dredge" the chicken through the flour mixture until the entire surface of the chicken is coated.
• 
  
• 2. Melt butter in a medium sized skillet and cook the chicken until its no longer translucent.
• 
  
• 3. While you're cooking the chicken, mix together the cream of mushroom soup, chicken broth, wine and lemon juice. Pour over the chicken.
• 
  
• 4. Cover your skillet and let it simmer for 20 minutes or until juices run clear. Add the mushrooms about 5 minutes before done so they don't get over-cooked!
• 
  
• 5. Serve hot with rice or noodles! We used rice!
• 
  
• NOTE: I forgot to buy capers at the store, so those weren't in the version we made. The original recipe also didn't call for fresh mushrooms... but if you have em', add em'!

Easter "Lunch"

Easter tradition in our family used to be driving out to my Aunt and Uncle's house and eatingsmoked turkey that my uncle started smoking at midnight, casseroles, ham... anything you could possibly imagine. Not to mention it was off the beaten path so we could yell, scream, make loud noises... and not affect anybody. Face it, kids will be kids and cause ruckus... it makes it better when theres nobody there to complain! Oh, and we did an Easter egg hunt. =)

Since its kind of a far drive, we started having Easter at my mom's house. Well since this was our first year in an actual house, we decided to take on Easter Sunday. =) Here are a few pictures of what we did, what we cooked and the fun we had. =)

Our menu was Honey Glazed Ham, Turkey, Hashbrown Casserole, Greenbean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy, Creamed Corn Casserole, a Veggie Tray and a sausage and cheese dip. My father-in-law sent us a few of the Cheesecake samplers from a restaurant in Chicago for dessert... yum!

The turkey....

So I found a "recipe" on a website when I Googled how to cook a turkey. Never done this before and thought it would be a hell of a lot harder than this! Basically, instead of putting stuffing in it, we chopped celery into about 1.5" pieces, halved 2 lemons and then quartered it, then quartered a large white onion. We then stuffed that, plus rosemary inside the turkey, tucked what wouldn't fit on the outside... and then turned it upside down and cooked it inside a roaster. We cooked it upside down because the breast is normally the driest part. When you cook it breast up, the juices all flow to the dark meat. This was THE moistest turkey I've ever had! Not to mention we got great reviews about it! Oh, we also GENTLY peeled back the skin and rubbed softened button underneath the skin for a bit more flavor!

Click here for the HashBrown Casserole recipe!

Heres the recipe for the Greenbean Casserole! Please keep in mind that this recipe makes 12 servings!! I doubled this recipe and still have an entire tray left. =/ Lol.

The sausage cheese dip is easy! And I have to credit my cousin Lindsy for this one! We went to Ohio, I fell in love with this and although I've asked her several times how to make it, I once again deleted the recipe and forgot, so I winged it! Lol.

Sausage Cheese Dip!

1- (8 ounce) block of cream cheese.

1 SMALL thing of Velveeta.

1 can of Rotel.

1 roll of Italian sausage... you can choose the hot, too if thats what you prefer!

Cook the sausage. Cube the Velveeta. Drain the sausage. Dump all ingredients into a crockpot and let melt together. Serve with tortilla chips!!

Here are a few pictures of the kids doing their Easter egg hunt!