Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin

The pork loin came out so juice and tender with this recipe I was really surprised. We didn't even need a knife. The herbs really complimented the meat and bacon without over powering it. And really, what doesn't taste better with bacon right?!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin






Ingredients



Pork Loin

Fresh garlic

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Oregano

Fresh Sage

Kosher Salt

Olive Oil

Pepper

7-8 slices of  bacon





Chop all herbs.
Put all herbs in a bowl and add about 1T of salt and 1T of pepper. Add enough olive oil to make a paste.

Slather the loin on all sides with paste.

Wrap slices of bacon around the outside of the loin, tucking edges underneath.

Cover with foil and bake at 300 degrees for an hour and a half. Remove foil and bake an additional half hour. I ended up putting the broiler on the last few minutes to really crisp up the bacon.

Catch up Time Again

How does time get away from us so fast. The last time I posted I was getting ready for Keegan's 4th birthday party. He seemed to turn 4 so fast. And that last month and a half has gone by fast too. So I will do my best to try and catch you up. And we'll throw a few recipes in there too of course!

Let's start with Keegan's birthday party. He picked out the invitations all by himself, so essentially he picked the theme. One of his favorite things - trains. I had a great time making his cake.

But he might have had a better time eating his own personal cake.

And after his party we took him to visit the Weinermobile!

Tractor Playgroup

Last week, a local John Deere company was kind enough to let our mommy group invade their store. They let the kids play on all the tractors, and even had balloons for all of them. The boys had a blast!

Pumpkin Waffles

Perfect for a cool Halloween morning. They have the yummy creaminest of pumpkin bread, but nice and fluffy like a waffle should be. This recipe makes a TON of waffles. So if you're not having an army for breakfast, you could probably get away with halfing the recipe. You can also put your leftover canned pumpkin in a ziploc bag, flatten it, and freeze it for later use to avoid waste.


Ingredients


2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups milk
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions

Preheat a waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

Combine the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, salt, and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form.

Stir the flour mixture and 1/4 cup melted butter to the pumpkin mixture, stirring just to combine. Use a whisk or rubber spatula to fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the batter, stirring gently until incorporated. Fold in the remaining egg whites. Cook waffles according to manufacturer's instructions.

Pumpkin Patch Trip

Every year we go to River K Pumpkin Patch. The owners are friends of ours, and they always have a great setup for everyone to experience.  They have a corn maze, hay rides, lots of things for the kids to see and play with, and of course a huge area filled with pumpkins to choose.  The boys had a great time. They each picked their own pumpkin. And we're planning on carving on Thursday so they'll be fresh and spooky for Halloween.

White chicken Enchiladas

I'm going to go ahead and blame football for getting so behind this time ;) Okay, well not just football, I've had alot of weddings going on lately and not alot of new recipes being made. It's alot easier to go back to the old mindless standby's when you're exhausted. Well this is one of them. But it's oh so good. I'm  not really a fan of red enchiladas. I don't like the sauce. But these white ones are a whole different story.  Cream cheese sauce and flour tortillas make a wonderful texture. Feel free to add more spices if you like more kick to your enchiladas. The green chilies in the recipes don't add much at all. They're so good, that I didn't get a chance to take a picture of them while they're warm and gooey, so you'll have to make due with a leftovers pictures

Chicken Enchiladas



Ingredients

1/4 cup slivered almonds

1/4 cup chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

1 4-ounce can diced green chile peppers, drained

1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1 tablespoon milk

1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

2 cups chopped cooked chicken or turkey

12 7-inch flour tortillas or 6-inch corn tortillas

1 10.75-ounce can reduced-fat condensed cream of chicken or cream of mushroom soup

1 8-ounce carton light dairy sour cream

1 cup milk

3/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese (3 ounces)

2 tablespoons slivered almonds





Directions



1. In a medium skillet cook the 1/4 cup almonds and the onion in hot butter over medium heat until onion is tender and nuts are lightly toasted. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the canned green chile peppers; reserve remaining peppers for sauce.



2. In a medium bowl stir together cream cheese, the 1 tablespoon milk, and the cumin; add nut mixture and chicken. Stir until combined. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla near an edge; roll up. Place filled tortillas, seam side down, in a greased 3-quart rectangular baking dish. Set aside.



3. For sauce, in a medium bowl combine the reserved chile peppers, the soup, sour cream, and the 1 cup milk. Pour evenly over the tortillas in the baking dish. Cover with foil. Bake, uncovered, in a 350 degree oven about 35 minutes or until heated through. Remove foil. Sprinkle enchiladas with cheese and the 2 tablespoons almonds. Return to oven; bake about 5 minutes more or until cheese melts. Makes 6 servings.

A day at the park

Our original plan for this park outing was to get Keegan to ride his new bike. Along with my new bike, we also thought it was time to get one for Keegan too. We don't have a sidewalk on our street, and it's also a busy 4 lane thoroughfair so obviously the front yard wasn't going to work. We were going to have to take them somewhere.

But Keegan didn't want to ride it. He just wanted to push it around.

We also took a ride on toy for Reece to play with

But you've gotta play on the swings!!

Herb and Tomato Sourdough Bread with Garlic Basil Butter

Herb and Tomato Sourdough Bread with Garlic Basil Butter

For this weeks Iron Chef Challenge, I wanted to try making something I haven't done before. So first time for sourdough starter from scratch, first time for homemade tomato juice and first time for basil butter :D

Sourdough Starter

I started this on Tuesday, did a feed 48 hours after, then used the starter (the bread recipe ended up using all of it) on Sunday. So 5 days.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast

Directions

Mix together flour, warm water, and yeast in a large glass bowl. Let stand uncovered in a warm place over night or up to 48 hours. The longer the mixture stands, the stronger the ferment will be.

After fermenting, the starter is ready to use or to store covered in the refrigerator. Feed once or twice a week with 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, and 1/4 cup sugar; allow the starter to rest at room temperature for several hours after feeding. (I halved the feeding because I was afraid I would end up with too much starter)

The bread recipe calls for tomato juice, but I wanted something earthier. So I made my own V8 juice with some herbs.


Juice


4 roma tomatoes
1 stalk of celery with leaves
1/3 red onion
1T parsley
2 dashes worcheshire sauce
salt and pepper to taste


Directions



Simmer veggies on the stove with parsley until tender. About 45 minutes.

Run ingredients through a food mill.

Return sauce to pan and add seasonings. Let cool to warm.


Sourdough Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sourdough starter
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm tomato juice
2 teaspoons white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
7 cups all-purpose flour(I used bread flour)

Directions

Dissolve yeast in 1 cup warm water, set aside.

In large bowl; mix starter and tomato juice. Add yeast mixture, salt, sugar and stir well.

Add 1 cup of flour at a time and beat well to develop the gluten. When a stiff dough forms, turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, adding the last 1 cup of flour as you go.

Turn into greased bowl and lightly grease top, cover with towel and place in draft free area for 2 hours. Will double in bulk.

Punch down and divide dough in two, form into rounds and place each on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled generously with cornmeal.

Let rise 1/2 hour, rub top lightly with flour and slash with sharp knife.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C ) for 45-60 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned when checked.

For a soft crust, cool under a clean dishtowel. For a harder European type crust, cool without.


Basil Butter

Ingredients

2 sticks butter, softened
2 sprigs fresh basil, chopped
2 gloves garlic, chopped
1/4 salt

Whip the butter until soft. Add basil. With the chopped garlic spread out on a cutting board, sprinkle with salt. Smash and drag with your knife until garlic begins to break down. Add to butter. Stir until mixed.

FINISH!

This tasted so good. You really get the earthy sweet taste of the tomatoes in the bread and the basil and garlic in the butter. Outstanding.

Beulah's Maiden Voyage

A few months ago, I bought myself a bike that I fell in love with.  Sadly when it arrived, after quickly tearing into the box, I noticed some of the parts were bent beyond repair. My darling of a husband called the manufacturer and apparantly this was a big problem. My parts were back ordered and "would show up sometime in the next few months."  About 2 weeks after I had forgotten about them, a mysterious box appeared on my door step. Upon one glance at the return address where the word HUFFY was written in small print, I realized that Beulah would finally be complete. :D

In the weeks between getting my bike and getting the parts to complete her, we gathered the other neccessities for our family bike outings.

A helmet for Keegan

And a helmet for Reece



And a trailer for them both to ride in



Our first ride was short. I guess it's not a great idea to go riding when it's 96 degrees outside and you have a cold. The sweats and the headache came on fairly quickly. But we had a great time. The boys had a great time, giggling all the way.

Buttery Caramel Apple Cake

Fall is fast approaching. What better way to celebrate than to start enjoying fall flavors. This recipe was in the most recent Food Network Magazine. I always get such great ideas from there. I halved the recipe and it still made a pretty good sized cake. I think next time I will add some pecans for a great crunch.

Ingredients


For the Caramel and Apples:

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3 cups sugar
5 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
4 large Golden Delicious apples (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)

For the Batter:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sour cream
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs

Directions

Butter a 9-by-3-inch round cake pan. Make the caramel: Cook the sugar and corn syrup in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is dark amber, 7 to 10 minutes.

Reduce the heat to medium. Carefully add the cream and 4 tablespoons butter (it will splatter) and cook, stirring, until combined, about 3 minutes.

Remove the skillet from the heat and let sit 1 minute. Pour 1 1/2 cups caramel into a glass measuring cup and set aside. Pour the remaining caramel into the prepared pan and set aside until set, about 30 minutes.

Cut 3 apples into quarters and cut out the cores with a paring knife. Arrange the pieces skin-side down in the pan (overlapping them slightly) to form a ring about 1/2 inch from the edge. Save any pieces that do not fit for later.

Halve the remaining whole apple crosswise. Scoop out the seeds with a melon baller or measuring spoon, leaving the stem on the top half. Chop the bottom and any of the leftover quartered apples into pieces; set aside.

Arrange the apple top, stem-side down, in the center of the pan. If the quartered apples shift, just push them back into place.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Make the batter: Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream, orange juice and vanilla.

Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl. Slip them into the mixer bowl, one at a time, and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy, about 5 more minutes. Scrape down the bowl and beater with a rubber spatula.

With the mixer on low speed, add half of the sour cream mixture, then half of the flour mixture. Repeat. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; finish combining the batter by hand.

Spread the batter over the apples in the pan. Top with the chopped apple. Bake on the middle oven rack until the cake is brown on top and springs back when pressed, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes (don't worry if the top is dark). Cool in the pan on a rack.

Bring 1 inch of water to a simmer in a skillet wide enough to hold the cake pan. Carefully run a sharp knife around the inside of the pan several times, then rest the pan in the water to soften the caramel, about 8 minutes. Remove the pan from the water and dry.


Invert a plate on top of the cake, then flip over the cake and plate. Using pot holders or a towel, wriggle the pan off. Soften the reserved 1 1/2 cups caramel in the microwave, about 2 minutes. Drizzle the cake with some of the caramel. Slice and serve with the rest.

Do not leave a package of wipies around

I repeat, do NOT, unless of course you'd want to spend 15 minutes trying to shove said wipies back into the small package, giving up, then dropping them into a ziploc bag. Reece had a ball though. Can't leave that kid alone for a second!!

Carrot Cupcakes

One of my favorite cakes. Carrot with cream cheese frosting.  I like to add pecans for some crunch, but you can also use walnuts or just omit the nuts all together. 

Ingredients


2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups finely shredded carrots

1 cup cooking oil

4 eggs

1/2 chopped pecans

1 recipe Cream Cheese Frosting (see recipe below)

Directions


1. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add carrots, oil, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer till combined. Stir in nuts.  Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).



2. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 30 to 35 minutes for round pans or 35 to 40 minutes for 13x9-inch pan or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans. Cool thoroughly on wire racks. Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cover and store in refrigerator. Makes 12 to 16 servings.



Cream Cheese Frosting: 2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened; 1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened; 2 teaspoons vanilla; and 4-1/2 to 4-3/4 cups sifted powdered sugar.



Beat together cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Gradually add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, beating well. Gradually beat in enough of the remaining powdered sugar to reach spreading consistency.

Summer is Over

Can't believe the summer has flew by so quickly. Time for Keegan to head back to preschool. He really does love it there, and lets face it. The naps he takes afterwards are always nice!  We purposely waited until the day of to tell Keegan with was time for school again. Otherwise, we would have never heard the end of it. We also made the mistake of fixing his lunch 1/2 an hour before it was time to leave. As soon as he saw his lunchbox on the counter, he grabbed his shoes, his lunchpail, and his backpack and was headed out the door!

He also remembered everything he was supposed to do at school. He found his cubby, put away his lunchbox and backpack, and sat on his letter in the circle. So proud of him!

S'mores Cupcakes

These were DIVINE! But the marshamallow is so gooey, it's best to eat with a fork. Totally worth it!

First layer - Graham crackers

1 package graham crackers
1/2 cup butter softened
2 T sugar

Blend in a food processor until smooth. Add about 1 T to the bottom of each cupcake paper and pack down. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes

Second layer - fill cups with your favorite chocolate cake box cake

Third layer - Once cupcakes have cooled, scoop a small amount out of the middle of the cupcake. Fill with hot fudge topping, replace top.

Fourth layer - Melt marshamllow fluff until smooth and creamy. Drop a small dab onto the top of each cupcake. THIS IS MESSY!! The fluff runs down the side of the cupcake and next time I would probably omit this step.

Fifth layer - Boiled fluffy icing

Ingredients
1 1/2 3 tablespoons Meringue Powder
1/4 cup cold water
1 cups granulated sugar
2 Tbs corn syrup
1/4 cup water

Makes: About 4 cups of icing.

Instructions

Beat meringue powder and 1/2 cup cold water until stiff, about 4 minutes. In microwave safe bowl combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/2 cup water. Heat on high bringing syrup mixture to a boil (approx. 5 minutes). Remove from microwave and let mixture cool slightly (1-2 minutes). Slowly add syrup to meringue mixture. Beat on HIGH for 4 minutes until stiff and glossy.

Pipe onto cupcakes and "toast" with a butane torch

Meatball Sub with Baked Potato Salad

So we had to turn out computer in to get repaired. Of course, Best Buy had to send it out so we've been without it for a little bit. But now it's back and here is your reward!!

Meatball Sub on Homemade Bread with Baked Potato Salad

Chop up six slices of bacon and fry until crispy. Remove from pan, reserving drippings.




Peel and cube 6 potatoes, boil until tender. Strain and cool. In a large bowl mix 1/2 mayo, 1 T mustard, salt, pepper, shredded cheddar cheese and the bacon. Mix well, add potatoes and stir until coated. Chill.





Saute a 2 chopped green onions and 3 gloves of garlic in bacon drippings until soft. Drain, again reserving drippings, and add to bowl with 1 pound of ground beef. Add salt, pepper, and an egg. Mix well and form into meatballs. Cook in bacon dripping until cooked through, turning occasionally.



While the meatballs are cooking, in a large saucepan, heat 1/2 can stewed tomatoes, salt, pepper, basil, parsley, garlic, onion powder and garlic powder.



Once the meatballs are cooked, drain on paper towel. Add to marinara sauce then spoon over homemade roll. Top with shredded mozarella cheese.

Who is this kid's hairstylist?!

You gotta love the bedhead. When I went in to get Reece from his morning nap, I was greeted with a laughing, giggling baby. As if he KNEW how ridiculous he looked. How can you not grab a camera in moments like these :D

Zucchini Fries

Zucchini - Healthy. Zucchini fries - not so much. But they are oh so good. I like to dip mine in ranch, while Chad prefers a tempura sauce. Either way, zuchinni fries are a great way to totally ruin the healthy.

Ingredients

2 large zuchinnis
1/2 flour
1/2 panko, slightly crushed
2 eggs beaten
salt
pepper
oil for frying


Directions

Slice the zuchinni in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds. Cut the zuchinni in half again but the other direction. Then slice into strips resembeling fries.  Place the strips in a bowl with 1/4 of the flour and salt and pepper to taste. Toss to completly coat. Shake off excess flour and transfer to the bowl with eggs. Toss again to coat. Add the zuchinni into a bowl with the remaining flour and the panko. Place the fries on a cooling rack and let sit for 15 minutes while the oil heats up. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, fry the zuchinni until golden brown. Remove from oil and immeditaly sprinkle with salt. Serve hot.

Officially a Toddler

Another one of my favorite developments. When they start to consistently walk, instead of taking a few steps here and there. The wobbly frankenstein walk is so adorable. And they are so proud of themselves. And BONUS this is probably the last time you'll be able to still catch them when they take off.

The Sand Box

The sand box. As much fun as it is to watch the boys play in it, has become another thing for me to clean up.  Why sand is obviously so much more fun to play with OUTSIDE of the box, I'll never know.  Sand all over the porch, sand all over the boys (including in Reece's diaper which has been fun!), sand all over my carpet. I live at the beach apparently.  And Mr. Smarty Pants Keegan has figured out that sand is alot more fun when it's wet. Which of course causes a whole new level of mess. It's a good thing they're so cute ;)

Garlic Steak Marinade

This recipe has become my go to marinade for all things steak. The vinegar really helps the flavors penetrate into the meat and the garlic flavor is wonderful. I've marinaded anywhere from an hour to overnight. I think you get the best flavor somewhere in the middle, around 3-4 hours. Only letting the steaks marinade for an hour doesn't seem to let enough of these wonderful flavors soak into the meat. And overnight just tends to overpower the entire thing. The recipe also calls for ribeye steaks, but it works well with almost any steak.


Ingredients


1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
1 pinch cayenne pepper
2 (1/2 pound) rib-eye steaks

Directions

In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper.

Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for 3-4 hourss.

Preheat grill for medium-high to high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness. Discard leftover marinade

Local Competition

A local bakery is having a competition. Post pictures on their facebook page of you with one of the items they sell. Of course I thought this would be a great opportunity to take cute pictures (like I need more) of the boys. So for your entertainment, the pictures I submitted. Look for a post in the future about voting!

John Besh's Jumbalaya

I have found a new show hosted by John Besh, one of my favorite chefs (hey that rhymes!). The show is called Inedible to Incredible. Basically friends and family nominate someone they think could be the worst cook in America. John Besh shows up, tastes their food (very brave move on his part) then remakes their "signature" dishes so they can actually be eaten. Some of the signature dish gems include: hamburgers with Special K and strawberries (yup strawberries IN the hamburgers), steak and fig newtons, puree'd veggies with frozen meatballs and sliced fake american cheese. YUM! While watching this show with Chad, John Besh makes a Jumbalaya recipe that had us drooling. The results were delicous! I'll admit, the andouille sausage was a little spicy for me. I think next time I'll put andouille in Chad's jumbalaya and a milder sausage in mine. I cut this recipe in half and we still had enough leftover for two lunch servings.

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, diced
1 pound Andouille sausage, diced
2 Tbs canola oil
1 pound fresh pork sausage, removed from casings
4 skinless boneless chicken thighs, roughly cut into 1 inch cubes
salt
freshly ground black pepper
3 onions, diced
2 bell peppers, seeded and diced
5 stalks celery, diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 1/2cups converted Louisiana white rice
1 Teaspoons dried thyme
1 dried bay leaves
1 1/2 Tablespoons pimenton de la Vera or smoked paprika
1/2 Teaspoon celery salt
3 cups canned crushed tomatoes
3 cups basic chicken stock
1 bunch green onions, trimmed and chopped





Preparation:

1.First, you’ll need to heat a very large pot over a high heat until it is hot, then reduce the heat to moderate.This will allow the heat to be uniform all over, preventing those little hot spots that are likely to burn.

2.Render the bacon with the sausages and the lard in the hot pot, stirring slowly with a long wooden spoon. While the pork is rendering, go ahead and season the chicken thighs with salt and black pepper.

3.Add the chicken to the pot, stirring and cook until the chicken becomes golden brown, about 5 minutes.

4.After the chicken has browned, add the onions to the pot and allow them to caramelize, about 15 minutes. Add the bell peppers, celery, and garlic and cook for about 5 minutes. Continue stirring from time to time so that everything in the pot cooks evenly.

5.Next add the rice, thyme, bay leaves, pimenton, cayenne, 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon pepper, and celery salt to the pot and cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

6.Increase the heat to high, and add the tomatoes and Basic Chicken Stock to the pot. Bring the stock to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.

7.After the rice has simmered for 15 minutes, go ahead, remove the lid from the pot and fold in the green onions.

8.Turn off the heat and let everything continue to cook in the hot covered pot, for an additional 10 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff the Jambalaya, and serve!