New Favorite Recipes!

Hello!
 I'm returning from the land of silence to post about my recent favorite meals!  Today, I wanted to update you on all my delicious finds on Pinterest. Check out my Recipes I've Tried folder on Pinterest to see all the recipes I love!

Here they are- all pictures belong to the original blog.  Have fun!

Baked Pumpkin Donut Holes from two peas & their pod

These are fantastic little bundles of yumminess. They are moist and the pumpkin flavor really comes out.  I dipped just the tops in the Cinnamon/Sugar mix, and it was heavenly! Just as good a day later as just out of the oven. (If they last that long!)

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Lasagna Bake by Pinch of Yum

Delicious.  Creamy and rich, every family member enjoyed this.  A few notes:

I used my own Alfredo Sauce recipe just because it was easier.

I would take out the peas next time. They really didn't add anything to the dish; except that my kids got their veggies! 

Very, very good dish that is on the meal rotation list!

 

by Frieda Loves Bread

I can't believe I haven't posted about this cake.  Last November I was looking for an easy, one layer cake that I could decorate for my boy's Minecraft party.  Frieda answered my call on Facebook. I ended up cutting this into squares, and using pieces of foot rollups to made Minecraft shapes.   We LOVE this cake.  Love, Love, Love.  My daughter asked for it for her birthday in March, and still mentions it as her favorite cake.  The vanilla flavor is so good. Add cherries on top = divine.

 

Thai Beef Tacos from How Sweet it is

One more savory to add to this list.  These tacos are AMAZING! The Thai flavor is perfect, and the mangoes really punch up the whole thing.  The recipe only makes a few; double or triple as needed.  I did try this with stew meat in the crockpot once: not as good.   Use Flank steak and marinate them!

These are enough to get you started.  Check out my "Recipes I've Tried" board on Pinterest to see more tried and true recipes! 

Do you have a favorite recipe you found on Pinterest?  Let me know in the comments!

Fabulous new meals

Hello! I'm back for a quick post. The last few months have brought a lot of food changes to our home. With PTA meetings, cub scouts, girl scouts, friends, etc, it's getting harder to be home for meal prep. Plus, I'm not experimenting as much, so we're making old favorites over and over again.

A few years ago, I did a workshop for the ladies in my church on meal planning.  I even blogged about it. Fast forward to this month, where I'm doing this same workshop in my new area.  As I'm looking over my materials and sprucing them up, I was reminded of my old neighbor who used to plan meals 6 weeks in advance. I was also reminded that I had sat down and done that as well.  When it came to execution though, I don't think it lasted long. 

However... I think my family is at the point now that we need this. It would be more stable and easier to plan.

 

(This one is more like our house!)

This looong story (sorry!) lead me to look at the new recipes we've made and loved the last few months. I have them all on a Pinterest board, but would like to share them here as well so they are all in the same spot.

Here they are- all pictures belong to the original blog.  Have fun!

 Quick and Easy Chinese Orange Beef

by Our Best Bites

 My 10yr old son has been asking for orange chicken. I found this recipe and had beef so we made it.  Let me just say, I really, really dislike Chinese food. But this dish? LOVED it!

 

Crockpot Boiled Peanuts

My husband served his mission in South Carolina. This is a popular street food there. He was in heaven! 

 

 Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

by Skinnytaste.com

I LOVE this dish.  It's so simple, but full of flavor. It makes a TON, so make sure you have lots of people to eat it! I serve it on rice, or even just plain. I like to add some crushed tortilla chips for some texture.

Spicy Turkey Lettuce Wraps 

by Our Best Bites

Another WOW from Our Best Bites. I really enjoy this dish. 4 out of 5 family members loved it as well. The 1 who didn't is my 7yr old daughter who doesn't like anything. Quick, easy, HEALTHY, and yum! 

 

This recipe is called The Best Pot Roast... Ever!  and it really is!

by youretoocrafty.blogspot.com

Make sure you make potatoes or rice with it so you have something to sop up the amazing gravy!

 

 This is a simple, yet delicious meatloaf recipe. 

1 lb ground beef or turkey

1 egg

1 box stuffing mix

1 cup water

Mix everything together and press into a loaf pan.  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes. Yum! 

And finally...

 Pork Carnitas

by mykitchenescapades.com

So. Very. Good. 

It is mandatory to broil the meat after cooking it. I cooked it in the crockpot, and it was really good. However, after broiling it- Amazing!

I think that's good for today.  There are some more great meals on my Pinterest board, and I'm always adding more.

Herb Crusted Tenderloin

I rarely cook tenderloin, just because of the high prices. However, when I saw this recipe at A Spoonful of Thyme, it looked too good to resist. I put it on my menu plan and went shopping. It just so happened that my store had tenderloins on sale too! So we had a guilt-free, divine dinner! 

 
Herb Tenderloins

Aspoonfulofthyme.blogspot.com


½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

2 Tb fresh rosemary, finely chopped

1 ½ Tb fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 ½ teas coarse salt

1 teas coarsely ground black pepper

4 beef tenderloins, cut ¾ inch thick (about 1 pound)

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil


In a shallow baking dish, thoroughly mix together the parsley, rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.
Using the palms of your hands, and your fingertips, gently flatten the beef tenderloins to about ½ inch thick.

Coat the beef tenderloins by gently pressing them into the herb mixture on one side, and then the other.


Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the first wisp of smoke appears, use tongs to set the coated beef tenderloins into the pan in a single layer. Cook until darkly browned, about 3-5 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, until deeply browned, another 2-3 minutes (or to desired doneness).


Transfer cooked tenderloins to a warmed platter and rest for 5 minutes before serving.


Enjoy!

Seasoned Roast Beef and a New Year!

 

Happy New Year! I hope you all had fantastic holidays! We really enjoyed our vacation. Our kids had 2 weeks off of school, I had a few extra days off from work, and Mark's schedule changed temporarily so he was able to be home by 6:30 most nights. (Instead of 9:30!) The first few days we honestly got on each others nerves a lot, but we adjusted, and it was great to have him home. We've been married for 11 years, and this was the first time that he was home for dinner consistently! 

I tried to cook more than usual (which, sorry to burst your illusion, isn't much).  One of our favorite meals is this Seasoned Roast Beef.  Before I go into the recipe, I want to explain why there isn't a picture.

I love blogging. I love cooking. But, actually PLANNING to cook and then PLANNING to take a picture... that I'm not so good at.  I have recipes that I'd love to share, but the pictures don't turn out, or I just forget, or I don't make it often enough to get a picture. Part of my New Year's changes is to simplify. My life, my home, and my blog. So, you will be getting some recipes without pictures.  The main goal of my blog has always been to share. Not to promote or gain fame and fortune, but just to share.  I've decided sharing doesn't have to be flashy.

On the same note, I want to incorporate more of myself and my family on this blog. My old blog had fun stories of what happened in my life, and I miss that here. I was so intent on having a specific focus that I missed the fun of blogging to SHARE. So, all that might mean fewer posts. It might mean fewer pictures. It definitely means blogging more on what is fun and important to me. I DO care what you, my reader, wants and thinks, so please always let me know by commenting! If I stray too far, let me know!

Now, on to the recipe! This is a great dish to serve guests. The leftovers are fabulous in this stew or in beef taquitos. 

Seasoned Roast Beef
The Double Dipped Life

1 2.5 lb boneless eye-round roast
2 teas sea salt
1 teas + 1 TB olive oil
1 teas freshly ground black pepper (I used rainbow peppercorns)
1 1/2 teas dried oregano
2 teas dried basil
1/2 teas crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely minced into a paste

Season the roast with sea salt, cover with saran wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours up to 24 hours prior to roasting. (If you forget, it's okay. Just pat the salt on, and cook as normal. It IS better to let it sit though!)

Place the oven rack in the middle position of the oven and preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Use a roasting pan, or line a rimmed baking sheet with tin foil (for easier clean up) then place a wire rack on top of the baking sheet.  (I haven't tried it, but after searing the meat, this might be yummy in a crockpot!)

Remove the roast from the refrigerator 20 minutes prior to cooking then use paper towels to dry the excess moisture from the meat. Rub the entire roast with 1 teas of olive oil. Mix the garlic, pepper, oregano, basil, crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Rub the entire roast with the seasoning mixture.

Heat the remaining 1 TB of olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until the pan is hot. Add the roast and sear on all sides, including the ends, until nicely browned. Transfer the roast to the wire rack on the baking sheet.

Put a meat thermometer into the center of the roast then place in the oven. Roast the meat for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until the meat reaches 115 degrees. Turn the oven off, leaving the roast in the oven (DON'T OPEN THE OVEN DOOR) for another 30-40 minutes, or until the roast reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees for medium rare or 140 for medium. Remove the roast from the oven and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing. Slice the meat into thin slices and serve.

Enjoy!


Side Dishes: Fall Salad
Roasted Red Potatoes (coming soon)
Honey Almond Green Beans

This post is submitted to Pour Your Heart Out this week!