Herb-Roasted Pork Tenderloin

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 t. dried thyme
1 t. dried marjoram
1 t. rubbed sage
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. ground ginger
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
1 (1 1/2 lb) pkg. pork tenderloin

Stir together first 11 ingredients in a zip-top freezer bag.
Prick pork with a fork and place in marinade, turning to coat. Seal and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes or chill 2 hours. Remove from marinade, discarding marinade. Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan. I marinated mine all day since I wasn't going to be home during the day and it turned out great!

Bake at 350 for 40-60 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into
thickest portion registers 160. Or grill at 350 for about 40 min. Enjoy!

**This is one of my FAVORITE marinades! I got the recipe from a sweet friend, Amanda Savage! I promise you won't be disappointed!

Peanut Butter Snaps

1-cup butter

1-cup sugar

1-cup brown sugar

2-eggs

2/3-cup peanut butter

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 -2/3-cups all purpose flower

2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Cream together butter, sugar, brown sugar. Add eggs one at time. Next, add peanut butter and vanilla, mixing well. Set aside. In a separate bowl, combine all purpose flower, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to creamed mixture until well combined. Chill dough for about 30 min (if you have time). Roll dough into 1 inch balls and mash tops cross ways with sugar covered fork. Bake at 350* for 10-12 min.

**This is a wonderful recipe for basic peanut butter cookies! It came from my mom, who is a GREAT cook! Since Macie LOVES peanut butter, we make these often:-) I recommend chilling the dough if you have time~it improves the texture of the cookie~ but they will still be delicious even if you don't have time! Also, the thing I LOVE about cookie dough is that it freezes VERY well for later use. I usually bake half the dough, and then freeze the other half for another day! Enjoy!

To freeze: Place unused cookie dough on plastic wrap or wax paper and roll into a "log" shape. Next, wrap dough in aluminum foil and then freeze. When your ready to bake, remove dough, thaw, and bake as directed.

Fresh Strawberry Cake

Cake:
1 box plain white cake mix
1 3 oz. pkg. strawberry jello
4 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup whole milk (I used 2% and it turned out fine)
4 eggs
1/2 cup finely chopped strawberries with juice

Preheat oven to 350. Place cake mix, jello, flour, sugar in large bowl. Add oil, milk, eggs, and stir on medium for 1 minute. Add the strawberries and mix on medium until thoroughly blended about 3 -4 minutes. Pour into 2 or 3 (I do 3 layers) well greased and floured cake pans. Bake in center rack of oven for 28- 30 minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes, take out of pans and cool completely on cake rack until completely cool. Frost cake and keep in refrigerator for up to a week.

Frosting:
1 stick pure butter, softened
1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup fresh strawberries - chopped very fine and drained well

Mix butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add powdered sugar a little at a time. Add the strawberries and stir thoroughly but gently. Let rest a few minutes and then frost cooled cake. Make sure to frost in between each layer!

**This cake is simply AMAZING~seriously, you should go make it now!!!! The recipe came from a lady in my Ester Bible Study group and she was generous enough to share it with me! I only used 2 cake pans so cooking time took a little longer, I would have made 3 layers, but only had 2 pans. Also, when making the frosting, be sure NOT to use more strawberries than the recipe calls, and make sure you drain off all excess juice, otherwise your frosting will be too runny and will not stick to the cake! I learned the hard way the first time around:-) Enjoy!

Marinated and Grilled Pork Tenderloin

1 pork tenderloin (about 12 ounces)

Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 oranges, juiced
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon minced garlic


1. Combine marinade ingredients in measuring cup and stir to combine.

2. Place the pork tenderloin in a plastic, sealable bag. Pour marinade over the tenderloin and seal bag. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator or all day before evening preparation.

3. Preheat an outdoor grill or preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

4. Remove pork tenderloin from marinade. Place tenderloin in foil and onto grill or into oven. If you cook it in the oven, be sure to place the tenderloin inside a pan or dish after putting it in aluminum foil, so the juices don't leak out into the bottom of your stove.

5. Grill tenderloin until cooked through, about 30 minutes to 40 minutes over medium heat. Or roast in oven for 35 to 45 minutes. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting into 2-inch serving pieces.


**This recipe is one of Paula Dean's and it turned out great! I chose to grill the tenderloin and it turned out fantastic! There is something about the "grilled" taste that just makes the meat that much better! Be careful not to overcook the meat, to prevent it from drying out. Enjoy!

Crockpot Chicken In Creme Chive Sauce

3-6 boneless chicken breasts ( I used 3)
1/4 c butter

1 -0.6 oz package of Italian salad dressing mix
-(Good Seasons Zesty Italian is the kind I used)
1 can of creme of mushroom soup

1/2 c of white cooking wine

1/2 of 8 oz tub of cream cheese with onion and chives




Place chicken breasts in crockpot. In pan, melt butter. Add dressing mix, soup, wine and cream cheese. Stir until combined and creme cheese is melted. Pour over chicken in crock pot. Cook 4-5 hours on low. Serve over pasta of your choice.

I LOVE a good crockpot recipe. I cooked mine on low for 1 hour and then on high for 2 hours and it turned out perfect. Once the chicken was done, I set it aside and took the remaining sauce in the crockpot and poured over spiral whole wheat pasta! Enjoy!

**For a side dish I roasted potatoes, zucchini, squash, and asparagus

Chicken Tortellini Soup

9 oz packaged Cheese Tortellini (found in the refrigerator section near the cheeses)

1 can of chicken broth

2 chicken breasts (cooked and cubed or shredded depending on how you like your chicken)

2 cans of cream of chicken

2 cups milk

1 package of spinach (thawed and drained)

Thyme and Pepper to taste

Place tortellini and 1 can of chicken broth in a medium sized sauce pot and bring to a boil. Add remaining ingredients, bring to boil, and then reduce heat to medium and simmer until heated through.

This recipe is REALLY simple and delicious! One of our friends made it for us after Macie was born and it was so good!! For a "lower fat" version, use fat-free broth and cream soup, as well as skim milk. Otherwise you can use whatever you like! When I make it I also only use 1/2 a package of the spinach, because my hubby is not a huge fan of spinach, but of course you can make to your liking! Enjoy!

Simple Sonoma Brownies

1/2 c butter
3 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate, chopped
1 c sugar
pinch of salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature*
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I usually add 2 teaspoons)
3/4 c flour
3/4 c chocolate, peanut butter, or white chocolate chips (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking dish, preferably glass.

In a saucepan over low heat, combine the butter and chopped chocolate. Heat, stirring often, until melted, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the sugar and salt. Add the eggs and vanilla and stir until blended. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir until just blended. Stir in the chips, if using (and I recommend using them! My favorite is any kind of milk chocolate chip!!)

Pour the batter into the dish and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick comes out almost completely clean, about 30 minutes (don’t overbake). Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

*If you forget to take two eggs out of the fridge ahead of time, simply set them in a bowl and pour very warm (but not hot) water over them. Let them sit in the water bath for a few minutes while you mix everything else, then when you’re ready for them, they should be almost at room temperature.

This recipe came from the Williams-Sonoma Dessert Cook Book and the best part is they only dirty up ONE sauce pan!!! Enjoy!

Molten Chocolate Cakes

4 (1 ounce) squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 tablespoons flour

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease 4 custard cups or souffle dishes. Place on baking sheet.
2. Microwave chocolate and 1/2 cup butter in large microwavable bowl on HIGH 1 min. or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in sugar until well blended. Whisk in eggs and egg yolks. Stir in flour. Divide batter between prepared custard cups.
3. Bake 13 to 14 min. or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Be sure not to overcook!! Let stand 1 min. Carefully run small knife around cakes to loosen. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes.

**Serve with vanilla ice-cream or cool whip

For all you chocolate lovers out there, these are seriously like small bites of heaven!! YUM!! There are tons of recipes out there for different versions of these, but this one is my favorite! The original recipe is off the Baker's Chocolate box, but I found it online as well!

The BEST thing about these are that they can be made a day ahead. Just pour into prepared custard cups. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate. Bake as directed the next day!! Enjoy!

Banana Nut Crumb Muffins

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup oil

1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Crumb Topping

1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups, or line with muffin papers.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

3. In another bowl, beat together bananas, sugar, vanilla, egg, oil, and pecans (if desired). Stir the banana mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.

4. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and pecans (if desired). Cut in 2 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle topping over muffins.

5. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean.

There aren't enough words to describe how great these muffins were! I made them yesterday for breakfast and they were FABULOUS!! I found the recipe at allrecipes.com. I did alter it slightly. I substituted oil for the butter called for in the recipe, I added pecans to both the batter and topping, I added a teaspoon of vanilla, and I also added an extra tablespoon of the butter to the topping. I thought the nuts added a lot to the recipe and would highly recommend it if you like nuts. The recipe stated that it would make 10 muffins, but I used a 12 muffin tin and it made 12 very large muffins! I will most definitely be making these again! Enjoy!

Artichoke Cheese Dip

1 can drained artichokes (break up the artichokes before mixing with everything else)
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1-8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 teaspoon dill
1/4 tablespoon minced garlic

Mix everything together put in baking dish (I used a glass 8" pie dish)
Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees

**I always serve with Frito Scoops

This is another great recipe that I got from my hubby's Aunt Cathy! It's wonderful! And you don't even have to love artichokes to like this dip! I promise, no one EVER knows what is in the dip, and I get SO many compliments on it! When they do find out what's in the dip, they are shocked! This dish is also EXTREMELY easy!! Enjoy!

Cheesy Sausage Breakfast Casserole

1 roll crescent rolls ( I used the Pilsbury Big and Buttery 50% larger than the normal rolls-they work so much better!)
12 oz roll of sausage-cooked and crumbled
2 cups Colby/Monterey Jack cheese
5 eggs slightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Preheat over to 350*. Grease bottom of 9X13 baking dish. Unroll crescent roll dough, and press into bottom of dish (pushing dough 1/2 to 1 inch up sides of dish). Spread sausage over crust. Sprinkle with cheese. Mix egg, milk, salt, basil, and pepper together, and pour over cheese layer. Bake at 350* until eggs have set and puffed up a little.

This recipe is GREAT! I have made several different versions of this casserole and so far this is my favorite! Every time I make it for a shower, brunch, or for guests, I get so many compliments! BUT....all the credit goes to my hubby's Aunt Cathy. I did get the recipe from her! Enjoy!

Barbecue Biscuit Cups

1 pack of Grands Biscuits (8 count)-I used the Homestyle kind

1 lb. ground beef or ground turkey-I used ground turkey

1/2 cup BBQ sauce-I used Kraft Light Original

Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 tblsp. brown sugar

2 tblsp. finely chopped onion (optional)-I did not use

Preheat oven to 350* and grease 8 muffin tins. Brown meat and onions (if you choose to use them) in a skillet until cooked through. Place biscuits into greased muffin tins , pressing dough into bottom of tens and up sides. Drain meat (if needed) and return to heat. Pour in BBQ sauce and brown sugar, then mix, allowing it to heat up a little bit. Divide meat mixture into each dough cup. Cover meat with cheddar cheese and bake about 12-15 minutes.

*I personally only used 6 muffin tins and just cooked the additional two biscuits and saved for later. These turned out WONDERFUL and are very kid friendly! I will definitely be making these again!

**Recipe was taken from my friend, Leslie.

My New Food Blog!

So I have decided to take on another blog in addition to my family blog!  I am very excited about being able to post some of my BEST recipe finds!  In no way do I, nor will I,  claim to "come up" with these wonderful recipes on my own, but I have found a new joy in cooking and just want a way to share the great finds with friends! I will ALWAYS give credit to the original source! If you are anything like me, I am always looking for something new and different to cook for the family, rather than the same old stuff!  I have two VERY picky eaters that live at my house, so usually the things I make are very simple and easy! I hope you enjoy the blog and I look forward to your comments!!!