For the love of Cravings

Updates

2010-06-11T06:35:00.000-07:00

It has been 3 months since my last blog. In the past 3 Months so many things have happend change is evident all around. March 4 My daughter graced this world and Now I cant belive I ever survived living without her. We named her Ashlyn Neveah shes such a happy baby and I mean happy she maybe cries once or twice a day and already at 3 months sleeps threw the night. So if your wondering yes, yes I am aware of how lucky and blessed I am. But oh belive me she was a little hand full at first. For the first month and a half off and on she was something and there were times I wanted to pull my hair out but like they said it would it passed. Along with the days and oh my how amazing that is to wake up and every day shes doing something new. No longer is she the baby who just lays there stairing blankly she is smiling all the time talking or more like cooing or screaming making noises only a mother could understand shes just too adorable to not find sweet. There is no longer a day that I am not laughing for somereason. Oh how I love being a mommy. With baby comes change in so may aspects. The one I am having a very hard time with is the fact my chores come second. My house is still clean but no means like it used to be. I am told that it only goes down hill from here though. I cant help but to sit back and giggle looking at my living room one corner theres a swing other bouncy seat and exersaucer. the reason I giggle is me and my husband both said it wouldnt get like that along with other things we said we wouldnt do that we have done. I realize having children make you a open minded person more than what you ever thought you could be. It comes down to what makes life a little more simple, what makes Ashlyn happy Because if shes content so are we. Oh theres so many changes I myself still have days where I wake up and am like oh crap I have a child lol (not a bad oh crap) But threw all the changes the new apperance the everyday pony tail the clutter that gets pushed to tomarrow threw everything new and odd to me I embrace everything and love it all!

Finally found the prefect marinade for Pork Loins

2009-12-15T13:16:00.000-08:00

So I was so tired of doing bbq Pork loins and I wanted a marinade that would really add flavor. Well I finally found it and I swear by this marinade. My pork loins come out so juicy and tender and packed with flavor. This wonderful marinade is not a creation of mine though I so wish I could take the credit for it truly I do. Its McCormick Grill Mates Garlic, Herb & Wine Marinade found in your seasoning Isle with the gravy mixes and such.. Oh My my McCormick has some wonderful marinades that make pork so tender and juicy.

Ok so this is how I cook my pork tenderloin.

Ingredients:
1 pkt McCormick Garlic, Herb & Wine marinade seasoning
1/4 Cup oil
1/4 cup water
1 tbs balsamic Vinegar
and 2 pork tenderloins
1 lrg zip lock bag
aluminum foil lined baking dish

Pre heat your oven to 350 or 375 doesn't matter. While your oven is pre heating mix your marinade together according to the package. I use the ingredients listed above but that is just me. Next you want to cut slits into your tenderloins all over not deep just like little slices so that the flavor can get soaked in. place your tenderloins into zip lock baggy pour marinade over top close zip lock bag and shake to coat meat. place in the fridge for 15 min or until your oven is heated. Once 15 min ( or longer doesn't matter ) has passed take your tenderloins out of the fridge and place in your foil lined baking dish and pour remaining marinade over pork tenderloins. Next place baking dish in center of your oven and bake for about 30 to 40 min or until cooked threw. To check slice middle if meat is white and not bloody then pork is done.

Cow patties ( no bake peanut butter cocoa cookies )

2009-12-15T13:01:00.000-08:00

Ok so this is one of my favorite sweets! I adore and can not get enough of these little devils. And let me tell you they are just too easy to make.. Which makes them so dangerous! Hints why there are only 7 pictured lol I couldnt stop eatting them :).

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons cocoa

1 stick butter

1/2 cup milk

1cup peanut butter

1 tbs vanilla

3 cups oatmeal or quick cooking oats

wax paper

In a sauce pan bring to a boil sugar cocoa butter and milk. let boil 1 min then add peanut butter and vanilla and quick cooking oats. On a sheet of wax paper drop mixture by the tablespoonful. Refrigerate until cooled and hardened.

Home made Chicken N Dumplins

2009-12-15T12:38:00.000-08:00

Who doesnt love a good hot bowl of chicken and dumplings? I know that I for one can not resist it. I came up with this simple way of making chicken and dumplings by using some of my Gmas tricks just making it faster..

Ingredients
one large box container of chicken stock
1/4 tsp onion powder
a dash of parsley flakes
3 cups of water
1 tbs or one cube of chicken flav bouillon
black pepper
3 boneless skinless chicken breast thawed and cut into slices
(or you can just use chicken tenders)
salt to taste as stock tends to have sodium in it

Dumplings:
2 1/2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
Just follow the directions on the side of the box for making dumplings.

Directions:
Bring first six ingredients to a boil in a large pot over med high heat. once stock mixture is at a rapid boil drop in your chicken breast and boil when done chicken will be solid white and float. Dip out your Chicken pieces and shread or cube depending on how you like it if you want it chunky then cube it. Once you have shreeded up all the chicken dump it back into the stock mixture and bring mixture back to a boil. In the mean time mix up your dumplings by using 2 1/2 cups bisquick and 2/3 cup of milk.(theres directions on the side of the bisquick box) Be shore to combine dumpling mixture well. Once you have done this you can drop your dumplings into your stock mixture using a Table spoon. Be shore to place the dumplings in hot spots ( the boiling parts of the water) allow to cook for 15 min or untill dumplings are done all the way threw. Then serve.

A tip from my kitchen to yours:
If you have left overs and u have dumplings left as well. Be shore and dip those out befor you save the chicken mixture. If you leave the dumplings in the soup. Well lets just say they will disolve and its not that great.

Home made Fruit leathers

2009-11-26T06:42:00.000-08:00

Fruit leathers.. Yummy! This takes me back to when I was a little girl and my Mamaw making these for me for snacks. I could never wait till the food dehydrator was finished! One day I was reflecting thinking of things that she used to make all the time foods that I could never forget.. She was a wonderful cook, baker a little of everything she could do it all. I do not have a dehydrator so I found that I could use my oven just the same.. The recipe follows. These are sweet but i will warn you there not those sugar fruity roll ups that you get in the stores there healthy sweet just like dried fruit (I mean its the same thing) you can always add more honey or even a little brown sugar to add more sweetness.

2 cups apple sauce

1 table spoon honey

1 tea spoon cinnamon

non stick spray

Directions

Pre heat your oven to 150. Spray a foil covered cookie sheet with non stick cooking spray.
Then you will want to mix your apple sauce, honey and cinnamon together. Spread in a thin layer over cookie sheet. tap on counter and shake side to side to make even. Don't use a spatula or spoon to spread it makes it bumpy and the fruit will not dry evenly. Place cookie sheet in oven leaving the door open a little bit. Cook for 6 to 8 hrs until dried.

A tip from my kitchen:

I used one jar of apple sauce with cinnamon already in it and I also used 2 table spoons of honey. just a thought. Also the leather (fruit roll up) will dry from the outside to the middle so check the middle to see if its done or not there should not be any moisture to the fruit puree. You can also use other fruits besides apple. Just puree it like apple sauce and add water till its a good consistence. Also if I was you I would double this recipe To make a good siz batch for the kids to take to school for lunch or when hiking for yourself. There simple quick and very good for you.

Chicken Quesadilla pinwheels

2009-11-22T16:16:00.000-08:00

This recipe is courtesy of Rachel Ray from food network. I do have to say though this recipe is simple, quick and amazingly delicious! This is one of the recipes that I turn to when I don't want to spend forever in the kitchen but I want something that is not frozen or a sandwich.

Below is a link that will take you to the recipe but I am also going to type it here that way you don't have to go to a diff website to get it.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/chicken-quesadilla-pinwheels-recipe/index.html

PREP TIME 10 min

COOK TIME 8 min

What you will need:

4 large 10-12 inch flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack

2 cups chopped rotisserie chicken meat, still warm from the store or warmed in Microwave

1 cup chipotle salsa

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add a flour tortilla, blister it on 1 side then turn it over. Scatter cheese on top and cook 1 min or until cheese melts. remove to cutting board (or plate). Top the tortilla with 1/4 cup salsa, spreading gently with back of a spoon back to edges. top with some of the chicken, then roll tortilla into a log. let stand a min before cutting. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Cut pinwheels into 1/2 inch slices and arrange on platter.

Quick tip from my kitchen:

I spray my skillet with non stick spray like PAM. It helps to keep the tortilla from getting black spots as bad. also I love to mix my salsa with 1/3 cup sour cream it adds a cooling flavor. I never use all the chicken from my rotisserie chicken so I leave the shredded chicken in the container and refrigerate it and make sandwiches out of it for my husband so really you can get two or three meals with this! :)

The finding of the stretch mark

2009-11-22T15:54:00.000-08:00

Today has been a ruff day for this pregnant lady. See I found my first stretch mark. Well I know almost 7 months pregnant and this is the first, that is probably a good thing but it was terrifying to me so much so I cried.. Felt so silly but me feeling silly shore did not stop the tears from flowing. My amazing husband though comes in the bed room because he hears me sniffling and takes me in his arms and says ,"baby it doesn't matter its just part of it and I love you still the same." and me being stubborn cried more and said " I don't care I don't want them! Because I liked my body stretch mark free!" LOL he just looked at me and kissed me and said "Well baby your not the only one with stretch marks I have them too. So we can have stretch marks together." Oh my Gosh I stoped crying right then and just kissed him! I think I feel in love with him all over again in that very moment! Never in a million years would I have thought those words would have came out of his mouth or that they would have turned tears into a smile and laughter.!! So stretch marks are still not a welcomed sight to me but now for some reason I am excepting of the fact its probably going to happen no matter what I do. After all though its what I have to show for those stretch marks in the end that counts most of all! A beautiful baby and the little piece that starts a new chapter in my life that turns me into not just a wife but a mother as well and if I have to get stretch marks in order to experience all of that well I will wear them and be proud.

Stuffed Shells

2009-11-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I was given by my mother. I was looking for something different from lasagna but still about the same. And so she gave me this Stuffed shells recipe. This recipe is time consuming but the end result is well worth it and it is great fun to get kids involved with too. After all those shells wont stuff them selves. (inless you buy the frozzen ones)

What you will need:

1 Ib ground beef

2 Eggs

1 med sweet onion, chopped

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups crushed Ritz crackers

salt and pepper to taste

20 Jumbo shells

1 Jar spaghetti sauce

1-2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Brown your ground beef in a large skillet and drain.Cook pasta shells according to directions on the package and then drain. Set aside the Jumbo Shells so that they can cool. Mean while mix your ground beef with the 2 eggs, chopped onion, crushed crackers, Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste. Next you will want to spread 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on the bottom of a greased 13x9 baking dish. Now that your shells have cooled enough to handle spoon your meat mixture into your Jumbo Shells. using a tablespoon should do the trick. place each stuffed shell into baking dish. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce and cover with foil bake for 30 min. Uncover and sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and bake until cheese is melted (about 10 min) Take out of oven let rest for about 5 to 10 minutes then serve. This feeds up to 6-8 people but leftovers are the best with this dish. Also you can make this and freeze it for a rainy lazy day. Hope that you enjoy. Get the kiddos involved with stuffing the shells it will help take some of the work from you and my niece always loved helping me.

Quick Tip: To help the shells cool faster I always spread them out evenly over a cookie sheet. This also helps keep them from sticking together.

Girls Night

2009-11-21T02:20:00.000-08:00

Tonight I went out with five girl friends of mine. First girls night I have been on like this one since before I was married. So almost four years. I may be 21 years old but I am most likely the most boring 21 year old. My husband and I are very content staying in together or just going to the movies and out to eat and occasionally we go to the pool hall most nights were in bed by 10 though.Were not much for the whole clubbing and drinking and we enjoy going places together rarely do we go anywhere apart. So tonight was odd but welcomed. This girls night was not a drinking night for me any how since I am 6 months pregnant and all.We all went to En Fuego which is a texmex restaurant/club/sports bar three places in one pretty much and there all divided. Literally there is the restaurant, the La Rumba Lounge and there is a sports bar located inside.Which is all located in the Killeen, Tx Mall. I know your thinking; in a mall?? That's what I thought also. But much to my surprise inside was quiet nice and to me it was pretty fancy ( in my opinion that is ) also the prices were relatively decent. The food was good I ordered the Cheese Enchiladas and it was plenty enough of a serving for me.They also served endless free chips and salsa it was all very tasty , I might add. All my girl friends liked there dishes as well.There alcoholic drinks were a little on the expensive side and in the reasturant part very limited choices but, the girls said they were good. Just me though Pregnant or not I'm not paying seven dollars for a shot but that is just me . All in all I have to say I will be going back there it was nice with good food, great service and a fun environment in all my total spent was 14$ after tip! What can I say I am a cheap date. I also had taken my camera to document it all and the one time I am going to use the thing it breaks on me, go figure right!! So I will have to find some pictures to barrow from a friend. So if you are in the Fort Hood Texas area looking for a fun place to eat maybe do a little dancing or see the big game head on over to En Fuegos in the Killeen Mall and see what you think.

Introductions are instore

2009-11-20T16:10:00.000-08:00

Hello I'm completely new at this whole blog thing but I will slowly get it figured out so please don't attack me or get upset if I do not do something right advice is completely welcomed. The whole point in me starting this blog is to have somewhere to write and to post recipes and just day to day life type of things. Thank you for patience if not please just ignore and don't say anything kill me with kindness not harsh rudeness thanks. So for now I'm winging it and learning as I go. Wish me luck.