Pan Fried Asparagus

Yep, it's ANOTHER asparagus recipe! I can't help it...I could eat asparagus with every meal and am always on the lookout for different ways to prepare it. Never before have I pan fried it, but was it ever delicious! I'm pretty excited, too, because my parents had given us a Foodsaver, which we just got around to using for the first time, the other night. I intend to stock up on asparagus over the summer and freeze it, so I have it readily available year round :) By the way...if you don't have a Foodsaver, it's truly wonderful!!!

Pan Fried Asparagus

1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed (I didn't trim mine as nicely as I should have!)

Directions:

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Stir in the olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook garlic in butter for a minute, but do not brown. Add asparagus and cook for about 10 minutes, turning to ensure even cooking.

Source: Erin N.

Triple Layer Banana Cake and an Award!

"Biting off more than I can chew" is something I tend to do rather frequently! As I was multitasking yesterday, my husband happened to notice one of my cookbooks open on the desk in the kitchen. I had some pretty ripe bananas and had found a recipe to utilize them...I wanted something a little different than traditional banana bread or muffins. Realizing that I was a little overwhelmed, he set out to make this cake--I always get a kick out of watching him make things, because he's so "methodical" and does not deviate the slightest bit from the recipe :) (Not to mention the fact that he always seems to use ten times more pans/dishes than I do!) I'm fairly certain this was the first layer cake he's ever made and he did a great job! The cake was baked perfectly...it was so moist and the frosting was a nice change! I honestly don't know that I have ever had peanut butter frosting, but it was very good! I'm actually planning to have a slice here shortly, with my cup of coffee...hopefully I can accomplish that before the kiddos wake up!

Triple Layer Banana Cake

3/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

FROSTING:
6 tablespoons peanut butter
3 tablespoons butter, softened
5-1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
8 to 10 tablespoons milk
Peanut halves, optional

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat the peanut butter and butter until smooth. Beat in confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve spreading consistency. Frost between layers and over top and sides of cake. Garnish with peanuts if desired.
(Here's a picture of him diligently working and another of his finished cake!)



Source: Taste of Home

And now...onto the award! Kathy from Three on Food put a smile on my face this morning when I saw that she had passed along this award to me! I would highly encourage you to check out their blog, as they post fantastic recipes...the latest is a pizza casserole that would be very kid friendly!

There are rules to this award, so here they are:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for this award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link to the person who nominated you for this award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs letting them know they have been nominated.

Seven things about myself that you may (or may not) find interesting!

1) I make lists for EVERYTHING and find it extremely therapeutic to cross things off!
2) I am a nurse and have no problem giving shots, but am TERRIFIED of receiving them! Don't get me wrong...I don't like to inflict pain on people, but the needle itself doesn't bother me if it's not going into me, personally!
3) I worked as a server at BW3's when I was in nursing school.
4) I'm a "retired" BeautiControl consultant and a "semi-retired" Pampered Chef consultant. Along with that, I own probably every product ever made by Pampered Chef!
5) I love boardgames...Scattergories and Loaded Questions are probably two of my favorites!
6) I'm one of three sisters and we each had a boy first!
7) I love romance and all things "romantic"...movies, gestures, etc!

I would now like to pass this award onto the following bloggers:

1) Latest Addictions
2) girlichef
3) This Stop Willoughby
4) Krista's Kitchen
5) Lynda's Recipe Box
6) "A Thrifty Home"
7) Keeper Worthy Recipes

Marinated Pork Chops

The stomach "bug" has been going around my house and I haven't had much energy to cook. I decided to go ahead and marinate these pork chops yesterday morning and then figured I'd wait and see if anyone felt up to eating dinner--worst case scenario, I figured we could always have them tonight. Dinnertime arrived and I figured I probably should try to eat something, so I had my husband go ahead and grill these chops. My stomach was still a little queasy, but they still tasted so good and smelled wonderful while they were grilling! I don't buy pork chops often, probably because I wasn't overly fond of them growing up--I love my Mom to death, but she likes her meat VERY well done and there's nothing quite like dried out pork chops! The original recipe called for 1 inch thick chops, but I used the assorted pork chops that were on sale for $.97/lb...hard to beat that! The listed grilling time is for 20-25 minutes, which was what the original recipe called for, but if you're using thinner chops, as we did, you will likely need to decrease the cooking time.

Marinated Pork Chops

3/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 garlic clove, minced
6 pork chops

Directions:

Combine the first 10 ingredients in a large resealable plastic bag or shallow glass container; add pork and turn to coat. Seal bag or cover container; refrigerate overnight. Drain and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium coals, turning occasionally, for 20-25 minutes or until juices run clear.

Source: Allrecipes

"Packets"

I'm fairly certain this isn't the proper name for this recipe, but it's what we've always referred to it as! The first time I ever had these "packets" was back when my sister, Sarah and I were in girl scouts...probably about 20 yrs ago! We were having a camping event of some sort, in order to earn one of those girl scout badges and they had each girl scout make their own individual dinner over a campfire. My sister and I each made our own, but somehow, one of ours magically disappeared and since we were both extremely reserved back then, we politely shared the one packet that we were given. (I'm not going to lie...it really pisses me off to this day!) Anyway, on with my story! We greatly enjoyed the tiny morsels we were given, so we attempted to recreate the recipe for my Mom, who in turn, absolutely loved it! The flavors of the beef, carrots, onions and potatoes, all cooked in the same individual packet are wonderful and again, this is something that reheats well! I have made a few changes over the years, because I'm fairly certain they didn't season the "packets" before grilling them or do anything with the meat, other than shape it into a small patty, but I definitely think they need salt in some form!

"Packets"

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg, beaten
Kosher salt
Ground Black Pepper
Onion Powder
3-4 carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion (we prefer vidalia!)
3-4 potatoes, cut into chunks (peeling optional!)
Garlic Salt

Directions:

Break apart ground beef in a medium-sized bowl and add egg, Kosher salt, pepper and onion powder; mix well. Form into 6 patties.

Tear off (6) 12x12 inch pieces of aluminum foil. Place one patty on center of each piece of foil and surround with carrots, onions and potatoes (equal amounts around each patty). Sprinkle garlic salt over the veggies and pull foil up tightly around ingredients to form a "packet". Place all of your packets on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, or until potatoes and carrots are tender.


NOTE: You can also grill these packets, although I haven't done that in forever and can't recall the exact cooking time!

Mom's Meatloaf

Okay, so I know everyone tends to think that their own mom's or family's recipe for meatloaf is the best, but I honestly feel as if my mom's is hands down, the best I have EVER tried! My husband is the world's pickiest eater and never ate his own mom's meatloaf growing up, but he LOVES my mom's :) This was another recipe enclosed in my bridal shower cookbook, containing favorite recipes of my family and friends and I think it's probably the one thing I have made more than anything else since I have lived on my own. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes are my all-time favorite comfort food! I love the addition of applesauce...I think it gives the meatloaf a wonderful consistency and I am also a big fan of the green pepper! This reheats so well and my Mom has tried to convince me time and time again that it would make wonderful meatloaf sandwiches. I know I really need to give them a try--I don't know why cold meatloaf doesn't appeal to me?!?

Mom's Meatloaf

3 pounds ground chuck
3 large eggs
2 medium to large onions
1 small or 1/2 of a large green pepper
25 saltines, finely crushed
3/4 cup milk
BBQ Sauce (I only use Sweet Baby Ray's!)
1 cup applesauce (optional)
Garlic salt
Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

Break apart ground chuck in a large mixing bowl. Place eggs into a food processor and add onions and green pepper (both quartered). Process eggs, onions and green pepper until finely chopped. Add egg mixture to meat, along with crushed saltines, milk, BBQ sauce to taste, applesauce (if desired) and seasonings. Mix well and place meat mixture in a 9x13 pan. Form into oblong loaf. Bake at 350 degrees for 60-75 minutes.

Note: The meatloaf can be baked adding nothing or you can choose one of the following options: 1) Brush top with BBQ sauce and also placed sliced onions on top or 2) Mix one can of tomato or cream of mushroom soup with 1/3 can of water and pour over meatloaf before baking. I, personally, just add some BBQ sauce to the top!

Source: Adele Fine

Ultimate Cheesecake

I must say...Donna (My Tasty Treasures) has one of my favorite blogs! Not only are her recipes fabulous, but she is very much her own person and provides my daily entertainment! She's so "real" and while she may rub some people the wrong way, I very much respect her individuality :) I've never been disappointed by a recipe that Donna has posted, so I knew this cheesecake had to be wonderful. Besides, everyone seems to be raving about Tyler Florence! Normally I'm not a huge fan of lemon, but the lemon in the filling mixture was a great addition! I searched high and low for my springform pan that I was sure I had purchased, but was unable to find it. I ended up making the cheesecake in a round cake pan, so my picture is not near as pretty as Donna's! I also am wondering if I didn't need to bake the cheesecake just a tad bit longer, because it didn't seem to firm up as much as it should have. This is definitely a recipe I will make again and I look forward to trying different toppings! I used fresh strawberries (mixed with sugar), but I bet it would be great with cherries, too! (Again, please excuse the picture, as it was taken pretty late at night and the lighting in my house is just awful!)

Ultimate Cheesecake

Crust:
2 cups finely ground graham crackers,
about 30 squares
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick butter, melted

Filling:
1 pound cream cheese, softened, (2) 8oz blocks
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 pint sour cream
1 lemon, zested (I only "zested" half of the lemon)
Dash of vanilla

Directions:

For the crust:
Preheat oven to 325. In a mixing bowl, combine crust ingredients with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of an 8 inch springform pan with non stick cooking spray. Pour the crumbs into the pan and, using the bottom of a measuring cup, press the crumbs down into the base , and 1 inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 5 -10 minutes.

For the filling:
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute until smooth and free of any lumps. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue to beat slowly until combined. Gradually add sugar and beat until creamy, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add sour cream lemon zest, and vanilla. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and beaters. The batter should be well-mixed but not over beaten. Pour the filling into the crust lined pan and smooth the top with a spatula.

Set the cheesecake on a large piece of aluminum foil, and fold up the sides around it. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan until the water is about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. This foil will keep water from seeping into the cheesecake. Bake for 45–50 minutes. The cheesecake should still jiggle. It will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the fridge for 4 hours at least. Loosen the sides of the cheesecake by running a knife around the inside rim. Unmold and transfer to plate. Spread on your choice of topping or eat plain.

Source: My Tasty Treasures

Kentucky Grilled Chicken

I saw this posted on Heidi's blog (Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi) and love that she always has a way of posting recipes for ingredients that just so happen to be on sale :) My one regret with making this recipe was that I didn't allow it to marinate longer--it was only in the refrigerator for about 3-3 1/2 hours, but I would like to try it again soon and leave it overnight. The chicken was unbelievably moist and had wonderful flavor...I can only imagine how much better it would have been if I had remembered to get it going earlier in the day!

I would very much suggest checking out Heidi's blog for any of you who haven't already and I would also highly recommend looking at Krista's blog, as that's where the recipe is originally from. I'm constantly looking at new blogs (especially when other bloggers post links) and was very excited to "meet" Krista. It turns out that she and I have a lot in common...we both grew up in Indiana, both got married in June 2003 and both have two small children--small world! Enjoy this chicken...it's sure to please!

Kentucky Grilled Chicken

1 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup canola oil
5 tsp Worcestershire sauce
4 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp salt
6 split chicken breasts (it would probably be great with legs or thighs, too!)

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients to make marinade. Place 1 cup of marinade into large ziploc bag and add chicken. Swish around to coat chicken and let refrigerate at least 4 hours. Reserve remaining marinade for basting. Spray grill with cooking spray. Cook chicken over indirect heat for 20 minutes. Turn and grill 20-30 more minutes or until juices run clear. Baste occasionally with reserved marinade.

Source: Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi, originally from Krista's Kitchen