October 21, 2011

Another whirlwind week...I guess that's the new norm with me in grad school, the kids in sports, and school in full swing! Plus running around after Liam... he is more a little boy than a baby these days. Where has the time gone?

Book club was this week, and I love to break out the big guns and make something new and exciting for dessert to bring to book club, so that was really fun. Given that we are getting close to Halloween, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a Halloween dessert I had seen...and orange and black trifle! It was a hit with the adults (and the kids loved the leftovers), and it was so easy to throw together.

We made another crock pot dinner, and the kids were putting the gravy on everything! They smothered their veggies in it, poured it on mashed potatoes, and of course had it on their pork chops. The great thing about this gravy was that it was thick enough right out of the slow cooker that there were no additional steps to get the sauce ready. Excellent!

Enjoy!

New Recipes
Crock Pot Pork Chops and Gravy
Apple Spice Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting
Halloween Trifle

Halloween Trifle

Trifle Layers

Chocolate cake mixed with candy corn
Vanilla pudding tinted orange (larger size)
Fresh sweetened whipped cream

Directions
1. Make box cake mix as directed in 9x13 pan. Let cool completely.
2. Once the cake is cool, break it up and crumble it directly into the trifle bowl, mixing with candy corn (1/2 to 1 cup).
3. Make the vanilla pudding according the box directions. Tint with yellow and red food coloring to make it orange. Let it fully set and cool in the fridge.
4. Close to when you are ready to serve, chill a mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer. Make the fresh whipped cream.
5. Layer the pudding on the cake, and then the whipped cream on the pudding. Decorate with additional candy corn on the top if desired!

Notes
I only used about 2/3 of the cake in my trifle.
I used a 5.1oz box of Kraft Jell-O vanilla pudding and followed the directions on the package.
To make whipped cream, mix 1 cup cold whipping cream, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla. Whip until soft peaks form.

Crock Pot Pork Chops and Gravy

Ingredients
* 4 bone in or thick cut pork chops
* 1 envelope onion soup mix
* 1 envelope dry pork gravy mix
* 1 can cream of chicken soup
* 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
* 1 onion, sliced

Directions
1. Brown the pork chops in oil.
2. Put sliced onions on bottom of the crock pot.
3. Place pork chops on top of the onions.
4. Mix onion soup mix, pork gravy mix, cream of chicken soup and chicken broth together; pour over the pork chops.
5. Cook on low 8 hours

Notes
I served this with mashed potatoes and roasted cauliflower. The gravy that the pork chops cook in ends up being thick enough to serve alongside the dinner without doing anything to it which is a really nice time-saver. My kids put the gravy on everything (I think I even saw Hannah eat a spoonful by itself)!

Apple Spice Cupcakes with Caramel Frosting

Ingredients for Cupcakes
* 1 box yellow cake mix
* 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice, or your own spice mixture)

Ingredients for Caramel Frosting
* 1/2 cup butter
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 tsp. vanilla
* 3-4 cups sifted powdered sugar

Directions for Caramel Frosting
1. In large saucepan, melt butter and add brown sugar. Bring this mixture to a boil, stirring frequently. Boil and stir for 1 minute until thickened.
2. Remove from heat and add milk. Beat with wire whisk until smooth.
3. Add vanilla and beat again for another minute.
4. Add enough powdered sugar until of desired spreading consistency
5. Let cool and serve.

October 15, 2011

Wow! Another quick week has come and gone, and I forgot to post on Friday night! So, here it is Saturday morning, and I have three new recipes for you. Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin was a hit with everyone at the table, quick and easy to put together, and smelled great all day while it was cooking! Warm Caramel Apple Cake was my first attempt at an upside-down cake, and we all thought it was delicious! It was best the evening that we made it, but still moist and scrumptious even a few days after! And, the star of the week (in my opinion), Shrimp Fra Diavolo! My son Owen loves shrimp, and he takes after his dad when it comes to spicy food, so he devoured his dinner! Ryan and I loved it as well, and it was easy to put together. One thing I will say is that the house smelled like garlic the next day as well since there was quite a bit of garlic in this recipe.

I am not sure what is on the menu yet for this week, but hopefully some recipes that work out. Enjoy the fall weather!

New Recipes
Crock Pot Pork Tenderloin
Warm Caramel Apple Cake
Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Ingredients

* 1 lb shrimp, deveined and peeled
* salt
* 1 tsp red pepper flakes
* 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 4 tbsp mined garlic
* 28 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 1/2 tsp sugar
* 1 lb spaghetti or linguine
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
* pepper

Directions

1. Cook pasta as directed.
2. Toss the shrimp with 3/4 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
3. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in skillet over medium high heat. Add the shrimp in a single layer and cook until pink, just about 2 minutes on each side. Remove the cooked shrimp and set aside. Let the pan cool for 2 minutes.
4. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan with the garlic. Cook over low heat for about 8 minutes, moving the garlic around so as not to burn it.
5. Stir the remaining red pepper flakes, tomatoes, wine, sugar and 3/4 tsp salt to the garlic. Bring to a simmer and cook about 8 minutes.
6. Add the shrimp back to the sauce, along with the parsley. Cook about 1 minute until the shrimp and heated through.
7. Serve over pasta, and enjoy!!!

Notes
This recipe definitely has some kick, but we loved it! Serve with a salad and some crusty bread to sop up some of the sauce and you will have a fabulous meal! We cut the ingredients in half because only 2 adults and one child were going to eat the meal, and it worked out well.

Warm Caramel Apple Cake

Ingredients
* 1/2 cup butter or margarine
* 1/4 cup whipping cream
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 large cooking apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
* 1 box yellow cake mix
* 1 1/4 cups water
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 3 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon apple pie spice


Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. In 1-quart heavy saucepan, cook butter, whipping cream and brown sugar over low heat, stirring occasionally, just until butter is melted. Pour into 13x9-inch pan. Top with sliced apples.
2. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and apple pie spice with electric mixer on low speed until moistened, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Carefully spoon batter over apple mixture.
3. Bake 40 - 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Loosen sides of cake from pan. Place heatproof serving platter upside down on pan; carefully turn platter and pan over. Let pan remain over cake about 1 minute so caramel can drizzle over cake. Remove pan.
4. Serve and enjoy!!!

Notes
This cake is best enjoyed the day it is made, though it still tastes great for a few days after. Keep it covered and it won't dry out.