Cooking Block

You know those days that you just can't figure out what to cook and your family is no help, with their seemingly helpful response of "I don't care, honey, whatever you cook is great with me."???

This was actually NOT one of those days. I knew what to cook. I even gave myself a leg up and prepared everything last night and let it marinate overnight, so all I had to do was put it in the crockpot this morning and head out the door. I should have put it in this morning myself. Instead, I left it for my husband to put it on later in the morning so it wouldn't get too dried out. I texted him at 10am and he HAD BEEN CALLED INTO WORK!!!!!!!!! :(

Now, I know this is not his fault. But it FEELS like it is. And I'm mad at myself because it's really MINE. On top of that, he got home first and put it in the crockpot on high thinking it would help. It didn't. So now it's partially cooked and definitely not close to being done anytime soon and I'm starving. I am now ordering take out.

All of this to say... sometimes your meal doesn't go as planned. Sometimes it doesn't taste the way you dreamed it would. Keep on cooking and don't let that slow you down. Dust your pride, and sometimes food, off and learn from the mistakes!

I will share with you what I was going to make, and you can let me know how it actually turns out. ;)

Mole Pork
1 can tomato sauce
1 can rotel tomatoes, undrained
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon chili powder
5 teaspoons cocoa powder
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon garlic
1 whole onion, chopped
3 lbs. pork loin

Mix all ingredients in crock pot sprayed with non-stick spray. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Happy Cooking!

Hot Bacon & Swiss Dip

Sunday after church my husband, Chris, and I headed over to a friend’s house for an afternoon of fellowship... and NFL football. We had a great time catching up and spent the afternoon on the screened in back porch chatting, watching the games, and, of course, eating! I made an up-town cheese dip to take over and served it with Rosemary and Olive Oil Triscuit crackers. We ate the ENTIRE pan. Our hosts made hoagies complete with home-made submarine sauce that were out of this world! Hope you enjoy the cheese dip as much as we did.

Hot Bacon & Swiss Dip

2 cups shredded Swiss cheese

4 Tablespoons green onion

16 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup mayonnaise

6 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

½ sleeve of Ritz crackers, crushed

Combine all ingredients except crackers in medium sized mixing bowl. Mix to combine. Pour cheese mixture into 8x8 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray. Top with crushed Ritz crackers. Bake at 350 for 12 – 15 minutes. Serve with crackers.

Happy Entertaining, Y'all!

Football Foodie

The crisp September air, the clear blue skies, the chill in the air (and in Alabama that means under 90) means that football has officially begun!!! I myself graduated from The University of Alabama, Roll Tide, and am a big fan. My husband follows NFL more than college and is a HUGE Green Bay Packers fan. He has been for years. He was so excited last year when they won the super bowl. This year, because they are the reigning super bowl champs, they kicked off the first NFL game of the season. Being the awesome wife that I am we had a party at our house.

I love planning parties, and that is what this really all about. Entertaining. I found a recipe for Mango Avocado salsa to start the party. I was really excited. First of all, I love avocado and mango but I was thrilled that it was the team colors. Green and yellow.  The name of the recipe says salsa, but it was closer to guacamole. Either way,  it turned out great.

1 mango, diced
2 avocados, diced
juice of 1 lime
1 small red onion, diced
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
pinch sea salt

Mix all ingredients and chill for at least one hour before serving. When covering, place plastic wrap directly on top of the salsa to prevent the avocados from turning brown.

My husband grilled hamburgers for half-time and we finished off with lemon bars.

I love opening our home to our friends. It doesn't have to be fancy or a lot of work, it just needs to be fun. Involve your friends so you aren't stuck doing all the work. Just invite your friends over and COOK!

Go Big or Go Home...

I catered my first wedding ever over Labor Day weekend... for 200 people. It was a LOT of work and even more fun! The menu?

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Sliders with Jezebel Sauce

Broccoli Salad

Tomato Basil Pasta Salad

Baby Potato Bites

Fruit, Cheese, Veggies

Hummus & Pita Chips

First off, I had great help! My mom and dad, my husband, brother and friend all pitched in with serving and prepping. We spent 2 days in the kitchen getting ready for the event.

Everything was calm and organized and at the end we were just sitting and waiting for the guests to arrive. Once guests started streaming in, I had a moment of panic when I realized 200 people were about to eat MY food. Would they approve? Complain? I calmed myself down and just kept smiling through. No complaints... and people came back through the line for more. After it was all over, I realized what I had just done. What was I thinking committing to something that big for a first experience? I must be crazy! My next thought? When is the next time I get to do this? :)

Get out there and cook!