Crock Pot Pork Chops

I don't cook pork very often, just not a huge fan of it, but it was on sale a while back, and I decided I needed to use some of what I had in the freezer. This was VERY good, good enough for company, I'd say. So moist it just falls apart, and the flavor soaked all the way through. And all the work is done ahead of time, so when company comes you can have a clean kitchen. Or, with a side of instant mashed potaotes, steam-fresh veggies, and a fruit salad, dinner can be on the table in 10 minutes.

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp seasoning salt
• 4 thick-cut pork chops (I don't think mine were thick-cut)
• 2 TBS olive oil
• 1 (10.5 oz) can chicken and rice soup (this is very different from cream of chicken soup, so don't try a substitution here)

1. Trim fat from pork chops. Combine flour, dry mustard and seasoning salt in bowl or pie pan.
2. Heat oil in skillet. Dredge pork in flour mixture then place them in the skillet and brown on both sides.
3. Place pork chops in slow cooker and pour chicken and rice soup over. Cook on low for 5-8 hours depending on how thick the cut is.

Shrimp Scampi

It IS possible to have a delicious home-cooked meal in 15 minutes...who knew! This was yummy, although the kids didn't seem to like it, the phrase "looks like throw-up" was used more than once at the dinner table tonight. However, with how fast and easy it was, I think I'll make it again. Yeah, cuz I'm a mean mom. :)


First of all, I changed the recipe quite a bit, I totally took the easy road on all the ingredients.

3 packages of ramen noodles, without the flavoring (or you can use an 8 ounce package angel hair pasta to do it the "right" way)
1/2 cup butter
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1 1/2 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used pre-cooked, and just defrosted it first)
1/3 cup white wine (I subsituted canned chicken broth)
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs (I used italian seasoned bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese



Cook pasta (or ramen noodles) according to package directions, except don't add the seasonings.

In a large saucepan, melt butter, saute garlic until tender, remove garlic and discard. (I left the garlic in) Add shrimp and cook until colored pink (or, if it's precooked, just cook until defroasted). Stir in white wine (or chicken broth). The bread crumbs are used as thickening, so stir in a little at a time until desired thickness is reached.


Serve shrimp over pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

I also cooked a package of steam fresh brocolli in the microwave and tossed it into the mix.

Mexican Pizza

This is similar to the Mexican pizza at Taco Bell. Pretty yummy and pretty cheap too. The presentation is nice enough for company, and it's made from ingredients we usually have on hand. Plus, it's ready in about 45 minutes....it's like the perfect fall-back meal!

1/2 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 (16 oz) can refried beans

4 (10 inch) tortillas

1/2 cup salsa

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese

2 green onions, diced

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/4 cup finely chopped jalepenos

1/4 cup sour cream

1. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 2 pie plates with cooking spray.
2. Place beef, onion, and garlic in skillet over medium heat. Cook until browned. Drain grease, and season with chili powder, cumin, paprika, black pepper, and salt.
3. Lay 1 tortilla in each pie plate. Spread half the can of refried beans on the tortillas. Spread half ground beef mixture on each. Cover with 2nd tortillas. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
4. Let cool slightly. Spread 1/2 of each on each tortilla: salsa, cheeses, tomatoes, green onions, and jalepenos.
5. Bake 5-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Let cool slightly before slicing.

We are sour cream lovers, but this meal was able to hold it's own without the sour cream. The jalepenos were a little too spicy for the kids, I think next time I'll only add them to one of the Mexican pizzas.

BBQ Pork Sandwhich

I couldn't wait to have the leftovers of this for lunch today. It's SOO simple, just takes some time in the crock pot.

1 pork roast (approx 3 lbs)
1 can BBQ sauce (about 14oz)
1 can beef broth
Dinner rolls

Put ingredients in crock pot on low for 6-8 hours. About an hour before dinner needs to be done, take the meat out, shred it, and put it back in the juices and let it cook for the last hour. Serve on a sliced dinner roll. Ta da. Dinner. I'm going to freeze half of the shredded pork for a later meal.

BIG Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've always wondered how people make those BIG sized chewy chocolate chip cookies. Well, this afternoon, I DID IT! I got this recipe off of allrecipies.com and they were beautiful, chewy, huge, and delicious.

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (I prefer it with salted butter)
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 TBS vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (I used half semisweet chocolate chips, half semisweet chocolate chunks)

1. Preheat oven to 325. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
3. In medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk until light and creamy (be sure not to over-beat). Mix in sifted ungredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough 1/4 cup at a time onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.
4. Bake for 15-17 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toated. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. (I use newspaper instead of a wire rack...one of these days I'll by the rack)

Braised Balsamic Chicken

This was a nice variation to the regular chicken routine in our home. Very easy and very fast, so that was nice. I got this recipe from allrecipies.com

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp garlic salt
2 TBS olive oil
1 onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried thyme

Season chicken breasts with pepper and garlic salt. Heat olive oil in a medium skillet, and brown the onion and seasoned chicken breasts.

In small bowl, combine vinegar, tomatoes, and remaining seasonings. Pour over chicken and onions. Simmer unti lchicken is no longer pink and juices run clear, about 15 minutes.

Baked Chimichangas

These babies are so yummy, and sooo much less fat/less mess than your average fried chimichanga. I was very pleased, and so was the rest of the family.

The shredded beef was made from leftovers from the roast we had the night before. I threw the leftovers back in the crockpot (with all the juices and seasonings), left it in the fridge overnight, then the next afternoon let it cook on low for another 4-6 hours.

The recipe I got this idea from actually called for ground beef, so you can do it that way too, I just prefer the shredded stuff. If you use ground beef, brown the beef first, then drain the grease, then simmer with the tomatoes. Instead of diced tomatoes, you can also use salsa.


1 pound shredded beef (approx)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes with jalepenos (this was not spicy at all, just added a good flavor)
1 (16 ounce) can refried beans
8 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1 (16 ounce) package shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon butter, melted
shredded lettuce
1 fresh tomato, diced
sour cream



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large saucepan, combine shredded beef and canned diced tomatoes. Simmer on med-lo heat for about 20 minutes, or until the juices are gone. Mix in the can of refried beans and cheese.

Spoon the beef mixture down the center, and roll up the tortillas, and place them seam-side down onto a baking sheet. Brush the tortillas with melted butter.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown. Serve with lettuce, tomato, and sour cream.