Re-creating our Wedding Dinner

For our anniversary, Frog Prince and I re-created our wedding dinner, complete with wedding cake!!

We had alfredo, chicken, broccoli, bread sticks, lemonade and of course, cake.  There was also a red-sauce for the pasta, but it's more of a treat for us to make a white sauce :)

First, our main course...

Fettuccini Alfredo - Modified from Keeping it Simple

1 recipe homemade pasta, cut like fettuccini
6 chicken tenders (you can use more)
1 T olive oil
4 T flour
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 T minced onion
1/2 C whipping cream
1 C half-and-half
1/3 C Parmesan cheese, shredded
Parsley, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Coat chicken in flour and cook in olive oil in skillet over medium heat until browned on both sides.

Place cooked chicken into a 9x13 glass pan, when browned.

Using the same skillet, add the onion, garlic, whipping cream, half and half, and pepper and heat until bubbling slightly; stirring continuously.

Then, remove from the heat and add in the Parmesan cheese. Allow the heat from the sauce to melt the cheese.

Pour the cream sauce over the chicken.

Then, bake at 375 for 15ish minutes until sauce is bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, to taste.

While chicken in baking, boil the water for the pasta and prepare the pasta.

We also had broccoli with this dish at our wedding, so we prepared the broccoli while the alfredo dish was cooking.

Serve chicken and sauce over pasta and broccoli.

The verdict:  tasted great, almost like what we had at our wedding!

Wedding Cake - From our wonderful cakemaker!!

Cake
1 white cake mix (use egg whites, save the yolks for the curd)
1 recipe lemon curd

Bake cake mix according to package directions using 2 8-inch cake pans; or follow the directions to make your own cake mix from scratch. Prepare lemon curd as directed, and allow to cool.

Frosting
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
4 cups (1 lb) confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk or water


Cream butter and shortening. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar one cup at a time. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. Add milk/water and beat at high speed until light and fluffy. Keeps for 2 weeks in refridgerator--rewhip before using.

To assemble the cake...

Take the cakes out of their pans and allow to cool completely on a wire wrack. Then, slice the top off the cakes to make them level.

Spoon the lemon pudding onto the top of the bottom cake. Carefully set the other cake on the top.

Cover with frosting :)

Decorate as you wish... (I'm cleaver, but not nearly as talented)

Serve and enjoy!

Good to the last drop...

Crockpot Apple Bacon Pork Chops

Typically, we have pork chops with Italian seasoning, or BBQ, or mushroom-flavored sauces. This recipe caught our attention because it is so different from what we typically eat... and it was very tasty. The combo of the sweetness from the apples, the saltiness from the bacon and the garlic from the croutons made this extra yummy!




Crockpot Apple Bacon Pork Chops - Modified from the Food Network

6 pork chops/loin slices
1/2 C chicken broth
1 T maple syrup
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 apples (we used Golden Delicious)
8 slices of bacon, cooked crispy
1 C croutons (we made our own)
1/2 C apple sauce (unsweetened)
2 zucchini, sliced into quarters
4oz mushrooms, sliced
1/2 tsp. Mrs. Dash Italian Seasoning


Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Brown pork chops a few minutes on each side until nicely browned.



Place browned pork chops into the crockpot, and without cleaning the frying pan, add the broth to the pan. Bring broth to a boil and add in cinnamon and maple syrup.



Stir while cooking over high heat to remove all the leftover pork-chop pieces from the bottom of the pan (I guess this process is called deglazing).

Then, pour the sauce over the top of the pork chops in the crockpot.



Peel, cut and layer the apples over the top of the pork chops.



Cover and cook on low heat for 4-6 hours, or until pork chops reach 170 degrees.



When you are just about ready to eat... start boiling some water for brown rice. And, quarter your zucchini and mushrooms.

If your insert to your crockpot can go in the oven, pre-heat your oven to 325. If not, don't worry.

Layer the cooked bacon, applesauce and croutons over the pork chops.



Set the insert into the oven while you prepare the zucchini and mushrooms. If you can't put your insert in the oven, turn the crockpot up to high, and close the cover.

Meanwhile, saute the zucchini and mushrooms with the Italian Seasoning.

Serve warm over rice with zucchini and mushrooms on the side.



You may choose to top with just a little bit of cheese.



*We made homemade croutons by taking older bread, sprinkling it with garlic and toasting it until it dried out! Yum.

This post is linked to Slow Cooking Thursday and Crockpot Wednesday.

Sauteed Zucchini

With zucchini a plenty right now, we are enjoying it with most of our meals. One way we enjoy it is a simple saute with cheese... yum.

Sauteed Zucchini - Snow White

1-2 medium zucchini, quartered
little drizzle of olive oil
pinch of salt
light sprinkles of Italian seasoning (we like Mrs. Dash)
cheese, to taste

Saute the zucchini over medium heat in a bit of olive oil until crisp tender. Season with salt and Italian seasoning while cooking. Top with shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese.

Ultimate Recipe Swap: Christmas in July

Click the image for more!

This week, we're sharing our favorite Christmas recipes as part of FishMama's Christmas in July week!

Christmas eve, for us, has more "traditional" foods for us than does Christmas day. We put a recipe for whole wheat bread in the bread machine, and chicken chili in the crockpot and head to Christmas eve services. Then, when we return from church, our dinner is all ready. We enjoy a nice family dinner, and have cookies for dessert while opening presents to and from one another. Then, we typically watch a movie together. Christmas morning, since I've met my hubby, we have "Christmas Eggs" a cheesy, delicious dish we've come to enjoy.

Our favorite traditional cookie recipes include:

Anise Cookies


Chocolate Crinkles


Mint Oreo Crunch

Grandma's Sugar Cookies

Molasses Crinkles (we make 2 batches of these!)

Oreo Cream Cheese Balls


Mom's caramels (sorry, can't post this recipe -- it's top secret)

Mom's Fudge (another top-secret recipe)

My mom used to sell Christmas treats at a craft sale, hence why we have so many Christmas favorites! She would make a whole bunch of different cookies to sell and leave a few leftovers for our family. Now, we try to limit ourselves to just a few...! I will share one of our Christmas favorites -- Fudge Puddles. These are delicious.

Fudge Puddles - Mom

Cookie*
1/2 C butter, softened
1/2 C creamy peanut butter
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 C flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Cream butter, peanut butter and sugars. Add egg and vanilla. Stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the creamed mix, stirring well. Chill for 1 hour. Then, shape into 1-inch balls. Place balls in lightly greased mini-muffin tins (you'll get about 48 balls) and bake at 325 for 14-16 minutes, or until slightly browned. Remove from the oven and immediately make wells in the center of each ball by pressing the center slightly with a melon baller. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire wrack.

Filling*
1 C milk chocolate chips
1 C semi-sweet (or dark) chocolate chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Melt chocolate chips over medium heat. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Using a small ziplock bag, with the tip of one of the corners cut off, fill each shell with fudge. If you have extra fudge, you can refrigerate it and use it warm as ice cream topping!

*The filling makes enough for 2 batches of cookies, so either double the cookie recipe, halve the fudge recipe, or use the leftover fudge some other way!


Come back around until Christmas time, and in December I'll post some more of her yummy treats: Mistletoe Mint, Caramel Corn (to-die-for!) and Nut-Goodie Bars!


Christmas morning, Frog Prince introduced me to this delicious dish....

Christmas Eggs - Frog Prince's Mom

1 dozen eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C sour cream
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 pieces of bacon, cooked crisply
1-2 C shredded cheddar cheese

Lightly scramble the eggs and milk (seasoned with salt and pepper to taste) in a large pan (we often do these eggs in batches). Place eggs in a greased 9x13 galss baking dish, and stir the sour cream into the eggs. Top with shredded cheddar cheese and crumple the bacon over the top. Bake at 325 until cheese is melted and slightly browned. Enjoy!

A stocked kitchen

One of my blogging friends is striving to start making more of her and her hubby's meals. When I started cooking from scratch, I was overwhelmed and didn't really know where to start. In fact, having come from a family who made everything homemade, I was a little bit intimidated. I started with an apple pie -- crust and all. That was one of the first "from scratch" things I made for my hubby after we were married. And, little-by-little, my hubby and I found great joy in cooking.

I think cooking from scratch is not only healthy, but it can be fun and simple. You don't need crazy gadgets. You don't need expensive ingredients. You don't need big cookbooks. You don't need to be fancy. You just need a few simple tools and ingredients to start out on your endeavor.

On my friend's blog today, she asked for suggestions about what staples are needed in the kitchen, which got me to thinking about the things I use as staples in my kitchen.

I have staples in terms of what I need to cook, and, I have staples in terms of supplies.

Here's what's on my "Must-Have" list for kitchen supplies:

Good wooden spoons
Great wooden-handled spatulas (this way the plastic doesn't melt when I leave it resting in a hot pan)
Glass mixing bowls, multiple sizes
Whisk
Measuring cups/spoons (multiple sets -- these are cheap from the dollar store, and keeps me from having to wash them while preparing a dish)
Cheese grater
Strainer
Rolling pin
Pots and pans (of course)

And, this is what you can almost always find in my kitchen:

Baking Supplies:
Flours (whole wheat, all purpose, bread)
Sugars (white, powdered, brown)
Yeast
Honey
Powdered milk
Olive Oil (I use olive oil in virtualy everything - no need for veggie oils)
Butter (yes, I use the real thing)
Baking Powder
Baking Soda
Spices
Corn Starch
Chocolate Chips
Oatmeal

Cooking Supplies:
Diced and stewed tomatoes
Tomato paste and sauce
Pasta (all kinds - whole wheat)
Broth - chicken, and beef (I make my own veggie broth)
Beans (all kinds)
Rice (brown)
Canned fruit
Dried fruit (we have raisins, Craisins and cherries)

Freezer Items
Veggies - broccoli, mixed veggies, cauliflower, peas, peppers (I buy these on sale and chop them up and freeze a bunch)
Fruit - Cherries, blueberries, raspberries
Chicken breasts/tenders
Ground turkey/beef
Turkey Ham
Ice cream (hey, it's homemade)

Refrigerated Items
Eggs
Milk
Cheeses (all kinds)
Half and half
Juice
Yogurt
Fresh fruits and veggies
Condiments

Snacks/Desserts:
Cake mix
Granola bars
Cheese-its
Popcorn

These are things I stock up on when on sale and replenish when they get low. Each week, I menu plan based on the produce that's on sale, and stock up mainly on produce, and dairy items when shopping. If you're interested in reading more.. check out my menu planning page.

Zucchini Parmesan

Wowza.

This is good.

If you're looking for a different way to use up all that fresh garden zucchini, this is a must-try!  Use a gluten-free bread crumb/cracker and this dish can easily become GF too!

Zucchini Parmesan - Modified from Swimming in Jell-o
{Print Recipe}

3 medium/large zucchini
1-2 tsp. Italian seasonings
sea salt, to taste
~2 C spaghetti sauce (we used homemade)
1 C ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tsp. basil (dried)
1/2 C bread crumbs
1 C mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 C Parmesan cheese, shredded

Slice up your zucchini lengthwise into layers (think like noodles!). Place them on a lightly greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with Italian seasonings and sea salt.

Put these into the oven to roast at about 425/450 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Check on them to make sure they are not burning, and flip once while cooking.

While zucchini roasts, lightly scrambled egg and basil in a medium-sized bowl.

Add in the ricotta cheese.

Stir to combine.

Pull the zucchini out when it's roasted, and allow it to cool before you decide to pick up the pieces ;)

Transfer the pieces to the bottom of a lightly greased 8x8 inch glass baking dish.

You can put as much zucchini in as you want -- this was what I had, so we went with it. I'd easily cover the whole bottom with zucchini next time.

Top with half of the bread crumbs (about 1/4 C)*

Spread half of the ricotta mixture over the zucchini.

Top with half of the spaghetti sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese.

Repeat the layers, again adding as much zucchini as you have prepared.

Finish by making the top cheesy -- adding the remaining mozzarella and the Parmesan cheeses to the top.

Bake uncovered for ~40 minutes at 350.  Move the dish to the top rack about 10 minutes before serving so the cheese browns nicely.

Slice and serve.

This dish has great flavor and we loved all the veggies in it when we made it with our homemade sauce.

The bread crumbs are not crispy in this recipe, which didn't bother us.  But, I might suggest lightly sauteing the bread crumbs in a tiny dollop of butter and allowing them to crisp up, and then sprinkling them on the top after baking.  Or, sprinkle them on the top when you move the dish to the top rack to brown... and let the oven do the crisping for you :)  Enjoy!

This recipe is linked to:
Tasty Tuesday
Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
Ingredient Spotlight

Whole Wheat Crepes

Whole Wheat Crepes - From Katie at Intentionally Katie

1/2 C whole wheat flour
1/4 C all purpose flour
1/8 tps. salt
1/8 C honey
1 3/4 C milk
2 eggs

Combine the dry ingredients and stir with a whisk to blend.

Lightly beat the eggs, and add the honey and milk, whisking to combine.



Whisk together the wet and dry ingredients. Batter will be thinner than pancake batter ;)



Preheat your griddle (or Katie recommends 2 frying pans), and lightly spray them with cooking spray before pouring roughly 1/4 C mixture onto the griddle (or into the pans).

Cook on one side for 3-5 minutes, and then flip the crepes over and cook on the other side for another minute or so.  Stack on a plate and set it in a preheated oven to keep warm until all the crepes are made.





Serve with fresh fruit, whipped cream, or homemade berry sauce!  Yum.



This batch made about 12 crepes. 

*If I were filling these with non-fruit fillings, I would likely decrease the honey because they are on the sweet side.

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday and Foodie Friday!