Honey Mustard Pork Chops

Here's a yummy marinade for pork chops that I found in my Weight Watchers cookbook.  Anything with honey mustard satisfies my husband so he just loved this marinade!

4 tsps honey
1/4 cup dijon mustard
1 tsp cider or wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
freshly ground pepper, to taste

I mixed it all together, poured over the pork chops, and threw them in the fridge (for at least 8 hours) until Jon threw them on the grill.  They came out pretty tasty!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I have stumbled upon a fabulous website thanks to my fellow foodie, Brandi.  It's called Tasty Kitchen.  So many new recipes to try and I'm so excited!!!!  I was looking for a cupcake recipe so Jon can bring to Taylor's class tomorrow (it's grandparents day/special person day) and didn't want your typical cupcake.  While looking for cupcakes the words "cookie dough" just popped out at me.  Who can refuse cookie dough????  and inside a cupcake????  Let me tell you....it's as good as how it sounds.  Good thing I'm getting my wisdom teeth pulled tomorrow or I'd be diving into the remaining ones all weekend!

Ok....So I can't lie...I'm super impressed about this picture.  Doesn't it look pretty awesome!  I found some food photo hints and this was my first shot.  It's a little yellow but I'm still impressed. :-)

1 1/3 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
16 oz chocolate chip cookie dough (this will be enough if you double the recipe.)
16 oz chocolate icing (this will be enough if you double the recipe.)

1. Scoop cookie dough in teaspoon sized balls and place in the freezer in a ziplock bag or airtight container.  The cookie dough has to be completely frozen.
2. Preheat oven to 350.
3. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Beat butter until smooth and add sugar beating until light and fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined each time.  Mix in the flour mixture, alternating with milk and vanilla, beginning and ending with flour.
5. Using an ice cream scoop, scoop batter into prepared cupcake pan.  Get cookie dough balls out of the frezzer and place into the cupcake, pushing down into the center of the batter.
6. Bake for 20 minutes.
7. Transfer to cooling rack.  Once cool top with chocolate icing.
8. Yield: 12 cupcakes (I doubled the recipe to make 24.)

Italian Chicken

When I went to the grocery the other day I hit the jackpot.  Y'all know how much I love my crockpot.  Well, Taste of Home has a wonderful magazine out with tons of slow cooker meals.  Now I have a question....

Do you say crockpot or slow cooker???

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes (I bought the "no salt added" but think I'll buy regular next time or just add extra salt to the meal.)
3/4 cup plus 3 TBSP water, divided (I used chicken broth.  I always replace chicken or beef broth when a recipe calls for water.)
2 TBSP dried minced onion
2 tsps chicken bouillon granules
2 tsps chili powder
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic powder
3 TBSPS cornstarch
Hot cooked rice

1. Place chicken in your crockpot.  Combine the tomatoes, 3/4 cup water, onion, bouillon and seasonings; pour over chicken.
2. Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
3. Transfer chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.  Pour cooking juices into a small saucepan.  Combine cornstarch and remaining water until smooth; stir into cooking juices.  Bring to a boil.  Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Serve with chicken and rice.

Servings: 6

Lemon Chicken Marinade

Jon and I have been grilling a lot lately on the weekends.  When we lived in GA and TX that's all we ate year round.  We love the grill!  Needless to say, since it has been gorgeous here now we are using the pit a ton!

1  tsp lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 TBSP honey
1 TBSP Dijon mustard
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Chicken breasts

Put chicken and ingredients in a zip-lock bag and refrigerate 2-8 hours.  I turn mine over at least once while marinading.  Discard marinade and grill.  Don't even ask me how long to grill for.....that's my hubby's job! :-)

Brown Sugar & Oats Muffins

Here's another fabulous recipe that I got from From My Kitchen to Yours!.  I made these for breakfast this morning and Jon and I just can't stay out of them.  Next time I think I'm going to add cut up apples and nuts in them.  So yummy!

(Just ignore the only purple muffin cup.  It was the last colored one left and I don't like to waste. :-))

1 cup oatmeal

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk

1/4 cup oil

1 tsp vanilla

1. Preheat oven to 400.
2. Line a dozen muffin tin with paper liners.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients.  In a seperate bowl, beat the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla together.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until moistened. (Don't over mix your mixture .  It'll make it more dense if you do and you won't get the nice air pockets muffins have.)
4. Fill each muffin cup 2/3 full and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Jambalaya pic

Doesn't that look so yummy?!?!?  I made jambalaya for a pot luck I went to last night and it was gobbled up really fast! 

Click HERE for the recipe.

Cheese Muffins

Mandi found this cheese muffin recipe on The Pioneer Woman website.  If you've never gone to her website before you need to go.  Such wonderful recipes!!!  Anyway, Jon went volunteer in Taylor's class yesterday so I decided to make them a little treat.  She's been telling me about these muffins and about how good they are so I decided to make them.  Wow....they are so good and so cheesy!!!!  I'm just glad I had to send them to school because I could have gobbled these up easily!!!

I should have taken a better picture than this but I was in such a rush that this is what you get. :-)

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 TBSPS sugar

1 TBSP baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups shredded colby-jack cheese

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/4 cup melted butter (1/2 stick)

1. Wisk together dry ingredients then stir in cheese.
2. In a seperate bowl, wisk egg, milk, and butter together.  Pour milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir with a spoon to combine.
3. Bake in greased muffin tin at 375 for 20-25 minutes. (it took mine 25 minutes.)
4. Serve warm.  Makes 12 muffins.