Pepper Crusted Porkloin

And finally the Main Course! Pepper Crusted Porkloin!....We were SO full by this time...we honestly only had a few bites and saved the rest for leftovers haha.

Tyler loved this!....It wasn't my favorite, but it was good!....To me the seasoning was too strong, but Tyler loves things salty and seasoned.

PEPPER CRUSTED PORK LOIN:

*Pork Loin
*3 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
*1 Tablespoon Buttermilk
*2 teaspoons Thyme
*2 teaspoons Pepper
*1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 Cups fresh bread crumbs

In a small bowl mix the mustard, buttermilk, thyme, pepper, and salt and spread over the Pork loin

Crumble bread in a food processer and press onto the meat. Place pork in a shallow roasting pan. Cover and bake at 425 for 15 min. Uncover and bake 40 min longer. We had to bake probably an extra 30 min.

Before the oven! I forgot to take a pic of the finished product! :(

Recipe found in Taste of Home Cookbook pg. 160

You can find the rest of the courses to my meal lastnight here:

TWICE BAKED POTATOES: http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.com/2013/08/twice-baked-potatoes.html

CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS: http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.com/2013/08/crab-stuffed-mushrooms.html

HOMEMADE GARLIC BUTTER BREADSTICKS: http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.com/2013/08/homemade-garlic-butter-breadsticks.html

HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING: http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.com/2013/08/homemade-salad-dressing.html

Twice Baked Potatoes

These are also a Favorite of mine!! My hubby really enjoyed them as well!! Twice Baked Potatoes! My mom used to cook these alot when we were younger and i just LOVE them!! yummy! All good things combined into one dish!

I cooked this as our side lastnight! (By this time we were both pretty full! And we still have the main course coming! :)

TWICE BAKED POTATO:

*2 large baking potatoes
*1/4 Cup chopped Onion
*1/4 Cup butter
*1/4 Cup Milk
*1/4 Cup Sour Cream (You can't taste it in these...just makes the potatoes more creamy!)
*Salt and Pepper
1 Cup shredded cheese
*Paprika

Wash potatoes and poke holes all over with a fork.

Bake at 400 degrees for 1hr 20min. Remove and cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides and place into a large bowl, mash.

Saute onion in a skillet and add to potato bowl. Add milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and cheese. Mix together with a mixer. Spoon mixture back into potato shells.

Sprinkle tops with a little bit of cheese and Paprika. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes until heated through.

You can stuff these ahead of time and refridgerate or freeze. Then just reheat in oven when ready to serve.

This recipe was found in my Taste of Home Cookbook pg. 402.

Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

For our Appetizer lastnight...I cooked up some Crab Stuffed Mushrooms! I used to make these all the time when I lived by myself...I think I got the recipe for my mom? These are my FAVORITE! I was a little nervous to cook them for Tyler because he always tells me he doesn't like mushrooms, but guess what?!.........

He REALLLLLYYY liked these!! He said they have great flavor, which they definitely do!! yumm

CRAB STUFFED MUSHROOMS:

*1 lb large Mushrooms
*1/4 Cup Celery
*2 Tablespoons Onion
*2 Tablespoons Red Pepper
*1/2 lb Crab Meat
*2 Cups Oyster Crackers
* 6 slices White American Cheese
*1/2 Cup water
*1/2 Cup Shredded cheddar
*1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
*1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
*1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
*1 Egg

Was your mushrooms and pop out the stems. They pull out SUPER easy. Place the stems into a bowl. And place the Mushrooms into a buttered baking dish

Chop up about 1/2 to 3/4 of the mushroom stems And add to a large bowl.

Chop up celery, onion and red pepper and Saute in 2 Tablespoons of butter for 2 minutes.

Add sauted veggies to the bowl with the mushroom stems. Chop up the Crab Meat and add. Then Add rest of ingredients to bowl EXCEPT the White American Cheese slices.

Spoon about 1 teaspoon of the mixture into each mushroom cap. Then place the Cheese slices on top of the Mushrooms.

Bake at 350 for 15  minutes...or until heated through and cheese is melted!

**This recipe is pretty lenient you can add more or less of each ingredient. Also this recipe makes a ton of the "Stuffing!" So..you can either buy more mushrooms to fill OR put the rest of the Stuffing into a baggie and freeze for next time :)


Just look at these photos!!

Mushroom Caps in baking dish

Mushroom stems 

Chop up the Stems and place in bowl

I used Imitation Crab Meat...found in freezer section by the fish.

Chop up the crab

Add all ingredients to bowl

Fill mushroom cups with a teaspoon of the stuffing

Cover with White American Cheese and bake!

Ready to Chow down!

Homemade Garlic Butter Breadsticks

With our delicious Salad and Homemade dressing (find recipe here: http://krystinaskitchen89.blogspot.com/2013/08/homemade-salad-dressing.html)

I served homemade, fresh out of the oven Garlic Butter Breadsticks! Tyler ate these right up!! They were nice and soft, garlicy and delicious. Definitely a winner!!

GARLIC BUTTER BREADSTICKS:
*1 1/2 Cups Warm Water
*1 packet of Active Dry Yeast OR 2 1/4 teaspoons
*2 Tablespoons Sugar
*4 1/4 Cups flour
*1 Tablespoon Salt


GARLIC BUTTER:
*1 Stick Butter
*2 teaspoons garlic powder
*1 teaspoon Salt

In a large bowl, add water and sugar, then add yeast. Cover bowl and let sit for 10 min, until yeast is dissolved.

In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add to yeast mixture. Melt butter and drizzle into mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until well combined, then knead with hands until a smooth dough forms. Grease a cookie sheet. Pull off small pieces from dough and form breadsticks, place on cookie sheet. Cover and let rise 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400. Bake breadsticks for 7 minutes. Melt butter and add garlic powder and salt. Remove breadsticks and brush on 1/2 of the butter mixture.

Bake breadsticks for 8 more minutes, remove and brush with remaining butter.

**This recipe makes a TON of dough! So I put the left over dough in the freezer and will make again soon!

Fresh, Homemade bread! Nothing better

Homemade Salad Dressing

Hey!

Yesterday I had the idea to cook a Big, Fabulous meal for my hard-working, wonderful love of my life!    Alot of the food I cooked was new recipes so Tyler was really a trooper! But it turned out Amazing!

I cooked so much new food that I decided to split each "course" into its own Post. So....The first course was a Salad with a Copy Cat Olive Garden-Homemade Dressing! yummy! :)

I REALLY enjoyed the dressing...Tyler said it was pretty "vinegary" (if thats a word!) And he didn't like that it was runny.

HOMEMADE SALAD DRESSING:

• *1/2 cup mayonnaise
• *1/3 cup white vinegar
• *1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• *2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• *2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• *2 tablespoons grated Romano cheese
• *1/4 teaspoon garlic salt, or 1 garlic clove, minced
• *1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
• *1/2 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
• *1 tablespoon lemon juice
• *1 teaspoon Sugar (more if needed to help even out the tanginess)

Blend everything together and chill in fridge before serving! Super easy! 

Mixed everything together in a medium sized bowl.

Pour over a delicious Salad!

I found this recipe at: http://www.copykat.com/2009/03/29/olive-garden-salad-dressing/

Fresh Summer Squash

Hey everyone!! I'm baaaaaack :)!

We are getting all settled into our new town and our new house! And I'm back to cookin' again! It feels great :)

We love being back closer to home for many reasons...but ONE reason is for all the fresh garden vegetables we are getting from family and friends!! YUM! My plan is to start our own garden this coming year..I"m VERY excited!

Anyways....we got some Garden Summer Squash this week and I have NEVER tried it, let alone cooked it...can you believe it?! SO I looked on Pinterest for some recipes and I tried 2 :). The first one I tried was Baked. The second one was Sauteed. They were both pretty good! Tyler didn't care for the Baked version. But i LOVED them Sauteed....LOTS of flavoring!!

Here they are!

Baked Summer Squash:

*3lbs squash (I used 2 squash)

*1/2 Cup Butter

*1/2 Cup Onion

*2 eggs, lightly beaten

*1 Tablespoon Sugar

*1 Teaspoon Salt

*1/2 teaspoon pepper

*1 Cup fresh bread crumbs

1- Slice the squash and boil until tender. (About 15 minutes) Drain, and mash.

2-Preheat oven to 375

3- Combine mashed squash, 1/2 of the butter, onion, eggs, sugar, salt and pepper. Place into a casserole dish.

4-Put 2 slices bread into a Food processor. Mix with rest of butter using a fork and sprinkle on top of the squash mixture. Bake 45 minutes.

Slice the squash

Mix the squash mixture

Crumble bread crumbs in food processor

Mash the squash

Sprinkle the bread crumbs on top

......And its ready to eat! 

SECOND RECIPE:

Saute Summer Squash:

*1/4 Cup onion

*1 Garlic Clove

*Squash (any amount)

*1/2 teaspoon Oregano

*Salt and Pepper

1-Drizzle Olive Oil in a large skillet.

2-Add Onion and sauté for about 3 minutes.

3-Add squash and cook 8 minutes.

4-Add garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Stir together!

5-We didn't have any cheese :( But if you do add some on top! yummy!!

All ready to eat!

The oregano really added a TON of flavor! Give it a try!

Enjoy your week everyone!