Pork Tenderloin Thursday!!!

The hubs and I have a couple that we absolutely LOVE. Hanes and Olivia are the sweetest people on the planet! One night we were at their house for dinner and she made this SCRUMPCIOUS pork tenderloin. I make it often and I thought I would share!



1 original pork tenderloin (typically in two halves), rinsed and patted dry
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. thyme
2 tbsp. rosemary
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 small can of mushrooms (slices and pieces), drained

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a 9x13" casserole dish place both halves of the tenderloin. Add soy sauce, Worcestershire, balsamic vinegar, mushrooms and spices. Cover the casserole dish with aluminum foil. Bake on 300 for 3 hours or until tender. Once tender remove from oven and slice into portions. I let each side soak in the juices for 2 minutes before serving.

This dish goes extremely well with my mashed potatoes. Ladies, it's one of those dishes that guys will think you are the best cook in the world and will have them eating out of the palm of your hand, literally! :)

Chicken Tetrazzini Wednesday

This is a super easy recipe that kids are sure to love! Even picky kids love this dish, as well as Todd's buddies!

1/2 box of spaghetti
1 pkg. chicken breasts
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
2/3 cup of milk
salt and pepper to taste
1 pkg. shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup italian style breadcrumbs

Cook spaghetti to al dente, drain and set aside. Bring chicken to a boil. When cooked through, let cool, then shred into bite sized pieces. Preheat oven to 350. Move cooked spaghetti to a large bowl, add chicken, soups, milk, salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to a 9x13" casserole dish. Cover with foil and bake on 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Uncover add cheese on top and bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Remove from oven and turn oven to broil. Top tetrazzini with bread crumbs and broil for 3-5 minutes or until crumbs are golden brown.

My personal favorite is to serve this dish with early peas and garlic bread. Enjoy!

I fell in love!!!

One of my favorite blogarella's posted this tonight and I thought it was awesome!! Naughty Betty (www.naughtybettyinc.com) has the most awesome cynical stuff you will ever read! Ladies, take heed, these need to be a part of every Girl's Night Out from here on out!











These would make great gift bag items, party conversation pieces or party decor! I can't wait to get some and throw a party!! Stay tuned for a Girls Night Out entry!!!

Tortilla Soup Tuesday!!!

This is not an original recipe of mine, but thanks to some family members (Patrick and Julie) it's been one that many family and friends have enjoyed! And the major bonus, it's so easy a caveman could do it! :)



1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 can original Rotel
1 pkg. (3-4 count) chicken breasts, boiled and shredded
1 packet chili seasoning
2 tbsp. garlic powder
shredded cheese, sour cream and tortillas

Boil chicken breasts until cooked through, let cool, then shred. In a medium size stock pot mix together: soups, chicken broth, Rotel, chili seasoning, garlic powder and chicken. Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until hot. Dip soup into a serving bowl, top with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and tear a tortilla into bite sized pieces and mix.

This recipe has become a great hit at Fight Night and other family gatherings. It can also be easily increased to accommodate more people! Happy fiesta!

It's Recipe Week!!!

All this week you will get a backstage pass into my kitchen and the recipes that have made my cooking oh so famous! I really meant to start yesterday so you are going to get lucky and get 2 recipes today!!

By request, is my Spinach Artichoke Dip from the 4th of July festivities!



2 pkgs. frozen creamed spinach, thawed
1 can artichoke hearts, quartered, drained
1 small carton heavy whipping cream
1 pkg. shredded parmesan cheese
1 pkg. shredded monterey jack cheese
1 pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
garlic powder to taste
tortilla chips for dipping

Add all ingredients (less chips) in a crock pot and heat thoroughly. Serve with chips and enjoy!

My famous Mashed Potatoes!!!



1 small bag petite red potatoes, washed (20-25 potatoes)
1 stick of butter
1 heaping serving spoon full of sour cream
1 pkg. shredded parmesan cheese (about 1 cup, the bag is kinda small- not the spaghetti kind)
3 tbsp. whipping cream
salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Bring the potatoes to a boil and cook through. Once potatoes are tender, remove from stove and drain. Once drained, transfer to a bowl you can mix them in. Before mixing add the stick of butter to melt over the potatoes. Once mostly melted, you can use a hand mixer to mash the potatoes. Once mashed, add the sour cream and whipping cream. Mix until creamy adding more whipping cream as needed. When creamy, add cheese by folding in with a large spoon. Then add in salt, pepper, and whipping cream and stir. Serve immediately!

Helpful hints: If you do not have whipping cream, you can use extra sour cream.

I usually just wing it and do my potatoes to taste. You can also reduce this but I ALWAYS put all the cheese in it, afterall, everything is better with lots of cheese right!?

Whoooooo's having a baby???

I think that the owl theme for a baby shower is just the cutest! I'm going to show some of my favorite ideas for the "Whooooooo's having a baby?" baby shower.





These invites are so cute!



These drink stirrers are made out of bamboo skewers and the owl punch that Martha Stewart has on her website. She has a whole line of punches that would be great for cupcake toppers or tags!



These owls by twigandthistle.com are so cute!



Owl kits by www.fabricrehab.co.uk/blog/page/2/ aren't they precious!?





The cake is precious and the cookies make a good item as a favor or even as decor on a dessert buffet!



I thought these little owl dishes were the cutest thing from www.weddingthings.com they are $3.50 and would make cute decorative items on a table.



Another idea I think is super cute is the request to give books for the baby instead of cards. This will help grow the child's collection of books and create a keepsake for the baby for many years to come.

Another thing that would be good for an owl party, like the bird party to do the "wishing/blessing tree" with cut out owls to hang on it.

Bake it Pretty also has an owl candy mold to make chocolate suckers with for a dessert table. They are a hoot! hahaha!

From drab to FAB!!!

I found some items at the Dollar Tree and turned them into a fabulous party hosting frenzy! The items I found were nickel-plated serving trays in two different sizes and crystal candlesticks.


I bought some Krylon Spray Primer and sprayed both sides of each item.


Once the primer is dry you can paint each item the desired color of your choosing.


After the items are dry, assemble them using E-6000 glue. It will need 24-48 hours to completely dry.


Viola! Instant beauty to display items for a party!