Easy Chicken & Dumplings
When I think of homestyle cooking, I usually think of some sort of chicken, carrot and pea dish. Either chicken noodle soup, chicken pot pies or, in this case, chicken and dumplings. You can really use whichever combination of vegetables and meat you want for a recipe like this. I chose these specific ones because I was moving out of my house and needed to use up the things in my fridge.
Spicy Adobo Shrimp Cocktail
This spring I worked at Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage for a few months before heading to Africa. After being in restaurants for so long, this job seemed unbearably slow at times. In order to pass the time, I would read through all of the cooking magazines at the registers for recipe ideas; probably not what I was supposed to be doing in my down time, but nobody ever said anything. Over these few months I accumulated a giant stack of torn out magazine pages and recipe notes. I am still trying to work my way through them without adding too much to the stack.
Spicy Cheddar Pecan Dip
I know the title of this post may sound like a handful, but the recipe is actually really simple. My mom recently had a little get together for all of the women she used to work at IBM with. Lucky for me I was crashing at her house this night, which meant all the Sangria and appetizers I could ask for in exchange for playing with an adorable three-month year old puppy all night (rough I know).
Throwback Thursday: Cinnamon Sugar Muffins
Since I began blogging, less than a year ago, I have been following a blog called EFC Cooking on Tumblr. It is a great blog for East, Fast and Cheap recipes for any occasion. This past fall I stumbled across this recipe on the EFC blog.
These muffins are so simple, but so addicting. They are really just plain muffins dipped in butter and cinnamon sugar, but what could be better than butter and cinnamon sugar?! These are a quick way to become everybody’s new best friend at a party or hang out.
South Africa Pt. 1: Cooking With Kids & Pizza Bread Recipe
The main reason for my trip to Cape Town was to volunteer in a surf/swim outreach program with underprivileged kids from the local townships. In the mornings, we taught computer classes at a local school. Then, in the afternoons, we taught the kids how to swim so that they can eventually go to the beach and learn to surf with future volunteers. On our days off we got surf lessons and had time to site-see.
365 Days of Slow Cooking Guest Post: Cafe Rio Pork
Today I would like to share with you a great slow cooker recipe, courtesy of Karen over at 365 Days of Slow Cooking. Being a snowboarder, I love slow cooker recipes. I can just put everything in the pot, then head out for the hill for the day. Karen’s site has tons of delicious slow cooker recipes for those who could always use a bit more time. She also has her own cookbook as well! With that said, I would like to welcome Karen!
-Jenny
Spiced Pork & Chickpea Stew
Soups and stews are great for an easy, worry-free dinner. All you need to do is combine the ingredients and let the pot work its magic. If you have other things to do, or don’t feel like slaving over your stove, I highly recommend making a soup or stew. Me being the spice lover that I am, I like to go buck wild when making mine. You would have to add a LOT of spices to mess up… When in doubt always give it an extra shake. It is also important to taste along the way with soups and stews as well though, just in case the flavor needs to be adjusted. I usually try to wait until the end before adding any salt.
This stew is healthy and delicious. If you were a fan of my Italian Sausage and Tortellini Soup, I suggest making this one as well. Many pork stew recipes use hominy, but I opted for using chickpeas because they are packing with nutrients and are much healthier than a corn based product. If you like your stew spicier, add a bit of cayenne pepper to this recipe. This is great serves with a toasted loaf of French bread.
Balsamic Glazed Carrots
Do you ever get that feeling where all you want to do for dinner is grill a steak and microwave a potato? Sometimes simple is better, but you don’t have to sacrifice flavor! This recipe is a simple way to add a little extra flavor for those days when your motivation is lacking. It is quick, easy and healthy!
Broiled Lemon & Garlic Shrimp
I love shrimp, but I feel like it is hard to find new recipes for shrimp so I am usually stuck making the same recipes over and over again. I liked this recipe because it was a bit different, even though it was just another lemon shrimp recipe. Broiling the shrimp gave it a different texture and kept the lemon and garlic flavor really strong. This recipe is quick and easy with great results, definitely one to try.
