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Caramel Pretzel Bites

April 11, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Welcome to this month’s edition of the Lady Behind The Curtain’s Dessert Challenge!

Lady Behind the Curtain Dessert Challenge

The two special ingredients in the spotlight for April are pretzels and caramel.  This turned out to be a pretty easy choice for me since I had a recipe pinned that used both of these tasty items…Caramel Pretzel Bites from La Dolci Vita.  The original recipe makes 50, but I just made 25 bites.

CaramelPretzelBites

25 pretzel nuggets

25 soft caramel pieces

12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips

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Unwrap the caramels and, using a rolling pin, flatten each one into a circular shape. Place a pretzel nugget on the caramel and wrap the caramel around it.

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Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave by heating them on high for 45 seconds.  Stir to start the melting process and then microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring after each to completely melt the chips.  This shouldn’t take more than about a minute and half, if that long.

Dip each caramel/pretzel bite into the chocolate until they are completely coated.  Let the chocolate set and then eat up!

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CaramelPretzelBites

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Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 37 Comments »

Almost Wordless Wednesday

April 10, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

A few more shots from the first Kentucky Green Living Fair held on March 30th:

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Posted in Entertainment, Fun, Gardening, Green/Sustainable Living, Photography, Travel | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment »

Menu Plan Monday

April 8, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Good morning, folks, and welcome to this week’s edition of Menu Plan Monday hosted by I’m An Organizing Junkie.  Sorry I was MIA last week, but we an unexpected life event rear its ugly head.  C’s grandmother passed away and her service was held last Monday. She was blessed with 88 long years, but that is never enough to the people that love her.  She was greatly loved and will be greatly missed.

To say that through our routine into chaos is an understatement. Both C and his mom are both only children so that makes (in my experience) family members extra close to one another.  Everyone is doing well, but please join me in prayer for comfort and strength for our entire family, but especially for C and his mom, J. 

We are finally having some gorgeous spring weather around here so it is time to get outside and enjoy!  With that, I am keeping my menu pretty simple to have more opportunity to get out and soak up the sun.

Salsa sloppy Joes with oven fries

Taco ring with salad

Grilled pork chops with butter roasted potatoes and salad

Cheesy steak sandwiches with oven fries

Cheese stuffed mini meatloaves (new) with potatoes of some kind

Oreo pie (late birthday treat for C)

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , , |

Simple Pasta Soup

April 6, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

I know, I know…another soup recipe, but I have been on a soup kick lately and when one had the words “easy” and “pasta” in it, I just had to try it.  This didn’t disappoint either, but most of Real Mom’s Kitchen’s recipes are great.  I did make a couple of little tweaks to it by using only a half pound of Italian sausage that I had previously cooked and frozen and I used Italian seasoning and a little more pasta than it called for.

SimplePastaSoup

3 cups pasta, cooked & drained

1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage, cooked & drained

½ cup onion, diced

1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced

3 cups beef or vegetable broth

1 cup water

1 cup frozen corn

1 (24 oz.) marinara sauce

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

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In a large pot over medium heat, cook the onion and green pepper until soft.

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Add the remaining ingredients except the cooked pasta and simmer for 15 minutes.  Add the pasta and let it cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. 

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SimplePastaSoup

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , , | 19 Comments »

Thoughtful Thursday-Kentucky Green Living Fair Post 1

April 4, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Yes, you read that right…this is the first post of several about the first annual Kentucky Green Living Fair that C & I attended last Saturday at the Barn At Redgate in Somerset, Kentucky.  Thanks to Jamie at Sustainable Kentucky along with the other sponsors: ClearChannel Media, eat., Good Foods Market & Café, JD Country Milk, Somerset Farmers Market, Story Magazine, Rough Draft Farmstead, Sweetgrass Granola, and Tim Farmer’s Country Kitchen, this was a remarkable first time event that brought together people interested in sustainable and clean living.  We loved it and had a great time! 

Today, I would like to thank those wonderful sponsors above along with others that gave items for the Kentucky Food Bloggers’ gift bags.  I will list them all below with several photos of the goodies.  It was great just to get free tickets by being a member so I was overwhelmed with the contents of the bag.  I also got my first media pass…

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Who knew that being a blogger meant that you were media?  I sure didn’t, but it felt pretty good to wear that little badge.  I am not normally an extroverted person, so it took me a little while to warm up and strike up conversations with the different vendors, but I am so glad I did since all of them were full of personality and information.  I also got to hand out a few blog business cards for the first time.  I just might make a go of this yet!

Without further ado, here are some photos and links of the gifts that were given to us bloggers:

Watermelon mint tea from Rooibee Red Teas:

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A pound of ground beef from Pike Valley Farm Foods:

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I plan on using that beautiful ground beef tonight for hamburgers.  Yum!

Salmon filet from Caught Wild Salmon:

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Boston Brown Bread from Halcomb’s Knob Farm:

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A cute re-usable shopping bag:

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A beautiful hardback book named “the pantry” by Catherine Pond (loved talking to her):

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Another wonderful hardback book: “A Feast For The Eyes” by David Domine:

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Two magazines: eat. and Story:

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Cherry Almond granola from Sweetgrass:

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Moisturizer and soap from Rock Bottom Stables & Soap:

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Honey from Solar Place Farm:

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Organic sheep soap from Windsor Wool Farms and native grass/wildflower seed from Sustainable Kentucky:

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I also got a free baked item from Clementine’s Bake Shop.  Thanks to all of these wonderful vendors and if I left someone off, I apologize, but I have listed as many as I can remember.

We had to give back a little so C & I purchased a few t-shirts along with some delicious cheddar cheese from Heavenly Homestead. You can’t have too many tees, can you?

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Please come on back next week for the next installment of the Kentucky Green Living Fair redux.  I have so many post ideas swirling in my head that it may take a while to get organized.  Can’t wait ‘til next year…March 29, 2014!

Posted in Fun, Green/Sustainable Living, My Thoughts, Travel | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments »

Country Style Pork Loin

March 30, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

As you may can tell from several of the recipes that I post here, I love slow cooker recipes and pork loins are one of my favorites.  This recipe comes from Taste of Home where you can always find something tasty to fix.  I didn’t take the time to make the gravy, but I bet it is delicious as well.

countrystyleporkloin

 

1 boneless pork loin roast (about 2 pounds)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon ground mustard

salt & pepper to taste

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 cups reduced-sodium vegetable broth

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In a zip top bag, combine the flour, onion powder, ground mustard, salt & pepper.  Put the loin in the bag and shake to coat. 

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In a large skillet over medium heat, brown the meat on all sides.  Place in a slow cooker and pour the broth over the pork loin.  Cook on low for 5 to 6 hours or until tender.

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countrystyleporkloin

Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments »

Book Beginnings

March 29, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

It’s Friday so it is time for Book Beginnings over at Rose City Reader.  Hop on over there to check out Ms. Rose City’s book choice and other bloggers’ choices as well.  It is always entertaining.

My first lines are from Philippa Gregory’s “The Kingmaker’s Daughter”:

“My lady mother goes first, a great heiress in her own right, and the wife of the greatest subject in the kingdom.”

Ms. Gregory is successful yet again at letting us in on the inner workings of England’s royal life during the War of the Rose time period.  This book is part of a series that she is writing about the two families involved and they have all been entertaining so far.

Posted in Books | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment »

Menu Plan Monday

March 25, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Is is actually Spring?  I think the calendar may be wrong because it is cold and wet and dreary and, well, you get the picture.  Where’s the sunshine?  There is so much that we want to do outside, but it is just too cool and damp to do any of it yet.  I guess that means more time to cook more comfort food even though our diet won’t like it too well.

This is an odd and short menu week for me.  I have a couple of new weeknight dinner ideas to try, Easter is next Sunday, and we have a couple of nights/days out planned.  This Tuesday is my homemakers/cooking club meeting and I will actually be one of the presenters this time. *Gulp*  I will be making a couple of dairy free ice creams and talking a little about lactose intolerance. Wish me luck…I will probably need it.

Next Saturday, C & I are going to the first Kentucky Green Living Fair in Somerset which is being organized by Sustainable Kentucky.  I am really excited about it and can’t wait to see the booths and a couple of the seminars planned.  After that, I hope we get to drive up to Stanford to the Bluebird Café and then to Lancaster to Marksbury Farms.  It will be a very full day, but we don’t go that direction very often so I want to try to squeeze as much in as possible.

Sunday is Easter, of course, which means celebrating our risen Lord Jesus Christ at church that morning and then eating with both sides of the family at lunch and dinner so I will have multiple dishes to make for that.  Happy Easter to everyone!

Enchilada beef (new)

Pizza night

Taco pork chops (new) with oven fries

Brown sugar honey glazed ham (new)

Cinnamon pecan sweet potatoes (new)

Pineapple upside down cupcakes (new)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , , , |

Deep Dish Pizza Pie

March 23, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Pinterest obviously is now my main source of new recipes to try and, no surprise to anyone, that is where I found this one.  It is supposedly one of quarterback, Tim Tebow’s favorite meals, but that is not why I tried it.  I am always on the look-out for a new way to fix an old dish.  This turned out pretty well, but still not as good as take-out pizza. 

Here is the link to the original recipe from Taste of Home and you will be able to see that I tweaked my version to use the ingredients I had on hand.

Deep Dish Pizza Pie

1 lb. Italian sausage, cooked and drained

1 jar pizza sauce

1 tube refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

2 cup shredded cheese of your choice

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Separate the biscuits and press them into a greased deep dish pie plate to form the crust.  Mix the sausage with the sauce and pour that into the pie dish.  Top with shredded cheese and bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.

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Posted in Cooking | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments »

Menu Plan Monday

March 18, 2013 by pictureperfectcooking

Is it Monday again already?  Time sure does fly whether you are having fun or not, unfortunately.  Well, C & I took time for a little fun and adventure this weekend and it was well-deserved.  C has been a comic book fan from way back and we went to the Lexington Comic & Toy Convention this past Saturday.  It was really fun, but very very crowded.  So crowded, in fact, that is was overwhelming for both of us.  I am not usually an anxious person, but being in the middle of a large moving crowd can set my nerves on edge. 

If we go back next year, at least we will be better prepared on what to expect.  Check back on Thursday because I hope to have some photos featured of the events and people in costume. 

This week looks to be just a normal week for us.  The office that I work in is open one Saturday morning a month so this Saturday is my turn to work.  We will probably being sticking close to home because of that so hopefully I can get some more cleaning done after work.  I hope all of my readers have a great and blessed week!

Bubble up pizza (didn’t get made last week)

Sausage bake

Chili

Ham biscuits with oven fries

Pizza night

Bruschetta meatloaf (new) with potatoes of some kind

Chocolate cream Swiss roll (new-if time permits)

Please join me at I’m An Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

Posted in Menu Planning | Tagged , , | 1 Comment »

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