Monday, April 29, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Peking Pork Chops

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Are you feeling a little bit adventurous today? Looking for something with a new twist? I think this week's recipe might be just the thing you're looking for.

Peking Pork Chops:

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon 5 Spice Powder
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
4 cloves garlic, chopped

Directions: 

Place chops into the crockpot. In a small bowl, combine sugar, spices, soy sauce, ketchup, and garlic. Pour evenly over the top of chops.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Serve with rice and veggies; ladle sauce on top. 

Nice and easy, but oh so yummy!







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Monday, April 22, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Sweet Mustard Roast

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I really do love this time of year when everything is blooming and my allergy meds are working overtime. After so many months of grey skies and cold, it's such a welcome change. What does this have to do with Sweet Mustard Roast? Not a thing except that when you're out enjoying the kids' spring sports, this is really nice to come home to.

Sweet Mustard Roast:

Ingredients:
3 pounds pork roast
1/3 cup molasses
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 Tablespoons white vinegar

Directions: 

Place meat into crockpot. Top with molasses, Dijon mustard, and vinegar. Add in the garlic powder. Using tongs, flip the meat over a few times to coat it nicely with the sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or on high for about 4.






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Monday, April 15, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Pineapple Pork Tenderloin

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Does April scream pork to you? It does to me and I really don't know why. I have been noticing that I'm sneaking more summer like ingredients in with it though. Don't worry, I am in zero hurry for the heat and humidity of summer! I just like fruit.

Pineapple Pork Tenderloin:

Ingredients:
3 pound pork tenderloin
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 orange bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
16 ounces frozen pineapple

Directions: 

Combine meat, sugar, spices, and cornstarch in a plastic zipper bag. Seal and shake well to coat. Pour contents of bag into crockpot. Add garlic and peppers. Pour in soy sauce, apple juice, and an entire bag of frozen pineapple.

Cover and cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6.








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Wednesday, April 10, 2019

Wordsmith Wednesday: Bestselling Author Secrets

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For the past couple of weeks, I've been working my way through a video series hosted by Sara Connell. The tag line? Increase Your Income & Change the World With Your Story ...Did it follow through on the promise? Let me break it down for you.

The Good:
There were a wide variety of speakers from all different areas of writing. Each day, at the same time, there was an email in my inbox introducing the video of the day with a link. I appreciated the fact that I wasn't bombarded with 10 different videos each day with only 2 days to watch them. Life is busy and I don't have the time to watch videos full time.

The Bad:
Only about half of the videos were really worth watching for me. Quite a few of them were little more than a glorified infomercial for whoever was being interviewed. I don't need things laid out for me down to the tiniest step by step detail, but if you're promising me that your interviews will increase my income and help me to change the world, I need a bit more than to hear someone was the first person in their niche back in 1996.  That ship has sailed.  The hostess also repeatedly promised links to the various speakers' books, websites, etc and not once did she provide those links. I checked each speaker's video page as well as the main page and individual emails. They weren't there.

The Summary:
I don't know if Sara will repeat this series in the future. As of right now, this series is now only available if you want to purchase it for $47.99. Is it worth it? If you're the type of person who can glean the true gems from a presentation, it might be. I got quite a bit out of listening to Russell Nohelty, Jackie Kotei and Eric Easter. A lot of the others gave the same reminders that we hear a lot of the time: "Build your audience." "Build your platform." "Never give up."  While these can be great reminders, I'm not sure they're worth the financial investment. Since I'm on Sara's mailing list now, I'll check out any future programs that she offers and let you know what I think.



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Monday, April 8, 2019

Crockpot Monday: Orange-Apricot Pork Chops

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Yay! April! Spring is trying really hard to be here and I am so, so glad. I'm not as thrilled that I've already managed to acquire a sunburn but if it means not freezing, I'll slap on the aloe and keep on going. Speaking of going...how about I go ahead and give you this week's recipe?

Orange-Apricot Pork Chops:

Ingredients:
6 pork chops
1 cup apricot jam
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 (11-ounce) can mandarin oranges (and juice!)

Directions: 

Use a 4-6 quart crockpot. Put pork chops into your crockpot. In a small bowl, combine jam, brown sugar, and spices. Spoon over pork chops. Add the entire can of mandarin oranges evenly over the top.

Cover and cook on low for about 8 hours, or on high for about 4.

Serve with rice to soak up the yummy juice.




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Monday, April 1, 2019

Crockpot Monday : Crab Dip

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Holy cow, it's April! Time for the weather to be warmer, but just in case it isn't, how about a yummy snack that you can enjoy while curled up with a good book? You know what, this would make an awesome party treat or potluck addition! There's never a bad time for a good crab dip.

Crab Dip:

Ingredients:
1 pound crab meat
3 packages (8oz each) cream cheese
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (or you can use 1/2 cup jarred salsa)
1 can chilies and tomatoes, drained (or Rotel)
1/2 cup milk
2 lemons (optional)

Directions: 

Sort through the crab and make sure that there aren't any shells.

Cube the cream cheese and put it into your crockpot. Plug it in and turn to high to begin melting the cream cheese. Add the buffalo wing sauce (or salsa), milk, and the drained can of tomatoes with chilies. Add the crab, stirring carefully.

Cover and cook on low for 2-3 hours, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes, or on high for no more than 2 hours, stirring often.

Serve with your favorite crackers, cubed bread, or celery sticks.






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