Crockpot Apple Cinnamon Stuffed Pork Loin with Herbed Goat cheese Mashers

Fall is approaching and I am drooling over all of my fall cook books, Pinterest fall board, and every single pumpkin candle I can get my hands on. It's hot, I'm over the Texas heat and I am ready for some freakin' 65 degree weather and some pumpkin spice latte's can I get an amen? So, due to my lust for the fall season I decided to get a little jump start and cook up one of my recipes I had been saving for a cool fall evening. The Frankhousers are in town and I thought they would be perfect guinea pigs to try this dinner out on. There were no leftovers :) Also the BEST part about this dinner is that it basically cooks itself!!! People please invest in a crockpot if you have not done so already. It is a time life saver. There is nothing better to me than when I have been running after four year old preschoolers all day to come home to a delicious aroma in my kitchen and knowing that I don't have to lift a finger!! UM wine time:) Here are the ingredients you will need.

Shopping List

Pork Loin 

one apple Sliced thin ( I used a Braeburn because they have a really nice flavor but any apple will do)

one yellow onion

cinamon

honey

apple juice -optional

BBQ sauce-optional

5 large Gold Yukon Potatoes

a log of herbed goat cheese

salt/pep

whipping cream

Butter

Procedure

Take your pork loin and place it on a cutting board. Cut slits and place the apple inside the slits

turn your crock pot setting on low and place the meat inside.

Sprinkle some honey and cinnamon over the pork-I always eyeball so just do what you think is best. Also add about 1/4 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce to the top of the meat. Top with sliced onions and additional apples. The recipe I found this from called for some splashes of apple juice but I just substituted the juice for BBQ sauce because I knew eventually it would break down with the juice of the pork and provide a fabulous ROUX but it is up to you :) Cook for about 4-5 hours and dinner is DONE!

For the Mashed potatoes

Boil your golden Yukon mashed potatoes for about 15-20 minutes or until a fork can pierce easily through. Drain and place potatoes back in pot. Add about half of the goat cheese log, a few splashes of heavy whipping cream, and half a stick of butter. Also add a generous amount of salt and pepper especially if you are using unsalted butter. Get your handy dandy hand mixer out and whip those puppies up! I like to leave them a little bumpy because I like my taters to have some texture but whip away if you must!

Serve pork and mashed potatoes side by side and top with the amazing juice you have in the bottom of your crockpot :)

Garlic Lime Cilantro Chicken

Everyday when I am contemplating what to make for dinner that night my heart almost always screams three ingredients..garlic...cilantro..and spice. I love mexican food... and while this supper isn't exactly a "Mexican" style dinner, it has a TON of flavor and many of the same ingredients that I use in my other southwest/Mexican dinners. We paired our chicken with roasted sweet potato topped with a corn, black bean,and hatch green chile topping for some spiciness but a salad topped with the same ingredients would be just as yummy and a bit healthier!

Shopping List

four boneless skinless chicken breasts-chunked

cilantro

Garlic

Limes-3-zested

olive oil

cumin

cayenne

avocado-optional

two sweet potatoes peeled and cubed

one can black beans

one can corn

one can rotel

one can hatch green chile peppers

monterrey jack cheese

salt/pep

Procedure

Cut your chicken into chunks, then pour some olive oil in the pan and sauté' garlic. Begin to brown the chicken over medium heat. Once the chicken is browned nicely-with that white line starting to creep up the middle- then generously sprinkle with cumin cayenne and salt/pep. Turn the chicken and let it cook another few minutes and add your lime zest. I also added a little more oil at this point. Juice your lime carcasses over the chicken for a little more tang and add your cilantro. 

remove from skillet and serve.

Sweet potato fiesta

cube your sweet potato and toss with olive oil/salt/pepper

cook on a baking sheet at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes. Mean while add your beans, corn, rotel, and chilled to a pot. Add cumin and cayenne and salt and pepper. cook until hot and flavorful. Add cilantro in the pot and cook to add flavor. When potatoes are done you can add the mixture on top with a little monterrey jack.

Crockpot Hawaiian Chicken

I am a huge sucker for crockpots.. especially in the fall when its cold outside. There is just NOTHING better than coming home to a house that smells of amazing fall food thats been cooking on the slow cooker all day. I do enjoy an easy meal in the summer too if I know I have a busy day. This meal is so easy to make it is literally three ingredients!!! Throw it in your crockpot on low and cook for six hours. Easy!

Shopping List

three-four boneless skinless chicken breasts

BBQ sauce

one can of crushed pineapple 

salt/pep

Procedure:

Salt and pepper your chicken and place in pot

pour a generous amount of BBQ sauce over them

and about half a can of crushed pineapple

simmer on low all day!-six hours

UM EASY?!!!!!

*Sidenote* we served our chicken over brown rice however you could totally shred this chicken and place inside of a whole grain tortilla with a little green onion and you have an amazing summer burrito!

    

Graduation Weekend

This weekend felt so surreal. After seven years of tears, wanting to give up, changing schools, switching to be an online student, wanting to give up, and pushing myself to finish. I finally did it. I finished college. I am so proud of the determination that I always kept in order to push through the hardest times. It was even more amazing because my husband..my soulmate was there to see me walk across that stage and accept my diploma. The sound of my entire family cheering me on in the audience was enough to make this whole thing worth it.  So many people have said "Finally Callie, you FINALLY graduated!" Yes I did. I finally graduated..but see instead of looking at the fact that it took me seven years.. I look at the fact that I never gave up.

A few pictures from this weekend

My supportive husband and myself before we walked in

The fabulous creme brûlée that I devoured at our dinner Saturday night at Amerigos

My BFF Lindie and me got to sit right next to each so other and cheer one another on during the ceremony!

FALL...in love

I am READY for fall to arrive... I have been dreaming of fall all week and how excited I am to get out my scarves and boots and whip up some of my favorite fall inspired foods!! I have TONS of new soups, stews, and casseroles that I will feature on the blog this coming fall!!...Think PUMPKIN:) These are some of my FAVORITE things about fall since I am feeling a little fall-inspired today.

FALL INSPIRATIONS



 

 

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte'

Buffalo Dip that I make for football season

all of my 2334245234 scarves :)

boots and skinny jeans :)!

drinking my coffee outside on my patio

the month of October

Our anniversary

Thanksgiving

Soups/Stews/Hearty dishes

constantly using my crockpot

cooking with tons of apples, cinnamon, and pumpkin!

My beloved Circle E fall scents-apple strudel and country morning

Fall décor inside my house

the fact that we are THAT much closer to Christmas...FALALALA

dark nail polish

and finally.. visiting the ranch with our family and friends. The ranch is gorgeous in the fall.

See? :)

 

 

Summer Chicken & Veggie Casserole

Typically when I think of casserole season a cold wintery night comes into my mind. There is nothing easier than making a casserole on Sunday and having it feed an entire family and  having leftovers the next day! This casserole is made with summer veggies and is very light so its a perfect summer dish to enjoy with friends and family. We served ours with a salad but you could totally just eat it by itself!

Shopping List:

One large zuchinni-grated

one squash-grated

two eggs

one cup cottage cheese

two cups cooked chicken

one cup parmesan cheese

two cups cooked brown rice or quinoa

1/2 bell pep diced

1/2 onion diced

1 1/2 cups tomatoes diced

salt/pep

celery salt

basil

Procedure:

mix everything in a large bowl

spread into a 9 by 12 baking dish and flatten out

pour the remaining parm over the top

sprinkle some basil on top

cook covered with foil at 350* for 35 minutes

cook uncovered for 15

DONE!

I couldn't post a picture for some reason but my finished product is found on Instagram!!! @mrsfranky! I also posted a link below!



http://www.pink-parsley.com/2013/08/chicken-summer-vegetable-rice-casserole.html

BBQ Chicken Flatbread-CPK style!!!

I am a pizza lover.. I could literally eat it every single day but then we would have a serious problem on our hands now wouldn't we. I know we all crave the unhealthy junk food at times so why deprive yourself?? How about just alter recipes to make them a little healthier, that way you don't feel deprived yet you don't exactly gorge on a large dominos pepperoni pizza. Brandon and I LOVE LOVE LOVE to stay home on a Saturday night and cook homemade fresh pizzas and then watch a movie together. It is literally the best date in my book so I have come up with ways to mix and match the plain ole' peperoni pizza. This is the BBQ version:

 

 

Shopping List:

 

Whole Wheat flatbread-whatever brand you would like

1 cup of two different types of BBQ sauce

low fat part skim Mexican blend cheese

cilantro

two cups of cooked chicken

chilli powder

garlic powder

salt/pepper

carmalized onions.

 

Procedure:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees

pour half of one bbq sauce in the one cup and the other half and mix it..

pour all over flat bread

then top with Mexican blend cheese

then top with caramelized onions( you don't have to caramelize them it just tastes a little better in my opinon!)

top with chicken

sprinkle the cilantro

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes

 

 

You have got yourself a full blow California Pizza Kitchen styled flatbread pizza.
PERFECT for date night at home:)