Epic Fail

"Five little pumpkins sitting on a gate, first one says "Oh my, it's getting late"  

The BK and I don't have any children, at home, but that doesn't mean we don't like to carve a mean pumpkin...So we drive all over the county to find the best pumpkins we can. The BK decides, maybe, we should roast some pumpkin seeds. I'm not a huge fan, but I find a couple recipes on Pinterest. Mmmmmmm...Cinnamon Glazed Pumpkin Seeds sound uh~maz~zuh~ing! 

On a cold, rainy, fall Tuesday, we begin the carving process. And I begin the roasting process:

Step 1:

After digging the guts out of old Jack, place the seeds in a bowl of hot water. This makes it easier to get all the stringy guck off your seeds...

Step 2: 

Spread your seeds on a baking sheet and allow to dry overnight.

Step 3: 

Transfer your seeds to a mixing bowl...coat with 1 tbs of olive oil and add 3 tsp cinnamon and 1/4 cup of sweetener, combine well. *Note: the original poster used Truvia Baking Blend, but I chose to use Sugar in the Raw. 

Step 4:

Spread seeds, evenly, on baking sheet and bake in a 310 degree oven for 30 minutes. Spread seeds around, and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

(I will admit a gigantic screw up...I read 3 tbsp on cinnamon instead of tsp! So I added a bit more olive oil and sugar. )

This was an epic fail. Epic. Fail. Oh, the cinnamon and sugar glaze tasted delicious...the seeds, however, had the texture of cardboard. I did a little digging around...it seems like the oven should've been set at 300 degrees and the seeds stirred more often. 

If you want to try this recipe, for yourself, you can find the original recipe here...
Maybe your attempt will be a success!!

                                 

MANIC MONDAY

"when i say you're a pork chop, you best believe you're a pork chop..."

FLASHBACK yesterday
it's a typical sunday in the bird's nest. football. facebook. pinterest. lazy, lazy sunday. i decide it's the perfect time to test another recipe i find on pinterest.





EASY OVEN~BBQ PORK CHOPS

ingredients:

6 pork chops, ¾ to 1 inch thick
1 med onion, halved and thinly sliced
¼ c vinegar
¾ c water
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs worcestshire
½ c ketchup
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp salt





preheat oven to 350〫.  place chops in a 9X13 baking dish.  top with sliced onions. mix remaining ingredients in medium bowl and pour over chops. bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

SUCCESS!!!

^with fresh corn and gralic mashed potatoes made with purple potatoes^

FLASH FORWARD today
it's monday. dinner is always boring on mondays. so throw these puppies in the oven and read a book for an hour. or, better yet, scroll thru pinterest and try your favorite recipes to see if they're a pinterest success or an epic fail!

TASTY TUESDAY

you guys!! i came home from work, sunday, and the bk had cooked dinner. it was fabulous and i just had to share!!

HAWAIIAN CROCKPOT CHICKEN

ingredients:

4 boneless chicken breasts (original recipe called for 12 drumsticks)
1 c ketchup
1 c packed dark brown sugar
½ c soy sauce
1 tbs grated fresh ginger (or ¼ tbs ground, because who has fresh ginger just laying around)
a splash of sesame seed oil

cover chicken with sauce and cook, on high, for about 2 hours. shred chicken with a fork and return to crockpot. cook an additional 2~3 hours. (you can shred chicken before serving, he just preferred it to simmer in sauce a bit).

we served over jasmine rice with a side of sauteed vegetables. you could, also, serve on hawaiian bread as sliders.

happy crockpotting!!!

not so MANIC MONDAY

repeat :)
"a little less conversation a little more action baby..."
FLASHBACK july 2009
one of the first things i notice about jamie, he has an amazing tattoo of elvis on his right ankle. yep. he's an elvis fan. i am a closet elvis fan. i watch his movies when no one is looking. i have a cd with all of his greats. i only listen to it when no one is in the car with me.
FLASH FORWARD today
i am no longer a closet fan. i love elvis. i sing along with jamie every time he comes on the radio (which can happen a lot with sirius xm). not too long ago we watched "clambake"...an elvis great as long as he wasn't singing about "goop". okay. i admit it. sometimes his movies made him look like a dork. but we all know he was the coolest person in the history of ever. even my beloved beatles thought so.
saturday marked the beginning of elvis week. so from today thru the 17th, take some time to unleash your inner hound dog. HAIL TO THE KING BABY!!

                   

TASTY TUESDAY

"girl you thought he was a man but he was a muffin...he hung around till you found
that he didn't know nuthin'..."
FLASHBACK may 2013
the bk and i join a farm co~op. why? because we love farm fresh veggies...AND veggies at the grocery are ridiculously expensive...AND because we can't really have a garden in an upstairs apartment. this is a great way to support your local farmers and enjoy garden veggies without the work.

FLASH FORWARD july 2013
finally, zucchini is in!! my favorite veggie! you can grill it...sauté it...fry it...and, best of all, bake it! so i set out to bake my, first ever, zucchini bread. the bk shredded the zucchini because, evidently, sharp objects are dangerous...and i was off and running. wait? what? we don't have a loaf pan? i'm not sure how that happened but i had to improvise. zucchini muffins it is!!

CARDINAL'S ZUCCHINI BREAD PAULA DEEN STYLE
ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water
2 cups grated zucchini
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

directions:

preheat oven to 350 degrees F. in a large bowl, combine flour, salt, nutmeg, baking soda, cinnamon and sugar. in a separate bowl, combine oil, eggs, water, zucchini and lemon juice. mix wet ingredients into dry, add nuts and fold in. bake in 2 standard loaf pans, sprayed with nonstick spray, for 1 hour, or until a tester comes out clean. alternately, bake in 5 mini loaf pans for about 45 minutes.

*this recipe made 24 medium~sized muffins. just bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

**try not to mix ingredients while talking on the phone. it might cause you to use tablespoons of cinnamon and nutmeg, instead of teaspoons. however, this is a DELICIOUS mistake!!

happy baking!!!

WHAT UP WEDNESDAY

"i’m waiting for the dinner bell to do the bell thing...dinner bell dinner bell ring"
we're all super busy, and nobody feels like cooking. but who can afford to eat out every night? no one. so, how do we cook a good meal with little, or no, effort. get out the trusty crock pot. it's not just for pot roasts and stews. try this delicious chicken recipe:

ITALIAN CHICKEN AND POTATOES

ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
5 potatoes (scrubbed, not peeled)
garlic salt
pepper
rosemary
1/2 italian dressing
shredded parmesan

place chicken breasts in crock pot. season, to taste, with dry seasonings. cover with 1/4 cup of the italian dressing (i used newman's own family recipe italian). sprinkle with shredded parmesan, to taste. cut potatoes in thick chunks and place on top of chicken. season, to taste, with dry seasonings. cover with remaining italian dressing. and sprinkle with shredded parmesan. cook, on low, for 6.5 hours. serves 4.

^the finished product was demolished before i got home to take a pic :)^

enjoy!!