Kiwi Lime Slush

1 12oz can frozen limeade
2 cups sugar
12 cups water
4 kiwi fruits, sliced and cut into 4's
24oz bottle of sprite
1-2 limes, sliced for granish

Mix limeade, sugar and water. Add kiwi. Freeze overnight (24-30 hours) Let thaw somewhat,when ready to serve. Chop up so it becomes slushy. Add sprite and serve.

Cinnamon Churro Chex Mix

9 cups rice Chex cereal

3 cups cinnamon chips (I found these at Harmons)

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp earth cinnamon

Pour Chex cereal into a bowl. Set aside. Combine sugars and cinnamon in another small bowl. Set aside.

In a microwavable bowl, melt the cinnamon chips. Heat for 1 minute then stir. Heat for an additional 30 seconds. Stir. Continue with additional 30 seconds until completely melted. Pour melted cinnamon chips over the cereal. Stir until cereal is well coated.

Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon sugar mixture. Toss to coat. Pour out the cereal onto a cookie sheet. Continue to sprinkle and toss the cereal with the rest of the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Bacon- Wrapped Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

This recipe comes from the "Our Best Bites" cookbook. It is super "yummy" We even got Cade to eat the Teriyaki chicken, that is saying a TON, since he is the pickiest eater alive. We use the recipe for the Teriyaki sauce to marinade and do regular Teriyaki chicken too. It is YUMMY!

8 ounces bacon (not thick-sliced)
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 (16-ounce) can pineapple chunks (I think fresh pineapple would be AWESOME too)
1 recipe Teriyaki sauce

Teriyaki Sauce
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp cold water

1. Combine all ingredients EXCEPT for the cornstarch and water in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium high heat.
2. While the soy sauce mixture is heating, whisk together cornstarch and cold water. When the soy sauce mixture comes to a full boil, whisk in cornstarch mixture and stir sauce until thickened and clear. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

1. Cut the bacon into 3rds.
2. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces; you'll want roughly as many pieces chicken as you have of bacon.
3. Drain pineapple. Set up a workstation with toothpicks, kabob skewers, chicken, bacon, and pineapple, plus a shallow dish or heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag for marinating the skewers.
4. Wrap a piece of bacon around a piece of chicken and secure with toothpick. If making skewers, thread the meat all the way to the bottom. Top with a chunk of pineapple. Repeat with remaining chicken, bacon, and pineapple.
5. Reserve 1/2 cup of Teriyaki Sauce and pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Marinate for 4-8 hours.
6. If you choose to cook these on the grill, preheat grill to medium-high heat. Place skewers on grill and baste with reserved Teriyaki Sauce. Cook for 7 min, turn, baste, and cook another 7 min.
7. To cook these in the oven, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Cook for 20 min, turning and basting once.

We have cooked these both on the grill and in the oven, I will have to say cooking them on the grill makes them taste sooooo much better in my opinion.

Valentine's Cookies

(peanut butter cup cookies)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
48 mini reese's peanut butter cups OR Hershey's milk chocolate hearts

Preheat oven to 350. Mix first 6 ingredients and then add dry ingredients. Mix well. Spread batter out on a flat surface and cut into 48 little pieces. Grease a mini muffin tin and roll little pieces into balls. Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes. As soon as you take them out of the oven place a chocolate heart or peanut butter cup in each cookie. Let cool for a couple of minutes in the pan.

Lasagna Soup

2 tsp. olive oil

1 1/2 lbs Italian sausage

3 c chopped onions (I just use one whole onion)

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

2 T. tomato paste

1 28 oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

6 c chicken stock

8 oz mafalda or fusili pasta

1/2 c finely chopped fresh basil leaves

salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum: 8 oz ricotta (we used cottage cheese)

1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp salt

pinch of freshly ground pepper

2 c shredded mozzarella cheese

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces and brown for about 5 min. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 min. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 min. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 min. or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 min. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy. Stir in basil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin - melskitchencafe

2lb boneless pork loin roast, trimmed of large fat pockets
1 tsp ground sage
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic, finely minced or crushed
1/2 cup water

Glaze:
1/2 cup brown sugar, light or dark
1 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp soy sauce

In a small bowl, combine the sage, salt, pepper and garlic. ub the spices all over the roast. Place the pork roast in the slow cooker and pour in the 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Near the end of the cooking time for the roast, combine the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and let the mixture simmer, stirring occasionally, until it thickens.
Remove the pork from the slow cooker, shred and place on a platter or plate. Drizzle the glaze over the pork and serve.

Cider Roasted Pork Loin

3 cups water
3 cups apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 bay leaf
2lb boneless pork loin, trimmed
2 cups apple cider
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 tsp chopped fresh sage
1/8 tsp ground black pepper

Combine the fist 6 ingredients in a saucepan; bring to a boil, stirring until salt dissolves. Remove from heat and cool. Pour brine into a ziplock bag and add pork. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
Preheat oven to 350.
Bring 2 cups of cider to a boil in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Cook until cider has thickened and reduced to 1/4 cup (20 mins) Set aside.
Remove pork from bag; discard brine. Place pork on rack of a broiler an coated wit cooking spray. Lightly coat pork with cooking spray. Combine rosemary, sage, and pepper; sprinklw evenly over pork. Bake at 350 for 1 hour basting twice with cider reduction during final 20 mins of cooking. Remove from oven; baste with remaining cider reduction. Let stand for 10 mins before slicing.