Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread

Once again I found another GREAT recipe on Pinterest!
This one is from the blog: Plain Chicken.

It got RAVE reviews from all the family! And better yet it was EASY! Really EASY! 

Ingredients:
1 unsliced round loaf sourdough bread

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
1-2 Tbsp milk

Directions: 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To make Vanilla Honey Butter: Whip butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar together until smooth; stir in honey and vanilla.  Set aside. (You can use regular butter if desired)

Cut the bread lengthwise into 1/2" slices, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread vanilla honey butter in between slices.  Rotate the bread 90 degrees and slice the bread again into 1/2" pieces, without cutting through the bottom crust. Spread more vanilla honey butter in between new cuts. This doesn't need to be perfect - just make sure there is lots of butter in between all the cuts. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Generously sprinkle in between all cuts.

Wrap in foil; place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until bread is warm.  Unwrap cinnamon bread and place on serving platter.  Combine powdered sugar and milk - adding milk until you get the consistency desired.  Drizzle icing over bread and serve immediately.

We had some company Saturday morning when I made this and put it on the coffee table to eat he said, "that looks like a blooming onion!"  That is certainly what it will remind you of...fun to eat too...The only problem is it's so easy to keep plucking off little, yummy bites of the bread!  Try this and you will not be disappointed!

Spiced Pork Chops with Apple Chutney

This recipe is FANTASTIC...I mean really, really GOOD!  The flavors just say Fall and of course the apples and cranberries go so good with the pork.  Try it!

Ingredients:

Chutney:

• 1 tablespoon butter 
• 5 cups (1/4-inch) cubed peeled apple (about 3 apples - I like Granny Smith)
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries 
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar 
• 3 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons minced peeled fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon salt 
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice  

Pork:

• 3/4 teaspoon ground chipotle chile pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 
• 4 (4-ounce) boneless center-cut pork loin chops
• Cooking spray $\

Directions:

• To prepare chutney, melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apple; sauté 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cranberries and the next 6 ingredients (through allspice); bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until apples are tender; stir occasionally.
• 2. To prepare pork, while chutney simmers, heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Combine chipotle and next 4 ingredients (through black pepper); sprinkle over pork. Coat grill pan with cooking spray. Add pork to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with chutney.

This is restaurant quality...I mean NICE restaurant quality!  Hope you like it! 

Serving at the Ronald McDonald House

The Ronald McDonald House is dear to my heart.  They provide a 'home away from home' for families who have children that are either in the hospital or visiting the hospital for an appointment.  They provide all this for a nominal fee (just a few dollars) to the families.  You have no idea how comforting it is for families who have sick children to know they can depend on the comfort and security of a Ronald McDonald House.  Our family has stayed at the Ronald McDonald House in Montreal, Quebec - Canada and at the Ronald McDonald House at Loyola in Chicago, Illinois.  We have spent only dollars to stay at these wonderful houses and better yet most of the time we have been there meals have been provided to our families (and other families staying there) by volunteers!  So it just made sense when I was looking for a volunteer opportunity for Emma and her friends I chose our local Ronald McDonald House that serves Central Kentucky.  We planned a menu and asked some friends to come with us...we had a great time and I hope the guests there had a good meal too!

Our menu included:  

Chicken Pot Pie
Fabulous Green Beans tossed with Italian breadcrumbs
Rolls
Mini Pumpkin Pies
Mini Derby Pies
Lemonade

Here are some photos (none of which include my daughter because she didn't want her photo taken - ah...teenagers!)

 

I want to thank our wonderful friends for coming out to help us do such a nice thing.

Please consider serving at your local Ronald McDonald House - you never know when someone you love may need this wonderful charity too!

Baked Egg Rolls

I was in the mood to make Asian food one night recently.  I have made egg rolls before and this recipe is especially YUMMY! I found it on this blog called For the Love of Cooking.  You should try these but allow yourself a little bit of time...there's some prep work involved - but they are perfect to make on the weekend and the recipe makes quite a few so they are great for a dinner party or leftovers!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound ground turkey cooked 
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups of savoy cabbage, chopped
• 2 cups of shredded carrots
• 2 cups of bean sprouts
• 1 can of water chestnuts, chopped
• 2 tbsp green onions, sliced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/4 cup water
• 14 - 18 egg roll wraps
• Sweet chili dipping sauce or sweet and sour sauce (for dipping) 

Directions: 

Cook the ground turkey over medium heat until cooked thoroughly and chopped fine; remove from pan.  Now heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once hot add the cabbage, sprouts, carrots, chestnuts and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 4-5 minutes, until the vegetables just begin to wilt but still remain a little bit crisp. Mix the corn starch with the water and mix thoroughly. Add the corn starch mixture and soy sauce to the pan along with the green onions. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and let cool.

Now place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled mixture on the center of the egg roll wrapper. Fold the bottom up over the filling. Next, fold the two sides over, making it look like an envelope, then roll it up.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Place the rolled up egg rolls on a baking sheet. Once you have rolled them all, spray the top of each egg roll with cooking spray. Place in the oven and bake for 8-10 minutes then turn them over. Bake for an additional 5-7 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce or sweet and sour sauce. Enjoy.

These are really wonderful and you can omit the turkey to make them vegetarian or get creative and add other ingredients...possibilities are endless with this recipe! 

Chicken Tamale Casserole

This recipe I have been making for a few years now and it is a family favorite.  Better yet, it's really easy and inexpensive too.  I found this recipe on Cooking Light's website - which is one of my favorite places to visit for new meal ideas.  

Ingredients:

• 2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Mexican blend cheese or cheddar. - divided
• 1/3 cup fat-free milk 
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn
• 1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
• 1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles, drained
• Cooking spray 
• 1 (10-ounce) can red enchilada sauce 
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast 
• Sour Cream for serving. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine corn bread mix, milk, 1/2 cup cheese, egg, cream corn, chilies, cumin and red pepper until well combined.  Pour into 9x13 pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray and bake until set, about 15 minutes.  

Remove cornbread from oven and poke holes all over using a fork.  Now open the can of enchilada sauce and pour all over the cornbread. 

Now spread your cooked, shredded chicken on top.  Then layer with remaining cheese and bake for another 15 minutes or until cheese melts. 

 Here is the finished product - SO EASY!

Serve with sour cream on the side - DELICIOUS!