Porn Potatoes?

Crispy Italian Potatoes

aka Porn Potatoes???

Baked with fresh garlic, parmesan, italian seasoning and olive oil. Healthy alternative to fries.

 So many alternatives for this recipe...Kid friendly, gluten-free, healthier than fries, quick and easy!

The note with "porn, corn, and oven baked potatoes." Let me explain!

As you see above, I'm a list maker. I'm a visual person, have made lists as long as I can remember and they usually resemble something like the one above. The lists give me a mental prep for the next day. And even though I'm pretty sure I would still get my kids fed and their lunches made, I like the reminder...it's reassurance for a tired mama. One less thing I have to think about before my head hits the pillow. 

Now, this particular note has an interesting story behind it. I'll start at the beginning, because the beginning is always a good place to start. I've been watching a lot of "Sex and the City" re-runs. It just happened the Friday before Halloween. I was waiting downstairs for my daughter to be picked up to go to a friend's house and I was too tired to do anything. The channel just happened to be on "E" and there were Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha. After one episode turned into 5, I remembered how great this show is and the time in my life it invoked. Given that I write my notes right before I go upstairs to bed (I magnet them to the stove top so they are eye level...everything is up there...drives my husband CRAZY) I'm already half asleep. And on this night, probably because of my recent obsession with S and the C, my mind was altered and instead of writing "pork, corn and oven baked potatoes, I wrote, "porn, corn and oven baked potatoes." The even funnier thing, to me, is that I awoke that night in the wee hours and came down for a snack. I just happened to see my list and chuckled...however, I quickly edited it because my high school son would have had a field day with that Freudian slip..whew.

So, after my long-winded spiel, that's how Crispy Italian Potatoes also became known as Porn Potatoes!

Would you like the recipe, now?

What You Need (enough for 4)

2 regular potatoes, medium size

italian seasoning

minced garlic, fresh

parmesan cheese

olive oil

garlic salt

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 350. Wash, dry and slice potatoes between 1/4 to 1/8 inch thickness. Add a few dashes of italian seasoning (roughly 2 T); a few dashes of garlic salt (roughly 1/2 t); 1/2 t of minced garlic and roughly 3 T olive oil to a mixing bowl. Stir together until blended. Add potatoes and coat well. Spread out potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until most are getting golden. Shake vigorously parmesan cheese over potatoes and cook for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. 

Serve with porn (ha, ha ha). No seriously, makes a wonderful side. I served with bbq pork and corn but next time I will serve with a marinara chicken. The potatoes are a nice alternative to pasta.

Let's Connect

1. First, this recipe was inspired by my dear childhood friend Stephanie Parker and her fabulous blog, Plain Chicken. I adapted her recipe for Easy Oven Roasted Potatoes. You can find her recipe here http://www.plainchicken.com/2010/04/easy-oven-roasted-potatoes.html
2. Secondly, I want to know how you liked these and how you made them. Please SHARE with friends and visit me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
3. You can also follow me on Google+ under "Monica Resa"

Until next time...keep on keepin' on

BreakDin

Peppered Potatoes with Steak, Cheese, & Egg

aka BreakDin

Homestyle potatoes with pepper mix, topped with cheddar, NY Strip and Egg. Protein Packed and Delicious.

This recipe came about as most of mine do...from my experimental, creative mind. The thing is, I had bought a pack of Simply Potatoes' Steakhouse Seasoned Diced Potatoes (green bag) in the refrigerated section of the local store. I will sometimes buy this brand's mashed potatoes when I'm too busy or lazy to make ones from scratch..but I wanted to try something a bit healthier, so I grabbed the diced. I get tired of the same thing over and over.

Soooo easy. Literally took under 20 minutes for a gluten-free, low-carb and protein packed breakfast for dinner. Hence the name, 'BreakDin.' Kids enjoyed it too, sans steak for one and egg for the other.

Serve with toast if you want more of a breakfast flare or with salad for more of a dinner taste. Easy, simple, and yummy!

What You Need

1 bag Simply Potatoes Steakhouse Seasoned Diced Potatoes
1/2 bag frozen mixed peppers with onion (or use fresh)
Thin cut steak (normally, wouldn't use a cut like NY Strip in this kind of dish, but all I had)
Cheddar cheese, sliced
Eggs (scrambled, over-easy, sunny-side up)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Olive oil

How To Prepare

Saute peppers and onion in olive oil until mostly cooked through. Add potatoes and cook according to instructions on bag. Slice cheese. Sear steak on both sides until done to your liking. Remove steak and cook egg to your liking. Layer so the cheese melts onto the potatoes. (Told you it was easy!)

That's it! The potatoes definitely were enough for four people to have a good size portion, larger than in the photo above.

Let's Connect

Please connect with me on Google + by clicking to 'Follow' the blog or 'Like' my blog's FB page at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Let me know how you liked it or twists you made to the recipe!

Until next time...

Gluten free Perfect Pumpkin Bread

conquering Pinterest, my oven and indolence

Moist, perfect amount of flavor and sweetness. Totally satisfied my craving. It's a keeper!

You can see the moistness glistening on the top of the bread, can't you? Yes, this recipe DID.NOT.DISAPPOINT!

If you've been following the blog, I've had a hankering for pumpkin bread, muffin, cake, something...just something for my hungry gluten-free-preferred stomach...for the past month. But you know my Achilles heel is baking, more specifically finding a recipe that isn't too difficult, lengthy, time-consuming or basically hard!

Luck was on my side yesterday. I was exhausted and hungry...not a great combination. I had yet to make anything from Pinterest. There is a season for everything, isn't there? Yes, I conquered Pinterest, my oven, and indolence. AMEN!

This recipe is adapted from Sweetphi. I basically halved her recipe and omitted the chocolate chips. #menolikeychocolateandpumpkin

I will definitely make this again (even my kids liked it and they don't do gluten-free). Next time, I will add walnuts and golden raisins for more chunkiness and possibly reduce the white sugar and add more pumpkin. I think this would also be awesome with dried cranberries and apples..yum!

If you're a skilled baker, you probably know how to substitute ingredients. PLEASE HELP A SISTER OUT AND LEAVE COMMENTS ON WHAT YOU DID...I like to learn!

What You Need  (Makes enough for 8x8 dish)

1 1/2 cups Gluten-free baking mix (I used Maple Grove Farms brand)
1 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
3/4 t cinnamon
1 t pumpkin pie spice

4 eggs
1/2 can pumpkin puree
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 t vanilla extract
Crisco

How To Prepare

Preheat oven to 350. Lightly grease an 8 by 8 pan with Crisco. In bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix on medium for one minute. And pumpkin and oil and mix again. Lastly, add the dry ingredients and mix until everything is combined and mix is smooth.

Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until toothpick, inserted in center, comes out clean. Let cool and serve with butter or by itself.

Perfect for breakfast, snack or dessert. 

Yep, that's the lollipop stick hole. Didn't have toothpicks. Smells heavenly while cooking.

Tip:

Cover the pan with foil while it's still hot and the bread will get moist on top.

Let's Connect

Please visit me on Google + and 'Like' the blog on FB at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Check out Sweetphi on Pinterest. This recipe was adapted from her "The best pumpkin loaf ever (gluten free and better than Starbucks"

Hope you enjoy! Let me know...

Halloween Rant

Boo!

Yep! And I prefer the pumpkin to the jack-o-lantern, don't you?

When I checked my FB feed this morning, it was saturated with many of my FB friends in costume with their littler ones OR photos of their Dorothy's, Batman's and dinosaurs in parades and at school lunches and church gatherings.

Can I just say, "I AM SO HAPPY I AM DONE WITH ALL OF THAT!" and not sound like a witch? 

I mean, I'm beyond thrilled. No sugar cookie bats and cats I have to decorate for a second grade class; no Halloween parade I have to attend to take photos of my kids and their friends; no pumpkins I have to carve; no walking through the neighborhood with kids helping them not trip and lose their stashes; no answering the door, even.

Yep, that's right...and I might not even put the ubiquitous bowl out for trick or treaters that says, "Take One," while I secretly watch shows on the DVR with lights out and curtains closed.

This year my seventh grader has made her costume at a friends and will be traipsing her way around that neighborhood and my high schooler will probably "hang" at a friend's house or crouch in his gaming chair and play video games all night.

It would be the PERFECT opportunity to go out to dinner with my husband...or stay in my pajamas and hide!

However, for me, I am done, finished, kaput and I don't feel bad about it AT ALL!

If you're here with me, enjoy! And if you're not, don't worry, you'll be here soon enough. In the meantime, absorb the moment because the excitability and enthusiasm a child feels at Halloween is priceless...like one big sugar rush. 

Boo!

Until next time...

Let's connect on Google + or on FB at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

 



What's for Dinner?

BBQ Pulled Pork

crock-pot, gluten-free, easy 1.2.3

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with lettuce and avocado

I spent $9.00 for a bone in pork shoulder last week and decided to get out the ever-faithful crock-pot. After 4-6 hours, I ended up with a subtly sweet and tender barbecue. This is NOT too spicy; but I like to eat my barbecue with something cooling anyway, like avocado or homemade slaw. This gave us plenty of meat for leftovers and two distinct meals. WINNER in cost, flavor, and efficiency! Hope you give it a try.

What You Need

Bone in pork shoulder

McCormick Slow Cookers BBQ Pulled Pork Gluten-Free seasoning packet

Vinegar

Sugar

Ketchup

How To Prepare

Place pork in slow cooker. Turn dial to high for a cook time of 4 hours OR low for a cook time of 6 hours. NOTE:  I tried both ways and found that the pork was much more tender when cooked on low. The McCormick seasoning packet will ask you to mix the seasoning with ketchup, brown sugar (I used white sugar one time and honey the other because I didn't have brown) and vinegar (I used apple cider). Mix the ingredients and pour over pork. 

Let cook! THE SMELL IS SO INVITING.

Meat is done when it gently separates. Eat right away and serve on a sandwich or with sides.

TIPS: 1. Don't cut off most of the fat before cooking because the meat will end up on the dry side.
2. If you want to reduce the amount of fat, pour sauce and meat into a container and place in the refrigerator over night. The next day, skim off the top layer. Enjoy!

Finished product in crock-pot

Great recipe with multiple options to please your family. 

Connect with Me

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Please let me hear from you!

Drink Your Pumpkin?

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

packed full of protein, fiber, essential fatty acids, vitamin A...

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie for Fall Fitness

On FB last week, an acquaintance posted this pic and recipe. It seemed perfect for the blog. Now, I haven't tried it but I trust this gal enough to figure she's got good taste. She's also incredibly fit, even though she's the mom to four kiddos, and so I can guarantee she cares about what she puts in her body. Let's give it a try together!

What You Need

1 1/2 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 cup canned organic pumpkin
1 T ground flax seed
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 t nutmeg
1/2 t minced ginger
3 dates
plain green yogurt (optional)

Tips for Making

The recipe above is what is shown in the photo. Here are a few thoughts I have on the recipe. If you don't have cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger separately; substitute 1/2 t pumpkin pie spice, and if you need to add more to suit your taste, then do. The dates are to add sweetness and the yogurt is for added protein. As with anything, adjust to your taste. If you don't find this sweet enough, use sweetened almond milk, instead of unsweetened; use vanilla yogurt, instead of plain; add more dates; or add a banana or raw honey.

It's time to drink in fall!

Thanks to the Jeffers clan for this recipe. Nicole, besides making nutritious, delicious recipes for us to try, sells Rodan and Fields skincare products. You can visit her at www.njeffers.myrandf.com

Let's Connect

I'm looking forward to creating a board on Pinterest. In the meantime, please "Like" my FB page at https://www.facebook.com/monicawritesblogspot?ref=aymt_homepage_panel and continue to share the blog. I really appreciate your support!

Until next time...

Falls off the Bone

No Joke Crock-Pot Roasted Chicken

forget Rotisserie...

This chicken falls off the bone. Who knew you could cook chicken in the crock pot like this?

Greek philosopher, Plato, is famously quoted as saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention," and boy is he right. I had this half chicken in the fridge, preparing to oven roast it for dinner when work called and I had to change plans QUICKLY. I visited Pinterest, to which I am a newbie, and searched for "roasting chickens in crock pot" and, of course, more than I could mentally digest, appeared before my eyes. After reading a few pins, the gist seemed to be the same. So I took the plunge and Voila!...SUCH AN EASY WAY TO HAVE ROTISSERIE CHICKEN. For some reason, I'm still always shocked when things turn out better than I imagined or even work at all. Because in all seriousness, life can be pretty darn disappointing at times; so when even the simplest thing works, it's like "Hallelujah!"

What You Need:

1/2 or a whole chicken

Herb ox chicken bouillon powder

Oil of choice

Chicken on top of foil with oil and seasoning

How To Prepare:

In order to cook this correctly, you want the chicken lifted off of the bottom of the pot. Some people add layers of vegetables or add a rack. I loosely balled up pieces of foil and placed the chicken on top. If you have a whole chicken, remember to remove the innards. Drizzle oil over chicken, approximately 1 tablespoon for half a chicken. Sprinkle whatever herbs and seasonings you'd like. I used bouillon powder (MSG and Gluten-free) and it added a savory and subtle taste. Cook on low for 3 1/2 to 4 hours or until chicken is done and easily pulls away from bone. If you use a whole chicken, expect time to be doubled.

Serve with your favorite sides. We had yeast rolls and pasta and vegetables in a garlic/butter sauce courtesy of Birdseye foods!

This recipe allows you to end up with rotisserie quality chicken and be gone all day. It also allows you to know exactly what's on your chicken...important for people with food allergies or sensitivities.

And whatever you do, don't throw away the juice. Serve it over the chicken; use as the base for gravy; or add it to your next soup endeavor.

Let me know what you think. It's NO JOKE! This recipe is a keeper.

Let's Connect...

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