Joe's Pork Roast (Weight Watchers Plus 6 points)

This is a favorite of my family's and has become my BFF's husband Joe's favorite too, hence the name. lol  It is super easy to make and I always have the stuff on hand to throw it in my favorite form of cooking, the Crockpot.  It comes in at 6 Points per serving for Weight Watcher Plus!

Joe's Pork Roast
2 lb. Pork Roast
2 Gr. Pepper
1 Onion
1/4 c. Brown Sugar
3 T. Corn Starch
1 can Pineapple Chunks (20 oz.)
1/4 c. Cider Vinegar
1/4 c. Water
1 T. Soy Sauce
1/4 t. Black Pepper
1/4 t. Ground Ginger
1 t. Minced Garlic

Thinly slice onions and green peppers and divide.  Mix all other ingredients except for pineapple and pork tenderloin.  Add half of the onion/ green pepper mix to the bottom of the Crockpot, then add the pork tenderloin, add the remaining onion/green pepper mix to the top of the meat.  Pour the liquid mix on top.  Set Crockpot on low and cook 7-9 hours until done.  1 hour before serving add pineapple chunks to the Crockpot.  Serve  over rice or noodles.  8 Servings

Marinaded Sirloins (Weight Watchers PointsPlus Values Included)

Here is my go to recipe when we are going to grill steaks and I'm feeling super duper lazy.  I have scallions in the freezer I just pull out when I need them and use either dried minced garlic or garlic in a bottle.  Heck I will admit I even just use bottled lemon juice if I have it on hand, which is always unless we are drinking beer that NEEDS a lemon wedge, lol.  I've let these bad boys marinate over 24 hours before and I must say the longer they sit the better they do taste.

Marinated Sirloins
1/4 c. Worcestershire Sauce
2 T. Lemon Juice
2 T. Olive Oil
3 T. Scallions (or any onion you have on hand for that matter, it's just want I use)
3/4 t.  Salt
1 t. Minced Garlic
1/2 t. Black Pepper
32 oz (8, 4 oz.) Lean Trimmed Sirloin Beef

Marinate sirloins 2-24 hours.  Grill, broil, bake, or fry, however you like to cook your meat.  We prefer to grill so that is how I have had these, so I can't tell you how they will turn out other ways.  Tonight I am going to reduce the marinade and see how it turns out.  Serves 8

For those doing Weight Watchers PointsPlus the value it 4 per serving.  (Not too bad!)

Things I've Learned From My Second Born Toddler Girl

1. There are 24 useful hours of the day. Naps are not necessary, they are just a time to screw around in your room, make a big mess, find all those unforgotten thing you weren't suppose to have, and practice your trampoline skills on your bed. Bedtime is a time to practice new songs, reading in the dark, taking jammies on and off and on and off and on and off, trying new techniques to piss off your sister, and scheming new and exciting adventures for the next day. Oh and in case you didn't know, morning do start before the sun comes up!

2. The swimming pool will make you prune up like a raisin and a meltdown will ensue when it's time to be done. While the bath time will almost always be a recreation of the scene from the Wizard of Oz where the wicked witch is turned to dust when water is poured on her.

3. Each hand does need a full hand full of soap to have clean hands when washing hands. If the sink is not completely full of bubbles then toddler hands are not fully clean.

4. Panties are not just panties. There are sister panties: those that look like big sister's panties, sissy panties: those that used to be big sister's panties, Jessie Bulls-eye panties: panties that have Jessie and Bulls-eye from Toy Story on them, and then all the other 400 pairs of panties that are completely useless and unwearable for some unknown to human kind reason.

5. "I am a boy" in a very very convincing voice. All the while carrying a purse full of lipstick, necklace, phone, and baby items and wearing a tutu, tiara, and high heals, oh and pushing a baby in a stroller up and down the hallway.

6. How to order the porn channel from the new remote control to the satellite when we cant even figure out how to change the damn channel. An some people brag their kids can count to a million, read, write, and do brain surgery by toddlerhood.

7. Knowing why a toilet has an "S" shape to it and while being thankful it does, cussing because it does. In case you didn't know Target prescription bottles and Bic Soleil razors will not flush. They get caught nicely in the middle of that "S" and can't be pulled out unless the toilet is pulled up. But for the inquiring minds little panties flush very nicely. (Whole other girl drama story)

8. Knowing how to pull up a toilet, cleaning out objects from above #7's "S" shape and replacing the toilet in record time. We now keep bees wax rings under the bathroom sink. (FYI I used Lowe's webpage as my guide for doing this the first few times)

9. Deep breaths are always healthy. I figured out why I learned Lamaze breathing, while it was completely worthless for me in her child birth, it has come in quite handy in her toddlerhood.

10. Laughing, lots and lots and lots of laughing. Some days I'm laughing with her, some days I'm laughing at her, and some days I'm just laughing so I don't send her to grandma's house for a long vacation.

In case your wondering things I didn't learn from my first born daughter?? All of the above.

Eating Habits of the Famous to This Mom Can't Cook

So I've been reading a lot lately how the stars eating habits. All I can think is "wow, their reality must be amazing!", "Are their kids not begging bite, bite, bite, mommy??", "How the hell can they find the time to fit that many meals in?" In my reality their eating daily habits make me just giggle, well...no..laugh out loud. Hearing the famous say "for breakfast I have an english muffin, 2 egg whites, blah blah blah, then for a morning snack....lunch I have....then afternoon I have...for dinner I have lean meat or fish and steamed veggies...and then I splurge on....(something completely healthy)". So it really got me thinking of what my typical day looks like.

Keep in mind it is January, meaning cootie season for those with young and school age kids. Cooties, a toddler and a diva princess 6 year old, and just life in general and my reality looks a little like this: Kids are up at 5:45 a.m., why you ask? Because there is still 45 minutes to sleep before the alarm goes off and we just need to be up and at 'em. Time to battle the kindergartener for the next hour and half. First over a shower, it's too cold...then too hot even though the temperature hasn't' changed one bit. Next she doesn't want her hair a pony tail and wants a head band. Who knew since she has only been wearing head bands for the last 3 months. Now onto breakfast, with all the choices she chooses "NOTHING" in her snotty 6 year old voice but decides dry cereal is fine. I'm longingly looking at my Keurig for a cup of coffee to magically appear, but I turn it on as I grab her milk out of the fridge. My two year out swoops in and screams for lemonade, which we don't have nor would I let her have at this time of morning and decides on string cheese and go-gurt, whatever. After getting my 6 year old fed, it's the battle of shoes, hat, and coat which actually went quite smoothly today but on most days is a disaster in it's self because you have to "be cool" so if we can't find the Angry Bird hat it's total melt down. Finally we have her off to the bus and I can start, not drink, but start my cup of coffee. My toddler has just been hanging out enjoying her cheese and go-gurt and bitching about "I no like the news". I just have been ignoring her requests for the ever irritating Spongebob or Max and Ruby. My husband returns from taking our 6 year old from the bus and my toddler proceeds to talk him into gingerbread marshmellows and lemonaide for more breakfast! I quickly shoot that idea down. Finally she goes to her room and gets involved in her Mickey and Mini dolls and I can enjoy a few sips of coffee and by now it's 8:15. After starting laundry, loading the dishwasher, and all those other little morning things mom's do it's 9:30 and I am giving my toddler her second breakfast and starting mine. I think about those breakfasts I've been reading about "hmmmmm" I say. Well here is what my breakfast looks like: 2 eggs over easy (the yokes nice and extra runny so my toddler say "grosssss I no want none"), and English muffin with homemade jam that I made (nothing organic), and slamming down the rest of my cold coffee. As for a morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, and even snack...well....I have kids, a husband, and well life gets in my way sometimes. That breakfast is often all of those for me, dammit I need my egg yokes sometimes. Then it's off to do the daily things like making lunch, naptime which is my favorite time of day. During naptime I get house work done, do my business work, and those kind of things. Then it's off to pick up the 6 year old from the bus. By then she is crabby and tired from school and picking fights with her sister, yeah! Snack time for both of them and when I'm lucky they will play good together until dinner. If not, I referee while making dinner and doing odd things that need to be done. You know, a mother work, is never done. lol By dinner, if I do take time to eat dinner, I need something a little more than lean meat and 4 pieces of broccoli as my energy supply as been completely depleted by a raging toddler and a diva princess 6 year old. I like to think we will all sit down as a family and eat dinner each and every night but it doesn't always happen with our schedule. So the girls usually eat much earlier since my husband works later hours. While I will sit with them I don't always get the chance to eat as I'm cutting up food, serving food, doing the kid thing. It just happen, no biggie, just the way things are. And well, if I do treat myself to an evening snack after the girls go to bed it's usually a cocktail as a reward for just making it through the day.

Homemade Bread Crumbs

Today I made a new batch of bread crumbs. I love the smell and taste of these bread crumbs, they are so much better than store bought and cheaper. I use these in meat loaf and meat balls! Like always, I probably don't follow the "rules" of cooking but this is how I make them.

Bread Crumbs
4 c. bread (I just use one 1lb loaf of whatever bread is on sale or in my freezer)
1 t. garlic powder
1 t. onion powder
1 t. Italian Herbs
1 t. Parsley
1/2 t. Pepper
1 t. Salt

Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees. Put all bread in a food processor and make it crumbly. If I have pulled the bread out of the freezer, I just put the frozen bread in it. I never think ahead to have it sit out and defrost. Pour on a cookie sheet or two and bake in 15 minute intervals, stirring and turning them, until the crumbs are dry. Place all bread crumbs and rest of the ingredients in the food processor and blend. Store in an air tight container after the bread crumbs are cooled.

Canned Fruit Wheat Bread ~ Bread Machine Recipe

Today at my local grocery store they had the "10 for $10" sale going on! Included was canned fruit. I thought to myself, "I wonder if I could use this for quick bread?" So I bought up a few cans of a variety of different kinds and off to my kitchen I went. I pulled out my trusty basic quick bread recipe and went to work.

I chose apricots as my first victim. I threw the whole can, juice and all in the food processor to make a slightly chunky puree. After that I put together the below recipe. I really prefer wheat flour so I always use a little white and then more wheat. Why I do it this way....I have no idea. I just always use both but more wheat than white flour. I also mix my batter up in a bowl until just after adding the flour. It's lumpy looking and then I put it in my bread maker and then add the baking soda and baking powder. I know you are thinking "WTH?" I got nothing on this one, lol, it's just how I do it. This recipe makes a 2lb. plus loaf so I always have to add an extra 30 minutes or so to my baking time. I have the option on my bread machine to add just baking time. Since apricots is the only fruit I've tried so far, the batter/dough may need more or less flour depending on fruit.

Canned Fruit Wheat Bread:
1 (15 1/4 oz) can of any variety/brand of fruit (I used apricots)
2 eggs (Large is what I used, I think)
3/4 c. oil (I used veggie, it's what I had on hand)
1 t. Vanilla
1 c. Sugar
1/2 t. Salt
1 c. White Flour
2 1/2 c. Wheat Flour
1 t. Baking Powder
1 t. Baking Soda
1 t. Cinnamon (optional)

Put in bread maker in order (wet to dry) and set the bread maker on the Quick Bread Setting. May need to be baked an additional 30 or so minutes after the Quick Bread Setting is complete.

Catalina Cranberry Crock Pot Chicken

Well here goes my very first posting. I get my inspirations from recipes from cookbooks, magazines, websites, friends/family, and anywhere else I can get recipes. I almost always have to tweak them to meet the pickiness of my husband.

My crock pot, my BFF! You will find lots of crock pot recipes from me as this is my favorite way to cook. My stove seems to be my worst enemy. I use my over more for crafts than to actually make food!

In this recipe I use the bagged boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can usually get them inexpensively and a 6lb. bag will give my family two meals since there is usually 8 breasts per bag. As for the dressing I use whatever is on sale and I have a coupon for. I keep onion soup mix on had at all times. It's so versatile and simple to add extra flavor to recipes. Cranberries have become my families newest favorite love. I used the store brand in this recipe and we couldn't tell the difference. I also found I like to dice up the chicken when it's done and mix it with the rice and sauce to make a unique chicken and rice combo.

CATALINA CHICKEN
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 C. Catalina salad dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
1 handful dried cranberries
Enough rice or your choice of noodles for your family

Place chicken breasts in the crock pot. I put them in frozen because I'm never on the ball and remember to thaw them out. Mix dressing and onion soup mix together and pour over chicken. Drizzle a handful of dried cranberries over the top of the chicken and salad dressing mix. Set crock pot on low and cook for 4-6 hours, until chicken is done.

Prepare rice or noodles according to package. Use the sauce from the chicken to pour over rice or noodles.