Brown Sugar

I just realized that every recipe I have posted on my blog shares one ingredient. Brown sugar. None of these recipes are for dessert either. Appearently any excuse to add sugar to my dinner makes it a GREAT RECIPE worth posting.

I actually have been wanting to share yet another recipe for dinner. I just tried it last week and everyone loved it . Guess what! It has brown sugar in it too. It is a meatloaf recipe that has brown sugar in the sauce. It wasn't the one on " The Hip Homemaker" because I didn't have all the ingredients. It looks to me that with all my picking on Sam, I am the one who can't get enough of the good stuff.

Two Step Chicken Recipe. YUMMY!

Last night we tried this recipe for the first time and it was very good. I found it on the back of a Pace Pincante sauce jar. It was as easy to throw together as a crockpot dinner but took only 20 minutes to cook. My family and I really liked it. The chicken was tasty and tender, and there was yummy sauce to pour over the rice. We put it in our family cookbook already because we don't want to forget it.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Pace® Picante Sauce (Medium)
3 Tablespoons packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon dijon-style mustard
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups hot cooked rice


Directions
Mix picante sauce, sugar, and mustard. Place chicken in a 2-quart shallow baking dish. Pour picante sauce mixture over chicken.
Bake at 400°F. for 20 minutes or until chicken is done. Serve with rice. Serves 4.

Vote: Donuts for Moms

Around this time of year my kids school has two early morning events. One is "Donuts with Dads", and then the next month "Muffins with Moms". I think these are great activities. You bring your parent and a book and you read together. Free food too! I have one complaint though. I like donuts better than muffins. I think it is unfair that just because donuts start with 'D' like 'Dads' he gets the donut and I am stuck with half of a muffin (yeah they cut them in half to add to the insult). I like muffins and the ones they have are the yummy Costco ones, but I can genrally justify a muffin in my regular diet. Donuts on the other hand are more decadent andI need an excuse to justify having them. "Donuts with Damn Good Moms" would be a great excuse to have a donut!

"Cafe Rio" Style Pork

If you like the sweet pork at "Cafe Rio" here is a recipe you can't miss. It is so easy and so yummy. Andrea Brown (Tim's co-worker at UVSC) can be thanked for this recipe, at least for sharing it with us. Thanks Andrea we love it!

Sweet Pork
1 Cup Salsa (Pace is good, not a fresh salsa)
1 Cup packed brown sugar
1 3-5 lb Pork Tenderloin

Place ingredients in a greased crock pot for 8-10 hours on low (to shred I find it best on medium low) Shred pork and leave lid off for about 15 min to let juice thicken. Use meat to make burritos (and freeze for future use)

"Chinese" Food

Last night, as I waited in the car for my kids to finish piano class, I read an article in Readers Digest (yes I read it, and I love it) about "Chinese" food ("The Fortune Cookie Chronicles", by Jennifer 8. Lee. Nope that isn't a typo. It really is supposed to be an 8 according to RD) Amonng other things I got from it was a craving for Chinese food.

I suggested (demanded) that we eat at the chinese buffet for dinner. At first Tim was all for it..then as we got closer he started acting less enthused which put the weight of the decision on me completely. He remembered that eating out on a weeknight, (the same week as Valentines so we will prbably eat out again) and eating buffet style are both behaviors that aren't getting us closer to our goals (of staying in our budget and eating healthier.) I didn't fold though, I chose to ignore our goals.

The article brings up the fact that American Chinese food is very unlike real Chinese food. I think I knew that. It also said that Fortune Cookies are an American invention. I knew that too. The most interesting thing I learned from the article was what the "P.F." in "P.F.Changs" stood for: "Paul Fleming, the creator of Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar and founding visionary of Chang's restaurant chain." I had to chuckle. Here I thought they were abreviating it becaue it was too hard for us Americans to pronounce. Takes some of the culture away from it doesn't it?

Anyways, there is a good Chinese buffet in North Orem on State street if anyone is interested. It has a Mongolian Barbeque to boot. It was worth the money and the guilt buffet.

A Recipe I Can't Keep to Myself!

Last night we had a yummy dinner. It was quite simple to make and VERY tasty. Of course I love all the ingredients so when I saw the recipe combining them all I craved it and wanted to make it. It did not disapoint!

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potato and Sausage

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½ to 3/4 –inch cubes
3 tbsp butter or margarine
1 lb smoked sausage, cut into ½ inch pieces
1 medium onion, halved crosswise and cut into thin wedges
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
¼ Maple Syrup
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg (optional)
1/8 to ¼ tsp ground red pepper or cayenne


1. Bring 1 inch water and ½ tsp salt to boiling in Dutch oven or large saucepan. Add potatoes; return to boiling. Cover and cook over medium heat 3-5 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender, Drain well.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and apple. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Stir in maple syrup, brown sugar, salt, nutmeg, if desired, and red pepper, mixing well.
3. Stir in sweet potatoes, stirring to coat. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until lightly glazed.

Prep time: 17 mins Cook time 12 mins Serves: 14