FYI....

I will be leaving for the holidays and be back after the new year. Hopefully after all the stress of the holidays is over I can get back to crafting a little more. Have a wonderful Christmas and an exciting New Year!

Italian Breaded Pork Chops

Ingredients:

4-5 boneless pork chops

1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup parsley

2 eggs

2 Tablespoons milk

olive oil

seasoning salt

garlic powder

Directions:

1. In a shallow dish whip eggs and milk together. In a second shallow bowl, mix bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, and parsley.

2. Season each pork chop (both sides) with seasoning salt and garlic powder.

3. Dip each pork chop in egg mixture then generously coat with bread crumb mixture.

4. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Cook pork chops till breading becomes golden (approx. 5 minutes for each side).

5. Place pork chops in a baking dish and cook for 25 minutes at 325 degrees.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 lb. ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 lb. lean ground beef OR Italian sausage
2 26oz. jars spaghetti sauce (I prefer Prego Meat Sauce, it tends to be thicker)
6 slices Provolone cheese
1 1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups Mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, to cover
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, brown ground beef OR Italian sausage with onion. Drain fat. Add spaghetti sauce to skillet and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. While meat mixture is simmering, boil noodles until al dente. Drain.
3. Layer as follows in a 9x13 pan:
1/2 ziti noodles, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 meat sauce mixture, remaining ziti noodles, Mozzarella cheese, remaining meat sauce mixture, and cover with Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spinach Parmesan Garlic Toast-
I highly recommend trying this! I bought a loaf of Spinach Parmesan bread from Alpine Bread Co. and added my garlic butter spread (recipe in Garlic Chicken Alfredo post) and cooked it under the broiler for a few minutes- Yummo!

Crock Pot Sloppy Joes

Ingredients:

1 large bell pepper, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2.5-3 lbs. lean ground beef

1 1/4 cup ketchup

5 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

4 Tablespoons packed brown sugar

3 Tablespoons white wine vinegar

3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 teaspoons chili powder

hamburger buns

Directions:

1. Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until meat is browned and crumbly and onion is translucent. Drain fat.

2. Combine ketchup, bell pepper, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, white wine vinegar, mustard, and chili powder in the crock pot. Stir in beef mixture.

3. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

4. Spoon onto hamburger buns and serve.

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 1/2 cups sliced celery

1 onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon minced garlic

salt to taste

2 16oz. cans tomatoes, petite diced

3 tomato cans water (48oz.)

2 large carrots, sliced

2 8oz. cans tomato sauce

3 Tablespoons beef bouillon

1 Tablespoon dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon ground basil

1 teaspoon oregano leaves

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 15oz. can garbanzo beans

1 15oz. can kidney beans

1 can corn

1 15oz. can green beans

1 1/2 cup pasta noodles

Directions:

1. Brown ground beef and onion, drain fat. Place in crock pot.

2. Combine all remaining ingredients except pasta in crock pot.

3. Cook on low for 7-8 hours, add pasta 20 minutes prior to serving.

Christmas Centerpiece

I love how simple and cute this turned out! I have to thank Amy Foote's sisters for this great idea. This is nothing more then a hurricane vase turned upside down and a decorative finial ($4-hobby lobby) glued on top with liquid nails. You can place it on top of a cake stand, candle stand (pictured above), or a charger. I bought the beads from Designer Blvd. and wrapped them around the outside just for something extra. You can fill it with anything! I love that I can use this year round. I filled it with christmas balls because I am in charge of a table centerpiece for our ward Christmas party. Love it!