Important News!!

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Thanks!!

Meghan

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Hi Everyone! I’m going to be taking a break from my blog so I can spend time with my family. I wish all of you a Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Here are some fun holiday pictures I’ve taken over the past few days…

On my way to Indiana. There was some snow on the ground.

The tiniest & cutest cupcakes ever…and since they’re so small, you can eat more.

I think I found the real Santa…and he likes Starbucks.

Oh yeah, check out my holiday gift. Best gift ever!

Merry Christmas to all and all a good night!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Balls

Today my post is dedicated to the Newtown shooting victims. I still can’t believe so many little ones were taken from this world way too early. I pray every night for their families and wish them strength. It’s just so sad.

Several of us bloggers who wanted to do something to show support. Being food people, we decided we wanted to share recipes.

I’m sharing this awesome delicious no bake cookie ball. I brought this cookie to a holiday party last night and it was a HUGE hit. The recipe is super easy and you’ll probably have a lot of ingredients on hand.

I’m sure no one from Newtown is scanning the internet looking for cookies today, but I hope me and & bloggy friends can provide some comfort & let the world know we’re still thinking of all the people from Sandy Hook.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Crispy Balls

• 18 oz creamy peanut butter
• 2 cups Rice Krispies cereal
• 3/4 cup powdered cereal
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
• sprinkles for decorating (optional)

Directions

1. Mix together everything except the chocolate chips and sprinkles. Form into balls and place on parchment paper. Set in the freezer for 45 minutes.
2. Melt chocolate in a double broiler. Dip cookies into chocolate and decorate with sprinkles. Put cookies back in the freezer for 30 minutes to let the chocolate set. Store in an airtight container in your refrigerator.

Mediterranean Turkey Sandwich

Quick post today! First off, I will not be doing my usual #FollowFriday post tomorrow. Instead, I’ll be participating in Cookies & Crafts for Sandy Hook. Crazy for Crust has organized a way for the blogging community to show support and give tribute to those effected by the shootings last week. (I’ve copied and pasted part of her post from her blog below.)

On Friday, December 21, 2012, we are going to honor the victims, families, and community of Newtown by doing a post in their honor. Cookies and Crafts for Sandy Hook will be one way we can show support in the aftermath of this unimaginable event.

On Friday, December 21, write a post sharing a cookie or a craft and a tribute to Sandy Hook Elementary School. There is no specific requirement…just do or make something to show your support. Maybe something you would make for, or with, your children.

Please spread the word about this united effort wherever you can. You can use the hashtag #BloggersforSandyHook.

Don’t have a blog? That’s okay. You can still share something for Sandy Hook. Take a picture and post it on your Facebook wall, your Twitter feed. Share on Instagram or your Google+ or wherever you can to unite us in our tribute.

So please come back tomorrow to see what treat I’ve made. I still have no idea what to do. I tried making cookies yesterday and it was a total epic disaster. I used to think it was my oven’s fault, but now that I see a pattern, it’s probably just me. 🙂

Do you love turkey? How about turkey sandwiches? I sure do but doing the typical turkey, mustard and cheese thing gets pretty boring for me. I came up with a Mediterranean sandwich spread, almost like a tapenade, to switch up the everyday turkey sandwich. The spread consists of artichokes, roasted red peppers, onions, banana peppers, balsamic vinegar & extra virgin olive oil. Add to a blender or food processor, and then you have a low-calorie and flavorful sandwich spread. You won’t miss the mayo or mustard with this sandwich!

If you’re having guests in town for the holidays, this sandwich is great for everyone and it’s a little different from what you can get anywhere else. Pair it with some sweet potato fries and you’ve got a filling meal.

Mediterranean Turkey Sandwich

• 10 oz can artichoke hearts, drained 
• 1/2 cup roasted red peppers
• 1/4 cup onion
• 1/2 banana peppers, mild
• 1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• Dash of red pepper flakes
• 8 sandwich rolls
• 1 lb deli turkey
• reduced fat feta cheese crumbles
• lettuce
• shredded carrots

Directions:

1. In a blender or food processor, add artichokes and the next 6 items. Blend until is a paste consistency.
2. Warm sandwich rolls in the oven. Split and spread both sides of bread with the artichoke mixture.
3. Top with turkey, feta cheese crumbles, lettuce and shredded carrots.

Recipe Makeover — Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

Christmas is less than a week away!!! I finished my holiday shopping on Monday. (Thank you, Amazon!) I had everything shipped to my in-laws houses, so fingers crossed all of the gifts will be there when I arrive this weekend.

I really do try to eat healthy during the week and get to the gym 5-6 days/week. It’s an active effort everyday and trust me, there are days when I think to myself, “It would just be easier to pick something up to eat.” Or, “Gosh, I have so much work to do. I should just skip the gym.” But I know that’s just my lazy inner self just getting the best of me. There are a few strategies I use to keep me on track.

1. Packing a gym bag in my car prevents me from coming home and keeping me there.
2. Find others who can be support you and help you to be accountable — Find a gym buddy. Sign up for classes. Write down in your planner when you’ll be going to the gym each day.
3. Plan meals ahead of time and look for healthy substitutes.

I can’t help you with making sure to pack a gym bag everyday, but I can help you with a getting involved with a community and healthy meal planning. Emily from Sweet Bella Roos has started an online community called Counting Cupcakes. (How cute!!) This group is for anyone who wants to start (or continue) to live a healthy lifestyle. There will be a weekly newsletter which will feature a healthy recipe, a sweet treat recipe and a weekly meal plan. Click on the cute lil cupcake to sign up!

When you look at your favorite recipes, try to find new ways to make it better for you. Add more vegetables so you get fiber and stay full longer, skip butter & cream and use olive oil & skim milk instead, use fresh herbs and seasonings instead of salt or fat. It takes some practice, but I know you can do it.

There is a local restaurant in town and they have the best chicken & rice soup I’ve ever had. It’s creamy and delicious. I really wanted to recreate it at home and make it a lighter option. I added vegetables & brown wild rice. Instead of cream, I used skim milk and reduced fat cream cheese to give it a creamy texture. It totally worked! And since I made it at home, it wasn’t loaded with salt and I wasn’t tempted to dunk a huge loaf of bread into the soup. (this restaurant gives you huge portions and a loaf of bread which every order. It’s a total calorie bomb.)

I know with Christmas & New Years right around the corner, you might not be in the mood for a soup makeover recipe, but pin it and come back when you’ve started your new years resolution to get healthy. It doesn’t taste like a “diet” meal, which is important to me! 🙂

Creamy Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

• 1 cup uncooked wild rice (I used Uncle Ben’s and included the spice packet.)
• 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 3 celery stalks, sliced
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups skim milk
• 1/3 cup flour
• 4 to 8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, cut into cubes
• 2 cups cooked skinless boneless chicken breasts, chopped
• Salt & Pepper
• Parsley, chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Cook rice according to package directions. When cooked, set aside. 
2. In a large dutch oven, bring the heat to medium and add oil. When the oil is warm, add onion & thyme. Stir & cook for 2 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and garlic. Saute for another 5 minutes. Add potatoes and stock; bring to boil. Cover pot; reduce heat to a simmer until potatoes are tender.
3. Combine milk and flour; stir with a wisk and make sure there are no clump. Pour milk mixture into soup and let simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in cream cheese. When all of the cream cheese has dissolved, add in rice & chicken. Let all of the ingredients fold into the soup and warm up. Taste and season with salt & pepper if needed. Garnish soup with parsley.

Pinterest Holiday Party

Good Morning to all of you! I’m happy you’ve come by to see me today. After the massacre on Friday, I don’t think I can bring myself to do my usual light-hearted posts. My heart goes out to all those effected by that monster who killed so many innocent people. I know how it feels to be a victim of tragedy — life doesn’t seem fair and you feel like there is no way any of this is real, but unfortunately, it is. No words, gestures or cards can take the pain away of losing someone you love unexpectedly. When people would tell me “life will get easier, just give it time,” I secretly wanted to tell them they have no idea what they’re talking about…. but they were right in a way. Life moves on and dwelling on what could have been prevented isn’t going to bring a person back.

If I knew someone effected by the shooting in Newtown, I think I’d tell them they will think about their loved one every day for the rest of their life and time will help you heal… but there is no rush to get back into your normal routine because that man stole what your normal life used to be. Moving forward, all you can do is tell the ones you love how important they are to you and try not to have hate in your heart for what has happened. I know that’s easier said than done…

So I’m not going to do a recipe post today but I’m asking for some help from you. I’ll be attending a Holiday Themed Pinterest Party this Thursday with some of my girl friends. We’ve all agreed to bring a sweet or savory dish we’ve seen on pinterest. I still have yet to decide what I want to make.. there is so much out there to choose from!

Do you have a recipe you think I would like? Or what about a great pin you’ve found and love? Please post in my comments section or better yet, head to my facebook page and post there. I’ll re-pin the recipes to a special board called Pinterest Holiday Party.

Have a good week, my friends.

Follow Friday – The Domestic Rebel

Happy #FollowFriday! I’m happy to share with you one of the sweetest chicks on the internet. She’s a baker with a funky side and can easily break out to any N’Sync song at a drop of a hat. There is no such thing as too much glitter or frosting in her life. Miss Hayley from The Domestic Rebel is the ultimate girly girl with a killer sense of humor. I love reading her posts! I always feel like I’m right there with her.

I’ve been reviewing her blog all week and I started to see a theme with all of  Hayley’s recipes I wanted to share with you — Chocolate! Of course The Domestic Rebel has more than just chocolate desserts, but these recipes are the ones I want to make like right now!  Be sure to head over to The Domestic Rebel to see all of her posts. Hayley has some recipe round-up posts which cluster together a common theme. I love those!

Here are my #FollowFriday Recipe Favorite from The Domestic Rebel!!!!!!

1. Santa Claus Cupcakes 

How hilarious are these cupcakes??!! I think these Santa Cupcakes would be a hit at any holiday party!

2. Snickers Brownie Bites

I don’t know about you but I have an obsession with brownies & snickers. How perfect is this for a girl like me??!!

3. Cake Batter Cookie Dough truffles 

My favorite frozen yogurt flavor is cake batter and I always top it off with cookie dough. Just looking at these truffles make me break into my happy dance.

4. Chocolate Peanut Butter 7 layer Bars

7 – Layer bars was one of my favorite treats growing up. I love how Hayley took a new spin on a traditional favorite!

5. Turtle Capookie

You may be asking youself, “What in the world is a Capookie?” A capookie is a delightful combination of pie, cookie, and cake. The best of everything in this treat!

After you’re done wiping the drool from your chin, head over to The Domestic Rebel and see why I love Hayley so much! I promise she will make you laugh every day and give you great recipes to try! To keep up with Hayley, be sure to visit her on social media.

1. She’s got twitter game!
2. Her status updates will make you smile!
3. Pinning is her thing!

Have you missed my past #FollowFriday posts? No fear, I have a pin board with all of the past blogger’s recipes for easy reference. How can you be my Featured #FollowFriday Blogger next week? It’s easy! All I have to know is know about you! Make comments on my blog, get active in Link Parties or take drool worthy pictures. (I’m easily distracted by yummy looking food!) If you are featured, all I ask is for you to tell you fans & followers you were featured on The Tasty Fork.

Have a great weekend! See you on Monday!

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork

I only post recipes I love. And in this case I really really LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this pork recipe. There isn’t much to it. Excluding the pork, all of the ingredients I had on hand and you should too.

I’ve made it pretty clear how much I love using my crock pot. It makes my life so much easier. I like to put the meal together the night before so it hangs out in the fridge over night. In the morning after I walk the dog and make my coffee, it’s time to grab the crock pot and turn it on. I’m out of the house for the day but dinner will be ready when I get home.

The first thing I do when I come home from work is take a deep breath — the smell coming from the crock pot fills the whole house. When I walked in on Tuesday, I was happily overwhelmed by the smell of brown sugar pork. I ran to the kitchen and took a little bite. I seriously almost melted. The pork was so tender! And the sauce, oh my… it’s a combination of brown sugar, balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard. All pantry items and it made the most divine tasting sauce. It’s sweet with a touch of acidity. Perfection!

To round out the meal, I whipped up some sweet potato mash. It’s super easy — peel and dice a couple sweet potatoes, boil for 15 minutes and drain, add some butter and brown sugar and skim milk, mash until you get the right consistency. This was an easy week night meal, but I’d make this any day of the week! It’s a great recipe to use if you have guests coming over for the holidays. It makes a lot and leftovers taste better the next day.

I really wanted to name this recipe “OMG Pork.” It’s all I could say when I was eating it. I hope you’ll love love love it as much as me.

Brown Sugar Crock Pot Pork

• 4 lb pork loin (or your favorite cut of pork for a crock pot)
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 2-3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• Equal part cornstarch and cold water (slurry)

Directions

1. Remove excess fat from pork. Using a fork, stab/make holes through out the pork. Season with salt & pepper. Spray crock pot with cooking spray and add onions. Place pork on top.
2. In a bowl, combine garlic, brown sugar, mustard and vinegar. It will be a paste like consistency. Spread all over pork. Cook on low for 8 hours.
3. When the pork is done cooking, take out of the slow cooker and let it rest for 10 minutes. (cover pork with foil) Strain the liquid in the slow cooker into a sauce pan. Save onions. On a medium heat, cook and stir in slurry. The slurry will thicken up the sauce. You may need to repeat this step a few times to get the consistency you want.
4. Place onions on top of pork and cut into pieces. Serve with sauce drizzled on pork pieces.

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

Christmas is less than two weeks away and I’m already entering sugar coma status. Holiday lattes start off my morning. Everyday seems like a cookie swap party at work…and it’s rude to turn away treats people have baked, right?? And for the past few nights, I’ve been having these as dessert — they’re sooo addicting. I know I’ll have to make more once they’re gone.

Since I’m eating so much sugar, I’m really trying to balance out my diet with some healthy meals like this soup. It’s filled with vegetables and has a rich tomato base. If you like tomato soup, you’ll want to try this! By blending a can of diced tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes and basil, each bite you take is full of flavor. Not even a pinch of salt went into the soup!

If you’re a sugar addict like me, make this soup so you can enjoy all the holiday treats the season has to offer.

Tomato Based Vegetable Soup

• 2 Tbs. olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, sliced
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• ½ tsp. chopped fresh thyme
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 15-oz. cans diced tomatoes
• 1 15-oz. can small white beans or cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes. Get the ones that aren’t packed in oil. They come packaged in a resealable bag, can be found in the produce section.
• 8 basil leaves, torn plus more for garnish
• 8 oz bag baby spinach

Directions 

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 1 minute, or until garlic is fragrant. Stir in onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, and thyme.  Cook 10 to 15 minutes, or until onions are soft.
2. Add broth, 1 can tomatoes, and beans. In a blender, add remaining can of tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, torn basil leaves and 1/2 soup liquid. Purée until smooth. Add more soup liquid to get the consistency you want.  Stir mixture into soup, and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Simmer 10 minutes.
3. Add baby spinach and simmer 1 minute more. Remove pan from heat, and stir in basil garnish.

Holiday Treat – White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites with Roasted Almonds

White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites with Roasted Almonds. I know — a total mouthful… a mouthful of deliciousness!

I was inspired by my bloggy friend Rachel from {I Love} My Disorganized Life. She makes amazing turtles. I pinned the recipe the day she posted it and I’ve been dying to find the time to make my variation of her recipe.

My house has 2 pantry items always in stock. Pretzels & some kind of almond variety. My husband and I have been on a roasted almond kick lately. I love the smoky & salty taste! After reviewing Rachel’s turtle recipe, I made a few tweaks and added my favorite pantry snacks.

For someone who doesn’t make treats a lot, this recipe was a breeze for me. My only frustration was getting my fingers covered in caramel & almond pieces but I can’t complain too much because I had the fun of eating what was stuck to me. 🙂 If you need to bring a small dessert to an upcoming event, you can make these white chocolate caramel pretzel bites in 30 minutes. I was kind of shocked by how easy this recipe was to make.

The best part about these little sweet treats?? They’re so gooood! Sweet, salty and covered in chocolate. The pretzels give a nice crunch, too! I used white chocolate so the red & green sprinkles would stand out but milk or dark chocolate would be just fine to use.

Thank you, Rachel, for giving me some inspiration to explore my sweet side! I’m happy to say I’ve found an easy sweet treat to enjoy all year round.

White Chocolate Caramel Pretzel Bites with Roasted Almonds

• 11 oz bag Kraft caramel bits
• 3 tbsp heavy cream
• 10 oz can roasted almonds, pieces
• 12 oz package white chocolate chips
• 1 tbsp shortening
• 40 pretzel rounds
• Cookie decorations

Directions

1. Unwrap caramels and put in a microwave safe bowl with the cream. Heat in 30 second intervals and stir. This step took me about 3 minutes total.
2. Put almonds in a ziplock bag and use a mallet to break into pieces. Once caramel is done, add almonds and fold into the caramel.
3. In a double broiler, heat white chocolate & shortening. Stir until smooth.
4. On parchment paper, line up pretzel rounds. Add a spoonful of the caramel nut mixture to each pretzel. Let it cool.
5. Top with white chocolate and cookie decorations. Put in freezer for 10 minutes. Store in an air tight container.

Inspired by{ I love} My Disorganized Life