"Tex-Mex" Pork Chops

This past weekend we bought some really great GMO-free pork chops from Georgiatown Farm at the Williamsbug Farmers Market.  If you like it spicy you will love these simple "Tex-Mex" pork chops, they are full of great flavor and can be changed up to suit your own taste, in fact I rarely use the same ingredients each time I make it.

"Tex-Mex Pork Chops"

Ingredients ~

Pork Chops
Butter (this time I used Kerrygold Irish Herb Butter)
Cajun Seasoning (this time I used Jamaican Jerk Seasoning by Spice Appeal)
Salsa (this time I used Trader Joe's Organic Tomatillo Roasted Yellow Chili Salsa)

Directions~

Rinse and pat dry pork chops, remove excess fat and bone if you bought bone in. I butterfly my chops to allow for a more even cook if need be pound them out until even thickness.  Season with seasoning of choice. Set aside.

In large saute pan over medium-high heat melt a couple tablespoons of butter, this will vary depending on how many pork chops you make. Once melted add chops and brown both sides.  Turn down heat to low-medium and pour salsa over chops until covered and cover, allow to simmer until tender. (if your salsa is a little thick you may need to add a little water to the pan as well, not to much)

You can serve this over rice or couscous.  We like it just as it is with a salad.

Linking up with:
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine

May Day Festival, 1926

 Let's take a look at what May Day was like 87 years ago, via great-grandma's scrapbook. 

A peek inside the program....

Great-grandma's nicely arranged photos with labels of what each one is...

How about a closer look at each picture..... 

Queen and Maids ~

 .....without their sheep, come on you know you were thinking the same thing! 

Gavotte ~ A dance of French peasant origin marked by raising raising rather than sliding the feet

My great grandma is the first one on the left.....don't you just love the outfits!? Grandma left a note in her scrapbook that her dress was lavender and green in color.....I love sepia and black/white photos, but, this is one time I wish this was in color. I can just imagine a sea of Spring colors....how gorgeous that would be to see.

Jester ~ employed to entertain rulers, the first known jester was in the 14th century

It looks like May Day was a well celebrated day in 1926 by the looks of the crowed stands in the back ground.

Rainbow Girls ~ 

They make me want to breakout in song.... ♫ "We represent the lollipop gang....." ♫

Queen ~

Spring ~

Herald ~  carries or proclaims important news

Beautiful!!

Though May Day is not celebrated as it once was, what a beautiful gift the Lord has given us to see everything  become anew each spring.  I hope you enjoyed this step back in time and you will take some time to slow down and enjoy Spring with family and friends. ~ Tami

Lettuce Wrap Chicken Fajitas



First off let me apologize for the blurry picture.....phone camera! Chicken Fajitas 

have always been one of our favorite meals....when I started eating healthier, 

lettuce wraps replaced flour tortillas. My Fitness Pal friends asked me for the recipe,

which I posted for them last month and thought I would share it here too. 

Lettuce Wrap Chicken Fajitas 

Ingredients:

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Trader Joe's Organic) 

Sweet Onion (Trader Joe's Organic)

Bell Pepper (Organic Red and Orange)

Olive Oil (Trader Joe's Organic Italian EVOO) 

Romaine Lettuce Leaves (Trader Joe's Organic)

Sour Cream (Trader Joe's Organic)

Cheddar Cheese (Kerry Gold, Red Leicester)

Hot Sauce (Arizona Pepper's Organic Harvest Foods Chipotle Habanero)

Salt/ Pepper

Ground Chipotle Powder

Ground Garlic Powder

Directions:

• Clean and pat dry chicken breast, I butterfly mine but cut it all the way through so you have two. Salt/Pepper/Garlic/Chipotle to taste and grill, I use an in house grill, Cuisinart Griddler.
• Cut onion in half and slice into half moon shape slices, clean and slice peppers. Heat saute pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil. I used about 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons for two onions, 1 1/2 peppers. I like my peppers a to still have a slight crunch to them and my onion a little caramelized. Salt/Pepper to taste.
• Clean and pat dry romaine lettuce....I cut out the white vein at the very bottom.

Now To Assemble:

• Lay romaine lettuce flat, smear with sour cream, chicken, onion/peppers, cheese, and last but not least HOT sauce. Enjoy!!

Calories:

• 3 Fajitas 357 calories!! (3 romaine leaves, then the following split between the three leaves; 1 tablespoon sour cream, 3.10 ounces chicken, 1/2 onion, 1/2 pepper, 1 ounce cheese and hot sauce) Please not that calories may very with ingredients used. 

Linking up with:
Mealtime Monday @ Couponing & Cooking
Clever Chicks Blog Hop @ The Chicken Chick
Mix it up Monday @ Flour Me With Love
Your Gonna Love It @ Kathe With an E
Tuesday with a Twist @ Back to the Basics
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine

Coconut Flour Giveaway....

 

If you ever wanted to try COCONUT FLOUR, here is your chance!

 

On my path to getting healthy, I was reading about all the wonderful benefits that coconut products can have in your diet, however, after trying to use it several times my body just did not react well to it and I had already ordered more coconut flour.....my loss your gain! 

 

Weather you are trying to lose weight or not it is important to listen to your body and coconut flour and oil are not my friends.....if you would like to try it or already use it and love it this is the giveaway is for you, to enter use the rafflecopter link below. Sorry, USA Residents Only.

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IMPORTANT NOTICE: I will need a working email to contact you!!!  If I do not, I will move onto another winner!!  Also, if the winner does not answer their winning email with in three days of notice they will forfeit their win and I will pick another winner!!

Blue Skies...

GORGEOUS, could those skies be anymore blue!?  I took this while at the Williamsburg Farmers Market on Saturday.  Spring is starting to show herself, what beauty the Lord has given us to enjoy!

Sunny Side Up

 

I am finishing up my second week of grain, sugar and soy free, the energy is unbelievable! This week I started getting up just after seven every morning to workout with my husband for an hour....holy soreness, but this too shall pass and I will be all the better for it.  

 

How do you make a hamburger patty taste good without a bun........how about one with ricotta, green chiles and a sunny side up egg.  

 

Hamburger Sunny Side Up

 



 

Ingredients

Organic Grass Fed Beef Patty

1 Tbl. Ricotta Cheese

Fire Roasted Green Chiles

Organic Brown Egg

Garlic Powder

Salt/Pepper

 

Directions

Season both sides of hamburger patty with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Grill or pan sear to your liking.

In small bowl combine ricotta and green chiles to taste, heat in microwave, just to slightly heat. Mix and set aside until hamburger is finished. 

Fry egg to liking, I made ours sunny side up, you could also make them over easy if you wish.

Assemble, hamburger, ricotta mixture, then egg. Enjoy!

Linking up with:
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Friday Favorites @ Simply Sweet Home
Weekend Potluck @ Sunflower Supper Club

Sun Dried Tomato-Ricotta Chicken Rollatini

I love Gina's Chicken Rollatini Spinach alla Parmigiana recipe form www.skinnytaste.com, however since I cut flour, sugar and soy products from my eating habits, I needed to come up with something without the breadcrumbs but still have lots of flavor.  Here is my twist.....if you wish it could still be breaded by just dipping the rolled chicken in egg then bread crumbs.

 

Sun Dried Tomato-Chicken Rollatini

 



Ingredients:

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast (Trader Joe's Organic Chicken Breast)
4 TB. Ricotta Cheese (Trader Joe's Ricotta Cheese)
1/4 C. Shredded Mozzarella Cheese (Trader Joe's Organic Shredded Mozzarella Cheese)
1 TB. Parmigiano Riggiano Cheese, grated
1 Egg, slightly beaten
3 Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped
Salt/Pepper to taste
Garlic Powder
Paprika
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray (I use a Misto)

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Spray oven safe dish with extra virgin olive oil.  I butterfly my chicken breast but take it all the way through to make two, so you will have six chicken breasts.  Pound them out to 1/4 inch, salt and peeper each side, set aside. In bowl mix combine all three cheeses, egg and sun dried tomatoes and mix till combined.  Spread equals amount of cheese mixture on top of each chicken breast and roll. Place into oven safe dish, sprinkle with garlic and paprika to taste. Spray the top of each chicken breast with extra virgin olive oil. Bake 20-30 minutes. (depends on your oven, I want to say I had mine in the oven for 27 minutes)

Wonderful served over a bed of fresh sauteed spinach and mushrooms, as pictured above or add some sauce and more Mozzarella to top.

Calories 180, Carbs 2, Fat 6, Protein 30, Sodium 350 (may differ depending on ingredients)

Linking up with:

Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS
Showcase Your Talent @ What's Cooking Love?
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Friday Favorites @ Simply Sweet Home
Weekend Pot Luck @ Sunflower Supper Club
Clever Chicks Blog Hop @ The Chicken Chick


Update: This recipe was featured on the  Sunflower Supper Club blog as their personal favorite, what sweethearts! Thanks gals!!

Little Chicks Make Me Smile.....

It's been sometime since I made any cards but a friend of a friend wanted some cards.........love this adorable chick image set on old music with ribbon, button and a three tiered ruffle made with pattern paper.

This one sits on an old piece of wallpaper sample, believe it or not, with a grouping of feathers and a button with a Sunday tab.

 

 

Linking up with:

 

Showcase Your Talent @ What's Cooking Love?

Friday Favorites @ Simply Sweet Home

Pineapple Banana Smoothie

We love our smoothies, however we do not like the calories that are packed into many of them.  Here is my take on a simple low calorie smoothie that has a wonderful taste without any added sugar using my favorite Organic Whey Protein, Tera's Whey, for added protein.

 

 

Pineapple Banana Smoothie

Serving: one

Calories 178, Carbs 35, Fat 1, Protein 12, Sodium 25

 

 

3/4 cup filtered water

3/4 cup frozen pineapple (Trader Joe's)

1/2 banana (Organic Del Monte)

1 scoop whey protein (Organic Tera's Whey, Bourbon Vanilla)

2 -3 ice cubes

 

Add ingredients in order to a blender, pulse a few times then blend until smooth. Enjoy!



Linking up with:

Simple Living Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS
Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking, Love?
Food on Friday @ Carole's Chatter
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Weekend Whatever @ Your Thriving Family
 



Buffalo Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla

"Waste not, want not" ran through my mind as I pulled an organic roasted chicken from the oven. "Hmmm, I wonder how many meals I can get from this six pound little beauty"......so I sliced off the breast meat, then cleaned off all the bits and pieces.   I made a nice pot of chicken veggie soup with  some of the little pieces then for lunch I made Buffalo Chicken and Spinach Quesadilla.  It was so delicious I had to share!!  (I will share what I used in parentheses next to each ingredient)

Ingredients (makes one quesadilla, 322 calories)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Spray (Misto, Trader Giotto's Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 spray)
Tortilla (Trader Joe's Homemade Flour Tortilla, 1 tortilla)
Cooked Chicken (Trader Joe's Organic Whole Chicken, Roasted, 1 ounce)
Fresh Spinach (Trader Joe's Fresh Organic Spinach, about 1/4 cup)
Cheese, shredded (Cabot Vintage Aged White Cheddar Cheese, 1 ounce)
Hot Sauce (Arizona Pepper's Organic Harvest Foods - Chipotle Habanero Pepper Sauce, to flavor)

Directions

Spray non-stick sautee pan with olive oil and heat on medium high
In small bowl add hot sauce to chicken and mix to coat, set to side.
Place tortilla in pan and on one half of the tortilla add in order:
1/2 of the cheese, spinach, chicken and the rest of the cheese
Fold tortilla in half, and carefully turn over to allow rest of the cheese to melt.
Remove from pan and cut in quarters, serve immediately

********************************************************************************

Linking up with:

Simple Lives Thursday @ GNOWFGLINS
Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking, Love?
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Weekend Whatever @ Your Thriving Family
Food Friends Friday @ Walking on Sunshine


Update, February 11. 2013: This recipe was a Host Favorite for Foodie Friends Friday.........

Sausage Marinara Sauce

I may be partial, but then again I think my mom makes the "bestest" Sausage Marinara Sauce ever!!! She does not have a recipe, so when I was home last she showed me how to make it.

Apparently when one is counting calories, such as I, there is a need of a recipe with measurements, so I came up with my take on mom's sausage marinara sauce. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Sausage Marinara Sauce

4 Sweet Italian Sausage Links (Giant Eagle, no peppers added) 

1 28 oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes with Basil (365, Whole Foods, Organic)

1 Medium Sweet Onion, chopped

4 Cloves of Garlic, minced

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Trader Joe's 100% Italian Organic) 

Dried Bay Leaf

Dried Basil 

Dried Oregano

Garlic Powder

Salt 

Pepper

Remove sausage from casings, pull sausage apart into small pieces and saute until brown, set aside. 

In separate saute pan add olive oil, once heated add chopped onion and saute until translucent. Add minced garlic, saute just until nutty smell, do not brown. Add crushed tomatoes and bay leaf heat through, add dried basil, oregano, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste.  Add brown sausage and simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes allowing flavors to incorporate.

Serve over your choice of pasta. 

Serves 5, 1/2 cup servings, 236 calories (when served with pasta calories will be higher, i.e. 365, Whole Foods Linguine 200 calories a serving,  total with marinara 436 calories)

Linking up with:

Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine

Power Blast...

 

Our blender of 8+ years died a few months ago, after looking around for awhile I decided on the Ninja. (I must admit that the awesome price that QVC was offering helped with my decision as well.)  What POWER, I am in LOVE!!

 

I made us Blueberry Power Blast Smoothies for breakfast, only 133 calories!!

 

Recipe:

3/4 Cup Filtered Water

1 Scoop 365, Whole Foods, Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla

3/4  Cup Trader Joe's Organic Cultivated Blueberries, Frozen

Bacon Cheese Strata

I AM BACK, and I just know you are jumping for joy that I finally have something to blog about after being gone for almost two months! If you read A Girls Gotta Nest Facebook page then you already know that I have spent a little over a month in Ohio helping my out parents. Thank-you for the support and prayers! For those who do not know, the day after Thanksgiving my mom fell and fractured her arm in two places, one of areas being the top of her humerus. Though she is in a great deal of pain at times, I am happy to report she is healing very well and is going to therapy three days a week, a long road to full recovery but she is getting there.

 

Onto cooking....

I had some week old ciabatta bread that I did not want to waste so I searched the web for a recipe and came across  Martha Stewart's Cheese Strata Recipe. Now you know I just had to change it up and make it my own.

 

 



Bacon Cheese Strata

 

 

Ciabatta Bread, cubed (about 11-12 slices)

3+ Cups Cheddar Cheese (Cabot, Private Stock Classic Vermont Cheddar Cheese)

Bacon, cooked and crumbled

2 Green Onions, chopped

2-3 Tbl. Butter, Melted (Organic Unsalted)

4 Eggs (Organic Large Brown)

2 Cups Milk (Organic 2 %)

Salt and Pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

Butter 8 inch oven safe dish.

Line dish with half of the cubed ciabatta bread, half of the cheese, bacon and green onion then layer again in same order with the remaining.

In medium bowl whisk together milk, melted butter and eggs, pour over the top, cover and refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.  (I refrigerated mine for 8 hrs)

Bake at 325 for 40 minutes until golden, remove and allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Linking up with:

Mix it up Monday @ Flour Me With Love
Clever Chicks @ The Chicken Chick
You're Gonna Love It @ Kathe With an Ee
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

HOWDY FELLOW FOODIES!! I hope you all are enjoying the wonderful fall weather, which happens to be my favorite season.  Mr. Wonderful is working afternoons on a permanent basis now, so I am able to make those veggies that he does not like that I long to have. It just so happens to be that time of the year when SQUASH is in the plenty and I LOVE IT!! This recipe is very simple and can be changed to suit your taste in many ways....I hope you enjoy just as much as I did.  

 

 

 Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

Ingredients

 

Acorn Squash, halved and seeded

Brown Rice (I use Trader Joe's Frozen Organic Brown Rice)

Large Apple, cored, peeled and diced

Green Onion, diced

Bacon, already prepared, crumbled (To my Veggie Only Friends you may omit this)

Butter or Olive Oil

Sage Powder

Garlic Powder

Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated

Salt and Pepper

 

Directions

 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Arrange acorn squash on a foil lined baking dish or sheet. Add a little olive oil or pad a butter, salt and pepper. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until squash is fork tender.

Prepare brown rice as directed.

In a saute pan add enough butter to saute apples until tender. Add in diced green onion and cook slightly.  In same pan add rice, bacon and sage, garlic, salt, pepper to taste. Saute until combined, remove from heat and add about 1 tablespoon of Fresh Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, mix and set aside until squash is ready.

Once squash is ready remove from oven fill with rice mixture, sprinkle top of rice with more cheese and put back in oven to melt.

If you wish, garnish with diced green onion, bacon and serve immediately.

 

Linking up with:

Showcase Your Talent Thursday @ What's Cooking, Love?
Foodie Friends Friday @ Walking On Sunshine
Foodie Friday @ Simple Living and Eating
Simple Meals Friday @ Mexican Wildflower
Weekend Whatever @ Your Thriving Family

 



Adorable...

 

I found this adorable picture in with my other family pictures, I am not sure who it is but she is just way too cute!!

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

I had some pumpkin leftover from making pumpkin bread, I could either freeze the extra pumpkin or makes a special breakfast of pancakes for Mr. Wonderful.  Pancakes won, so I threw together some ingredients and came up with......

Pumpkin Ricotta Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup + 2 tbls of flour (King Arthur organic, unbleached all purpose)
2 tbls sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ginger
3/4 cup part-skim ricotta cheese (Trader Joe's)
1/2 cup pumpkin (Trader Joe's organic)
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk ( Tip: if you do not have buttermilk you can add 1 tbls lemon juice to 1 cup milk)

Directions

* In large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger.
* In medium bowl combine ricotta, eggs, pumpkin and 3/4 of the buttermilk.
* Add ricotta mixture to large bowl and combine, at this point you may need to add the rest of the buttermilk to thin out batter to your liking. 
* Makes about eight pancakes

Linking up with:
Mangia Mondays @ Shine your Light
Mealtime Monday @ Couponing & Cooking
Mix it up Monday @ Flour Me With Love
Clever Chicks Blog Hop @ The Chicken Chick
You're Gonna Love It @ Kathe With an E
Farm Girls Firday @ Farm Eggs Daily

Perspectives Photo Challenge: 5 Senses

Taste: There is nothing like the sweet taste of fresh berries.

Smell:  One of my favorite candle scents, Bridgewater, Sunday Morning. This one is sitting on my buffet.

Sound: I love the sound of the fife and drum. We are blessed to live close to Williamsburg and visit often.


Linking up with: