Flaky, Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Cups

Mmmm, Mmmm, Good. That's how I would describe the recipe that I saw on Jenny's Blog, Picky Palate. I just knew I had to try it. Her recipes don't disappoint. It is definitely a new twist on an old standby. The hardest part was unrolling the dough. Actually I take that back...finding a glass that was big enough to make the dough circles for the cups. I ended up using an oversize coffee mug and it worked perfectly. It was a 30 minute meal from start to finish which I totally love. Don't be surprised if you see me making this recipe again...heck, I may try and impress my MIL with it.

Flaky Garlic Toasted Spaghetti Cups
3 Pillsbury refrigerated pie dough, thawed

¼ Cup olive oil, for brushing

½ teaspoon garlic salt

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup diced white onion

½ Cup diced red bell pepper

1 lb lean ground beef

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon garlic salt
26 oz favorite pasta sauce, homemade or store bought
1 lb whole spaghetti
½ Cup Fresh grated parmesan cheese

12 Fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll out pie dough rounds to an even thinness. Using a 3 inch wide bowl or cup, press 12 round circles of dough. You may need to roll out remaining dough to make more circles. Lightly brush each side of the dough rounds with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt. Press gently into the bottom and sides of 12 muffin tins, that have been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Remove from oven and let cool on cooling rack.

Place oil into a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, sauté onion and bell pepper until slightly softened, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in beef, salt, pepper and garlic salt. Cook until browned and crumbled. Stir in pasta sauce and reduce heat to low to simmer.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

To assemble, using tongs, place a small amount of noodles into the bottom of the crusts. Top with a heaping spoonful of pasta sauce. Top with fresh grated Parmesan cheese and basil leaves if desired.

Makes 12 spaghetti cups, you’ll have more spaghetti left over.

Menu Plan Monday

Last week was slow for my culinary skills. This week could be worse. I've got a great week all planned out -- some are the recipes from last week that I never got to and some are new. Wish me luck.

Sunday: Spaghetti Cups
Monday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Tuesday: Barbecue Chicken Pita Pizza

Wednesday: Taco Bake

Thursday: Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Friday: No dinner, working

Saturday: Makeup, Leftovers or Dinner Out

For other great ideas on meals that bloggers are making this week, stop by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

What, When and How to Freeze

As I tread deeper and deeper into the world of baking and cooking, I am learning a lot of new things. I have learned that meal planning is a great idea, takes the stress off of me, and it's okay that I don't always stick to it. I learned that some of the best recipes only have a few ingredients and are incredibly easy to make. I have learned that I need to read the recipe and do it exactly as it says to avoid a disaster. And most importantly, I have learned there is a blogosphere of amazing women who love to hang out in their kitchen, are incredibly supportive and best of all, they post their amazing recipes for me to try.

One of the most exciting things that I have learned is that you can freeze almost everything. Yes, almost everything. Call me a newbie, but here is some of the stuff that I learned you can freeze:
* eggs
* milk
* butter
* marshmallows
* onions
* strawberries
* brown sugar
* ricotta cheese
* herbs
* and, much, much, more.

So, the best part is that I am going to share all of this new found knowledge with ya'll. North Dakota State (never visited ND) developed this fantastic food freezing guide that is awesome. It's 40 pages long and I have it bookmarked because I haven't gotten around to printing it yet. Use it, love it, enjoy it.

And, if anyone thinks it is as great as I do, will you come back and leave me some comment-love. I always enjoy reading them, but most importantly, I love knowing that people are stopping by my blog.

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

I heart garlic. So, imagine my delight when I found a recipe that uses 40 cloves. Woo Wee. It was really easy to make and delicious. I was in a hurry which isn't good for this recipe. Peeling 40 cloves of garlic ain't something you can do in seconds. There are a lot of variations out there, but I used one from the Food Network. Sorry, that there aren't any pictures...I did mention that I was in a hurry when I was making this, right?

Hurry + hunger = no pictures (I completely forgot).

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
40 unpeeled cloves of garlic ( 3 heads)
3 1/2 pound chicken
Salt and pepper
Softened butter
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
Lemon juice, to taste
Chopped parsley, for garnish

In a saucepan blanch garlic cloves in boiling water to cover for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and peel. Sprinkle chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Rub outside of chicken with butter and truss. Spread a flameproof baking dish with softened butter and arrange the chicken on 1 side. Roast in lower third of a preheated 425 degree for 10 minutes. Turn and roast, on the other side, basting, for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 375, turn breast side up and add garlic. Roast for 20 minutes more, or until juices run clear. Transfer chicken to platter stand for 5 minutes, remove truss strings. Transfer garlic to platter. Keep warm covered.

Add 1/2 cup wine to pan and deglaze. Pour into saucepan and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Add 1 cup chicken stock and reduce to 1/2 cup. Remove pan from heat and swirl in tablespoons softened unsalted butter and add lemon juice to taste. Garnish with parsley.

No Dorie This Week!

I just couldn't do it this week. I know when to take a break and this week is that break. I promise to be back next week for Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chocolate Chipsters. I mean c'mon, who doesn't love peanut butter. So, forgive me for being a slacker but stop by Food Family and Fun for the recipe. Wanna see those that actually made the Chocolate-Banded Ice Cream Torte? Visit the TWD blog roll.

Menu Plan Monday

I will do better...I will do better... I will do better. That's my mantra this week for menu planning. Unfortunately, despite my best intentions, life gets in the way. I am looking forward to the recipes I have in my rotation -- some are tried and true and some are new to the recipe box. Here is what I have planned (notice I gave myself some wiggle room to flake out).

Sunday: Crispy Yogurt Chicken

Monday: Celebrating Five Year Anniversary

Tuesday: Chicken Parmesan Pasta

Wednesday: Pulled Pork

Thursday: Spaghetti Cups

Friday: Steak

Saturday: Dinner Out

For other great ideas on meals that bloggers are making this week, stop by I'm an Organizing Junkie.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

The Pioneer Woman is amazing. I haven't tried a recipe of hers that I don't like. That's the case with Crispy Yogurt Chicken. It has been in my reader for a while and it seems like every food blog out there has already tried it. So, tonight was the night that our taste buds had the opportunity to determine for ourselves if it was all that. My friends, it was. So moist, so crispy, so delicious. It took me five minutes to make it and ya'll know how much I love anything that's easy to make. My only hint: cook it a little longer than an hour to achieve extra crispy delight.

Crispy Yogurt Chicken

1 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
2 cups plain, unflavored yogurt
2 cloves garlic, minced
Parsley
1 lemon juice
Kosher Salt
Butter
1 ½ cups Panko bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350. Coat baking dish with butter. Combine the yogurt, garlic, and parsley in a bowl; mix well. Add the lemon juice.

Rinse the chicken, and salt it well. Pour Panko breadcrumbs into a second bowl and season with salt. Dip chicken into yogurt and coat it well. Place chicken in bread crumbs and roll around to coat thoroughly. Place in the baking dish.

Place a slice of butter over the large part of the chicken so the bread crumbs don't get dry. Cover in foil. Bake for 1 hour, removing foil for the last 15 minutes so the chicken gets brown and crispy.

TS Fay + Day Off = Granola Grabbers

TS Fay gave me a perfect opportunity to finally make the Granola Grabbers. You know, those grabbers that I actually should have posted on Tuesday. Yep, call me a slacker, but at least I made them.

A word about Fay: she is one mean gal. I had to be at work for a few hours today and when I finally headed home the weather was horrible and I had detour after detour. There is so much to this story -- hubby being at work for 12+ hours, my grandmother's house flooding and then every access point to my house closed...I don't even have the energy to type about it. I just walked in about a hour ago and can't wait to crawl into bed. Unfortunately, it's not over...more rain bands, more flooding, more everything. Sigh.

Now, back to the granola grabbers that I actually made Friday...I followed the instructions and they were flat, flat, flat. Then I got smart and put them in mini muffin tins.

I think they are really yummy. A little greasy -- no clue why, but still very good. This recipe will definitely be made again. Heck, I have a whole bottle of wheat germ -- took me forever to find it in the grocery story -- and it was a bigger bottle than I expected. You guessed it -- I am going to look for more recipes with wheat germ so that I can use the big ole jar before it expires in 2009.

Anyway, yum yum grabbers. Go check out the recipe over at Michelle's Bad Girl Baking and check out what others thinks over at Tuesday's With Dorie.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

When you see a recipe on three different blogs, you know it must be good. That's the case with Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss. It was everywhere -- Melissa, Lauren and Brooke (fellow Nestie's) all raved about it. So because I am no dummy, I had to try it. Let me tell you -- I made it in 20 minutes flat which was a good thing since I walked in 30 minutes past my normal arrival time. I thought it was good (I added too much lemon, so a tad bit tangy) and I think if my husband was in a better mood, he might have enjoyed it more. That's another story (didn't bother to call him to mention I was running late, he was having a horrible day, combined with a toddler who was having tantrums... you get the idea). Anyway, I'm gonna try and wow him again with it since I consider it a keeper.

Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
1 1/3 pounds chicken breast tenders, cut into 1-inch pieces
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chicken broth or stock
3 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 pound penne rigate pasta, cooked to al dente
Chopped or snipped chives, for garnish

Heat a deep nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of EVOO and the chicken to the pan. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Brown chicken until lightly golden all over, about 5-6 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and return the skillet to the heat.

Reduce heat to medium. Add another tablespoon EVOO and one tablespoon butter, the garlic and shallots to the skillet. Sauté garlic and shallots three minutes. Add flour and cook two minutes. Whisk in wine and reduce liquid one minute. Whisk lemon juice and broth into sauce. Stir in capers and parsley. When the liquid comes to a bubble, add remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter to the sauce to give it a little shine.

Add chicken back to the pan and heat through, 1-2 minutes. Toss hot pasta with chicken and sauce and serve. Adjust salt and pepper, to your taste. Top with fresh snipped chives.

No Granola Grabbers...Yet

I'm running behind. I was out of town this weekend which is my normal Tuesdays with Dorie Baking session. I'm gonna get to it...hopefully tomorrow. I still have to go to the grocery store and get all the goodies. But everyone seems to enjoy them, so I am looking forward to making them.

To see what they look like make sure you check out the Michelle over at Bad Girl Baking who picked the week's stellar recipe.

Sorry to be a slacker...Wednesday feels like a good day.

I Heart Surprises

Today, I received a surprise in the mail filled with baking goodies. It was like Christmas in August. I frequent a message board on The Nest called What's Cooking. Love it! Anyway, Joelen, a tremendous resource who also has a fantastic blog organizes a summer exchange where nesties sign up to give and receive great gifts.

My fantastic gift can from Amanda in Maryland and I love it all. For those of you who love WS cookbooks, I can now bask in that love since I am now a proud owner. I have read soooo many blogs who worship these cookbooks, and I am very excited to join that crowd of obsessed bakers. I can not wait to try my first recipe. Yep, look closely -- that's a picture of caramelized bananas. I mean, c'mon on, who doesn't brown sugar on bananas. Mmmmm mmmmm.

Everything else she sent is going to come in quite handy with my TWD group. Ooops... I just realized I left out the sea salt. I had already put it in the pantry (my little one was trying to open it -- for some reason he doesn't get that not all presents are for him. Let's hope he never outgrows that belief -- life just isn't the same when you realize it isn't all about you.)

Thanks, Amanda, for kicking off my week. I can't wait to bake something spectacular this weekend.

Menu Plan Monday

Exhausted. That's my word for last week. I can barely keep my eyes open. We went to the Zoo this weekend and while we were there my little one spiked a temperature. Saturday: bust. Sunday: hot, sweaty humans smelling hot, sweaty animals. Yep, you can only imagine the aroma. Then we piled into the car and traveled four hours back. Exhausted. Haven't gone grocery shopping, not sure what I am making this week. Just don't know. Maybe Monday will inspire me but here is what I have so far.

Monday: Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss
Tuesday: Pork Tenderloin
Wednesday: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Thursday:
Friday:
Saturday:

To see what true organized gals have in store for this week, make sure you click over to I'm an Organized Junkie.

Tuesdays With Dorie

I don't know how to make ice cream. It's not a skill I thought I would ever need. So, I was a little worried when my second recipe ever from the Tuesdays With Dorie baking crowd was blueberry sour cream ice cream. Yep, I was intimidated. I skipped right over that page and decided to make chocolate pudding instead. Go ahead, call me names. I can take it. After looking at others' blogs, they figured out how to make ice cream without a handy dandy maker.

Well, back to the pudding. I thought it was good and so did the rest of the family. We don't have much left so that's a good sign. Anyway, I would post the recipe but I read on the "What's For Dinner" message board that I can't. Someone how that particular rule never made it to me, but I can still play by that crazy rule, although I don't understand what the big deal is.

Don't know about Tuesday's With Dorie? Well, it's kinda cool and it seems like a real supportive crowd. Go check 'em out and go buy her book. You will love it, I promise. P.S. Click here to find the recipe.

P.S. I had a better picture, but I can't figure out how to rotate it so that you won't have to crook your neck in order to see it. Oh, well. I am still really new at all of this. Did you read my post that I am looking for recs on a camera. Help a poor girl out and leave me a suggestion.

Baked Ziti

Shortly after I was married (almost five years ago) I discovered this recipe on allrecipes and have been making it ever since. In fact, I can make it from memory -- brown meat and onion, pour spaghetti sauce, cook ziti and start layering with cheese. Yep, it's that simple. I highly recommend it and I am often asked for the recipe.

I have a weakness for all things cheese so I add a lot more than the recipe recommends. Yum.

Baked Ziti

1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.

In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.

Brown Sugar Ham

Slacker, slacker, slacker. For some reason I didn't take a picture of tonight's dinner. I know that is disappointing since my photography skills are so stellar. Not! I am blaming it on my camera.

So, on that note, what camera do you use? I have decided to purchase a new one -- not only because of this blog but because I currently lose all of son's smiles by the time the camera goes click. Remember, he is two and he moves fast. Anyway, any help would be appreciated.

On to tonight....this is a really easy recipe and dummy proof. Yes, I said dummy proof -- that's why I love it. Hope you enjoy it.

Brown Sugar Glazed Ham
Prepackaged, fully cooked ham slice with the bone
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place ham on rimmed baking sheet. Cover with brown sugar (use as much or as little as you want). Pour orange juice on sugar. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Menu Plan Monday

I am chalking up last week to being incredibly busy. I didn't have a chance to cook a lot and was absolutely exhausted when I walked in the door. I hope to have a better week, so here's what I have planned.

For more great menu ideas, make sure you click over to I'm an Organized Junkie.

Monday: Brown Sugar Ham and Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday: Baked Ziti
Wednesday: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Thursday: Pork Tenderloin
Friday: Eating Out
Saturday: Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

Super Cute Ladybugs

Have I ever mentioned how much I love Etsy? No? Well, I do. I was introduced to Etsy when I ran across a picture of a cupcake on a ladder drinking a diet coke. Too cute. The image represents my love for sweet and the calories that I hate. Needless to say, I bought the photo and it is my office and I get a ton of comments.

A few weeks ago, I found some cute ladybug magnets on Etsy. Again, I couldn't resist them. I bought three and gave them to my son's teachers as a thank you gift. Why ladybugs? Well, besides the fact that ladybugs are very cute, his class would line up at the ladybug painted on the wall before going to the playground. It's one of the many fond memories that I will have of his first year at preschool.

It doesn't look like there are any ladybugs in Jaime's shop, but if you like 'em, I'm sure she will make them for you.

Apple Dumplings

Yum, yum, yum. I love these. They are delicious, easy to make and are gone in seconds. I can't tell you awesome these are. I found the recipe in a Rachel Ray Magazine and since butter and sugar are my two most favorite ingredients -- especially combined -- I decided this was just the recipe for me. You won't regret the calories, well maybe, but I still recommend them. Go buy some granny smith apples now!

Apple Dumplings

Flour, for dusting

One 8-ounce can crescent rolls

1 granny smith apple -- peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges

1 stick (4 ounces) butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup Mountain Dew

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a surface dusted with flour, unfold the rolls. Place an apple wedge on the wide edge of each piece of dough and roll up. Place the dumplings in an 8-inch square baking dish.

In a saucepan, melt the butter with the sugar and cinnamon over medium heat, stir in the Mountain Dew. Pour the mixture on the dumplings. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes; remove the foil and bake 15 minutes longer.

TWD: Better Late...

So, I am a little slow out of the gate with the Tuesdays With Dorie baking group. I did bake it last night, but I was just too exhausted to post the pictures. I was really looking forward to my first recipe thanks to Ashlee over at A Year in the Kitchen. I like bananas, but I don't like cooked bananas. Yeah, I know, a weird quirk. I thought it was pretty good, just wasn't a favorite. On a high note, I did learn how to marble and I was able to dust off my KitchenAid. Who doesn't love playing with that toy... it makes me feel like I am really a good baker besides just playing one. If you like "baked" bananas, this one is gonna be right up your alley.

Black-and-White Banana Loaf

1 1/3 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1 ½ ripe bananas, peeled

Squirt of fresh lemon juice

Grated zest of ½ lemon

1 tbsp. dark rum

2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick plus 2 tbsp. room temperature butter

2/3 c. packed light brown sugar

1/3 c. sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

½ c. whole milk

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 ½ x4 ½ x 2 ½ inch loaf pan on an insulated baking sheet.Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg.In another small bowl, mash the bananas with lemon juice, zest, then stir in the rum.Melt the chocolate and 2 tbsp. butter together in a microwave or saucepan over simmering water.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the sugars and beat for 2-3 more minutes, until light and smooth. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. The batter will look curdled, and it will continue to look curdled as you add ingredients.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and add half the flour mixture, mixing only until it is just incorporated. With the mixer running, pour in the milk and when it is blended add the remaining dry ingredients.Scrape down the bowl and mix in the mashed bananas. The batter will look even lumpier.

Pour a little less than half the batter into the bowl with melted chocolate and stir to blend. Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into prepared pan (or follow any of the marbling techniques on page. 229). Then, using a knife, swirl the batters taking care not to overdo it.

Bake for 1 hour and 20 – 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. Check after 30 minutes, if the cake browns too much, cover loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it cool for 15 minutes before removing it from the pan. Continue to cool on the rack.

Tuesdays With Dorie

I have to be honest...one of main reasons I started this blog was because every blog I visited kept talking about Tuesdays with Dorie. It sounded kinda fun and heck, if I really want to improve my baking skills, I might as well jump right on in. So, I have no idea if I am going to be able to hang with this talented group of bakers, but I am sure gonna try. My first official recipe is Black and White Banana Loaf.

It is currently in the oven as we speak -- with an hour left to go. Yep, that's right it's 10 p.m. my time and it still isn't done. I walked in after 9 p.m. and started baking. I'm not gonna post the pictures tonight -- I'm gonna pull it out of the oven and go to sleep. So, be patient with me...it will be up soon.

Baking For A Good Cause

Yesterday, I sent off my care package to the soldiers in Iraq. For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, I'll rewind a week. I was blog-surfing and ran across a posting called Operation Baking Gals. It was a call to action asking bloggers to put their baking skills to good use and send some yummy desserts to our soldiers overseas. I immediately signed up and made some cookies last night. I have no idea if they will make it to Iraq, or heck, if they will be good by the time they arrive. Regardless, at least our soldiers know that we are supporting them.

I kept a few for the family and I finished the last one tonight. I decided to test out a new recipe from A Peek in Priscilla's Kitchen, the blog of an amazing 16-year old who loves to cook. She is quite talented and my skills pale in comparison. The cookies were delish and very easy to make. I'll definitely break these out again.

Best Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. hot water
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans. Bake for about 8-10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

Slow Cooker Sour Cream Pork Chops

I had some pork chops in the freezer and decided to add them in to my menu this week. I took some truth serum and I have to tell you that every time I have had pork chops, I ruin them. They are absolutely horrible. My husband has forbidden me to make them -- yes, they are that bad. I don't know what I do wrong -- they are just dry and gross.

I wasn't ready to give up on pork chops for life. I know that I can conquer them -- I just have to figure out what I am doing wrong. I still haven't unlock the secret, but I decided that my slow cooker hasn't let me down yet. I found a recipe on allrecipes. I had a volunteer committee meeting tonight so I didn't try them, but my husband said they were good. Yipee, redemption.

Sour Cream Pork Chops

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cubes chicken bouillon
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 (8 ounce) container sour cream

Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and then dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.

Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and pour over chops. Cover, and cook on Low 7 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). After the chops have cooked, transfer chops to the oven to keep warm. Be careful, the chops are so tender they will fall apart. In a small bowl, blend 2 tablespoons flour with the sour cream; mix into meat juices. Turn slow cooker to High for 15 to 30 minutes, or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve sauce over pork chops over egg noddles.

Menu Plan Monday

I'm ready for another week of good food and good recipes. I have done really good with keeping to my menu which ultimately saves us money 'cause we like to eat out. I've got some new recipes in the rotation so hopefully they will be a big hit. For more great menus, stop by I'm An Organizing Junkie.

Monday: Sour Cream Pork Chops
Tuesday: Baked Ziti
Wednesday: Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Thursday: Pork Tenderloin
Friday: Eating Out
Saturday: Chicken Piccata Pasta Toss

On the Look Out for Good Cookbooks

Not only am I a lurker on a ton of blogs -- minus the SITS girls -- but I also lurk in bookstores. I have been spending a lot of time at my local Books-A-Million (right around the corner) trying to find a good cookbook. I obviously don't have to tell anyone that there is a ton of them out there. Can ya'll save me some money and tell me what are ya'll favorites -- baking or cooking? I am game for either. I just bought the latest book from Dorie Greenspan and will be cracking it open tomorrow. So, come on everyone -- don't stay in the shadows, I need ya'll.