Chipotle Crusted Pork Loin Roast & Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This turned out to be the meal that kept on giving (in a good way).  I started with a large pork loin roast and "reinvented" it twice.  That's the great thing about pork roasts, there are so many things you can do with them.  I started with the recipe for Chipotle Crusted Pork Roast (modified for allrecipes.com Chipotle Crusted Pork Tenderloin)

2 tsp onion powder (I also added some dried onion flakes)
2 tsp garlic powder
5 TBS chipotle chili powder (more or less to taste-  it's pretty spicy)
2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 large pork loin roast

Mix all ingredients together and coat pork roast evenly.  Put in the refrigerator for a few hours to marinate.

Remove from fridge, preheat oven to 475 degrees.   Place pork on a rack in a roasting pan, fat side up.  (If you don't have a rack, you can coil up some foil and snake it under the pork roast to make your own rack-- that's what I do)  Put in oven at 475 for 10 minutes.  Reduce heat to 325 and cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 155 degrees (23-33 minutes per pound).

Remove from oven and let it rest for about 5 minutes.  It will continue cooking to an internal temp of 160 degrees.

Oh, it was GOOOOOOD!  Smokey, spicy & sweet all in one!

For the Chipotle Mashed Sweet Potatoes.  Bake 4 large sweet potatoes (be sure to put foil under them, they are messy when you cook them).  When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half and scoop out the potatoes.  Mash them, add a little butter and some chipotle chili powder to taste.  Put them in a small baking dish.  Sprinkle just a little brown sugar on the top, and put it back in the oven for about 15 minutes.  It is a perfect match!

Oh, it was GOOOOOOD!  Smokey, spicy & sweet all in one!
Stay tuned for part 2 of 3 of the never ending pork roast-- pulled pork sandwiches.

One side note, after cooking the sugar covered pork, there was a HUGE burned mess in the bottom of the pan.  If you don't already have some Dawn Power Dissolver, it might be a good idea to pick some up.  This stuff works amazingly.  It will get any pan clean with no scrubbing.  I spray it on and 30 minutes later go back to the pan with a scraper and the burnt on mess literally peels right off.

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Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

Here is a very easy delicious meal I cooked the other night. Everyone loved it and I loved it because it was so easy to make! Hope you enjoy it!

Rosemary Chicken Thighs with Potatoes

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 onion, quartered
8 cloves of garlic
6 sprigs rosemary
10-12 small red potatoes
1 TBS olive oil
fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt to taste
1/4 c. capers

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mince garlic, remove needles from rosemary.  Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.  Toss all ingredients (except capers) in baking dish; roast for about and hour or until juices run clear.  Sprinkle with capers and ENJOY!  That was easy, right?

Unfortunately, I couldn't get a picture of it after it came out of the oven.  I smelled so good cooking that as soon as I pulled it out of the oven, it was devoured immediately.

Linking up with

Grow Your Own Ketchup!

Well, maybe not your own ketchup, but you can try!  Spring is here in Cali and I'm about ready to pull up my winter garden (didn't produce more than 3 bunches of broccoli and a couple of cups of snap peas) and get it ready to plant my summer garden.  I couldn't pass up blogging about this one.  Red Robin is giving away Heinz tomato seed packets.  Just visit Red Robin's web site and click on the link.


Thanks to Moms By Heart for the link!  (check out her page, my favorite frugal blogger)

Coupon Binder {Giveaway}

Coupon Binder {Giveaway}

A Homemakers Heart is giving away a coupon binder! I never thought I could save that much money by clipping a 25 cent coupon, so I haven't bothered with it.... that is until I clicked on one of the links that she provided for 2 of the coupon blogs that she likes. Wow! I never realized how easy it is to save LOTS of money!  Last weekend, I saved over $20 at the store for my regular groceries, mostly from printing coupons off of the internet.  Then to top it off, my local grocery store, Savemart, had a sale on Ronzoni Pasta (our favorite).  It was on sale for $1 a box.  Through several different websites, I was able to print 12 coupons for $1 off of 2 boxes.  WOW.... I got 24 boxes of pasta for 50 cents each!  The regular price of the pasta is $2.49 a box.... doing the math, I got $59.76 worth of pasta for $12!!!  YAY me!  I feel such a sense of accomplishment!  OK, now to be honest, Savemart isn't really a place to save money on everyday items, and I wouldn't normally go spend $2.49 for a box of pasta (unless I was desperate).  The same pasta was $1.09 at the Wal-Mart Super Center that I buy my groceries at.... but it is over 30 miles away.

Long story short, check out the giveaway and these two blogs.  These 2 blogs are phenomenal and the ladies must spend hours compiling savings information for you!
A Thrifty Mom
Moms By Heart

Joy To the World!!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven and nature sing,
And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing. 

Joy to the world, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy. 

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found. 

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

Women Living Well December Challenge

Another week of Courtney's Women Living Well December Challenge has arrived!  I think I missed posting last weeks challenge.  It was great!  I went to bed super early one night, just like the challenge stated.  I was so tired, I didn't read Isaiah 7:14, Micah 5:2, Jeremiah 23:5, and Isaiah 53 that night, but finally did tonight.


Here's this week's challenge: Christmas is just 5 days away (OOPS!  I'm even a little behind on this one!  Christmas is just 2- eek days away) and so much of our time is often spent helping the children to remember the "Reason for the Season". Now it's our turn. Once the kids are in bed get yourself a HOT drink (again we are warming the body as we warm the soul.) Get ALONE and turn out the lights by your Christmas tree, a lit fire, or a candle and just be alone with God. Pray, talk to him, I encourage you to sing Christmas carols or songs praising him, and just rest with Jesus.


Embrace the peace in your home that is there right before you in Jesus. Do not rush past his offer "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled." John 14:27.


Remember to keep your candle burning daily and each time you catch a glimpse of it, say a prayer for peace in your home.  I have also found myself spending a few extra minutes in prayer each morning when I light my candle and again when I blow it out.  I'm so glad Bath and Body Works has their large candles on sale still!  So for tonight, fireplace or Christmas tree??....  I think I'll take the warmth of the fire tonight. (pretend you don't see the reflection of my kitchen... it's a real fireplace, just no real wood and is behind a glass-  go figure!)

My End Table is FINALLY done!

One night I was watching a movie upstairs in the media room with my hubby and I realized that I didn't have anywhere to put my popcorn and drink if I was sitting on the end.  The search was on!  First, I found some great scrapbook paper to Mod Podge onto a piece of furniture.  I have never refinished furniture before so I didn't want to spend much money on the furniture.  I stopped by every thrift store that I drove by for over a month until I finally found the perfect "canvas" for my art.  I drove by a thrift store that I didn't know was even there, made a U-turn and ran in.  I went to the back of the store and immediately found this little gem for $3.99.  YUP... three dollars and ninety-nine cents!!!  I couldn't believe it!  I snatched it up and took it up to the check out.  Sure it was a cheap piece of furniture with a little damage, but it was perfect!  The only thing really wrong with it was a small warped spot on the top.  No big deal.

The first thing I did was sand all the stain off of the legs.  The rest of the end table was a wood veneer, so all I could do to it was rough it up so that it would hold the primer a little better.

Next, I spray painted Kilz primer on the entire end table.  My media room has deep reddish maroon curtains in it, so I was lucky enough to find a clearance paint sample at Home Depot for less than a dollar that matched my curtains perfectly.  After the Kilz was dry, I painted a coat of the maroon paint on.

I wanted a distressed vintage look, so banged it up with washers strung on a small rope, a hammer and nail and the sharp edge of a screw driver.  I read on the internet that if you use wax on the base coat of your paint and then paint over it, it is much easier to remove the paint from the top for distressing.  I tried a tea light candle, but it just crumbled.  I found a white crayon in Sarah's crayon stash that worked great.  I colored on the maroon paint in a few spots.  Then I spray painted the table a dark brown. (I had to do this in the garage at this point because it was cold and rainy outside.... I did the "hold your breath, point, spray and run back inside method").

Once the brown spray paint was dry, I took a fine grit sand paper and steel wool to distress the paint.  To remove the paint that I used the crayon on, I just used the edge of a screw driver and gently scraped the paint all over.  In those spots, the paint simply chipped off. 

Next, I cut out the scrapbook paper to fit the table and Mod-Podged it on (LOVE that stuff!)

I read (or rather, watched) some helpful hints on the tutorials on Mod Podge Rocks blog.  If you are new to Mod Podge, I would highly recommend watching.

 And finally, it is dry.

And then, put together.

It's the perfect size for the spot at the end.  I LOVE it!

Isn't this scrapbook paper great??  I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and knew it would be perfect for our media room.  After a year, we still don't have any art on the walls up there.  There is more scrapbook paper in the pack, so I plan on Mod Podging it to canvas to hang on the wall.  Here is a link to the see more of the paper on Tim Holtz's blog.

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Pizza in a Pot

This is one of my favorite recipes. It can either be cooked in a crock pot or in the oven. It is so versatile, I usually use what I have on hand for the "toppings". When I make spaghetti sauce, I always double my recipe and freeze the left over half in a quart freezer bag for use in dishes like this. Serve it with some crusty Italian bread and a salad and dinner is ready.

1/2 to 1 lb Italian sausage (casings removed) or ground beef or a combination of both

1/2 large onion, chopped

1 jar spaghetti sauce (or about 3 1/2 cups of homemade sauce)

1 green bell pepper, chopped

1 large can black olives, sliced

1 can sliced mushrooms (or use fresh)

3/4 of a 6oz package of pepperoni

4 oz shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 box of rigatoni (I don't use the entire box because we like a lot of sauce)

Brown sausage or ground beef and onions in skillet and drain very well. Add spaghetti sauce and let simmer for as long as you have time for (up to 30 minutes).

 Meanwhile, cook rigatoni pasta al dente and drain. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread about 3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan (just enough sauce to cover the bottom thinly). Cover sauce with 1/2 of the pasta. 

Cover pasta with 1/2 of the remaining sauce. Sprinkle half of the bell pepper, olives, mushrooms and both cheeses on top. Layer with 1/2 of the pepperonis. Repeat all layers starting again with sauce and ending with pepperonis on top.  Make sure all pasta is covered or it will get crunchy.

 Bake in oven for about 35 min (until pepperonis and cheese look done).  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and return to oven just long enough for Parmesan to melt.

If one of your "furry children" is in the kitchen helping, you may need more pepperonis.  Funny how Dash was the only one "helping" me out.  He loves to be in the kitchen with me.

If you decide to make this in the crock-pot, cook on low for 3 to 4 hours instead of the oven.  I hope you enjoy it!  (This recipe was adapted from the Fix It and Forget It cookbook from a recipe on p.166 titled "Slow-Cooker Pizza"  I love this cookbook)

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A Wise Woman Builds Her Home: Steve and Danny Thompson Hymns -Three CD Giveaway...

I was reading my daily blogs this morning and I almost skipped over this one, I've got a lot to do today and I thought to myself "I really don't want a CD of hymns," but for some reason, I ended up clicking on it anyways.  I am so glad I did.  Steve and Danny Thompson are amazing!  Mrs June Fuentes at A Wise Women Builds Her Home is having a giveaway.  She is giving away 3 of their CD's.  If I am not lucky enough to be one of the winners, I am buying the CD (and I haven't bought a CD since 2002) downloading the song from I-Tunes (it's there for $9.99) Here is a link to her blog and the giveaway.  A Wise Woman Builds Her Home: CD Giveaway



If you want to hear part of another song, this link will take you to their website where they have samples of some of their music.  This song is done beautifully!  Oh, here is the link----->>  Nothing But the Blood

Have a great day and don't forget to enter to win.

Awww, Relaxation.

Doesn't this tub look inviting? I can just hear the nice relaxing spa music playing in the background.  The candles smell wonderful.... a little like warm lavender and chamomile.  I'm sure there is a nice glass of wine waiting for me................................................................


Oh, sorry, was I day dreaming again?  Wouldn't that be wonderful?  During this busy season, it is so important for us as wifes, mothers, friends, cooks, housekeepers, chauffeurs, carpenters, nurses, teachers, accountants, personal assistants (.... and the list of hats goes on forever) to take a moment to relax.  We can't continue to be our best for the ones we love if we don't take care of ourselves too.


But seriously, if you remember, I am one week into Courtney at Women Living Well's Peace on Earth December Challenge.  The challenge set forth for this week is to "SCHEDULE a night where you will take a warm refreshing bubble bath. Bring your Bible.Read the story of the birth of Jesus in Matthew 1, 2 and Luke 1,2."   Hop on over to her blog for her wonderful post titled Girl- You NEED a bubble bath.  I couldn't wait for this week to get here!  I hadn't taken a bubble bath in ages.  Notice I said "hadn't", I did this last night after Sarah was in bed.  David was watching a movie that I didn't want to watch, I was tired and cold.  I filled up the tub with steamy water, lit 4 sweet smelling candles, turned the i-pod to Enya and soaked until I was a prune.  While in there, I reflected on how blessed I am to have such a wonderful family, food to eat, warm clothes to wear and a roof over my head.  God has been good to me!