Leftover Medley

Well...doesn't sound appetizing but really this recipe can be whatever you make it! I hope that people who happen to read my blog will share with me their own left over medley creations for others to try! The school year for me is winding down and that means that I will soon be embarking on a new journey in my life path. This means another change as I am packing up my stuff and moving from good ol Pittsburgh back to Ohio! Within the next year I hope to again be moving to my own place with a steady job, but we'll keep posted on that! :)

Well one thing I've always grown up on is the concept of leftovers! I'm sure other people have done the same. If not dinner/lunch leftovers its the hassle of 'oh my gosh I'm moving or going to be gone and NEED to get rid of some fresh food before then!' It's a shame to waste fresh food! My mom has always been great at throwing together bits and pieces of fresh things left in the fridge that just aren't enough to make a good full meal by themselves. Well, I learn from the best it seems!

Shrimp Alfredo

I was so hungry I forgot to take a picture of this one, but I decided to try another homemade feat based off recipes I found online. I still had leftover shrimp from my shrimp and rice so I defrosted it and decided...well ya know what else tastes great with shrimp? A good Alfredo! So, I hunted down what was in a homemade alfredo sauce and modified it to my own needs. So here is the result of my tasty creation. I added a little spice to it since we all know I enjoy a good spice!

Cranberry Glazed Chicken

Sometimes there are recipes that just sound good to have or try. I'm pretty sure my mom's made this before to. I'm thinking there is a theme with my sauces though haha. But least it's healthy! Anyways, I decided to try my luck at a cranberry glazed chicken since I had most of the needed ingredients. So here's my take!

Cinnamon French Toast Breakfast!

Who doesn't love homemade breakfast in the morning made from mom? I remember when I was younger and we still lived in our single story house, whenever my mom began to make breakfast I would start to awaken from my deep sleep. The house ALWAYS smelled so delicious! Of course as we got older homemade breakfast became rare since we were all on the go, but sundays I could still count on a fresh breakfast made after Sunday mass! One of my favorites had been my mom's french toast! It was quick and simple and always delicious! Well, as much as I love making pancakes and eggs, sometimes I need a change of things! So i decided to make some french toast my way using my mom's simple recipe. To add to the delicious breakfast I had some strawberries and raspberries on hand (fresh of course) so I decided to add my own twist. So here you will get my cinnamon french toast recipe AND my glazed strawberries and raspberries! 

Pork Tenderloin with Pan Sauce

A shame I don't have a picture of this, but perhaps one day I will get one up. Anyways, around where I live pork is a big food item. Pulled pork, pork BBQ, pork ribs etc. Even before we moved, though, a dish that I remember well was my mom's pork tenderloins. The pork was always so juicy and delicious, and the glaze that my mom poured over just added the right amount of flavor to make the taste explode in the mouth! Okay, perhaps I exaggerate a bit, but bottom line was that it was well cooked pork and delicious tasting! When I was home last for break from school, my mom made her pork tenderloins with a dijon pan sauce, and we had a side of the mandarin orange salad. I had seconds and thirds!

Two for One: Glazed Apples and Glazed Carrots

As I'd posted in my Meatballs and Spaghetti Dinner post, the picture at the beginning illustrates my dinner of meatballs and spaghetti, tomato cucumber salad, and a side of glazed apples. Growing up I always knew we were going to have a delicious side dish when I could smell the cinnamon and apples cooking in the kitchen. Listening to the sizzle of the juices as the apples became coated in the sweetness always made my mouth water. Fruit is good by itself, but add a light glaze to it and cook it in a pan until its warmed through and coated in the glaze...just something about it is amazing! My mom likes to make pan sauces for a lot of different dishes.