Join Me in My Addiction!

Thank you for visiting my blog...and for allowing me to share with you my addiction. I love to collect recipes. I love to read cookbooks. I have been collecting recipes for as long as I can remember, and on any given day there are one or two (or more!) cookbooks residing on my nightstand!

This blog is chronicling my adventure as I fulfill my resolution of trying (at least) one new recipe each week. I hope that you enjoy!

I invite you to join me in my journey, simply by clicking the "Join this Site" link below. And please feel free to comment on any of the recipes, and pin away. Thanks, I look forward to sharing with you!

Monday, November 25, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

Meal Plan Monday | Addicted to Recipes
Hello friends, welcome back to Meal Plan Monday

We have another busy week around here, with sports (volleyball, hockey, swimming, tennis), late work nights, and various other projects on the go. 

BUT, I did get our meal plan made...and here is what we're having this week:

Here is our plan for this week:

Sunday - Beef Stew and Butter Rolls

Monday - Leftover stew and rolls

Tuesday - Taco Tuesday

Wednesday - Tandoori Chicken, Rice, Peas and Naan Bread

Thursday - Fish and Chips

Friday - Clean out the fridge night! Leftovers :-)

Saturday - Christmas party...we're having Greek!

Have a great week!

Snack Happy with Snackbox - Special Offer and #Giveaway!

Are you looking for a unique gift for someone in your life?  Are you a snack lover, with a sense of adventure?  Have you heard of Snackbox?  I've seen Snackbox online, always thought it looked pretty cool (I have a snack-loving husband, and I'm always on the search for healthier quick choices to stash in my desk at work) and recently we were given the opportunity to try a Snackbox of our own.  I didn't know what to expect when our Snackbox arrived...but WOW!  What a neat idea!  It's truly a gift of discovery, when you sign up for (or gift) the program, each month a box full of delicious and healthy snacks are delivered right to your door.



Inside our Snackbox we had:

  • Aurora Creations Gobi Spice
  • Enerjive Quinoa Skinny Crackers
  • Teas'Tea
  • Bella Viva Orchards Pear Slices
  • Cocolico Toffee Coconut Dark Chocolate
  • La Fourmi Fruit & Nut Medley
  • Lara Bar
  • Sensible Portions Veggie Straws
  • My Smoothie Green
  • Pirate's Booty Cheese Puffs
  • True to Nature Hemp Protein Bar

Snackbox Giveaway from Addicted to Recipes

What an awesome variety of snacks...and in our house, we had not tried any of them before they arrived in our Snackbox.  This is a great way for us to try new snacks and find some new favourites. 

I also love that included in our Snackbox was an information card telling us about each item in our box, the retail price, and the list of retailers where to find everything.  Really makes things EASY for a planner like me :-) The folks at Snackbox have really thought of everything!

SPECIAL OFFER for Addicted to Recipes fans!  If you would like to give Snackbox a try for yourself, I have a COUPON CODE for you!  The coupon will give you $15 off your first Snackbox.  Coupon valid until December 31, 2013, your code is AddictedtoRecipes.  Don't miss out on this great deal, head on over to Snackbox today!  1, 3 and 6 month gift subscriptions are available.

Now, I am so excited to tell you that ONE LUCKY READER of Addicted to Recipes is going to win a Snackbox!  Contest open to Canada only, enter via the Rafflecopter below.  Good luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Keep Calm and Cook On - Appetizers


Hello everyone! 

Welcome back to Keep Calm and Cook On!  With the holiday season upon us, in addition to all the treats we are making, it is also the season for pot lucks and parties...and appetizers!  

So this month (and yes, I know I am starting a little early!) I thought I would make the theme for Keep Calm and Cook On APPETIZERS!  

Please share your favourite appetizer recipes below!  At the end of the party I will do a round up, featuring several of the fantastic appies that you share.

Thank you!

Monday, November 18, 2013

Meal Plan Monday


It's still Monday!  Better late than never with Meal Plan Monday :-)  I have been prepping my meal plans each week, but have missed the occasional post - we've had a few long weekends, and long weekends tend to throw me off my blogging schedule a little bit (I'm usually busy having fun with the fam on that extra day off!).  

When deciding on our plan for this week, hubs asked for ham, which we haven't had since Easter.  So, ham it is...and lots of it this week!


Here is this week's meal plan:

Sunday - Ham, Smoky Scalloped Potatoes, Green Beans

Monday - Lefotover Ham, scalloped potatoes, more beans, and perogies for the kids

Tuesday - Yes...more ham.  Told you, we are on a ham kick!  And salad and perogies.

Wednesday - Pork Chops, Mixed Baby Greens Salad, Peas

Thursday - Out for dinner night - I am working late so we are having dinner brought in, and our oldest has a team pizza party after hockey practice and our youngest is having dinner with Grandma and Papa.

Friday - Creamy Ham and Potato Soup, Homemade Tea Biscuits

Saturday - Homemade Hamburgers, French Fries and Salad

I hope this helps you make your weekly meal plan too!


Thursday, November 14, 2013

The World's Best Pork Loin Roast Rub - Slow Cooker

We've been eating a lot of chicken lately, and I felt it was time to throw in a little pork.  And since we are all about the slow cooker these days, it seemed suiting 
World's Best Pork Rub | Addicted to Recipes

2/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons black pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 1/4 teaspoons garlic powder
2 1/4 teaspoons onion powder
1/2 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoons cumin
3/4 teaspoons paprika
1/3 teaspoon thyme

Mix all of the seasonings together in a bowl.  Sprinkle approximately 1/2 cup of the mixture over a 2- 2 1/2 pound pork roast and rub in.  Allow the pork to stand for approximately 20 minutes.  Place in slow cooker, add a little water to the bottom of the slow cooker, and cook on low for 6-8 hours.

When ready, remove from the slow cooker and allow the roast to rest for 5-10 minute before slicing.  Serve, and enjoy!

VERDICT:
This was a nice tasting roast!  We all enjoyed the flavours :-)



The Secret to Willpower With Kellogg's Special K - #Giveaway

What fills YOU up?  Besides food, of course.  What in life fills you up?  For me, it's my husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, my hobbies, and my work

Check out this You Tube video and see what these Toronto women had to say about What Fills Them Up




Tis the season of indulging.  Between all the festivities for Thanksgiving, Halloween, Christmas and New Year's, it is hard to keep that willpower going.  This is the time of year when we are surrounded by all sorts of goodies that fill us up.

Recently we received a Special K Willpower Kit from Kellogg's which included products to try as well as some interesting and useful information about protein.  I know that I don't eat enough protein in the morning to truly satisfy my hunger and provide me with that boost that we all need from protein.  I am sure that is why I am usually starving by lunch!

Lucky for the "me's" out there, Kellogg's has introduced NEW Special K Protein Cereal with 10 grams of protein and 9 grams of fibre to help satisfy that need for protein.  I love mixing cereal and yogurt, and adding in the Special K cereal to my morning yogurt snack is an easy no-brainer for me.

Guess what?  The nice folks at Kellogg's are giving my lucky readers a chance to WIN a Special K Willpower Kit, valued at $35!!  Enter via the Rafflecopter below.

NOTE: One winner, open to Canada only. Winner will be drawn at random via Rafflecopter.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond.  Failure to respond within 48 hours will result in a new winner being drawn.  Prize supplied by Kellogg's.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Balsamic Roast Beef - Slow Cooker

Balsamic Roast Beef | Addicted to RecipesIt's that time of year - we are into hockey season, which means that our slow cooker is getting extra use.  I am happy to bring back Slow Cooker Thursday!  This is the first edition for this Fall/Winter, I hope you will enjoy!  Here is the recipe:

Balsamic Roast Beef (Source: Add A Pinch)

1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef
1 cup beef broth
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced

Bring out your slow cooker,  Put the roast in the cooker.

In a bowl, mix together the balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, red pepper flakes and garlic.  Pour the mixture over the roast.  Cook for 4 hours on high or 6-8 hours on low.

When the roast is ready, remove from the slow cooker.  Gently break the roast apart, baste the roast with approximately 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup of the gravy from the slow cooker.
Balsamic Roast Beef | Addicted to Recipes

You can keep the remaining gravy for future use, just be sure to store in an airtight container in the fridge.

VERDICT:
This was DELICIOUS.  We really enjoyed our meal - I turned it into beef dip with homemade Au Jus...so so good!



Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Apple Pie Cake

Apple Pie Cake | Addicted to Recipes
I love apple season.  I know, I love a lot of seasons...we are big fruit eaters in our house, and are very lucky to be living in a fruit producing region of Canada that allows us plenty of selection of amazing fruit (and vegetables too!).  There's something about apple season though, the smell of apples baking...just so good!

I love apple pie, but I am not a big pie maker.  When I stumbled across Martha Stewart's recipe for Apple Pie Cake, I decided that I needed to give it a try.  Here is the recipe:

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons cinnamon, divided, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup unsalted butter, cold, cut into cubes
8-10 apples (the more tart the better)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.  Using your pastry blender, cut in the butter.  You'll know you are done cutting in the butter when the mixture looks like small peas.  Measure out 2/3 of the mixture and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.  I used my hand to press into the pan.

Peel apples, cut into even, thin slices.and place into a second large bowl. Add the second teaspoon of cinnamon and the lemon juice.  Toss well.  Place the
apples on the base, pressing slightly into the base.

Top with the remaining floir mixture and sprinkle with cinnamon.  Place the pan on a foil-lined baking sheet (the apple juice may leak through), and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes.  Remove from oven, allow to cool in the pan so that the cake can set.  Before releasing the springform pan, run a knife along the edge to release the cake from the pan.

VERDICT:
We served tha cake slightly warm, and it was so good.  A nice variation for us.  And pretty easy to make - not a lot of ingredients, and all common pantry ingredients.  Will be trying my next piece with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream or some whipped cream. 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Recipe Recap #40

Hello friends and welcome to Recipe Recap! I love this weekly walk back down "recipe lane" to remind myself of what I was cooking 1 year ago.  It's always neat to see what recipes that were new 1 year ago are now part of our regular repertoire.  I hope you enjoy - here are the recipes from November 3-9, 2012: 

Meatloaf Cupcakes - STILL a hit at our house!

Meatloaf Cupcakes | Addicted to Recipes


Remarkable Ratatouille




See you next week!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Meal Plan Monday

Hello everyone, I'm back again with this week's meal plan.  I'm sorry if you
missed me last week - I took a little break from the blog - had some stuff going on, and was also busy with Halloween.  

How was your Halloween?  We had a phenomenal night.  We have a great neighborhood with some creative neighbors who like to get right into the fun spirit of Halloween.  It's nice because there is no competition in the neighborhood, just everyone wanting to make it a great evening!  We welcomed 155 kids to our door - my husband had a blast entertaining the groups when they came to our house, and I had a blast trick-or-treating with the kids.  I was so proud of my little guys, at each house they visited they both showed great manners, thanking everyone for their treats, wishing everyone a Happy Halloween, and complimenting homes where there were decorations that they liked.

Now that the "holiday" is over, I'm "back to the grind"...here is this week's meal plan!

Sunday - Slow Cooker Meatballs, Rice and Corn

Monday - Slow Cooker Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Dawn's Baked Beans, and Carrots

Tuesday - Leftovers

Wednesday - Spaghetti with Dawn's Tomato Sauce

Thursday - Butternut Squash Soup with Cheddar, Chive and Sundried Tomato Bread

Friday - Breakfast for Dinner Night - Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Bacon, Hashbrowns

Saturday - Steak, Baked Potatoes, Grilled Vegetables

I hope you have a fantastic week!