Slow Cooker Apple Stuffed Pork Roast

What is better than the smell of roast pork, apples and cinnamon? And it cooks all afternoon in the slow cooker.

3  1/2 lb boneless pork loin
2 onions, sliced
2 crisp apples, sliced
5 or 6 cloves of garlic, sliced
1  1/2 - 2 cups beef broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/4 tsp savory or sage
1/4 tsp cinnamon
4 or 5 chives, snipped

Make slits in the pork deep enough to hold the apple slices about 1" apart. Press the slices into place along with slices of garlic.

Place onion slices on the bottom of the slow cooker crockpot and place the roast on top. Add the broth and sprinkle with seasonings.

Cover and set on high for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to low and cook for 6 hours.

Let rest 5 minutes then slice meat through and serve along with cooked apple.

Cake Mix Banana Loaf

Just 5 ingredients...

432g box golden or butter pecan cake mix
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 cup mashed ripe banana (2 bananas)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips 

Combine the cake mix, egg and milk, then add the mashed banana and beat 2 minutes.

Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into prepared pans.

Either 2 - 8 X 4" loaf pans
Or
1 - 8 X 4" loaf and 6 muffins

I used paper liners for the muffins but for the loaf pan I used Baker's Joy. Oil and flour in one spray. Love this stuff!

Bake at 350F for 20 minutes for muffins and 45 minutes for loaves.

Cool on rack.

Purple Cabbage Soup

STOP  and look at this PURPLE SOUP! Is it not gorgeous!

And good for you too. Purple (or red) cabbage has 2 times the iron green cabbage has and 10 times more vitamin A, an antioxidant to reduce inflammation. Wikipedia says consuming a diet high in antioxidants is a a way to naturally slow aging! Hey, I'm all for that!

2 cups diced potatoes
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup water 
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp fresh or 1 tsp dry dill weed
1 tsp salt
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp dry mustard
4 cups (about 1/2 small head) sliced purple cabbage

Dill sprigs and Greek yogurt to garnish

Bring potatoes to boil, then simmer 10 minutes in salted water until tender. Drain, cover and set aside.

Toss onion and whole garlic cloves in a touch of oil and fry in a pan until lightly golden.

Place 1/3 of the potatoes and all the onion and garlic in a food processor and process until smooth.

Add the broth, 1 cup water, sugar, vinegar, dill weed, salt, celery seed and pepper and whirl together.

Add the remaining 2/3 of the potatoes and continue processing until smooth again.

In a large pot add 1/2 cup water, dry mustard and sliced cabbage. (Isn't it pretty?)

Cook together until the cabbage is wilted and water is absorbed.

Take 1 cup of the cooked cabbage and add it to the food processor. Presto! Purple Soup!

Add the processed purpleness to the rest of the cooked cabbage in the soup pot, heat through and serve plain (there's nothing plain about purple soup!)

Or garnish with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a sprig of dill.

I can't believe how cool this looks. Oh, and it tastes great too!

Photos feature placemats and table runner made by my niece.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.produceonparade.com/produce-on-parade/winter-cabbage-potato-soup

Recycled Sweater for Dogs

Why this 80's sweater was still hanging around I'll never know but it made a quick and easy dog sweater.

This is by no means a pattern just a guideline or a how-to. I am not a seamstress, so if I could do it so can you!

I started off by removing the sleeves. It was a men's sweater so big enough to fit a 50 lb dog. Well, a little too big so after removing the sleeves I put it on the dog to determine how much had to be cut from the sides, remembering that a good 1" would have to be turned in to sew. The length was good, coming down over her bottom to keep it warm.

I pinned, tried it on Karma and trimmed off a little more several times before being satisfied with the final size.  A little tricky trying it on the dog with pins but we managed. Lay the sweater opened and sew a hem all the way along the cut edge from one bottom cuff to the other. Do the same on the other side of the sweater.

Now pin and sew each side together leaving the leg holes opened.

I sewed a loop made from a shoelace and a button on to keep the neck snug....

and that pup is stylin'!

Goat Cheese and Honey

Just one more bite!

herbed goat cheese
blackberries
liquid honey
crisp crackers

Unfortunately these cannot be made ahead of time as the crackers will go soft, but they are easy to put together.

Or you could put everything out on a tray and let your guests build their own!

A dab of cheese on the cracker. I used beet crisps here because I liked the colour but the beet taste may have taken away from the other flavours.  A plain wheat cracker might have been a better choice.

Top with a blackberry and drizzle with honey.

Pop it in your mouth!

Pimm's Cocktail Punch

Who is ready to ring in 2018?

2-3 slices lemon
2 tbsps sugar
2 sprigs fresh mint

2-3 more slices lemon
1 orange sliced
12 oz Pimm's
6 oz orange juice

750 ml champagne or sparkling white wine
6 strawberries, halved or sliced
a few cucumber slices
a handful of cranberries

Muddle 2-3 lemon slices, sugar and mint leaves together, cover and let sit at least 1 hour, then discard lemon and mint.

In a pitcher or punch bowl mix 2-3 more lemon slices, orange slices, Pimm's, orange juice and the fragrant sugar.

To serve pour champagne or sparkling white wine into the punch along with cucumber, strawberries and cranberries.

Happy New Year !

serves 6

Mini Caprese

Just a few simple ingredients for this one-bite wonder!

cherry tomatoes
fresh basil leaves
mozzarella
olive oil
balsamic vinegar

Use a small spoon or melon baller to remove the seeds from the cherry tomatoes.

Turn them upside down on a paper towel to drain, then store on paper towel in a covered container until ready to use. I would suggest not more than a couple of hours.

Press a basil leaf inside the tomato along with a cube of mozzarella. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.