Pinterest Dinners By a Former Idiot

A common evening conversation:

Gary:  "What's for dinner?"
Me:  "Something new!  I'm trying a new recipe!"
Gary:  [all color is washed from his face and panic sets in.]  "Oh."
Me:  "Get excited!  Yipppeeeeee!"
Gary:  [ulcer begins to form over aforementioned new recipe]

The last two nights for dinner, I tried new recipes from Pinterest!  Gary was so thrilled.

Sunday night I tried the Brown Sugar and Balsamic Glazed Pork Loin.

Picture and recipe from ww.candcmarriagefactory.com

It was so-o-o-o-o-o-o-o good.  Everyone liked it and I've been given permission to make it again.

What I'd do differently:
1.  The recipe says to cook it in the crock pot for 6-8 hours.  I tasted a little at 7 hours and it was perfect.  In my crock pot, 8 hours made it just a little bit too dry.
2.  Also, an hour before it's finished, you're to brush on the glaze.  At that point, I poured out the fatty juices/water in the bottom of the crock pot.  No no.  I shouldn't have done that.  It probably contributed to the touch of dryness when it was finished.
3.  I wish I would've either made more glaze or saved some to serve with the pork upon completion.

But it was still really, REALLY good.  I'll definitely make it again.  Easy and yummy!

Last night I made Crockpot Italian Chicken.

Picture from homeiswheretheholmansare.blogspot.com

Looks good, right?  Well, Pinterest is a funny thing.  I kept seeing this recipe pop up, so I decided to finally click on it an make it.  The blurb under the picture gives crockpot directions:

4 chicken breasts, 1 packet Zesty Italian dressing seasoning, 1 8 oz. cream cheese (softened), 2 cans cream of chicken soup; Cook on low for 4 hours. If sauce is too thick, add a little milk. Serve over pasta.

Perfect!  But when you click on the picture, it's a totally different recipe.  It's for White Cheddar Chicken Pasta.  Hmmm.  So I made the crockpot version (which is not pictured, by the way), and my family liked it and has requested it for future dinners.  I thought it was okay, but I'm really curious about the recipe that's actually pictured.  I'm putting it on my to-try list!


And not to worry:  Even though I've critiqued a few recipes, this is not turning into a recipe blog.  I've said it a million times, and Gary's panic over a new recipe proves it - I'm not really a good cook. At all.  


See Exhibit A:

I bought this 2 weeks before my wedding day, when it dawned on me that I'd be cooking for someone THE REST OF MY LIFE and I'd only really made chocolate chip cookies and cereal.  I was scared out of my mind, and wishing I'd paid attention when my mom was trying to teach me to cook.


I still use the receipt as a bookmark.

Fast forward 12 1/2 years, and I can proudly say that my husband is still alive; I have neither starved or poisoned him.  I still don't claim to be a great cook, but I've come a long way.  In fact, I'm ready to get rid of this book... but I can't.  I'm kind of sentimental like that.  


What Pinterest recipes have worked for you lately?