I’m in college therefore:

1. Pizza seems like a staple of my diet.

2. I’m worried about the Freshman 15… even though I’m no longer a freshman.

Given these two facts, I like to make my own pizza.  It’s easy, quick, healthier, and fits into my budget better.

Everything you need!

The List:

• The Pioneer Woman’s pizza crust
• Sausage
• Pizza Sauce
• Cheese

Yup that’s it!  I love the precooked sausage that I’m using here when I’m short on time.  It cuts out the step of browning the sausage and who knows what I can get done in my extra five minutes.  Maybe make dessert…

     1.    Roll out the pizza crust onto your baking sheet.  I pour a tiny bit of oil on the cookie sheet.  You can make your pizza thin or thick crust.  You can even add some cheese in the crust and make it a stuffed crust pizza.  It’s your dinner, make it what you want!

         2.  Add your pizza sauce.

      3.  Add your cheese of choice.  I use mozzarella for this pizza but I like to switch it up sometimes.

     4.   Add your sausage or ham or bacon.  Whatever type you like the best.

     5.   I preheat the oven to 375 degrees and put the pizza in for about 15 minutes or until the crust looks done.

     6.   Enjoy!

Yum Pizza!

Now to eat it!

Catch up on my story!

I.   Introducing Jamie

II. Cooking Attempt Number One

Let us begin where we left off.  Introducing pork into my cooking repertoire!

Using the America’s favorite pork chop recipe from the Super Pork Recipes guide distributed by OPPC, I made eight pork chops, which I marinated for 30 minutes in reduced-fat Italian dressing. Yes, it is a children’s recipe guide, but don’t judge.

After marinating, I used a little of Lawry’s seasoning salt and grilled until the chops reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees. I combined the chops with my first attempt at green bean casserole, which was so easy I’m slightly mortified I had to Google a recipe for it! I also grabbed a dozen ears of amazing, Ohio sweet corn, which was so good it’s slightly ridiculous.

Despite the fact that my entire family left the house at the mention that I was cooking dinner, all did eventually return and sample supper. Only after I tried a bite myself to assure food quality and safety levels to all parties. Everyone lived to tell about the meal, their stomachs are still intact and even though they’d never admit enjoying it, everyone had seconds…

I survived marinated pork chops on the grill, so obviously you can too! It’s time to get grilling. Use this simple and tasty recipe to cook for your family tonight and check out other great pork chop cooking tips in this guide.  Love to hear back about how it works out for you! Oh and be sure to check back for how my round two of pork cooking went, where I insanely tried TWO different recipes!

–JJ

Learn more about this recipe here!

Ingredients:
-4 pork chops
-3/4 cup Italian dressing (or use a reduced-fat Italian dressing)
-1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Cooking directions:
Serves 4. Place all ingredients in a self-sealing bag; seal bag and place in refrigerator for at least 20 minutes (or as long as overnight). Remove chops from bag, discarding marinade and grill over a medium-hot fire, turning once, until just done, about 8 to 11 minutes total cooking time.

Nutrition facts:
Calories: 210
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Protein: 25 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Fat: 11 grams

What’s your favorite marinade or rub?

It seems like everyone is trying to stay in a tight budget.  Unfortunately this prevents us from going out and completing our porktastic kitchen decor with a new pig spatula or pig corn on the cob holders. But then again why cut back on these kitchen necessities when we can easily fit into our budget by making a meal for a family of four under $10?  Heather’s BBQ pork recipe shows your easy and delicious it is to feed everyone in your family and still stay in the black.  Soon the cute pig spatula will be mine!

You can catch more of her recipes and budget friendly tips at Heather’s Helpings!

What are some of your recipes that help you stay on budget?

Sometimes you just have to face certain realities in life.  I will never be able to win a world record for the fastest furniture (currently held by a 92 mph sofa… gives the phrase couch potato a whole new meaning), the greatest distance walked with a milk bottle balanced on my head, or the heaviest weight dangled from a swallowed sword (yes that one actually exists).  These have all been painful but necessary realizations.

Still, I think I would be able to help Brat Fest achieve its world record because all I would have to do is eat sausage.  Could anything be simpler!

Brat Fest is on Memorial Day weekend at Madison, Wisconsin.  This year they managed to sell 209,375 brats by 5 p.m. on Monday, May 31^st.  Unfortunately I heard about this festival a little too late or they could have made it 209,380 or possibly 209,390…

This festival consumed about 20 miles of sausages if they were laid end to end, 300 gallons of Heinz ketchup, and 176 gallons of mustard.  The best part about this festival is that the profits go to charities and this festival has donated $855,723 since it began.  I love eating for a cause!

Check out it out here and I’ll see you there next year!

Grilled Brats with Onion Relish

Ingredients:

4 bratwurst, uncooked
2 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, sliced
1 12-ounce can beer
1 teaspoon brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup bread and butter pickles
1 teaspoon thyme leaves, chopped

Cooking Directions:

In large deep skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat and add onion. Sauté, stirring frequently, until very soft, about 8-10 minutes. Add beer and brown sugar and cook over medium high heat until liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Continue cooking until the onion turns a golden brown, stirring constantly. Stir in bacon, pickles and thyme. Season with salt and pepper.

Prepare a medium hot fire in grill. Grill bratwurst directly over heat, turning, until evenly browned, about 5-7 minutes and to an internal temperature of 160 degrees F. Remove from grill and top with onion relish.

Makes 4 servings

Note: The onion relish can be made ahead and reheated. Store it in the refrigerator. Serve it warm or at room temperature

Remember the mornings your mom decided to make a breakfast? The Frosted Flakes and Wheaties were shoved to the back of the pantry; easily slipping out of your mind for a period of 24 hours.  The smells of bacon, sausage, eggs, or waffles greeted your senses and suddenly the day seems brighter and bursting with promise.

Perhaps it is this feeling that has been prompting people to experiment with that waffle iron and bring the power of breakfast to all parts of the day.  In fact, there are blogs out there who are trying to answer one of life’s greatest mysteries, “Will it waffle?”  Cookies, cake, pretzels, and burgers have been successfully waffleized.  We may have to dig through our pantry and find that waffle iron again… (I think it may be by the Drive ‘n Grill ).

We love the fact that Hormel has included a recipe on their website for a waffle grilled ham sandwich.  It just looks cool! And, what better way to encourage picky eaters to try something than to make it a little bit fun and interesting?  Take a look and we may have to come up with our own waffle iron recipe sometime!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Q03RKacDjU]

Every once in a while, cooking feels exactly like this: we don’t feel like we know what we’re doing; get frustrated with the options and choices; throw a bunch of things together and end up cooking an iPad instead! Okay, well maybe not the iPad, but the same feelings exist.

I have to say that Jake did do something right- slightly shocking, I know- by wrapping that iPad in bacon.  It seems today that if you want to add a little bit of flavor and culinary finesse to any recipe, it’s as simple as wrapping it in bacon.  Wrap a little bacon around a pork tenderloin, a pork chop, or even a jalapeno if you dare, and you have dressed up the main course for any situation.  All of these recipes are porktastically simple and versatile.  Go ahead and use them for your next family meal, party, or dinner for two!

Bacon-Wrapped Pork Medallions

Ingredients:

1 pork tenderloin, 1 to 1 1/4 pound
4 slices bacon, hickory-smoked
Wooden picks
Salt and pepper

Cut tenderloin in 8 slices (medallions) approximately 1 to 1 1/4-inch wide. Place two slices (medallions) together and wrap bacon slice around both pieces to hold together to make pork “mignons.” Secure with wooden pick. Repeat with remaining pork medallions and bacon. Season both sides with salt and pepper and spray lightly with cooking spray. Broil or grill per directions below.

*Remove wooden pick and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Directions for Broiling: Pre-heat broiler to 500º. Broil pork mignons about 4-inches from heat source for 7 to 8 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160º F.

Direction for Pan-broiling: Heat skillet or grill pan over high heat; add pork mignons. Lower heat to medium-high; cook (uncovered) for 6 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn; cook an additional 6 minutes or until internal temperature reached 160º F.

Directions for Grilling: Pre-heat grill to 400º. Place pork mignons directly over high heat. Close grill lid; grill for 6 to 7 minutes per side or until internal temperature reaches 160º F.

Ever had the urge for a pork tenderloin sandwich, but didn’t want to leave the comforts of your home to go in search for this sandwich.  Coupon Geek has the perfect option for you!  Go and check out the easy step by step directions to making the perfect pork tenderloin sandwich and impress your family.  They may never want to go out to eat again!

Porktastic nation spreads far and wide and includes citizens who may not know it by name, but certainly know their way around. Like a friend who recently raved on Facebook about a recipe for Hollywood Pork Chops. Before you start freaking out that because they’re named “Hollywood” they must be flashy and over the top and way too complicated just pause, take a deep breath, and digest the fact that this no fuss recipe from fellow blogger (and we can only assume fellow Porktastic citizen) Fast Fabulous Foodie has only 3 ingredients: pork chops, sauerkraut, and sour cream.

Hollywood Pork Chops

Ingredients

Boneless Pork Chops

Sauerkraut, well-drained

Sour Cream, room-temperature

Hungarian Paprika

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Brown chops in a little oil, about 3-4 minutes per side. Salt and pepper them and place them on a baking or cookie sheet. Top each chop with a heap of sauerkraut and then blob on a lot of sour cream, at least 1/4 cup of each – more is better. Spread sour cream to pretty much cover the kraut and then sprinkle with lots of Hungarian paprika. Bake 20 minutes end enjoy your trip to the Hills!

February 21 is “International Mother Language Day.” In honor of this cultural event, and since it is the world’s most popular meat, we thought we would teach you how to say “pork” in different languages. Now you’ll be equipped to order your favorite protein no matter what country you’re in! So, if your native language is:

• Spanish: carne de cerdo, carne de puerco, or chancho (depending on which country you’re in)
• Italian: carne di maiale
• French: viande de porc
• Mandarin Chinese: 豬肉 or zhu rou
• German: Schweinefleisch
• Japanese: 豚肉 or butaniku
• Russian: свинина or svinina
• Thai: เนื้อหมู or moo
• Pig Latin: Orkpay

If saying pork so many times makes you hungry (it sure did us), keep your international juices flowing with these Chuletas Contentas, Spanish for Happy Pork Chops.

And while you’re at it – spread the Porktastic love in:

• Spanish: Cerdotástico, Puercotástico, Chanchotástico
• Italian: Maialetastico
• French: Porqtastique
• German: Schweinefleishtastisch
• Pig Latin: Orkptasticpay

Today is a very important holiday, that’s right it’s the Chinese New Year! Bet you were thinking Valentine’s Day, but no worries, this post is all about love – of pork of course. This time of new beginnings and fresh starts is celebrated by the Chinese and pork lovers all over the world.

Why are pork lovers celebrating? Because China is the place where pigs were first domesticated of course! Around 4000 B.C. the emperor of China made a royal decree ordering the Chinese people to raise and breed hogs. We owe him so much. The ancient Chinese loved pork with a passion that could rival our own. They hated to be separated from fresh pork so much that when they died, they were sometimes accompanied to the grave with their pigs. This Porktastic infatuation hasn’t gone away, and today China is the #1 producer and consumer of fresh pork in the world.

So get the whole family together to commemorate our pork-loving friends with Chinese Pork Dumplings and Chinese-Style Spareribs, two dishes full of Asian flavors and of course pork. Don’t forget the fortune cookies!