Asian Pork and Noodle Skillet

I always love to try out new recipes, so when I saw this recipe, I was really excited to try it.  I was so excited when it was finally done and time to eat, this meal was sooooo good!  My husband and 16 month old had 2 helpings  of it.  My 16 month old kept shoveling it in her mouth.  I guess that's a sign she likes it.

Asian Pork and Noodle Skillet


2 medium carrots, peeled
1 medium red bell pepper
5-6 green onions
2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons Asian Seasoning Mix
4 packages oriental-flavor ramen noodles
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 cups water


Cut carrots into julienne strips.  Cut bell petter lengthwise into 1/4 inch strips.  Slice green onions.


Using a boning knife, trim fat and silver skin from pork tenderloins.  Slice pork lengthwise into four strips.  Thinly slice strips crosswise.  Combine pork, sesame oil, seasoning mix and two of the ramen seasoning packets in a bowl; mix well.


Add vegetable oil to a skillet, heat over medium-high heat 1-3 minutes or until shimmering.  Add half of the pork.  Cook and stir 2-3 minutes or until browned; remove pork from skillet and keep warm.  Repeat with remaining pork.


Add carrots and bell pepper to skillet.  Cook 1-2 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add water and remaining ramen seasoning packets; stir to loosen browned bits from bottom of skillet.  Add ramen noodles and white parts of green onions to skillet.  Cover; bring to a boil and cook 4-5 minutes or until noodles are softened.  Add pork; stir to break apart noodles.  Remove skillet from heat; let stand, covered, 3-4 minutes or until pork is heated through.

Marinated Macaroni Salad

This salad is my new favorite!  I was introduced to it on Easter Sunday.  My mom had made it and brought to our little dinner that we had.  My husband actually loved it!!!  Shocking because he isn't much of a salad lover.

Marinated Macaroni Salad


14 oz. bag of macaroni
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup Heinz ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
Celery - small bunch, chopped
1-3 green peppers, chopped
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1 head broccoli, chopped
4-6 hard boiled eggs, chopped
Fresh parsley, chopped
Miracle Whip, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper


Cook 14 oz. of macaroni as directed.


In a blender, combine oil, catsup, red wine vinegar and sugar.  Once the marinade is mixed well, pour in a bowl with a lid, stir in the macaroni.  Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.

The next day add celery, green peppers, cauliflower, eggs and parsley.  Stir it all together

Add Miracle Whip, salt and pepper right before serving.

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies and Icing

This is a really FUN recipe for little kids to help you make.  My 3 year old absolutely LOVES to help me dump all the ingredients in the mixing bowl and help mix them.  I am pretty sure his MOST favorite thing to do, is to help roll them out and cut them with cookie cutters and then to frost and decorate them.

The icing recipe is so good and it is so quick and easy to make.  Thank you Kinsey for the icing recipe!

Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter flavored Crisco

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking powder

Flour to make a stiff dough

Salt - a little in the flour

Combine sour cream and baking soda in a 4 cup bowl or measuring cup.  Cream sugar, butter flavored Crisco and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  To sugar mixture, add vanilla and baking power.  Mix well.  Add sour cream mixture to sugar mixture.  Mix well.  Add flour to make a stiff dough.  Roll thin on a flour covered counter top & cut out with cookie cutters.

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes.

**NOTE**

~The sour cream will expand once you add and mix in the baking soda, so you do need a larger bowl.

~These cookies stay soft because of the sour cream.  You DON"T have to refrigerate them once they are baked.

Icing

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup margarine - softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon boiling water

Mix the powdered sugar and margarine together.  Add vanilla, mix well.  Add boiling water, one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.