I'm In Love...

Yes, I am in love, with a lot of things lately!
First off, I am in love with cooking. All of the sudden I have found this new found love of cooking for my family. It is probably because I can't eat any of the stuff that I cook (long story, I will tell it in a month!!!). Because I can't have it, I want everyone else to eat, and eat really, really good!!! I went through my cookbook cupboard and decided to go through everything and make my own cookbook! It has been so much fun and I have found so many wonderful recipes to make! I was even thinking (let me know if you are interested), of creating a blog where all of those that want to be could be authors of it and we could each post a new recipe a week, whether it was main meals or desserts, etc. Than if we try something that is posted, we could comment on it...kind of like recipezaar.com, but on a more personal level.
Anyway this is what we had last night!


Parmesan Pork Chops
Ingredients:
1/4 cup biscuit/baking mix
1 egg, beaten
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dry bread crumbs
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
4 boneless pork loin chops (1/2 inch thick and 6 ounces each)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Directions:
Place biscuit mix and egg in separate shallow bowls. In another shallow bowl, combine the Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and rosemary. Coat pork chops with biscuit mix, dip in egg, then coat with Parmesan mixture.
In a large skillet, brown pork chops on both sides in oil. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until juices run clear, turning once. Yield: 4 servings.


The next thing that I am in love with...Cache Valley!!!
I love this time of year in Cache Valley. We go every year to the Art Summerfest! It is like chocolate for me...endless booths of artists for three days, so much fun!!! We took the kids on Saturday!




They had a huge bubble machine!


Clowns!






And lots and lots of food!!!

The last thing that I am in love with...well of course there is more than just three things, but this is good for now...
MY HUBBY!
I am so thankful for Father's Day! I love spoiling my husband, not that I really wait until Father's Day, it is just another excuse to show him how thankful I am for what a good father and provider he is for our family.
The kids were excited to let dad sleep in and make him snacks (he doesn't really eat breakfast!). They love singing to him at church! We made this cake for him today (it is a tradition to make a cool cake every year!) We made the Etch a Sketch this time...here are some others that we made too!






Here is the cake recipe I used this year. It was rated by 600 people on recipezaar.com with 5 stars...
SERVES 16 , 1 9x13 pan (change servings and units)

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/8 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 1/2 cups icing sugar
Garnish
chopped walnuts
Directions
1Preheat oven to 275°.
2Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8Stir in banana mixture.
9Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
11For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
12Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
13Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
14Spread on cooled cake.
15Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day! Thanks for reading my love list! Let me know if you are interested in the recipe blog! Crafts are on their way!

Sorry if there are spelling errors...my little button isn't working today!!!