Pork Stew with Butternut Squash and Apples Using Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven #Holidaycooking #MadeinUSA

* I received Nordic Ware products to review and share a recipe. All opinions shared are my own.

The holidays are here and as a busy mom who works full time I am always looking for ways to make fancy dinners easier. Everyone always tells me how great a crock pot is but I do not own a crock pot since I am the sort of person who has a hard time leaving things plugged in and cooking when I leave home. But I have been wanting to find an item that can give me a slow roasted taste to my dishes while I am home doing other tasks, a dutch oven was the perfect solution for my family. I have seen them in stores and have always wanted a Nordic Ware Dutch Oven.

The Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven has been a wonderful addition to my cookware and bakeware collection. The red is beautiful and the cast aluminum pot is sturdy without being heavy like cast iron. It even has a self basting lid! Made in the U.S.A. with lifetime warranty this will be a pot I plan to cook delicious meals in for decades. It is non stick, non rusting with efficient even heating from the cast aluminum built. Make sure to use oven mitts with this cookware as the handles do get extremely hot when using for oven cooking.

The Fall and Winter for me are a time I enjoy cooking the most. When it is cold outside there is nothing like a delicious home cooked meal to bring my family together and warm us up. Most people are cooking turkeys and hams during this time of year so I decided to try a new Pork Stew recipe to serve something different.

I love the flavors of apples and butternut squash together, with that in mind I created a recipe that was simple but tastes amazing.

Recipe:

2-3 lbs of Pork Shoulder
2 Apples
3 Potatoes
1 White Onion
1/4 cup of apple cider
1 Can of Organic No Salt Added Butternut Squash Soup

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Cut into even chunks apples and potatoes, slice onions into long strips. Place pork and apple cider into Nordic Ware 3 Qt. Dutch Oven. Add potatoes, onions and apples. Open can of organic no salt added Butternut Squash soup, add soup on top of ingredients, do not mix. Cover with dutch oven lid, place in oven for 2 1/2 hours. Check to be sure pork is cooked entirely before serving. Enjoy!

You can follow Nordic Ware for great recipes and more on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Zooligans Shoes Review and Giveaway

*I was sent a pair of Zooligans for this review. All opinions shared are my own.

My son has definitely inherited my love for shoes! He likes getting new shoes and showing them off to all the people he sees. In my job outside of blogging I work in the shoe industry so I see a lot of kid's shoes and recently found out about the brand Zooligans. They are adorable animal character shoes for kids. My son loves animals and when I showed him Zooligans he squealed with excitement. He also suggested a giraffe based shoe since giraffes are his favorite animal.

We reviewed Tux the Penguin Boots since I thought it would be a perfect gift idea for the holidays. When the shoes arrived in a cute little box that can be converted into a stuffed animal carrier we were both excited to see the animal print on the bottom of the shoes. We both agreed they look great but as as a Mom I needed to know if they were good for his feet and durable. Zooligans have a "paw flex" technology in the soles so your little ones can play and jump without their shoes holding them back. They are shaped like an animal paw on the bottom and are designed to move like a flexible paw in all directions. Roomy toe boxes in addition to flexible soles are on my must have list for shoes for my son's feet, thankfully Zooligans has that as well.

My son has been wearing the shoes for over a month now and they have held up to his roughness and the few rainy days we have had in California. He insisted on taking them with us on our vacation to Knott's Berry Farm last week and he loved showing them off. From the gal at Starbucks to our local banker lady everyone has been shown the cool penguin boots and the paw prints on the bottom. I like the durability as well as the super cuteness of Zooligans. I have been recommending them to the Moms I know who are looking for a cute alternative to plain boots.

Zooligans carries soft sole leather/suede shoes for infant's delicate feet, I saw the cutest little lion shoes that would be perfect for babies. They make sandals, casual shoes and boots for toddlers and little kids. You can find Zooligans on their website and also at Nordstrom.

To celebrate the Holidays Zooligans is offering a promo code for ordering on their website ZOO20 for 20% off. We are also hosting a giveaway on Frugal Family Tree for a pair of Zooligans shoes.

Ollie the Owl Boot

Penny the Penguin Boot

GIVEAWAY


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*Limited to US residents 18 years old and above. Giveaway starts November 24, 2015 and ends on December 8, 2015 at 12:01 am EST. Winner will be emailed and has 72 hours to respond before another winner is selected. I was not paid for this giveaway or post. The opinions on this item are 100% mine and may vary from others. The sponsor is responsible for providing the prize. I was sent a product to review for this post.

Butternut Squash Pecan Bread Recipe

Let me just say that I'm a huge butternut squash fan. I love it roasted in so many different things, like soup, salads, and stews. It does taste a lot like pumpkin, and has that sweet, creamy taste that is just so good.

The other day I made a batch of roasted butternut squash to make soup, and I had some left over. I had a recipe for butternut squash quick bread, so I thought I'd give it try. Wow, am I glad I did because this bread is fabulous!

It's moist and sweet, and when you warm up a slice with a little bit of butter, it's so good. Perfect with a cup of coffee or tea for dessert or as an afternoon treat.

I added pecans to the batter but walnuts or even chocolate chips would work, too. I love making quick breads to eat at home, or give as gifts during the holidays. This recipe is one I'll be making again because it is just so yummy and my family loves it.

Roasting the butternut squash with olive oil and salt and pepper is easy. Baked at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes softens it nicely, and makes it easy to mash with a fork, which is how I used it for this recipe.

Recipe for Butternut Squash Pecan Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup roasted and mashed butternut squash
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a glass or metal loaf pan with baking spray.
In a large bowl, mix together the butternut squash, eggs, oil, water and sugars until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and pumpkin pie spice.
Stir the dry ingredients into the butternut squash mixture. Combine just until incorporated; do not over mix. Pour into the prepared pan.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a wooden cake tester inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
Let sit in pan for 15 minutes, take out and let cool on a wire rack.

This recipe is inspired by My Baking Addiction, and I did alter a few things. Enjoy!!

Fall Cookie Favorite, Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Yesterday, it finally started to really feel like fall weather here. Fall makes me happy, and when I'm happy, I like to bake. I've been making quite a few apple desserts lately, and so I thought it was time to make something with pumpkin.

These Pumpkin Spice Cookies are pretty fabulous, and I made them fairly large, big enough so that one was enough for each of my grandchildren to enjoy.

I think that one of the delights of baking is the way the kitchen smells so heavenly when something good is in the oven. These cookies smell like fall itself, and should do just the trick if you need a yummy pumpkin treat fix.

I live near a wonderful market that sells fresh spices by weight, so I was able to go buy my fall spices that I need for my baking. They are super fresh and less expensive when you buy them this way. Who wants to open that bottle of pumpkin pie spice that has been sitting around for years because you only use a teaspoon or two of it every season?

So, if you are looking for a great cookie recipe, try these, soft and yummy glazed cookies, Perfect with a glass of milk on a chilly fall day.

Recipe for Glazed Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Ingredients:

2-1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup canned pure pumpkin
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For glaze:

2 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Spray cookie sheet with baking spray, or line with parchment paper.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in a large bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg, and vanilla until smooth.
Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 10-12 or until edges are firm. Cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes, then remove to wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

To make glaze, combine powered sugar, milk and vanilla. Stir until smooth.

Makes about 18 large cookies.

 

 

I made these cookies last year, and they are so yummy that I wanted to share them again.

Bulu Box Healthier Options Monthly Mail Subscription

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