Foodie Linky Love

I've shared before about recipes and cookbooks that I love, so I thought I would dedicate an entire post to some of my favorite food and recipe sites.  Fortunately, Mr. T and I both enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes!

Photo: Minted Grape Couscous from Foodie Reflections, discovered at TasteSpotting.



One of my newest obsessions is TasteSpotting, a "community driven visual potluck".  Yum!  I like to refresh the page several times a day just to absorb the gorgeous photos and exquisite recipes, foodie articles, and links, all submitted by users.

Another discovery - frugal eating recipes from Erin at $5 Dinners.  Not only are the meals inexpensive, but they are often (surprisingly!) healthy and made from natural, whole food ingredients.  Don't worry - these ideas go far beyond ramen noodles and boxed mac and cheese!  She also posts weekly menu plans, shopping tips, and coupon links.

For an interesting challenge, check out Once A Month Mom, who does a batch of "power cooking" one day a month to fill her freezer with all of the meals for that month.  Intrigued?  Me, too!  Find out more information here, or go to her current section for August.  And if, like me, you're not quite ready to commit to the idea of one crazy day of power cooking, it is also a great place to get ideas for freezer-ready recipes!  And, she even features a baby food section, all for a one-day commitment!

Feeling overwhelmed with recipe ideas?  Head over to I'm an Organizing Junkie for her weekly Monday Menu Plan, where hundreds of bloggers link their weekly menu plans (that often include links to recipes!)  Why start from scratch when you can grab ideas from other great plans?

And, since we're often making homemade baby food for Munchkin, I can't forget the baby food sites!  Wholesome Baby Food is a classic that I have referenced many, many times.  Recipe suggestions from simple first purees to toddler dishes, plus a ton of nutrition information to boot.  Definitely one to bookmark!

And a new baby food favorite: Weelicious!  Now with "big kid food", too, to help you with ideas for the whole family.  Yummy and healthy suggestions with gorgeous photos, like the one here of the tropical fruit puree.

Finally, want a site to share some of your family's favorite recipes?  Jessie at Vanderbilt Wife hosts a "Family Recipe Friday" where you can link up your favorite recipe, and find treasured meals from other families, too.

Honey-Roasted Pork Chops - A favorite recipe for the MckLinky Blog Hop

I decided to jump in and try the new(ish) MckLinky Blog Hop!  This week's theme is to post your favorite recipe or dish.  I have a lot of favorite recipes, so I narrowed it down to one that we've been using pretty often lately, thanks to our freezer full of fresh pork.  It really is an autumn dish, a perfect warming meal for crisp nights, but we just discovered it and have made it several times recently.  It is definitely one of our newest favorites, and our friends and relatives who have eaten it have agreed!

The recipe is from The Grassfed Gourmet Cookbook by Shannon Hayes, one of our favorite cookbooks for cooking farm-fresh, pastured meats, although this recipe would be great for any pork chops.  We usually double the recipe and have the leftovers for lunch. I hope you enjoy it, and maybe join in the mcklinky fun yourself!

Honey Roasted Pork Chops with Apples and Onions
2 servings

1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp rubbed sage
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 pork chops (rib, shoulder, loin, or country ribs)[we use bone-in for more flavor and nutrition]
1/3 c apple cider or juice
1 tart, firm apple, cored and cut into thick slices (not peeled)
1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings (we use sweet onion)
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tbsp honey

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine the salt, pepper, and sage, and rub mix into meat.  Pour the olive oil into a heated overproof skillet, and sear the chops over medium heat about 1 min per side or until browned [we do a little longer on ours].  Remove from heat, add the cider, sliced apple, onion, and raisins.  Drizzle with honey, cover, and roast for 1 1/2 hrs or until fork-tender.

Yum!