Thrifty finds

I love summer and summer activities.... like yard sales and thrift store shopping. I took Friday off this week and my intent was to clean my house for a cookout on Saturday but I got side tracked and I spent the day hopping from the thrift stores to the consignment stores to the Goodwill stores. What a fun day and I found some really neat and cheap items. Take a peek.


I can't believe I found this. I had just looked at one at Amazon and was seriously considering buying it but the $42 price tag said hold off.... and I'm so glad I did cause this little gem was only $7.98 at the consignment store. Yay me!

I found this at a yard sale on Saturday morning.... It just screamed BUY ME! So I did. The girl having this sale had at least 35 designer purses and all of them were $35 or less. She had Dooney and Burkes, a small Coach bag, and Kenneth Cole ones. I think she was purse obsessed but I don't care... I made out.

Stir-Fried Pork Tenderloin with Vegetables

I am always looking for recipes for left over pork and this one was a keeper.

1 cup diced cooked pork tenderloin
6 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp minced fresh gingerroot
3 tbsp canola oil
1 small onion, diced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 cup carrots, thinly sliced
1 pkg. frozen stir fry vegetables ( you can also use fresh veggies like broccoli and snow peas)
1 tbsp water

Stir Fry Sauce- In a small mixing bowl combine the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar and gingerroot. Set aside.

In a cast iron skillet or wok over high heat, add 3 tablespoons canola oil and cook onion, mushrooms, carrot and frozen stir fry veggies. Stir quickly and frequently until vegetables are coated with oil. Add water and stir fry till vegetables are tender-crisp. Add diced pork and continue to stir. Pour stir fry sauce over vegetables and stir well for a couple minutes.

Serve over cooked linguine.

Fabulous Fajitas

I don't know why but when the weather turns cold and everything is brown and gray outside, I loose the desire to cook. I think it is probably due to the fact going to the grocery store is like a trip to the artic. Last Saturday when I went grocery shopping it was actually warmer outside than in the store. The poor cashiers and stockers were bundled up in coats and scarfs and gloves. Geesshhh. I don't know about you but I can't think when I'm cold. Hubbie and I made it thru half the store when he finally said, I'm freezing. So I knew it was cold if he was cold. I did manage to grab a package of skinless chicken breasts while in the store. Not wanting to brave the elements and the cold store again, I decided to try to find a recipe for chicken that I could make with what was in the pantry.
What a great idea that turned out to be. Liquid Smoke is a MUST!

(Recipe adapted from www.ourbestbites.com)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
2 green or red bell peppers, julienned
1 large onion, sliced thin

Marinade
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder

Place meat in a zip-lock bag, place veggies in another. In a medium bowl, combine all marinade ingredients and whisk well. Reserve 3-4 Tablespoons of marinade for later use. With remaining marinade add a splash to the vegetables (enough for a light coating) and the remaining to the meat. Marinate for a couple hours.

Preheat skillet (Highly recommend a cast iron skillet and I added a little canola oil) Cook chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through and remove from pan. Cover with foil and keep warm. Add vegetables and cook until crisp tender. (You may need to add a little oil to keep from sticking). Add chicken to vegetables and continue to cook for a couple minutes. Add reserved marinade. Serve in warm tortillas with your favorite fixings.