Hop into Spring Round-up

I've teamed up with some of my favorite bloggers to share a round up of some great Spring and Easter crafts, DIYs and recipes! Just what you need to find all kinds of amazing inspiration just in time for Easter! Make sure you take a second and stop by to visit these amazing bloggers and check out their great ideas! **Note: When pinning, pretty please pin directly from the original blog. Just click on the links or image and pin away!!**

DIY Easter Coloring Pack at Hubby Made Me

Rainbow Fruit Salad with Caramel Toffee Fruit Dip at The Baker Upstairs

No Sew Easter Baskets at Max & Me

Kentucky Derby Wreath at Cleverly Inspired

Adorable Easter Cupcakes at High Heels & Grills

Spring Pinwheel Wreath at The Cards We Drew

Easter Hors D'ouevres Party at Strawberry Mommycakes

White Chocolate M&M's Pudding Cookies at The Recipe Critic

Easter Bunny Glitter Jar DIY at A Bubbly Life

Chocolate Easter Bunny Cards at Bloom Designs

Paper Dahlia Wreath at Love, Pomegranate House

Robin's Egg Nests at Mama Miss

Berry Gift Basket at Sweet Rose Studio

Lemon Chess Bread Pudding at Something Swanky

Free Easter Printable Pack at Kiki & Company

Honey Orange Pork

It has been a little chaotic at our house.  I am getting a brand new kitchen!  I have been so excited that I will have a new kitchen to cook in!  But it has been crazy around here.  I was cooking this delicious pork while they were working on my new kitchen.  They were dying over how amazing it smelled and begged me to let me try some.  This pork turned out awesome!  The outside had a crust of pepper and spices and the sweet glaze over this made it amazing.  And the pork was oh so tender.This is a meal to make if you want to impress your friends, neighbors, family, or yourself!  It is absolutely delicious!  I have been on a roll lately with awesome dinners!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 3 stars

Review:  This turned out fantastic.  I was worried that the orange and honey would make it to sweet, but mixed with the other ingredients made it perfect.  We will definitely be making this again!

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 3 Tablespoons Cider Vinegar
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
• 1 1 pound pork tenderloin
• Salt and Pepper

1.  Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Prepare your sauce by whisking together in a bowl the marmalade, cider, soy sauce, minced garlic, and honey. 

2.  Heat the oil in a skillet on the stovetop over medium high heat.  Rub the outside of the pork with salt and pepper.

3.  Add the pork to the skillet and brown each side for 1-2 minutes until it forms a crust.

4.  Remove the pork from the skillet and place in a pan.  Cover with about 1/2 of the sauce and place in oven for 10 minutes.  

5.  Remove the pan and carefully flip the pork to the other side. Reserve 2 Tablespoons of the sauce but pour the remaining on top of the pork.  You will use the reserved sauce for the end to pour over the sliced pork.  Continue cooking for another 10 minutes.

6.  Depending on the size of pork, oven times will vary.  Mine was a little bigger so it took about 40 minutes.  Just make sure the thermometer reads 155 degrees.

7.  Slice into 1/2 inch thick slices and drizzle with remaining sauce.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites

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Homemade Reese's Eggs

This is my favorite Easter treat ever.  So when I found this recipe I had to try making my own. These were so easy, and in my families opinion, they tasted better!   My 9 year old said he liked that they weren't oily like the ones in the package.  These are so easy, delicious and fun for Easter... or anytime of the year if you are a Reese's lover like me!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars
Review:  Loved how easy these were and they tasted just like the real thing!  Because all of my family loves Reese's eggs, we will definitely be making these again!

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups powdered sugar
• 1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine melted
• 2 Tablespoons milk
• 1-2 Bags milk chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons shortening

1.  Beat together powdered sugar, peanut butter, and butter together.  At this point the dough will be crumbly.  Add two tablespoons of milk and continue to beat together until the dough softens.  If the dough still seems crumbly that is ok.

2.  On a floured surface, roll the dough out to desired thickness.  About 1/2 thickness.  You can use egg cookie cutters or with a knife, shape the dough to look like eggs.

3.  Place eggs on a cookie sheet and put in the freezer for an hour.

4.  When you are ready to dip them, add the chocolate and 1 Tbsp shortening in a microwave and melt 30 seconds at a time.  Stirring it after every 30 seconds and being careful not to cook the chocolate to burn.

5.  Dip each egg in chocolate.  I used a spoon to help cover in the chocolate.  Place them on wax paper to set.  

6.  If more chocolate is needed, melt the second bag with the shortening.  Enjoy!
*Makes approx 20 eggs
Recipe adapted from Six Sisters

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Time to Sparkle Link Party #2

Welcome to Time to Sparkle Tuesday Link Party, where you can find all the newest creative ideas from around the web! Stop by every Tuesday, link up your posts, and check out what others are sharing! You'll discover some amazing new blogs and find inspiration for projects, recipes, and more! This party is hosted by four lovely ladies, so your projects will be shared on ALL FOUR blogs! Each week we will pick our favorite links as features, and share them on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest!

- Make sure to follow our Time to Sparkle Pinterest Board to see all the amazing features! -

Let's see what your hosts have been up to this week:

Spring Inspired Easter Tablescape from Love Grows WildLace Trimmed Mason Jar from The Gunny SackParty Peeps Eclair Cake Cups from Inside BruCrew LifeWhite Chocolate M&M Pudding Cookies from The Recipe Critic

Here are the fabulous features from last week's party chosen by Jocelyn (Inside BruCrew Life)

Robin Egg Nests from Mama Miss

Carrot Cake Rice Krispie Treats from Mallow and Co.

Secret Easter Bunny Printable from Free Time Frolics

Raspberry Pudding Bars from Mandy's Recipe Box

Upcycled Plastic Easter Egg Wreath from The Messy Roost

Cookie Dough Bunny Truffles from The Sweet Chick

Little Chicks Cupcakes from The Seven Year Cottage

Egg Shell Vase Flower Display from Twigg Studios

Easter Bunny Chicken Pot Pies from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons

15 Ways to Decorate Easter Eggs from Artsy-Fartsy Mama

Grab a button if you've been featured!

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Now let's party! It's Time to Sparkle!

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Slow Cooker Lemon Pepper Chicken

This recipe took the number one spot of my favorite slow cooker meals.  It seriously blew my mind how amazing the flavor was.  Not only was it the perfect blend of spices and lemon, but I have never had more tender, melt in your mouth chicken.  It filled my house with the most wonderful lemon aroma.  I already want to make this again.  It's just that good!

Rating: 5 stars  Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars
Review:  I promise that you need to experience this in your life!  It was incredible.  It was easy to throw together and the flavor was amazing.  I will make this over and over again!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 package dry italian dressing/seasoning mix
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chicken broth
• salt and pepper to taste

1.  Prepare your chicken by rinsing it and trimming the fat.  Since the chicken breasts that I buy are always huge, I cut them in half making them more like tenders.

2. In a shallow dish, combine the flour and pepper.  Coat the chicken in the flour.

3.  Melt the butter in a saucepan on your stovetop over medium heat.  Once melted, brown each side of the chicken, but not cooking it throughout because you will be putting them in the crockpot.  You just want them to have a nice golden brown breading on each side.

4.  Spray crockpot with cooking spray and place the chicken into the crockpot.  Sprinkle the italian seasoning package top of the chicken.  

5.  Mix together the lemon juice and chicken broth.  Pour over the chicken and seasonings.

6.  Cook on low for 3-4 hours.  Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Life as a Lofthouse

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Coconut Banana Bread {Guest Post}

This weekend me and the hubby are off to San Diego for his companies retreat.  This has been quite the month of trips for us and I am just about tripped out.  I just barely finished unpacking a few days ago from our last trip.  Now it is time to leave on another one!

I am so thrilled to have Bakerette over for a visit!   We attended the same church building a couple of years ago and we were reunited at the Build your Blog conference.  It is so fun that we have food blogs and that we both share a love for cooking! I absolutely adore her and her cute blog, and I know you will too!

 Aloha! I’m Jen at Bakerette.com where I share really cool recipes, trends, insights, and ideas I come across every day. I'm thrilled to be guest posting on the Recipe Critic. Thank you, Alyssa, for inviting me! Winter has managed to sabotage my fitness regimen and I've fallen into a lazy slump. I don’t even remember the last time I exercised or picked up the dumbbells staring at me next to the TV. Not to mention all of this cooking I've been doing to keep me busy indoors! My once chock-full-of-fresh-fruits-and-vegetables diet now consists of junk food. Lots of it. As if you couldn't tell with all of the fattening junk food I've been posting at Bakerette. So, I’m getting my groove on today. I’m determined to eat my fruits all disguised in this coconut and banana bread. I've got an idea...let's go to Hawaii and pick coconuts and go bananas...

Do you want to hear something embarrassing? It's embarrassing AND hilarious (well, I think it's hilarious!)...I had been driving around running errands for the better part of the day and my last stop was the grocery store. I was pushing the cart down the aisle and went to turn left when I reached up to turn on my BLINKER. Ha-ha. I had been turning my blinker on all day long that I automatically reached up to turn on the blinker...ON. MY. CART! Now THAT, my friends, is going bananas (or blond).

Now onward to this amazing banana bread recipe made with coconut. I'm talking AMAZING. Seriously. This quick bread was devoured within a couple of hours in my home. Each of us kept going back for more. Next time I will make TWO loaves instead of one. You might want to do the same if you want any leftovers for the next day! The coconut really makes this recipe. It adds a neat texture that tickles your tongue and the bananas make it ever so moist. Oh, I almost forgot, the added coconut milk gives it an OMGosh wonderful flavor. This is a quick bread recipe that you don't want to pass up! So who's been to Hawaii and can I stow away in your suitcase next time? I'll bring the coconut banana bread. I hope you'll stop by and say Aloha! at Bakerette, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest! Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Yields: 12-16 slices

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup bananas, mashed
• 1 cup coconut milk
• 1 cup coconut, shredded

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.
2. With an electric mixer, beat together the oil and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs mixing well after each addition until mixture is smooth and fluffy. Stir in the vanilla and almond extracts. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, soda, and salt. In a third mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork or pastry cutter. Stir in the coconut milk.
4. Alternately add the dry ingredients and banana mixture to the egg mixture. Begin and end with the dry ingredients.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool for about 10-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing and serving.

Recipe adapted from FatGirlTrappedInASkinnyBody.com

If you liked this Coconut Banana Bread, you might also like these recipes found at Bakerette.com:

White Chocolate M&M's Pudding Cookies

My hubby brought me home a surprise last week.  A handful of white chocolate m&m's!  I just about died.  I was in heaven.  Being that I will take white chocolate over milk chocolate any day, he knew I would love these.   All I got was a handful.  I immediately went out the next day and I was on the hunt for a bag of these.  I found the source at a local Target and stocked up with six bags.  This is the first thing that I wanted to make.  Oh.my.goodness.  These were the bomb.  You need these in your life!   They were loaded with amazing white chocolate m&m's and this was the chewiest softest cookie that I have ever tasted.  My picky five year old even quoted, "Mom, you aren't a good cook at dinner, but you are a good cook at these treats!"  See, even my five year old loved them.  I promise you will too!

Rating: Definitely 5 stars   Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars
Review:  I made a batch of these in about 10 minutes.  They are quick and easy and absolutely amazing!  Love all of the fun bright colors for spring.  Being that I now have 6 bags of these, I will definitely be making them again!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3.4 oz package white chocolate instant pudding mix
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups white chocolate m&m's

1.  Preheat your oven to 350 and prepare baking sheets by lining with parchment paper.

2.  In a large bowl mix together flour, baking soda, salt, and white chocolate pudding mix. Set aside.

3.  In your mixer cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar.  Add eggs and mix together.  Add your bowl of dry ingredients.  Mix together and lastly add the white chocolate m&m's.

4.  Scoop out cookie dough and roll into balls.  Place two inches apart on baking sheet.

5.  Bake for about 10 minutes or until slightly golden.  Let cool and enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from here

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Slow Cooker Chile Colorado Smothered Burritos

I have had quite the busy week.  I am starting to realize that my life will always be busy and I should just embrace it!  So I love when I can throw something into the crockpot before I take my boy to school.  It literally took me two minutes.  I couldn't believe how incredibly easy this was.  But the result was fantastic!!  It tasted like my favorite dish that I order from a Mexican restaurant that we love.  It had such an amazing favor and the beef was perfectly tender and just melted in my mouth.  And it was smothered in sauce and cheesy goodness.  I have had this on my list of things to make for a long time now.  It became an instant family favorite and I can't wait to make it again!

Rating: 5 stars Difficulty of Recipe: 2 stars
Review:  I had read some reviews that there wasn't enough flavor in the sauce.  They suggested to reserve half of the enchilada sauce for the end. I added an extra bouillon cube to the crockpot and everything turned out fantastic.  The flavor was awesome, but if you would like to reserve half of the sauce you can if you would like and pour on burritos at the end!  This really is excellent!  It will be made again and again at our house!

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds stew meat or other beef cubed
• 1 large (19 oz) can mild red enchilada sauce
• 2 beef bouillon cubes (I used 3)
• 1 can refried beans (optional)
• 5-7 burrito sized tortillas
• 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1.  Put the stew meat into the crockpot.  Put beef bouillon cubes on top and pour the enchilada sauce over the meat and cubes.  Cook on low 6-8 hours or high 3-4.  Cook until meat is very tender.

2.  Assemble burritos by spooning refried beans and spreading them on the tortilla.  With a slotted spoon, put about 1/2 cup of the meat mixture on top.  Roll up like a burrito and place seam down in a 9x13 pan.

3.  Pour remaining sauce from the crockpot on the top and sprinkle heavily with cheese.

4.  Broil in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly for about 5 minutes.  Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from Food Pusher

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