Welcome and Jump Right In

I'm not sure yet how to go about this site and would love any feedback anyone would like to give! Would you like full recipes? Links to recipes? Lots of pictures? Step by step pictures?
The reason I wanted to make this besides the fact that I love cooking, is that I also love trying new recipes. But, I also like trying recipes my friends have taken a whirl at. Or a recipe that has plenty of reviews and suggestions. So I thought, I'd try recipes, tweak them if needed, take pictures, enjoy the end products and pass along.
Lately I've been on a new recipe kick with help from pinterest! Some you'll find back on my other blog  but all the news ones will go here.
To start off with, I have a few recipes that I've tried out this past week or two:
1. Broccoli Cheddar Soup

 This soup was decadent and delicious. It was also pretty easy to make and tasted like it came from a bakery! I wouldn't change a thing about it except perhaps try it with some garlic and perhaps diced red bell pepper for a change. Make sure you have some crusty bread on hand! It's a must!

2. Balsamic Glazed Slow Cooker Pork
I made a few changes to this recipe because I did not have any ground sage. I used dried thyme leaves and it did not seem to make a difference. I also, shamelessly, added another clove of garlic 'cause that's just how I roll.
I cooked on low for 8 hours and drizzled the glaze over top. It was amazing awesome - redundant? Nah, not for something this insanely good. It is now in our recipe rotation and something I plan to make for guests next time. Dennis already had plans to make leftover sandwiches before we even finished dinner!
Oh, and LB really liked it! She took one bite and said, "mmm i love it!" Kid approved!
Next time I might add a tiny pinch of red pepper flakes to the glaze to give it a nice kick. I'm not a huge fan of sweet things that should be savory...but it was still awesome.

And lastly,
3. Zucchini Oven Chips

 This pictures needs an explanation. I have no wire rack for any of my pans. I don't even have a cooling rack. Yes, I know, tragic! And I always mean to get one but it's never a priority until I really need it. So I attempted to make my own for this experiment. I think I heard Rachael Ray doing this back in the day before she became famous and got a super weird-scratchy-annoying voice. (sorry RR, it's true. Still love ya!) Results: It worked better than just sitting them flat. Parts of the underside got browned but some were still "raw." Conclusion?: Buy a freaking wire rack. And cooling rack.

Coated with deliciousness

Mmm Browned cheese

I made these as a snack the other day and ended up eating them ALL.
I would add a dash of cayenne pepper. They seemed to lacking that little bit of "oomph" and I would serve it with something to dip. Though they were good on their own (hello, I ate them all!) I just think they could've been taken to the next level with a fun dip. I recently made "comeback sauce" I have not used it yet but will let you know how that goes (and include a link and pictures when I have time!)