{Sunday Funday}

Summer weekends always seem to be so crazy busy! And this weekend was no exception as my family was in town. After a fun afternoon/night with my family, my parents spent the night at my house on Saturday. On Sunday morning I went to Lutheran Church of Hope with my parents to check out my brother’s church. Can’t believe how huge Hope is! It reminds me a lot of Willow Creek in Chicago, where I attended when I lived downtown Chicago. There was an excellent sermon, and I even saw a few people I knew!

After church I rushed home to get cookin’. Because I had family in town, I wanted to take the opportunity to cook a killer lunch for everyone, as cooking is something I LOVE to do when I have the time. Lunch consisted of grilled pork chops, garlic parmesan knots, twice baked potato casserole and sweet corn. Yum! Check out the photos and some recipes below.

After lunch I spent some time outside soaking up the glorious weather! It almost felt fall-like, although I am not ready for summer to end quite yet. I think I got some good sun and really enjoyed relaxing for an hour.

Easy Parmesan Knots [Recipe from Real Mom Kitchen’s blog]

1 tube (12 ounces) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits ( I used Pillsbury Golden Layers Refrigerated Buttermilk Biscuits)
1/4 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (I did use the green can stuff)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes

Roll each biscuit into a 12-in. rope and tie into a knot; tuck ends under. Place 2 in. apart on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400° for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
In a large bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; brush the warm knots with the mixture. Yield:10 knots.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole [Recipe from Six Sisters’ Stuff Website]

INGREDIENTS:

5 lb russet potatoes
10 sli bacon
8 oz cream cheese
0.5 c unsalted butter, melted
1 c sour cream
0.25 c chives, minced
2.5 c cheddar cheese, grated
2 t kosher salt
0.5 t pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp and browned, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.
3. Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth. Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.

Both are recipes I found on Pinterest. Gosh, what would I do without that site?! I seriously need to try new recipes each week from Pinterest.

Hope you had a great weekend!

xoxo,
Angela