Amazingness in a Bowl (A Recipe)

Our friends had a sweet baby girl last week, and I'm super jealous that my husband has gotten to see her twice already!  Since some of our girls aren't feeling 100% - so instead of sharing our germs, Bill brought over this dinner to them yesterday.

I've been craving something light and fresh (and different), and I found this recipe online.  Lindsey approved, and I thought it was delicious - not too heavy, just the right amount of sweetness, and filling enough to have as a meal.  It was the first time I had made this dressing so I'm thankful it turned out as tasty as it sounded.  I had it for dinner last night, and I plan on having it for lunch today:

ASIAN CHICKEN SALAD
adapted from food.com
DRESSING
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 teaspoons canned mandarin juice
2 teaspoons soy sauce
4 teaspoons sesame oil
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
(I triple this recipe.)
SALAD
romaine lettuce, torn in pièces
4 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts (shredded or chopped)
2 cups dry chow mein noodles
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds or 1/3 cup chopped peanuts
(I like to use these honey roasted almonds - they're delicious.)
canned mandarin oranges (drained, reserve 2 teaspoons juice for the dressing)

Mix all dressing ingredients until well combined - refrigerate for a minimum of one hour.
In a large bowl combine the lettuce with chicken, dry noodles, and almonds/peanuts.
Mix to combine.
Pour on the dressing.
Toss to combine.
Top with  mandarine oranges.
Serve immediately.
(I store the lettuce, chicken, mandarin oranges, and dressing in separate containers
in the refrigerator to make assembling single servings easier.)
Enjoy!

Only One Doesn't Like It

My friend gave me this recipe a few years ago (Thanks, Lisa!).  I always have to ask her to send it to me when I want to make it because I can't seem to remember where I "saved" it.

Now I'll know where to find it.

Isabella is not a fan of this meal, but she pushed through last night and managed to

eat her dinner so she could have her dessert.  Good girl.

One out of six sounds like good odds to me - so this recipe's a keeper for our family:

It's "Make for Other People" Kind of Good

I am not a fantastic cook at all.  In fact, I don't know what Bill and I ate during the early years of our marriage.  Seriously - did I ever cook in the kitchen of our first apartment?  (Possibly a handful of times.)  I suppose I've grown up just a little bit because I do like to cook for our family now.

This chicken is amazing times 49.8 - probably more than that.  Everyone in our family loves it - every. single. one. - and that's an amazing thing with eaters that are sometimes picky.

I think The Pioneer Woman is phenomenal, and I have several of her recipes in my cooking repertoire - if you will.  This one is from one her friends, and it's easy AND scrumptious.  It's one of our favorite things to have for dinner, and it's one of our go-to entrees when we bring meals to people.

Herb Roasted Whole Chicken

(adapted from The Pioneer Woman's recipe)

3-4lb whole chicken

something to stuff inside the chicken

(I typically use a granny smith apple, an onion, garlic, and a lemon - all coarsely chopped.)

2-3 tablespoons canola oil

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1-2 tablespoons of your choice of herbs

(I use whatever we have on hand - but sage, rosemary, and thyme are amazing.)

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.

Place herbs into a bowl.

Add the salt, pepper, and oil - and mix well.

Stuff the aromatics (apple, onion, etc.) into the chicken.

Pat the whole chicken dry with a clean cloth or paper towel
to help form a nice crust on your chicken.

Rub the chicken down with your herb mixture.

Bake at 450 for an hour or until the chicken is golden brown and has developed a crust.

Carve and enjoy the amazingness you just created.

(This is great served with a salad or a vegetable dish & rolls or cornbread.)
The leftovers are equally scrumptious.

As a bonus to your momma's heart (if your'e a momma) - your little might exclaim,

Delicious!

as she eats her dinner like our Evangeline did tonight.

Tis The Season To Get Your Grill On (A Great Marinade Recipe)

To my girls:

You'll want to save this one for when Daddy and I visit you when you're all grown up - and you want to make us a fast and tasty meal.  That way, he won't raid the pantry in the middle of the night like he sometimes does when I haven't made him an amazing dinner.

Love you forever,

Mom

It seems like spring (probably summer?) has finally arrived,
and the whole family is all sorts of excited. 

Two of my favorites about this time of year are:

(1) Bill (as always) and

(2) his grill

Everything seems to taste better after it's been cooked outside - or maybe I'm just happy because I'm not the one cooking dinner inside?  Either way - the husband is wonderful at the helm, and everyone is typically eager (and happy) to eat what Bill has made.

This is one of our favorite marinades.  I always use chicken breasts, but I'm sure it would work just as well with thighs or wings.  The meat is always tender and juicy - and Bill and the girls eat it up with a quickness.  I love it because it's easy, it's delicious, and it only takes 30 minutes to prep.  You can marinate it overnight for more flavor, but I sometimes forget to do that.  Oops.  I probably let it sit, oh, about 19.8 minutes this afternoon before Bill took it outside.  Still fantastic.  He found this recipe here.

KEY WEST CHICKEN

3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

1 teaspoon chopped garlic (or garlic powder)

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

(Sometimes I use more, sometimes I use less.  I usually don't cut them in half.)

In a shallow container - blend all the ingredients except for the chicken.

Place the chicken into the mixture, and turn to coat.

Cover and marinate in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

Lightly oil the grill grate.

Discard marinade.

Grill chicken 6 to 8 minutes on each side, until juices run clear.

Enjoy - it really is delicious!

Strawberry Cheesecake Pie Deliciousness

Our friends Paul and Melissa had us over (all of us: SO nice!) for dinner a couple of weeks ago.  We had a fantastic time getting to know them and their adorables.  We had an even more fantastic time eating the dessert that Melissa made.  It was so ridiculously good.  I asked her for the recipe pretty soon after, and she was nice enough to indulge me.  I made it that week - and again the following week.  I probably shouldn't make it this week.  You should make it, though -

you will not be disappointed.

At.  All.

Melissa's Strawberry Cheesecake Pie

Graham Cracker Pie Crust:
1 1/2 cups (or 1 package) finely ground graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup white sugar
6 tablespoons butter, melted
 Melissa likes to leave the graham crackers a little chunky instead of grinding it into a powder.
Mix ingredients together and press into a pie plate.
Press just so it's formed in the pie plate.  If you press too much, it gets too hard and chewy.
Bake for 7-10 minutes at 350.
Let cool before spooning in cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling:
1 block cream cheese
1 container cool whip
1/2 cup sugar
 
Strawberry Glaze:
1/2 cup mashed/pureed strawberries
1/2 cup sugar
1.5T cornstarch
3/8 cup water
sliced strawberries (for topping)
In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch.
Stir in water and mashed berries.
Bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Stir in food coloring if desired (I haven't either time).
Cook and stir 3 minutes more.
Cool in fridge.

Amazingness Combined:
 Spoon the cheesecake filling into the cooled pie crust.
Slice a bunch of strawberries and mix with the cooled glaze.
Top your pie with the glazed strawberries.
Enjoy the deliciousness you just created.
Share and make immediate friends.

A Picky Girl's Favorite

Our oldest doesn't tend to eat a huge variety of food, but she certainly loves this meal - which isn't your typical tacos, spaghetti, or pizza kind of dinner.  My friend Amanda first introduced me to this recipe years ago.  She literally came over to our house one afternoon with all the ingredients, and I watched her cook - and then we ate.  It was lovely.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

4 chicken breasts, cut into thin, 2-inch-long strips
2 tablespoons grill seasoning, recommended brand Montreal Seasoning by McCormick
1 green pepper, cut into thin, 2-inch-long strips
1 onion, chopped
3 large cloves garlic, chopped (adjust to your taste)
3/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 head iceberg lettuce

  

 Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat with the vegetable oil.

Season the chicken with the grill seasoning.

Add the chicken pieces to your pan and stir while it cooks through.
Add the bell pepper, onion, garlic and continue to cook until the veggies are tender.

While that's cooking, combine the hoisin sauce and the chicken stock in a small bowl.
Add the liquid to your skillet and stir to fully coat the chicken and veggies.
Combine and transfer to a serving bowl (or you can leave it in the pan like we do).

To assemble the wraps, peel a leaf off of your lettuce and place a spoonful (or two or three) of the deliciousness in the center.
Wrap the leaf around the mixture and enjoy!

This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray's Chicken Lettuce Wraps because

-I'm not a huge fan of water chestnuts.

-I use whatever kind of peppers we have on hand.  Last night we had green.

-who knows what drama would unfold if we had bean sprouts on the table.

-I sometimes have sesame seeds on hand, and when I do - do I want or have time to toast them?  Usually not.

Easy, delicious, and all our girls (and our boy) enjoy it - I should probably make it more often!

Not CFA (A Recipe)

The girls are in love their chicken nuggets/strips/etc.  Because of this, I'm always on the search for variations on the classic so we don't spend our lives at Chick-fil-A 

(which the girls AND Bill would do without a problem).

Because I spend just a little bit of my time here, I have plenty of recipes to pull from if I ever get the urge.  I decided to try this one tonight, and everyone approved.  It was easy, tasty -

and I had all the ingredients on hand.

Parmesan Sesame Chicken Strips

from Six Sisters' Stuff

  35 ritz crackers (butter flavor)
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 skinless/boneless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs worth)
1 cup light mayonnaise
2 teaspoons dried minced onion
2 teaspoons ground mustard

Cover a large baking sheet with aluminum foil and lightly spray with non-stick cooking spray.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place crackers in a Ziploc bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are finely crushed.

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, onion, and mustard.

In a second bowl, combine crushed crackers, sesame seeds, and Parmesan cheese.

Cut chicken lengthwise into 1/4" strips.

Dip strips into mayonnaise mixture, then into crumb mixture.

Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes.

Serve with your favorite condiment.

Yay for getting dinner on the table despite the chaos pictured above.

Easiest Best Wings Ever

Photo Source

These wings are fantastic!

They're easy (and fast) to make, they're delicious, and Bill AND the girls love them - very important criteria if a recipe wants to stick around this house.  Either Bill or I found it online, and it's been a keeper ever since.

Make these as soon as possible, and please try to share.

Caramelized Baked Chicken

3 pounds chicken wings

(I just use however many wings I want to make for our meal.)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 cup honey
1 clove garlic, minced

(I use garlic powder if I'm too lazy to mince or don't have fresh garlic on hand.)
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken in a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Mix together the oil, soy sauce, ketchup, honey, garlic, salt and pepper.

Pour over the chicken.

 Bake in preheated oven for one hour (I turn the wings halfway through),
or until sauce is caramelized.

This Is Ridiculously Good

Photo by: Saija Lehto

I found this recipe a couple of years ago, and I've never looked back.  If you're ever in need of some amazing, delicious recipes - please familiarize yourself with Ree Drummond at The Pioneer Woman.  I'm sure you've heard of her, her blog, her cookbooks, and/or her cooking show.  If not, you need to go discover her - right now.

I've never met a person who hasn't fallen in love with these bad boys.  They're easy to make, but not so easy on the hips.  Please click here for Ree's step by step baking instructions.  You will not be sorry that you did.

The Pioneer Woman's Apple Dumplings

2 whole Granny Smith Apples
2 cans (8 Oz. Cans) Crescent Rolls
2 sticks Butter
1-1/2 cup Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Cinnamon, To Taste
1 can (12 Oz.) Mountain Dew Soda

Peel and core apples.

Cut each apple into 8 slices each.

Roll each apple slice in a crescent roll.

Place in a 9 x 13 buttered pan.

Melt butter, then add sugar and barely stir.

Add vanilla, stir, and pour entire mixture over apples.

Pour Mountain Dew around the edges of the pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serve with ice cream, and spoon some of the sweet sauces from the pan over the top.

It's Not Disgusting (A Recipe)

The girls have their favorite meals.  They're picky when it comes to certain things (Espy doesn't like cheese on top; Gianna doesn't like corn inside; and Isabella sometimes needs help eating, or she's "going to throw up.")  Keeping that in mind - whenever I make something new, it's regarded with much hesitation and suspicion.

For lunch one Sunday afternoon, I decided to try a new recipe I found online.
This blog is fantastic and so is this recipe! 

Photo Source

Jami Nato's Enchilada Lasagna
tortilla chips
2 cups of salsa
1 can of black beans
1 block of cream cheese
1 tsp salt
garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup fat free Greek yogurt (or ranch dressing)
handful or more of spinach, chopped
2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed and salted
salt and pepper
1 tsp chili powder
1 cup cheddar cheese

Mix cream cheese, garlic, salt, chili powder, Greek yogurt in a bowl.
Throw in a handful of spinach while you're at it.
Place 1/2 a cup (or more) salsa at the bottom of 9x13 glass pan.
Then place the chips on top.  Try and smash the chips down a little if they are sticking up too much.
Throw in a drained, rinsed can of black beans on top of this
then half of the cubed chicken
then 1/2 cup of salsa spooned over the top evenly.
then chips
then the cream cheese mixture - all of it!
then chicken
then chips
then the remaining salsa over everything
then sprinkle the cheddar cheese on top.
Really you can do whatever order you want, and you can throw more ingredients in here.
Just remember that the bottom and top need salsa.
Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.

I prepped everything the night before so all I had to do was stick it in the oven when we got home from church.  While the girls were getting changed and waiting for lunch, there was an ongoing conversation about how I was making something new and different.  The girls were very concerned about what certainly would be strange and unfamiliar ingredients in that 9x13 pan.

Despite all the nervousness, the girls ate their lunch - and liked it! 

I mentioned it before, but while they were eating:
I thought it might be disgusting.
It smelled like it might be disgusting, but really, Mom - it's not disgusting.
I like it.  Good job.

We make it a point for our girls to be honest.  We do, however, need to work on being tactful.  There's a fine line between being open and being rude.  We're still working on the difference.

Leftover Consumption (Baked Potato Soup Recipe)

The girls will actually eat leftovers.  I can't believe it.  I don't know if it was the influence of a fantastic spring day, or if they in fact love this so much that they're willing to eat leftovers, OR if it was a combination of both.  Regardless, this recipe is a keeper - and you should try it when you're in the mood for a delicious (and easy to make) soup.  Thanks for sharing, Kristie!

Photo by: Mama Loves Food!

April's Baked Potato Soup - Slow Cooker Style

We Heart Macaroni And Cheese

I've been on the prowl for a macaroni and cheese recipe for awhile now.
Does that make me sound cool and spy-like?

Random side story:
One of my Christmas presents from my parents was a pair of Isotoner gloves because I'm a genius
and lost one of them last winter.

I had them on in the van while I was taking the girls to the bus stop one morning.

I handed Gianna something, and she said, 
Oh, momma!  You have spy gloves on!  You make me nervous!
 
Gianna!
You make us laugh all the time.  Your smooth dance moves and made-up songs make it hard to

The Juicy Details

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Our juicer is an ikon Multi-Speed Juice Fountain from Breville.
Love it.

There are lots of parts to clean, but it's manageable if you clean it right away.  Because I'm slightly obsessive, I wash it right after Bill juices. 

Our breakfast varies depending on what produce we have on hand.

This morning, Bill used:

Juice Juice Everywhere

Joe Cross

There's never a lack of entertainment in our house because:

1.  We have four children under the age of seven.

2.  We have two dogs.

3.  Bill lives here.

4.  Our friends are funny.

AND

5. We have Netflix.

Should you ever come to our home and find Bill relaxing,

Make This Tonight

Photo by: Joyful Momma

I found this recipe on Pinterest and couldn't wait to make it.

Our oldest is a picky eater - always has been.  

As soon as I put the dish on the table, Espy scrunched up her nose and was about to utter her infamous I don't like it before I gave her the don't even think about it face.

We loved it, and it's extremely rare that all six of us enjoy the same meal so a keeper it is.

Here is the recipe courtesy of Joyful Momma if you want to try it out:

Chicken Enchiladas with Green Chili Sour Cream Sauce
10 soft taco shells
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup sour cream
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilli

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a 9x13 pan.
Mix chicken and 1 cup cheese.
Roll up in tortillas and place in pan.
In a sauce pan - melt butter, stir in flour and cook 1 minute.
Add broth and whisk until smooth.
Heat over medium heat until thick and bubbly.
Stir in sour cream and chilies.
Do not bring to boil, you don't want curdled sour cream.
Pour over enchiladas and top with remaining cheese.
Bake 22 min and then under high broil for 3 minutes to brown the cheese.

Tips and Suggestions
* add a can of drained Rotel Tomatoes to the chicken mixture
* add a cup of salsa to the chicken mixture
* add cumin and a 4 oz can of diced jalapenos to the chicken mixture
* add pinto beans or black beans to the chicken mixture

These Are Not New Year's Resolutions

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I don't make New Year's Resolutions.
I'm not a huge fan of setting goals, commitments, objectives,

or anything like that when January 1st rolls around

(which is weird because I'm sometimes OCD).

Call me a realist (or maybe even a pessimist?),

but when it come to NYRs - I refuse.
Thanks, but no thanks.

I think part of it might be my Type A personality
(a temperament marked by excessive competitiveness and ambition, an obsession with accomplishing tasks quickly, little time for self-reflection, and a strong need to control situations).

By the way, you wouldn't think I was such a Type A if you saw our house right now -

but that's a subject for another time.

I know myself too well.  At the hint of failure, I'm done.

If I miss one step of the process, I'm out.

If I even sniff doubt in the air, I'm through.

If things don't happen just so in this specified amount of time,

it's obvious that it's not going to get done so why even bother?

It really is a terrible way to view things, isn't it?
I continually pray that He can use my personality for Him,
and that I don't use it as a device to torture my friends and family.

Despite my desire not to voice big plans for 2012,
I still have thoughts on what this year could hold: 

discovering new recipes

bettering my mind

blogging consistently 

getting in shape 

strengthening my relationship with God 

becoming the person (neighbor, wife, mother, friend) that He wants me to be 

We'll see how these intentions pan out.  Until then - thank goodness for a God who still loves me when I fail miserably at my non-resolutions, and for the grace and strength He gives me to reach some of those pseudo-goals.

Here's to anticipating what this New Year holds for all of us!

Christmas Eve Shenanigans

We spent a Merry Christmas Eve with my parents and my sister and her husband:
small breakfast for the girls
gift opening with Bill and the girls
brunch (tocino, eggs, rice, and samporado) at my parent's with Evan and Sarah
home to tidy up the house and cook a few things
my parents, Evan and Sarah come over for dinner and gifts
Mom and Sarah bring ham, turkey, mashed potatoes, palabok, and rolls
I have beverages (try this Wassail recipe!), sweet potato casserole and corn casserole
sweet friends drop by
girls' annual Christmas "performance"

family gift exchange

We can't wait to meet Samantha!

 

1 day 'til Christmas!

Cookie Baking and Olive Garden-ing

The girls got to bake and decorate cookies with their Tito and Tita.
They LOVE going over to Evan and Sarah's!
I'm thankful they enjoy having the girls over, too.

In response to my asking if they were good, my sister said:
They were just loud and didn't listen a lot - I think because they were so excited.

Evidence:

Cookie Swapping

 I went to a cookie swap with Abbey tonight,
and it was amazing!

I got to bring home a sampling of this deliciousness:
cowboy cookies

Sickness, Baking, and a Movie

We were supposed to go to Christmas Town tonight,

but I decided to be all weird and flu-like earlier this afternoon and had to reschedule.

Our sweet friends decided to wait for us to go another time (love you guys!)

so we're excited about our eventual trip to Busch Gardens.

Instead, I tried to rest while mom came over for a few hours.

I started feeling somewhat normal and got to bake these beauties:

Photo Source

to. die. for.