tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65487291366083221032024-03-13T19:35:13.865-07:00Working Through Naptimeshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.comBlogger366125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-81023742751307164582015-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:002015-10-13T05:37:17.674-07:00Menu for 10/12/15-10/18/15I have absolutely no motivation this week. I don't want to clean or cook or go anywhere. I just want to sit on the couch with the cats and Bailey and watch television (YouTube videos) all day. Why does this happen? What steals my motivation? I'm not sick. I've slept plenty. I'm just feeling incredibly lazy.<br />
<br />
I'm generally a lazy person. It takes a significant effort not procrastinate everything and if I'm given any excuse (such as a new YouTube video from my favorite channels) I will never ever do anything useful. My procrastination abilities are the reason that no matter what time I have to be somewhere my hair is always still wet from the shower when I leave the house.<br />
<br />
As I stated in a previous post, the cure for being a lazy bum is to drink coffee. Maybe I should make a pot. I do have salted caramel mocha creamer.<br />
<br />
Okay, that's it. As soon as I finish typing this I will make a pot of coffee and get to work!<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
Or watch some more AmazingPhil or Danisnotonfire! Yes, that one.<br />
<br />
Here's the menu!<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and cereal<br />
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips<br />
Dinner- pizza<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and bananas<br />
Lunch- leftover pizza<br />
Dinner- Yaya's spaghetti and salad<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover spaghetti and salad<br />
Dinner- chicken cordon bleu casserole<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, scrambled eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover casserole<br />
Dinner- lemon chicken and orzo soup and honey yeast knots<br /><br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- turkey bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover soup<br />
Dinner- sweet and sour chicken, rice, and steamed vegetables<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- skillet bacon cheeseburger macaroni and Hawaiian rolls<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- pancakes and turkey bacon<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinnershynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-37330349521378133932015-10-04T09:00:00.000-07:002015-10-06T13:38:26.973-07:00Menu for 10/5/15-10/11/15Last week was seriously stressful. Between a cake order for Monday and a cupcake order for Friday I hardly had time for anything but baking and then I had to work Saturday morning. I was painfully tired by Saturday night so we skipped the soup and ordered food from Texas Roadhouse (the only time I ever get steak) and Bailey got to try her first bite of steak. I say bite but really she ate half of my 8 oz sirloin. I was glad to share with her. It's always good to find more foods she likes.<br />
<br />
Anyway, back to the baking for a second. After my brother's wedding I was asked by several people if I would do some baking for them. My Aunt Mart wanted a pumpkin spice cake to share with her friends at Hardee's. I really didn't mind making it for her. She rarely needs anything complicated and she always buys us breakfast for the trouble.<br />
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My more stressful job was the cupcakes. Four dozen in four different flavors with two different frostings and four colors of frosting. They were for a birthday party for some adorable little twin girls.<br />
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One half were puppy themed and needed hot pink and turquoise frosting.<br />
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The other half were Descendants themed and needed red, royal blue, or purple frosting. I'm not gonna lie, that was 7 hours worth of work but they turned out really beautiful. I just hope the girls enjoyed them.<br />
<br />
I did manage to spend my time at work on Saturday making out my menu for this week. Here ya go guys!<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and fruit<br />
Lunch- chicken, veggies, and pasta<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/03/four-bean-turkey-chili.html">four bean turkey chili</a><br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover chili<br />
Dinner- <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6548729136608322103#allposts/src=dashboard">crescent chicken</a>, <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/01/nanas-creamed-potatoes-update.html">mashed potatoes</a>, macaroni and cheese, and green beans<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover crescent chicken and vegetables<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/06/chicken-bacon-and-ranch-macaroni-and.html">chicken bacon ranch mac and cheese</a> and <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/03/honey-yeast-knots.html">honey yeast knots</a><br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover mac and cheese<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/11/olive-gardens-zuppa-toscana-copycat.html">Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana</a> and breadsticks<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, eggs, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover soup and breadsticks<br />
Dinner- chicken and black bean quesadillas<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/06/spaghetti-pie-with-laughing-cow-cheese.html">Laughing Cow spaghetti pie</a>, salad, and <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/01/fluffy-rosemary-garlic-knots.html">garlic knots</a><br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinnershynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-27547538010322264282015-09-30T09:00:00.000-07:002015-10-06T18:04:17.886-07:00Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was never a fan of stuffed peppers when I was younger. Every stuffed pepper I ever tried was overcooked and under-seasoned. Bell peppers weren't my favorite food to begin with and it didn't help matters any to fill them with bland, grainy ground beef and mushy rice.<br />
<br />
In recent years I've come to appreciate bell peppers more. Through Subway I learned that they're delicious on a turkey sandwich or a salad and thanks to Rachael Ray I can now enjoy them in a variety of soups and sauces. Bell peppers are one of Bailey's favorite snacks. She likes them raw and cut into chunks but she will also eat them whole with stem and seeds intact if I don't stop her in time.<br />
<br />
Stuffed peppers were still high on my "never gonna make it, ever!" list until a few months ago when I discovered this recipe through one of the blogs I follow. It was as if a switch was flipped in my head and ideas just flooded in... or would that be out? I'm not sure, but either way I was struck by a tsunami of ideas.<br />
<br />
The first was:<br />
<br />
<i>Look at that! They stuffed the peppers with chicken. I like chicken.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Followed by:<br />
<br />
<i>And if I used brown rice and cooked it just under done it wouldn't be as mushy.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
And then:<br />
<br />
<i>Oh! If I can use chicken, why not substitute a little steak? Make it a steak fajita stuffed pepper! That would be so yummy!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Which of course led to these thoughts:<br />
<br />
<i>I bet that Philly steak stuffed pepper with the provolone would be amazing. I could leave out the onions.</i><br />
<i>Hey, while I'm at it I could do a Philly chicken pepper too.</i><br />
<i>And I could do them vegetarian too! I wonder if anyone has ever made a broccoli cheddar stuffed pepper...</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
You can see where this is going. It was like a blogging brainstorm party in my head. My final list totaled over twenty ideas for stuffed peppers, including a roast beef and gravy pepper (shepherd's pie style with mashed potatoes on top) and a chicken Parmesan pepper. Perhaps a few of my ideas were stretching it a bit, but they all sounded tasty to me. Who knows? I might have just thought up a new food trend.<br />
<br />
This filling recipe is perfectly balanced. The chicken:rice:other ingredient ratio is just right. There's a little punch of heat from the green chilies in the tomatoes but it's not an overwhelming spiciness. Brown rice stands up nicely without turning mushy. The chicken is a much more pleasant texture than ground beef.<br />
<br />
I did adjust a few things. First, I added another whole pepper. The filling recipe made more than enough for the five peppers. I also upped the cheese to two whole cups. There's nothing wrong with cutting down the amount of cheese to a tiny sprinkling on each pepper, but I like cheese... a lot! Especially on anything with chili powder.<br />
<br />
I made these with all green peppers the first time but I preferred the flavor of the red, orange, and yellow peppers this time. Since the peppers are the expensive part of this meal I'd say just use what you can find on sale (or beg from your neighbor's garden... guilty!) and get cookin'! Cause these peppers are absolutely deeeee-lish!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Chicken Fajita Stuffed Peppers</span><br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/09/chicken-fajita-stuffed-peppers/">Cooking Classy</a><br />
<br />
3/4 cup dry brown rice, cooked<br />
6 medium bell peppers, any color<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
1 tsp chili powder<br />
1 tsp ground cumin<br />
1/4 tsp paprika<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 lb chicken, diced<br />
1 medium onion, finely diced<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies<br />
1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed<br />
1 cup frozen corn<br />
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice (optional)<br />
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)<br />
2/3-2 cups monterrey jack or cheddar cheese, shredded (your choice how much you want to use)<br />
sour cream and hot sauce to serve (also optional)<br />
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Begin by starting to cook the rice. You can follow the directions on the package but I like to use the pasta method. Just fill a 2-quart pot with water (far more water than the directions call for), bring it to a boil, add the rice and some salt and cook for 45-50 minutes. When the rice is done drain and rinse in a fine mesh strainer.<br />
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Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil.<br />
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Take your peppers and slice them all in half.<br />
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Remove the ribs and seeds but leave the stem intact.<br />
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Place the pepper halves 3-4 at a time in the boiling water and cook for 5 minutes.<br />
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After five minutes use a pair of tongs to remove and drain the peppers. Place them on a baking sheet (lined with foil if you remember... I forgot this time).<br />
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Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the salt, chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, and pepper.<br />
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Once you've finished boiling the peppers pour the water out and place the pot back on the stove. Add the oil and heat on medium-high. Once the oil is hot add the chicken.<br />
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Add the seasoning mix and stir to combine.<br />
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Add the onion and cook for about 10 minutes, until the onion starts to turn translucent.<br />
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Once the onion is mostly cooked add the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.<br />
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Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, black beans, and frozen corn.<br />
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Stir to combine and cook just until the ingredients are warmed through.<br />
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Once the rice is cooked and drained add it and the lime juice and cilantro to the chicken mixture and stir to combine.<br />
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Fill each of your prepared peppers with the filling mixture to heaping full.<br />
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Sprinkle the cheese over the peppers and bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes.<br />
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Remove from the oven when the cheese is brown and bubbly.<br />
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Serve warm with sour cream and hot sauce if desired.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-53807534652331428852015-09-28T09:00:00.000-07:002015-10-02T15:41:30.138-07:00Menu for 9/28/15-10/4/15Way back in June I bought Admiral a Groupon to go ziplining as a father's day gift. It was a voucher for two that expired the Saturday after my brother's wedding so we kept trying to plan a day to go but it never quite worked out. We finally got to go the week after the wedding and guys, it was so much fun!<br />
<br />
I was scared. I'm terrified of heights but it was also exciting. There were six lines, the first two were kind of like practice runs. The third they wanted us to let go and "fly like a birdie" which I was too scared to do but on the fourth line we got to hang upside down which was the most fun thing ever! They hooked us onto the line and then had us lie down on our back on the platform and put our feet up on the rope. Then they pushed us off and we could let go with our hands and just fly upside down for about 10 seconds. Of course we had to be upright by the end but the line was actually a lot longer than it looked so there was plenty of time to right ourselves and come in safely.<br />
<br />
The fifth line was a tandem line and Dad and I got to go down together, then the last line actually had two lines and they told us to race. I threw myself off the platform as hard as I could and for awhile I was actually in the lead but then just before the end Dad shot ahead of me and won. Oh well. It was a super fun time.<br />
<br />
We made a whole day of it. We drove up to Sevierville early, in Dad's convertible, stopped for lunch, and then after the ziplining we went shopping for cupcake decorating supplies. I would highly recommend going ziplining if you have a chance. It's an exhilarating experience.<br />
<br />
Here's our menu this week.<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- Hardee's with Aunt Margaret<br />
Lunch- ham and cheddar melts and chips<br />
Dinner- cluck! cluck! baked chicken, <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/08/twice-baked-potatoes.html">twice baked potatoes</a>, and mixed vegetables<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- ham and cheese omelets and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover chicken and vegetables<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/02/calzones.html">calzones </a>and salad<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and yogurt<br />
Lunch- leftover calzones and salad<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/03/yayas-spaghetti-updated.html">spaghetti</a>, salad, and <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/01/fluffy-rosemary-garlic-knots.html">garlic knots</a><br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- sausage, egg, and cheese croissants<br />
Lunch- leftover spaghetti and salad<br />
Dinner- chicken fajita stuffed bell peppers<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and yogurt<br />
Lunch- leftover stuffed peppers<br />
Dinner- chili dogs and doritos<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover hot dogs<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/11/olive-gardens-zuppa-toscana-copycat.html">zuppa toscana</a> and breadsticks<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- pancakes, bacon, and eggs<br />
Lunch- leftover zuppa toscana<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/06/loaded-potato-and-chicken-casserole.html">loaded potato and buffalo chicken casserole</a> and salad at Admiral's houseshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-4950986263235778432015-09-23T09:00:00.000-07:002015-09-23T09:28:43.144-07:00Cheesy Chicken and Stuffing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you know that I don't eat dressing or stuffing at Thanksgiving? There's something about the soggy bread that just does not appeal to me. That being said, the stuffing mix that you buy at the store is pretty fantastic. You can make some awesome meals with it.<br />
<br />
This recipe caught my eye on Pinterest because of its simplicity. You just layer all of the ingredients in the baking dish and bake it until it's done. I wanted to try it because I thought, <i>Hey! Another easy meal for busy nights.</i> Thankfully the recipe turned out spectacularly well. I've made it a total of three times and decided to keep the ingredients on hand for particularly hectic nights.<br />
<br />
I had a moment while making this meal where I actually had nothing to do but wait for things to cook. That rarely happens. Usually I'm running around like a crazy person trying to get everything to finish cooking at the same time. I had the chicken in the oven, the potatoes were boiling, the water was coming to a boil for macaroni and cheese, and the green beans were bubbling away. I stood in the middle of Aaron's mother's kitchen wondering what did I do right?<br />
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What do you get with this recipe? How about tender, moist chicken with a creamy, cheesy sauce and a crispy bread topping. The extra sauce and stuffing make an excellent topping for mashed potatoes and the whole meal has a very country, home-cooking flavor.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Cheesy Chicken and Stuffing</span><br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://oneshetwoshe.com/2014/04/swiss-cheese-chicken.html">Or so she says...</a><br />
<br />
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half as evenly as possible<br />
6-8 slices cheese (I used cheddar but pretty much any cheese will work)<br />
1 (10-oz) can cream of chicken soup<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
1 box chicken stuffing mix (like Stovetop)<br />
1/4 cup butter, melted<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.<br />
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Place the chicken pieces in the bottom of the pan in an even layer.<br />
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Top the raw chicken with the cheese slices.<br />
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In a small bowl combine the cream of chicken soup and milk. Mix until smooth and then pour the mixture over the cheese.<br />
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Sprinkle the stuffing mix evenly over the soup mixture (yes, dry) and drizzle the butter evenly over the stuffing mix.<br />
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Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 45-60 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.<br />
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Serve warm with mashed potatoes or rice.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-42418151251439221772015-09-21T09:00:00.000-07:002015-09-22T08:04:05.876-07:00Creamy Chicken and Rice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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In the summer, when our garden (or in our case our neighbor's garden) is rewarding hard work with the best homegrown vegetables available, I always seem to have a plethora of zucchini. We were brought an entire grocery bag of zucchini twice a week for nearly three weeks. We sauteed them with onions, added them to stir fry, and even turned a whole load of them into many loaves of zucchini bread, but this was probably my favorite use of all.<br />
<br />
The recipe didn't call for zucchini, just carrots and onion in the way of vegetables. But I already had some extra zucchini already grated from the zucchini bread and thought, why not? It made a fantastic addition, but if you don't have any zucchini this dish would still be wonderful without it.<br />
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It's no secret how fond I am of rice. Perhaps because it's such a rare treat for me. I usually like rice on the side of Tex-Mex dishes and with Asian inspired meals but this is really more like an Italian risotto. It's a creamy mixture of chicken, vegetables, aromatic Jasmine rice, and Parmesan cheese. This is another one-pot meal, limiting clean up and coming together in less than an hour. I might not use chicken thighs next time as I found it difficult to remove the fat and I don't think the dish would lose any flavor if the thighs were swapped for breast meat. If you're looking for a bit more green you could add some fresh baby spinach leaves, chopped asparagus, or even some steamed broccoli.<br />
<br />
I skipped the wine that the recipe calls for. I know it would have probably added some depth but I knew Nana would prefer it without so I just substituted extra chicken broth in place of the wine. Maybe next time I'll run by the liquor store and grab a bottle of good dry white.<br />
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The flavors of this dish are homey and fresh. It's sure to be a crowd pleaser in almost any home.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Creamy Chicken and Rice</span><br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://natashaskitchen.com/2014/06/26/creamy-chicken-and-rice-recipe-a-one-pot-meal/">Natasha's Kitchen</a><br />
<br />
1/4 cup olive oil<br />
4 Tbsp butter, divided<br />
1 medium onion, diced<br />
2 large carrots, grated<br />
1 medium zucchini, grated<br />
1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces<br />
2 tsp salt<br />
1/4 tsp pepper<br />
2 bay leaves<br />
1 cup dry white wine<br />
5 cups chicken broth, heated<br />
2 cups Jasmine or other medium-grain rice<br />
1 head garlic<br />
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped<br />
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving<br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;">*If you have a dutch oven, use it. You'll get more flavor from all of the ingredients and the whole dish will cook more evenly.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
I didn't have a dutch oven available so I used a large soup pot instead.<br />
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Begin by heating the olive oil and 2 Tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat.<br />
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When the butter has melted add the onion, carrots, zucchini, and 1 tsp of the salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened, stirring frequently to prevent sticking or burning. This will take about 8-10 minutes.<br />
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Once the vegetables are soft add the chicken pieces and season them with the remaining salt and pepper. Cook until the chicken is lightly browned on all sides. I'm sorry for all the steam in the picture, this was the best shot I got out of ten.<br />
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Add the bay leaves, increase the heat to high, and pour in your wine. Cook the wine down, scraping the delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pot as you go.<br />
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Cut the head of garlic so that all of the cloves are open but still attached. Set it aside for a minute.<br />
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Once the wine has mostly evaporated pour in the hot chicken broth and stir in the rice. Then place the head of garlic cut side down in the liquid.<br />
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Bring to a boil and then reduce to low. Cover and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked.<br />
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While it's cooking go outside and find a bunny. Okay, that's just me, but there were dozens of bunnies at Nana's house this summer and they weren't even afraid of us so we got pretty close to some of them. Can you find the bunny? He's kind of camouflaged here.<br />
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Once the rice is cooked remove the garlic. At this point you can either toss it in the trash or push a few of the cloves out, mash them up, and mix them into the rice. I chose to use about 4 cloves because I like garlic. Add the remaining butter and stir until it melts in. Now stir in the parsley and Parmesan until the dish is creamy.<br />
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Serve immediately to prevent the rice from turning to mush.<br />
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Add some extra fresh grated Parmesan or chopped parsley if desired.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-91056880869306732302015-09-20T21:00:00.000-07:002015-09-20T21:00:00.211-07:00Menu for 9/21/15-9/27/15I decided to take the weekly menu from Wednesday-Tuesday back to a Monday-Sunday format. I kept forgetting when I was supposed to post the menu, and I was struggling to make it to the grocery store on Wednesdays. Hopefully this will get me back into the flow of the blog.<br />
<br />
This being the first menu post in over three months I thought I should let any new readers know how it works.<br />
<br />
So, at the beginning of each week (usually either Sunday night or Monday morning) I will post my entire menu for the week. I use sales ads and a list of available pantry items to decide what goes on the menu and then use the menu to make my grocery list. This helps keep the grocery budget low and cuts down on extra trips to the store because, since I know which recipes I'm using for every meal, I rarely have a chance to forget anything.<br />
<br />
Though I sometimes forget, I try to add links to the recipes I'm using for the week where they're available. If something on my menu sounds tasty you can almost always find it on my blog somewhere and if not it's probably on Pinterest.<br />
<br />
One day a week is new recipe night. It used to be Thursdays but I've changed it to Tuesdays because I cook dinner at Nana's house on Thursdays and I try to only use recipes I've already tested at least once. I choose my new recipe each week based on which proteins are on sale at the grocery store, the predicted weather (because who wants soup when it's 90 degrees outside?), and which recipe tickles my fancy on Pinterest.<br />
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Speaking of Pinterest, you can follow Working Through Naptime on Pinterest. <span style="color: red;">To find me just go to the search bar and type in Working Through Naptime, click search, and then click the "pinners" button.</span><br />
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I've thought about including more of the budget aspects of menu planning in the future because I've really been enjoying some of the budget minded blogs I follow lately. I love <a href="http://www.budgetbytes.com/">Budget Bytes</a>. It's one of my favorite blogs and there are a boatload of high protein vegetarian recipes on there that I've been wanting to incorporate into our lunch routine. <span style="color: red;">Anyway, if you're interested in hearing what I'm spending on food and how I'm stretching my dollar just let me know in the comments!</span><br />
<br />
And to get us started, here's this week's menu. It's a little Italian-heavy because I'm in a pasta mood this week... plus, pasta is pretty inexpensive. So here ya go guys! Enjoy!<br />
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Monday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast<br />
Lunch- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/09/spicy-sausage-pasta-skillet-updated.html">spicy sausage rice skillet</a><br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/06/crescent-chicken.html">crescent chicken</a>, <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/01/nanas-creamed-potatoes-update.html">mashed potatoes</a>, and roasted broccoli and brussels sprouts<br />
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Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover crescent chicken and vegetables<br />
Dinner- macaroni and cheese soup with chicken and bacon<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover macaroni and cheese soup<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/04/homemade-bacon-cheeseburger-hamburger.html">cheeseburger macaroni</a> and salad<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover cheeseburger macaroni and salad<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/09/pizza-lasagna-roll-ups.html#more">pizza lasagna roll-ups</a>, salad, and garlic toast<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs, sausage, and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover pizza lasagna and salad<br />
Dinner- <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/06/quick-roasted-chicken-breasts.html">cajun roasted chicken</a>, <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2015/01/lazy-alfredo-sauce.html">lazy Alfredo pasta</a>, and steamed broccoli<br />
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Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken and cheese bagels and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover Alfredo pasta and chicken<br />
Dinner- skillet baked ziti, salad, and garlic ciabatta bread<br />
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Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- cranberry apple granola french toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs<br />
Lunch- leftover baked ziti and salad<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinnershynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-52868667527211887022015-09-15T09:00:00.000-07:002015-09-15T15:08:53.389-07:00The Season for Weddings, I Suppose...<br />
It has been a crazy three months. With my best friend and my brother both getting married within 8 days of each other I've been swamped with wedding work and too busy to keep up with the blog.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dATzoUIPV9o/VfhFpquQ3YI/AAAAAAAAFBA/S2BpExPNDVE/s1600/FB_20150915_09_44_57_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dATzoUIPV9o/VfhFpquQ3YI/AAAAAAAAFBA/S2BpExPNDVE/s640/FB_20150915_09_44_57_Saved_Picture.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Co-D Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I had the privilege to be Maid of Honor for my bestest friend. Most of my duties included doing online pricing research, helping locate some hard-to-find "detail" items, and wrangling bridesmaids.<br />
She had 6 bridesmaids who are some of the coolest people I've met. I got to spend some time with them at both the lingerie shower and her bachelorette party.<br />
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When I say wrangling, there wasn't much actual wrangling involved but I did take over answering the thousands of questions they had during the last week before the wedding, especially questions like:<br />
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What time do I need to show up?<br />
Where are we meeting?<br />
Are the dresses ready yet?<br />
<br />
Our dresses turned out to be kind of a fiasco. We hired a seamstress to make our dresses. We chose a pattern and had a meeting with the seamstress to be measured way back in April. The seamstress received the fabric in May which left her with almost 4 months to work on the dresses, 6 for the bridesmaids and 1 for the junior bridesmaid, the groom's little half sister.<br />
<br />
First we found out that there was no way to modify the dress pattern to fit the junior bridesmaid so we had to go find a children's pattern to match our pattern. Then, around the beginning of August we were told that there might be some problems with our pattern because the pattern was for Misses sizes and most of the bridesmaids were Juniors sizes. (It sounded like a bunch of excuses to me but since I know so little about sewing I didn't say anything at the time.) We were asked to meet again to re-measure and fit the pieces that she had already started sewing, but the woman didn't show up when we had scheduled. It took a whole extra week for all of us to meet with her. I was quite upset when I found out she had only made a small piece of the bodice for each dress. This was just 2 weeks before the wedding! We should have been trying on fully made dresses and being fitted for alterations. I mean, the whole reason we decided to have our dresses made was so they would fit us better.<br />
<br />
I know every bridesmaid complains about the dress. Bridesmaid dresses are expensive and rarely can be worn more than once. They're notoriously ugly, frilly monstrosities that no woman would ever want to wear again. With this being an outdoor summer wedding we tried to choose a dress that would be cool and comfortable. I think the choice of dress was a wise one. It had a layer of satin with a sweetheart neckline overlayed with lace that came all the way to the neck. The lace was super breezy and as long as the wind was blowing at least a little we weren't super hot. The only problem was that no one's dress fit properly. Some were too tight around the waist, others had areas where the lace was a different size than the satin leaving lace sagging in places, and most of them had uneven hems. The seamstress felt the need to add an extra layer of fabric beneath the satin skirts so that we were roasting from waist to knees, but the most infuriating thing was that she delivered the dresses only 4 hours before the wedding was scheduled to begin! See, I told you it was a fiasco.<br />
<br />
Luckily we only had to wear the dresses for a few hours and you can't see the imperfections in the photographs. We all look beautiful in the pictures, especially the girls that managed to get their hair into beautiful updos.<br />
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<br />
My hair was too short for an updo but one of the other girls helped me curl my little bob and it turned out quite well. For all the complaints I have about the dresses, the wedding was really beautiful. I mean, my bestest friend is gorgeous anyway but when I saw her in her dress I wanted to cry. She looked like an angel!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXBhs3e0Dpo/VfhFoyD_OiI/AAAAAAAAFBE/iMP-uLtay6c/s1600/FB_20150915_08_18_32_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bXBhs3e0Dpo/VfhFoyD_OiI/AAAAAAAAFBE/iMP-uLtay6c/s640/FB_20150915_08_18_32_Saved_Picture.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Co-D Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Bailey was a flower girl and one of the cutest little flower girls I've ever seen. She made sure she covered the entire aisle with petals (unlike most flower girls who just sprinkle a handful every couple of steps) and when she ran out she tipped her bucket upside down and gave a cute little look of disappointment at its emptiness. Then she sat quietly with the bride's mother for the entire length of the ceremony. I was so proud!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiNRlOO3UWk/VfhFpRVyPFI/AAAAAAAAFA4/GEJcqZfBb98/s1600/V__378B.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uiNRlOO3UWk/VfhFpRVyPFI/AAAAAAAAFA4/GEJcqZfBb98/s640/V__378B.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bailey made friends with the bridesmaids as well.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was the highlight of the reception for me.<br />
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<br />
Bailey loves to dance and she's not too shy to get out on the dance floor all by herself.<br />
<br />
So that's my bestest friend's wedding but it wasn't the only one.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Df5rofgSo6k/VfhFn3PcYnI/AAAAAAAAFAk/uo0RrOJPDgQ/s1600/FB_20150915_11_35_09_Saved_Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Df5rofgSo6k/VfhFn3PcYnI/AAAAAAAAFAk/uo0RrOJPDgQ/s640/FB_20150915_11_35_09_Saved_Picture.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Sullivan Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My brother married the most amazing, wonderful woman this past Sunday. The whole thing happened in Nana's back yard. They wrote their own beautiful vows. I had heard the bride's vows beforehand but my brother's brought tears to my eyes. (He's a writer after all and one of the most eloquent speakers I've heard.) They took dancing lessons and blew the crowd away with their first dance. Yaya and my brother's dance was equally adorable and my new sister-in-law looked so beautiful dancing with her father. I even got to do the cupid shuffle later on in the reception.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zR5Gii2Lzk/VfhFtR6o6fI/AAAAAAAAFBM/qUhRHVHBGo4/s1600/WP_20150913_001%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="558" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zR5Gii2Lzk/VfhFtR6o6fI/AAAAAAAAFBM/qUhRHVHBGo4/s640/WP_20150913_001%2B1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The bride and groom's cake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I was asked to make cupcakes for the wedding and they turned out so perfect! I spread the work out over three days to allow for sleeping time but I still had a couple of hours of work to do when I arrived at Nana's. I chose to frost and decorate them on site to avoid damaging them while transporting them. My brother asked for pumpkin spice cupcakes and raspberry white chocolate cupcakes so I made<br />
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a pumpkin spice cupcake with spiced cream cheese frosting and<br />
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a raspberry cupcake filled with white chocolate ganache and topped with white chocolate buttercream frosting, a raspberry, and raspberry syrup drizzle. The bride's cupcake choices were strawberry and banana cream so we had<br />
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strawberry cupcakes with strawberry buttercream frosting and a sliced strawberry flower on top and<br />
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vanilla cupcakes filled with banana pudding and topped with whipped cream, sliced bananas, and Nilla wafers.<br />
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And of course Bailey got a chance to show off her moves again, this time with Li'l P.<br />
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It's been a long few months with lots of work. I'm glad it's over but I'm so excited for both of the newlywed couples! (And also a little jealous as my bestie just returned from her honeymoon in Savannah, GA and my brother and his wife are living it up in Hawaii this week.)<br />
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Now that all of the wedding stuff is over I hope to get back on a normal blogging schedule, starting with some of the recipes that I managed to make and photograph during my break. I'll be returning to my weekly menu updates as well as the Wishlist Wednesday posts. I can't wait to get started! Keep an eye out this week for at least two more posts.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-30867689805535237752015-06-11T09:00:00.000-07:002015-07-10T09:56:21.473-07:00Menu for 6/12/15-6/18/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I <u style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">LOVE</u> my hair! I don't think I've ever been so happy with a haircut in my life! Usually I walk out of the salon with all kinds of product in my hair and curls that I could never replicate at home. This is the first time I've ever been able to style my hair at home as easily as the stylist did it for me. It takes a bit of extra time to get ready in the morning but it's worth it because this hairstyle adds so much volume to my hair and frames my face so well. It makes me feel so pretty and it's been awhile since I've felt pretty.<br />
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To top it off I get to spend today at the Tennessee School of Beauty for a spa day. It was my birthday gift from my soon to be sister-in-law. The package includes a facial, mani/pedi, and a shampoo and style for my hair! When I made the appointment the girl said it would probably take about five hours so Nana will be pulling out the pool for Bailey while I'm gone. She's going to have so much fun and so am I.<br />
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Vacation bible school is this week so I haven't been cooking all that much. It's taken me back to the days before Bailey came along when we lived in the apartment and our kitchen was... well, it was difficult. We ate fast food most nights for dinner and though I did buy things for the office like cereal and milk and sandwich stuff that's no substitute for home cooking. After only three days of fast food this week I'm really craving something homemade.<br />
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Bailey seems to be having fun at bible school. Yaya is staying with her class while Nana and I work with the 5-6 year olds and she's making a few friends. The first night she told me she had cookies and orange soda and played on the swings. The kid lives to play outside whether it's swimming, sidewalk chalk, picking flowers, or playing on the playground. I think she could run in circles in the yard (which for some reason she calls the garden, who taught her that?) all day.<br />
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Okay, time to wake Bailey. Here's the menu!<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- chicken apple sausage pasta<br />
Dinner- hot dogs, popcorn, and sno cones at vacation bible school<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover chicken apple sausage pasta<br />
Dinner- four bean turkey chili and cornbread<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- French toast and bacon<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- turkey and cheddar on toast<br />
Dinner- Yaya's spaghetti and garlic toast<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and fruit<br />
Lunch- leftover spaghetti<br />
Dinner- chicken tacos and refried beans<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- almond joy oatmeal<br />
Lunch- leftover chicken tacos<br />
Dinner- skillet pork chops, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and roasted broccoli and asparagus<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- turkey and cheese on toast<br />
Dinner- creamy chicken and riceshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-34256084667525000012015-06-08T09:00:00.000-07:002015-07-10T09:55:13.977-07:00Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Do you ever find something on sale at the grocery store that sounds so good you can't pass it up, but then you get it home and have no idea how to use it? I do it all the time. I saw this chicken and apple sausage for a really great price (under $2 for the 1 lb package) and originally thought it would be great to just fry in the skillet and eat for lunch with some fruit and cheese. Then I got it home and lost my nerve to taste it so I threw it in the freezer until I could find a recipe for it.<br />
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Fast forward a month and that sausage seemed to be taunting me from the freezer so I turned to Pinterest. I found this awesome twist on one of my favorite dishes, Spicy Sausage Pasta, and thawed those sausages out to give it a try.<br />
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I was still a bit hesitant about the sausages. I didn't know if they would be super sweet or if they would have a different texture from the turkey smoked sausage I usually use. I was also concerned about combining apples with the zesty diced tomatoes and green chilies.<br />
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Here's what I discovered:<br />
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*Chicken and apple sausage is awesome! It has the same general texture and flavor as turkey smoked sausage with just a tiny bit of sweetness to it. In fact, the sweetness is almost an aftertaste, but a good one.<br />
*Apples play well with tomatoes and green chilies. The sweetness of the apple tempers the spice of the green chilies and the tartness of the tomatoes. In the interest of full disclosure I will add that I used a Gala apple instead of a Granny Smith which probably added more sweetness but it was a sweetness that I personally enjoyed. I might try it again with the Granny Smith for a different texture and flavor, but the Gala worked fine for me.<br />
*The cheese is completely optional. I love cheese, don't get me wrong. I just think it's unnecessary in this recipe. I might feel differently if I could finish it off under the broiler like the original recipe recommends, but I don't have an oven-safe skillet. I'll stick with the cheese-free version for now.<br />
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This is a fantastic spin on a recipe I already loved. I will be making this again as soon as that chicken and apple sausage goes on sale, and next time it won't spend nearly two months in the fridge before I get around to cooking it.<br />
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Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta<br />
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Source: <a href="http://www.inspiredbycharm.com/2014/09/one-pan-chicken-apple-sausage-pasta.html">Inspired by Charm</a><br />
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1 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 lb chicken and apple sausage, sliced<br />
1 small onion, diced (optional)<br />
1 small granny smith apple, chopped (or any other firm, tart apple)<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies<br />
1 can chicken broth<br />
1/2 cup milk (the recipe says cream but I used 2% and it was just fine)<br />
8 oz pasta shapes<br />
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded (optional)<br />
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Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is beginning to soften and the sausage is mostly browned, about 5 minutes.<br />
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Stir in the apple and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant.<br />
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Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, chicken broth, milk, and pasta.<br />
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Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium-low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.<br />
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Remove from the heat and stir in about half of the cheese. Sprinkle the other half of the cheese on top. If you are using an oven-safe skillet feel free to stick it under the broiler for a couple of minutes to brown the cheese, but if not just give it a few minutes to melt and then serve.<br />
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Serve warm with bread to sop up the sauce.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-19746718076631611632015-06-04T21:54:00.000-07:002015-06-18T21:54:32.086-07:00Menu for 6/5/15-6/11/15Today I'm getting my hair cut for the first time in almost two years and I am so excited I'm about to burst! My last haircut was a home job. I actually did it myself, just lopped off most of my ponytail the day before Thanksgiving. But of course it's never even when I do that and has resulted in a reluctance to wear my hair down, and I didn't need any excuses to wear my hair in a ponytail.<div>
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<div>
I guess I'm kind of in a hurry today because I have to wake Bailey in a few minutes to get dressed to go see Nana so I'll just make this one quick. Here's the plan!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Friday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- yogurt and grapes</div>
<div>
Lunch- chicken and apple sausage pasta </div>
<div>
Dinner- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and roasted asparagus</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Saturday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns</div>
<div>
Lunch- leftovers</div>
<div>
Dinner- crescent chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and green beans</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns</div>
<div>
Lunch- leftovers</div>
<div>
Dinner- chicken fajita stuffed bell peppers</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Monday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- cereal and strawberries</div>
<div>
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tuesday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- cereal and strawberries</div>
<div>
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wednesday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast</div>
<div>
Lunch- turkey and cheese sandwiches on toast and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thursday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- apple slices and granola bars</div>
<div>
Lunch- turkey and cheese sandwiches on toast and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school</div>
shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-15900000062627111792015-06-01T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-18T21:32:39.206-07:00Quick Roasted Chicken Breasts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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For the past few years I've been making oven roasted chicken breasts whenever I need cooked chicken for a recipe. Up until about a month ago I used a low and slow method for roasting that left the chicken a little dry. I diced the chicken or shredded it for recipes, including for chicken salad, and I sliced it to make chicken melt sliders and sometimes I would even serve it whole with some mashed potatoes and vegetables.<br />
<br />
Then a few weeks ago I found a recipe for these amazing roasted chicken breasts. I hadn't realized how wrong my methods had been! I had never brined chicken breasts. A whole chicken, sure, but not plain, boneless, skinless chicken breasts. I've never trusted the chicken to be fully cooked after only 20 minutes. Even with the meat thermometer I'm never completely sure it's done.<br />
<br />
I decided to have faith and give this recipe a try and I was overjoyed with the results! This is without a doubt the juiciest chicken I've ever cooked. Even with the 15 minute brining time it still takes less than an hour to get it to the table. It's delicious all by itself and also works great in other recipes. It's my new go-to method for cooking chicken for sure.<br />
<br />
Quick Roasted Chicken Breasts<br />
<br />
Source: Gimme Some Oven<br />
<br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />
2 cups water<br />
1-2 Tbsp salt<br />
1 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter<br />
1 Tbsp all purpose seasoning (or seasonings of your choice, Italian seasoning is one of my favorites)<br />
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Begin by placing the chicken in a large mixing bowl or a gallon size zip top plastic bag. In a 2-cup measuring cup combine the water and salt and mix until the salt dissolves. Pour the water in the bowl or bag with the chicken and set aside for 15 minutes or up to 6 hours.<br />
<br />
This is called BRINING and it helps the chicken hold its moisture when you cook it. If you're in a hurry you can go with the minimum of 15 minutes. It really doesn't <i>need</i> more than that but if you want really moist, tender, and flavorful chicken you can go for up to 6 hours.<br />
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When you're finished brining the chicken preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a baking dish with vegetable oil spray and set aside. Lay out some paper towels and pat each chicken breast dry before placing it in the baking dish.<br />
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Brush both sides of each chicken breast with olive oil or melted butter. This will also help the chicken stay moist and will help the seasonings stick to the surface. Melted butter gives a better flavor, especially if it's salted butter, but olive oil works just as well and is probably better for you.<br />
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Season both sides of each chicken breast with all purpose seasoning or seasoning of your choice (remember to salt the chicken if your seasoning mixture does not contain salt) and roast in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes. If, like me, you don't trust the chicken will be fully cooked in such a short time you can use your thermometer to check it. I was skeptical but it's done just fine all three times that I've used this method.<br />
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Once the chicken is cooked remove it from the oven and cover loosely with foil. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.<br />
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You can eat this as is or use it for another recipe but be sure to let it cool completely before you put it in the fridge. It's great with mashed potatoes!shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-10104422724470748452015-05-28T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-01T14:18:12.572-07:00Menu for 5/29/15-6/4/15<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Well, Dad's wedding was just beautiful! I love this shot of the two of them walking out onto the deck because it captures CJ's personality so perfectly.<br />
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<br />
Admiral looked all fancy in a trilby hat and CJ looked beautiful. The inn in Townsend where they held the wedding was charming. The cake, oh man the cake was awesome! A beautiful carrot cake with fluffy cream cheese frosting that looked like a cloud, and it was delicious, which is something you rarely get from a wedding cake.<br />
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Bailey was adorable as always in her little Easter dress. The photo is a little blurry but you can see she is having a blast.<br />
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This is where she spent the ceremony, in Senator's lap. She did have her own seat but about five minutes in she banged her elbow and started to cry so she crawled up on Senator instead.<br />
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We got a few more good ones with my brother's fiance.<br />
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One with Senator, and one with me.<br />
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<br />
I did finally finish their wedding gift, and it turned out just the way I had hoped. I had to lay it out on Bailey's bed to get a good picture of it. It's a nice, big, warm, cozy throw blanket for their great room. It even matches their new couch. I still have two more crochet projects that I'm working on but as for now I'm caught up and maybe even a bit ahead of schedule which is a huge relief. After all of these projects with a deadline I'm dying to do something just for myself so I'm starting another project for myself. It's just a small project but it will get my mind off of deadlines long enough to relax a bit.<br />
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For those who are curious, I used a modified version of <a href="http://www.purplekittyyarns.com/crochet-supplieseg.html">this pattern</a> for Dad and CJ's throw. I used a smaller hook (J), only 1 strand of yarn at a time, extended the width, skipped the transition rows between color stripes, and extended the color stripes to the length that each skein of yarn would allow. I used Caron Simply Soft yarn in black, white, and grey heather.<br />
<br />
Okay, back to the food. Here's the menu.<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- raisin and brown sugar oatmeal<br />
Lunch- leftover spaghetti<br />
Dinner- crock pot barbecue chicken, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover barbecue chicken sandwiches<br />
Dinner- hamburgers and hot dogs, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, potato chips, and blackberry pie<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- pancakes, turkey sausage, and scrambled eggs<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly on toast and grapes<br />
Dinner- chicken taco casserole and refried beans<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- turkey and cheddar melts and carrot sticks<br />
Dinner- pizza<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover pizza<br />
Dinner- chicken cordon bleu casserole and honey yeast knots<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and strawberries<br />
Lunch- leftover casserole<br />
Dinner- waiting on Nana to decide, TBAshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-19499683264384712382015-05-25T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-10T11:59:32.541-07:00All Purpose Seasoning<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Did you ever watch Emeril Lagasse's shows on Food Network way back in the day? In case you don't remember he's the guy who would season things with a loud "Bam!" He also had this seasoning he called "essence" that he would use on <i>everything</i>! I'm not sure what was in it, though I'm sure you could find a copycat version of it somewhere online, but I figure it was pretty much just an all purpose seasoning that he mixed up. You could call it seasoned salt, similar to the stuff you can buy at the store, or all purpose seasoning. You can even tell people it's your special spice blend like Emeril does, but do be sure to have it in your cabinet at all times.<br />
<br />
This spice mixture is perfect for seasoning hamburgers, pork chops, and chicken. It's easy to add to steamed veggies or mashed potatoes. The great thing about it is it's all pre-measured so there's no need for measuring spoons while you're cooking. It's perfect for sprinkling with your fingers when you just need a pinch or you can put it in an empty spice jar and shake it onto your food. The spices are kind of generic, the spices that are in almost every spice rub recipe, and they're the spices that are likely staples in your pantry. In fact, I'm pretty sure I have at least two jars of each in my cabinet.<br />
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I'd also like to remind you that this is a basic recipe that can be tweaked to your particular taste. Does your family like things spicy? You can double the amount of pepper or even add some cayenne to it. Do you use a lot of onions in your cooking? You can probably leave out the onion powder altogether. Play around and see what you like.<br />
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By the way, stay tuned for an upcoming recipe that utilizes this seasoning. If you go ahead and make yours today you'll have it ready for when I post<br />
<br />
One last thing before I show you the recipe: I'm posting this recipe by parts rather than actual measurements. If you don't know how this works just pretend you're using the same measuring spoon for each ingredient. This will make it easier to make large or small batches because you don't have to think about how to double or half a 1/2 tsp.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">All Purpose Seasoning</span><br />
<br />
Source: Totally Original!<br />
<br />
2 parts salt (you can use kosher salt or fine sea salt but I used regular table salt)*<br />
1 part onion powder<br />
1 part garlic powder<br />
1 part paprika<br />
1/2 part black pepper<br />
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Measure out all of your ingredients. You can measure them directly into your container or use a bowl. For photographic purposes I measured mine out onto a flexible cutting mat.<br />
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Combine the ingredients in a bowl or an airtight container. Stir (or shake if you have a tight lid) them all together until well combined.<br />
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Store in an airtight container or an empty spice jar until ready to use.<br />
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Sprinkle on almost everything you cook!shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-24318632177800844272015-05-21T09:00:00.000-07:002015-06-01T12:53:28.889-07:00Menu for 5/22/15-5/28/15Today is the day! My dad is getting married today. All of his sisters are coming to town and we're heading out to Townsend in about an hour. I've been trying to get their gift ready all week but sadly I'm still a bit behind so I'll have to take it to them later.<br />
<br />
Bailey is finally getting to wear the dress that Aunt Anna bought her for Easter. She's going to look so beautiful! I miraculously still fit in the dress that I bought in 2010 for my cousin J's wedding. I'm excited to have some time with our out of town family but I gotta leave soon so I'll get to the menu.<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and strawberries<br />
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly on toast and carrot sticks<br />
Dinner- herb crusted chicken with basil cream sauce over angel hair pasta with steamed broccoli<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- ham and cheddar melts and chips<br />
Dinner- quick roasted chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and honey yeast knots<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- pancakes, bacon, and scrambled eggs<br />
Lunch- ham and cheddar melts and chips<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- grapes and strawberries<br />
Lunch- almonds, carrots, and cheese cubes<br />
Dinner- hamburgers and hot dogs, cole slaw, deviled eggs, baked beans, potato chips, and homemade peach ice cream<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and fruit<br />
Lunch- leftover hamburgers and hot dogs<br />
Dinner- sweet corn and bacon skillet macaroni and cheese and grilled chicken<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and cereal<br />
Lunch- leftover macaroni and cheese and chicken<br />
Dinner- ranch crusted chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and mixed vegetables<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover chicken and vegetables<br />
Dinner- pizza baked spaghetti and garlic toastshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-54000006569690348402015-05-19T09:00:00.000-07:002015-05-19T09:00:11.638-07:00Taco Spaghetti<div>
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Oh, Yaya... She knows how to combine the strangest foods to create something wonderful. I mean, who would think of mixing tacos with spaghetti, right?<br />
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Taco spaghetti is made like a casserole and served like a taco salad. Admiral mentioned that part of what makes tacos so appealing is all the different textures. You have warm taco meat, a crunchy shell, and crisp lettuce all in one delicious little package and the best part about taco spaghetti is that you get all of those textures plus pasta!</div>
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<div>
The recipe makes a lot of food. It's not terribly expensive, especially if you find ground beef or turkey on sale, and it's just as tasty as leftovers. I hope this first recipe back after my hiatus makes up for the last month of missed recipes.</div>
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<div>
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Taco Spaghetti</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Source: Yaya original</div>
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<br />
For the casserole:</div>
<div>
8 oz spaghetti or linguini<br />
1 tsp olive oil<br />
1 medium onion, finely diced</div>
<div>
1 lb ground beef or turkey<br />
1/2 tsp salt</div>
<div>
2 Tbsp homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet of taco seasoning)</div>
<div>
1/2 cup water<br />
1/2 cup salsa (optional, I skipped it this time but the flavor was a little lacking)</div>
<div>
1 (4 oz) can diced green chilies, drained</div>
<div>
1 (10 oz) package frozen corn, thawed<br />
1 (15 oz) can black beans (optional, I skipped them this time)<br />
1 1/2 cups cheddar or colby jack cheese, shredded<br />
<br />
For serving:<br />
tortilla chips<br />
shredded lettuce<br />
diced tomatoes<br />
shredded cheddar or colby jack cheese</div>
<div>
sliced black olives<br />
sour cream<br />
salsa<br />
guacamole<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish with vegetable oil spray.<br />
<br />
Cook the pasta according to the package directions in a large pot and don't forget to salt the water. Once the pasta is cooked to al dente drain and rinse with cold water and set aside. Be careful not to cook the pasta past al dente because it will continue to cook as you mix it with the meat mixture and in the oven.<br />
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Meanwhile, heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the onions and cook until they are beginning to soften and become clear.<br />
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Add the ground beef or turkey and season with the 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste) and cook until the meat is browned.<br />
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Add the water and taco seasoning and simmer until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated.<br />
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Add the salsa, green chilies, corn, and black beans and cook until everything is heated through (my corn was still a little frozen).<br />
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Add the pasta and mix it in. I've found it's easier to mix with a good strong pair of tongs or with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/OXO-59791-SteeL-Spaghetti-Server/dp/B00004OCMW/ref=zg_bs_289793_2/185-6777832-7997965">pasta fork</a> (OXO is a great brand) but it's difficult to get the ingredients to mix with the pasta without a sticky sauce to help. Just do the best you can.<br />
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Remove the skillet from the heat and add about 1 cup of the shredded cheese. Mix until combined. The cheese will probably melt quickly and help all the taco meat mixture stick to the pasta some.<br />
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Transfer the whole thing to the prepared baking dish, sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese over the top, and bake for 15-20 minutes.<br />
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Serve warm in the style of a taco salad.<br />
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Add whatever taco toppings you like and some crushed tortilla chips for crunch.<br />
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Mine had chips, lettuce, black olives, salsa, and a little extra cheese.</div>
shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-87212789617842105872015-05-14T09:00:00.000-07:002015-05-18T07:52:51.769-07:00Menu for 5/15/15-5/21/15<div>
I'm still busy furiously crocheting wedding gifts so I'll try to make this quick.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Bailey's first dentist appointment is tomorrow. I know, we're a little behind for a first dentist appointment, but I know she will be one of those kids who fights the dentist and won't let them even see her teeth. How do I know this? Well, because I can't even get her to sit on the exam table at the doctor's office to let them look in her ears or eyes or mouth. I just have this feeling that she won't even sit in the chair at the dentist.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How do you prepare a child for the dentist? The very first episode of Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is all about preparing a child for school and a check-up at the doctor so I went with a similar prep for Bailey's dentist appointment. I told her all about the chair she will sit in. I described how the dentist will wear gloves and probably a mask over her mouth and nose. I drew a picture of the little mirror and hook she will use to examine her teeth and explained that she needs to open her mouth when the dentist tells her to. I don't know how much of it sunk in but hopefully tomorrow won't be a battle now that she knows a little more of what to expect.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Alright, here's the menu.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Friday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- eggs and toast</div>
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Lunch- Hardee's with Nana</div>
<div>
Dinner- cajun grilled chicken and lazy Alfredo pasta</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Saturday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- sausage, biscuits and gravy, fried apples, and scrambled eggs</div>
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Lunch- leftover pasta</div>
<div>
Dinner- Yaya's spaghetti and garlic toast</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- grilled ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches and hash browns</div>
<div>
Lunch- leftover chili</div>
<div>
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Monday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- yogurt, berries, and granola</div>
<div>
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- taco spaghetti</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Tuesday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- yogurt, berries, and granola</div>
<div>
Lunch- leftover taco spaghetti</div>
<div>
Dinner- quick-roasted chicken breasts, green beans, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Wednesday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- sausage links, eggs, and toast</div>
<div>
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips</div>
<div>
Dinner- chicken noodle casserole</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Thursday:</div>
<div>
Breakfast- cereal and milk</div>
<div>
Lunch- leftover casserole</div>
<div>
Dinner- TBA</div>
shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-3161377503996094232015-05-11T09:00:00.000-07:002015-05-11T22:43:59.788-07:00An Apology for my AbsenceThere have been a few glitches with the blog lately and tons of activities keeping me busy, so busy that I couldn't get <i>anything</i> done on the blog. So I would like to apologize for my apparent absence. I had lined up a pair of posts for each week of April and scheduled them to post automatically but something went wrong with the scheduling and they never posted. I'm not even going to try to catch up. I'm just going to write off the whole month as a vacation and attempt to get back on track.<br />
<div>
<br />
Some exciting things have been happening around me. My bestest friend is getting married in September and I'm the maid of honor. I've been working furiously to help get her wedding together. I've mostly been doing online research for dresses, shoes, cakes, nail salons, wedding invitations, etc. Basically I do whatever she asks me to.<br />
<br />
Also, my brother got engaged! I'm so excited for him! He and his fiance have so much in common and they're so happy together. Plus, I couldn't ask for a better sister-in-law. It turns out they want to have their wedding this September as well and I've been invited to be a bridesmaid. Again, it's exciting! I've never been a bridesmaid before, let alone a maid of honor, so all of this wedding stuff is kind of new to me. I mean, I've been engaged for going on 11 years now and I'm still not married so that shows you how much I think about weddings.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
I've been asked to do some cupcakes for my brother's reception so I'll be testing recipes over the next few months. Recipe testing is always fun! I'll probably be trying a new recipe every few weeks and I'm planning on having the whole family taste them on the weekends and on Mondays. Of course I'll definitely have my brother and his fiance taste them first.<br />
<br />
They want four kinds of cupcakes:<br />
1) Raspberry White Chocolate<br />
2) Pumpkin Spice<br />
3) Banana Cream Pie<br />
4) Strawberry<br />
<br />
Obviously I have a handle on the strawberry cupcakes since I've been making them for over two years and I have a pretty good idea what I'm going to do for the banana cream pie (a vanilla cupcake with banana custard filling and a whipped cream like topping) but the raspberry white chocolate and the pumpkin spice have been a creative dream for me. I had about eight variations of different combinations of raspberry and white chocolate but I finally decided to go with a raspberry cupcake filled with white chocolate ganache, topped with white chocolate buttercream, and garnished with a fresh raspberry and drizzled with a raspberry puree reduction. I've already done the test batch on them and they turned out <i>amazing</i>! For the pumpkin spice I'm going to do a pumpkin cupcake with pumpkin spice cream cheese frosting. It should have the flavor of a pumpkin cheesecake with the texture of a cupcake.<br />
<br />
Okay, so here's the other huge piece of news: My dad, Admiral, and his long time girlfriend finally got engaged... and they're getting married in less than two weeks! I'm extremely happy for them. I really do adore her and they obviously love each other. And luckily for me I didn't have to help with any of the planning for this one (because I definitely couldn't handle that... how do wedding planners do it?) so all I have to do is show up for the ceremony. They're getting married in Townsend so it'll be really beautiful with an excellent view of the Great Smoky Mountains, one of my dad's favorite places in the world.<br />
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I've been crocheting like crazy for weeks. I have four projects with fast approaching deadlines that I'm trying to complete ahead of schedule so I'm not scrambling to finish them at the last second. For the past five or six years I've neglected crocheting in favor of knitting because I seem to knit faster than I crochet, but it turns out that I actually crochet quite fast when I get in a rhythm. I've been spending my mornings from about 8:00 to 11:00 crocheting while Bailey watches cartoons and even though I know I have a schedule to keep it's been very relaxing.<br />
<br />
The knit-along and crochet-along projects turned out interesting. Good interesting. The knit project was (as I predicted) a lot like a patchwork quilt. Each piece had a different, new stitch. There were cables, daisy stitches, eyelet cables, mitered squares, a tweed piece, log cabin squares, corner to corner striped squares, and the last huge piece for the center was called a whirly square. They were all put together like a puzzle and sewn together and then a border was added. I'm extremely fond of the whole pattern. It looks amazing all pieced together. Well, mine isn't finished yet, but I've seen some from the other knitters I met through the knit-along and even though no one used the same colors I did I can see what mine will look like and everyone's looks beautiful.<br />
<br />
The crochet-along was really neat because there were so many more crocheters than I had expected. I made a ton of friends and the people who managed to finish theirs (especially those who finished each clue within the week it was assigned) have earned huge respect from me. I kept getting further and further behind (it's hard to work with granny squares with Bailey because she carries pieces off while I'm working) and then of course all of the new projects came up. I have my squares ready to join together I just have to weave all of the ends in first. As soon as all of my other projects are completed I'm going to get back to the crochet-along and finally have a new throw for the couch.<br />
<br />
I guess the whole experience has taught me that I can't follow a schedule or meet a deadline but the mystery part was fun, seeing a new piece of the puzzle every week and working new stitches I'd never done before.<br />
<br />
It looks like I missed two Wishlist Wednesdays so hopefully I can get one up before the end of this month. If not I'll do one huge Wishlist in June. The next one will probably include some of the interesting wedding stuff I've been researching. My new wedding assignment is to plan the lingerie party so I might add a few of the fascinating discoveries I've made about heart shaped cookie cutters. (Spoiler: You can make both bikini tops and bottoms with the same cookie cutter.)<br />
<br />
I also have about 20 post-it notes full of recipes that need to be photographed and posted. I modified my pizza dough recipe, found a few Starbucks copycat recipes that are really spot-on, tried a really great new pork recipe from Budget Bytes, and I have a few recipes that I still need to update either because I've made improvements or because the photographs are lacking in the original posts.<br />
<br />
I will get to as much of this as possible as quickly as I can. There will be at least one new recipe post this week and an updated menu (since the last menu I posted was a month ago) so be prepared for the blog to kick back into high gear!</div>
shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-280338139522026242015-04-13T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-16T09:02:51.744-07:00Sausage Gravy (Sawmill Gravy)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When it comes to breakfast, I pretty much like everything about it. I love oatmeal, scrambled eggs, breakfast meats (especially bacon), toast, pancakes, waffles, and fluffy, buttery biscuits. Biscuits aren't biscuits without some creamy sawmill gravy on top.<br />
<br />
Gravy is tricky. There's a science to making gravy that can be a bit difficult. First you have to make the rue. A rue is a combination of fat and flour that acts as the thickener in gravy or sauce. The general rule is equal parts fat and flour and 2 Tbsp fat and 2 Tbsp flour per cup of liquid. This is the same way that you would start homemade cream of chicken or vegetable soup. The difference is that you will want to use only milk as your liquid for gravy.<br />
<br />
Some people like white gravy while others like it dark. The only difference between the two is how long you cook the rue. If you leave the temperature low and continue stirring constantly you can cook the flour to a nice golden brown color or even darker for more flavor. Personally I like my gravy very white.<br />
<br />
Once you have the fat:flour:liquid ration right gravy is a snap. You'll become a gravy expert in no time. The only other thing you need to know is this: If you cook your sausage first and leave the drippings in the pan (and sometimes leave a few crumbles of sausage in the pan as well) your gravy will have the most possible flavor. Then all you need is a little salt and a lot of pepper and your gravy will be perfect!<br />
<br />
This gravy is ideal for biscuits and gravy but it's also quite good over breakfast casserole, fried chicken, chicken fried steak, and mashed potatoes.<br />
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Sausage Gravy (Sawmill Gravy)<br />
<br />
Source: Mamaw Allison's Recipe<br />
<br />
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter<br />
1/2 cup all purpose flour<br />
sausage drippings if available<br />
4 cups milk (I use 2%)<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
a generous sprinkling of black pepper, fresh cracked is even better<br />
<br />
Begin with a large, deep skillet. Non-stick is fine but if you have one that is not non-stick that's even better because you can use a wire whisk.<br />
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Cook your sausage and leave the drippings (and some bits of sausage if you like) in the pan. Over medium heat melt the butter. Wait until the butter is completely melted to add your flour.<br />
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Stir or whisk the flour and butter together to make the rue. It really is easier (and smoother) if you use the whisk. Now is the time to cook the rue to your desired darkness. I usually just cook it long enough to get all of it nice and bubbly but you can cook it on medium-low heat until the color pleases you.<br />
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Add 2 cups of the milk and whisk until the gravy is smooth (no lumps of flour) before adding the other 2 cups of milk. Whisk again until smooth.<br />
<br />
Raise the temperature to medium-high and bring almost to a boil, stirring continuously to keep it from burning or sticking. (The flour will settle back to the bottom of the mixture and thicken rapidly. The continuous stirring will prevent this from happening and result in a smoother, more evenly cooked gravy.)<br />
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When the gravy is just beginning to really thicken turn the heat off. The residual heat from the pan and from the burner (if you're using an electric stove) will continue to thicken the gravy. I like mine thin enough to drizzle over my biscuits but Aaron prefers his quite a bit thicker.<br />
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Stir in the salt and pepper before serving.<br />
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Serve warm over fresh baked biscuits or breakfast casserole... or chicken or chicken fried steak or mashed potatoes.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-4841981263459336782015-04-09T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-15T09:16:40.475-07:00Menu for 4/10/15-4/16/15So even though this weekend was super busy it was also super fun! It started with some much needed, Bailey-free girl time with my brother's girlfriend. We got to go see Insurgent (my first movie in theaters since Zero Dark Thirty way back when I first started the blog) and then sat outside at Menchie's and had some delicious frozen yogurt! It's really nice to have another friend (besides my bestest friend, Anna) to hang out with.<br />
<br />
Then Friday Anna came over with enough candy to hype Bailey up for a week! We went out for lunch together. Bailey actually ate lunch at a restaurant, it's always kind of hit or miss with restaurant food. We ordered her some kid's nachos which came in the form of chips and queso dip (pretty good queso dip too) and of course Bailey loves to dip some chips.<br />
<br />
After lunch we went shopping. Well, we went shopping the way crazy crafters go shopping. We spent a long time in A.C. Moore craft store, then we checked out a dollar store next door, a shoe store (still searching for the perfect red peep toe pumps for Anna's wedding), and Steinmart. Bailey was an angel. She stayed with us on every aisle. We occasionally had to ask her to put things back on the shelf so we could move on, but she never once complained or started to throw a fit. She even tried on hats with us at Steinmart.<br />
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Easter Sunday was such a beautiful day. The sun was out, there was a nice breeze, and we spent the day at Nana's out in the yard. Bailey and her cousin, Li'l P, love Grandpa's tractor. We got some really good shots of them sitting in the drivers seat together, standing on the huge front tires (Bailey was barefoot making the pictures even cuter for some reason), and I got a few of Bailey trying to steer the tractor. They had a lovely conversation about boo-boos. It went something like this:<br />
<br />
P- I got a boo-boo.<br />
B- I don't have a boo-boo, you have a boo-boo.<br />
P- No, I don't got boo-boo, you got boo-boo.<br />
And so on.<br />
<br />
It was pretty darn cute. Anyway, here's next week's menu!<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- leftover pork fried rice<br />
Dinner- honey mustard glazed chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and broccoli and carrots<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover chicken and potatoes<br />
Dinner- breakfast casserole, biscuits, and gravy<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches<br />
Dinner- lightened up Zuppa Toscana at Admiral's<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- McDonald's (because I'm running errands all day)<br />
Dinner- breakfast casserole, biscuits, and gravy<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches<br />
Dinner- chicken taco casserole<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and sausage links<br />
Lunch- leftover taco chicken, cheese, and frozen vegetables<br />
Dinner- bacon cheeseburgers and french fries<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- grilled ham, egg, and cheese sandwiches<br />
Lunch- chili and chips (from the freezer)<br />
Dinner- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and broccolishynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-59614015454547870762015-04-06T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-15T13:09:36.189-07:00Roasted Asparagus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I'm a huge fan of any recipe that requires this little work. Seriously, it's so easy that I only took the one picture. I didn't feel it needed a step by step photo guide since there aren't that many steps.<br />
<br />
I used to blanch asparagus or steam it, but since I discovered this method I really prefer it roasted. The flavor of the asparagus is concentrated rather than leeching out into the cooking liquid and it takes on the flavor of the seasonings so much better. This is the simplest way to roast asparagus but it still leaves room for some creativity. Season it however you like and even add a little onion if you like onions. Try it for yourself and hopefully discover a new favorite vegetable.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Roasted Asparagus</span><br />
<br />
Source: Original, inspired by the <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2013/05/blackened-chicken-roasted-broccoli-and.html" target="_blank">roasted broccoli from my birthday</a> a few years ago<br />
<br />
1 bunch (about 2 lbs) asparagus spears<br />
1-2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 tsp sea salt or kosher salt<br />
2 cloves garlic, minced<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a small baking sheet with foil.<br />
<br />
Take one of the asparagus spears and bend it until it breaks. Now line up the rest of the spears next to the broken one on a cutting board and cut them all roughly the same length as the broken spear.<br />
<br />
In a mixing bowl combine the asparagus, olive oil, salt, and garlic and toss together with a pair of tongs (or your hands) until all of the spears are coated in oil and the garlic is evenly dispersed.<br />
<br />
Arrange the asparagus on the baking sheet in an even layer and bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the asparagus and garlic begin to brown.<br />
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Serve warm, it's especially good alongside a nice, juicy, medium rare steak!shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-8891579267538516832015-04-02T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-15T08:52:21.636-07:00Menu for 4/3/15-4/9/15Hooray for Good Friday! My bestest friend and Bailey's Aunt Anna has a day off work to come and play with us! We're going to go shopping and have lunch together and she always builds Bailey a huge Easter bucket full of toys and candy. It's going to be so much fun!<br />
<br />
Saturday night we'll be celebrating Easter with Aaron's parents and a delicious glazed ham! I'm using my grandmother's recipe for the glaze. I remember having her glazed ham at Christmas and Thanksgiving when I was little and I'm hoping it tastes just like I remember it.<br />
<br />
We're also having Easter lunch at Nana's house. Bailey will get to play with her little cousins! I'm taking my favorite roasted asparagus but I really can't wait to have some of Yaya's broccoli casserole! The creamy rice, the melty cheese... My mouth is watering already.<br />
<br />
Here's the whole menu!<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- McAlister's Deli with Aunt Anna<br />
Dinner- Yaya's spaghetti, salad, and garlic toast<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover spaghetti<br />
Dinner- glazed ham, mashed potatoes, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and yeast rolls<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- Easter lunch at Nana's<br />
Dinner- Creole style chicken and grits and roasted asparagus at Admiral's<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- raisin and brown sugar oatmeal<br />
Lunch- chicken salad sandwiches and chips<br />
Dinner- maple dijon glazed pork roast, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and peas<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- grapes and yogurt<br />
Lunch- leftover pork roast sandwiches<br />
Dinner- chicken bacon ranch macaroni and cheese<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover macaroni and cheese<br />
Dinner- grilled chicken, mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli, and macaroni and cheese<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover grilled chicken and mashed potatoes<br />
Dinner- honey garlic pork chops, steamed vegetables, and seasoned riceshynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-53984126567770150602015-03-30T09:00:00.000-07:002015-04-15T12:52:54.137-07:00Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
I seem to have trouble keeping chicken from going all dry and overcooked on me. I always seem to worry that the chicken won't be done enough and wind up cooking it far too long. I have tried using a meat thermometer and it helps to know the temperature of the meat, but I'm still left wondering if the reading was accurate and if I placed the probe in the correct area of the chicken.<br />
<br />
The solution seems to be a rather unhealthy one, but it works well nonetheless. This chicken is basted in a mixture of melted butter, honey, and mustard. The butter keeps the chicken from losing all of its moisture as it cooks as well as adding flavor. This chicken was the most delicious, juicy chicken I've ever cooked. I guess Julia was right about that butter!<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Honey Mustard Glazed Chicken</span><br />
<br />
Source: <a href="http://worldsbestrecipes4utoday.blogspot.com/2014/09/honey-baked-chicken-recipe.html" target="_blank">Worlds Best Recipes</a><br />
<br />
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts<br />
1/3 cup butter, melted<br />
1/3 cup honey<br />
2 Tbsp yellow mustard<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
pepper<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spray a baking dish with vegetable oil spray.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Place the chicken in the prepared baking dish and sprinkle with pepper. Set aside. (Yes, this is only two chicken breasts. I cut the recipe in half when I made it because Aaron and I can't eat 4 whole chicken breasts. Usually I split one with Bailey and he eats half of another, then I have half of one leftover for lunch the next day.)<br />
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In a small bowl combine the melted butter, honey, mustard, and salt.<br />
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Stir until well combined.<br />
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Drizzle the chicken with about 1/4-1/3 of the honey mixture, enough to coat the entire surface of the chicken breasts.<br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour, adding more of the honey mixture every 15-20 minutes.<br />
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Serve warm, preferably with mashed potatoes or rice and veggies.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-60694612830234955102015-03-26T09:00:00.000-07:002015-03-26T09:34:14.675-07:00Menu for 3/27/15-4/2/15I'm so excited about next week! I'm actually going to get an evening off to go see <i>Insurgent</i> with my brother's girlfriend! It has been forever since I've seen a movie in theaters and especially one that I really wanted to see. I'm actually debating reading the book again before we go.<br />
<br />
I'm also excited because next week is Good Friday which means I get to spend a day with my bestest friend! A whole day! Just my sissy, Bailey, and me! We'll have lunch together and go shopping and Bailey will get a big Easter basket full of gifts from her Aunt Anna! What an exciting week!<br />
<br />
But first I have to get through this week. The good news is that I get to make some of my favorite meals this week. Actually, family favorites. Bailey is really into soups lately, anything that lets her practice using a spoon it seems. She's been begging for cereal every morning for breakfast which is just fine with me because it means very little work/mess for me.<br />
<br />
Bailey is also loving this spring weather. She's been running wild on Nana's property since it's a long way off the road. Pretty soon we're going to have to get her a swimsuit and a kiddie pool and some sunscreen. Last week she managed to run straight into the creek in Nana's back yard, slid feet first off the edge, and landed flat on her bottom in the mud. She was completely soaked and muddy and had to have a bath while I was cooking dinner. It would definitely be better if I could keep her in some clean, hose water in proper water clothes.<br />
<br />
So, okay, here's the menu.<br />
<br />
Friday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- peanut butter sandwiches and chips<br />
Dinner- bacon cheeseburgers and french fries<br />
<br />
Saturday:<br />
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns<br />
Lunch- leftover cheeseburgers<br />
Dinner- Zuppa Toscana and garlic bread sticks<br />
<br />
Sunday:<br />
Breakfast- pancakes and sausage<br />
Lunch- leftovers<br />
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner<br />
<br />
Monday:<br />
Breakfast- cereal and milk<br />
Lunch- spicy sausage pasta skillet<br />
Dinner- chicken Caesar pasta salad and bread sticks<br />
<br />
Tuesday:<br />
Breakfast- yogurt and cereal<br />
Lunch- leftover salad<br />
Dinner- chicken enchilada pasta<br />
<br />
Wednesday:<br />
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast<br />
Lunch- leftover enchilada pasta<br />
Dinner- maple Dijon glazed pork roast, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and green beans<br />
<br />
Thursday:<br />
Breakfast- ham, spinach, and cheese omelets<br />
Lunch- leftover pork roast<br />
Dinner- Cajun grilled chicken and lazy Alfredo pastashynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6548729136608322103.post-36628185362471122722015-03-23T09:00:00.000-07:002015-03-27T09:21:34.513-07:00Pizza Baked Spaghetti (Updated)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm back with another update of an old, well-used recipe, one more on the list of recipes I "stole" from work way back in high school. Last time I posted this recipe I was unable to include photographs and since it's been quite awhile (over two years) since I first posted the recipe I thought it could use an update.<br />
<br />
Probably one of Fazoli's most popular dishes is the baked spaghetti. It's a simple spaghetti marinara topped with mozzarella and then run through the conveyor oven until the cheese is melted and bubbly. Every so often they would have a special item on the menu, pizza baked spaghetti, which had added sausage crumbles and pepperoni.<br />
<br />
I never ate the pizza baked spaghetti when I worked there, but I did borrow the idea when I moved out on my own and started making it in a large batches as a family meal using <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/03/yayas-spaghetti-updated.html" target="_blank">Yaya's spaghetti sauce</a> which already contains sausage. One of the cool things about this recipe is that it's so easy to make it your own. You can add whatever pizza toppings you like on your pizza. I have made this with green peppers, mushrooms, and black olives, my favorite pizza toppings, but most of the time I stick with Aaron's favorite, plain pepperoni.<br />
<br />
This spaghetti is a crowd pleaser. It's loaded with bubbly, brown cheese and delicious homemade sauce and of course, crispy pepperoni. It's the perfect alternative to your regular spaghetti night.<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: #a64d79; color: #ffd966;">Pizza Baked Spaghetti</span><br />
<br />
Source: Adapted from Fazoli's recipe<br />
<br />
1 recipe <a href="http://workingthroughnaptime.blogspot.com/2014/03/yayas-spaghetti-updated.html" target="_blank">Yaya's spaghetti sauce</a> (or 1 jar of your favorite sauce)<br />
16 oz spaghetti<br />
2-3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded<br />
1 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated<br />
30-40 slices pepperoni<br />
other pizza toppings (optional)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and spray a 9x13 baking dish (I made 1/2 the recipe so mine is in an 8x8 dish this time) with vegetable oil spray. Cook your sauce according to the recipe and the spaghetti according to the package directions.<br />
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Drain the pasta and transfer it in an even layer to the bottom of the baking dish.<br />
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Spoon the sauce evenly over the spaghetti. You may not use all of your sauce, especially if you're using the homemade sauce. The recipe seems to make slightly more than needed for 1 lb of spaghetti.<br />
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Sprinkle about 1 1/2-2 cups of the mozzarella over the sauce.<br />
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Add your toppings in an even layer. We just had pepperoni this time. Add the remaining mozzarella to partially cover the toppings and sprinkle with the Parmesan.<br />
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Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes, until the cheese is browned to your liking.<br />
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Serve warm with salad and garlic bread if desired.shynds8http://www.blogger.com/profile/04887111405488443478noreply@blogger.com0