Menu for 6/12/15-6/18/15

I LOVE 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.

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.

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.

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.

Okay, time to wake Bailey. Here's the menu!

Friday:
Breakfast- cereal and milk
Lunch- chicken apple sausage pasta
Dinner- hot dogs, popcorn, and sno cones at vacation bible school

Saturday:
Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns
Lunch- leftover chicken apple sausage pasta
Dinner- four bean turkey chili and cornbread

Sunday:
Breakfast- French toast and bacon
Lunch- leftovers
Dinner- Admiral will provide dinner

Monday:
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch- turkey and cheddar on toast
Dinner- Yaya's spaghetti and garlic toast

Tuesday:
Breakfast- yogurt and fruit
Lunch- leftover spaghetti
Dinner- chicken tacos and refried beans

Wednesday:
Breakfast- almond joy oatmeal
Lunch- leftover chicken tacos
Dinner- skillet pork chops, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and roasted broccoli and asparagus

Thursday:
Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast
Lunch- turkey and cheese on toast
Dinner- creamy chicken and rice

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

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.

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.

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.

Here's what I discovered:

*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.
*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.
*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.

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.

Sweet and Spicy Chicken Apple Sausage Pasta

Source: Inspired by Charm

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lb chicken and apple sausage, sliced
1 small onion, diced (optional)
1 small granny smith apple, chopped (or any other firm, tart apple)
2 cloves  garlic, minced
1 can diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can chicken broth
1/2 cup milk (the recipe says cream but I used 2% and it was just fine)
8 oz pasta shapes
1 cup monterrey jack cheese, shredded (optional)

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.

Stir in the apple and garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic is fragrant.

Add the diced tomatoes and green chilies, chicken broth, milk, and pasta.

Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low/medium-low. Simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.

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.

Serve warm with bread to sop up the sauce.

Menu for 6/5/15-6/11/15

Today 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.

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!

Friday:

Breakfast- yogurt and grapes

Lunch- chicken and apple sausage pasta 

Dinner- fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and roasted asparagus

Saturday:

Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns

Lunch- leftovers

Dinner- crescent chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and green beans

Sunday:

Breakfast- chicken biscuits and hash browns

Lunch- leftovers

Dinner- chicken fajita stuffed bell peppers

Monday:

Breakfast- cereal and strawberries

Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips

Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school

Tuesday:

Breakfast- cereal and strawberries

Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips

Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school

Wednesday:

Breakfast- scrambled eggs and toast

Lunch- turkey and cheese sandwiches on toast and chips

Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school

Thursday:

Breakfast- apple slices and granola bars

Lunch- turkey and cheese sandwiches on toast and chips

Dinner- fast food due to vacation bible school

Quick Roasted Chicken Breasts

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.

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.

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.

Quick Roasted Chicken Breasts

Source: Gimme Some Oven

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups water
1-2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp olive oil or melted butter
1 Tbsp all purpose seasoning (or seasonings of your choice, Italian seasoning is one of my favorites)

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.

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 need more than that but if you want really moist, tender, and flavorful chicken you can go for up to 6 hours.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!