I'm Melting- Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken

At the start of this year the salesman and I embarked on a new eating journey. We took everything that we loved to eat and decided to not eat it. And I mean everything. We started a nutritional system (will not mention any names) that you use alongside healthy eating. This has rocked our world. I never thought about committing murder for a grilled cheese until now. The thought of chocolate cake can make me become a crazy woman. I find myself chanting, "bacon, bacon, bacon" in my sleep. We are basically eating no carbs, no sugar, no caffeine, no dairy, no salt...should I go on? Torture. For a girl like me this is tough. They call it a challenge because that is what it is. I thought I liked veggies but the thought of no creams or cheese to smother them in is hard. I have had to really adjust my cooking and put some recipes to the test in order to please all of my eaters at the table. One of our favorite dishes to eat pre-diet was a Thai peanut dish. I love the balance of sweet and heat and it was a great meal to cook for a huge crowd. Since peanut butter is part of our new healthy eating, Organic low salt no sugar added peanut butter that is, I decided to see if I could refine the recipe to fit the new bill. And it worked! I don't know if it was because this was the first carb dish I had had in three weeks or if it was because I was so hungry by this point in the night that I would have eated a paper plate, but we loved it. I felt guilty at first since it tasted so good but then I remembered that it was good for me...so I decided to go back for seconds. This is a great fiber friendly, low sugar, low fat crowd pleasing meal. Does it get any better than that?

Thai Peanut Noodles with Chicken

2 Roasted Chicken Breasts- Don't know how? Check it out:
Yellow Rose Cafe: Canned or Not Canned....there is no question! - Roasted Chicken
2 whole carrots- grated (mine are thin sliced but grated is best)
1 cup sugar snap peas- cut in thirds
1/2 box whole grain thin spaghetti noodles
1/3 cup natural peanut butter- we use Smuckers and keep it upside down in the fridge
2 tsp Agave nectar
5-6 dashes Texas Pete or Louisiana Hot Sauce
2 Tsp (or to taste) low sodium soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 diced garlic clove
1 1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro, reserve back 2 tsp
1/4 -1/3 cup chopped peanuts or cashews

Shred the chicken and place in a large bowl. Toss in the grated carrot and cilantro.

In a large pot,cook the noodles in salted water until al dente, about 6-8 minutes. I typically add 1 Tbsp of salt to the water.

In a small skillet, saute the sugar snap peas in a splash of olive oil until tender, about 3-5 minutes. If you like the tasted of raw peas then don't bother. Once cooked, throw in to the bowl with your chicken then place the skillet back on the stove on low heat. To the pan add the peanut butter, Agave, Texas Pete, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, rice wine vinegar and juice of 1.5 limes. Gently simmer until it is all combined. Add to it 1/4 cup of hot water and stir until you have a good consistency. Taste as you go along. If you want it sweeter, add a splash more agave. If you like more heat, add Texas Pete. If you like more salt, add soy sauce. Get the point?

Once the noodles are cooked, scoop them into the pot of chicken carrot mixture with a pasta scoop if you have one. You don't want to drain the noodles totally because you want some of the water left on them to help with the sauce. Throw the sauce into the bowl and toss it around. Squeeze the remaining lime over the top, pour into your bowl and top off with the chopped peanuts and reserved cilantro.

Enjoy Y'all!

I had him at potato- Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

'Tis the season to be totally crazy around here! I don't know about you guys but my list seems never ending, my counters seem never empty and my floor seems never clean! I am in what some might call, "busy season" this week so I finally broke down and made myself my own personal to-do list for the next 72 hours just to make sure I get it all done. On my lovely list of things to make for a party is a big pan of my rosemary smashed potatoes. These potatoes are very near and dear to my heart and are the reason I am married with kids. Not really, but kind of. The salesman said that he married me because of my mashed potatoes that I made for him while we were dating. He ate and ate them until he finally crawled to the couch and passed out in a spud coma. I love potatoes of any kind but especially when they have layers of cream, flecks of rosemary and spice of fresh black pepper. I remember growing up that it was always my job to peel the potatoes and I remember thinking that when I grew up I would find a better way to make mashed potatoes happen, and I have. I am a skin on kind of girl and if this is new to you, please trust me. These are so simple and sinful that you almost forget you are eating a "vegetable". I was hesitant to share these with you, but if it will help some of you find your true love this holiday season then I am happy to pass it along.

Rosemary Smashed Potatoes

2- lb washed and cleaned red potatoes with skin on (cut away any bad parts and the nubby ends)
4 oz cream cheese (just a warning, it's only down hill from here!)
1 cup sour cream
1/2-3/4 cup milk
1/2 stick or 4 Tbsp butter plus an extra tablespoon or two
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 -1 Tsp fresh black pepper
1-1 1/2 Tsp salt

Cube the potatoes into even chunks. I typically quarter mine if I have the smaller red potatoes. Place your potatoes into your pot then cover with cold water just until they are submerged. Crank up the heat and allow them to boil for about 12-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain immediately to avoid them getting gummy.
Next, dump in the next 7 ingredients and start with 1/2 tsp of pepper and 1 tsp of salt then taste. You might need to add a wee bit more of both depending on your taste.
Now for me I always prefer to hand smash my potatoes. This allows for some uneven chunk-age and for the potatoes not to get over-whipped  Potato mashers are just a few bucks at any local grocery store and are a great tool to have on hand so go get one if possible. As a back up, you can always use a hand mixer and whip just until they have a creamy consistency but don't over due it. If they are too thick, add a splash more milk but I like mine to be able to stand up on their own and not be a runny pool.
Pour them into your serving pan, put a pat or two of butter on top and another sprinkle of black pepper and dig in!

Happy Holidays Y'all!

Season of Happy Thanks- Nutty Buddy Blessing Bars

What a weekend! Normally on this day, four days past one of my favorite holidays I would be sitting and telling you of all of the good memories and good food we had and recipes we made and trees we trimmed and good times we had. But, this was not that kind of year, at least, not in that way. This was our year to be with my family. For any of you married or part of a family you know all about splitting the holidays and sharing your time equally. This year was the year to "be with my family" since we were with my family during Christmas last year. Since I have been working much more these days we decided to do something we have never done before since it was just going to be our family and my parents. With permission from my mom I called my favorite restaurant and reserved us a spot at my favorite chain restaurant, Maggiano's. I have been telling my parents about Maggiano's for years, about their cream sauce that makes you want to shrink up to the size of a marshmallow so that you can bathe in the Romano cream sauce bouncing from one fluffy chicken and spinach filled manicotti to another, and the 7" high dark chocolate ganache coated cake, so rich and dense it must be followed with a shot of dark coffee. I made these reservations in September and had been dreaming about what their version of turkey and stuffing would taste like and about the pecan streusel topped pumpkin cheesecake. 

Then the storm hit. 

I woke up abruptly on Thanksgiving day to the end of a vividly wild and terrifying dream, the kind that you wake up and say a prayer of thankfulness because it was not real. The kind that has you on the edge of your bed and your stomach in knots...so I thought, until I realized that it was the stomach bug taking over my body. My parents sat and stirred not knowing what to do then finally packed up their bags, took the boys to Cracker Barrel for breakfast, cancelled our reservations and headed home. I stayed in bed for the better part of 22 hours waiting for the alien who had taken over my insides to leave.

The next day while still trying to recover from the violence that had occurred the day before the salesman threw his back out. He became immediately immobile which meant that I needed to quickly put on my nurse hat to begin taking care of him. My plans for black Friday store hopping and cookie baking quickly flew out the door. Then on Sunday when I was finally starting to feel normal again I decided to take some of our left over Christmas decoration boxes downstairs and missed the last two steps which ended with me twisting my ankle in an unhealthy position and my body being thrown on the ground in such a fashion that I am still feeling the aftermath 24 hours later. I let out loud screams and ugly cries, the kind that scared my children the floor above me and ruffled my hair. This is not what I wanted. This is not the plan I had for the day. I just wanted to rest and finish tree trimming and make cocoa and cookies and sing Christmas carols. But that is what I wanted. 

I just finished re-reading my favorite book in the world and in the back she has a chapter called, "Happy Thanksgiving". She says, "even though I did the meal part of Thanksgiving twice, I never did the thanks part, the part where you stop and think about the year, and think about what you're thankful for, or what you've been given, or the gratitude you feel toward the people you love and to God for his good gifts". Whoa. 
It's not about me. It's not about what I wanted. I think that this weekend, in all of this craziness, is just what I needed. My plans of mile high lasagna and middle of the night shopping madness were not what I needed. My "thanksgiving" dinner consisting of saltines and flat ginger ale followed by Phenergan were not what I wanted. What I needed was a good kick in the pants to force me to sit and be still, and that's what I got. I needed to be thankful for my parent’s health that they can make the trip. To be thankful for dear friends who rushed over a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner when they found out about all that was going on. To be thankful for a house I can decorate with meaningless stuff and for children who will hear my cries of pain and come over to wipe my tears away and offer kisses to help my boo boo's go away. Thank you God! Please let me ever be mindful of your goodness. In my daily devotional book for today it states, "Instead of trying to be in control, you relax and make me (God) the center of your life. This is the way I created you to live, and it is a way of Joy." 

So, today as I write to you with one ankle tightly wrapped up and a heart that is striving to make peace with the events of the week I share with you the only homemade item that came out of my kitchen from the past 72 hours. I had promised my muffins we would make cookies all weekend. One thing led to another and since I am so strong headed I knew that I had to do this in order to sleep soundly last night. After resting for hours yesterday and keeping my foot on so much ice that my toes were blue I decided to hobble to the kitchen, clear away a section of counter space and make a batch of sweets with my babies. This recipe couldn't be easier or more delicious. It tastes just like the Little Debbie Nutty Buddy Bars. Being with my babies for a few minutes letting them each take turns with smashing the cereal and stirring the pot was the blessing I needed to end this weekend. That and a prayer for true Thanksgiving to our wonderful and merciful Savior who was, and is, and is to come! 

Nutty Buddy Blessing Bars

2 cups crushed Cap'n Crunch Cereal- crushed (you want some chunks so don't kill it all!)

1 stick of salted butter, melted

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

Combine all of the above in a small bowl and stir by hand. Spread into a 9" round pie pan and throw in the fridge. 

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Place the chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring in-between, until it is melted. I usually need three, 30 second rounds. Once melted, spread the chocolate over the peanut butter layer and return to the fridge until it is set. 

Cut in thin wedges to serve. 

Enjoy Y'all!

Rollin', Rollin, Rollin- Lasagna Rolls

Yes friend, it's been a while but thanks for coming by. Pull up a chair and let's just pick up where we left off like we always do.
These days I am trying to survive. The busyness of life that has me pulled in a million directions keeps me on my toes trying to maintain my schedules and meeting and orders and kids and events and all of the day to day blessings that are pouring in my door. Since I am working out of my house three days a week I have really had to adjust my menu planning schedule to allow me to still feed my kids at home and not opt out for the easy and expensive take out meals every day. I have started trying to prepare larger meals so that I can freeze part of it for another meal. Don't get me wrong, we have plenty of meals that are based around the kids favorite cereal, but I try my hardest to give them something of substance and in a variety of colors.
One of my favorite quick fix meals are lasagna rolls. They have all of the yumminess of my mom's lasagna but don't require all of the layering and planning (in my humble opinion). I also like these because you can fill them with anything from sausage, hamburger meat or grilled chicken or you can just fill them with fresh sauteed or roasted veggies like spinach, roasted squash, broccoli, mushrooms, etc. This sausage spinach version is what we have the most around this neck of the woods. One of my muffins scoops out the creamy filling eating only the noodle while the other does the complete opposite...so it makes everyone happy in one form or another. These are great to make for when you have company or when you are needing to impress. Don't be scared by these instructions! Just put on your big girl britches and go for it!  

Lasagna Rolls (This version is sausage and spinach)

12-14 curly edged lasagna noodles
Throw these in some heavily salted boiling water and cook until they are al dente or soft but still have a bite to them. Rinse them with cold water until they have come to room temp and just let them hang until your stuffing is done.

1 lb Italian sweet sausage (can use hamburger meet, 2 cups diced roasted chicken, 1 cup diced pepperoni slices, or 2 cups chopped meatballs)
Cook your sausage on medium heat in a skillet with 2 Tbsp of olive oil added and constantly crumble with a wooden spoon or potato masher until it is browned and is a fine crumble.(Use this same method for ground beef but add in 2 tsp Italian seasoning and 1/2 tsp garlic salt )
*If you want to do a veggie version you will use 2 cups of your veggie of choice. Cut the veggies into a small dice size and saute in 2 Tbsp of olive oil adding in the 2 tsp of Italian Seasoning and 1/2 tsp garlic salt until the veggies are soft.

Cream Filling
2 cups cottage cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese *reserve 1/4 cup for the topping)
2 cups mozzarella (I have also used white Cheddar and provolone) *reserve 3/4 cup for the topping
1 egg
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh spinach (or if you want to go with an all spinach version the squeeze the juice out of a 10oz frozen chopped spinach box and add it in)

Combine all of the above in a bowl. Add in the cooked and crumbled sausage.

2-24 oz Jar canned spaghetti sauce (preferably garlic and herb and the cheap stuff is fine!)
I typically make two different pans of this and freeze one for later. If you are cooking this all at once you will fill up a jam packed 9x13 but if you have an 11x15 that works best.

Ladle in 1/2-3/4 cup of sauce on the bottom of your pan and spread it around to where it evenly coats the entire bottom.

Take your cold lasagna noodles out of the water and lay them out on your counter in long strips. I like to do this all in once step so I don't get my hands gunky.  Spread about 3 Tbsp of mixture evenly on top of each noodle until you have used up all of your filling. I typically get 12 but you could get up to 14, but don't be too skimpy with filling. Start from the bottom of one noodle and roll that baby up and place it in the sauce seam side down. Repeat until you have rolled all of the noodles.

Next, ladle the sauce over all of the noodles. You might not use up both jars but you want to be sure you have plenty of sauce on the top of the rolls or you will get a super crunchy noodle, and no one likes that.

Next, spread your remaining cheese across the top. If you are going to freeze a batch, spray the foil with Pam before covering and putting in the freezer. If you are baking right away, lightly tent the pan with foil for the first part of baking.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, removing the foil after 25 minutes. Allow it to sit for about 10 minutes before serving so things can settle and calm back down before you dig in.
Enjoy Y'all!

Busy Bee- Creamy Chile Chicken Spaghetti

Man, I really can't believe it has been so long since I posted. Sorry y'all! I thought that life was maybe going to slow down a bit after removing a few things from my plate but then a new buffet of options appeared to fill life back up! I have started working three days a week outside of my house and that has made me fall a bit behind on having a camera handy to catch the menu's and meals that we have been eating. We have had a lot of Kraft mac and cheese and cereal for dinner and I have tried and failed and tried and succeeded with some new recipes these past few weeks.
I have been aching for it to be cold around here. I have been leaving with a sweat shirt on in the morning (which is funny since I am the most hot natured person I know) hoping that I will have to still have it on at the end of the day, but it is usually removed before I can get to my car. I purchased some pablano's to make my tortilla chicken soup a couple of weeks ago but they are still hanging out in the bottom of my produce drawer begging to be used. I love Fall. If you have been with me long you know that my heart overflows with fond memories during the Fall. I love everything about it...except for the massive amount of trees that produces a massive amount of leaves in my front yard. Since I have not had a ton of time on my hands I decided to create a new dish that would combine the love of my chicken enchiladas with my love of chicken spaghetti. Now, chicken spaghetti has been around for ages. I looked up some recipes for it and they are pretty much all the same, rotel, Velveeta, pasta, chicken. I have a great recipe for my chicken spaghetti but some times it can have a bit too much heat for my young ones which forces me to eat the whole pan. I also don't typically have Velveeta on hand because 1. It wigs me out, 2. It wigs me out, 3. It is expensive and I would eat the whole pan. So, for this chicken spaghetti I opted to use a cream cheese base because nothing that was bad ever started with cream cheese. This had just a bit of heat from the green chiles and a bright freshness from the parsley and green onions. You can easily double this to make a whole batch and freeze it if you are needing to take someone a meal. This was also kid tested and approved...which is the best compliment this tired mom can get these days! It looks like a TON of steps but it is all super easy and just be ready to throw all of these pots in the dishwasher when you are done!

Creamy Chile Chicken Spaghetti

1 Large bone in chicken breast or 2 boneless skinless
Place your chicken on a foil lined (no washing needed!!)cookie sheet. Rub with olive oil and put a heave sprinkle of salt and fresh cracked pepper on it. Throw it in your oven at 425 degrees for about 25 minutes (bone in) or 18 (boneless) until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Remove and allow to cool before shredding the meat.

1/2 lb. angel hair pasta
1 8oz container cream cheese softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup minced onion
2 green onions minced
1 can whole green chiles, drained and chopped (DON'T BUT PRE-CHOPPED if you can help it!!)
1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian parsley
2 cups Monterrey jack cheese shredded
2 cups chicken

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add 2-3 Tbsp of salt and throw in the pasta. Cook for about 5-6 minutes until the pasta is tender. Drain right away.
In a small pan, saute 1/2 cup minced onion in 2 tsp olive oil for about 8 minutes until the onion is soft.
In a large bowl, place the cream cheese, cream of chicken, cooked minced onion, green onions, chiles, parsley, shredded chicken and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add your cooked pasta and warmed broth and toss until all is combined. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan. Top with the remaining 1 1/2 cups of cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 until golden bubble on the outside and the center.
Serve with a big salad and chips and salsa.

Enjoy Y'all!

Now Bring Me Some Texas Pudding

One of the biggest blessings that the salesman had growing up was being surrounded by his family, I mean within walking distance. I grew up with my family living on all sides of the world and it still remains that way to this day. He on the other had had grandparents that lived around the corner that he would go visit on a daily basis. When we came into our marriage I only had two living grandparents left but lost one of them just a few months into our marriage so I was happy to gain three new grandparents when we got married. We lost his Grandpa two years ago but the other two gals are still alive and kicking!  His Granny Dot relocated to the area a few years ago and it has been a blessing to have her close by. Granny and I both have very southern roots but we both married Yankees. She lived in Illinois most of her life where as I have been able to keep my man just south of the Mason Dixon. We had thought at one point that if we ever had a girl then we would name them after our grandmothers, but when we realized that name would be Lottie Dottie (we likes to pah-ty!) we were glad that we were bless with two boys instead.
This past weekend when all of the family was together I was handed a giant accordion file of her recipes to thumb through. For anyone that knows me you know that this is the best gift I could ever get! I sat down and began to read hand written treasures that date back to many moons ago. Because of her Southern roots there are many recipes for southern staples like pecan pie and flaky pie crust but because of her meatasaurus Northern husband there are plenty of hearty beefy dishes like stew and stuffed peppers. I came across the recipe for her peanut butter balls that are legendary in the family that I will hopefully get around to making soon, but when I was in the "Veggie" section I came across a recipe for "Texas Pudding" and I knew that would have to be first on my list. Any time a combination of cheese and rice can be passed as a veggie you can go ahead and sign me up! Now, I did make a slight variation of the recipe from how it is written. I have a strong aversion to green bell peppers, a slight incident when I was younger makes me gag at the thought of them, so I made the adjustment to jalapenos which I feel is more suited to a "Texas" recipe anyway. This recipe is very reminiscent of a hearty Mexican cornbread but is served as a "veggie" instead. I paired this with some yummy black beans and southwestern rubbed chicken breast. I promise to post more treasures soon!

No idea who took a little taste test bite!

Texas Pudding- serves 6 (or I could eat the whole pan)

2 eggs
2 cups cooked long grain rice (I used the quick cook white rice)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 14 oz can cream corn
1/4 cup minced onion
3/4 cup chopped green pepper OR 2 1/2 Tbsp minced pickled jalapenos
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp melted butter (one other addition but I had to!)

Combine all of the ingredients into a large bowl. Pour into a greased baking dish with a lid. Bake at 350 degrees covered for 30 minutes, remove the lid and bake an additional 15 minutes. Let it stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy Y'all!

Betta with Butta- Basic buttercream

So y'all know by now that I have this little side hobby of fooling around and baking cakes. I am in the middle of writing material to teach a basic cupcake decorating class soon and figured it was time I should share a good old basic buttercream recipe with you. Now, this is not the buttercream I use in my business (we must have some secrets between us) but this is a great buttercream to use for any flavor cake. This is a spin on the traditional Wilton buttercream that has been around since the beginning of time. This is what some might call the "crispy" frosting because it tends to get a light crisp on it once it has been exposed to the air. I learned quickly in my early decorating days that not all buttercreams are created equal. I am not a fan of using shortening in a buttercream for many reasons. The buttercream with shortening in it can last for months on end on a shelf and that alone is very disturbing to me. This buttercream can be altered very quickly to match whatever flavor cake you are making. The trick is to let it beat for a while to get a light and fluffy texture...and salt. Salt is key to this because it helps just make it perfect, weird as it may sound. So, grab your favorite recipe, wipe the dust off of that big fat mixer that has been lonely in the cupboard and get to cookin'!

Basic Buttercream
2 sticks unsalted butter at room temp
1 lb box or 4 cups powdered sugar
3 tsp cream (preferably heavy cream but if you don't have it on hand, half and half or milk will work)
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract*

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat your butter for a minute or two until all lumps are removed and you have a good creamy mixture to work with.
With the mixer on low, slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time.  One trick I have found is to wet a hand towel and drape it over your mixer while you are adding the powdered sugar. This will help you from covering your entire kitchen with magical sugar fairy dust. Just lift it when you need to add a scoop of sugar then drop it down again. Pour in the cream, salt and extract. Turn the mixer to medium high and let that baby beat for about 5-7 minutes. It will take on a nice airy texture that will be perfect to put no any cake (or dip your spoon into). Use right away. If you have to let it sit for a bit be sure you beat it for a minute or two to make it get nice and soft again. You can keep any unused portion in the fridge for up to one week or you can store it frozen up to one month. Just be sure you let it get to room temp again and beat it.
If you are having a hard time spreading the buttercream onto a cake, add an additional teaspoon at a time of milk until it is right. If it gets too runny then just add more sugar. Easy peasy. 

*So, this is where you can play around with your flavors. You can add any kind of extract at this point and can add up to 2 tsp if you want a stronger flavor.
Examples would be:
almond (great with white cake)
lemon (and add the zest of 1 lemon)
coconut (then fold in 1/2 cup shredded coconut and/or nuts and pair with in Italian cream cake)
2 Tbsp cocoa powder (yumminess with a dark chocolate cake or vanilla)
strawberry (can even add in 2 Tbsp fresh strawberry puree in place of extract)
add in 1 tsp of cinnamon with vanilla (pair with gingerbread cake)....need I go on???

Enjoy Y'all!