Tag Archives: chicken

Family, Food

Community Cheesecake

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When I first spotted this scrumptious cheesecake, I knew it had to go on {the list}. Um, it has Keebler Fudge Striped cookies. As. The. Crust. Enough said…

Would’ve probably made it sooner, but I didn’t have a spring form pan.

But, I do NOW….and I DID make this cheesecake for our Valentine’s Day dessert.

This was my first cheesecake, so I was a little nervous.

{before the whipped cream goodness}

{and after!}

I knew I could not have this cheesecake staring at me all week {AKA eating it for breakfast with my coffee!!} so I cut it in quarters and shared with our neighbor friends. However, when I cut into it the center collapsed….maybe I didn’t chill it long enough?

Despite the oozing mess, I did receive all sorts of positive feedback. Check out this sweet comment:

“I just wanted to thank you once again for the DELICIOUS cheesecake!  When I came home from work this afternoon, my mom (who was watching the boys) said, “Where did you get that to-die-for cheesecake that’s in your fridge?  I helped myself to some, and I don’t think I’ve ever tried anything so divine in my whole life.”  No joke, she literally talked about the cheesecake for 20 minutes!  My mom is a dessert fanatic, yet over the last three decades of my life, I don’t ever remember her praising any dessert quite like your cheesecake 🙂  So, thank you again!!  We all REALLY enjoyed it.  Still can’t believe it was your first attempt!  You must consider opening up your own catering/party business!”

Awww, thanks Alina and THANK YOU Meg @ Whatever for sharing and THANK YOU Pam for your endless hours in the kitchen perfecting this extraordinary dessert!

I’m going to call it the {traveling cheesecake} because whenever I make it, three quarters of it will find another home. It is very rich, but smooooooth and creamy.

*****

One of Jay’s favorite meals is Chicken Marsala. We use Ty Flo’s recipe and every time we make it, I wonder “Why don’t we make this more often?”

Tyler Florence’s Chicken Marsala

I served with roasted asparagus with parmesan:

{just take a bunch of asparagus, cut about 2 inches off the ends, cut in thirds on an angle, drizzle with olive oil, salt & pepper & parmesan, toss, place on a baking sheet lined with foil for about 20 minutes @400*}

Easy peasy, right?

*****

That was our Valentine’s dinner…complete with crooked table cloth adorned with spilled smoothie spots and colored Crayola markers! We skipped the {Wilson Creek} Almond Champagne and will enjoy that this weekend.

And, as I mentioned, Miss Elliott lost her first tooth Valentine’s evening.

It’s so true that when you have children you start to see things differently and enjoy them so much more. V-day has never been one of my favorite holidays, but this year I really enjoyed watching them address their little valentines to their friends and see their joy when showing off all their cards. Next year my goal is to come up with a homemade valentine ~ there are loads of darling ideas out there!

And next year, even though I loved our dinner at home, {you and I} are GOING OUT to dinner, babe!

Love you.

*****

Happy Wednesday!

*****

Food

{Ch}argers & {Ch}icken Spaghetti

The Chargers are playing tonight and I wanted something casserole{ish} baking in the oven as we watched the game…

this was PERFECT:

Pioneer Woman’s Chicken Spaghetti

Um, yum!

{via}

I cheated and used my friend Mr. Rotisserie. And by doing this, I goofed and didn’t see that I needed to reserve 2 cups chicken broth {from the fryer chicken that I was supposed to boil MYSELF}, so as I am nearing the end of the prep I see that it’s time to add the chicken broth….oops! Didn’t have any in the pantry, so I just used 1 cup whole milk instead. I was afraid to use 2 cups as I thought it would be too soupy. It was perfect!

I also am not a fan {not even a little bit} of green bell peppers so I substituted a red pepper and used a whole wheat pasta instead. And the pimentos….left those little guys out. Oh, and I drizzled a little Sriracha on my portion, too.

I wanted to share this recipe with you ASAP because it really is delish and so comforting.

{Like we need another comforting meal after our Thanksgiving Day feasts!}

I think this will become a regular. It makes TONS which is fine because it’s that good.

And the Chargers weren’t too bad this week, either!

*****

Here’s to a week of recuperating and ringing in the holidays!

XOXO

Fiestas & Fetes, Friends, Fun

All Hallow’s Eve 2010

Phew!

Halloween was lots of fun, but I am pumpkin’d, witch’d, goblin’d and candied out!

I’m so glad I decided to dress up this year…it added so much to the night. I spent a grand total of $8 on our costumes this year ~ Elliott reused her dance recital costume, Holden borrowed his and I spent $5 on handcuffs and $3 on a cheetah print beanie that I fancied up with some orange rosettes to match my inmate threads!

A gal stopped me on the street and commented on my rosettes…why thank you! She asked me if I sell them…well, no I don’t, but maybe I should. Which got me thinking….stay tuned!

Getting back to trick-or-treating…we decided to go to our friends’ neighborhood this year as they have a street that goes all out and has haunted houses and stuff. There were swarms of people, my goodness!

Holden was finished before we even started:

10 minutes before we were to leave!

He rallied and we were on our way…

Perpetual mouthful of candy!

LOVE, love, love the red door on this house…

Holdy was always about 3 houses behind the group, but would catch up every now and then…

We had a great time and all was well and good until we got separated and Elliott began to worry about me {she was with her friends and my mom and Jay and I were with Holden}. Apparently she thought I was “lost” and then saw a Sheriff’s car and thought that maybe I’d gotten picked up since I told her I was an escaped inmate! Oops!

We had our annual Halloween chili and cornbread for dinner and enjoyed cobbler with the fresh peaches we picked a couple weeks ago. The cobbler was a breeze to make and turned out much better than I thought it would. Here is the recipe I followed.

This year’s ghoulish cocktail was “swamp water“…

{via}

We kept ours green, but you can add a touch of grenadine or blue curaçao to change up the color {as seen in the above pic}. Personally, I thought it was just fine the way it was. This is the perfect group cocktail to make in a big bowl with lots of ice and a ladle and people can serve themselves.

Already looking forward to next year and planning my costume! I’ve been missing out all these years…

Food

Filipino Comfort Food

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Lumpia, pancit & chicken adobo are the three most common and most consumed {not to mention favorite} Filipino recipes in our home.

If you’ve never tried any of these, you’re missing out!

I make adobo once in awhile and I prefer the stove top method, but last night I did it in the slow cooker. I tried to be more healthy and add extra veggies, but it’s typically made with just onion and garlic. This time I added some baby carrots and a red pepper.

Here’s the recipe I followed.

In the words of Yo Gabba Gabba! …”Try it, You’ll like it!”

Happy Weekend!

Food

The Memo

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Hmmm, apparently Summer didn’t receive the memo that we’ve moved into Fall.

It was over 100* here again today and it’s not supposed to cool down anytime soon as far as the little weather widget on our computer is concerned.

I was SO ready for Fall.

Earlier this week I was inspired to make a chicken pot pie. Couldn’t stop thinking about it…I’ve never made one so I was excited to give it a shot.

I wanted to use fresh veggies and the tail end of a bag of peas at the bottom of my freezer. I just sauteed some sliced baby carrots, diced onion, halved haricot verts {thin green beans}, and some fresh thyme in a little butter, salt and pepper for about 10 minutes. I then added a little chicken stock and cooked that off for another couple minutes and added the frozen peas at the last minute to help them keep their bright green color. I then cheated and used a can of undiluted cream of mushroom soup and added that to the veggies.

In the meantime, I baked off some chicken tenderloins that I had defrosted and drizzled with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. {350 for about 3o minutes}. Chopped them up and added them to the veggie mixture.

For the crust, I purchased 2 pre-made frozen pie crusts from Trader Joe’s and defrosted them at room temperature for about an hour. I used my old trusty dusty 9X9 Corningware and put one crust down on the bottom and fit it to the corners of the dish. I then dumped all the chicken/veggie mixture on top of that and then laid the other crust on top and tried to crimp the edges as pretty as possible {it looked a little more rustic than I wanted it to}. I cut a few slits in the top to let out the steam.

Bake at 425* for about 35 minutes until crust is golden brown and inside is bubbling.

I must say I was a little nervous about how this was going to turn out. But let me just say that it was D-E-L-I-S-H. The crust was super flaky and done to perfection. I cannot wait to make it again. Next time I think I’ll add some fresh mushrooms, use cream of potato soup and a little white wine instead of the chicken stock. Yum!

So, take that Summer.

We’re going to enjoy some comfort food despite your lingering temperatures.

I HIGHLY suggest whipping one of these up. You could certainly use a rotisserie chicken and some frozen veggies to speed up the prep time and enjoy it quicker. Would also be great with leftover turkey from Thanksgiving!

So glad to have a new favorite to add to our Fall menu favorites.

*****

Here’s to a comfy, cozy weekend no matter what type of weather you’re experiencing!

Food

Drunken Chicken

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Jay’s been dying to make beer can chicken.

I LOVE that we have a grill now because he can help me cook more.

Be my guest. Not going to hear an argument from me.

Below is the recipe he used for the dry rub:

Memphis Style Beer Can Chicken

It really is quite funny to see it on the grill like this…

…but the end result is soooo tender and juicy.

I served with some red beans and rice.

We used a 4 pound bird and have enough leftover for another meal. I’ll make a big chopped salad with the rest tomorrow night.

Loving Big Blue!

Note: There have been claims that the beer can “explodes” the hot liquid onto people when they remove the chicken from the can. Please, please be careful and be sure to poke extra holes with a screwdriver in the top of the can after opening it and pouring out half the beer. Directions are in the above recipe for properly preparing your beer can chicken.

Fiestas & Fetes, Food

The Whole Enchilada

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Enchiladas are something that I’ve never made much in the past. I am not a huge fan of the traditional red sauce variety. Since I’ve never met a white sauce that I haven’t loved, I’ve tended to lean towards this version and have found a couple recipes that I love…one being here.

Then, I recently came across a recipe that is a nice combination of the red and white sauces ~ like a creamy, spicy red sauce…the best of both worlds!

Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas

For this recipe I used 2 cups of chopped rotisserie chicken and added some chopped cilantro to the mix and topped with sliced jalapeños, too! I also used my new fave peach-pineapple salsa instead of the Pace. I decided to use light sour cream and light cheese and nothing was sacrificed ~ I promise!

Sorry, I don’t have a pic because these things flew out of the pan at our last minute backyard soireé with the neighbors this weekend! But I can tell you that they did look like the photo above!

So, if you’re at a loss of what to make on Wednesday for Cinco De Mayo, may I suggest these.

They’re muy, muy delicioso!

Happy Monday!

Adios!

Food, Friends, Fun

Caliente!

This weekend was kicked off with a Mommy’s Night Out!

A bunch of us ladies went to SABOR to celebrate a couple birthdays. We sipped strawberry blueberry margaritas and fruity sangrias, chatted, laughed, shared stories from the past, nibbled on chips and salsa, muy delicioso entreés and this crazy good dessert:

Nutella.Filled.Churros.

OH MY!

Our server was very “pleasant” ~ think Mark Consuelos caliber:

Looking forward to the next “Mommies Gone Wild” evening, Ladies!

*****

If you haven’t tried Buffalo Chicken Dip yet, you’re missing out.

This stuff should be outlawed:

Buffalo Chicken Dip

All the goodness of wings without the mess!

I added some crumbled blue cheese and that put it over the top. I like to serve with tortilla chips, Ritz crackers, baby carrots and celery sticks. Thanks, Deb for brining this into my life! It is a staple now.

Next up out of the recipe box: Carolina Barbequed Pork & Polynesian Coleslaw

Hope your weekend has been full of spice!

Family, Fitness, Food, Friends, Fun

Weekend Rewind

Saturday was full of impromptu events…

The Albertson’s down the hill was having an Easter egg hunt ~ the “golden egg” being a pass to Disneyland along with some other goodies for the little ones hidden inside certain eggs. Mr. Easter Bunny made a brief appearance which I was thrilled with because that saved me a trip to the mall and $25 for a photo!

The “hunt” took place in the produce section and it was hardly a hunt at all….just piles of candy filled plastic eggs under the apples, lettuce and potatoes! Super duper obvious and lasting a grand total of 3.5 minutes! My little chickens only walked away with mini Twix bars, Reese’s and mini Hershey’s bars…thank goodness the candy was good because I would’ve been real disappointed. But they had a great time and Albertson’s was nice enough to serve FREE hotdogs and sodas so this Mama didn’t even have to fix lunch ~ gotta love that. Here are some photos from the eggstravaganza…

Elliott gathering eggs:

The find:

Holden post hunt searching for the rabbit:

Emilie & Elliott with Mr. Easter Bunny:

Holdy with his new BFF:

Enjoying lunch:

Then, we organized a last minute redneck block party where a few neighbors parked their lawn chairs in the guest parking across the street, prepared some appetizers and enjoyed wine and chit chat while the kids ran amok, chalked the you know what out of the street and rode various modes of transportation including scooters, tricycles, bikes and the ever popular Disney Princess ride.

Here is the spread (yes, complete with boxed wine!):

I made a dip that I found on the back of the Mission Tortilla Strip bag…Black Bean & Roasted Red Pepper Dip:

It calls for cilantro so I was immediately sold:

This is my new fave $3.99 TJ’s wine find (and it’s organic!):

Holden decided to don a plastic bowl helmet:

Checking out the stars:

This morning we were up bright and early to head to a Scooter’s Jungle (bounce house place) birthday party for a little friend in E’s dance class, ran some errands to finish up shopping for Easter outfits, pick up some hand weights for my boot camp which starts tomorrow and then enjoyed an al fresco dinner of homemade crispy chicken tenders and mac n cheese (NOT homemade!).

I discovered this recipe in Parents magazine years ago and it is so easy and delish. I feel like I feed my kids dino chickens from Costco on a daily basis, so it’s nice to make them from scratch once in awhile. The recipe calls for corn flakes, but I used my leftover rice crispies from the treats earlier this week and those worked just fine.

Here is what you need:

12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I use frozen chicken tenderloins)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 Tbsp. honey

1 tsp. prepared yellow mustard

1 cup packaged cornflake crumbs or 2 cups cornflakes, finely crused (or crushed rice crispies!)

1/4 tsp. salt

Dash ground black pepper

Dipping sauces: BBQ, Ranch or ketchup

1. Heat oven to 450F. Cut chicken into 3/4-inch strips. In a shallow dish, combine the egg, honey and mustard. In another shallow dish stir together cornflake crumbs, salt and pepper. Dip chicken strips into the egg mixture and then roll them in crumb mixture to coat evenly.

2. Arrange the strips on a baking sheet. Lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Bake 12-15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition per serving: 179 calories, 22g protein, 2g fat, 16g carb, 18mg calcium, 0 fiber

I sliced mine and put them into a salad…still desperately trying to recreate the CPK bbq chicken salad!

Finally, I will leave you with this cute image:

Future blogger?

Here’s to another busy week ahead…2 boot camps, mammogram, bro-in-law coming on Wednesday and then the in-laws coming on Good Friday to celebrate Easter with us. Egg coloring and frosted Easter sugar cookies to be made in between. Oh, and sloppy joes (not from a can!) on the menu for tomorrow.

Hope you have all sorts of good stuff on the agenda this week, too!

Food, Friends, Fun

Milestones & Munchies

This weekend Elliott was invited to her first official sleepover.

She was so excited.

Disney Princess suitcase on wheels packed with her Christmas pajamas, toothbrush and “Monkey”, her lime green, long-armed, long-legged stuffed primate.

Disney Princess sleeping bag rolled nicely inside the matching DP backpack over both shoulders.

Mermaid pillow under her arm.

We walked two doors down to Emilie’s…..Holden in tow and me with some nibbles for the Mommies to enjoy as we chatted and sipped on margaritas and eventually wine!

The four girlies feasted on mini pb&j’s, chicken nuggets, steamed broccoli, fruit salad and the ever popular nacho cheese Doritos.

Once the girls changed into their jammies, Holden immediately called out, “Jammies on! Jammies on!” So, he and I walked home, suited up in his “doggie jammies”, grabbed his “rocketship pi-woe”, zipped up the Buzz & Woody light up boots and headed back down to the girl fest:

Barbie And The Diamond Castle was playing, but not quite capturing all their attention because a pillow fight broke out:

Even though this picture is blurry, I loved it as I thought it captured her pure happiness throughout the night. Sheer excitement as the much anticipated “sleep over” was being played out in real life. A new milestone that I think she will want to relive again real soon.

I talked her through it and reminded her that I was not going to stay. She insisted that she would be OK.

And she was.

*****

I brought a new appetizer that I’d been dying to try…Warm Blue Cheese and Bacon Dip. (Thanks to this cute blog!)

Super easy and super delish.

Here is the line up (minus half&half/milk):

And here is the final goodness:

Highly recommend this is you love the blue!

I also made BBQ Chicken Pizza:

Normally I am a traditionalist when it comes to pizza. Extra sauce, mushrooms, onions, tomatoes…just a simple vegetarian pizza, but I like to make this creation from time to time…reminds me of my BFF, Denise, down in San Diego.

Here’s what you need:

TJ’s Pizza dough (I use the whole wheat)

Your favorite BBQ sauce

Rotisserie chicken or grilled tenders or breast (I grill with a bit of olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning)

Red onion slices

Cheese of choice

Fresh cilantro, chopped

Follow instructions on dough package and roll out to desired shape and size. Poke dough with fork to prevent bubbling. Spread a bit of sauce onto pizza. Arrange red onion slices around the pizza and then cut up chicken in small chunks and toss around in a small amount of bbq sauce and sprinkle across pizza. Add shredded cheese and bake at 450 for about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro confetti, let cool and then cut into small appetizer size squares.