Category: BLOG 366

TOMATILLO CHICKEN ~ BLOG 366.79

This is an EXTREMELY flavorful and yet SUPER simple recipe that’s perfect for a weeknight dinner or company!

CHICKEN TOMATILLO
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons WONDRA flour
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef Chile Lime seasoning
1 teaspoon Pampered Chef TEX MEX seasoning
12 ounce can Salsa Verde
1/2 cup FINELY shredded Mexican shredded cheese
1 green onion, minced

  • Blend together the chile lime and TEX MEX seasoning.
  • Generously season each chicken breast with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper and then the seasoning mix.
  • Spread flour in a shallow bowl.
  • Dredge each chicken breast in the flour.
  • Heat butter in a large skillet until melted over medium heat.
  • Add chicken breasts, searing 2-3 minutes per side.
  • Pour salsa Verde over chicken breasts and simmer on low 5 minutes.
  • Plate chicken and ladle additional sauce over top.
  • Sprinkle with cheese and green onions.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY weel 12 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.78

I hope you’re having a wonderful start to the week. I’m off and running as I have a ton to get done today. Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

We got home last night and it was absolutely gorgeous – 68° and sunny! Today is supposed to be the same, but the as the weather page said “Drag The Jackets Out Again; Winter Isn’t Done“! Tomorrow is supposed to dip to mid 50’s and then by Wednesday we’re back into the 40’s and really wet. Today is Levi’s and a lightweight flannel with tennies.

There is A LOT for me to “UNPACK” both physically AND mentally from the past 3 weeks. I’m not really ready to go there yet here on the blog, but I am glad I did the “right” thing.

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING I have 3 weeks worth of laundry to do and some general cleaning.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS There is literally NOTHING in the refrigerator so my first stop will be the grocery store.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS It will take a few days to get all my ducks in a row and get back on track. At least they are all in the same pond this week.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING This week is planned, but I’m going to start some spring recipe research for some lighter versions of our favorites.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • We have a mess load of shows to catch up on the DVR. We watched a few movies while we were gone though. A couple I’m surprised I didn’t catch the first time – UPGRADED, The OTHER ZOEY, ALIENS ABDUCTED MY PARENTS, HITCH, OVERBOARD, THE PROPOSAL…

I’m about half way through THE ALICE NETWORK  by Kate Quinn – I’m really enjoying books about WWII, especially about women spies. And especially when it covers multiple time periods in history as in this case both WWI AND WWII.

“1947. In the chaotic aftermath of World War II, American college girl Charlie St. Clair is pregnant, unmarried, and on the verge of being thrown out of her very proper family. She’s also nursing a desperate hope that her beloved cousin Rose, who disappeared in Nazi-occupied France during the war, might still be alive. So when Charlie’s parents banish her to Europe to have her “little problem” taken care of, Charlie breaks free and heads to London, determined to find out what happened to the cousin she loves like a sister. 

1915. A year into the Great War, Eve Gardiner burns to join the fight against the Germans and unexpectedly gets her chance when she’s recruited to work as a spy. Sent into enemy-occupied France, she’s trained by the mesmerizing Lili, code name Alice, the “queen of spies,” who manages a vast network of secret agents right under the enemy’s nose.  

Thirty years later, haunted by the betrayal that ultimately tore apart the Alice Network, Eve spends her days drunk and secluded in her crumbling London house. That is until a young American barges in uttering a name Eve hasn’t heard in decades, and launches them both on a mission to find the truth . . . no matter where it leads.”

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
SPAGHETTI & MEATBALL SOUP
 TOMATILLO CHICKEN
 CHICKEN FRIED STEAK RANCHERAS
 CABBAGE BEEF SOUP
 HAM & BEANS with BUTTER BISCUITS
 POT ROAST & VEGGIES
 LEMON HERB ROAST CHICKEN
DESSERT
 
 BUTTERMILK DEVILS FOOD SHEET CAKE
 

I still have a bunch of pictures to edit from the trip, but a few of my favorites are from The Cadillac Ranch.

LEMON PUDDING BUNDT CAKE ~ BLOG 366.74

It’s not often I use a package mix of anything, but my friend gave me this recipe to make for her dinner night at the Eagles and I followed it to the letter. I actually recommend you do the same thing. 😀 It has a airy tender crumb that is FULL of intense flavor. I’ve since changed it up a bit and also made it strawberry by using a strawberry cake mix and vanilla pudding. The possible combinations are based on your imagination with cake and instant pudding flavors 😀

I’ve also adapted it to a scratch version that uses freeze dried fruit to make it mango or raspberry using a white cake mix.

LEMON PUDDING BUNDT CAKE
CAKE
1 package lemon cake mix
1 small (3.4 ounce) package instant lemon pudding mix
2/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup neutral oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
4 LARGE eggs

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Generously butter (NOT non stick spray) a bundt pan.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the cake mix and pudding mix.
  • Add oil, lemon zest, lemon juice and eggs, whisking to combine well.
  • Pour into prepared pan.
  • Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool 15 minutes in pan.
  • Invert onto cooling rack to cool completely.

GLAZE
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

  • Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice and vanilla.
  • Drizzle over cooled cake and let glaze harden 10 minutes or so before serving.
  • Transfer to serving platter and serve with FRESH blueberries or berry of choice 😀

NOTE: Flavors can be altered by using 1/4 cup freeze dried fruit with a white cake mix and vanilla flavored pudding mix.

CHEESY MEATBALLS ~ BLOG 366.72

CHEESY MEATBALLS ala SLOW COOKER

1 LARGE egg
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
2 tablespoons minced dried onion
4 tablespoons chili powder, divided 2 + 2
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed FINE
2 pounds ground beef
1 pound ground pork sausage
2 cups shredded Velveeta
2 cans Progresso Tomato Basil soup
2 cups homemade chicken bone broth
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

  • Preheat oven to 400°.
  • In a large bowl whisk together the egg, milk, minced onion, 2 tablespoons chili powder, FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper until well blended.
  • Stir in crackers until evenly mixed.
  • Add beef, sausage and cheese, mixing gently, but thoroughly.
  • Shape mixture into 1 inch balls and place on greased baking sheet.
  • Bake 15-18 minutes until browned.

 

  • Combine soup, broth, brown sugar and remaining chili powder in a slow cooker until well blended.
  • Gently fold in meatballs.
  • Cook 2-3 hours covered on low until meatballs are cooked through and coated well in cheese sauce.
  • Serve with pasta of choice.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY week 11 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.71

Be sure to join us for Happy Homemaker Monday and link up with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

This past week was extremely warm (mid 80’s) and very humid for March in southeast Texas, but then the weekend turned almost cold and windy bringing back out the sweatshirts we started the trip with. Fortunately we’ll be leaving here later today before the warm weather returns. So I’m starting today in Levi’s, a favorite t-shirt, sweatshirt and some tennies that I should have broken in better before the trip.

I’m glad we came to help my cousin and be here for the memorial. My aunt passed several years back so now both of my god parents are gone. I know my aunt and uncle are looking down and proud of my decisions. That said, I’m glad to be heading home having done all I can do to help and be leaving it in my rear view mirror. I’m going to leave the rest of my thoughts mulling over in my brain until next week 😀

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY I got caught up on laundry yesterday so we’ll start the trip home will ALL clean clothes.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I ran across a few of my aunt’s old recipes that were wonderful as a child, but will need to be converted to scratch now. Who really knows what this week will bring for a menu. The one thing I do know is a lot of eating out for our main meal.

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • Not much as it’s all at home on the DVR, but we did watch a couple Amazon movies – UPGRADED, THE OTHER ZOEY and ALIENS ABDUCTED MY PARENTS

I just began THE ENEMY at HOME by Kevin O’Brien, a WWII historical suspense novel. I’ve really been enjoying historical WWII novels.

BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
DINNER
DIL’S CHOICE
DIL’S CHOICE
 OUT
 OUT
 OUT
 OUT
 OUT
 
 
 
 

Other than a few outings to favorite haunts for some long missed meals our week was spent working on clearing out my uncle’s house – throwing away the trash from the shed, house and garage, packing up the donations for his favorite charity and helping my cousin pack what she is taking home with her to Kansas. We’re exhausted and ready to start heading home!