MEMES & LINK PARTIES – Page 111 – Chasing MY Life WHEREVER it Leads ME

TERIYAKI & ENCHILADA CHICKEN MARINADE RECIPES

CHICKEN MARINADES adapted from ala Gimme Some Oven

These easy chicken marinade recipes are VERY simple to make, freezer-friendly as well as dependable and delicious too! AND they are perfect for ANY cooking method whether it’s baking, slow cooking or grilling.

Teriyaki Marinade:
1/3 cup BRAGG’S LIQUID AMINOS
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons peanut oil (or avocado oil)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

Enchilada Marinade:
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons enchilada seasoning (see below)
2 tablespoons avocado oil (or avocado oil)

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

Enchilada Seasoning
1/2 cup chili powder or chipotle (not cayenne)
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.
Store in an airtight container for up to 1 year.

Honey Mustard Marinade
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup avocado oil

Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl until combined.

NOTE: Cooking times will vary depending on the cut of chicken that you use. Be sure and test your chicken temperature to be sure that it reaches a safe 165°.

These are basic recommendations for 8-ounce boneless skinless chicken breasts.

BAKING

Heat oven to 425°.
Place chicken on a baking sheet or in a baking dish.
Bake for 10 minutes, flip the chicken and bake another 8-10 minutes until it is cooked through (165°) and the juices run clear.
Remove from the oven, and loosely tent with aluminum foil.
Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

GRILLING

Heat grill to medium-high.
Oil chicken breasts.
Grill for 10 minutes, flip the chicken and grill another 8-10 minutes, until it is cooked through (165°) and the juices run clear.
Transfer the chicken to a plate, and loosely cover with aluminum foil, letting the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

SAUTEING

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.
Add chicken breast and cook for 5-6 minutes, flip and cook another 5-6 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (165°) and the juices run clear.
Transfer the chicken to a plate, and loosely cover with aluminum foil.
Let the chicken rest for at least 5-10 minutes and serve warm.

SLOW COOKING

Add chicken and marinade to the bowl of a slow cooker.
Cover and cook for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low, until the chicken is cooked through (165°).
Serve warm.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 5 of 2019

WOW here we go into week 5, only 47 to go this year LOL 😀 This is always an emotional week for me as it is also the “anniversary” of my Ovarian Cancer surgery. The first 5 years were the worst waiting for that “NED” (NO evidence of disease) designation each follow-up, but now at 8 years I’m feeling more comfortable that there will NOT be a recurrence! I had my yearly check up last week and the blood work is all back and ALL is good til next year! 😀 Of course ALL the health issues that came after the cancer and because of the cancer are enough to deal with 😀

That said, I have been under the weather the past week with some sort of fever and infection, but because of the issues from the stomach surgery last year I cannot take even Tylenol to get the fever down and just have to wait it out. It is always such a fine line trying to get the proper nutrients and minerals, keep some weight on and get my energy up. I’m hoping this week will be better. On the up side my oncologist thinks the weight loss, no matter how it happened has made me healthier and even less at risk for a cancer recurrence 😀

Anyway on to this week:

Be sure to join us and link up with
Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday
and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING – We have had a few dry days and even a couple sunny ones, but we’re back to mostly gray and cloudy and the rain will be back by Wednesday. Temperatures have been running in the 40’s during the day and 30’s at night. I always laugh because it predicts our high will be say 49 degrees, but it doesn’t tell you that’s only for 30 minutes before it starts dropping again! I have on Levis, a comfy lightweight teal blue hoodie and super comfy socks.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE – This morning is a bowl of peanut butter oatmeal with a banana and green tea.

ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY – My 8 year cancer anniversary is Friday and I am ecstatic to report I had my follow-up last week and I am still NED (no evidence of disease)!! Everything else may be falling apart and eating is STILL a challenge, but I am STILL cancer free! 😀

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA I didn’t get as much done last week as I would have liked because of not feeling well, but I did FINALLY get this project finished – the antique file (4 stacked units with oodles of drawers) sits on the wood floor and had old broken and flattened sliders under it that needed changed out. Unfortunately the ENTIRE thing has to be taken apart piece by piece, drawer by drawer to get it apart and accomplish this job. At least it is DONE!!

INSPIRATION

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS / APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY… just a load or two
LIVING AREAS… good and tidy, but do need to vacuum
KITCHEN… also good and tidy, but need to dust mop
YARD…hubby has been working on the moss that is making an appearance on the bricks and concrete
BLOG…I have a few NEW recipes lined up to post, but nothing much otherwise. I did chop 2 more off my “Where I Like To Party” list 😀
PROJECTS…need to finish research on getting new tires for my car this week
APPOINTMENTS…I hate beginning and ending the week with appointments, but LOL that’s EXACTLY what this week will be 😀

CRAFTS / PROJECTS – NOTHING this week though I’m researching a NEW project working with alcohol inks that I’m excited about.

I’M READING – Ava Miles Dare River #6 The Patchwork Quilt of Happiness I really like reading multiple series. By the time you finish book 6 of this series, book 12 is out on another series and you can jump back and forth without feeling like you really ever went very far. 😀 SOMETHING INTERESTING I WATCHED – I finally got around to watching The Longest Ride with Scott Eastwood and Alan Alda – wow a REALLY poignant movie! We also watched a movie on Netflix or was it Amazon, oh well either way it was good too with James Garner and Julie Andrews called One Special Night. Then we switched to comedy and saw a cute one with Sarah Jessica Parker and Hugh Grant called Did you Hear About the Morgans? Oh, and did I mention Sam Elliot was in it? 😀

WHERE I’VE BEEN SURFING ON THE NET I really haven’t been surfing much at all. I’ve been unplugging more and more, especially of an evening. It just feels so refreshing to not be “attached” ALL the time. I did watch a few you tube videos on the project I’m researching.

WHAT IS ON THE DVR OR LIST TO WATCH – ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

FEATURED PARTY LINKS FOR THIS WEEK – I’m adding this category to show which recipe links are being shared with “WHERE I LIKE TO PARTY” sites now that I have considerably narrowed down this process and the number of sites I participate in 🙂

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

DINNER & DESSERTS

MONDAY – FRIDAY

HOT TEA,

BANANA OATMEAL

& YOGURT

CHICKEN or TUNA SALAD

MONDAY

R.E.D. recipe experiment dinner

TUESDAY

CHEESY SOUR CREAM CHICKEN

WEDNESDAY

C.O.R.N. clean out refrigerator night

THURSDAY

SLOW COOKER RIBS & BAKED BEANS

FRIDAY

KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN

SATURDAY

BACON & EGGS

BEEF LETTUCE WRAPS

SUNDAY

PANCAKES

CHICKEN ALFREDO PIZZA

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

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CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE

Making this recipe as individual pies you can taste the homemade pastry and rich cheddar flavored sauce in EVERY bite. You can make this as rustic or as elegant as you’d like by cutting the crust into cute little decorative shapes or leave it as a single layer. We like to invert the individual pies so the crust is on the bottom absorbing all the yummy gravy.

CHEDDAR CHICKEN POT PIE – serves 6
CRUST
1 cup soft flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons cold vodka

5 minutes before you begin the crust place the vodka and butter cubes in the freezer.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut in butter until crumbly.
Gradually add vodka, mixing until forms a ball.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate AT LEAST 30 minutes.

FILLING
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cubed peeled potatoes
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup sliced celery
1 can petite peas, drained WELL
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup Wondra flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4 cups diced rotisserie chicken
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Bring the broth to a SLOW boil over medium high heat in a large saucepan.
Add vegetable and simmer 10-15 minutes until tender.
Whisk together the milk and Wondra flour.
Stir milk mixture into broth mixture and simmer 10 minutes more or until desired thickness.
Stir in cheese and chicken.
Fold in peas.
Season to taste.

ASSEMBLY

Spoon filling into baking dish(es). Set aside.
On a floured pastry mat roll crust 1 inch larger than baking dish.
Ease crust over dish, sealing the edges to the side of the dish.
Make several slits in the dough for steam to escape through.
Bake uncovered, for 40 minutes or until golden.

NOTE: DO NOT forget to cut slits in the crust to allow the steam to escape.

HONEY ORANGE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER

HONEY ORANGE PINEAPPLE CHICKEN ala SLOW COOKER serves 6-8

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup orange pineapple juice
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup QUALITY honey
1/4 cup apricot pineapple preserves
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce
1/4 cup Heinz Chili sauce
8 ounce can crushed pineapple
1 small can Mandarin orange segments, drained WELL
1 small onion, finely chopped

1 cup sliced carrots
Prepared rice
chopped green onions for garnish

In a mixing bowl whisk together orange pineapple juice, lemon juice, chicken broth, honey, preserves, brown sugar, cornstarch, teriyaki sauce, Chili sauce, Country Bob’s sauce and crushed pineapple.
Spray slow cooker insert with non-stick cooking spray.
Place chicken breasts in slow cooker in as shallow a layer as possible.
Top with onion and carrot pieces.
Pour juice mixture over top.
Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
Cover and cook 1 hour more.
Top with Mandarin orange segments, turn off heat, cover and let sit 5 minutes.
Serve over hot cooked rice. Top with fresh chopped green onions.

MEXICAN TORTILLA BAKE a.k.a. FOLD OVER TACOS

Your favorite taco in a casserole – perfect for potlucks!

FOLD OVER TACOS
1 pound ground beef
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 cans Rotel tomatoes
1 cup red enchilada sauce
1 can re-fried beans
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon FRESH ground sea salt
1/4 teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
12 6 inch tortillas
6 ounces cream cheese, softened at room temperature 30 minutes
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Wrap tortillas in foil and warm in preheated oven for 10 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat cook beef until crumbled and pink is gone.
Drain off excess fat.
Add tomatoes, sauce and seasonings. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes.
Pour half of the meat and sauce into the bottom of a 13 x 9 baking dish.
Top with half the beans. Set aside.
Stir together the cream cheese and one half of the re-fried beans.
Spread cream cheese mixture on each tortilla and top with a spoonful of the sauce.
Fold each tortilla over and arrange in baking dish partially overlapping.
Pour remaining meat sauce over top of tortillas.
Cover and bake for 15 minutes.
Sprinkle with cheese and bake 5 minutes more until cheese is melted.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 4 of 2019

GOOD MORNING! Here we are beginning week 4 of 2019 and I find myself wondering where the first 3 went? I’m having such a tough time getting all my energy back – so much so that I already feel behind for the year 🙁 Oh well, onto this week’s Monday post as I pray to find some energy.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING Welcome to the Pacific Northwest where the weather is almost always wet at least some of the day and ever changing at this time of the year. When I looked at the weather yesterday there were supposed to be having several days of sunshine later this week and now today there aren’t any forecasted 🙁 We’re supposed to be a bit dryer this week which won’t take much since we were SUPER wet last week with flash flood watches and such. The highs are supposed to be in the mid 40’s and the lows in the mid 30’s.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE Peanut butter Banana Oatmeal and Lemon Green tea

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA Our favorite munchkins spent a rainy Saturday night with us and after an uneventful game of CLUE we landed on a game of Monopoly that still sits waiting to be finished next weekend. 😀

INSPIRATION

SOMETHING INTERESTING I WATCHED The NFL playoff games were on yesterday and kept us entertained through a rainy Sunday. We’re long time RAMS fans and were thrilled that they are advancing to the Super Bowl!! We REALLY wanted the Chiefs to beat the Patriots, unfortunately it just didn’t happen.

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS / APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY… Just a couple loads to get caught up on
LIVING AREAS… clean and tidy
KITCHEN…clean and tidy, but need to add felt stops to the self-closing cabinet doors
YARD… nothing
BLOG… still need to write up a few more new recipes and I’m still adjusting the party links to downsize the ones I participate in. Three weeks into the new year and I have eliminated yet another 3 party links bringing it up to 16 gone. There are at least 5 more on the chopping block for this week. So many blogs have become too commercial and the ads as well as the layer of pages to get to the content have become just too much to bother with.
CRAFTS/PROJECTS… working on some garland for next year’s Christmas tree – I’ll post about it if it works out the way I’m hoping
APPOINTMENTS… oncology follow up that is also a day away with shopping and food 😀
TO DO… some paperwork, cable comparisons for my mom to get her bill to a manageable price, phone calls and still working on my cookbook cross reference system for upcoming recipes I want to make.

I’M READING Five Years gone by Marie Force

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, I LIKE OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH Not much on the DVR, we’re pretty caught up for now and I’m just NOT getting very excited about TV except for a couple cooking shows.

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	DESSERT
MONDAY – FRIDAY	GREEN TEA, BANANA & YOGURT	CHICKEN or TUNA SALAD	MONDAY KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN TUESDAY SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE WEDNESDAY THURSDAY PORK EGG ROLL BOWL FRIDAY FRENCH ONION PENNE PASTA	PINEAPPLE RAISIN TAMALES OR BLUEBERRY COFFEE CAKE
SATURDAY	PANCAKES		CHICKEN LASAGNE
SUNDAY	BACON & EGGS		OUT

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

PEASANT CHICKEN
ROAST PORK TENDERLOIN with GREEN BEANS & PEARS
BUFFALO MAC & CHEESE NESTS
BBQ CHICKEN MAC & CHEESE BITES
SMOKEY JALAPENO BBQ MEATBALLS
BAKED CRANBERRY MEATBALLS
CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY week 3 of 2019

GOOD MORNING everyone! WOW we’re already entering week 3 of 2019, Why is the time passing by so fast? I’m up early and hoping for a VERY productive day. My energy levels are still lagging, but I need to take advantage of the better weather today before the next set of storms roll in.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING – The past few days have been pretty nice, days in the 50’s and nights in the 30’s, at least for a couple hours midday LOL 😀 Mornings have been quite gray and foggy, but the sun makes an appearance in time for the sunset most days. Today will be no exception, but we’re supposed to be back to mostly rain by Wednesday and stay that way for the rest of the week. I have on Levis, my favorite canvas tennies and comfy sweatshirt.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE Peanut Butter Oatmeal with Banana Slices and Green Tea

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS / APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY… ALL caught up as of yesterday.
LIVING AREAS… Need to vacuum and do a bit of tidying.
KITCHEN… REALLY clean as I’ve been polishing counter tops.
YARD… nothing
BLOG… still need to write up a couple more new recipes and I’m still adjusting the party links to downsize the ones I participate in. Two weeks into the new year and I have eliminated another 5 party links bringing it up to 13 gone. There are at least 5 on the chopping block for this week or at the most the end of the month. A few blogs are still on break so I’ll continue evaluating this category until I have it where I want it. So many blogs have become too commercial and the ads as well as the layer of pages to get to the content have become just too much to bother with.
CRAFTS/PROJECTS… I’m working on next year’s Christmas gifts and will tell you it involves the fabric in the picture below and I found these great pieces on sale this past week.
APPOINTMENTS/TO DO… I need to get the oil changed on the car, track down a few medical records to have transferred, am hoping for enough sun today to get at least the small storage space gone through in search of more needed paperwork for the VA…

CRAFTS / PROJECTS What I CAN show you 😀 but CANNOT tell you what the parts will equal.

If you know me, then you know I LOVE to cook! I usually get several cookbooks for Christmas and I REALLY look forward to them. The first thing I do is sit down and read them cover to cover, tabbing the recipes I want to make in the weeks ahead. As you can see, this year was no exception. My brother sent me the Half Baked Harvest, my girl friend Heather and munchkins gave me the Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines and Santa brought me the Six Sisters Stuff.

For some odd reason this process always brings to mind a specific friend, Julie. Julie’s dad was a professor at our university and they had a lot of talented kids in her family, several of which were in college at the same time which was quite costly so they lived very modestly on a professor’s salary. Julie was the middle girl of 5 and was quite used to getting the hand me downs. Julie and I became fast friends and hung out a lot. Many times there were three of us hanging out in Julie’s rec room as Julie’s friend Joann spent a lot of time there too. Joann wasn’t into the college scene, but came from money and had other priorities most of the time – parties and such while we studied our butts off and worked several jobs. Anyway, we all had our talents that we brought to the group.

Julie used to borrow Joann’s designer clothes, A LOT! Julie also had mad sewing skills. The funny part was (and I doubt Joann even knows this now) late at night when we were studying Julie would take a break, disassemble whatever piece she had just borrowed from Joann and whip up her own version by using Joann’s piece as a pattern. Then she’d put Joann’s dress, skirt, etc… back together, no worse for wear. Long story short (I know, too late) I think I approach other people’s recipes the same way Julie approached designer clothes by taking it apart piece by piece, tweaking it to meet my flavor desires or textural expectations and putting it back together as an all new piece. 😀

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA – I just LOVE that sliver of moon that made an appearance just in time for my picture. The clouds covered it almost immediately.

INSPIRATION

I’m ALWAYS trying to remember that life is FULL of change and my favorite saying is,

“Man plans, God laughs!”

SOMETHING INTERESTING I WATCHED We watched BIRD BOX with Sandra Bullock this past week – scary, but interesting movie. I’m really sad 🙁 though to hear that teens are actually being so stupid and using movies like this to act out stupid scenarios for social media challenges/DARES.

I’M READING I still didn’t get much reading done this past week so I’m still reading: The Misadventures of Catie Bloom: a romantic comedy (Bloom Sisters Book 1) by Brooke Stanton

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, I LIKE OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH With shows just coming off hiatus we are actually pretty caught up on prime time shows with no DVR backlog. There is a growing list for NetFlix and Amazon Prime.

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	DESSERT
MONDAY – FRIDAY	GREEN TEA, BANANA & YOGURT	CHICKEN or TUNA SALAD	MONDAY MEXICAN LASAGNE TUESDAY HAWAIIAN CHICKEN WEDNESDAY THURSDAY TORTILLA BAKE FRIDAY CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE	FUDGY BROWNIES, CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD OR CRANBERRY PEAR CRISP
SATURDAY	BISCUITS & SAUSAGE GRAVY BAKE		CHEDDAR CHICKEN POTPIE
SUNDAY	QUICHE LORRAINE		PERUVIAN SHEPHERD’S PIE

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

ROAST PORK with APPLE PEAR CREAM SAUCE

MAGIC COOKIE BARS

PUB BURGERS with TANGY PUB SAUCE BAKED SPICY BACON GREEN BEANS

CHICKEN & RICE CASSEROLE

WHISKEY CHILI MEATBALLS WHISKEY BBQ CHICKEN

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY – week 2 of 2019

We took a little unplanned trip to the coast for a couple days last week right after a quiet New Year’s Eve and had a wonderful time. MY BIL and SIL were supposed to be here for the New Year and bailed last minute so we decided a little fun was in order. Traveling on New Year’s day was actually a FUN experience. Our biggest issue for the entire trip was that a couple places we wanted to visit were National Parks and closed due to the governmental shut-down.

We were able to get a discounted room on the beach because of the last minute holiday time for the same price as a regular room anywhere else so we were ABSOLUTELY thrilled when it came with a balcony, ocean view and fireplace. The weather was GORGEOUS, the food was WONDERFUL and the scenery was FANTASTIC. We came home to a beautiful mild end of the week while we finished de-decorating and cleaning up from Christmas. The timing was PERFECT because by Friday night the weather had turned into a winter storm watch with LOTS of wind and we were inside once again. At least it was a football playoff weekend and I tried a couple new recipes and got caught up on the laundry.

How was your New Year?

Be sure to link up with
Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday
and with Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE & WHAT I’M WEARING The entire week looks pretty much the same – gray, 40’s, rainy, maybe some wind gusts… You know me it’s my daily Levis, a pink long sleeve t-shirt and my favorite lightweight sweatshirt with BIG fluffy socks!

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE Huckleberry Green Tea, Kiwi and granola

CRAFTS / PROJECTS Don’t laugh, but I’m actually working on a couple ideas for next Christmas. I’m also working on getting all the pictures form all our trips the past year edited and the posts completed. We realized with this last trip that EVERYWHERE we stayed in the past year was under some form of construction which made it a bit of a pain!

ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY We used up most of our back stores of Christmas gift tags, bags, ribbons and such this year so I ventured out a couple days after Christmas and into some awesome 75-90% off sales and was able to rebuild our stash for literally pennies on the dollar. Certainly not something I do every year, but I scored BIG this year 😀

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA This little guy was obviously fed by the people before us! The fireplace in our room worked so well that we actually had to leave the sliding glass door to the balcony open at night so we didn’t roast which LOL 😀 was such a hard ship to be lulled to sleep by the crashing waves 😀 On our first morning we awoke to this guy squawking LOUDLY!! from our balcony railing as he stared expectantly at us. 😀 LOL When it happened again on day 2 we knew he was expecting to be fed.

INSPIRATION

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS / APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY… ALL caught up 😀 though as long as you’re wearing clothes and active this is a perpetual category! I should just say that the hamper is not overflowing 😀
LIVING AREAS… ALL clean and neat except for a few Christmas boxes to be put away after the rain stops – I just don’t want anything wet to go into storage.
KITCHEN… need to put away the dishwasher
YARD… nothing
BLOG… need to write up a couple new recipes and I’m still adjusting the party links to downsize the ones I participate in. So many blogs have become too commercial and the ads as well as the layer of pages to get to the content have become just too much to bother with. Last week alone I eliminated 8 party links. Many blogs have been on breaks so I’m still evaluating this category and how to handle it.
CRAFTS/PROJECTS… just a bit of prep work on the new personalized Christmas gifts ideas before I pack them away for a few months
APPOINTMENTS… dentist
TO DO… finish updating my “Where I Like to Party” list and the same old, same old paperwork….

I’M READING I didn’t get much reading done this past week so I’m still reading: The Misadventures of Catie Bloom: a romantic comedy (Bloom Sisters Book 1) by Brooke Stanton

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, I LIKE OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH Shows are just starting back up after the holidays so not much on the DVR or list right now. We rented a couple movies this past week.

The Catcher Was a Spy 😀 😀 😀 😀 about Mo Berg in WWII – anything WWII always interests me.
An Elephant’s Journey – I thought was okay, but could have been much better.
The Spy Who Dumped Me – pretty cute is a sarcastic comedy way.
Unbroken Path to Redemption 😀 😀 😀 😀 about WWII hero Louis Zamperini’s Olympic journey.
Orphan Horse 😀 😀 😀 😀 about a runaway and her bond with a horse.

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

Essential Oils really work!

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	DESSERT
MONDAY – FRIDAY	GREEN TEA, BANANA & YOGURT	CHICKEN or TUNA SALAD	MONDAY CARAPULCRA TUESDAY MEXICAN PORK ROAST WEDNESDAY THURSDAY CHICKEN with TOMATOES & HONEY FRIDAY CARIBBEAN TURKEY
SATURDAY			CHICKEN with BABY PEAS
SUNDAY			FARMHOUSE CHICKEN CASSEROLE

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

HORSERADISH POTATO CRUSTED BEEF STEW

Another RECIPE SCRAP recipe wins! The horseradish and cheddar cheese combo is AWESOME! and really elevates a basic stew to the next level.

HORSERADISH POTATO CRUSTED BEEF STEW

STEW
1 1/2 pounds lean stew meat, diced small bite sized
1 cup blended red wine
1/2 cup Moscato white wine
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
1 orange, sliced
1/3 cup Wondra
1 large Vidalia onion, quartered and sliced
4 carrots, sliced into thick chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup beef bone broth
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Place half the orange slices the bottom of a non-metallic bowl.
Top with beef pieces.
Generously season with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
Top with the remaining orange slices.
Whisk together the wines and caraway seeds.
Pour over beef, cover and marinade over night or at least 4 hours.

Preheat oven 325°.
Drain the beef WELL, discard oranges, but reserve the marinade.
Heat the oil over medium high heat in dutch oven.
Generously season the beef with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
Dredge the beef in the Wondra.
Sear the beef pieces.
Add the onions, garlic and carrots and simmer 5 minutes or so.
Add mushrooms.
Whisk together the cornstarch with the beef stock and marinade, whisking until blended. Stir into stew.
Season to taste.
Cover and cook in oven 45 minutes.

CRUST – prepare potato crust so it is ready at the 45 minute mark
1 1/2 pounds YUKON potatoes, grated
1 tablespoon Avocado oil or 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons creamy horseradish
2/3 cup grated SHARP cheddar cheese
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste

Blanch the grated potatoes for 5 minutes in boiling water.
Drain well.
Use a cheesecloth to squeeze any remaining liquid from the potatoes.
Stir in avocado oil, horseradish, cheese and season to taste.
Layer potatoes evenly over the stew.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°.
Cook 30 minutes more until the potato crust is crisp and golden brown.

CREAMSICLE CHICKEN – PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CREAMY ORANGE SAUCE

This recipe is tender, juicy, looks elegant and pairs wonderfully with any green vegetable. It is truly my intention to try AT LEAST 1 recipe a week from my RECIPE SCRAPS. I now have one more scrap of paper gone!

CREAMSICLE CHICKEN – PAN SEARED CHICKEN with CREAMY ORANGE SAUCE serves 4
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (see notes)
3 tablespoons brandy
1 1/4 cups orange juice (see notes)
4 green onions, minced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
6 ounce orange yogurt (see notes)
FRESH ground salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon water
scant tablespoon avocado oil
Orange slices for garnish
Jasmine rice, prepared per package

Heat avocado oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.
Generously season chicken pieces with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
Saute’ chicken breasts 2-3 minutes per side until golden.
Remove chicken to plate, tent with foil and keep warm.
De-glaze pan with brandy.
Add orange juice, garlic and green onions.
Bring to a boil for 2 minutes.
Reduce heat to simmer 2-3 minutes.
Whisk together cornstarch with water.
Whisk cornstarch mixture into yogurt.
Whisk yogurt mixture into pan sauce and adjust seasoning.
Simmer until thickened and cooked through.

NOTES:

If you prefer 8 thighs can be substituted easily.
I sometimes use a pineapple orange juice to alter the flavor a bit.
YOPLAIT orange cream works beautifully.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY – week 1 of 2019

GOOD MORNING sweet ladies and HAPPY NEW YEAR. Can you believe another year has passed us by? May 2019 be one of your best years ever and fill you with happiness and joy. We don’t celebrate out much on the new year anymore, that stopped when we had dogs and they hated the fireworks and noise so we started staying home for a quiet evening. PLUS we never had to worry about being on the roads with ice, snow or those who had had too much to drink. This year though the pups are no longer our reason, but it will be much the same. I’m making a batch of black eyed pea chili with the left over prime rib from Christmas and we’ll watch movies and snuggle. WHATEVER you do this evening be safe and have fun.
There is one day a week and 2 memes that I do regularly to help keep on track; Happy Homemaker Monday over at Sandra’s blog, Diary of a Stay at Home Mom and Menu Plan Monday over at Laura’s blog, I’m an Organizing Junkie. I made myself 2 new, brighter and lighter badges for this year, BUT I’m also trying to add back in a bit more blogging with where I also like to blog hop for inspiration and creative ideas. I fell a bit out of it last year with finishing the HOUSE FROM HELL and the move, but here in 2019 I will get back into the swing of things in the evenings as we watch television. Doing this helps with my inspiration for cooking, crafts and even trips to take. It just takes a bit of organization in the beginning and then you’re able to stay on track regularly. I just keep a spiral bound notebook where I attach a printed page of link ups where I check off the 3 links I’m sharing that week. By checking off the blogs as I join in I also get a satisfied feeling of completing projects. I’m including that list at the end in case you want to check any of them out and/or join in 😀

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW & THE WEATHER OUTSIDE It’s been pretty nice the past few days since Christmas with the sun coming out in time to set and create some gorgeous sunsets! But, that also make it much cooler at night with being clear so we’re still on the crisp side with highs in the 40’s during the day and down into the upper 20’s and lower 30’s at night. We’re supposed to get back to rain by Friday.

ON THE BREAKFAST PLATE Today is Blueberry Green Tea, a banana and some rice krispies.

ON MY MIND / THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY I saw an image on INSTAGRAM I immediately fell in love with, so I made myself one to work on being more productive, positive and happy… and then I saw another one I also made for myself and together they will work in tandem to keep me focused.

I’m also doing a “THANKFUL” jar again this year. You jot down one thing you’re grateful each week, place it in the jar and then read them all on New Year’s eve next year.

And then I also saw this one. While I can no longer have sugar I LOVE the inspiration behind it. 😀

FAVORITE PHOTO(S) FROM THE CAMERA

Sunset December 28th 2018

Munchkins Christmas Eve 2018

INSPIRATION

AS I LOOK AROUND THE HOUSE / WEEKLY TO DO LIST & HOUSE PROJECTS / APPOINTMENTS

LAUNDRY… sheets, towels and casuals
LIVING AREAS… vacuuming, dusting
KITCHEN… straighten pantry
YARD… nothing
BLOG… party links, pinterest updates and some recipe updating
CRAFTS/PROJECTS… nothing this week
APPOINTMENTS… nothing this week
TO DO… paperwork

I’M READING

The Misadventures of Catie Bloom: a romantic comedy (Bloom Sisters Book 1) by Brooke Stanton

WHAT IS ON THE DVR, DVD OR ON THE LIST TO WATCH – we rented a few Netflix movies over the weekend

ALPHA – pretty good coming of age move
RIVER RUNS RED – we had trouble getting into this as it moved very slow and actually didn’t even finish it.
A SIMPLE FAVOR – scary movie (in a really weird way)!

shows I like to watch in general:
COMEDIES – Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon, The Good Place, American Housewife

MILITARY, POLITICAL & CRIME DRAMAS and a couple that qualify as comedies – NCIS, NCIS New Orleans and NCIS LA, Criminal Minds, S.W.A.T., Madam Secretary, Seal Team, Blindspot, Macgyver, Law & Order SVU, Blue Bloods,Elementary, Chicago Fire, Chicago PD, Chicago Med, 911

DRAMAS & REALITY – The Good Doctor, This Is Us, The Resident, the Amazing Race, Dancing With the Stars, American Ninja Warrior

SYFY – Z Nation, the Walking Dead, Fear the Walking Dead, Flash, Supergirl, DC Legends, Orville, Midnight Texas

COOKING – Guy’s Grocery Games, Beat Bobby Flay, Dessert Wars, Worst Cooks in America, Kid’s Baking Championship, Master Chef Jr., Master Chef, Southern at Heart, Best Baker in America

HEALTH & BEAUTY TIPS

HOMEMAKING/COOKING TIP

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	BREAKFAST	LUNCH	DINNER	DESSERT
MONDAY – FRIDAY	GREEN TEA, BANANA & YOGURT	CHICKEN or TUNA SALAD	MONDAY BLACK EYED PEA CHILI TUESDAY R.E.D. recipe experiment dinner night COWBOY GOULASH WEDNESDAY C.O.R.N. clean out refrigerator night THURSDAY Potato Crusted Beef Stew FRIDAY Chicken Lasagne
SATURDAY			Chicken Biriani
SUNDAY			C.O.R.N. clean out refrigerator night

SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WHERE I LIKE TO PARTY

SUNDAYS
DISHING IT & DIGGING IT at Rustic & Refined
INSPIRE-BE-INSPIRED Sunday Features at Denise Designed
NIFTY THRIFTY SUNDAY at Meet Our Life
OVER THE MOON at Marilyn’s Treats
SOUPER SUNDAY at Kahakai Kitchen
SUNDAY’S BEST at Mother 2 Mother
SUNDAYS AT HOME at Celebrating Everyday Life, Love of Home, Starfish Cottage, Little Farmstead and My Soulful Home
THAT DIY PARTY at DIY Show Off

MONDAYS
AMAZE ME MONDAY at Dwellings The Heart of Your Home
CELEBRATE YOUR STORY at Celebrate & Decorate and Sweet Sensations
COOKING & CRAFTING with J&J at Julie’s Creative Lifestyle
CRAFTASTIC MONDAY at Sew Can Do
HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
INSPIRATION MONDAY at I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Scattered Thoughts of a Crafty Mom, Our Southern Home, What Meegan Makes, Inspiration for Moms and Refresh Restyle
INSPIRE ME MONDAY at Domestically Speaking, Create with Joy and My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
MADE BY YOU MONDAY at Skip To My Lou
MAKE IT PRETTY MONDAY at The Dedicated House
MELT IN YOUR MOUTH MONDAY at Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms and
MENU PLAN MONDAY at I’m an Organizing Junkie
MERRY MONDAY at Where The Smiles Have Been and Our Crafty Mom
MIX IT UP MONDAY at Flour Me With Love
MOTIVATE ME MONDAY at Keeping It Simple, Rae Gun Ramblings, Pieces by Polly and Housewife Eclectic
PROJECT INSPIRED at The How To Home and Yesterday on Tuesday
SHOW and SHARE at Coastal Charm
SHOW AND TELL at Flamingo Toes
TUTORIALS & TIPS at Home Stories A to Z

TUESDAYS
DIY TUESDAYS at DIY Dreamer
INSPIRE ME TUESDAY at A Stroll Through Life
LOU LOU GIRLS FABULOUS PARTY at Lou Lou Girls
THE SCOOP at Confessions of a Plate Addict, Cedar Hill Farmhouse, Stone Gable and Worthing Court
TALK OF THE TOWN at My RePurposed Life
TREASURE BOX TUESDAY at Memories by the Mile
TUESDAYS AT OUR HOME at Our Home Away From Home
TUESDAYS WITH A TWIST at Stone Cottage Adventures, Back To The Basics and God’s Growing Garden

WEDNESDAYS
SHARE YOUR STYLE at 21 Rosemary Lane and Kingsbury Brook Farm
WINTER BLUES WEDNESDAYS aka SWING INTO SPRING at DIY by Design
WONDERFUL WEDNESDAY at Eclectic Red Barn, Ducks in A Row, Marilyn’s Treats, My Life Abundant, Mom Resource, Engineer Mommy, Simple Steps for Living Life, 2JustByou
WOW ME WEDNESDAYS at Ginger Snap Crafts
WOW US WEDNESDAY at Savvy Southern Style with A French Twist

THURSDAYS
CREATIVE INSPIRATIONS at Embracing Change
DAGMAR’S PARTY at Dagmar’s Home
FAVORITE THINGS at Katherine’s Corner, Vintage Mama’s Cottage, Eclectic Red Barn, Shoestring Elegance, Follow the Yellow Brick Home, Petite Haus, Marilyn’s Treats
FULL PLATE THURSDAY at Miz Helen’s Cottage
GRACE AT HOME at Imparting Grace
HOME SWEET HOME at The Charm of Home
I’M LOVIN’ IT at Tidy Mom
PIN JUNKIE PIN PARTY at The PIN Junkie
SHARE YOUR CUP at Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson
THIS IS HOW WE ROLL THURSDAY at 31 Organized

FRIDAYS
BLOGGERS PIT STOP at The Blogger’s Lifestyle
FOODIE FRIDAY at Back to My Southern Roots
HANDMADE HANGOUT at A Glimpse Inside, Gardners to Bergers, Too Much Time on My Hands and Twin Dragonfly Designs
HOME MATTERS at Life with Lorelai
PRETTY PINTASTIC PARTY at Coffee with Us 3, Annie’s Noms, My BIG Fat Happy Life, Divas Run for Bling, A Princess and Her Pirates, The Whole Serving, This Scattered Life, As for Me and My Homestead, Lynchburg Mama, Phoenix Mom Blog, Pop Shop America, Beyond Mommying, Sparkle Living, Frugal Family Adventures, Sword Fights and Starry Nights and Candace Woesch

SATURDAYS
SATURDAY SPARKS at Pieced Pastimes
SHARE IT ONE MORE TIME at Everyday Home
SWAY SHAREFEST at The Sway Life
WEEKEND COOKING at Beth Fish Reads
WHAT TO DO WEEKENDS PARTY at Crafts a la Mode

CHICKEN BLT CASSEROLE

CHICKEN BLT CASSEROLE serves 6
12 ounces Barilla cellentani or rotini pasta
6 slices bacon, chopped, cooked until crispy
3 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
2 cups alfredo sauce (homemade or jar** – your choice)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
1 1/2 cups micro arugula
2 large green onions, sliced thin
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°.
Spray 3 quart baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
Cook pasta al dente per package directions. Drain well.
In a large mixing bowl toss pasta with chicken pieces.
Add alfredo sauce and toss until well coated.
Season to taste with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
Fold in green onions, bacon pieces and tomatoes.
Cover and bake 25 minutes.
Top with cheese and return to oven uncovered for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
Enjoy.

NOTES:

This recipe is good leftover. BUT is BEST FRESH because of the lettuce and tomato.
RAGU makes a basil alfredo that is super yummy!

Category: MEMES & LINK PARTIES