Category: MISC

HARVEST CHICKEN

This is one of our favorite fall recipes.  There is just something about combine cheese and apples with bacon that screams FALL is here.

HARVEST CHICKEN
4 boneless skinless chicken breast steak, very thin*
1 Large Asian apple, sweet, peeled, cored and sliced thin **
10 crispy bacon strips, cut in half
1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese + 1/2 cup for topping
2 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces whipped cream cheese (any flavor you like)
4 green onions, minced
Fresh cracked salt black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 350°.
  • Spray baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.
  • Lay chicken breasts flat on work surface. Generously salt and pepper each chicken breast to taste.
  • Spread 1 ounce of cream cheese on each breast.
  • Divide green onions on chicken.
  • Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
  • Sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
  • Lay 2 slices of bacon on each breast. 
  • In a single layer add 4 slices of apple.
  • Roll each chicken piece just until closed and place in a greased baking dish seam down.
  • Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper on top.
  • Top with remaining cheddar cheese and bacon slices.
  • Cover and bake chicken for 30-35 minutes.
  • Add more cheese if necessary, uncover and bake 5 more minutes.

*If you can’t find the thinner chicken breast steaks buy nice thick large chicken breasts and slice them yourself.

**My apple slicer is a 16 slice which I love for nice thin slices.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Looks like we have a definitive move date (FINALLY!) Unfortunately it leaves me twiddling my thumbs for a few extra weeks so I will be catching up on my reading!

WEATHER OUTSIDE
Fortunately the evenings have been super cool making for wonderful sleeping and the days are starting to cool a bit too.  By the time we leave it’ll be perfect LOL

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

  • Whiskey to the groomer
  • Groceries
  • Cleaning 
  • Laundry

CURRENTLY READING 

  • Hurricane Force byJana DeLeon
  • The Secret Life of Wishful Thinking by Lindy DeKoven
  • Tea and Comfort by Andrea Hurst
  • The Sweetness of Honey by Alison Kent

TELEVISION / DVR
The jury is still out on some of the new shows, but some of the old favorites are great.

  • Minority Report
  • Big Bang Theory
  • Life in Pieces?
  • NCIS
  • NCIS NOLO
  • Blue Bloods
  • Criminal Minds
  • Law & Order SVU
  • Castle

HOUSE PROJECTS
Can’t wait to get this show on the road so I can begin sharing all the updates we will be doing on the new house.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
CORNED BEEF HASH and OVER MEDIUM EGGS & TOAST
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
??
DINNER
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
C.O.R.N.
MALIBU CHICKEN & VEGGIES
DESSERT






THINGS THAT ARE MAKING ME HAPPY 

  • An extra month with my favorite munchkins
  • Plans that come together
  • A good night’s sleep

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
Sady hanging out with dad during football.

INSPIRATION

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.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

I’ve been in a holding pattern for so long now with our impending move next week in 2 weeks (I hope – it’s been postponed twice so far for various reasons) that I feel like I’m just going through the motions each day and there is no real “Homemaking” going on right now.  So this week while we wait to leave next Monday (please cross your fingers and toes for us) I’m making a detailed list of what needs to be done when we get there.

We’re buying my grandparents old place (40 years old) which has been sitting vacant for almost a year and hasn’t had any real improvements in the 20+ years before that.  So, we know it’s a serious fixer and definitely needs a kitchen update, but we love remodeling and projects and our aim is to change the dated kitchen into a farmhouse style, but also make it a 21st century kitchen.

Oh, and did I mention we’re doing this from across the country?  Hubby has never even seen the house and I haven’t been there in many years since my cousin was living there.  We are also transporting 3 animals with a multi stop move gathering the things from storage in 2 different states from the last 6 years along the way?

WEATHER OUTSIDE
The weather was warm over the weekend again, but cooling back down into some more fall like temperatures as the week moves on.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK
A little of this and a little of that, but nothing horribly specific.

CURRENTLY READING
I’ve been loading up my kindle app with lots of books for the trip.  Right now I’m finishing up the Barbara Freethy Series – The Callaways – I’m on books 8 and 9.

I’m also reading Fatal Frenzy by Marie Force.

TELEVISION / DVR
A good deal of the new shows begin this week as well as some of the old favorites. As always though we’ll DVR them.  We just don’t have as much leisure to watch them with the move about to happen so we’ll have to .

  • BIG BANG
  • CASTLE
  • LAW & ORDER SVU 
  • NCIS
  • NCIS LA
  • NCIS NEW OELEANS
  • SCORPION
  • THE PLAYER
  • THE BLINDSPOT
  • QUANTICO
  • SCANDAL

CRAFTS, PROJECTS & HOUSE PROJECTS
We will probably need to move a few pieces of furniture for my aunt and uncle when we get there, but after that we’ll spend the first 2 days doing SERIOUS cleaning.  I love my cousin, but she was not a “homemaker” per se and didn’t tend to notice the dust and such.  On one of these days we’re hoping to get the cable and internet hooked up.  We have also set a STOP time for each day of 6PM.  On one of our prior moves we didn’t do this and we were just SOOOO exhausted all the time that we thought it was for our sake of sanity that we begin doing this.

On the 3rd day we plan to do the shopping.  The lists are about 95% made.  I even have the store, addresses and mapquest ready to make the day go smoother.  Pizza and fast food will be fine for the first couple days, but after that we have to get some real food in the house as well as buy the paint for the next project.

We know the house needs paint from top to bottom, ALL flooring and new appliances, but we’re going to start with the easy (but hubby’s least favorite) part, painting.

Day 4 we plan to paint the bedroom, master bath and walk in closet.  We’re going to go with a bright white for the ceilings and and more of an eggshell for the walls.  We prefer to add color with things other than the paint so it easily changed if we so choose. There are a couple of door changes going to happen in this room as well as closet organization, but I’ll wait to show you that later.

Day 5 we plan to paint the living room and dining room area, but it may take 2 days with the cathedral ceilings and size so we’ll add day 6 in here also. Right now the dining room is separate from the kitchen which is small with limited storage, but when we get done the kitchen dining will be a large open air farmhouse like all in one.  The kitchen dining is also just off the living room so when we are done our aim is a to have a grand room effect for a more cozy, homey family style room.  The old dining room is where we will start with adding the new cabinets so when we unpack we have a place to put things.  I also have some serious plans for redoing the laundry, adding a laundry chute from the master bedroom area and updating the pantry.

Day 7 the trucks are supposed to arrive.  We will have already cleaned the spare rooms and our plan is to put the boxes in each of these rooms so we aren’t living in a sea of boxes ALL the time. We hired guys to empty the trucks and that will certainly make life a lot simpler.

Once the master bedroom and living room are done, the rest will seem much simpler.  Having a place to relax at the end of the day, whether it is watching football in the living room or going to sleep at the end of a long hard day makes any remodel so much easier. Stay tuned for pictures and the tweaks to make this place our own, functional, homey and part of the 21st century.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
BREAKFAST
YOGURT & FRUIT
SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
FRUIT SMOOTHIE
YOGURT & FRUIT
MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
LUNCH
FRUIT & CHEESE
SOUP & CRACKERS
SANDWICH
OUT
MEAT & CHEESE
DINNER
EXPERIMENT NIGHT
SALISBURY STEAK & MASHED POTATOES & ASPARAGUS
C.O.R.N.
CHICKEN PICATTA & GARLIC PASTA with HOMEMADE TOMATO SAUCE
STUFFED CHEDDAR APPLE CHICKEN and SALAD
TOMATO SPINACH SOUP & GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICHES
DESSERT


SUCCESSFUL RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

  • Whiskey (my dog) sleeping curled up around my feet
  • Cool Autumn breezes
  • Watching migrating geese

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

My favorite birthday gift started with 4th of July pictures.  
I can’t believe they all kept it a secret for so long! Thank you!

INSPIRATION
As we start this move, I know there are going to be VERY stressful times during the next 10 days while we do a multi stop cross country move.  But, I am REALLY trying to remember that we are going to a good place for all the right reasons and we ARE going to VERY happy after the move part is ALL over.

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.

BUBBLE UP STEW (ROAST)

With the cooler evenings of fall approaching, this is a favorite recipe that is great the first night as a roast and even better as a stew for leftovers.

BUBBLE ROAST/STEW
3 pounds chuck roast
Fresh cracked salt and black pepper
Wondra flour for dredging
3 + 3 tablespoons quality butter
3 large carrots, cleaned and sliced into logs
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 large Walla Walla onions, sliced
1/2 pound button mushrooms, sliced thin
15 ounce can petite diced tomatoes
12 ounce bottle Bubble Up
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 basil flavor cubes
1 oregano flavor cube

  • Preheat oven to 300°.
  • GENEROUSLY salt and pepper the roast on both sides.
  • Sprinkle with Wondra Flour and pat flour into meat.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium high heat in a large, deep skillet or dutch oven (preferably with a drip catcher lid).
  • Brown the roast on both sides and set aside .
  • Add remaining butter to skillet to melt.
  • Add onions and celery, sauteing until translucent.
  • Sprinkle with garlic powder and more salt and pepper.
  • Add mushroomsand saute a couple minutes more.
  • Add tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce and Bubble Up, stirring to combine.
  • Lay Roast across top of vegetables and top with flavor cubes.
  • Cover and roast 2 hours untouched.
  • Check for tenderness, cooking until fork tender.
  • Serve with pasta or mashed potatoes.

I shred any remaining roast into the left over veggies and voile’ you have stew or soup whih I serve with crusty bread.

I serve it with fresh asparagus and you have all your veggies in one place.

TYING LOOSE ENDS UP INTO A PRETTY BOW

We’ve hit another snag on our move which will delay it a bit more and I realize that I’m very much feeling like I am at loose ends. I think I feel this way mainly because almost everything is packed since our original move date was 2 weeks ago! Just day to day life becomes difficult when everything is taped into boxes and you can no longer remember which box is which. While I was searching for images to accompany what I wanted to say here, it was then that I realized the term “loose ends” has primarily negative connotations – from business to nooses, the term is almost always a bad thing.

So, I’m choosing to think positively about the “loose ends” and how to tie them up into pretty bows. While I have had to buy a few things for the cooler weather there are some real positives to go along with that.

  1. Traveling with animals will be easier since the weather will be nicer.
  2. We’re doing U-packs which require serious manual labor which will be easier with cooler weather especially at stop two in the desert.
  3. We’ll get to see some changing of the colors along the way making it a much prettier drive.
  4. It will be cooler when we arrive which will make for more comfortable weather to unload the moving trucks.
  5. The cooler weather will make the initial shopping for supplies more enjoyable, not to mention easier. a good camera and so many of the food pictures are horrible! so I’m appreciating the chance to make them better.

I’m also not recipe experimenting and this is giving me the chance to remake some favorites and do decent pictures since I did not have a very good camera when I first began blogging.

SPICY PORK & GREEN CHILI VERDE

SPICY PORK & GREEN CHILI VERDE
4-6 Poblano peppers
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch pieces
Wondra flour
2 cans green chiles, chopped
1 large Walla Walla onion, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 teaspoons chili powder
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 cups chicken broth
lime wedges
sour cream
shredded jack cheese

  • Line a baking sheet with foil. 
  • Broil Poblano peppers until skins blister, turning quarter turns until all sides are blistered and blackened.
  • Place peppers in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes.
  • Peel off and throw away charred skins, seeds and stems. Finely hop remaining pepper.
  • In a large stock pot melt butter.
  • Dust pork pieces with Wondra, shaking off excess.
  • Add pork pieces and brown all sides.  Remove with slotted spoon to a bowl.
  • Add peppers, onion and jalapeno to stock pot, cover and cook 7-10 minutes until tender.  Stir occasionally.
  • Stir in chili powder, garlic, nutmeg and broth. Bring to a boil.
  • Reduce heat, add roasted peppers and pork pieces stirring to combine.
  • Simmer 10-15 minutes until pork is tender.
  • Serve with garnishes

Submitted to Cooking Thursday at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom.

    BRAISED CHICKEN & MARINATED PEACHES

    This recipe originally called for 3 pounds of bone in, skin on chicken thighs which is the most flavorful, but my version has less fat and cholesterol and is easier to eat.

    BRAISED CHICKEN & MARINATED PEACHES
    1 tablespoon avocado oil
    1 ounce prosciutto, thinly sliced into strips
    2 1/2 pounds boneless chicken thighs OR 3 pounds bone in skin on chicken thighs
    Fresh ground sea salt and black pepper
    1 cup thinly sliced shallots
    3-5 cloves garlic, minced
    2 tablespoons Wondra flour
    3 cups Marinated Peaches, drained (reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade) (recipe below)
    3 cups chicken broth
    1/2 cup frozen pearl onions thawed and drained
    2 tablespoons unsalted butter
    2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, coarsely chopped

    • Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°.
    • Heat the oil in an 8-quart Dutch oven or heavy-duty pot over medium heat. 
    • Add the prosciutto and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer to a bowl and set aside. 
    • If the pan is dry, add a little more oil.
    • Season the chicken lightly on all sides with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken on both sides, about 12 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
    • Turn the heat down to medium low. 
    • Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pan and then add the shallots and garlic. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. 
    • Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
    • Add the 3 tablespoons of the reserved marinade and cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid thickens, about 2 minutes. 
    • Add the broth, season lightly with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. 
    • NOTE: ONLY USE THIS STEP IF USING BONE IN CHICKEN. Arrange the chicken in the pot, skin side up, return to a boil, and transfer the pot to the oven to braise, uncovered, until the chicken cooks through, about 25 minutes. 
    • Take the pot out of the oven. 
    • Turn the broiler on high. 
    • Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a foil-lined rimmed baking sheet.
    • Simmer the sauce in the pot over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about half, about 10 minutes. 
    • Lower the heat to medium and stir in the onions and peaches; cooking until heated through. 
    • Stir in the butter until it melts, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Meanwhile, broil the chicken until the skin is crisp, about 3 minutes.
    • Return the chicken to the pot or transfer it to a large platter and spoon the sauce over it. 
    • Garnish with the prosciutto and the remaining tarragon leaves, and serve.

    SHERRY VINEGAR & ROSEMARY MARINATED PEACHES
        3 medium ripe peaches, pitted and sliced, diced, or cut into wedges
        3 tablespoons avocado oil
        2-1/2 tablespoons spiced dark rum (Captain Morgan)
        2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
        1-1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
        Pinch kosher salt
        Pinch granulated sugar

    • Gently combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl and let marinate at room temperature for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours.
    • After marinating, you can refrigerate the peaches for up to 1 day.

    NOTE:  I used white peaches because they were the best at the time, but yellow peaches give you a much prettier dish.

      BAKING PARTNERS – APRICOT CHERRY GALETTE

      OUR Baking partner’s challenge this month is a Galette, an open pie pastry. It was suggested by Suja of Kitchen Corner try it.  Galettes make a wonderful rustic fall fruit dessert.

      APRICOT CHERRY GALETTE

      1 cup All purpose flour
      1/2 cup Cake Flour
      1/2 cup Chilled Unsalted Butter, chopped
      2 tablespoons Sugar
      1/4 teaspoon Salt
      4 tablespoons Ice water
      3 apricots, sliced
      1 cup cherries, pitted
      Juice of 1 Lemon
      4 tablespoons sugar
      1 teaspoon vanilla
      1 teaspoon cornstarch
      • In a bowl mix flour, salt and sugar. 
      • Add butter pieces to the flour. Using a pastry blender cut in through the flour, rapidly till the mixture becomes coarse. The flour will look like large flakes and the butter in the size of peas. If you are using a food processor, first pulse the flour, sugar and butter. Then add the butter and pulse for 7- 8 times till the dough attains the above mentioned texture.
      • Slowly add ice cold water, 2 tablespoons at a time and mix until the dough starts coming together, making sure that the dough masses together roughly but the butter pieces remain about the same size.
      • Transfer this onto a lightly floured work surface.
      • Flatten into a rectangle rapidly with heel of your palm. 
      • Rapidly pat and smooth the top. 
      • Lift the dough off work surface using a pastry sheet. 
      • Flip the bottom of the rectangle to the middle and the top down to cover it like an envelope.
      • Tuck the two sides towards the bottom. 
      • Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour to relax the gluten.

      • Meanwhile make the filling. 
      • Toss together the apricots and cherries.
      • Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla and lemon juice.
      • Toss fruit with lemon juice mixture. Set Aside.
      • Preheat oven to 350° and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 
      • Remove dough from the fridge and place on a lightly floured surface. 
      • Roll into 1/8 inch thick circles. You can use a plate to cut into the desired size. Fold the disk into half and gently transfer into the baking sheet. Unfold it and sprinkle a mixture of flour and sugar. You will need around two tablespoons. 
      • Arrange the fruit mixture in a single layer in the center of the disc leaving 3 inches border. 
      • Fold the edge up over the filling forming loose pleats. Gently press the pleats so that it stick together. 
      • Sprinkle with coarse sugar. 
      • Bake for 20 minutes or until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is golden brown. 
      • Remove from the oven and allow it to cool down a bit in the pan and then transfer to a wire rack.

      HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

      September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month.
      First and foremost for me this week is a subject very close to my heart AND my life. 
       Be sure and see my AWARENESS post here.

      We have a bit of a delay in our move so I’m all packed and am waiting patiently, NOT!  We are trying to stay busy, but that’s not easy with everything packed.  Seems like a vicious circle to me.

      WEATHER OUTSIDE
      A bit cooler today with the promise of rain that we desperately need before the week is out.

      TO DO FOR THE WEEK

      • A couple physical therapy appointments for hubby
      • Laundry 
      • Cleaning
      • Paperwork

      CURRENTLY READING

      TELEVISION / DVR
      Next week will be the BIG reveal week for the new shows, so this week we’re still trying to clean out the DVR from all the stacked up summer shows.

      HOME PROJECTS
      After the move and we get settled one of my first projects will be making a garden area something like this:

      KITCHEN WISHES
      I LOVE enamelware and would love both sizes of these new pans from Pioneer Woman’s new line at Walmart:

      MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK
      MONDAY
      TUESDAY
      WEDNESDAY
      THURSDAY
      FRIDAY
      SATURDAY
      SUNDAY
      BREAKFAST
      YOGURT & FRUIT
      SCRAMBLED EGGS & CHEESE
      FRUIT SMOOTHIE
      YOGURT & FRUIT
      MAPLE OATMEAL & RAISINS
      LUNCH
      FRUIT & CHEESE
      SOUP & CRACKERS
      SANDWICH
      OUT
      MEAT & CHEESE
      DINNER
      EXPERIMENT NIGHT
      OUT for my birthday
      C.O.R.N.
      DESSERT

      SUCCESSFUL RECIPES  FROM LAST WEEK

      ON MY MIND
      We had an encounter with yet another VERY RUDE VA employee this past week.  I have to wonder if they are instructed to make things more difficult than necessary in order to get people to just go away!  It took us over a month of our time and effort to get a prescription situation corrected, a situation that never should have transpired to begin with. Then in the mail came a new bottle of the same damn drug!  We went back to get it corrected AGAIN! and the male nurse was 100% useless and antagonistic.  Funny thing is hubby specifically told him I was there as his advocate and because I had all the dates and information and the man refused!!!! to deal with me even with hubby standing right there telling him differently. Ironically he called me adversarial, which he did NOT see from me. Really? He thought I was being adversarial because I was giving him factual information to correct an error (AGAIN)?  He should know that adversarial would include a formal complaint against him for his attitude and disrespect of a veteran and we would win because I keep a calendar of dates and interactions regarding ALL VA interactions for exactly this reason.  I am not one to allow someone o jut say, oh well, that’s just how it is.  We proceeded to the pharmacy and were able to correct part of the problem at least with a VERY nice gentleman who actually listened and understood the chain of events.

      THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY

      • BEING HEALTHY
      • SUCCESSFUL RECIPE EXPERIMENTS
      • HEARING HAPPY STORIES IN THE NEWS

      FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA

      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.

      HUMMINGBIRD CAKE with CARAMEL FROSTING

      WHEN I FIRST READ ABOUT THIS RECIPE I EXPECTED A LIGHTER FLUFFIER CAKE. IT WAS GOOD, BUT IT WAS MORE BREAD LIKE THAN CAKE LIKE.

      HUMMINGBIRD CAKE
      3 cups flour
      2 cups sugar
      2 teaspoon baking powder
      1 teaspoon salt
      1/2 teaspoon baking soda
      1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
      2 cups mashed ripe bananas (5-6 small bananas)
      8 ounce can crushed pineapple
      1/2 cup golden raisins
      1 cup vegetable oil
      3 eggs, lightly beaten
      1/2 cup flaked coconut
      1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
      1 recipe Salted Caramel Frosting

      • Preheat oven to 350°.
      • Spray 13 x 9 cake pan with non-stick spray and flour it with cocoa.
      • In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, sugar baking powder, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.
      • Add the bananas, pineapple, oil, eggs, coconut and vanilla stirring together JUST until combined.
      • Spread batter into prepared pan.
      • Bake 40-45 minutes until cake tester comes out clean.
      • Cool in pan on wire rack.
      • Frost with Salted Caramel Frosting.

      Salted Caramel Frosting
      4 ounces cream cheese, softened
      4 tablespoons butter, softened
      1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping*
      1 teaspoon vanilla
      1/4 teaspoon textured sea salt
      2 3/4 – 3 cups powdered sugar

      • In a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth.
      • Add caramel sauce and vanilla, blending well with a hand mixer until light and fluffy.
      • Add powdered sugar until desired consistency reached.

      *I usually have a batch of Caramel sauce on hand and prefer the homemade.

      PAELLA ala SAVORY KITCHEN TABLE

      I found this fun recipe in an old Sunset magazine.  It looked like an ad page – so glad I took a closer look.  The recipe was geared for camping, but is a quick and easy fix at home. As always I made changes to deal with likes and dislikes.  The recipe originally called for green pepper which makes me deathly ill, so I substituted red pepper.  I also cannot stand olives so I substituted shallots, but pearl onions would be good too. I also did some research on the origins of paella and found that it is a very versatile dish.

      In Valencia, Spain the word paella is used for ALL pans, but most other areas use it for a specific style of pan used to make this dish.  The only consistent ingredient I could find in any version of the recipe was the white rice, hence the beauty of this dish is making it your own.

      PAELLA ala SAVORY KITCHEN TABLE
      1 cup sliced shallots
      1 red bell pepper, chopped
      1/2 pound Andouille (smoked pork) sausage, thinly sliced
      1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
      1 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground sea salt
      2 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
      3 tablespoons avocado oil
      1 fennel bulb with feathers, sliced saving feathers for garnish
      3-4 garlic cloves, minced
      1/4 teaspoon saffron
      1 can petite diced tomatoes with green chiles
      2 cups Arborio (Italian short grain) rice
      1 cup water
      3/4 cup marsala wine
      2 cups chicken broth
      1/2 pound small shrimp, cleaned and de-veined

      • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in large saute’ pan over medium high heat.
      • Add sausage and brown about 5 minutes.  Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
      • Add chicken pieces and brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
      • Add shrimp pieces and brown on all sides. Remove with slotted spoon to a plate and cover.
      • Add remaining oil to pan.
      • Add fennel, shallots and bell pepper to pan sauteing until fennel softens.
      • Stir in garlic, paprika, salt and saffron, stirring until fragrant and sizzling.
      • Add tomatoes and cook, stirring 5 minutes to blend well.
      • Add rice and coat well. Add water, chicken broth and Marsala. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
      • Reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 25 minutes.
      • Arrange sausage, chicken and shrimp on top of rice, cooking another 5 minutes covered to heat chicken and shrimp through.
      • Garnish with fennel fronds and Enjoy.

      SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

      September is Ovarian Cancer Awareness month and my birthday month.  Is there a correlation?  Probably just for me, but the irony is NOT wasted.  At this age many people just say, it’s another day, oh well.  For me, I look forward to it like a small child.  Not because of cake and presents, but because I’m alive to celebrate it. In a few months I will have my 5 year check up, an event fairly rare with this type of cancer, so I’m ecstatic to be having another birthday that puts me that much closer to being labeled cancer free! I have vowed to tell my story every year in hopes of raising awareness.  My story was not just pure luck.  In today’s world it’s hard work to stay on top of awareness, healthy eating and a positive lifestyle, but it is also SOOOOO worth it!  BE AWARE. BE VIGILANT. BE HEALTHY. BE POSITIVE.

      SEPTEMBER IS OVARIAN CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!

      I’ve always been a good girl and gotten my yearly well woman exams. I know my own body.  I started getting my mammograms at a very early age because of a serious family history.  I have a degree in the health field.  I am aware, yet imagine my surprise at my well woman appointment when they said they thought I might have a serious problem – Merry Christmas (December 2010) to me!  Imagine my shock a few weeks later when it was confirmed.

      Are you aware of your body?  
      Do you get regular check ups?  
      Do you get timely cancer screenings.   
      Don’t neglect any little pain or irregularity.

        Take control of your health and reduce your cancer risk.

      Despite getting my yearly well woman exams I had been having a few pains  here and there for several months before my scheduled appointment, but ignored them because they “mimicked” my chronic appendix of many, many years.  I ignored them and it almost killed me.  Are YOU ignoring something that you should be having a doctor check?  Think twice and make an appointment 1st thing tomorrow.

      Ovarian cancer has an ugly step sister too, breast cancer.  If you have any family history please get tested for BRCA also.  You have probably heard about it with a few celebrities having chosen to remove their breasts after testing positive.  It’s a simple blood test and can give you a world of relief to know the answer and if by chance it’s not relief, then your are armed to save your life with positive choices.  You can learn more about it here.

      Everyday Steps to Help Lower Your Cancer Risk can be found here. 

      Go check these out NOW!  
      Here are a few other tips to get you started.
      • Stay away from tobacco.

      • Stay at a healthy weight.

      • Get moving with regular physical activity.

      • Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables.

      • Limit how much alcohol you drink (if you drink at all).

      • Protect your skin.

      • Know yourself, your family history, and your risks.

      • Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests.

      • For information on how to reduce your cancer risk and other questions about cancer, please call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit us online at www.cancer.org.