Category: MISC

Quick Italian Chicken Strips with Fire Roasted Marinara Sauce ~ Simple Saturdays with girlichef

Hello everybody and thanks so much for joining me for my first Simple Saturday here at the KrAzY KiTcHeN! I’m taking over for Martha who has moved to Mondays. I decided to drop the word ‘supper’ from the Saturday theme just to leave the day a little more open to interpretation. Of course you are more than welcome to submit a simple supper…but you can also submit a simple breakfast, lunch, snack, drink…whatever!

Please forgive me as I get acquainted with my new home away from home and learn all of the little nooks & crannies…ummmm, Mr. Linky…of cooking with you on Saturdays! I think that I will be featuring a recipe and a picture or two weekly, with a link back to a longer post at my own place (if you click on recipe title). Feel free to pepper me with comments and suggestions… I thought I’d start this Saturday with a simple favorite around my house.

Quick Italian Chicken Strips w/ Fire-roasted Marinara Sauce
by girlichef (here)

For the Chicken Strips:
Chicken Breast Tenders (aka rib meat)- ~1 1/2 lbs
Bread Crumbs seasoned with Italian Seasoning & Parmesan
Eggs- 2
Water- splash
Flour- seasoned with salt & pepper

For the (quick) Fire-Roasted Marinara Sauce:
Fire-Roasted Tomatoes, 2- 14.5 oz cans (Hunt’s Brand…my fave canned tomaters)
Italian Seasoning
Garlic Powder
Dried, minced onion
Crushed Red Chiles (optional)
Sea Salt
Black Pepper

Start your quickie marinara first by pouring the cans of fire-roasted tomatoes into a pot and bringing gently to a simmer. Add the other ingredients to taste (as you like). Let simmer gently while you make your chicken strips.

Get out three bowls/plates and set up a breading station. Fill the first bowl with flour and season it with salt and pepper. Crack your eggs into the second bowl and whip them up with a splash or two of water. Fill the last bowl with your bread crumbs seasoned with Italian seasoning & Parmesan cheese.

Pat your (chicken) tenders dry. Dip them in flour & shake off excess. Dip in egg wash. Dip in breading. Place on a large, hot skillet with a light coating of oil (~1/8″ deep). Flip once golden on the first side. Remember, they’re small…they will cook all the way through by the time both sides are golden. Saute in batches and set aside on a warm plate to hold until they are all finished.

Stir up your quickie marinara and serve the chicken strips with your marinara…and some shaved Parmesan.

Simple Saturday meal that adults and kiddos alike love in our house. Please add a link to Mr. Linky to one of your favorite simple things to make on Saturdays (or any day for that matter) and then leave a comment to let us know you’re there!

Blueberry Muffins ~ What Did You Bake Today?

I love vintage cookbooks. Not just because they are cute and old, but because the recipes of yesteryear used less sugar and processed foods. Today’s recipe comes from The New England Cookbook published in 1956 by the Culinary Arts Institute of Chicago.Blueberry Muffins:

1/4 cup melted butter
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg , beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup fresh or thawed blueberries

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowlCombine milk and eggs in another, then blend in melted butter. At this point, the recipe says to make a well in the dry ingredients, add the wet and stir for no more than 25 strokes. I counted and frankly, I just couldn’t do in in 25. I stirred for more like 30 strokes. Anyway, after it is moist, lumpy and mostly incorporated, fold in the blueberries.Scoop into 12 greased muffin tins. Bake 425 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden.
What Did You Bake Today?

Friday Fill Ins


Hosted by Janet

1. Happy and kind, that’s a good way to be.

2. Fairy godmother; I’m over here!

3. The possibilities include: A,B & C.

4. Farm Style Chicken & Noodles is one of my favorite cool day recipes.

5. How will you know if you can if you don’t try.

6. A big margarita and a stormy sky.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to more prep for the upcoming rummage sale, tomorrow my plans include even more prep for the rummage sale and packing and Sunday, I want to relax and watch some football.!
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Hot Cooking Bands & Food Loops

Stuff it – Roll it – loop it – Cook it ~ These are great for Chicken Kiev, Chicken Cordon Bleu or Pecan encrusted Flank Steak, or… the choices are endless. I see sooooooooooooo many new menu ideas.

Silicone Stretch Hot Cooking Bands are heat resistant to 600 degrees and the silicone food loop trussing tools which are heat resistant to 675 degrees and adjustable from 1-4 inches are my new best friends. These are an awesome replacement for toothpicks and soooooooooooo easy to work with.

The are reusable, dishwasher safe, food safe, non-stick and extremely flexible. They are oven safe, griddle safe and BBQ safe. I just thought I’d share with you.

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Thursday 13 ~ ALL ABOUT SALT


Thank you Janet and Megan for resurrecting it!
13 things to know about SALT!

  1. Sat is NOT a spice.
  2. Salt is NOT an herb.
  3. Salt is NOT a seasoning.
  4. Salt is a mineral.
  5. Salt is essential to life.
  6. Salt is contained naturally in most foods.
  7. Salt unites the flavors of herbs and seasonings together until they come alive.
  8. Salt does not actually flavor our food.
  9. Salt enhances our food.
  10. Salt increases the flow of saliva.
  11. Salt opens the taste buds.
  12. Salt releases the juices in foods.
  13. Salt stimulates the appetite.

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Rocky Road Fluff Cake


ROCKY ROAD FLUFF CAKE **
1 package milk chocolate chips
4 eggs, separated
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint whipping cream
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3/4 cup marshmallows
1/2 cup Heath Bar pieces
1 angel food cake broken into bite sized pieces
optional ~ sliced strawberries added throughout
optional ~ serve with French vanilla ice cream

  • Melt chocolate chips in the microwave 30 seconds at a time so they don’t burn. Cool slightly.
  • Beat the egg yolks and add to chocolate mixture.
  • Beat egg whites. Add sugar.
  • Add egg white mixture to chocolate mixture also.
  • Stir in vanilla and salt until well blended.
  • Stir in nuts and Heath Bar pieces.
  • Whip the cream until soft peaks form.
  • Fold cream into chocolate mixture.
  • Place a layer of angel food pieces on the bottom of the pan.
  • Pour 1/3+ of chocolate mixture over top.
  • Sprinkle marshmallows over top.
  • Top with the rest of the angel food cake pieces.
  • Pour remaining chocolate mixture over top.
  • Chill overnight.
  • Invert on a plate.
  • Enjoy.

** this picture depicts a half portion of the above recipe.

Don’t forget that every time you link a recipe over at the tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN this week you earn an entry into our Country Bob’s All Purpose Sauce giveaway.

Save Room for Dessert and What Did you Bake Today are hosted over at ThE KraZy KitcHen by Joy & Kristen. Stop by and join in.

Tasty Tuesday is hosted by Jen over at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam. Tuesdays at the Table is normally hosted by Andrea over at My Chihauhau Bites but Andrea is taking a break while she has her baby and is being hosted by Cole for a while. Tempt my Tummy Tuesday hosted by Lisa at Blessed with Grace.


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Advice worth reading from an old farmer

Another email gem to make you smile.
  • *Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong. *
  • *Keep skunks and bankers at a distance.*
  • *Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.*
  • *A bumble bee is considerably faster than a John Deere tractor.*
  • *Words that soak into your ears are whispered…not yelled.*
  • *Meanness don’t jes’ happen overnight.*
  • *Forgive your enemies. It messes up their heads.*
  • *Do not corner something that you know is meaner than you.*
  • *It don’t take a very big person to carry a grudge.*
  • *You cannot unsay a cruel word.*
  • *Every path has a few puddles.*
  • *When you wallow with pigs, expect to get dirty.*
  • *The best sermons are lived, not preached.
  • *Most of the stuff people worry about ain’t never gonna happen anyway.*
  • *Don ‘t judge folks by their relatives.*
  • *Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.*
  • *Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you’ll enjoy it a second time.*
  • *Don ‘t interfere with somethin’ that ain’t bothering you none.*
  • *Timing has a lot to do with the outcome of a Rain dance.*
  • *If you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop diggin’.*
  • *Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.*
  • *The biggest troublemaker you’ll probably ever have to deal with, watches you from the mirror every mornin’.*
  • *Always drink upstream from the herd.*
  • *Good judgment comes from experience, and a lotta that comes from bad judgment.*
  • *Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier than puttin’ it back in.*
  • *If you get to thinkin’ you’re a person of some influence, try orderin’ somebody else’s dog around..*
  • *Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply.*
  • *Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God.*
  • *Don’t pick a fight with an old man. If he is too old to fight, he’ll just kill you.
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5 End of Summer Wrap up Thoughts

5 End of Summer Wrap up Thoughts: In many parts of the country this doesn’t mean much, but here in the north woods it is the beginning of winter for all intents and purpose. You want to be ready in case of an early snow or exceptionally cold fall.
  1. Time to put away the patio furniture.
  2. Do a good final edging to the yard.
  3. Trade the tank tops for sweaters.
  4. Put up the storm windows.
  5. Dig out the electric blanket.

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Martha’s Monday Munchies – Beef Wellington Appetizers!

Welcome to the all new Monday Munchies hosted by me – Martha! This week featuring Beef Wellington appetizers …

Ingredients: Leftover beef (I used eye-round roast) cut into bite sized cubes, fresh mushrooms (minced), white wine, cream, puff pastry (thawed)

Sauté mushrooms for 3-5 minutes in a splash of white wine, reduce until almost dry. Add a splash of cream and reduce until consistency is like a spread. Season the mushroom mixture with salt and pepper to taste, set aside to cool.

Place puff pastry sheets on a floured work surface, cut into small squares. Place a beef cube on each. Top each beef cube with a small amount of the mushroom mixture. Wrap edges up to seal around each. Twist ends at the top. Place on a parchment lined pan and bake at 350 until crisp – about 15 minutes.

Alternatives: You could use just about any kind of beef in these appetizers. I’ve used leftover steak, London broil, meatloaf and once even used little store bought cocktail meatballs when making for a large crowd. They have been a big hit every single time!

It’s also a great way to turn small amounts of leftovers into an elegant light meal by serving on the side with a nice salad.

I can’t wait to see your recipes!

A few changes here at tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN

As we hit our 2 month anniversary, we here at tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN realize how fortunate we are to have grown so fast and to have developed such a wonderful following. We encourage you to join in our memes as often as you can as we share many cultural and tasty treats with each other.

We are going through a bit of re-organization here at tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN. In our rearrangement Martha from Menagerie will be moving to Monday to host her new appetizer meme and girlichef will be joining us on Saturdays to host Simple Saturday.


girlichef has many passions: family, food, music, photography, travel, books and reading. She’d love to take a culinary tour of the world, bit by bit, morsel by morsel ~ connecting, learning, sharing, forming new friendships ~ and she dreams of an extended stay in Italy. She loves to learn and strives to use both her formal culinary training and her everyday experiences to understand and create food. Please stop by and give a big hearty welcome to girlichef and check out her new Saturday meme, Simple Saturday here at tHe KrAzY KiTcHeN.