CHOCOLATE MALTED CRISPY BARS ~ BLOG 366.264

CHOCOLATE MALTED CRISPY BARS
10 ounces marshmallows
3 tablespoons butter
5 cups rice crispy cereal
3/4 + 1/4 cup malted milk powder
4 cups malted milk balls, chopped and divided 2 1/2 cups + 1 1/2 cups
2 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

  • Grease a 9×13 baking dish.
  • In a large skillet combine butter and marshmallows, cooking over medium low heat until melted.
  • Remove from heat and stir in cereal, 3/4 cup malted milk powder and 2 1/2 cups chopped malted milk balls.
  • Press into prepared dish.
  • Melt chocolate chips 30 seconds at a time in the microwave until melted and stirs smooth.
  • Add remaining malted milk powder.
  • IMMEDIATELY smooth over bars.
  • IMMEDIATELY sprinkle with remaining chopped malted milk balls, pressing them into the chocolate before it hardens.
  • Let stand until set.
  • Cut into bars with a serrated knife.

NOTE: DO NOT let chocolate set up during the final steps!

CREAMY CHICKEN & CAULIFLOWER SOUP ~ BLOG 366.263

Frontier soups had a creamy cauliflower that I LOVE, but hate the price of. Then I realized how much easier and less expensive it was to make FRESH that tastes even better.

Cauliflower can be bland, but roasted cauliflower makes soup taste amazing!! Adding a butter instead of cream makes it extra creamy. Adding the chicken makes it superb!

CREAMY CHICKEN & ROASTED CAULIFLOWER SOUP

1 large (2 pounds) head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets
2 + 1 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1 medium red onion, FINELY chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
4 cups HOMEMADE chicken broth
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Juice of 1 LARGE lemon
FRESH ground nutmeg
1-2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
2 tablespoons each FINELY chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley and green onions for garnish

  • Preheat the oven to 425°.
  • Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.
  • Toss the cauliflower with 2 tablespoons of the avocado oil until lightly and evenly coated in 2 tablespoons of oil.
  • Arrange in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  • Sprinkle with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
  • Bake 30 minutes until the cauliflower is tender and caramelized on the edges, turning halfway.
  • In a Dutch oven melt the remaining 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat until shimmering.
  • Add the onion and a bit of salt.
  • Cook 4-5 minutes stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent.
  • Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Add the broth.
  • Reserve a few of the prettiest roasted cauliflower florets for garnish and add the rest of the roasted cauliflower to the pot.
  • Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer and then reduce the heat to a GENTLE simmer.
  • Cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, to give the flavors time to meld.
  • Remove the pot from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
  • Using an immersion blender blend until smooth.
  • Add the butter.
  • Add the lemon juice and nutmeg and blend again.
  • Add chicken pieces.
  • Adjust seasoning to taste. Don’t be afraid to use seasoning!!!
  • Ladle into bowls.
  • Garnish with a roasted floret and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped parsley, green onion IF desired.

BEAT BOBBY FLAY with my CRISPY RICE ~ BLOG 366.261

I watch a lot of cooking shows. Many have Bobby Flay in them. I have resisted looking up his crispy rice recipe, but loved the idea so have made my own. As many of you know he almost always wins when he resorts to his crispy rice. One day I’ll look his up, but for now, my family says this one’s a winner.

CRISPY RICE

1½-2 cups white cooked rice prepared per package, BUT using homemade chicken broth NOT water
1 stick unsalted butter plus 2 tablespoons
1 yellow onion FINELY diced
1 SMALL carrot FINELY diced
1/2 cup FINELY grated Parmesan cheese
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

  • Preheat oven to 400°.

  • In an oven proof skillet or cast iron, melt the butter.
  • Add the onion and saute until golden.
  • Add the carrot and saute until soft.
  • Remove to a bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Add Parmesan cheese and toss with cooked white rice.

  • In the same skillet, melt ½ of the stick of butter over medium heat.
  • Once melted, Add the rice mixture to the skillet and carefully press down.
  • Transfer to the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
  • Remove and dot the top with the remaining butter. Transfer back into the oven and continue to cook for about 15 minutes more until the underside of the rice is crispy. Remove from the oven.
  • Invert to serve immediately.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY and MENUS with RECIPES week 37 of 2024 ~ BLOG 366.260

Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom

WEEKEND RECAP

Good morning sweet friends. Can you believe we are already half way through September? Seems like it was just August! Our cooler mornings are really making me appreciate my butterscotch coffee and snuggling under my favorite blanket while I type this up.

My weekend began on Friday doing a deep clean that became a domino effect of several rooms leading into most of Saturday – kind of a reverse spring cleaning. I’ve boxed up several boxes for the garage and several bags for donation. Hubby made me take yesterday off for my birthday, but I’m hoping to finish today before, but probably after my noon meeting or maybe Tuesday if I can’t get done before the 4:30 meeting. We did go out for lunch on Saturday to a local haunt for our favorite pizza and salad. I was surprised with a impromptu birthday celebration at a friends bar and grill yesterday with friends that was a lot of fun followed by birthday drinks with another friend at the Eagles and then dinner with friends on their deck overlooking the pond and sunset.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

THE WEATHER OUTSIDE

The past week has been wonderful in the low to mid 70’s and expected to continue into this week with the exception of tomorrow and Wednesday when it is supposed to dip into the low 60’s with rain before returning back to the 70’s. Once again I am NOT complaining as the weather is near perfect! 🙂 It’s that time of year where I need to start keeping a lightweight sweatshirt in the car and/or wear shoes and socks instead of my standard summer flip flops since I’m getting so cold inside most places these days.

TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS

THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
  • LAUNDRY & CLEANING COMPLETELY up to date except for a bit of ironing.
  • GROCERIES & ERRANDS I need to evaluate my week and search the pantry to make a list. I’m trying to plan the menu around the freezer and the pantry to pare down what’s on stock.
  • PAPERWORK, PHONE CALLS, PROJECTS & TRAVELS Now that the deep clean is done I have several boxes of papers to sort through. I just love being organized.
  • RECIPE RESEARCH & MENU PLANNING I’m still searching for fall recipes, but so far so good – hubby has been happy with the new recipes so far.

DVR/TV TIME

WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
  • STREAMING We are still binge watching FRINGE of an evening waiting on the new season of seasonal premieres. During the day I started binge “watching” aka listening to THE SCARECROW and MRS. KING which I’m not sure I ever saw the first time through!

READING TIME

I finally finished Gill Paul’s The Collector’s Daughter and will start Recipe for a Perfect Wife by Karma Brown tonight.

FUNNIES

MENU PLANS

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
 GREEN CHILE CHICKEN & BEANS
 CHICKEN & RICE with GREEN BEANS
PORK MEDALLIONS and ONION GRAVY with PARMESAN GREEN BEANS
 CORN/YOYO OUT WITH GIRLFRIENDS FOR DINNER AND A PLAY
 STUFFED PEPPER SOUP
 CIDER GLAZED CHICKEN THIGHS and RICE
 MISSISSIPPI CHICKEN
DESSERT
 BOSTON CREAM PIE CUPCAKES
 
 

FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA

We went to feed the peacocks on Thursday afternoon and went across the new bridge between our town and a neighboring town. The old one was a one lane bridge with a light. It’s been quite an ordeal for them to both build the new one and tear down the old one because it not only spans across an active rail line, but also was full of asbestos. But, they’re almost done.

INSPIRATIONS

LIFE TIP

HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP

RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK

WEEKLY FEATURED PARTY LINKS

PAD THAI CHICKEN ~ BLOG 366.257

PAD THAI CHICKEN

CHICKEN
1-2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin (½ inch thick) and portioned
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

  • Season chicken with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste.
  • Sauté chicken in a large sauté pan over medium heat, stirring continuously 6-8 minutes until cooked through.
  • Transfer chicken to a bowl and set aside.

SAUCE
¼ cup jalapeno ketchup
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon QUALITY peanut butter
Juice of 1 LARGE lime
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon BRAGG’s liquid aminos

  • Whisk all sauce ingredients and set aside.

ASSEMBLY
8 ounces flat rice noodles OR fettuccine in a pinch, cooked al dente
2 LARGE eggs
1 cup fresh bean sprouts
⅓ cup sliced shallots
1 bunch green onions
⅓ cup chopped cilantro
Chopped peanuts

  • Crack eggs into the same preheated pan and allow to fry for a bout a minute.
  • Break up egg with a wooden spoon and add the shallots and sprouts.
  • Add chicken and sauce.
  • Add noodles and toss to coat the noodles in the sauce. 
Stir in green onions and cilantro.
  • Garnish with peanuts.

NOTES

  • Add 1-2 teaspoons sriracha sauce or an extra pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to give it a kick!
  • Easily swap out the chicken for pork, steak or even tofu!

ROAST CHICKEN with LEMON HERB SAUCE ~ BLOG 366.256

ROAST CHICKEN
4 tablespoons butter, divided & softened
1 whole chicken cut into pieces (see notes)
1 1/4 cups hot water
2 teaspoons Better than Bouillon Chicken Base
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper

LEMON HERB SAUCE
1 teaspoon avocado oil
1 -2 LARGE green onions, FINELY chopped
Juice from 1 LARGE lemon
1 tablespoon FRESH chopped Lemon thyme
1 teaspoon FRESH chopped basil
1 teaspoon WONDRA
1 tablespoon butter

  • Rinse chicken and pat dry. Salt and pepper.
  • Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet and when HOT, place chicken skin side down in pan.
  • DO NOT TURN chicken pieces until you see blood and bottom side is golden brown.
  • Whisk together the hot water, bouillon, thyme and basil.
  • Turn chicken and add 3/4 cup of chicken stock.
  • Reduce heat and simmer on low 15 minutes.
  • Transfer chicken to a plate and pour stock into a measuring cup.
  • Melt remaining butter in skillet and return chicken skin side down to skillet and cook another 5 minutes until skin is crisp.
  • Transfer to an ovenproof plate, cover with foil and keep warm.
  • Skim the fat from the broth and add enough of the additional broth to make 3/4 cup.
  • Heat the olive oil in the skillet on a low heat, scraping up any of the little pieces from the chicken to add to the flavor.
  • Add green onions and saute’ a minute or so.
  • Add flour and mix well.
  • Increase heat and add broth and bring to a simmer.
  • Simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
  • Stir in any juices that have drained from the chicken. Simmer a few more minutes.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in lemon juice, thyme and basil.
  • Pour sauce over chicken and serve immediately. I like to serve it with rice.

NOTES:

  • If using boneless, skinless chicken, season it well and dredge prior to adding it to the skillet. Adjust timing if using boneless, skinless chicken.

Originally posted 10-22-2008, updated 7-28-2014 and again September 2024

CHICKEN & TOMATO PASTA ~ BLOG 366.254

CHICKEN & TOMATO PASTA

2 1/2 cups rotisserie chicken pieces
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock
1/2 SMALL Vidalia onion, halved and sliced thin
1 can San Marzano tomatoes DO NOT DRAIN
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
1/4-1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes, to taste
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/2 pound (1 3/4 cups) uncooked macaroni pasta
1 tablespoon butter
FRESH grated Parmesan cheese for serving

  • Combine tomatoes and their juice with the chicken pieces and broth in a dutch oven.
  • Season with FRESH ground sea salt, black pepper and chili flakes to taste.
  • Bring to a SLOW boil.
  • Add pasta and cook for 7-8 minutes until pasta is tender, but not over cooked.
  • Remove from heat and stir in ricotta cheese and butter.
  • Serve immediately with grated Parmesan cheese.