WE ALL NEED TO BELIEVE IN MIRACLES whether the email story is true or not…

A little girl went to her bedroom and pulled a glass jelly jar from its hiding place in the closet.

She poured the change out on the floor and counted it carefully. Three times, even. The total had to be exactly perfect. No chance here for mistakes.

Carefully placing the coins back in the jar and twisting on the cap, she slipped out the back door and made her way 6 blocks to Rexall’s Drug Store with the big red Indian Chief sign above the door.

She waited patiently for the pharmacist to give her some attention, but he was too busy at this moment.

Tess twisted her feet to make a scuffing noise. Nothing. She cleared her throat with the most disgusting sound she could muster. No good. Finally she took a quarter from her jar and banged it on the glass counter. That did it!

And what do you want?’ the pharmacist asked in an annoyed tone of voice. I’m talking to my brother from Chicago whom I haven’t seen in ages,’ he said without waiting for a reply to his question.

‘Well, I want to talk to you about my brother,’ Tess answered back in the same annoyed tone.

‘He’s really, really sick….and I want to buy a miracle.’

‘I beg your pardon?’ said the pharmacist.

‘His name is Andrew and he has something bad growing inside his head and my Daddy says only a miracle can save him now. So how much does a miracle cost?’

‘We don’t sell miracles here, little girl. I’m sorry but I can’t help you,’ the pharmacist said, softening a little.

‘Listen, I have the money to pay for it. If it isn’t enough, I will get the rest. Just tell me how much it costs.’

The pharmacist’s brother was a well dressed man. He stooped down and asked the little girl, ‘What kind of a miracle does your brother need?’

I don’t know,’ Tess replied with her eyes welling up. I just know he’s really sick and Mommy says he needs an operation. But my Daddy can’t pay for it, so I want to use my money.’

‘How much do you have?’ asked the man from Chicago.

‘One dollar and eleven cents,’ Tess answered barely audible. ‘And it’s all the money I have, but I can get some more if I need to.’

‘Well, what a coincidence,’ smiled the man. ‘A dollar and eleven cents—the exact price of a miracle for little brothers.’

He took her money in one hand and with the other hand he grasped her mitten and said ‘Take me to where you live. I want to see your brother and meet

  your parents. Let’s see if I have the miracle you need.’

That well-dressed man was Dr. Carlton Armstrong, a surgeon, specializing in neuro-surgery. The operation was completed free of charge and it wasn’t long until Andrew was home again and doing well.

Mom and Dad were happily talking about the chain of events that had led them to this place..

‘That surgery,’ her Mom whispered. ‘was a real miracle.. I wonder how much it would have cost?’

Tess smiled. She knew exactly how much a  miracle cost…one dollar and eleven cents…plus the faith of a little child.

In our lives, we never know how many miracles we will need.

A miracle is not the suspension of natural law, but the operation of a higher law.

Fire Day Friday: Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce

I am extremely excited about co-hosting Fire Day Friday with Chris from Nibble Me This!  My name is Jenn from Jenn’s Food Journey and I love to grill….uhmmm, wait… I mean I LOVE to grill…so when Chris asked if I would co-host with him, I was not only honored but ecstatic!!!  A place where I can talk about food being cooked over fire…HEAVEN!!  So I’ll be here every other Friday and if you get lonely and want to come see me between those days, come check out Jenn’s Food Journey, you’ll never know what you might find!  And thanks again to Chris and this amazing community of bloggers on Our Krazy Kitchen!

Now on to the good stuff!!

I live in Arizona, so I can grill comfortably all year long.  And I do just that.  My favorite thing to grill:  Chicken!  Some people have a hard time grilling chicken, they tend to over cook it out of fear of under cooking it.  The only way to grill good chicken is to practice, practice, practice!  The more you do it, the better you will get at it.  I don’t want to toot my own horn, but sometimes, I even forget to turn on my timer, I just know by the look and feel that it’s done.  I do not recommend that method though, I have come up with shoe leather a time or two also.  One way to perfect it: use a meat thermometer!  They are every grillers/cooks/chefs must have tool.  When cooked properly, chicken should register an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.  Though I always take the chicken off just a tad bit before, as it will continue to cook a little after you have taken it off the fire.

ANYWAY…I ramble sometimes, sorry!  The chicken…it was fantastic!  Just a simple little spice mix that just always says “barbecue” to me.  Most people have these spices already on hand, so it’s an inexpensive way to end up with a tasty piece of chicken!  And the sauce, well, I’m a self proclaimed sauce girl (or is it saucy girl, I’m not sure), so I LOVED it.  It has the perfect little tang that compliments the slightly spicy chicken.  This is definitely a must try!

Grilled Chicken with White Barbecue Sauce
Spice mix created by Jenn’s Food Journey, Sauce adapted from MyRecipes.com
Printable Recipe 
Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
For the spice mix – 
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
For the sauce – 
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon spicy brown mustard (you could use Dijon instead)
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon horseradish

Directions:
In a small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the spice mix.  Rinse the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.  Sprinkle the seasoning over the chicken, covering both sides of each piece.  Place on a plate and cover or wrap in plastic wrap and let sit in refrigerator for 2-4 hours (you could always do it for longer, it can’t hurt one bit!).

In another small bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sauce.  Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.  Rub grill grates with oil.  Place each piece of chicken directly over the fire and cover the grill.  Let grill for 5-8 minutes per side or until the chicken is cooked through and juices run clear.  Remove from grill; serve with white barbecue sauce.  Enjoy!

CLASSIC GOOD EATS ~ BLOOD ORANGE CHICKEN

BLOOD ORANGE TART CHICKEN

1/4 cup chopped tart dried cherries, diced
1/2 cup white wine
12 chicken thighs, skin on
1 can Kern’s Apricot nectar
3 tablespoons blood orange vinegar
3 cloves roasted garlic, minced
1 large bunch green onions, sliced thin4 tablespoons butter, divided 1 + 3
salt and pepper to taste

  • Preheat Oven to 350 degrees.
  • Melt 3 tablespoons butter in large skillet.
  • Brown chicken, salt and peppering generously and to taste until skin is crisp.
  • Drain fat, reserving any crisp bits to add to next step.
  • Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet.
  • Saute’ onion and roasted garlic.
  • Add cherry pieces, vinegar, wine and apricot nectar – simmer 20 minutes on low.
  • Spray a large baking dish with PURE.
  • Lay chicken pieces in a single layer side by side.
  • Top with onion mixture.
  • Bake uncovered 30-45 minutes uncovered.
  • Serve over rice, mashed potatoes or noodles.

    PULLED PORK SANDWICHES

    Hello everyone. My name is Liz and I am the new host for Try A New Recipe Tuesday. I am honored to be part of such an awesome group of bloggers. I have my own blog, The Flowering Dogwood, come on over, browse and let me know you stopped by.
    The holidays are over and all I want to do is to NOT make a huge fuss in the kitchen. This meal is easy , with very little effort. My kind of dinner! This is a great meal that you will definitely add to your list of favorites.It is a favorite at our house. Crock pot, few ingredients and great taste. Of course you use your favorite BBQ sauce. Everyone has one!  I serve the pork on buns with baked french fries and coleslaw.
    PULLED PORK SANDWICHES
    1 (14 ounce) can beef broth
    3 pounds boneless pork ribs
    1 (18 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce
    Directions
    • Pour can of beef broth into slow cooker, and add boneless pork ribs. Cook on High heat for 4 hours, or until meat shreds easily. 
    • Remove meat, and shred with two forks. 
    • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 
    • Transfer the shredded pork to a Dutch oven or iron skillet, and stir in barbecue sauce.
    • Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through.
    • Serve on warm, toasted buns.

    A fortunate find… Good as new.

    Years and years ago my aunt made me a set of Adam and Eve dolls.  Several years ago she asked to borrow them to make a pattern from.  I never received them back, but dis find them recently while cleaning her craft closet.

    Chocolate Chewies

    Today’s cookie is probably one of the shortest cookie recipes I’ve ever used, but yields an incredibly delicious little bite of heaven!  In fact, the flavor and texture is quite close to a recipe from Bon Appetit which not only has a longer ingredient list but also takes lots of time, something that’s always in short supply around my house.  The cookie is quite light, full of chocolate flavor, and wonderfully chewy.  I made these to send to a fellow blooger, Cassie of a pinch of this and a dash of that, with whom I was paired in a cookie exchange hosted by Steph of stephchows.  I hope you like them, Cassie!

    Chocolate Chewies
    Recipe adapted from Cooking Up a Storm
    3 cups powdered sugar
    1/3 cup cocoa
    2 tablespoons flour
    3 large egg whites
    1-2 cups pecans, toasted and chopped

    Line a cookie sheet with parchment and set aside.
    In a large bowl, whisk powdered sugar, cocoa, and flour together.
    With an electric mixer, beat in the egg whites, one by one on low speed.
    Then, beat batter on high for 2 minutes.
    Fold in pecans.
    Using a small cookie scoop, portion cookie dough onto prepared pan, about 1 1/2″ apart.
    Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
    Allow cookies to cool completely before removing from parchment paper.
    Store in a sealed container.

    WEEKLY MENU

    Menu Plan Monday hosted by Laura at I’m an Organizing Junkie
    I didn’t get to much of my menu last week due to unforeseen circumstances, so we’ll try again this week.

    		DATE BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER
    Monday 1/10

    		 CEREAL SANDWICHES STUFFED SHELLS & GREEN SALAD
    Tuesday 1/11

    		 TOAST LEFTOVERS PAN ROASTED CHICKEN with APRICOT RUM GLAZE
    Wednesday 1/12

    		 YOGURT SOUP FRIED CHICKEN & PARMESAN MASHED POTATOES with PEPPERED GRAVY
    Thursday 1/13

    		 FRUIT CHEESE FRUIT SMOKED CHICKEN & SUN DRIED TOMATO RICE CASSEROLE
    Friday 1/14

    		 OATMEAL C.O.R.N. BACON & BLEU CHEESE DINNER PIES
    Saturday 1/15

    		 OUT leftovers CHILI & CHILE CORNBREAD
    Sunday 1/16 SCRAMBLED EGGS & BACON TAILGATING FOOD POT ROAST & TRIPLE CHEESE SCALLOPED POTATOES

    BACON CHEDDAR CHEESE BALLS

    I have no idea where this recipe came from, but it has become a family favorite.  I also borrowed this picture from Claudia to show that these or ANY cheese ball can be made what you want by just changing what you decorate the outside in and/or making them bite size by just adjusting how much you roll into each ball.  We prefer them “bite” sized.

    BACON CHEDDAR CHEESE BALLS
    1 pound extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
    8 ounce package Philadelphia cream cheese
    1/4 cup apricot pineapple preserves
    2 ounce jar pimentos, drained, rinsed and dried (optional)
    2 tablespoons milk
    1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
    1/2 teaspoon Franks Red Hot Pepper Sauce*
    8 slices bacon, cooked crisp & crumbled
    Additional toppings as desired – crushed nuts, chives, carrot pieces, pickle pieces, etc…

    • In a very large bowl combine the cheddar cheese and cream cheese.  Cover and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
    • Add the preserves, milk, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce and half the bacon.  
    • Beat with a mixer until smooth.
    • Cover and refrigerate 2-4 hours.
    • Roll mixture into desired number of balls.
    • Roll each ball in desir4ed topping.
    • Chill for at least an hour.
    • Serve with crackers, celery sticks, toast points, etc…

    *Frank’s Red chile pepper sauce makes an awesome substitution