Colorful Chicken Linguini

I made this for dinner recently and the whole family liked it, even with all those veggies.  Well, okay, the girls complained about the peppers, but other than that, it went over very well.  I ended up using some green and red peppers from our garden, which although they were small, they were lovely, but the yellow one from the store added a nice touch too. Use whatever you like. This dish is pretty similar to my Cajun Chicken Pasta, except without the spiciness. I really thought it was wonderful.  I'll definitely be making this again.  

Recipe (from Taste of Home)

1 box (13.25 oz) whole wheat linguine (or fettuccine if desired)

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced

1 T. oil (I used olive)

1 cup julienned carrots

1 medium sweet red pepper, julienned

1 medium green pepper, julienned

1 medium yellow pepper, julienned

2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets

1-1/2 T. cornstarch

16 oz. (2 cups) chicken broth

1 T. lemon juice

3/4 t. salt

3/4 t. dried thyme

3 T. sour cream

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I had fresh on hand, but I think out of a can would be okay)

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute chicken in oil until no longer pink.  (I added a sprinkle of garlic salt and pepper to season).  Remove and keep warm. 

In the same pan, saute carrots for 1-2 minutes.  Add peppers and broccoli; saute 3-4 minutes longer or until vegetables are crisp-tender.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch, chicken broth, lemon juice, salt, and thyme until blended.  Stir into vegetables.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.  Stir in sour cream. 

Drain pasta; place in a large bowl.  Add the chicken, vegetable mixture, and Parmesan cheese; toss to coat.  

Linked to Finding Joy in my Kitchen; and Ingredient Spotlight: Bell Peppers

"K" is for Kiss Cookies (aka Peanut Butter Blossoms)

A classic recipe with a slight re-work of the name to make it work for K week!   We thought Hershey's Kiss cookies would be more appealing than Kale or Ketchup.  There is always Kiwi, but you never know if the ones you pick will be sweet and juicy or downright sour.   

I used the recipe off the back of the Kiss package, substituting butter for the shortening.  They're a little crumbly, but oh so delicious.  I love how the kisses look firm, but when you bite into them they're soft and creamy and a perfect complement to the peanut butter cookie.  

Recipe (adapted from the Hershey's Kiss bag)

1/2 c. (1 stick) butter, softened

3/4 c. creamy peanut butter

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/3 c. white sugar

1 egg

2 T. milk

1 t. vanilla

1-1/2 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

Granulated sugar, for rolling

48 Hershey's Kisses, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and peanut butter together. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy.  

Add in egg, milk and vanilla and combine well.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to creamed mixture and beat until thoroughly combined. 

Roll dough into 1-inch balls, roll in sugar, and place on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. 

Immediately upon removing from oven, place an unwrapped Kiss in the center of each cookie and press gently.  

Remove from cookie sheet to a wire rack. Cool completely.  Or eat while warm.  I won't tell.  

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here.

Happy Birthday, Marissa!

Marissa Janae,

Today you are 5! 

How the time flies.

Daddy and I remember well the day you were born. 

What a joyous and exciting time that was for us!

To see our first daughter.....who looked so much like her daddy....

(and still does, for that matter!)

and adored him from the very start...

(and still does, for that matter!)

to snuggle you close and dream of all the delights of

raising a precious girl and wonder in amazement

at how different you were from your brother!

You are such a gift from God, Marissa. 

You have great joy and zest for life,

you have an infectious laugh from tiny babyhood that never ceases to make us smile. 

You love singing, drawing and coloring pictures for others, you adore animals

both stuffed and alive

and swinging in the back yard for hours. 

You're a wonderful helper around the house and with your baby sister,

you're learning how to measure ingredients and cook,

you're reading short words, and counting to 100,

and great at memorizing verses and songs.

You love dresses and having long hair, but you hate to have me brush it. 

You're bossy sometimes, very cuddly and snuggly and affectionate,

and very particular about how you want your dollhouse arranged. 

(although the rest of your room you don't seem to give a second thought.)

Oh, we love you Marissa. 

You light up our lives every single day.

We look forward to seeing the lovely young lady you become,

but are happy for you to stay a little girl for awhile longer. 

Happy Birthday! 

 

October 28, 2005

October 28, 2006

October 28, 2007

October 28, 2008

October 28, 2009 (professional picture, we don't have the license to print)

Taken at Yorktown Victory Center, September 20, 2010

Spicy Turkey Burgers

These turkey burgers have become one of Grant's favorite foods very quickly.  He requests them every week, as a matter of fact. 

Can't really complain, I like them too, and the kids all eat them with great enthusiasm.  Especially Corban.

I do leave out the crushed red pepper in the kids' burgers, after they complained of the heat the first time. 

I'm sure they're great on the grill, but I'm not particularly good at grilling and have no pressing desire to learn at this point in my life - and most week-nights, I don't want to bother Grant with firing it up when he gets home exhausted from work - so these just get cooked in a skillet on my stovetop.  

Grant and Corban prefer them with pepperjack cheese - the girls and I opt for cheddar.  Whatever floats your boat!

Recipe: (from Tammy's Recipes)

1 lb. ground turkey (I usually use 1-1/4 lbs or more and increase the seasonings accordingly)

2 T. water (I use 1/8 c. for 1-1/2 lbs meat)

1/2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

2 T. dried minced onions

1/2 t. dried minced garlic (or 1 fresh garlic clove, minced)

1 t. crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 t. paprika

Combine all ingredients well and allow to sit for a few minutes or refrigerate overnight.

Preheat skillet on medium-high heat.

Form meat into patties of desired size (I make smaller ones for the kids, a medium one for me and a large one for Grant).

Place in hot skillet and cook on each side for 3-6 minutes (depending on thickness), just until done. 

Alternatively, grill according to grill instructions if desired. 

*The water makes the patties slightly tricky to form, but the burgers are moist and tender every time.

 

S'mores Brownies

I made these brownies for a friend who had a baby recently and kept a few to sample at home. 

I am by no reach of the imagination a brownie snob.....I love a mix just as much as anyone. 

However.

Brownies from scratch are just......just.......oh, I don't know, wonderful!  And you can't have too many brownie recipes.

This one, I have to say, is divine.  I think the base recipe without the marshmallows and graham crackers may just be the tastiest brownies I've ever eaten. 

To be quite honest, I couldn't really taste the graham crackers in there. Maybe I crushed them up too fine, maybe I didn't add quite enough, I don't know....but they just kinda disappeared.  And the marshmallows, while I loved the added flavor and stickiness, they didn't flatten out quite as I expected, so I'm recommending cutting your marshmallows in half to spread them further over the brownies. 

And my husband, while he loves roasted marshmallows and s'mores, does not approve of marshmallows in other desserts and he was not fond of these. 

The children, for the record, thought they were from heaven. 

My friend's family thought very highly of them as well. 

Recipe: (from Sugar Cooking)

1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 t. salt

2 T. cocoa powder

11 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. butter, cut into 1-inch cubes (2 sticks or 8 oz)

1 t. instant coffee granules

1-1/2 c. granulated sugar

1/2 c. light brown sugar

5 large eggs

2 t. vanilla extract

1 c. coarsely crushed graham crackers

15 large marshmallows (cut in half if preferred)

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 13 x 9" pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and cocoa powder together.
In a large microwavable bowl, heat the butter, instant coffee, and chocolate at 30 sec. intervals until melted and stir until smooth. (Or you can mess with the whole double boiler thing....I didn't want to take the time).
Stir the sugar and brown sugar into the chocolate.  Add eggs, one at a time, stirring after each. Add vanilla.
Don't over beat the batter or the brownies will become cakey.
Sprinkle the flour mixture in and fold in gently with a spatula.
Mix in graham crackers.
Spread into your prepared pan.  Dot with marshmallows.
Bake for 30- 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.
Marshmallows will be browned and puffy, but will deflate a little as cooling.
Cool for 20 minutes, then cut with a sharp knife, cleaning the knife with hot water if it gets too sticky and messy.

This post is linked to Picnic Recipes: a 4-Moms Link-up

"J" is for Jar of Jellybeans

We know a family in which both parents and all four children have names beginning with "J", so it just seemed  fitting that they would be the recipients of our service project this week.

We tossed around the ideas of giving them Jam and Juice, but ended up deciding that a Jar of Jellybeans would be a fun gift.  Not to mention easy....no baking required!
Although Annika had a bit of a hard time with the thought of parting with the Jellybeans prior to our visit, we had a delightful time playing and delivering the treat.  

To see the rest of our Alphabet Service Projects, click here!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Sauce

I was looking recently on foodgawker for anything and everything and a chicken enchilada recipe caught my eye.  I already have one chicken enchilada recipe that we love....but it uses more of a creamy sauce, so this one is definitely different.  I liked the sound of it, but it called for canned enchilada sauce, which I refuse to buy.  Every brand I've found has objectionable ingredients like MSG or partially hydrogenated oils.   So I went on a hunt for another recipe that included homemade enchilada sauce with ingredients my kids can pronounce.  

Found one that sounded good, combined the recipes together, and ouila, here we are. 

I wasn't sure how the kids would react, since usually the girls have loud, negative opinions about spicy things, but everyone loved them.  Even the second night....no complaints, empty plates.  Rarely happens around here.

Grant and I loved them too.....so these will definitely find a place in our favorites list.  

Don't leave out the fresh cilantro....it is so delicious with these enchiladas.    

Note: I had extra sauce leftover, about 3/4 c. worth.  I've been using it to spice up bean and cheese quesadillas for lunch - delicious!  

Recipe: 

Enchilada Sauce: (from The Review Lady)
2 T. olive oil
1 T. flour
1/4 c. chili powder
2 c. chicken broth
10 oz. tomato paste
1 t. oregano
1 t. cumin
1/2 t. salt

Chicken Enchiladas (adapted from A Sweet Pea Chef)
2 c. enchilada sauce 
kosher salt
pepper
1-1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken pieces (I used breasts but thighs would be great)
2 cups shredded Colby jack cheese (or cheddar if desired)
1/2 c. fresh cilantro, plus more for garnish if desired
12 (6-in) flour or corn tortillas
cooking spray


Begin by making the sauce. In a large saucepan or skillet, heat 2 T. oil and then add flour, smoothing and stirring with a wooden spoon.  Cook for 1 minute.  Add chili powder and cook for 30 seconds.  Add 2 cups broth, tomato paste, oregano, cumin and salt.  Stir to combine.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium/low.
Cut chicken breasts into halves or fourths.  Season with kosher salt and pepper.
Add the raw chicken breasts  to sauce, submerging as much as possible.  Let simmer in sauce until done (about 15-20 minutes).  Remove chicken from sauce and shred with 2 forks.
In a large bowl, combine shredded chicken, about a cup of sauce, 1 cup of cheese, and 1/2 c. cilantro.  Mix well.
Warm tortillas to make wrapping easier if desired.  I use flour tortillas and they were fine, but corn ones may break easier if not warmed.
Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease a 13 x 9" pan.
Spoon about 1/4-1/3 c. chicken into each tortilla and roll up. Place in pan seam side down- I fit about 9 in there and saved the rest of the chicken for the next night.
Spray with non-stick spray or mist with olive oil, sprinkle with a bit of kosher salt if desired and bake for 8-10 minutes.   Remove from oven, spread extra sauce on top, cover with foil, and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and return, uncovered, to oven for 3-4 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Garnish with additional cilantro, if desired.