Tips from the kitchen

Do you find yourself wanting to protect your kitchen cabinets from all the potential things that can hurt them?  The inside of kitchen cupboards can become somewhat neglected when it comes to cleaning your kitchen.  I am not on that like the adhesive drawer and shelf liners and a few years ago I was on the hunt for something different.  That is when I discovered this! A shelf liner that was not adhesive but would do the trick!  They are easy to put in your drawers and shelves in your kitchen and easy to take out, unlike the adhesive kind!  They also help to keep things in their place and have a cushiony feel to them.  Much more gentle on your more breakable items.  They can be found in most stores that sell kitchen items and if you have never tried them before, I'd go purchase a roll and give it a try!  They can run you between $4 and $5 but, if you are a bargain hunter like myself, you can find them cheaper.  I found some for $2.50 at WalMart just by checking every now and then in the kitchen section!  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Hickory Chicken open faced sandwich

Don't you just love to grill?  Summer nights and grills just seem to go together and today I bring you a recipe to add to your grilling out cookbook!  SUPER easy and cost efficient!  Not to mention a taste that will give your taste buds a party!

What I used:
1 loaf of French bread, sliced
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced into small portions
1/2 cup Hickory bbq sauce
Tablespoon of Mayo or Mustard
A few slices of onion
Sliced pepper jack cheese

Slice your chicken in half and then into small pieces.  Take your baster and baste the chicken on both sides with your hickory bbq sauce.  Place on grill and cook until your hearts content :)  Adding more sauce if desired.

Slice your French bread in half and then slice into several pieces.  Butter the top.  Turn oven onto broil.

Place bread in oven for just a few minutes, until crisp.

Spread mayo/mustard on bread, layer with onion, grilled chicken and pepper jack cheese.

Finished product is a TASTY open faced sandwich!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Helpful tip from the kitchen!

I'm sure you have noticed the prices of meat in the stores.  Are they not outrageous at times?  I usually head to the ground beef selection at some point during my grocery shopping and am shocked at the $3 prices for a single pound of meat!!  Having just moved out to the dessert I'm not sure if that is a good price or not for this area, but to me and my pocketbook, it isn't great.  However, I do have a helpful tip!

You can find your ground beef even a dollar cheaper by buying the more fatty beef.  Now before you go all awol on me about how unhealthy that would be, let me explain.  I started doing this as a young bride in an effort to pinch every penny I could.  I would buy the more fatty pound of beef then once the fat has cooked out of it, into the form of all that nasty grease, I rinse my beef off by putting it under the faucet.  Getting rid of all that excess fat.  I fill my pan/skillet with water, stir it around a bit, and drain.  I do this a few times, giving that grease that wants to stay attached to my meat it's eviction notice.
Now, if you are looking for an even better price in meat by saving sometimes up to $2 for a pound of ground meat, try using ground turkey instead.  I rarely find ground turkey over $2 for a pound and it is much healthier for you than beef anyway.  Plus, there is not much difference in taste, the main difference is in the texture until it is cooked.
Hope that helps to tighten the wallet a bit more as well as the waste line!
*Photo courtesy of googleimages.com

Spicy philly cheese chicken

If you get the Taste of Home magazine, this recipe may seem vaguely familiar.  I LOVE that magazine and all the practical recipes it has in it.  I tweaked this one just a bit and made it my own.  It was a HUGE hit with my husband, I even got a "you need to make this again!" comment from him :)  It is bursting with flavor and spice.

What you need:
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed and pounded (I only used 3 chicken breasts and froze the left over filling for later use.)
1 pkg. cream cheese
5 slices smoked deli ham, chopped (I just used the lunch meat)
4 chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, chopped
1/3 cup flour
1 egg, whisked
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup of oil
a dash of salt and pepper
a dash of paprika (just enough to add to the flavor, not to over power it)

Mix your cream cheese, paprika, ham, chipotle peppers, salt and pepper until it is fairly smooth.
Pound chicken.  I simply put my chicken in a ziploc bag and pound it until it is easy to work with, easy to roll up. 

Spoon cream cheese mixture onto chicken breast and roll up.  Secure with toothpicks. (Remove toothpicks before serving)

Place flour, egg and bread crumbs in three separate bowls.

Roll chicken in flour first, then egg and lastly the bread crumbs.

Place in skillet with heated oil, stove set to med heat.

A splatter screen would be most helpful to use so the popping oil doesn't splatter on the chef!

Cook in oil until all sides are golden brown.

Place on cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 25 min. 

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Creamy Mushroom sauce with Beef

A recipe that is incredibly easy and chalk full of flavor!  It is also easy to whip up during your spare time and store in the fridge until dinner time.  Makes dinner time quick and easy! 

What You will need
1 lb. steak, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1/4 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp.cornstarch
1 cup water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 Tbsp. sour cream
A dash of parsley

First, have your steak all chopped up into bite size pieces and place in a 10" skillet sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.  Saute on med-high heat.

Chop your onion, garlic and pepper

Once meat is brown, add your onion, garlic and pepper and cook until crisp tender.

Add mushrooms, salt, pepper & broth, bring to a boil.  Turn heat down to med-low and stir in sour cream.

In separate dish, take 1 cup water & 2 Tbsp. cornstarch & mix well. Pour into beef mixture, stirring frequently.  Sauce will begin to thicken.

Add parsley and serve over rice/warm noodles or potatoes. 

The finished product is one tasty meal!













 From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

I know I know, shock is being sent out all over the place because I am back and updating this blog!  We are FINALLY settled in and I am so excited to get back in my kitchen and BAKE!  Here's what I baked up today!

What  you need:
3 cups flour
3 teaspoons of baking powder
1 cup sugar
2 cups milk
2 eggs
2/3 cup butter, melted
1 bag milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Use cooking spray or muffin tin liners in your muffin pan.  In a large mixing bowl combine the first 4 ingredients.  In a separate bowl mix your milk, eggs, butter and chocolate chips.   Pour into dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.
Pour batter into sprayed or lined muffin pan.  Fill 3/4 of the way full.  Bake for 20 min. or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool in muffin pan for 5 min. then remove and cool on wire racks.

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Fantastic Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Yes, I admit it, I am guilty of blog hopping when it comes to recipes!  I LOVE it when there are photos involved!  I think I may have found a new love....recipe blog love that is :)  I saw this yummy sounding recipe and though I have yet to try it, boy am I ever dying to!!  I do trust that they are scrumptious because I read some reviews and all were positive!  Doesn't this just sound like a decadent spring dessert?!  Go ahead, give it a whirl!  I sure am!
What the recipe called for:

Strawberry Lemonade Bars
Crust
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt

Filling
1 cup fresh lemon juice
2-3 tsp lemon zest
1/2 cup pureed strawberries (about 3/4 cup berries)
1 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Instructions on how to make:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan (or use the Baker’s Edge pan, if you have one).
Begin by making the crust.
In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter, until smooth and fluffy. Working at a low speed, gradually beat in flour and salt until mixture is crumbly. Pour into prepared pan and press into an even layer. Bake for about 17 minutes, until set at the edges.
While the crust bakes, prepare the filling.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine lemon juice, lemon zest, strawberry puree, sugar and eggs and process until smooth. Add in flour, baking powder and salt, then pulse until smooth.
Gently pour the filling over the hot crust when it has finished baking. Return pan to oven and bake for 23-26 minutes, until the filling is set (There will be a light colored “crust” on top from the sugar in the custard - nothing to worry about).
Cool completely before slicing and use a damp knife to ensure clean slices.
Store bars in the refrigerator, especially on a hot day.
Makes 24 bars.

And now the photo....

See?  I told you they looked great!

(Photo courtesy of  
http://bakingbites.com )