Italian Pork Chops

So so so good!  I just can't tell you how full of flavor these chops were!  You must try them out for yourself!

What I used:
4 pork chops
2 tbsp. butter
Pepper, enough to season
2/3 cup water
2/3 cup Italian dressing
Parsley, sprinkling of it if you wish

Turn electric skillet on to 350 degrees & get you butter melting

Sprinkle on enough pepper for seasoning on both sides & place in skillet.

Turn over to cook on both sides.

Add water & dressing, cover & cook for 10 - 12 minutes turning once after 6 minutes.

Add parsley and Voila! So tasty!

You can use the left over sauce as a type of gravy for your rice or potatoes or whatever you choose to serve with this dish!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Southwest Chicken and Pasta Skillet

If I had to sum up this recipe in one word it would be flavorful!  Having not tried this recipe before myself I was a bit skeptical but with some tweaking (of course!) it turned out SUPER tasty! 

What I used:
1 chicken breast, cut up
2 cups elbow pasta, uncooked
1 24oz. jar salsa
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1/4 tsp. ground sage
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

Get your water boiling for your pasta and while the water is boiling, instead of watching it boil, start cutting up your chicken.

Spray pan with cooking spray and begin to cook chicken over med/high heat.  Cook until no longer pink.

Add jar of salsa, sage, cream cheese and taco seasoning.  Bring to boil and turn low to simmer stirring every now and then.

Don't forget about your pasta!  Make sure it is boiling!

Once pasta is ready, drain and add pasta to salsa mixture.  Mix well and top with cheese.

Super duper tasty and the great thing about this meal is that it does not require the oven to be turned on thus not heating up the house on those already warm days! 

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Caprese Chicken with Bacon

Looking for a fancy lookin' meal because you are having company and want to impress them with your culinary skills?  This easy chicken recipe would do the trick!  This recipe once again came from the collection of fabulous Taste of Home magazines I have.  I tweaked it just a tiny bit, but for the most part I must give credit to Taste of Home for giving us yet another wonderful recipe!  Give it a try!

What I used:
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 strips of turkey bacon
1 Tbsp. Veggie oil (I use vegetable oil because I have read it is the healthiest oil to use)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 Beefsteak tomatoes, sliced or diced
a dash of Basil
Shredded Mozzarells cheese


Get our oil out and pour into a shallow bowl and get your oven preheated to 400 degrees. Also get your bacon cooking.  Fry your bacon just enough so that it is not crispy.

Baste your chicken on both sides with oil.  *Rabbit trial: I LOVE my baster!  It isn't one with those tiny bristles, and I am SO thankful for that!  I used to use the other kind but often found that after a certain amount of time those bristles would begin appearing in my tasty dishes!  No thank you!

Sprinkle on your salt and pepper (are you able to look past my well loved baking sheet? :)

Top with tomatoes

Add your dash of basil

Take your bacon and wrap it around the chicken breast.  I used turkey bacon simply because it is better for you.  Pop these babies in the oven for 20 min. or until cooked through.













Top with Mozz. cheese and bake for 1 min. longer or until cheese is melted.

Now you can't tell me that doesn't LOOK delicious!  The taste is even better!

Is your mouth watering yet? :)

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Glazed ~n~ Grilled Drumsticks

Are any of you out there Taste of Homers?  As I flipped through one of my magazines I came across a tasty sounding (and looking!) recipe! We love to grill and now that we live in the desert I imagine we will be able to grill nearly year round!  Yay for mom's night off :) 
This recipe was featured in the magazine but I once again tweaked it, partially because I forgot to pick up some of the ingredients...oops!  It turned out to be GREAT though!

What I used:
6 chicken legs
1 cup ketchup
1/3 cup teriyaki sauce
4 tsp. honey
dash of ground sage
1/2 tsp. garlic powder



 Gather all your ingredients and mix up the last 5 together.


















Baste your chicken (and if you REALLY want more flavor place it in a ziploc bag with your chicken and marinate for 4 hours in your fridge) really well with this tasty sauce!

Place on grill and begin the beautiful grilling process.

Grill until no longer pink making sure to turn your chicken over and grill on all sides.  While grilling be sure to wipe your chin frequently so as not to drool over the deliciousness before your eyes.....

Finished product is enough to make your taste buds go wild!  Your mouth will thank you for delighting it so much!

From our table to yours, bon appetite!

Nacho Chicken

Talk about simple and tasty!  Not a lot of time on your hands?  Then this is the perfect dish for you!  I found the recipe from kraftfoods.com and I must admit, I did a bit of tweaking yet again to make it my own.  The inspiration came from kraft foods though.  Only takes 20-25 min. to make, plus if you add rice to your rice cooker and toss some veggies in a pot, your complete meal can be ready in 20 min.!  Not bad for an on the go family!

What I used:
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup chunky salsa, I used mild because I have little ones and because I am a wimp when it comes to spice :)
4 slices turkey bacon, cooked to crispy and chopped
1/2 cup tortilla chips, crushed
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1 Beefsteak tomato, chopped
A dollop of sour cream

Place your three chicken breasts on a cookie sheet that has foil wrapped around it

Spoon salsa onto chicken, spread evenly.  Place in oven set to 400 degrees and bake for 20 min. 

Remove from oven, top with crushed chips

Tomatoes

Bacon

and last but certainly not least, cheese

Bake for another 5 min, until cheese melts.  Remove from oven and top with sour cream.

Now wasn't that easy? :) 
From our table to yours, bon appetite!

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!