Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Yuck!!!!

Okay, well i am feeling sick. Go figure with the humidity here. I guess I should just appreciate that i am still in good health. My man is doing really good at take care of me, but i think tomorrow if i can get a little strength I will fix some Chicken Dumplings. Yeah that sound good already. I can feel the warmness.

Monday, September 10, 2007

Mustard Chicken

This dish hits home for me. Its more of a African dish, and is best served with rice. I find this one really easy to make compare to many of there other dishes that are from my culture. I am first generation American, and for some reason I always found it hard to make any of the dishes. That was until my oldest would tell his Nana "hey that smells good can i have some, my mom cannot cook that." Well when he said that I only heard, "I need to learn how, and what do you mean, I cannot cook that. Um yeah i can!" So began the journey to keeping the African Dishes in the family! I have altered a little of this, because i love garlic, Jalapenos, and added olive oil. After watching Dr.Oz, i have started using a lot more Olive Oil, and garlic. Love that MAN!!


Ingredients:
2 1/2 pound boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
2 tsp salt
5 Tbls Olive Oil
1 Tbls minced garlic
1 large Sweet Onion
1 Large green bell pepper
(OPTIONAL) IF you like a hot taste dice up 1 jalapeno or pepper of your choice
1/4 onion powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 chicken broth cube
4 cups broth made from the chicken you boiled
3 Tbls of Mustard

Direction
Pour about 5 cups of water into the pot you will be using. Add 1 tsp salt to the water and let it boil. Afterwards, add in your chicken, let this boil for about 15 min, and add in you cubed chicken broth. When that is done scoop your chicken out and place to the side to cool for about and hour, and pour your broth into another dish. While chicken is cooling, cut up your onions, and bell peppers. Now the pot you were using should be empty(no need to wash out your pot), so add in your Olive Oil, when that is warm place your peppers, onions, garlic, black pepper, and onion powder to the pot.

Let this cook on med heat for about 5 -10 min., stir this so it want stick or burn. When this is complete get about 4 cups the of chicken broth, and add to this pot, let the flavors come together, for another 5-10min, at this time add the other tsp of salt, and your mustard, and stir the mustard in until it dissolves into the broth, this is such a great smell. While the broth is boiling start cutting up your chicken, into nice pieces. Set your chicken aside, and let the broth, mustard mixture boil itself down on med hi temp, and DO NOT COVER, occasionally stir the pot. This process can take about 20 min to boil down. When it starts to thicken add the chicken in and mix this up and turn down the stove to med, and let it cook for another 5-1o min. The smell is great, and I just love the colors. This dish is best served with rice (I prefer Jasmin), or a nice sweet roll. Once again Enjoy!!!!

Verdict: It has a excellent taste
Time: about hour and 1/2
Level: somewhat easy
Derived from: My mom and I

And now!!!!

Okay well now that, i am slowly, but surly regaining a clear path to where we are living, and meeting people, not to mention adjusting to my sweet new baby girl, I can now commit to my food-fabulous blogging world. I hope to get new fresh recipes for other bloggers, and sites. Okay i am sooooooo Excited, not to mention i have only 12 more boxes to unpack. HI-5 to my man and I. This I my juicy, LADY-BUG @ the most peaceful time of the day NAP TIME!!!!!The last and final child....YES!!!!

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Perfect Chocolate Cake!

Now that I am trying... the key word is TRYING to lose some weight, I decided that i would only make desert on Sundays. You know the bug tempting things. Such as this cake. I remember making this bake when we were stationed in Japan. We were just craving for something moist and different from the Japanese deserts. I received this recipe on the bake of the Heresy Cocoa BOX.I hope the picture tells it all.
Ingredients
2 c Sugar
1 ¾c All-Purpose Flour
¾ c Hershey’s Cocoa
1 ½ tsp baking powder
1 ½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 c milk
½ c vegetable oil
2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 c boiling water

For the Chocolate Frosting
½ c butter
2/3 c Hershey’s Cocoa
3 c powdered sugar
1/3 c milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour two 9 in. round baking pans. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on med speed for 2 min, or if you don not have a mixer, beat for 10 min. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin ). Pour into pans. Bake 30-35 min. or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; Remove from pan to wire racks. Cool completely.

Frosting: Melt butter. Stir Cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating on med speed to spreading consistency. Add more milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups.

Verdict: This is already a keeper in my family. I use to be scared of making cakes, but not anymore. This cake is super moist, and has a beautiful taste. Enjoy!
Level: med
time: about 1 -1 1/2 hour
derived from: Hershey's

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Goat cheese chicken Quesadilla! Lovly

Okay ever since I discovered the taste of Goat Cheese I have now been wondering what I could make with it. With that in mind I am going to search, and also try to do things on my own with the cheese. This is a little something I kind of whipped up together, need I say the pics. Speak for themselves. The flavor of this combined with salsa was really good!!!
Ingredients:
6 pieces chicken tenderloins (if you’re making 2, for everyone you make use 3 to 4 pieces on each wrap)
2 Large flour tortillas
4 tblsp. Olive Oil
1 Large sweet Vidalia onion, chopped up
1 tablespoon lime jucie
1/2 cup salsa (chucky)
Mexican shredded cheese
3 ounces goat cheese
Sour cream
Direction:
Pour the 3 tblsp. Oil on skillet or pan medium high temp. When the pan heats up add you chicken, and pour the lime juiceon top to the chicken, just like steak only flip the tenderloins once, to keep it juicy, so let it cook for about 10 to 12 mins. On each side. When that is done the chicken should be a nice golden color, take the chicken out of the pan, pour in that last tablespoon of oil, and add the onions, just salute them. Now pour in that salsa, turn the stove down to medium tempt, let that cook for about 5 mins, while stir it , if you need to you can add in a little more Olive oil, you don’t want anything to stick. After you are done with that place the onion salsa min in a bowl. Now it is time to stuff the tortillas on one side, add in 3to 4 pcs chicken, about a handful of Mexican cheese, ½ ounce goat cheese crumbled up, and about 5 tablespoon onion salsa mixture fold the tortilla in half. Lay the quesadilla in a hot pan of oil, brown on both sides, just like you would do grilled cheese, lay something heavy one top, to get it to melt the insides really good. Finally cut it into 4 big triangles, and serve it with sour cream, my husband had made guacamole, and ate his with that.

Verdict: Yum! I am glad blogging so I can look back and make this again.

Derived from: ME!!

Adjusting Family

Hello out there!!!! Well I am still new out there in the blogging world, and still trying to figure out how to bring in comments, so just maybe i will gain some strength and introduce this blog to some of my girlfriends. Anyway, not to ramble on ;the reason for being away for soooooooo long is because i am trying to adjust my family and i to the new place we are now living. Hence the reason why I have not been blogging. I mean with my oldest baby boy starting a new school , and football, cubscout, not to mention still trying to get to know the area, with the loving joy of STILL UnPaCkInG, it has just been CRAZZZZZZZY. You may notice that some of my log in dates are back dated that is because i attempt to put them in, just to keep track for me, and never get around to putting them all in. Well enough of that, I just thought i would briefly explain. Okay readers/bloggers have a good one! Come back and visit/Comment!

Monday, August 6, 2007

Any berry muffins

So, it may seem like my family and I are on muffin kick. Well YES INDEED, we are!!!!! I have now made these a couple of times, and i just bake them and place on the counter for anyone to grab. There perfect for breakfast a mid snack, and dessert. My family has done nothing but grow and have the need to eat. So, if i can make it with spending less money, and with a great taste i am looking for then, I am all about making it.I hope you enjoy this I received the recipe from Annie blog. I used Blackberries (I made 8), then i used Raspberries(8); so you don't nesscerily have to use Blueberries. They are great when you have a big muffin pan!

Ingrediants
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
1 cup fresh blueberries
Topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done

Verdict: this receipe once again is A+++, like i said feel free to try different berries. Enjoy!!!!

Level: EASY
PREP TIME:15min
COOK TIME:20-25mins

Derived from: Allrecipes