hug a monkey slings!

A good friend of mine introduced me to these awesome slings. Her sister actually invented them and makes and sells them. I'm dying to get one, but I don't want to spend the money. Hopefully I might get lucky and actually win a giveaway for once!

Check them out here:

http://www.hugamonkey.com/blog/giveaway

MY Chicken Noodle Soup

I've been sick and wanting some real good, homemade chicken and dumplings. Unfortunately, that is too much work. So I decided to settle for some chicken noodle soup. However, soup out of the can just doesn't quite work for me...so, I decided to create.

The following recipe is 100% from me. I didn't cheat by looking up what is typically in CNS, and I didn't use any other recipe as guidance. I just imagined in my head and threw stuff in a pot. YUM!!!

1 c. carrots, sliced

1 c. celery, sliced

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1/2 teaspoon Italian Seasoning

1/2 TBL parsley

4 c. chicken broth

Combine in a large pot, simmer covered for at least 15 minutes (or until carrots become tender).

1 chicken breast

1 1/4 c. pasta (measured after cooking)

1 can cream of chicken soup + 1/2 can water

1 1/4 c. boiled chicken/pasta water

Boil 1 chicken breast in enough water to cover it for about 15 minutes, or until juices are clear. Transfer to plate and shred. Cook pasta (I used spaghetti, broken in half) in chicken water about 5 minutes, or until barely soft and a little crispy. Drain into a bowl to reserve water. Dump cooked chicken, pasta, cream of chicken soup, and waters into veggie pot. Add fresh ground pepper to taste. Simmer together about 5-10 minutes until veggies are tender and pasta is soft.

*You can add more chicken if desired.

This totally hit the spot tonight with feeling so icky and sick. I'm quite proud of myself. :-)

Sweet n sour chicken

Sweet n Sour Chicken

4-6 chicken breasts

one egg

flour

oil to cover bottom of skillet

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cut chicken in small chunks. Dredge in egg then flour. Brown in skillet. Dump into a baking dish.

3/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. vinegar

4 TBL ketchup

1 TBL soy sauce

1/2 teas. garlic powder

Whisk and pour over chicken. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes to re-coat chicken. Serve with rice and sauteed bell pepper, onion and pineapple chunks.

**My adaptations

I used 1 1/2 chicken breasts and the same amount of sauce. If I did 4-6 chickens, I would double the sauce for sure!!! I also had no soy sauce, so I used teriyaki sauce and added some salt. I also only had red wine vinegar. I also did not measure the garlic powder. I also added a few shakes of Cayenne Pepper (my fave). I also cut the bell pepper and onion into short but thick chunks (like at Panda). I also dipped the chicken in the egg and then shook it in flour in a plastic bag. I also dumped the chicken and the sauce into a skillet with the veggies as soon as it came out of the oven.

Next time I will use less sugar. It was very very sweet and I like a little more tang. I will also use soy sauce. I will also saute the bell pepper first for a couple minutes, then add the onion and pineapple chunks. The onions got soft much quicker than the pepper.

Overall? Delicious!!!!

Thank you Casi Bludorn for this yummy recipe!!

Magical Mint Kiss Cookies

I never posted my family's favorite sweet potato recipe. Oops. I'll get around to that later...

For now....

Magical Mint Kiss Cookies

1 C. butter

2/3 C. sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 C. flour

1/4 c. cocoa

48 candy cane kisses

powdered sugar

Blend the butter, sugar and vanilla til creamy. Mix the flour and cocoa in a separate bowl. Gradually add into the butter mixture. Beat til creamy. Mold a scant tablespoon dough around a kiss, shape into a ball. Bake at 350 degrees on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes. (7 1/2 minutes seemed about perfect to me)

Let cool on pan for a minute or two. Transfer to cooling rack. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Roll in powdered sugar.

*the recipe says to cool completely before rolling in the powdered sugar, I prefer to roll mine when still slightly warm so the sugar melts just a tiny.

YUM!!!!!!!!!

*as you can see from the picture, I took a plate full to a Relief Society activity and they were the most popular on a table full of chocolate. Lots of people asked me about them :-)

Breaded Chicken with Ham and Grape Sauce

A good friend of mine passed along this recipe. I made it tonight. It's the perfect combination of sweet and salty with lots of Fall flavors. Enjoy!!

Chicken-

1/3 c. flour

1/3 c. finely crushed saltine crackers or bread crumbs

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded to be tender

2 TBL oil

2 TBL butter

salt/pepper

4 slices ham, can be warmed to match temperature of chicken and sauce

Set ham aside. Mix the flour and crumbs in a ziploc. Pound the chicken and season it with salt and pepper. Cover in crumb mixture. (I put the s/p chicken in the ziploc with the crumbs, pounded with an ice cream scoop and shook to coat.) Saute over medium heat in butter/oil mixture (can be reduced).

Grape Sauce-

1 c. chicken broth (or 1 cup water with 1 chicken boullion)

1/2 c. orange juice

3/4 c. red seedless grapes, sliced in half

1/4 c. raisins (optional)

1/4 c. sugar

1/8 teas. nutmeg

1/8 teas. cinnamon

up to 1 TBL. cornstarch as needed to thicken

Combine all but grapes and bring to a low simmer. Allow to thicken a bit. You can add cornstarch if desired to thicken more. Add grapes in the last 8 minutes or so. If you boil them too long they fall apart and get mushy.

To serve-

Place a chicken breast on top of a slice of ham. Cover with a generous portion of sauce. Enjoy!! This is fantastic with grilled asparagus or fresh green beans cooked al dente. YUM!

Fabulous Fajitas

No picture with this one today.

FABULOUS Fajitas

1 lb skirt steak or chicken cut in strips

2 TBL. Olive oil

2 TBL Lemon juice

1 teas. Garlic powder

1/2 teas. garlic salt

1/4 teas. cumin

1/4 teas. chili powder

1/2 teas. oregano

1/2 teas. pepper

1/8 teas. liquid smoke flavor

Combine and marinate in fridge for 6-8 hours. Cook meat to almost done.

*Add:

1 cup green or red pepper strips

1 cup onion strips

Cook until veggies are tender and meat is done.

*Add: 1/2 cup picante sauce

Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, avocados, salsa, lettuce and lime. Yum!

(I usually double the marinade for 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves.)

Baked Potato Soup

I just made this. I cannot get over how amazing and delicious it is. I used a recipe I found in a ward cookbook and made some changes. Enjoy!!!

5 smallish baking potatoes, baked but undercooked, peeled and chopped in generous sizes

1/4 c. Bacon Bits (real. Or a few strips of bacon, cooked, drained and 1 TBL grease reserved instead of olive oil)

1 TBL. olive oil

1 small onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

4 TBL flour

1 teas. salt

1/2 teas. basil

1/2 teas. thyme

1/2 teas. pepper

1/8 teas. cayenne pepper (I just shook it in and estimated 1/8 teas.)

2 cans chicken broth (4 cups)

1 can evaporated milk

1/3 cup sour cream

1 chopped green onion

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

First, bake the potatoes. 375 degree for about 40 minutes should do it. Remove from oven and slice (the skin should peel off as you are slicing and chopping). Saute the bacon bits in the olive oil in a large soup pan. Add the chopped onion and minced garlic. Saute until onion is tender. Remove from heat and add flour, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Stir well. Return to low heat and gradually pour in broth while stirring. Bring to a boil. Boil for about 2-3 minutes, stirring. Add the chopped potatoes and green onion. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute or two. Whisk together milk and sour cream in separate bowl. Gently and gradually stir in the cream mixture. Sprinkle the cayenne over top. Stir and return to very low heat. DO NOT BOIL. Let the soup heat through. Add the cheddar cheese just barely before serving and only let it get warm enough to melt and mix with the soup. Garnish with extra green onions, sour cream and cheddar.

**The potatoes I used were about 3-4 inches long and 2 inches or so in circumference.

When I made this, I only cooked 3 potatoes in the oven. I realized it was not potato-y enough for me, so I quickly chopped 2 more and sauteed them in a covered skillet for about 10-12 minutes with a tablespoon of water. It added a nice contrast having larger, firmer chunks of potatoes in addition to the soft, small baked potato chunks. I also did not measure the cayenne pepper. I would eyeball it and taste test as you go. Be careful not to add the cream mixture in right after the soup has stopped boiling. It will curdle. And, the longer the pot sits on the stove (even without boiling) the hotter it will get and the faster it will start curdling and falling apart. So be careful. Otherwise, it is amazing.

This one is definitely getting added to the delicious soup file!!!