Tuesday, January 31, 2012

TIPSY TUESDAY

MORNING EVERYONE
Clouds are rolling in and it is grettng grayer and grayer.. As long as there is no rain in them there clouds I will be happy.. I love the smell and the sound of the rain just hate getting wet..
.
CHEESE AND CHICKEN
 SALAD
4 skinned and boned chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons buttermilk
1 cup finely ground walnuts
1/2 cup fine, dry breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups torn mixed salad greens
4 cups torn fresh spinach
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded colby-Monterey Jack cheese blend
16 cherry tomatoes, cut in half
Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap; flatten to 1/4-inch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Brush buttermilk evenly over chicken.(milk with a splash of vinegar)

Combine walnuts, breadcrumbs, and salt in a shallow dish; dredge chicken in mixture.

Pour oil into a large skillet; place over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken, and cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden.

Remove from heat; cool slightly. Cut chicken crosswise into thin slices.

Combine salad greens and spinach, and arrange on each of 4 individual plates. Sprinkle with cheese, and top with tomato halves and chicken.

Serve with Honey Dressing on the side.

TIPSY TUESDAY
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Use a old glue top and attach it to the top of your paint bottle and now you can write with your paint...

I know this is not a cooking tip but I also know how some of my followers are also crafty so thought you might find this a smart idea

Enjoy
Cheers
Judy

Monday, January 30, 2012

MENU MONDAY

MORNING EVERYONE

All is well here.. did not get as much done yesterday as I wanted but did have a relaxing day which is always nice. Hope to get more accomplished today not sure what but will be more then yesterday..

MONDAY..Pan Roasted Chicken

TUESDAY..Cheese and Chicken Salad

WEDNESDAY..Crockpot Chicken a la Orange

THURSDAY..Autumn Chopped Salad

FRIDAY..Ham and Cheese Sliders

Pan Roasted Chicken with
Roasted Potatoes and Green Beans

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Ingredients

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish or cast-iron skillet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish or skillet.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive-oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes along the inside edge of the dish or skillet on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive-oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish or skillet. Pour any of the remaining olive-oil mixture over the chicken.
  3. Roast for 50 minutes. Remove the chicken from the dish or skillet. Place the beans and potatoes back in oven for 10 minutes more or until the potatoes are tender. Place a chicken breast on each of 4 serving plates; divide the green beans and potatoes equally. Serve warm

You all have a good day and chat with you tomorrow..

Enjoy
Cheers
Granny

Sunday, January 29, 2012

SIT DOWN SUNDAY

AFTERNOON
EVERYONE
Watching the allstar hockey game  with Grumpy .Once it is over I will clean out my sewing room and if the rain holds off weed my flower pots on my decks... Since I did not post yesterday I will post you a Dessert today and the 3C's craft.. Here goes the dessert

Moist Lemon Angel Cake Roll Recipe

MOIST LEMON
ANGEL CAKE ROLL
Ingredients
  • 9 egg whites
  • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3/4 cup cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
  • FILLING:
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • Yellow food coloring, optional
  • Additional confectioners' sugar

Directions

  • Place the egg whites in a large bowl; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a 15-in. x 10-in. x 1-in. baking pan with waxed paper; lightly coat paper with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites; beat on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, on high until stiff glossy peaks form and sugar is dissolved. Fold in flour, about 1/4 cup at a time.
  • Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes.
  • Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack.
  • In a large saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch; stir in water until smooth. Cook and stir over medium-high heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes longer. Remove from the heat. Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to the pan, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil; cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
  • Remove from the heat. Gently stir in lemon juice, peel and food coloring if desired. Cool to room temperature without stirring.
  • Unroll cake; spread filling to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar.
I love Lemon in any dessert... So Courtney I have not forgot about you and how you love to do crafts with your mommy and since this 3C's is named after you here goes my first craft post in quite a longtime and hope you and your Mommy are doing well.
VALENTINE TIC TAC TOE
Valentine's Day Craft
Supplies 
* poster board – white, red, or pink
* black marker
* red & pink felt, 3 squares each
* dry beans – any kind or size
* sewing machine or hot glue gun

Fold your poster board in half. Then cut a large heart out. Get it as big as you can. Then open it up and draw in your lines. You’ll need two vertical and two horizontal lines. Use a pencil to make the lines first, then trace over it with a black marker. I used the extra piece of poster board left over to make nice straight lines.

Now you’re ready to make your heart bean bags. (You could just use heart paper or flat felt hearts, but bean bags are much more fun to play with.) You should be able to get 4 flat felt hearts out of each felt square.

Then place two together and sew or hot glue around.  I like to use a zig zag stitch when sewing, making it pretty or you could use pinking shears for a pretty edge as well. Make sure to leave at least an inch of space to fill in with the dry beans.

Now fill your bags about half way full with beans. You want to be able to close that small hole and sew or glue it together, and if there are too many beans, it will be hard to seal it shut.

Now you’re ready to play. Find an opponent and let the games begin!
Enjoy
Cheers
Granny

Friday, January 27, 2012

FAST FOOD FRIDAY

MORNING EVERYONE
Well the clouds are here today , had such a beautiful sunny day yesterday ...My yard is all weeded and depris cleaned up looks great just have to get at my pots on the decks and then I will be ready for spring... Going to do a few of my pots with herbs this year so looking forward to that...

We all love Macaroni & Cheese…..especially when it’s not from a box! Here is a great recipe from Tyler’s Ultimate. It’s loaded with cheese & crispy bacon. You could also add diced smoked ham to this to make it a main dish.
 
BAKED MAC'N CHEESE WITH BACON
YOU WILL NEED:
Kosher salt
1 pound elbow macaroni
4 cups milk
1/4 tsp. thyme
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 1/2 cups shredded sharp white Cheddar Cheese
or 5 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
6 slices bacon, fried crispy
1 tsp. onion powder
2 garlic cloves, smashed
Salt & pepper to season
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the macaroni and cook for 8 to 9 minutes, until al dente. Drain. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a small saucepan heat the milk with the thyme, salt, pepper and garlic powder. Melt the butter in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, to keep lumps from forming. and whisk milk mixture into the butter and flour mixture. Continue to whisk vigorously, and cook until the mixture is nice and smooth. Stir in 4 cups of the cheese and continue to cook and stir to melt the cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the cooked macaroni and the parsley and fold that all in to coat the macaroni with the cheese mixture. Scrape into a 3-quart baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. While that bakes, heat a saute pan. Add the bacon, and cook until crispy. To serve, scatter the bacon over the mac and cheese. Use a big spoon to scoop out servings, making sure you get some of the bacon pieces on each spoonful.

Time to hit the dungeon and get some work done today.. Not sure what is up for the weekend if the weather holds out might get to a bit more gardening..

Enjoy
Cheers
Granny

Thursday, January 26, 2012

THRIFTY THURSDAY

MORNING EVERYONE
The sun is trying real hard to be nice and bright.. at least there are no clouds so that is a good thing... Heading up to Nanaimo today with my daughter so should be a nice drive...

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BACON MUSHROOM HONEY
DIJON MUSHROOM CHICKEN
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup honey
4-1/2 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Dash paprika
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded cheddar cheese
8 bacon strips, cut and cooked
2 TBL sliced green onions

In a small bowl, combine the mustard, honey, 1-1/2 teaspoons oil and lemon juice. Pour into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal the bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 2 hours.

Drain and discard marinade from chicken. In a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in remaining oil on all sides. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, saute mushrooms with cooked bacon until tender. Remove to set aside. Add chicken breasts to skillet, top with mushroom and bacon then cheeses and green onions.
Cook over low heat, covered for 15-20 minutes until juices run clear.

THRIFTY THURSDAY

How to make your own crispy tacos that stand up
For those of you who do not want to buy those hard taco shells here is a healthier way for you to make your own as well as to save some money.. Take tortilla wraps and put them in a damp towel in the microwave for about 30 seconds then unfold and spray or brush with some cooking oil and hang over the rack in your oven at a temparture of 375 for about 7 to 10 minutes until crispy..

Enjoy
Cheers
Judy 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

CROCKPOT WEDNESDAY

AFTERNOON EVERYONE

Did not post first thing this morning as I had to go and get my hair cut.. Well overdue... It is nice and sunny up here today so lets hope it continues for the rest of the week... not likely but I am hoping... On Monday I posted a picture of the newlyweds , Kelly and Lindsay , so today I thought I would post some pictures of Andrea and Adam's baby nursery... They have done a great job and are all ready for this baby to arrive.. Andrea being as organzied as she is just wanted to make sure that all of her ducks were in a row , or in this case her Monkeys in a row...







Granny has been busy doing some sewing ..I made the liners for the baskets in her change table as well as the cushion on the rocker and the straps for the little shelf that holds some of the babies animal stuffies... The rocker was given to me by Andrea's dad when she was born and it was a dark chocolate stained Bentwood wicker rocker.. Grumpy sanded it all down over the Christmas holidays and I painted it white to go with her furniture.. It turned out pretty good considering it is 35 years old.. All she needs now is the wording "No more monkeys jumping on the bed" over her crib and it is all done... You can see she already has her diaper bag packed ready to go.. This room was Adams " Man Cave" and he is just as proud of this Nursery as he was of the "Man Cave" and all of his model cars... Adam and Andrea you have done a great job and now the waiting has begone..

Maple  Brown Sugar
Pork Tenderloin

2 pork tenderloins, about 1 pound each
salt and pepper
1 small clove garlic, minced
4 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard or country-style
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme, crumbled
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon cold water


Wash and trim the pork and pat dry; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place pork in the slow cooker. Combine garlic, mustard, honey, brown sugar, vinegar, thyme and maple syrup; pour over the pork. Turn pork to coat thoroughly. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 9 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours.

Remove pork to a plate, cover with foil, and keep warm. Pour the juices into a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until reduced by about one-third. Combine the cornstarch and cold water; whisk into the reduced juices and cook for 1 minute longer. Serve pork sliced with the thickened juices


Well everyone have a good afternoon and chat with you later.. let me know if you have found me on pinterest and I would love to hear from you if there is any particular recipe you would like me to post..

Enjoy
Cheers
Granny

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

TIPSY TUESDAY

Morning Everyone

Well it is raining but at least it is washing away the snow... now all I am looking at is all the gravel on the road from the sanding truck.. so once it is dry I will be out with my broom... Today is a stay at home day with a pot of tea, a bit of work and I might even do some sewing ...

CHICKEN A LA KING

PUFF PASTRY

You can buy these little pastry cups already made in the freezer section of your grocery store..Lay them on some Parchment paper, and brush the tops with:
1 egg and 1 Tablespoon water – beat together.
Brush the egg over just the tops of the puff pastry . . . like this.
Bake them at 400 degrees for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Remove the little center. After I do this, I place my shells (not the tops) back into the oven for another 5 minutes.
This way, you make sure that they are done all the way through.
See . . . Don’t they look good!
Now just let them sit there while you make your sauce.
*I will warm them again slightly before I use them. Why do I bake them first? I think they are better this way, because they stay crispier after you fill them with the chicken and veggie mixture. If you time things just right, you can bake them while making the sauce and fill them right away.

CHICKEN A LA KING
SAUCE:
1/3 Cup Butter melted
1/4 Cup Cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 Cup COLD water.
1/2 Cup Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 teaspoon granulated Sugar
2 cups Milk
1 1/2 cups Grated Cheddar Cheese or other
You can also add
1/4 tsp. Cracked Red pepper flakes (opt)
1/4 tsp. Onion powder (opt)
1/4 tsp. Celery Salt (opt)
Add to the prepared Sauce:
Diced or shredded cooked Chicken breasts and steamed veggies of your choice.
*This is also a great way to use leftover turkey or ham

DIRECTIONS:
In medium saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and stir while it’s melting. Add the broth, seasonings, Milk and the Cold water and Cornstarch mixture. Stir continuously over heat until sauce has thickened. Turn to low heat, and add the grated cheese. Do not let the sauce boil. It it seems too thick, simply add a bit more milk or Chicken broth to the sauce. Add the diced chicken and steamed veggies of your choice. *If you are adding frozen peas, make sure that they don’t have a build up of ice around them. It will thin your sauce.Just put your peas in a pot of warm water for a few seconds to remove the ice.
Fill your puff pastry shells  with the chicken sauce, and top with a bit more grated cheese. You can also use this sauce on top of Toast, biscuits, Toasted English muffins, etc

TIPSY TUESDAY

Like I had mentioned a couple of days ago I have also fallen in love with  Pinterest..if you would like to follow me I would love it...


This is where I will be getting alot of my recipes, tips, and crafts.. so this is one that I posted and it has had over 4800 reposts.. AMAZING !!!.
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Use a tic tac container to hold those bobby pins..

Well you have a good day and chat with you tomorrow.

Cheers
Granny

Monday, January 23, 2012

MENU MONDAY

Morning Everyone

Well it is nice to be back.. Hard to believe that is has been 5 months since I last posted but here is hoping that I stick to it.. It has been busy and eventful time these last few months..

Granny and Grumpy are going to be grandparents again around the 1st of April... My daughter Andrea is expecting their first baby and we are all very excited for the two of them...

 I have a new daughter-in-law and her name is Lindsay.. Grumpy's son , Kelly and Linsday got married Thanksgiving Weekend in Vegas and it was a wonderful time... We got to meet and spend good times with her family..Grumpy's daughter is a photographer and I am posting just one of the wonderful shots that Krysta got of the two of them.


There will be a few changes with the blog this time around ... On Saturday's I do a grocery shopping list but I have decided not to do that as it is very time consuming and not all of my followers live in my area so it might only help a few but if I do see a deal somewhere for sure I will let you all know cause I can never pass up on letting people know about a bargain when I see one..

MONDAY...Alfredo and Porscuitto Tortellini
TUESDAY...Chicken -a- la- king
WEDNESDAY...Maple and Brown Sugar Tenderloin
THURSDAY...Bacon Mushroom Honey Dijon Chicken
FRIDAY...Baked Mac'Cheese with Bacon

ALFREDO AND PORSCIUTTO
TORTELLINI
 Ingredients
20 oz. of tortellini, cheese-filled, cooked
15 oz. of Alfredo sauce, prepared
4 oz. of prosciutto, minced
8 oz. mozzarella cheese, shredded

Instructions
To prepare the tortellini, boil pasta according to package directions and drain .. Cut Prosciutto into 1/2" pieces.. Spread 1/4 cup of the Alfredo Sauce evenly on bottom of a 1" deep Pyrex dish.. This will help the tortellini from not sticking to the bottom of the dish.. In large bowl mix together the pasta , prosciutto and the remaining Alfredo Sauce .. Then place in the 1" deep dish and spread evenly .. Next sprinkly Mozzarella Cheese over the top and make sure you cover all of the Tortellini..Place dish in pre-heated 375 degree oven and bake for 15 minutes til sauce is bubbling and cheese is brown..

This recipe would also work for a Fast Food Friday dish as well..

That took me longer then I thought it would.. Out of practice I guess.. Lets hope I can juggle between my love of you guys on my blog and Pinterest... Talk to you tomorrow and please let me know that  you missed me as much as I missed you...

Cheers
Granny

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Hello Everyone...
I must apologize for being away so long... It is not because I do not love you all it is that I am having an affair that is taking up a lot of my blogging time.. The name of my lover is PINTEREST...I do know that some of my followers have already met him..I have decided that I can manage to love both my Blog and Pinterest at the same time so  I am going to get back to blogging this Monday and fill you in as to the wonderful things that have been happening in my life...
Hope to see you Monday ....
Cheers
Granny