Strawberry Almond Chicken Salad

When I was at the grocery store recently I did my normal shopping. A lot of produce, meat and dairy. They also had rotisserie chicken on sale again, so I always get a couple to divide up to have the meat in the freezer. When it was supper time I gave my boys each a leg off the chicken with some veggies and yogurt. I was trying to decide what to do for myself...I came up with this and it was one of the best salads that I've made at home.

What you need:

1/2 cup romaine lettuce

1/2 cup red leaf lettuce (frankly any lettuce you have would work, I always get romaine)

1/4 cup strawberries

1/4 cup diced apple

tbsp slivered almonds

1/2 cup shredded chicken

2 tbsp strawberry balsamic vinaigrette (I had this on hand, I am going to try and make my own next time...)

 ENJOY!

*This is a serving for one, of course you could make a larger portion if you are making this for a crowd!

Blueberry Almond Scones

The idea for this recipe came from The Pioneer Woman recipe for vanilla bean scones. Looking at the recipe I thought these would be amazing. However, vanilla beans are very expensive (around $10.00 each) and the recipe called for 2 of them. So, I decided to adapt the recipe using things that I had. I figured they would be equally as yummy! Blueberries and almonds are something I always have in my freezer, so I thought I would give them a try. I have to say that they turned out just delicious. The tart blueberries, the crunch from the almond, the flaky biscuit, and the sweet glaze are a perfect combination!

What you will need....

 Scones:

3 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

5 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 sticks (1 cup) cold butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 tbsp vanilla

1 egg

1/2 cup frozen blueberries

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 tbsp vanilla

What to do:

In a large bowl mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Then add chunks of the cold butter (I just  sliced both sticks into 8 slices).

If you have a pastry cutter this would be the time to use it, however I do not but I just used a whisk (it worked just great). What you are looking to do is to incorporate all the butter into the flour and sugar mixture, almost until you can't tell the butter is there.

When everything is mixed will, combine the cream, vanilla and egg together.

Make a well in the dry mixture and pour the wet into it. Use a fork to combine everything together.

After the mixture forms a ball and comes together add the almonds and blueberries. At this point I used my hands to mix, the blueberries are delicate so you don't want to mix too hard.

 On a floured surface dump dough and roll out into a 1/2 inch rectangle and cut into desired shape. I did triangles, but you could use a cookie cutter if you want a more perfect look (I like the rustic look)!

 Bake on a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes until golden brown and let cool on a cooling rack.

While the scones are cooling mix the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla together to make the glaze.

 When scones are cooled dip them into the glaze and put them back on the cooling rack and let them set! If you want to omit the glaze they are very good without as well! ENJOY!

Happiness....

I just wanted to share this great book that I just started reading....

The little extra time I have to myself I try and read. Since being back in school that time has been even less. However, reading is really important to me and it helps me to unwind at the end of a long day. I try to only read things that are positive because my reading time is usually right before bed and the positivity makes me happy and helps me sleep.

I picked up a book recently at Target that just jumped out at me. It's called The Happiness Project. I am certainly very happy with my life but I am under a lot of stress and I have so many things going on at one time. It really got me thinking, "am I as happy as I could be." This is the exact thing that the author asks herself, and her reason for writing the book. I am only a couple chapters in but I really feel like it will change the way a look at a lot of situations and will help me in life.

More to come on this after I finish!

Banana Bread

This is the best banana bread recipe. If you prefer nuts in your bread omit the chocolate chips and add nuts, but seriously don't omit the chocolate chips.

What you need:

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

6 mashed bananas

4 eggs

1 cup shortening

2 cups sugar

1 package of chocolate chips

What to do:

In a large bowl mix  all the dry ingredients together along the the chocolate chips( this is so the chips don't settle at the bottom of the bread) and set aside. 

In another large bowl, cream together the shortening and the sugar.Add eggs one at a time until blended. Add mashed bananas and mix well.

In batches add the dry ingredients into the wet until everything is mixed well. 

 Butter and flour pans that you are going to use or make into muffins. This recipe makes 4 mini loafs and 12 muffins or 24 muffins or 2 large loafs. you choose, they are tasty either way.

 

Place in a 325 degree oven and bake between 30 and 45 minutes until golden brown and a tooth pick comes out clean. ENJOY!

Lemon Bars

This is my Grandma Harriet's recipe. I don't have a lot to say about it other that these bars are unbelievable!

What you will need:

Crust:

1 cup butter

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

What to do:

Mix ingredients together, the mixture will be a little in the dry side. Put into a 9x13 pan and press down evenly. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.

Filling:

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 cup lemon juice and zest (this is about 2 or 3 lemons-juice and zest)

While the crust in baking, mix all the filling ingredients together. When the crust is done, pour filling on top and place back into the 350 degree oven and bake for an additional 25 minutes.

Frosting:

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup butter

2 tbsp milk

While the bars are baking mix frosting together. This is a thin frosting but sets up very nicely when the bars are completely cooled.

 After the bars have cooled, pour frosting over top evenly and place in the fridge. These bars are best served chilled. ENJOY!

Beef Stew

This recipe is a perfect go to meal. The veggies and meat can be put into a large freezer bag and put into the freezer for an easy week night supper in the crockpot or you can put everything right into a large dutch oven and put it in the oven for a lazy weekend meal. However you do it, it is slow cooked perfection!

What you will need.

2 lbs of beef stew meat (you can buy the already cubed kind or you could get a roast and cut it yourself)

8-medium carrots

1/2 stock celery

1-medium onion

2-cloves garlic

6-medium red potatoes

3 cups beef stock (I used the boxed stock this time because I had it in the pantry)

4 tbsp butter

4 tbsp flour

salt and pepper

1/2 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup frozen corn

What to do:

Chop carrots, onion, celery, garlic, potatoes and put into a large crock-pot and season with salt and pepper.

 Season the meat and combine it with the veggies in the crockpot. 

Take 2 of the cups of beef stock and pour over everything in the crock-pot. Turn on low and cook between 6 and 8 hours (until meat and veggie are very tender). You could also have it on high and it would take about 4 hours. When everything is finished cooking turn the crock-pot down to low.

In a large pan melt the butter and mix in the flour to make a rue (the thickener) cook the butter and flour mixture for a minute or two to cook out the flour taste.

Take all the liquid out the crock-pot and stir into the rue in the pan. Whisk everything together and add the remaining cup of beef stock until it becomes the consistency of gravy.

Add gravy back into the crock-pot with the meat and veggies and add the peas and corn.

It only needs to cook for a few more minutes, just until the corn and peas are thawed and cooked through. Serve with a nice hearty bread and ENJOY!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Everyone has a recipe for chocolate chip cookies whether it was passed down from their Grandma or they got it from the church cookbook. I have to say this recipe is the best I have ever had, I'm not just saying this because it came from my Dad...it really is true. You will have to try them yourself. This makes a huge batch of cookies, 5 dozen huge. Bake half and put the rest of the dough in the freezer, bake them all and share, or just bake them and eat them all!

What you will need:

5 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp salt

2 cups butter (that is correct 2 CUPS of butter....this is why they are so good)!

1 1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 eggs

2 packages of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream butter and sugar together in a mixer, add eggs one at a time and blend until smooth, then add the vanilla.

 In a separate bowl mix all the dry ingredients together; the flour, baking soda, and salt. I always add the chocolate chips into the dry ingredients because it keeps the chips from settling to the bottom of the cookie.

Now that you have both dry and wet ingredients, mix the dry, add 1/3 of the dry mixture into the wet and combine them, continue to do so until everything is mixed well. 

I drop spoon fulls of the batter on a cookie sheet  and bake them in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes until golden brown.

 ENJOY

Broccoli Cheese Soup

This recipe I am very happy with. After searching on Pinterest for dinner ideas, I came upon many different broccoli cheese soup recipes. I wasn't particularly happy with any one of them, but they all had some good elements. Some used too much milk/cream which I thought would be too rich, some used only stock which I thought wouldn't be rich enough. I think I came up with a pretty good combination and a great soup. Being a cheese based soup I also though that it wouldn't work as well being reheated. I was wrong, the last time I made it I kept it in the fridge and it lasted a good couple days (it would have lasted longer but it was so good we just ate it). Thursday was the perfect day to make a big batch.

What you will need:

2-broccoli crowns

3-celery stocks

3-carrots

1-small onion

1-clove garlic

32 oz chicken stock (this time I didn't use my homemade stock, I used a boxed stock that I had in my pantry. 32 oz is an entire box) 

3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese (you could use any kind you like)

4 tbsp butter

1/4 cup flour

1-can evaporated milk 

salt/pepper

What you do:

 Chop up all veggies, set aside the broccoli. In a large stock pot melt butter and cook celery, carrots, onion, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook veggies until tender.

 Add the flour and coat the veggies, (this is what will make the soup thick) cook for just a couple minutes. 

 

Add the stock and evaporated milk, cook until it becomes thick and season again with salt and pepper. (If you salt and pepper every layer of what you are making it will taste very well seasoned) At this point I took an immersion blender to smooth everything together. This step is not required but it just makes a smooth soup.

 

 After I blended everything I added the cheese and broccoli and let everything simmer together on the stove top for a few hours.