Chicken Mozza Ranch

I have been looking for a while now, for a good ranch recipe for my chicken. I have found some that add the weirdest ingredients and others that sound so completely bland. Finally today, I decided I was going to make my own ranch and chicken recipe.

This is simple and quick. Total cook time is 40-45 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear. (165°F )

Ingredients:
3 skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved
1/2 cup ranch dressing (whichever you prefer)
1/2 tsp flour
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F
Combine ranch dressing and flour in a measuring cup. Mix well to ensure flour does not clump to itself. Sprinkle chicken breast halves with salt and pepper, to taste. Using a small spoon, coat one side of the chicken with ranch dressing and place in a shallow, 1 qt. or 1-2 qt. glass casserole dish. Once all pieces are placed in dish, use remaining dressing preparation to cover chicken entirely.

Bake in over for 40 minutes, (uncovered) or until chicken is cooked and juices run clear. (165°F) Turn off oven. Remove casserole dish from oven and top with mozzarella cheese. Return to oven and let the natural heat that is left in it to melt the cheese. About 10 minutes so the cheese has a chance to brown a little bit, but not burn.

Remove from oven and serve with whatever sides you like. I chose Sazon Goya seasoned rice and string green beans. Also, you can use the ranch and cheese mixture that is left in the casserole to top your rice or mashed potatoes.

Now, I am sure this isn't the most healthy dinner, but I am pretty sure that if you have ranch lovers in your family like I do, this will become a regularly revisited meal.

TamTam

Chubby Hubby Buckeye Peanut Butter Truffles

This was a brilliantly simple recipe! As long as you follow all of the directions, you shouldn't have problem. I found the original recipe over at Six Sisters' Stuff and didn't make any changes at all.

Yield: About 18 truffles
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Chill Time: 1 hour, total

1½ cups pretzel pieces
½ cup creamy peanut butter
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 cup milk or semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

1. Put the pretzel pieces into a resealable plastic bag and crush into very small bits (a rolling pin works great for this).
2. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter, butter, brown sugar and salt. Stir until all of the ingredients are completely blended and smooth. Add the pretzel bits to the peanut butter mixture and mix thoroughly. Add the powdered sugar and mix until completely combined.
3. Line a small baking sheet with wax paper. Using a small cookie scoop, or about 2 teaspoons worth of peanut butter mixture, gently shape into a ball with your fingertips. Place the ball on the wax paper-lined cookie sheet and repeat with the remaining peanut butter mixture. Place the baking sheet into the refrigerator and chill for at least 30 minutes.
4. When ready to dip the truffles, microwave the chocolate chips and vegetable shortening together in a small bowl at 50% power in 30-second increments, stirring after each, until completely melted and smooth.
5. Working one at a time, dip one peanut butter-pretzel ball into the melted chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, ensuring that it is completely coated with chocolate. Let any extra chocolate drip off and place back on the wax paper-lined sheet. Repeat with all of the peanut butter-pretzel balls.
6. Return the baking sheet to the refrigerator and again chill for at least 30 minutes. Garnish with a drizzle of melted peanut butter and crushed pretzels, if desired. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Please, please, please follow the directions outlined in Step 4. Do not think that you know exactly what you are doing and try to melt your chocolate in a homemade double boiler. And do not try to melt your chocolate in a saucepan over heat like I did. It will not work. Your truffles will not be appealing. The melted chocolate will result in the following:

Not to mention that your truffle will also resemble what looks like little doggie droppings, like pictured above. Trust me, the microwave really does work.

Poutine

Poutine is a French-Canadian dish that originated in the Province of Quebec. Basically, it is french fries, cheese curds and gravy. There are many different variations of it, to include meats and different sauces. The poutine I make is more traditional and straight forward.

Ingredients:
Cooked french fries
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Beef gravy (I use canned)

Cook your french fries as you normally would. Deep frying is the best, but be careful not to over cook them.

When your fries are done, place a layer in a bowl. Sprinkle cheese over fries, then spoon gravy over top. Repeat layers 2-3 times, depending on the size of your bowl.

Eat immediately.

It's pretty basic and delicious.
You can also substitute the gravy for meaty spaghetti sauce, making it Italian poutine.

Other ways to make it:
Chicken chunks with chicken gravy and cheese
Caviar and your favorite sauce
Ground beef and beef gravy
Shrimp or lobster and your favorite seafood sauce

Keep in mind though - french fries and cheese are always the basis, so make sure what you add is going to taste alright.

Ramen Stir Fry

I have always searched for the best home stir fry I could find. On my recent trips around the recipe internet, I have found a few but thought I would try this one out tonight. For my taste, I do not love this recipe like I thought I would. My DH, who is a self-proclaimed Ramen Expert, told me I cooked the ramen too long. Me - I am not a ramen lover, so I ate all of the chicken and veggies out of my bowl. But don't let my like or dislike influence you. Give it a try if you like.

It is relatively easy to make and only takes about 30 minutes from start to sitting down at the dinner table.


Ingredients
2 skinless boneless chicken breast, diced
3 pkg Chicken or Creamy Chicken flavored Ramen
2 cups mixed fresh vegetables (I used broccoli, celery and carrots)
2 Eggs
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
Shredded cheese for topping

Cut your fresh veggies how you desire. If using celery, julienne them and place in saute pan. Add diced chicken to saute pan and cook over medium high heat until chicken is cooked. Add the rest of your fresh veggies to the saute pan. cover and simmer over medium-low heat until veggies are desired tenderness.

Simmer your veggies and chicken

Cook ramen as you normally do, reserving season packet. Drain noodles. Stir veggies and add eggs. Scramble them with the veggies and chicken. Once eggs are cooked, add ramen noodles to pan. Add soy sauce. Mix everything together and heat through. Serve with any topping you prefer. DH put cheese on his.

This should serve 4 people.

Smothered Pork Chops

I always have a hard time thinking up things to do with pork chops. They are a versatile meat, but after a while they just become boring. I get tired of just meat, veggies and potatoes. There isn't anything interesting about it and eventually you start eating the same thing over and over again.

So I searched online today for a good smothered pork chop recipe. Pretty much the same everywhere. Cream of Mushroom Soup. My DH is not a mushroom fan (he refuses to eat mushrooms because it is a fungus and he calls it athlete's foot). At any rate, I found this recipe by BamaKathy and thought I would give it a try - with a modification or two of my own.

4 pork chops - blades or loins
1 (10 ¾ oz.) cans cream of mushroom soup (buy the NAME brand, creamier-cheaper soups stay lumpy)* I agree 100%
Lawry's Seasoned Salt
Onion Powder
¼ cup butter
1 (4 oz.)can of mushrooms, pieces and stems, drained

I followed all of BamaKathy's steps, substituting onion powder for the Lawry's pepper.

In skillet with melted butter,sprinkle both sides of pork chops with seasoned salt and onion powder to taste and brown.

Put into 9 X 13 inch glass casserole and spoon mushroom soup (do not dilute!) and smear all over pork chops.

Cover and seal tightly with heavy aluminum foil and put into pre-heated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.

Remove foil last few minutes.

*When the pork chops have approx 10 minutes left in the oven, place mushrooms in a small saucepan with 1 tbsp butter. Heat on medium until the mushrooms are warmed through. When pork chops are done, top them with the cooked mushrooms.

Serve with your choice of sides. Tonight I served mine with kernel corn and Velveeta Cheese Shells.

Sweet Curry Chicken

I tried my hand tonight at making my favorite dish ever: Curry Chicken.

So I hunted down a couple of recipes and mixed and matched what I like and removed everything I don't like. This wasn't too hard to do - as the only thing I needed to remove was Cayenne Pepper. I am not a spice nut so this was easily removed. That being said, my DH doesn't like curry. At All. So I took this same recipe and instead of the 1½ tsp of curry, I changed it to ½ tsp cayenne pepper and made it into Sweet and Spicy Chicken. (I tried to get a picture, but my flash was too bright and bled out all color.)

I made my own recipe and proceeded to make Sweet Curry Chicken. It didn't turn out too bad, but it was still missing something. I have no idea what, but I have asked my dad to let me know what he thinks it might need.

At any rate, here is the picture and my recipe:

Sweet Curry Chicken

2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken, think sliced and cooked
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 8 oz can fruit cocktail (separated from juice, saving juice for later use)
1/3 cup chopped onion
1 cup diagonally sliced celery
1 tbsp margarine or butter
1 ½ tsp Curry powder
3/4 cup water
1 tbsp corn starch
2-3 cups cooked rice

Thinly slice and cook chicken as you desire. Cook rice.

Drain fruit cocktail, reserving juice. In a medium saucepan cook onion and celery in hot butter until tender. Stir in curry powder. Cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir together the reserved fruit cocktail juice, water and cornstarch. Stir into saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Add fruit cocktail. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Add cooked chicken to the sauce. Cook and stir for 5-10 minutes to ensure chicken is heated through. Serve over rice.

This should be approx 6 servings, however in my household it was barely 3 servings.

If you make it and figure out what the recipe is missing, please let me know! I am willing to try almost anything in order to get the 'pow' part of the curry flavoring right. ;)

Hubby's Hot Wings

My hubby made hot wings today for the Superbowl. The whole house smelled of cayenne pepper and hot sauce! He finally wrote down his recipe (which he concocted from different recipes online) and so I am finally able to post it for you.

There are two recipes here. One is for the wings and the other is for the wing sauce.

Wings:
3 lbs chicken wings
3 tbsp cayenne pepper
3 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

- Fill large pot (boiler or dutch oven) half way with water and then add ingredients.
- Bring water mixture and wings to a boil and boil for 15 minutes.
- Transfer wings to an oven safe container (casserole dish) coated with cooking spray. Bake wings on Broil for 15 minutes, then turn wings and broil for another 15 minutes. (For crispier wings, cook longer on each side, roughly no more than 20 minutes per side however.)

Spicy Garlic Wing Sauce

3 cups hot sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
3 tsp sugar
3 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

3 egg yolks
6 tsp water
6 tsp cornstarch

While wings are broiling:
- In a small saucepan, combine first 7 ingredients. Heat over medium heat until sauce begins to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.Remove from heat and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

- Whisk egg yolks and water together in a bowl. Add cornstarch and continue to whisk until cornstarch is completely dissolved.
-Slowly add warm hot sauce mixture to egg mixture. Continually whisk to create an emulsion.

Now, in a large bowl, combine your cooked wings with sauce and voilà! Serve them warm with blue cheese or ranch dressing!

Enjoy!!!

Cheddar Bacon Ranch Bloom

I originally found this recipe on Pinterest, it led me to Steph at Plainchicken.com, and of course I knew I had to try it immediately. So I set out to buy all of the ingredients, only to find that the sourdough bread called for in the recipe, was a little more than my frugal heart would allow. I made on the spot changes and it turned out brilliant. Give it a try if you like.

1 unsliced loaf of Italian Bread
8-12 oz Colby Jack cheese, thinly sliced
3 oz jar Hormel Real Bacon Bits
Handful of shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing mix
1 tsp Parsley Flakes

Preheat oven 350°F

Using a bread knife or very sharp knife, cut bread in slices in both directions. Do Not cut all the way through. Place slices of cheese in between cuts going in both directions as well. Sprinkle bacon on bread, in between slices as well. Then place handful of shredded mozzarella on top, lining it with the slices lengthwise.

Mix butter, ranch and parsley flakes together, then pour all over bread, making sure it gets in between the slices. Foil wrap the entire loaf and place in preheated oven on a cookie sheet. Bake 15 mins. Open foil and bake for an additional 10 mins. Remove from oven and serve warm.

I do understand why the sourdough bread is favored. It stays together better when heated because of it's thicker consistency. The Italian Bread did just fine though.

It was a hit with my friends and with my husband - who of course is the judge of all things cooked by me. ;)

There you have it. Give it a try and if you make your own modifications, let me know so I can try them out too!

S.N.A Breakdown

Social Network Addiction Breakdown

Well, here it is. The final calculation of my week long social network addiction log. At the end of 7 days, I logged 59¼ hours online. In days, it breaks down to roughly 2 and a half days. Figure this:

2.5 days/week
52 weeks in a year
totaling 130 days consecutively online in a year.

How disgusting is that?

I can say that logging my time has definitely opened my eyes. Obviously I spend way too much time sitting in front of my monitor, worrying about what I am going to miss. So starting today, I am going to try and change this.

My first step has already been accomplished, thanks to Zynga not functioning properly. I have only been in Cafe World once today, and that was just to see about answering requests for others. I put one thing on one stove and haven't been back in since.

Second, I have barely been on facebook at all today, but in all fairness, with it being Superbowl Sunday, there really wasn't much going on. I need to rethink facebook and what it really offers me.

Third, Pinterest. Now, this could truly turn into a sever addiction, but as long as I monitor what I am doing and for how long, I should be able to survive. Something doesn't become a habit until 21 days or more, so I have to make sure that I take it easy on there.

Finally, the one thing I cannot limit is my use of google/pinterest for recipes. In a world where fast food seems to be taking over, I like a home cooked meal that I know isn't mechanically separated meat or soy - made to look like vegetables. I will also not limit myself on oovoo with my friends or gmail, because friends are my line and the mail must go through.

I am not going to log anymore, but I will pay attention to the number of hours I am spending online.

There could be one small problem though - if I get on the phone with Jenn in Italy... there goes any sense or reason online. LOL ;)

S.N.A Day 7

Social Network Addiction Day 7

11:21 am turned on the computer
11:30 am facebook, blogger, USPS
11:41 am Pinterest
11:44 am Cafe World
11:57 am got up from computer

12:09 pm fb messages
1:11 pm log out of mine and into Michele's cafe
1:21 pm log out of Michele's and back into mine
1:22 pm got up from computer

3:23 pm facebook, pinterest, blogger
3:58 pm got up from the computer

4:19 pm gmail, pinterest, facebook
4:45 pm got up from computer

6:12 pm amazon, pinterest, facebook
6:36 pm got up from computer

6:51 pm bed bath and beyond, facebook and Cafe World
7:14 pm got up from computer

Now, I don't know if I should log this, because technically, I am on the internet... Playing COD MW3 with hubby, Joe Leone and some other people...

7:35 pm COD MW3
10:43 pm got up from xbox cod mw3
10:44 pm fb, blogger, pinterest
10:58 pm got up from the computer

12:44 am facebook, pinterest, gmail etc
1:32 am cafe world
2:00 am shutting down computer

Total =  8.75

With tomorrow will come a final breakdown of my week of internet usage. For now, I am exhausted and just want to go to bed. Superbowl tomorrow. Good night.

S.N.A Day 6

Social Network Addiction Day 6

Ugh - here we go with another day of logging my usage. This definitely sounded like a better idea 7 days ago. Thank goodness I have only today and tomorrow and I am done!

10:16 am turned on the computer
10:23 am blogger, facebook, gmail
10:26 am Cafe World
10:45 am got up from computer

11:12 am cafe world, mine and Michele's
11:37 am pinterest, recipes
12:49 pm got up from computer

1:17 pm recipes, pinterest, facebook, cafe world, fb messaging
1:55 pm calculator to total yesterdays hours
1:59 pm got up from computer

2:52 pm photos, facebook, pinterest, blogger
3:04 pm got up from computer

3:17 pm scentsy, pinterest, facebook, gmail
3:28 pm got up from the computer

3:39 pm pinterest with Jenn
3:51 pm got up from computer

3:59 pm pinterest etc.
4:38 pm google recipes, pinterest, facebook
5:07 pm got up from the computer

9:35 pm facebook, pinterest, cafe world
10:16 pm got up from computer

10:26 pm pinterest, facebook - actually, I don't know what I am really doing. Force of habit I guess. Just sitting here doing nothing of importance.
10:28 pm blogger to put in my Snickerdoodle Bread Recipe
10:49 pm Pillsbury
10:55 pm pinterest, facebook
11:04 pm signout and sign into Michele's cafe
11:06 pm log back into my fb...
11:08 pm got up from computer

11:14 pm google looking for an HTML designer, changing the outer wrappers and main wrappers and sidebar wrappers on my blog
11:38 pm pinterest, facebook
12:08 am got up from computer

12:16 am blogger, pinterest, facebook
12:23 am ebay
12:28 am IMDB, pinterest
1:04 am Cafe World
1:13 am calculating my logged time
1:20 am turned off computer



Total = 7 hours

Snickerdoodle Bread

My girl friend Kara loves snickerdoodle cookies and so for her birthday I decided to make her a Snickerdoodle bread. I looked for recipes but just couldn't find one that I liked. Somehow, adding sour cream to bread just didn't sound right to me.

So instead I took a Pillsbury Quick Bread and made some of my own changes.

I mixed it according to the box directions, but then added 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon and a teaspoon of vanilla. I mixed it all together in my kitchen aid with a wire whisk on speed 6. Then in a ziploc sandwich bag, I combined 2 tablespoons of white sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.

Spray the bread pan with baking spray then dust it with the cinnamon and sugar mixture. (Don't use it all - just a little). Pour half of the batter into your bread pan, then I sprinkled half of the remaining cinnamon sugar on top. Cover with remaining batter and top with all of the left over cinnamon sugar. Bake in 375F preheated oven for 45-50 mins, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Let rest in pan for 10 minutes then remove and place on a dish.
Serve warm with ice cream or confectioner's sugar icing.

S.N.A Day 5

Social Network Addiction Day 5

10:35 am turned on computer
10:48 am facebook, gmail, blogger
10:51am got up from computer

11:17 am Cafe World
11:27 am got up from computer

12:50 pm facebook
1:00 pm oovoo with Jenn
1:10 pm got up from computer

1:25 pm pinterest, facebook messaging, blogger youtube, amazon, pinterest
2:52 pm during this time I am on the phone with Jenn and she is telling me to look at this and view that and she is sending me emails... Haha! I got to blame you first Jenn!!!
2:59 pm gmail, amazon, pinterest, cafe world
4:21 pm got up from computer

6:48 pm google recipes
7:22 pm Cafe world, log out of mine and into Michele's
7:41 pm log out of Michele's and back into mine
7:46 pm pinterest, facebook, blogger, amazon, walmart
7:55 pm got up from computer

8:44 pm amazon
8:58 pm proofread James homework
9:21 pm got up from the computer

{At this point, I am pretty much wanting to shut down the computer just so that I don't have to log anymore, but then that wouldn't be a fair survey, now would it? lol}

9:33 pm facebook, ESPN Basketball, amazon
9:54 pm cafe world clicks
11:04 pm cafe world
11:19 pm log out of mine and log into Michele's
11:28 pm logged back into my fb.
11:29 pm contemplating turning off the computer. It will all be here in the morning...
11:30 pm got up from the computer

12:09 am pinterest, gmail, amazon, facebook
12:47 am got up from computer

(I am waiting on Michele's cafe, if you can believe that...)

12:54 am fb messages
12:57 am log out of mine and log into Michele's Cafe
1:06 am log back into my facebook - messages
1:12 am shutting down computer


I am exhausted and really don't want to look at this anymore so I will do the total time tomorrow.


ETA: Total = 8 hours

S.N.A Day 4

Social Network Addiction Day 4

11:11 am turn on computer
11:18 am facebook messages
11:19am google to help a friend with her laptop problem
11:36 am Cafe world
11:48 am log out and log into Michele's cafe
12:10 pm got up from computer

12:25 pm facebook messages
12:29 pm research to help friend with laptop problem
12:45 pm blogger to start this
1:00 pm got up from computer

1:30 pm facebook messages, facebook
1:45 pm cafe world clicks
2:09 pm cell phone going crazy. Phone calls and fb at the same time!
2:50 pm still researching to fix the son's Cruz reader
3:01 pm got up from computer

3:34 pm cafe world, blogger, amazon, company's coming
5:24 pm got up from computer for dinner

6:35 pm facebook messages, blogger and Cafe World
6:45 pm laptop to do Michele's cafe
6:59 pm back on desktop
7:09 pm www.nt-tree.co.kr    Don't even begin to try and guess what the heck I was doing LOL
7:19 pm got up from computer

8:45 pm facebook, amazon,blogger
8:09 pm start updating firmware for Son's cruz reader
9:26 pm got up from computer

9:45 pm laptop to proof read for hubby then cafe for Michele
10:05 pm back to my desktop
10:27 pm got up from the computer/cruz/laptop

10:59 pm cruz, ESPN basketball, weather.com, blogger, facebook, cafe world, amazon, gmail, swagbucks
12:10 am facebook messaging
12:14 am on the cruz trying to update the andappstore
12:49 am got up from computer

1:14 am facebook, cafe world
1:50 am turn off the computer



Total = 10 hours

S. N. A Day 3

Social Network Addiction Day 3

Tuesday

11:12 am turn on computer
11:18 am facebook, cafe world, pinterest etc. until:
12:38 pm Comcast Internet went out UGH

12:55 pm Internet came back on
12:58 pm Cafe World...
1:10 pm Internet went out again

1:24 pm Internet came back on
1:25 pm facebook, pinterest, Gmail
1:36 pm Cafe World
2:16 pm recipes
2:20 pm got up from computer

2:49 pm Blogger to start this post
3:05 pm got up from computer

3:24 pm google, amazon, blogger, facebook
3:35 pm got up from computer

4:05 pm blogger
4:08 pm got up from computer

4:42 pm back online, blogger, facebook, amazon etc.
4:45 pm Cafe World
5:00 pm ESPN Fantasy Basketball
5:10 pm done with cafe world
5:11 pm got up from computer

5:12 pm on the laptop to work on Michele's cafe
5:34 pm got off laptop

5:58 pm Blogger, facebook, google news, weather
6:06 pm got up from computer

6:55 pm Pinterest...
7:18 pm facebook cafe world and posting
7:36 pm move to laptop to proof read James' homework, then log into Michele's cafe
8:00 pm Online trying to fix my son's Cruz Reader... this will take a while
8:41 pm cafe and still working on the Cruz...
10:08 pm gave up on finding the cure for the Cruz and getting up from the computer.

10:38 pm facebook and cafe world
11:27pm got off computer

12:11am looking to fix the son's cruz reader again
12:49 am Cruz is frustrating me so I am going to shut down the computer and go to bed.


Total = 9 hours