Some recipes worth trying.

I feel like I went through a spell for a while where all the recipes I tried were a bust... I would have to buy at least one ingredient I didn't already have, take the extra time to make it that always comes when you're making something new, dirty a million utensils and bowls... only for it to come out and Kanyon say as nice as he could that it wasn't very good. While I am in denial and trying to tell myself that he's wrong and it really is good.

BUT I've had a respite from that season, it seems, and I wanted to share a couple of new favorites of our's as well as a snack I made for Kasha's baby shower (which I never blogged about.. I'll put that on my list...).

Bistro Chicken Pasta

This sounded weird to me at first, since Caesar dressing doesn't sound that great on pasta. But this specific dressing brand is the key because it is not really tangy like some Caesar dressing and after baking, it has a really great flavor. Kanyon doesn't love pasta like I do, but he said he really liked this, especially with crushed red pepper on top.

Ingredients:

4-5 chicken breasts (cooked and shredded or cubed), season with Seasoned Salt or desired seasoning while cooking.

1 pound bow tie pasta (cooked according to package directions)

2/3 cup chopped onion (I cooked them before assembling and putting in the oven)

2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

8 Roma tomatoes, chopped

8 oz. feta cheese

1 bottle Newman's Own Caesar dressing (16 oz)

Italian seasoning to taste

Garlic salt to taste

Preparation: Mix all ingredients well and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees (uncovered) in 9x13 pan.

Easy Barbecued Ribs

This was a great find. I like grilled ribs fine but putting them in the slow cooker for this recipes makes them fall off the bone and so tender. And the taste was really yummy. Its so easy. I threw together the seasonings in a bowl before going to bed, so I just rolled the ribs in the seasoning the next morning and stuck it in the Crock Pot. You really have to try this!

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp light brown sugar, lightly packed

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

S&P to taste

2 lbs pork (baby) back ribs

1.5 cup barbecue sauce

Preparation: 

In a small bowl, mix together paprika, brown sugar, cayenne, and S&P. Rub this mixture over all sides of ribs. Arrange ribs in the slow cooker by standing them up against the wall of the pot. Pour bbq sauce over the ribs, cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low. (I did 6.5 hours and they were great.)

Next (don't skip this even though the ribs look great already), remove the ribs to a baking pan lined with foil and a baking rack, bone side up. Set aside.

Skim any fat that has risen to the top and strain remaining juices into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and allow to reduce by a third, approximately 15 minutes.

Turn oven's broiler on and set top rack about 10 inches below it. Brush the ribs with the sauce and broil for about 3 minutes. Brush with sauce again, turn them over, and broil for another 5 minutes. Brush with any remaining sauce.

Cookies and Cream Popcorn

This was a really easy throw-together sweet snack for Kasha's shower and everyone really loved it.

Ingredients:

1 bag popcorn, popped

6 ounces white chocolate candy coating

10-15 oreos, crushed or roughly chopped

Preparation: Place popped popcorn into bowl with oreos. Melt chocolate in microwave and pour over. Stir to coat. Dump on wax paper and spread into single layer to cool and harden. Serve!

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes!

Halloween!

Mom and I had a great weekend in Fredericksburg! I have pictures to show but first, I wanted to post some Halloween pictures before it gets too far into this week.

We had a very steady stream of trick-or-treaters last night but I'm thankful we live in a small tiny town and we were done after a couple hours. I only had to tell one kid to say please after he yelled at me, "give me candy"... twice. 

Jana and Joel were one of the first ones to come by with their kids. Their son Jett was Harry Potter.. although he told me he was Hermione. I'll just assume he meant Harry since she doesn't wear glasses. Joel and I have this deep connection over Harry Potter. Sometimes we'll have complete conversation in only Harry Potter-isms. We're trying to claim Welch for Dumbledore. Slowly, but surely.

Tac was Davy Crockett! How awesome is his costume? His shin guards are real hides. Perks of Mom being a taxidermist. Definitely borrowing this costume for one of my kids later.

Here they are posing.

After Jett moved on to the next house, Nicole and her son Tripp came by, too! Tripp is such a sweetie. He hasn't learned yet that he's only supposed to kiss girls and he kept trying to greet Tac with a kiss.

 Tac: "If you must."

This kills me. Nicole says he practically came out of the womb sucking his thumb.

I wanted to get a picture of Slayde, too, but he was in a pack of about thirty kids and I was just trying to survive giving the mob candy. He was a dragon. A cute one.

One last thing. I wanted to share with you this quick "recipe" (you can't even really call it that) that I threw together last night.

My favorite thing to eat at Chili's is their Monterey Chicken and I made it last night for Kanyon since he's been eating left-overs all weekend while I was gone. 

All I did was grill the chicken breast after seasoning with season salt and covered it in barbeque sauce (I made my own using this recipe but I'm sure your favorite is fine). Then you cover it with grated cheddar (not too much because you'll be adding more) and put a few pieces of bacon on top of that. Cover with cheese again. 

Kanyon was stripping cotton last night so he got home about an hour after I made it so he just heated it up in the microwave but I think it would have been even better if it had been heated and the cheese melted under the broiler.

If I had been making this for myself, I would have added the diced tomato on top like they do at Chili's but I thought Kanyon would like it better without. From Chili's website:

So again - its just grilled chicken smothered in BBQ sauce, bacon, cheese, and tomatoes. Kanyon loved it.

Happy Tuesday!

General Tso's Chicken

Work is going to be super busy this week and even more next but I have some updates to the leather shop to show you at some point! For now, I just wanted to take a quick second to share this recipe with you:

 I have attempted two other General Tso's Chicken recipe before and both were mediocre.. definitely not as good as buying it from a local restaurant. And that's saying something since both the Chinese restaurants in Lamesa and Brownfield are so-so. And the boxed frozen kinds at the grocery store are no go.

This one was really good and really easy! I decided to try it since the breading for the chicken was battery instead of dry and it made such a big difference. It may look complicated but just look at these photos from Jessica at How Sweet Eats to see how easy it is - General Tso's Chicken on Tasty Kitchen Blog.

The only modifications I made were to substitute the Chinese chili-garlic sauce for a pinch of garlic salt, chili powder, and about half a cup of apricot preserves or jelly. I didn't have the chili-garlic sauce but I always have those spices and apricot jelly is Kanyon's favorite.

Just in case you're looking...

.. I have a couple of new blogs that I love and wanted to show you.

First up is a cooking blog. I am kind of picky about cooking blogs. I like for the recipes to be accessible, the pictures to be professional, and the blogger to be witty.. yes, witty. I can only read about food for so long before it gets boring. Get some funny in there. Which is why I only follow three food blogs [so far -- if you have any to recommend, let me know!].

So the name of the blog, right. Its called "How Sweet It Is" and I found her through Tasty Kitchen, Pioneer Woman's recipe sharing website [which are the other two food blogs coincidentally.. PW and Tasty Kitchen].

Jessica at "How Sweet It Is" is incredibly funny in a sarcastic, don't take myself too seriously, kind of way. And she is incredibly talented in the kitchen. Her recipes are probably 65% desserts.. but hey, I don't mind. I've loved all of the recipes I've tried from her so far.

This was her Grilled Corn Summer Breakfast Hash from yesterday. She posts once, if not twice, a day. [Click on picture to redirect to the recipe].

And she posted these this morning.. making me crave chocolate cookies at 10:30 in the morning. [I guess that's not really unusual.] Salted Mudslide Cookies.

I so wish I had something to bake these for!! But that would require me getting some coffee liquor.. something that I will never use again. I guess I can just use regular brewed coffee?

Okay, the second blog is a home decor/DIY blog called "Our Vintage Home Love". I can't even remember how I found this blog but I know she had just started blogging when I did. Now she has a lot of followers.

Diana is such an inspiration. When she wants something new for her house - furniture, decor, etc.. - she makes it herself. Everything! Kitchen tables, countertops, desks..

Here are a couple of my favorite projects..

Barn Wood Headboard

Isn't that gorgeous??

Master Bathroom Counter Top Re-do

Before...

And after...

 I never would have thought to do this! It's gorgeous.

She also makes a lot of her own wall decor like this..

And her latest project that she has been selling on Etsy are her vintage bread board she makes and personalizes herself.

I haven't been fast enough to get a set yet because she sells out within minutes!

I showed Kanyon her blog a while back and he jokingly said "Why can't you be more like her??" and it got me thinking.. maybe I can? I've never really been a DIY type of person but I think I might like working with wood. And this rustic style is so up Kanyon and I's alley. So Kanyon and I have come up with a little project to do that was inspired by one of her's. We'll see if it works out. If it doesn't, I'm sure I'll still show the pictures!

The hallway trim and doors are almost done and once I get done with it, I will start thinking more about that project.

Okay, I'm getting back to work but wanted to show you my two new favorite blogs!

Foodie

I am a foodie. I admit it.

I am not a foodie in the usual sense of the word, really only half of the usual definition.

What is the definition? I've come to understand it as someone that loves food and all it entails. NOT a glutton, though. Its someone who loves to make food, loves to read food blogs, and always appreciates a new and interesting recipe. And even the usual recipes.

The other half of the word usually entails being good at making new recipes. This one is not me.. yet. My dream has not been fulfilled.

ANYWAY, I say all this to tell you about the food that I and my friends who have volunteered to help are making for my Willow House party tonight!

Except for a couple items, all of the recipes come from Tasty Kitchen, a recipe-sharing website that Pioneer Woman created that I go to on a daily basis and am constantly impressed by not only the creativity but the amazing photography!

Here is what I made/am making this afternoon:

• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies (I mentioned this yesterday)

• Sun Dried Tomato Spread (I'm using a mix I got at the Livestock Show but here is the same recipe) with Ciabatta bread and cheese and sliced avocado.

• Olives from the Market Street Olive Bar (I was going to make this with them but decided nah.. I'd made it before and didn't feel like going to the trouble but it is really good.)

• Kasha is making Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites for me!

• And Vaughn volunteered to make Fudge Revel Bars!

I'm not usually one to turn down help when one volunteers.. a warning to everyone :)

Recipes for Pumpkin Whoopie Pies, Bacon Wrapped Pineapple Bites, and Fudge Revel Bars can all be found on the Tasty Kitchen website (www.tastykitchen.com).

I'm definitely not eating dinner before this party tonight.. Is it wrong that I'm more excited about the food than the products the party is actually thrown for? Once again.. foodie.