My Favorite Meal

It's funny how you have that one special meal that, though it may not be too special to make or too light in fat or calories, it's special because it's what your mom, grandma, dad, or other family member made. It makes you think of home, of being a kid again, of family.

We're watching some kids of friends of ours from church this evening, so when I found out they'd be here for supper, I knew just what I wanted to fix. My favorite childhood meal: Rice Crispy Chicken.

This was the meal I asked for every birthday. It was my special meal. We didn't have much money to buy chicken breasts when I was young, so Mom wouldn't fix Rice Crispy Chicken that often. It definitely had to be a special occasion for her to buy and fix it, which was usually a birthday. So, it was something I looked forward to all day! That buttery chicken with a crispy coating beside mashed potatoes and peas I think is enough to get anyone's mouth watering! Hopefully these kids will enjoy it as much as I did (and still do!)

Rice Crispy Chicken

I don't really have a recipe for this. So just adjust to fit your family.

1 package boneless, skinless chicken breasts, or chicken tenders.

Rice Crispies

1 Stick of butter, melted

Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt, or any other seasoning you like to taste.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Pour Rice Crispies into a ziploc bag, and crush with a rolling pin, heavy jar, cup, etc. Put crushed Rice Crispies into a large bowl. Season with Salt, Pepper, or other seasoning.

Cover a cookie sheet with foil.

If you're using chicken breasts, cut them into chicken tender size pieces.

Dip chicken into butter, then into Rice Crispies, making sure to coat both sides well. Place on cookie sheet. Yes, the pieces can touch, mine usually are stuffed on the cookie sheet.

Bake in oven for, well, I'm not sure how long. 30 minutes maybe? It depends on how small your chicken pieces are. Just bake until juices are clear and crust is browned.

Serve with any side that sounds good, like I said, my favorite are mashed potatoes and peas. :)

Thank you Mom and Nanna for making this meal so special for me. I love you!

Where's the Glamor?

So Jason and I celebrated Valentine's Day last night. I know, I know, it's a few days early, but Jason's parents are coming tomorrow night and staying through Sunday. Yesterday was really the only day we could have a little time as a couple. And we definitely needed that after him being gone for almost 3 weeks.

We went to Elements Steakhouse and Grille in the River Spirit Casino here in Tulsa. Jason heard they had a special going on for a steak and lobster dinner for $20 per person, and he'd never had lobster before. I've always heard that casinos have very good food for cheap. I have to say that was the case here. It was a very nice restaurant, the service was great, they cooked our steaks just like we ordered them, and it was overall a very pleasant dinner. Plus, all nonalcoholic beverages are free, so for a nice meal, you can't hardly beat it. We had great conversation, which comes pretty naturally for us. I always have so much to say to Jason, and vice versa. It's nice never to get tired of each other's company. Then we stopped off for a coffee or "coffee" in my case since I'm pregnant. Mainly, it was just to have a little more time together as a couple. Thanks Jason for a wonderful evening. Happy Valentine's Day.

I have have to say though, this was my first experience ever seeing the inside of a casino. I guess I was expecting more of a Casino Royal atmosphere, where it's sort of glamorous, which would make me see how people would be drawn to going in the first place. However, excluding the restaurant, I felt it to be very white trash. The first thing I noticed was the smell of cigarette smoke, the bells and whistles of the machines, and tacky decorating style in a building that's only, what, a year and a half old? And, to get to the restaurant, we had to walk across the entire building. I do understand that's kinda the point so they can make some money, but it certainly was a mood killer from our otherwise romantic evening.

So where is the glamor in casinos? I mean, if you're going to practically give your money away to them, surely they would make it feel a little more luxurious and stylish. I never would ever have gone to a casino to gamble before, and after actually seeing the inside of one, my mind is still very firm on that point. I was disappointed after all the hype.

These are just my thoughts on casinos and in no way took away from the wonderful dinner and time I had with Jason, my Valentine of 10 years! :)

My food topic for the day......Balsamic Butter. They had some at the restaurant we ate at to go with their bread. It was delicious! I will be searching for a recipe. If you have one, please, please give it to me!

Oh! And I made homemade pesto a few months back and froze some. Wasn't sure how that would turn out. If you just heat it in warm water (don't microwave!) until thawed, it tastes about as good as fresh. At least Owen and I thought that today for lunch.

Muffins

We are big, big muffin fans in our house. If I didn't stop myself, I could probably eat half a dozen being pregnant as I am. Owen eats 3 himself, which is what Jason usually eats when I make them. Our normal muffin batch is a mixture of blueberry muffins and chocolate chip muffins (you can guess who eats the chocolate....the one who eats cake and cookies for breakfast in our household).

I've been wanting to find a healthy muffin recipe to be able to freeze and get out when I need it for breakfast for Owen. I think I could feel better about what he eats for breakfast that way. So I made experiment muffins today. Here's the recipe:

Healthy Morning Muffins

Nonstick cooking spray or muffin liners

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp course salt

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats

1/2 cup raisins

3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 large egg

1/3 cup skim milk

4 medium carrots, shredded

1 medium ripe banana, mashed

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin pan with liners or coat with cooking spray. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, and salt until there are no lumps. Stir in oats and raisins. Add oil, egg, milk, carrots, and banana and stir until blended.

2. Fill each muffin cup with 1/4 cup batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, 23 to 25 minutes. Serve muffins warm or at room temperature. (To store, keep in an airtight container, up the 3 days.)

I did make a few changes: I didn't have raisins, so I used Craisins. I also added about 1 1/2 Tbsp ground flax seed as well.

This was pretty good! Owen ate one right out of the oven and asked for more. If they freeze well, I may always keep these on hand for Owen (and I) for breakfast. And, you can't beat the fact it has only 186 calories per muffin....

One quick recipe post...

There were a couple people from the Superbowl party asking for the bruschetta recipe, so here's the link to it:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Double-Tomato-Bruschetta/Detail.aspx

And the other recipe I tried last night was:

Roasted Carrots with Parsley and Feta

3 lbs medium carrots, cut 1/2 inch think on the bias

3 Tblsps extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and ground pepper to taste

1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

2 Tblsps chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Toss carrots with oil on a rimmed baking sheet, and season with salt and pepper. Roast until carrots are caramelized and tender, about 25 minutes.

2. Transfer carrots to a bowl, and toss with feta and parsley.

Super easy, quick, and, seeing that I'm not a big cooked carrot fan, this was a great way for me to eat them.

Owen's Birthday

Birthdays take on a whole new meaning when it's your kid's. I just kept thinking, this time 2 years ago I just had you. You're the best gift ever! Then I think, wow, 2 years....it does go by so fast! Happy Birthday Owen, born February 6, 2008.
I took on the easy task, so I thought, of making him a jeep cake. He's so into jeeps right now since his grandpa and dad both have one. It was not the easiest thing I've attempted. I spent several hours on the decorating, and even had to try to reposition the cake so it wouldn't fall. However, in the end, it turned out as well as could be expected for someone with no experience in cake decorating. Maybe I will take a cake decorating class sometime. That would probably fit me pretty well.

We also fed everyone (8 adults and 4 kids). I was short on time since I was doing the cake, but it turned out great. We had Mustard Marinated Chicken Breasts, Roasted Fingerling and Sweet Potatoes, and a salad with a Basil Vinagrette Dressing. Super yummy and easy.

Overall, I'd say that it was a great day for Owen and even a good time for his parents. The next birthday will be the day Vance is born.....hope we all enjoy that one as much! :)

"Unbelievable Chicken (Mustard Marinade)"

1/4 cup cider vinegar

3 Tblsps prepared coarse-ground mustard

3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lime, juiced

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 tsp. salt

pepper to taste

6 Tblsps olive oil

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1. In a large lass bowl, mix the cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, lime juice, lemon juice, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil. Place chicken in mixture. Cover, and marinate 8 hours, or overnight.

2. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.

3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Place chicken on the prepared grill, and cook 6-8 minutes per side, until juices run clear.

I also use this recipe for pork.

Basil Vinaigrette Dressing

1 cup olive oil

1/3 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3 Tblsps. chopped fresh basil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1. In a bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, honey, basil, and garlic. Pour over or toss with your favorite salad to serve.

I will modify this a little for next time I use it: 1/2-3/4 cup of oil (because I thought it was a little too oily) and I might try red, white, or raspberry vinegar instead of apple cider for a different flavor.

Annika's Dish

So this doesn't really have a name, but I got it from my friend Annika. Made it tonight for Owen and I. He never eats egg, but this was a sneaky way for me to get him to eat it, especially since he doesn't really eat meat and needs protein. It also doesn't really have exact measurements and is pretty flexible, so it makes it about perfect (and healthy) for a quick meal. Took me about 20-25 minutes from start to finish. The measurements are what I did tonight, and it made enough for about 3-4 people. Way more than I needed!

Egg Noodles, approx. 3 cups or so

Zucchini, 1 small or 1/2 large

Yellow Squash, 1 small or 1/2 large

Mushrooms, 1/2 carton pre-sliced baby portabellas

Onion, about a half

Garlic, minced

Tomato, 1 roma

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 package of block Feta, crumbled

Olive Oil, 2 Tbsp

Salt

Pepper

Cavender's seasoning

Bring salted water to a boil in a large pot.

Cut zucchini, squash, and tomatoes into small cubes, or slice thinly if you like. Dice onion. If using fresh garlic, you'll want to mince it now also.

Add noodles to boiling water.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add zucchini, squash, and onion. Sautee 3-4 min. then add mushrooms and garlic. Sautee for another 3 minutes or so (it really depends on how done you like the vegetables). Add Salt, Pepper, and Cavender's to taste.

Drain noodles and add to skillet.

Add egg. Stir frequently until egg is done.

Add Feta cheese and tomato, and stir until hot through.

Serve immediately. Enjoy!

This is just the general idea and order of what I did tonight. You may have to make adjustments according to your tastes and preferences on ratios with regard to the noodles, vegetables, egg, and cheese.

It sure was great, and we both ate until we were stuffed!

So I gave in...

I haven't blogged since we came back from Germany, and I was pretty intent on not doing it again. But then, I thought, why not? Maybe somebody would like to see what's going on in my now not as exciting as it was in Germany life. It's not as exciting, but it's great! Jason, Owen, and Vance on the way. I love having a family.

Mainly, I thought I would have a place to share recipes and thoughts on cooking. It's become such a hobby for me, and, like any mom, I like to share with others. Maybe you like cooking too? Or maybe you just are tired of having spaghetti at least once a week like I was.

Anyway, here's to life, love, and cooking!

Kara Bea