Cinnamon Chicken

I've made cinnamon chicken many times, & I swear every time it tastes better. I sprinkled some chicken with cinnamon,salt, & pepper & browned it in a little olive oil. Also in in the skillet I thrown in some onions, fire roasted tomatoes, chicken broth, & a little bouquet garni(a mixture of rosemary, thyme,oregano, basil, dill, marjoram, sage, & tarragon). Put a lid on it & let it simmer for about half an hour. Tonight I served it over bowtie pasta. Cinnamon & chicken go great together! Bon appetit

Vegan Banana Muffins!!!

These muffins are SO healthy & VERY delicious! I made them with whole wheat flour,baking soda, baking powder, almond milk, veg oil, agave nectar, pureed bananas, & a little almond extract. The muffins taste so good you forget that they're healthy! Agave nectar is something I've been trying to use more instead of sugar. Agave nectar is an all natural sweetener from the Agave plant, which is the same plant Tequila comes from(lime & salt anyone). When you bake with it you have to lower your oven temperature slightly because it browns faster than regular sugar. Also, be sure to use slightly less liquid(milk,oil, water, etc). Super simple to make & no need to feel guilty if you eat one.....or two! ; )

Lovely Lavender

Lavender Honey Ice Cream

Like I've said before, I LOVE cooking & creating things with lavender. It has such a mild, earthy taste thats almost refreshing. I have an ice cream maker, so its pretty foolproof. For this ice cream I brought heavy cream, milk, sugar, honey, & dried lavender to a boil & let simmer for a while. I then strain the mixture to get out all the bits of lavender. I threw it into the ice cream maker & voila! Lavender goes well with so many things...stay tuned for more recipes starring, you guessed it...LAVENDER!

Vegetable Coconut Curry

I know to most people curry is an acquired taste, but I have acquired it & love it! There are so many varieties when it comes to curry. Tonight I made a hearty, vegetarian, but healthy version. I sauteed together some fire roasted tomatoes, chopped fresh green beans, onion, carrots, & some frozen peas. Now....for the spices! Curries are all about the spices! To mine I added turmeric, coriander, smoked paprika, chipotle pepper, cinnamon, cumin, & some salt. To thin it out I added a little chicken broth, coconut milk, & strawberry yogurt to balance to spice. Let it simmer until the veggies are a little tender & I served it over brown rice. DELICIOUS!! What are your favorite curry recipes??

Chicken Tetrazzini = Comfort & Joy

Growing up my mom would make us turkey tetrazzini. So when I came across a recipe several years ago for chicken tetrazzini I felt comforted. This dish is rich, but delicious! I brown up some chicken & shred it. I then saute onions & fresh garlic in butter with dried thyme & white wine. For the sauce you make a roux & add chicken broth, milk, heavy cream & parm. Add everything to cooked linguine & throw in some frozen peas. I pour it all into a butter greased dish & then top with a little italian style bread crumbs & dot with butter. Let it bake/broil until the top is bubbly & slightly browned. WOW!  I feel a bit like Paula Deen when I make this dish because of all the butter! I don;t make it often, but my family enjoys it when I do!

Crispy Sesame Bread

I Don't normally cook the same dish twice in one week, but the london broil I did in the crock pot was so good, & my mom really wanted to try it. So I made it again today so I could make us some more of the Asian style salads. In the past I've baked won tons with salt & sesame seeds to serve with a dish like this, but since I didn't have any won ton wrappers I thought I'd try to create something like it.

I made a pretty basic dough recipe & flattened it out into several 4-5in circles. I  pan fried them for a couple minutes on each side in a little veg oil. I then melted some honey in a little brown butter & brushed it on the tops of the breads & sprinkled some sea salt & black sesame seeds on the top. I put the under the broiler for a few minutes until the honey started to caramelize a bit. I cut them up to be served with our salads tonight. These little breads are crunchy on the outside & soft in the middle. Not to mention you get a little bit of sweet & salty with every bite!

Cheese Wafers

Today was my baby girl's first day of preschool! I was an emotional wreck while she walked through the door like a champ. Since I had a couple hours to kill this morning, I decided I'd bake her a special snack. I've made these cheese wafers many times because they are so simple & delicious! All you need is butter, sharp cheddar cheese, flour, rice crispies, & a little cayenne pepper. These tasty little treats are perfect for an after school snack....now that I have a child that attends school! Stay tuned for more "snack times" this week!

The beer can chicken!

So, I've always heard so many things about this "beer can chicken" but I had yet to attempt to make it. Well, tonight we did! My husband got a new girlfriend last week(his grill) so we had been looking for some things other than the usual steak & bbq chicken to make on it. We did an 11 lbs chicken on the grill & I rubbed it with a little olive oil & a spice mix of smoked paprika, cumin, garlic powder, salt, & pepper. I then put it on a 16 oz can of beer & put it on the grill. I wrapped a couple bricks in foil & placed on each side of it so it wouldn't fall over. It turned out FANTASTIC! The skin was crispy & the inside was moist! Very good & easy dish, but I will be getting back to my more "fancy" dishes this week so stay tuned!

Farmers Market Finds

This morning we took a trip to one of the many local farmers markets in town. If it hadn't been 100 degrees outside it may have been a bit more enjoyable, but we're in Florida so oh well! There were so many beautiful fruit & veggies. I got several thing to make Cam's baby food, but also some stuff for us to grill this weekend! Not to mention they were selling lavender for REALLY cheap! I'm not sure if you've ever cooked with lavender, but if not, I highly recommend it! It goes great with lemon or chicken or rice. Oh! Lavender ice cream is amazing!....I'm thinking I'll need to do a post on strictly lavender. Yes, I will do that!

The Crock Pot Conclusion

Ok, so we ended up running a few errands tonight & got home later than planned. I had to feed my starving husband so I had to think fast. So I threw some mixed lettuce in bowls with some red onion & mandarin oranges. I sliced up the meat(which was falling apart) put it on top & drizzled a little of the yummy au jus it made in the crock pot & sprinkled some black sesame seeds on top. WOW! You don't even need salad dressing! It was a delicious healthy asian style salad! Not to mention super easy!!! Enjoy!

The Good Ol' Crock Pot!

So I decided to go with the crock pot(as if you hadn't already guessed that).Crock pots are great for so many dishes. Its so easy to just throw your ingredients in there & walk away. My Dad has become the crock pot king!(Yeah, my whole family loves to cook. Its in my DNA) He's always calling to tell me what he created in his crock pot. I've been able try a few of his creations & they are amazing! So, I took my london broil & sprinkled it with a little salt, pepper, & ground ginger. I  then seared it in a skillet on both sides just until a little browned. After searing it I tossed it in the crockpot & threw in some ginger ale, soy sauce(I do enjoy my Asian flavors), & a little honey. Mmmmm! It's already smelling good in here! I'll let you know later how it turns out! Now for side dishes......

I'm so excited, I'm so.....scared Zack!

You know you have a problem when you feel HORRIBLE & you're still thinking about what you're going to cook for dinner tomorrow night. I have a london broil out, so should I grill it or go slow cooker style? OOO! What kind of marinade could I make? I'm also considering making my vanilla bean cookies..... All this is running through my mind next to all my congestion! Is there a meeting or treatment to help me? Really though, I don't want a cure! I DO want this sinus headache to go away! Well I think the "PM" in my Tylenol is kicking in. I'll keep you posted tomorrow! : )

Baby Food Fun!

This may bore some of you, but I have recently started making my own baby food. Who knew how TRULY easy it is! You steam & you puree. They even make these great trays that come with the removeable containers so you can freeze them, & then thaw or heat as needed.  Raegan asked me the other day why I was making baby food, & I told her beacuse its easy. She then replied "but wouldn't be easy to just go get some baby food out of the pantry?" Point taken! However, it does save money & I can control & know exactly what I'm feeding Camden, & with his food allergies it gives me a piece of mind.

"Try it. You'll like it"   -Yo Gabba Gabba  : )

Hello!

I wanted to start this blog to share my passion of  food, cooking, & entertaining. Although at times I think my kids are all the entertainment I can handle. My 4 year old daughter Raegan says the most off the wall things(my mom always told me God would pay me back) & My 6 month old son Camden is the sweetest & happiest baby on the planet. Actually we recently found out he has a milk & egg allergy which has inspired me to cook outside my box. I LOVE experimenting with new ingredients & I HATE following recipes(I just sometimes use them as inspiration). I love creating new dishes & recipes I can share with family & friends & now you! Feedback is always appreciated.....only if its good things : ) Let me know!