52 NEW Recipes in 2011: Recipe #8

Baked Paprika-Parmesan Chicken

(Click the above Link for the Recipe)

I totally forgot to take a picture of the ingredients.

I bought a container of supposedly "fresh" Parmesan cheese....

should it be dry?  This was very dry.

 This recipe is really simple....a little messy since

you have to dip the chicken, but still easy.

 Doesn't butter make all recipes better????

 Davie gave it the THUMBS UP!!

This took less than one hour from start to finish.

For some reason, I can NEVER get the same amount

of chicken as in the recipe.....I know I am doing something

wrong.  It called for 6 breasts.....I guess mine were DD breasts

or something.  :)

Even the daughter loved this recipe.

The chicken was very moist, but I would also probably

add a bit more spices to the breading......

52 NEW Recipes in 2011: #7

Chicken, Jalapeño and Cheddar Casserole

(CLICK THE LINK TO SEE RECIPE)

I have delayed posting the new recipes because we have been super busy with stockshows...but I am still cooking!!!

I am ashamed to put my pics on here because her pictures are soooo much better than mine.

Ok, my dear husband had to leave early and didn't get to try

it while it was HOT!

He did give it a 2 Thumbs up!!!

It was really easy to make and had a great flavor!!

It took less than an hour to get onto the table!

2011 GOALS - FEBRUARY UPDATE

All February updates are in RED.  I am going to keep them running...each month will be a different color.

1. 52 NEW RECIPES - I have successfully tried 4 new recipes in January. (Hoagies, Homemade Pizza, Sauerkraut/Pasta Dish, and Homemade Tortillas with Homemade Queso) The husband has loved every dish....so they are keepers.  We tried 3 new recipes in February.  I haven't blogged all of them yet.  I missed a week, but will make up for it in the future.  We did finally get the THUMBS down recipe.....


2. CLEAN OUT THE OLD HOMESTEAD - Not a thing done to it.  Still nothing done to it.

3. TEAR DOWN THE OLD GARAGE - DONE!! I have a picture somewhere....it still hasn't been hauled off or burned, but will by summer.



4. RUN A WATER LINE TO THE BARNS - NOPE!  Nope again.  We had a huge blizzard hit, so even if we wanted to do this, we couldn't have done it.

5. PAINT MASTER BATH - NOPE!  Uh, still a NOPE!


6. GET VW WINDSHIELD FIXED BY FEB. 1ST - NOPE! We have had other expenses come up, so this has been put on hold since it isn't a safety issue yet.  This still hasn't been done.


7. TAKE MORE PRIDE IN OUR VEHICLES - YES! I spent the first Sunday sweeping and sweeping and sweeping out the VW...it took about 2 hours altogether to get the inside of the car cleaned out. I am proud to say that it only takes less than 10 minutes to sweep it out each Sunday after church. This was a HUGE light bulb moment for me. Even if it doesn't LOOK dirty, CLEAN IT! It will never get gross dirty if you do. I washed the car once in the month...which is a great accomplishment...as I was lucky to wash it 3 -4 times a YEAR. Don't judge me! We live on dirt roads and it is depressing when you wash and by the time you get home, it is covered in dirt.  OK!!!  YAY!!  Finally I have a great update!  I have still done this PLUS washed the outside at least TWICE in February!!!


8. ORGANIZE THE CURRENT GARAGE - NOPE! We are still hashing out the details of what we want and need in it.  Still a big fat NO!

9. LEARN SOME NEW THINGS TO DO WITH THE BREAD RECIPE - YES! I made homemade pizza crust and it is AWESOME!  I haven't done anything else with it....I am having a lot of fun doing the pizza though.

10. CONTINUE TO FLY WITH THE FLYLADY - YES! I did deep clean all 5 zones in January. I have some buddies who are also trying to focus on the zones and we have come up with a ZONEBUSTER game we play together. Because I have become more passionate about the zones, I didn't stick too well with the weekly home blessing hour....but I did manage to keep the floor swept and the feather dusting done.  At this current moment as I am typing this, I am using my timer!  I did learn that if I don't keep the routines, then my house will look like I haven't done a thing in weeks.  Also, I got the sewing/guest room mostly finished.  I wouldn't be afraid to have someone sleep in there now.  My bed has been made EVERY DAY.

11. FEED MY SPIRITUAL SOUL - YES! I am continuing online "classes" through lifechurch.tv. Our Sunday school class has really stepped up and decided to make a change and be a part of the solution. I have really stepped up my prayer life as well and am seeing a big bonus in that area.  I have slacked a bit in this area on a personal level.  I attended our women's retreat with my church and it as a wonderfully renewing experience.  I roomed with some of the most amazing women!!!


12. READ A BOOK A MONTH - EH! I have a book I need to finish.....fiction is my downfall....seriously, I can start a great fiction book and put it down and not pick it up again! I am currently snowed in...so, maybe I will finish it. It is called "A Vintage Affair". It is realllly good.....I have no idea why I can't sit still and read it.  Yah, still not so good.  I will have plenty of time to read while at the stockshows this month, so maybe I will catch up.

13. DRINK 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY - YES! I have had very few days where I didn't get them all in. Most days, it is more than 8.  YES!!  I have done really well with this....I can't even think of the last time I had a soda pop.


14. PLANT A GARDEN - NOPE! It isn't time yet...hee hee.  Not yet, but I do need to get the old stuff torn out...right now, the birds are reallying loving it.


15. GET CHIMNEY CLEANED - DONE! We were having problems with back puffing into the house, so we went ahead and had it cleaned in January. It was NASTY!

16. FIND A NEW COUCH - NOPE! I have been looking.  I am still looking and will look while we are at the BIG CITY.

17. WEIGHT LOSS - YES! I lost 5 lbs.  Boo!  I gained 3...I know it has to do with the fact we eat out a lot in February and March...but know that is not an excuse.


18. BLOG UPDATES ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH - DONE! You are reading this on Feb. 1st.  WEEEEEEE....here is the FEBRUARY update, so YES, I did keep up with it!!!

Jan - So far, I am doing pretty good on the goals. I need to figure out how to list the recipes so they are easy to find.....I know there is a way, just have to figure it out. I encourage you to try the recipe thing.....it has really helped get us out of a slump of having the samo samo stuff.

Feb - I never really set my goals high for February and March due to it being very hectic months for our family.....if you don't already know, we show livestock and we have 3 huge shows in these two months.  The one thing I am really proud that I accomplished was the sewing/guest room!  I used the FLYLADY method and got it done 15 minutes at a time!!  I use the FLYLADY chat to find other people who use this method.  Although it has gone through some weird changes, I've still found some people who help keep me on track and still have a sense of humor.  Thank you to those who are helping me FLY.

January = BLACK
February = RED

52 NEW Recipes in 2011 (#6)

GREEK CHICKEN & PITA CASSEROLE

(CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE)

I know I am behind on posting recipes.  It doesn't mean that

I haven't cooked any new recipes.

It means that my family is in a busy time of the year

heading to all the stock shows.

 This recipe appealed to me for some reason.

For one, I don't think I've ever had Greek seasoning.

Of course in our small town, finding a seasoning with

GREEK written on it was a NO GO.

Another thing it had was zucchini.

We all like zucchini.

Of course, I couldn't find zucchini...so squash is the next best thing right?

The ingredient I was hesitant about was FETA CHEESE.

I do not care for FETA CHEESE, but decided I would at

least give it a try.

After all, I had just had some on some bruschetta and actually liked it.

When it comes time to cut the Pita Bread, us a pizza cutter....

of course I figured this out AFTER I cut it with a serrated knife...saw, saw, saw.

OK, back to the seasoning.....I couldn't find GREEK SEASONING.

So, I did the next best thing and called my MOMMY.

She wasn't sure, so we did the next best thing behind a mom's experience....

she googled it.

According to the ingredients, the MEDITERRANEAN SEASONING was

really close to the GREEK SEASONING.

It didn't look much different AFTER it cooked.

To me, it smelled good.

Here it is in all it's glory.

Ready for the real test.

Did it pass the manly man test or not?

THUMBS DOWN!

He even said, 2 thumbs down.

Of course he is holding the plate with the other thumb and couldn't point it down.

When I asked if he liked it.....he said, "I like the peas and carrots."

This recipe was a thumbs down by all 3 of us.

I can't pinpoint if it was using a different seasoning and squash or the feta

We did like the toasted pita so all was not lost.

So, please make sure YOU try it and let me know what YOU think.

The dogs liked it......

52 NEW Recipes in 2011 (#5)

BOURBON PECAN CHICKEN

(CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE)

Besides the fact that I've never EVER had bourbon and had to go

to the liquor store to get some.....just know that I live in a very small

town with at least 3 liquor stores.  Eyebrows still raise if your

car is seen at one.....

Sooooo, I made sure I advertised on facebook that should

one see my car at the liquor store....I was there to get some bourbon for a recipe.

Then I made sure to ask for input on the best kind of bourbon....I got several

comments.  I am very glad I did this because I would have

bought the GIANT bottle that is on the shelf.

Did you know they are very sly and keep smaller sizes BEHIND the counter.

I thought it was so people would buy the bigger one....but to my bigger

surprise....it is because of THEFT....much easier to slide into a pocket or purse.

HELLLLLLOOOO PEOPLE THIS IS THE BIBLE BELT!!!

If we are going to park 3 parking lots over and sneak to the liquor store, we

certainly aren't going to try to steal it and chance getting BUSTED.

 This recipe is reallllly easy.

It has few ingredients.

Now, either I put way too much breading on it

or the recipe is waaaaaay off.

 It calls for 8 boneless skinless breasts.

 Here is the breading....butter, pecans, bread crumbs.

 I only got THREE breasts coated......

I didn't think they were huge breasts either.

 So, I made up somewhat of another batch....I didn't have

enough bread crumbs.

I managed to squeak out enough for one more breast.

 Here is the bourbon and other stuff cooking....

I know you are thinking it....YES!  I did take a small

swig of the bourbon just to see if I might like it.

The answer is NO!

It tastes like rubbing alcohol to me!

 I poured the sauce over the cooked breasts

and put them in the oven to keep warm.

 Dinner is served!!!!

TWO THUMBS UP!!!

This really easy to make.

It took ONE hour to get it on the table...even with

the fry time.

Yah, I know, he is back in his chair.....

and multi-tasking talking to his buddy, Bobby.

I will make sure I double the ingredients next time.

We are loving the new recipe adventure....so far,

we have liked all the new recipes!!

ENJOY!!

GOALS 2011 - January Update

How'd I do in January????

1.  52 NEW RECIPES - I have successfully tried 4 new recipes in January.  (Hoagies, Homemade Pizza, Sauerkraut/Pasta Dish, and Homemade Tortillas with Homemade Queso)  The husband has loved every dish....so they are keepers.

2.  CLEAN OUT THE OLD HOMESTEAD - Not a thing done to it.

3.  TEAR DOWN THE OLD GARAGE - DONE!!  I have a picture somewhere....it still hasn't been hauled off or burned, but will by summer.

4.  RUN A WATER LINE TO THE BARNS - NOPE!

5.  PAINT MASTER BATH - NOPE!

6.  GET VW WINDSHIELD FIXED BY FEB. 1ST - NOPE!  We have had other expenses come up, so this has been put on hold since it isn't a safety issue yet.

7.  TAKE MORE PRIDE IN OUR VEHICLES - YES!  I spent the first Sunday sweeping and sweeping and sweeping out the VW...it took about 2 hours altogether to get the inside of the car cleaned out.  I am proud to say that it only takes less than 10 minutes to sweep it out each Sunday after church.  This was a HUGE light bulb moment for me.  Even if it doesn't LOOK dirty, CLEAN IT!  It will never get gross dirty if you do.  I washed the car once in the month...which is a great accomplishment...as I was lucky to wash it 3 -4 times a YEAR.  Don't judge me!  We live on dirt roads and it is depressing when you wash and by the time you get home, it is covered in dirt.

8.  ORGANIZE THE CURRENT GARAGE - NOPE!  We are still hashing out the details of what we want and need in it.

9.  LEARN SOME NEW THINGS TO DO WITH THE BREAD RECIPE - YES!  I made homemade pizza crust and it is AWESOME!

10.  CONTINUE TO FLY WITH THE FLYLADY - YES!  I did deep clean all 5 zones in January.  I have some buddies who are also trying to focus on the zones and we have come up with a ZONEBUSTER game we play together.  Because I have become more passionate about the zones, I didn't stick too well with the weekly home blessing hour....but I did manage to keep the floor swept and the feather dusting done.

11.  FEED MY SPIRITUAL SOUL - YES!  I am continuing online "classes" through lifechurch.tv.  Our Sunday school class has really stepped up and decided to make a change and be a part of the solution.  I have really stepped up my prayer life as well and am seeing a big bonus in that area.

12.  READ A BOOK A MONTH - EH!  I have a book I need to finish.....fiction is my downfall....seriously, I can start a great fiction book and put it down and not pick it up again!  I am currently snowed in...so, maybe I will finish it.  It is called "A Vintage Affair".  It is realllly good.....I have no idea why I can't sit still and read it.

13.  DRINK 8 GLASSES OF WATER A DAY - YES!  I have had very few days where I didn't get them all in.  Most days, it is more than 8.

14.  PLANT A GARDEN - NOPE!  It isn't time yet...hee hee.

15.  GET CHIMNEY CLEANED - DONE!  We were having problems with back puffing into the house, so we went ahead and had it cleaned in January.  It was NASTY!

16.  FIND A NEW COUCH - NOPE!  I have been looking.

17.  WEIGHT LOSS - YES!  I lost 5 lbs.

18.  BLOG UPDATES ON THE FIRST OF EACH MONTH - DONE!  You are reading this on Feb. 1st.

So far, I am doing pretty good on the goals.  I need to figure out how to list the recipes so they are easy to find.....I know there is a way, just have to figure it out.  I encourage you to try the recipe thing.....it has really helped get us out of a slump of having the samo samo stuff.

52 NEW Recipes (#2)

HOMEMADE PIZZA

As some of you know, yeast scared me to death.

Last year, I vowed to make yeast my friend.

I started making rolls once a week until I got

comfortable with yeast.

I cheat and use a bread machine on the dough machine.

I have two bread machines now.

I can honestly say, my $5.00 thrift store BREADMAN

machine makes the best dough.

This year in my 2011 GOALS, I want to experiment with the

dough I use to make the the rolls.

It is true, if you make something long enough, you

will get more creative.

I added one tablespoon of Pampered Chef seasoning, Parmesan Garlic to the dough before I mixed it.

I was still scared to make a pizza dough.

I had fears.

1.  Would it taste too sweet?

2.  Would it make too thick or thin of a crust?

3.  Would it be enough for one crust or 20?

4.  Could I make it in the morning and cook it in the evening?

5.  Do I let it rise 2 times before putting in pan?

THANK GOD FOR GRANDMA ROSA!!!

After my success with the 15 minutes dress, I turned

to YOUTUBE.COM.

Sure enough, there were plenty of people showing

me the CORRECT (aka THEIR way) to make

a pizza.

I fell in love with Grandma Rosa...she even talks

with an Italian accent....HELLLLOOOO....she

had me at her first word.

I watched the video several times.

SHE EVEN CHEATS and uses FROZEN dough....

which didn't really help me with my delima.

So, I just grabbed the dough out after the first beep.

I oiled my pan like Grandma Rosa did.

I stretched and stretched and stretched and stretched

and stretched and scratched my cheek and stretched

the dough some more.

Grandma did NOT make her dough go to the edges...

and she didn't worry that her dough wasn't all

perfect.

I did.

 Grandma didn't use meat on her pizza.

I did.

I mixed hamburger and Blue and Gold sausage.

Grandma didn't add peppers or onions.

I did.

I sauteed red and yellow bell peppers and 1/2 an onion

in butter.

 Grandma used mozzarella cheese.

I used pepper jack because my

husband likes spicy....why

else would he have married me.

I digress.

Please make note:  I used my food processor

I got for Christmas from my sister, Terri.

THANK YOU SISTER!!!

 Grandma used peeled plum tomatoes.

I used a can of stewed tomatoes.

Grandmas crushed them and tore them

with her fingers.

I DID TOO!!

NO SAUCE on this pizza...which scared me.

I trusted Grandma Rosa!!

I added the meat and pepper/onion mixture.

I added A LOT of cheese.

I let it "rest" for 30 minutes just

like Grandma Rosa.

I baked at 350 degrees for 40 minutes

just like Grandma Rosa.

 HE DID IT AGAIN!

HE SAT IN THE CHAIR TO EAT!

Notice:  He has TWO (2) THUMBS UP!!

(He told me to make sure I noted that he has

2 thumbs up)

My Review:

I will make this again and again!

I guess I could make up more than one dough

and freeze if I need.

Either way, I believe it will take the same amount

of time for the dough.  (Almost 2 hours)

The rest was easy and I froze the leftover meat.

I did make a trial dough the day before and pre-baked

it.....NOT NEAR AS GOOD.

I even thought about baking the dough and

then freezing......NAH.....

52 NEW RECIPES (#1)

If you saw my 2011 GOALS, then you know I plan to

try 52 recipes this year and blog them for your

enjoyment.

My hope is to find a few new recipes to add

to our favorites list.

HOAGIES AKA MEATBALL SANDWICHES

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

I will add link if I find the recipe online because it will

be much easier for you to print a copy if you choose it is worth it.

 Here are the ingredients!  The recipe called for bread crumbs.

I  chose Italian bread crumbs instead of making my own

plain crumbs.

I also chose a softer bread for the buns.  I am not

one for CRUSTY bread....hurts my mouth.

Please NOTE:  You can adjust the recipe on ALLRECIPES.COM

to the portion size you need.

We have our beef butchered and our ground beef is

packaged in 2 lb. packages....so I doubled the original

recipe....what you should see when you click

the link is the DOUBLED RECIPE.

 I set the oven for 350 degrees.

 I needed 4 cloves of garlic.

If you don't have one of Pampered Chef garlic things.....

YOU NEED TO GET ONE!!!

Just check this baby out!!!

 It is made of silicone....I think.

You put the little clove inside......

 Take your hand and press and roll back and forth a few times.

 VOILA'....you have a skinned clove of garlic!!!

Yes, it is THAT easy!!!

 See!  In no time flat, I had four skinned cloves!

 I used my garlic press to mince the little cloves.

 Ok, I have to admit something here......

I have NEVER EVER cooked with FRESH parsley.

I had NO IDEA parsley was used for ANYTHING other

than a plate decoration....SERIOUSLY!!!

They came with some stiff little stems that surely should

have been cut off.....I cut MOST of them off

before I put them in my handy little ULTIMATE CHOPPER.

Yes, my mother watched one too many infomercials.....

I am glad she did, 'cause this is my SECOND Ultimate

CHOPPER!!!  Thanks MOM!!!

 Here are all the mixing ingredients ready for some mixing!

Yep, that is another Pampered Chef tool that one

should not be without when cooking.

I can't STAND to use my hands to mix stuff....

it just grosses me OUT.

Guess what?  My little tool didn't quite do the job....

I had to use my HANDS....ewwwwww.

I did wash them first thank you very much!

 Are you PROUD of me???

I AM!!

It wasn't as bad as I dreamed about in my

NIGHTMARES.

 PLEASE NOTE:  The recipe directions are talking with

the original portion size.

So, when it says to make 12 meatballs, you really need to make

24.

I made more....just a few more.

 They are cooked before you put the sauce on them.

After this point, I pretty much did my own thing.

 Instead of dirtying up  another pan, I just put

all the meatballs in one pan and poured the

2 jars of sauce over them.

Popped them back into the oven and cooked for

another 10 - 15 minutes.

 Because the sauce makes soft bread even softer...ok, soggier,

I hollowed out some and stuck them in the oven to

toast them.

Those meatballs realllllly were smelling a little too

Italian, so I was paranoid about doing the garlic

butter on the bread.

I just used THE BREAD.

 When all was done, I used a slotted spoon to scoop

the meatballs onto the bread and added fancy

provolone cheese.

I just used my fancy cheese cutter potato peeler

to slice the cheese.  Seriously, you didn't think

had had some cheese slicer did you?

There was noooooo way I was going to haul out

my big food processor to grate the chunk of cheese.

Honest to Pete, I've never bought PROVOLONE before

this recipe.

 Now for your viewing glory, you get to see numerous

pictures of the NOT SO MARTHA STEWART looking

sandwich!

 Keep looking....keep drooling!

Yes, I put a meatball sandwich on FINE CHINA!

We eat all our meals on FINE CHINA.

It is not a matched set, it is pretty stuff I've

collected from family, friends and thrift stores.

 At this point, I decided to make it look prettier....

no, I left the slop on the plate....I just sliced the

sandwich!!!

 Soooooo, what is our verdict for this recipe?

As you can see my sweet Carl gives it a thumbs UP....

he would have done 2 thumbs up if he weren't sitting

in the living room instead of at the table

where he belonged.....

This recipe will go into our FAVORITES

book!  It took some time to make, but I think

it is only because it was my first try at it.

I can make a huge batch and freeze which

will save a lot of time on those nights

we need something quick.

Thanks for sharing and I hope I didn't crash

your computer with the tons of pictures.