Smell Good Sunday #18

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!

Featured post from last week:

Cinco de Mayo from Marilyn's Treats

An InLinkz Link-up

Rainy Season Chicken Soup

This is another recipe from the Diane Mott Davidson mystery series. A crime fighting caterer. Who would have thunk it?

I printed it offline, but can't track it back. A quick Google search provided more results than I care to report!

All I care about was the fact that this soup was delicious! I wish I had doubled it when I made it, we ate it all!

Ingredients:

2 Dried porcini mushrooms or 4 oz fresh shiitake

1 Tbsp butter

2 Leeks (white part only, diced)

1 Medium carrot (diced)

1 Medium onion (diced)

1 Large celery stalk (diced)

2 Chicken breast halves

2 Tbsp white wine

2 Tbsp flour

4 Cups chicken stock

1 Cup sour cream

1 Cup fideo (fine cut egg noodles)

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. If using dried porcini: bring a small pan of water to a boil, drop in mushrooms. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cool. Slice thinly.

2. In large saute pan, melt butter over low heat

3. Add leeks, carrots, onion, celery, and chicken. Stir gently.

4. Cover and cook, stirring and flipping chicken, until done

5. Remove chicken and set aside to cool

6. Sprinkle flour over liquid and vegetables in pan

7. Stir and cook for 2 minutes

8. Slowly add white wine and 2 cups chicken broth

9. Stir and cook until bubbly and thickened

(if you are making this ahead of time, stop here to freeze)

10. Add the sour cream and allow to cook gently

11. Slice chicken into thin, bite sized strips

12. In a large pan, bring 2 cups broth to boil

13. Add noodles to boiling broth, cook 4 minutes (do not drain)

14. Slowly add the noodle/broth mixture to the hot vegetable and sour cream mixture.

15. Add chicken and bring up to a boil

16. Season to taste with salt and pepper

17. Serve immediately

Print

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #17

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!

Featured post from last week:

Lemon Cake from Make Easy Cake

An InLinkz Link-up

Cracker Barrel Chicken Casserole (Copy Cat)

When taking car trips and we need to stop for a bite to eat, we tend to favor well known chain restaurants.
Part of it is the comfort factor when in a strange place, part of it is fear of the unknown. At a chain, you know what will be on the menu. No question if there is something the kids will eat, or if you will like what is available.

During one trip either coming from the south to the north, or vice versa, we stopped at a Cracker Barrel. None us wanted anything super heavy, so we all ordered the soup and half sandwich.

Never have we waited so long for our food! Other than, maybe, the sandwiches, this should all be ready made and set to go. After almost an hour, the sandwiches came, but not the soup.
After we (finally) found our waitress and flagged her down, come to find out, they were out of soup.
Gah!

By that time we were tired, frustrated, and still hungry.
The manager came out to talk to us. He was more than apologetic about what happened. Obviously it was a major communication issue between the kitchen and the waitresses.

He gave us a couple of appetizers, dessert, and filled my parent's coffee thermos. All at no cost to us.
As far as we are concerned, he went above and beyond to make sure we remembered this visit as a good one.

That happened oh-so-many years ago, but the memory still remains.
I still visit Cracker Barrel and enjoy myself!
When I saw this Copy Kat recipe, I knew we had to try it.

Ingredients:

Crust

1 Cup yellow cornmeal

⅓ Cup flour

1 ½ Tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp sugar

½ Tsp salt

½ Tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

¾ Cup buttermilk

1 Egg

½ Cup butter (melted)

Chicken FIlling

2 ½ Cups cooked chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces)

¼ Cup yellow onion (chopped)

½ Cup celery (sliced thin)

1 Tsp salt

¼ Tsp pepper

1 Can cream of chicken soup

1 ¾ Cup chicken broth

2 Tbsp butter

Directions:

Crust

1. Mix all together (except ½ cup melted butter) in mixing bowl until smooth

2. Pour into a greased 8x8 inch baking pan

3. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes

4. Let cool completely

5. Crumble cornbread and toss with melted butter

Casserole

1. In a sauce pan on medium low heat, add butter, celery, and onions. Cook until translucent.

2. Add chicken broth, cream of chicken soup, salt, and pepper

3. Stir until soup is dissolved completely

4. Add chicken and blend until mixture reaches a low simmer

5. Cook for 5 minutes and remove from heat

6. Place chicken mixture in a 2 ½ quart buttered casserole dish

7. Spoon cornbread over the top of the casserole

8. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

Print

Cornbread Ingredients

And butter too...

Chicken filling...

Come Party with me HERE!!

Easter 2017

To all who celebrate...I hope you enjoyed yourself!

As is the yearly tradition, we headed to my aunt's to celebrate with family.
This year, two of the cousins are bringing their significant others for the first time.

One cousin, K, decided to have a little fun. When H (girlfriend) asked him what we usually have to eat, he got all serious and decided he was gonna "sell her" on our Easter. He was like "oh, it's great...we get fresh kielbasa and boil it. It's a very lovely shade of gray once cooked. Then we get eggs and dye them with onion peels, they come out flat brown"
At this point she had a what did I get myself into look on her face.
My aunt said she couldn't stand it anymore, she started laughing.
I get it, we have some odd foods for Easter, but, that's what memories are made of.
(click here to read more about our traditions)

Hubby has just had his surgery, but he was determined to go. He ended up lasting about 2 hours. Pretty impressive if you ask me!

Due to, well, life...our "guest list" is smaller than usual this year, so Auntie is being very specific about what people are bringing, she doesn't want 100 lbs of leftovers.
This year I have been asked to make
Baked Beans
Coconut Pound Cake

Hope everyone had exactly the day they hoped for!

Smell Good Sunday #16

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale
3. Click around and visit other people, that's what makes this a party!

Featured post from last week:

Best Deviled Eggs from All That's Jas

An InLinkz Link-up

Baked Hot and Garlic Zingers

Hubby has been dealing with some serious back issues for almost 2 years now.
He had one surgery, and, well, it just didn't take.
No fault...it's a normal possibility.

He spent a lot of time talking to the surgeon, and multiple visits and finally decided to have his back fused.
It's pretty intensive, not a decision to be made lightly.

Surgery was last Monday (5 hours!)
Always a relief when the doctor comes out to see you and informs you that everything went well and there were no surprises. Whew!

He came home last Thursday, and the girl child and I have been taking care of him.

Not 100% knowing what to expect, I am pleasantly surprised. He's moving around, walking, able to do a lot. Pain is being managed, and he is a good mood.

The best part is that it seems to have worked. He immediately had no sciatic pain running down his leg. I think if he could have danced a jig, he would have.

Part of good healing is keeping up strength!
The girl child and I went to the store and got a lot of his fave foods for him to eat.
His mother came over with a big bowl of berries.

He keeps saying how spoiled he is.
Love it!

Here's to good healing!





Ingredients:

1.5 Lb Chicken breast (cut into strips)

2 Cups Panko breadcrumbs

2 Tsp Garlic powder

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

2 Cups Hot sauce

2 Tsp Minced garlic

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400

2. Season chicken strips with salt and pepper

3. Drizzle chicken with a little olive oil

4. Pour panko into large dish and season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper

5. Dip each chicken strip into the panko mixture, coat well

6. Place chicken onto baking rack set onto a cookie sheet

7. TIP: Spray breaded chicken with non stick cooking spray to help crisp

8. Bake for 20 minutes

9. In small saucepan, heat up hot sauce and garlic

10. Toss cooked chicken strips in hot sauce mixture

Print

Adapted from: Aggie's Kitchen

And below we have my "boring" ones, just breaded and baked with a side of BBQ. Hot sauce is not my friend. I run away screaming.

Come party with me HERE!

Smell Good Sunday #15

"Smell Good Sunday" has been a running joke in my house as long as I have been married.

Hubby states it is his favorite day of the week as I am usually cooking up a storm and making the house smell good.

Share with us everything you have been up to this week!

A few rules though:
1. Link directly to your post and not the main page of your blog
2. No etsy shops or products for sale

Featured post from last week:

How to cut an onion from: Just 2 Sisters

An InLinkz Link-up

Nostalgia: Time for Timer

Do you ever have dreams that are actual memories?

I had one the other night and I could clearly remember sitting in my Grandpa's armchair watching TV with a bowl of ice cream and having this commercial come on.

So clear in fact, I remember that it was chocolate/vanilla ice cream, and I felt like the bites were "uneven" in flavor, so I stirred it all together making a big gloppy mess in my bowl.
Sigh. The logic of children!

It just made me smile a little...and, of course, I had to go find this commercial to watch again!

Asian Ginger Broth

It's been a very busy week!
My parents came up to visit as we were planning a (belated) 50th anniversary party for my aunt and uncle.

We planned a nice brunch with a bunch of family.

A few days before, we planned to order subs from a fave place at another aunt and uncles...and invited the anniv couple, who, at this point, had no idea my parents were here.
My parents sat on the couch to the side while the guests of honor came in.
They walked right by them...assuming they were my other aunt (who was unable to join on that evening)
Once they realized what was going on, the tears were just flowing!
It was great!

My mother and her siblings are so close, and it's always great to see them together as it doesn't happen as often as they would all like.


It just makes me smile.




Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Ginger (finely minced)

2 Tbsp Garlic (finely minced)

1 Tsp Canola Oil

3 Tbsp Corn starch

1 Cup Cold water

7 Cups water

4 Vegetable bouillon cubes

Salt and Pepper

Assorted toppings: Green onion, noodles, chow mein noodles, mushrooms, carrots, tofu, chicken, radish, snow peas, spinach

Directions:

1. Combine oil, ginger, and garlic in a pot and saute for 5 minutes

2. Combine cornstarch and water

3. Add water to garlic mix, and add bouillon cubes

4. Add cornstarch mix

5. Bring to a boil, simmer 15 minutes

6. Season to taste with salt and pepper

Print

Adapted from: Do They Have Salsa in China?

The toppings I grabbed

Then hubby decided he wanted to add radishes to his

Come party with me HERE!