Sweet and Sour Chicken

I love my random recipe cards, they always add little helpful tips.
Tips make my day just that much better!

• Bake chicken in the sauce then cool. Refrigerate, well covered, for up to 2 days. Reheat in a 325 oven for 20 minutes before serving.
• Make two meals at the same time. Bake a double batch of chicken and chill the extra breasts in some of the sauce. Drain, slice into thin strips, and serve on shredded lettuce with tomato wedges and dressing.
• Two cups of hot cooked angel hair pasta is an elegant substitute for the rice in this dish

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp Olive oil

6 Tbsp Soy sauce

6 Tbsp Honey

3 Tbsp White vinegar

1 ½ Tsp Dried Thyme

1 ½ Tsp Paprika

½ Tsp Cayenne pepper

½ Tsp Ground allspice

1 Tsp Pepper

4 Chicken breasts

2 Cups hot cooked white rice

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Combine oil, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, thyme, paprika, cayenne, allspice, and pepper in a shallow baking dish. Mix well.

3. Pierce both sides of each chicken breast with a fork

4. Place chicken in baking dish, turn chicken several times with tongs

5. Bake chicken for 30 minutes

6. Serve chicken over rice

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Lemon Poppy Seed Bread

This is not my story. It was shared with me by an old friend who lives in a different state.

He is a photographer by trade, and was covering a dinner service at a local food pantry. Along with this dinner was a raffle where prizes were being given out.

The big prize that day was a bicycle. As the winning number was read, he watched an 11 year old girl's face just light up with joy.
But, she wasn't one of the needy there eating dinner, she was a volunteer.

He was having an internal battle with himself.
He was angry and upset that the volunteers were included in the raffle. He felt injustice that someone who has enough, got something extra as they were surrounded by those who have nothing.

He described her elation as she headed towards the podium as "clutching her golden ticket while walking into the Wonka factory".

Then he realized what was really going on.

This 11 year old child, who indeed was not hurting for the necessities in life, also had her head and heart in the right place.
She walked to the podium and spoke to the announcer.
Next thing that was said was that the original winner had declined the bicycle.

Other people commented that maybe she just didn't like the look, size, or style of the bike. My friend and I have decided we just believe that she is a good soul and did what she felt was right.

So proud of this child that I have never met.
Her parents have done a wonderful job. She is an asset to the world around her.

Ingredients:

2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Vegetable oil

3 Eggs

1 ½ Tsp Vanilla extract

1 Tsp Lemon extract

2 Tbsp Poppy Seeds

3 Cups All purpose flour

1 ½ Tsp Baking powder

1 ½ Tsp Salt

1 ½ Cups Milk

Icing:

2 Tbsp Lemon juice

¾ Cup Confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Grease and flour 2 loaf pans

3. Combine sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla, and lemon extract in a large bowl

4. Stir in poppy seeds

5. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt

6. Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to sugar mixture, mixing well between each addition

7. Divide batter evenly between each pan

8. Bake loaves for 45 minutes

9. Mix icing and drizzle over warm loaves

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Country Chicken Supper

Yesterday we said "goodbye" to my husband's uncle.
He was a nice man, who always made me feel welcome in his home from day one.

Listening to his (3!) eulogies, it was really cool to hear all these different stories about him that we didn't know before...or had a different impression of.

My mother in law said on the way home (I am sure it's not original from her, but I couldn't find a quote to, well, quote)
"If you ask 10 people to say a sentence about a person, you will get 10 completely different sentences".
She is oh-so-very right.
Everyone has their own thoughts and opinions about a person, as well as their own interests that they shared with someone.

At wakes and memorials, I always enjoy looking at the picture boards people make. (is that morbid?)
I love seeing older pictures, and snapshots of a time in their life I may never have known about.
Dorky me though, I was taken by a couple of pictures of hubby's aunt and uncle that were taken at my wedding.
What struck me about them is the fact that we held his memorial service on 7/24/16.
Those pictures were taken 7/24/04.
I just kept thinking "wow...12 years ago today those were taken, almost to the hour. A lot of the same people were together at that same time".
I am sentimental like that...or being over-thinkery...which is more than likely the case.

Now is the time where I thank you all for your good thoughts, warm wards, and virtual hugs when I spilled my guts about everything that hit at once.

Life is getting back on track. My aunt's friend passed. We are getting some new people at work.
Life just keeps marching on as it should.

Time for some comfort food that's good for the soul!

Ingredients:

3 Boneless chicken breasts

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

½ Cup chopped onion

1 (14 oz) can French style green beans

1 (14 oz) can Diced tomatoes

1 (14 oz) can Sliced carrots

1 Large potato (¾ inch cubes)

1 Cup uncooked rice

½ Tsp salt

¼ Tsp pepper

1 Cup water

½ Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into bite sized pieces

2. Heat oil in large skillet

3. Add chicken and onion, saute 3 minutes

4. Add green beans, undrained tomatoes, carrots (drained), potato, rice, salt, and pepper.

5. Mix gently

6. Pour water over top of chicken mixture

7. Cook, covered, over med low heat for 20 minutes or until potato and rice are tender

8. Sprinkle chicken mixture with cheddar

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Double Fudge Cake

Hey, another card from the mega stack of recipes!
Shocker!

One day we will work our way through them all...together we can move mountains!

One thing I love about the cards are the handy dandy tips

• Bake this delicious cake up to two days ahead. Cool completely and cover with plastic wrap. Store at room temperature until ready to frost.
• Variation: Serve slices of rich fudge cake in pools of pureed raspberries or strawberries. Top with more sauce or whole berries.
• For the best "no-crumble" results when removing a cake from a pan, cool in the pan for about 10 minutes; remove while slightly warm
• Use a small plastic bag as a "glove" when greasing a baking pan. It's an efficient way to avid greasy hands and reduce clean up time.
• Chocolate squares hold their shape while melting- so don't wait for them to look completely melted or they may burn. Use low heat and test the melting process by stirring frequently.

Ingredients:

3 Eggs

1 ½ Cups sugar

½ Cup milk

1 ½ Cup all purpose flour

½ Tsp baking powder

¼ Tsp salt

1 Cup butter

4 oz semisweet chocolate

1 (16 oz) can prepared chocolate frosting

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Whisk eggs, sugar, and milk in a medium bowl

3. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl

4. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture. Mix until well blended.

5. Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking pan

6. Melt butter and chocolate in top of a double boiler (cool slightly)

7. Blend chocolate mixture into batter.

8. Pour into prepared baking pan.

9. Bake for 35 minutes

10. Cool cake. Frost with prepared frosting.

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This recipe was shared with:
Monday: A Bright and Beautiful Life, The Chicken Chick, Flour me with Love, Pioneer Momma, New Mama Diaries, Call Me PMC, A Peek into my Paradise, Jam Hands, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, Feeding Big, A Southern Fairytale, A Pinch of Joy, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, Mom's the Word, Boogieboard Cottage
Tuesday:  Our Table for Seven, Anyonita Nibbles, Cornerstone Confessions, Mandy's Recipe Box, Pint Sized Baker, Chef in Training, The Road to 31, Inside Bru Crew Life, My Joy Filled Life, Yesterfood, Kathe with an E, Sweet Silly Sara
Wednesday: Wine and Glue, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, Crafty Allie, Gingersnap Crafts, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Lady Behind the Curtain, Sew Crafty Angel, Mom's Test Kitchen, Mostly Homemade Mom, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Gooseberry Patch
Thursday: Sweet Haute, Lambert's Lately, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Embracing Change, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love
Friday: Oh Taste and See, The Grits Blog, Craft Dictator, Endlessly Inspired, Morsels of Life, The Country Cook, Hungry Harps, Angel's Homestead, The Best Blog Recipes, Daily Dish, Thirty Handmade Days, Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom, A Little Claireification, Love Bakes Good Cakes
Saturday: Yummy Healthy Easy, Simply Gloria, What's Cooking with Ruthie, Cheerios and Lattes, Six Sisters Stuff

Chicken Fingers with Honey Mustard

Yet another recipe from the seemingly endless supply of random cards!

I love chicken fingers, it's a nod to the kid in all of us. Every now and again I check out the pre-packaged chicken fingers at the grocery and unless I need something for dinner right this second, it's not happening!
It never has the consistency of actual chicken, even when it claims to be all white chicken breast meat.

The picky eater in me just cannot ingest these products.

These were super easy, even on a weeknight! 2 days later, I brought what little was left for lunch. The coating stayed on well. I ate them cold, and the flavor was still very good.

Ingredients:
4 Skinless, boneless, chicken breasts
1 Cup all purpose flour
½ Tsp salt
¼ Tsp pepper
¾ Cup milk
1 Cup vegetable oil for frying

Honey Mustard:
½ Cup honey
¼ Cup dijon mustard

Directions:
1. Cut chicken into ½ x 2 inch strips.
2. Blend honey and mustard in a small bowl, set aside.
3. Mix flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl
4. Dip chicken in milk, roll in flour, and coat well.
5. Place chicken on waxed paper to rest.
6. Pour ¼ inch of oil into a large, heavy, skillet. Heat over med-high heat until about 350 degrees.
7. Divide chicken into small batches.
8. Place chicken, in an even layer, into hot oil.
9. Fry, turning once, for about 3 minutes each side (or until golden brown and crisp)
10. Drain on paper towels.

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Chicken ingredients

Honey mustard ingredients

Completed! Honey mustard is in the cup...yum!

This recipe was shared with:

Monday: Flour me with Love, Pioneer Momma, The Chicken Chick, New Mama Diaries, Jam Hands, Kitchen Table Art, Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms, A Southern Fairytale, A Peek into my Paradise, A Pinch of Joy, Feeding Big, Craft O Maniac, Jambellish, Call me PMC, Boogieboard Cottage
Tuesday: Pint Sized Baker, The Road to 31, Cornerstone Confessions, Inside Bru Crew Life, My Joy Filled Life, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, Sweet Silly Sara
Wednesday: Crafty Allie, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Wine and Glue, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, A Peek into my Paradise, Mom's Test Kitchen, Mostly Homemade Mom, Lemoine Family Kitchen
Thursday: Lambert's Lately, From Gate to Plate, Sweet Haute, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, The Nourishing Gourmet, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Creative Inspirations
Friday: Love Bakes Good Cakes, This and That, Hungry Harps, Endlessly Inspired, The Best Blog Recipes, Angel's Homestead, Grits Blog, The Better Baker, Craft Dictator, Thirty Handmade Days, Tales of a Kansas Farm Mom
Saturday: Made from Pinterest, Cooking with Curls, Cheerios and Lattes, Will Cook for Smiles, Recipes for our Daily Bread, Weary Chef, Six Sisters Stuff, Sewlicious Home Decor, Northeast Bloggers

Tortellini Salad

Remember my mega-stack of random recipe cards?

It hasn't gotten any smaller.

Like, are they pretending to be bunnies when I go to bed at night or something?

That's OK, that just means new adventures for you and I!

Ingredients:

1 (7 oz) package cheese tortellini

1 Cup broccoli florets

1/2 Cup chopped fresh parsley

1 (6 oz) jar marinated artichokes (drained)

2 Green onions, chopped

1/2 Cup Italian salad dressing

2 1/2 Tsp chopped fresh basil

3 Tbsp grated parmesan cheese

6 Cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions:

1. Cook tortellini according to package directions, drain. Rinse and drain again.

2. Combine tortellini with broccoli, parsley, artichokes, and green onions in a large bowl

3. Pour salad dressing over tortellini mixture

4. Sprinkle with basil and toss gently

5. Cover and chill until ready to serve

6. Toss salad again just before serving. Sprinkle with parmesan and top with tomatoes.

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Ingredients: I had some homemade Italian dressing, so I used that instead of store bought

Even the pickiest people enjoyed this!

This recipe was shared on This Gal Cooks, Make Ahead Meals, Uncommon Designs, Chef in Training, Mandy's Recipe Box, and Flour me with Love

German Chocolate Cake

Yet another one of the many (MANY!) random recipe cards I have gathered over the years.

Some hints given by the card:

• Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance. Cool completely and wrap the layers in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator until ready to frost.
• Purchase canned cream cheese or vanilla frosting and mix in 1/2 cup each of coconut and chopped pecans
• Make quick and easy cupcakes: Prepare as recipe directs through step 8 but pour batter into a 12 cup muffin pan. Bake cupcakes for 15-20 minutes at 350. Spread frosting over cooled cupcakes.

Ingredients:
1 (2 layer) package chocolate cake mix
1 (3 oz) package chocolate instant pudding mix
½ Cup vegetable oil
½ Cup water
4 Eggs
1 Cup sour cream
½ Cup butter
1 (1 pound) package confectioners sugar
3 Tbsp milk
1 Tsp vanilla extract
1 Cup coconut, toasted
1 Cup chopped pecans (toasted)


Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans
3. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, oil, water, eggs, and sour cream in a large bowl
4. Beat with an electric mixer at low speed until just moistened
5. Beat batter at high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes
6. Pour into prepared pans
7 Bake for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean
8. Cool for 30 minutes, remove cake from pans and cool completely
9. While cake is cooling, brown butter in a skillet over medium heat
10. Blend in confectioners sugar. Add milk and vanilla, remove from heat.
11. Mix until creamy. Stir in coconut and pecans.
12. Spread frosting between cake layers and over top of cake.
13. Refrigerate until ready to serve

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To flour the pan, I used a smidge of the dry cake mix. This way there is no white marks from flour. Cocoa powder will be just as good.

Italian Style Breadsticks

From the never ending supply of random recipe cards!

I have to admit, I was a bit rushed when I made these. Instead of digging out all the separate spices, I just grabbed my handy dandy Italian Seasoning to use.

My lovely little card added this hint:
Make ahead...bake the breadsticks up to 2 days ahead. reheat in the microwave on Medium for soft breadsticks. Or, bake in the oven at 400 for 5 minutes to crisp slightly.

Ingredients:
¼ Cup grated parmesan cheese
½ Tsp dried oregano
½ Tsp dried basil
⅛ Tsp pepper
1 Egg white, slightly beaten
1 Tbsp cold water
1 (8 count) can refrigerated breadstick dough

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray
3. Combine parmesan, oregano, basil, and pepper in a small bowl. Mix well, and set aside.
4. Beat egg white with water and set aside.
5. Unroll breadstick dough, separate at perforations. Cut each strip lengthwise into 2 separate strips.
6. Brush dough with some egg white mixture. Sprinkle with some cheese mixture.
7. Fold dough strips in half lengthwise. Twist each strip to form breadsticks. Press ends together to seal.
8. Brush twists with remaining egg white mixture.
9. Sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture.
10. Arrange on prepared baking sheets. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

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See how I snuck the Italian seasoning in there like it was meant to be?

Sizzling Chicken Fajitas

Random recipe card time!

Helpful hints:
1. Steak, shrimp, or scallops make wonderful fajitas
2. Chicken can be made a day ahead. Add to veggies to warm.


Ingredients:
¾ Cup lime juice
½ Cup vegetable oil
3 Cloves garlic, minced
¼ Tsp salt
¼ Tsp ground cumin
1 ½ Tsp crushed red pepper flakes
4 Skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 Large onion, thinly sliced
1 Large green pepper, thinly sliced
8 Large flour tortillas, warmed
1 Large tomato; seeded and chopped
¾ Cup salsa
Sour cream
Shredded lettuce
Shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Combine lime juice, oil, garlic, salt, cumin, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.
2. Reserve ⅓ of the marinade
3. Add chicken to bowl, turn to coat.
4. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 10 minutes
5. Preheat grill or broiler; preheat a skillet over medium heat
6. Add onion and bell pepper and half of the reserved marinade to skillet
7. Stir fry for 3 minutes, or until vegetables are crisp tender
8. Grill or broil chicken, turning and basting with reserved marinade. About 7 minutes per side.
9. Cut chicken into thin strips.
10. Add chicken to skillet and stir with vegetables
11. Fill tortillas with chicken mixture. Top with tomato and salsa. Roll to enclose filling.
12. Arrange on plate, top with sour cream, lettuce, and cheddar.

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