Chocolate Peanut Butter Popcorn

I am probably the only person in the world that does not like the smell of popcorn cooking. I'm not sure why I have an aversion to it. I guess it could be that my mom used to make it a lot. A LOT!!! I sure do love my mom, but I found it horrible to smell the popcorn. Even now when I'm at work, I want to walk into the staff lounge with my nose plugged when someone has been popping popcorn. So for someone that doesn't like the taste and/or smell of popcorn, I wasn't sure what I was going to think of this snack. I needed to make something to take to church tomorrow and I had all these ingredients in my house. Turns out it's actually pretty tasty. The chocolate and the peanut butter hide the taste of the popcorn well in this one. Now if I could just get my  house to get "un-stinky" from cooking it lol.

For popcorn: 8 cups popped popcorn 1/2 cup salted cocktail peanuts 1/2 cup corn syrup 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup peanut butter 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips For topping:  1/2- 1 cup milk chocolate chips 1 gigantic spoonful of peanut butter (You can use whatever milk chocolate to peanut butter ratio you want here. I like to use a lot of peanut butter to cut down on the sweetness of the chocolate)

Preheat oven to 300°. Grease a large roasting pan. Combine popped popcorn and peanuts in the pan.
In a medium saucepan, melt together corn syrup and sugar. Stir until sugar is thoroughly dissolved. Add the chocolate chips and stir until melted. Add  the peanut butter and stir until mixed together.  
Pour over the popcorn in the pan and stir to coat it well.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. (I stirred mine every 7 minutes). Put on wax paper and allow to cool down. 
In a saucepan, mix together the topping ingredients. (milk chocolate chips and peanut butter). Drizzle over the chocolate popcorn and let sit on the wax paper until the new chocolate topping has firmed up. (This can take anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour depending on the weather)
Break apart and enjoy.

*original recipe from: http://www.yummly.com/

Andes Mint Cookie Dough Truffles

Oh my goodness, would it sound trite to say these were divine? I love chocolate and mint together. Wait who am I kidding???? I love chocolate with anything! Although these were pretty sweet, I still managed  to eat two of them. So much for my tennis playing today. I'm sure I consumed, just in these two candies alone, everything that I worked off today while playing! Was it worth it? You betcha! These pretty much melt in your mouth.  I'm sure they won't melt off my hips though, which means I start walking faster and further tomorrow on my walk.

4 ounces, cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup butter, softened 
1 cup Brown Sugar 
1tsp vanilla extract 
1 cup Flour 
1/4 tsp salt 
1 cup Andes Mint Morsels  
12 ounces, Chocolate Candy Coating Melted 
1/2 cup Andes mint morsels for topping


In a food processor, beat cream cheese with butter. Add in sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Beat in flour and salt. Fold in Andes candy. Using a small scoop or spoon, place small amounts of the dough into rounds on a wax paper lined cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 15 min. Remove from the freezer and shape each ball into a nice smooth ball. Freeze the smoothed balls for approx 15-20 more minutes. Using a toothpick, or a candy fork, dip each truffle into melted chocolate candy bark. Let excess chocolate drip off the truffle. Place onto wax paper and immediately top each candy (before it dries) with the extra morsels. Let the chocolate firm up and enjoy!

*Original recipe from http://tastykitchen.com

Zucchini, and Jalapeno Biscuits with Cheese

Don't you just love when you can whip something up in no time at all and it winds up tasting great? That's the way this recipe worked. I love biscuits and in my opinon you can add jalapeno and/or spice to anything and it's always going to taste better. I don't know what I'm gonna do if I ever have to go on a bland diet....yikes....I shudder at the thought. I promise these are not "smoke coming out of your ears" spicy. You can add extra jalapeno, cut back to the 1/4 of a jalapeno or not add it at all. It's your choice! That's what is so great about cooking. You take a recipe and "tweak" it or add to or take away from it to make it your own. So have fun with this one. Add to it, take away from it, or leave it like this, but just enjoy it!!

3/8 cup (or 3 oz) shredded, fresh zucchini
1/8 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4-1/2 fresh jalapeno pepper, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of flour
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter  (half a stick) cold and cut into small cubes
 1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
1/2 cup milk
1/2 stick melted butter
1/4 tsp fresh garlic, chopped very finely

Preheat oven to 450°. Use a paper towel (you have to use a high quality brand or else it will fall apart) to squeeze out all the excess water out of the shredded zucchini. Place the zucchini in a small bowl and add the cilantro, jalapeno, salt and dash of flour. Mix together and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cubed butter and use your hands to break it up and work it into the flour mixture until it's the size of small peas.

Add the milk, zucchini mixture and both cheeses to the flour mixture until moistened. Using a big spoon, drop by spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 450° for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
*While the biscuits are cooking, melt the 1/2 stick of butter and stir in fresh garlic. When the biscuits come out of the oven, use a pastry brush to brush the melted butter on the top of each one.

Oreo and Peanut Butter Brownie Cups

This morning started off with the hubby having to remind me that it was Valentine's Day. Am I that unromantic? No....I just feel like this day is so over rated and commercial. We love each other everyday and show each other as often as we can by doing special things for each other. Gotta love  that after almost 29 years of marriage. So what did I make for him? I made him these brownies filled with Oreos and peanut butter. Hopefully that will not result in a heart attack as that would not be a very special Valentine gift. So maybe you can make them for  your special someone, or maybe just for your kiddos or your friends. If they like brownies, oreos and/or peanut butter, trust me they will love these!

All you need to make these  are:
1 box brownie mix, (make the batter according to package directions)
1 bag Oreo cookies
Peanut Butter

First put about 1/2- 1 tsp of peanut butter on top of 2 separate Oreos.( I tended to use the higher ratio of peanut butter because I think it helps cut the sweetness of the brownie...and oh yeah because I'm a peanut butter junkie) Then place them together like this: ( Do this with the remaining Oreos until the package is gone.)

 Then place the peanut butter covered Oreos into a cupcake liner and place into a muffin tin.

Next place 2 Tbsp of prepared brownie mix over the top of each cookie stack.

Bake at 350 for approx 18-20 min. Take out and let cool in pan.
This is what they looked like before I cut one open.

Here is the inside of the final product.

Yes I did eat this directly after this picture was taken. I am hanging my  head in shame now as I type this ;)


*Original recipe from: http://www.instructables.com/id/Oreo-and-Peanut-Butter-Brownie-Cakes/

Spicy Sesame Noodles with Grilled Chicken

This  morning was an amazing hike with the hubby in the mountains. We were so lucky to be able to see the beauty of God's creation. We saw a doe, a donkey, goats, squirrels, and blue jays. Someone reading this might be lucky enough to see those things all the time, but when you live in the heart of a big city, those things can amaze you! Needless to say though....my poor little feet were tired tonight so I needed to come up with something quick for dinner so I wouldn't be standing forever while I was cooking. This was definitely quick, thanks to my handy, dandy indoor grill. I whipped the chicken up in no time, the sauce was a snap and it only took a few minutes to chop up some veges. If you don't like your food spicy, you can just omit the sriracha and the red pepper flakes.

3 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil

3/4 Tbsp Sriracha sauce
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1/2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
2-3 grilled chicken breasts, sliced
1 cup carrots, shredded
1 cup red bell pepper, sliced
3 green onions, sliced
1 cup cilantro, chopped
6 basil leaves, chopped

In a bowl, combine: rice vinegar, soy sauce, vege oil, sesame oil, sriracha sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Stir until thoroughly mixed and let sit on counter for about 15 minutes to let the flavors come together.
Cook the spaghetti according to pkg directions. Drain in a colander and place into a large bowl. Add the chicken, carrots, bell pepper, green onions, cilantro and basil leaves. Pour the sauce on top and toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately.
* adapted from the original recipe at http://www.fortheloveofcooking.net

Tilapia with Cucumber Mango Salsa

Ssshhhh don't tell anyone but I actually uttered the words tonight "I don't feel like cooking dinner." It's very rare to hear those words come out of my mouth since I love to cook so much. After taking my walk with my friend, I found myself not looking forward to cooking tonight. Could it be because no matter how many walks I took this week, they weren't nearly enough to wipe out all the calories consumed from the extra chocolate peanut butter rice krispy brownies (an earlier post this week) that I had eaten? Or could it be that for some reason this week, I have just been extremely tired. Yes that must be it.....menopause has absolutely nothing to do with it, I'm sure! *sigh* Anyway, I was glad I had laid out Tilapia to cook for dinner. Now what was I going to do with it? I whipped up a mango cucumber salsa for the top of it and wow....easy, super quick and tasty dinner!

 4 Tilapia fillets, seasoned with salt and pepper

For the Salsa:
1 cucumber, chopped
1 mango, chopped
1/2 a red onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno, chopped and deseeded
1/8 cup red bell pepper, chopped
 2 Tbsp Thai sweet chili sauce
Italian flat leaf parsley, chopped (1/8 cup or a handful)
1/2 lime, juiced
salt, to taste

In a bowl combine all ingredients for the salsa and stir well. In a skillet, sprayed with Pam, cook Tilapia until completely cooked. This should only take a few minutes for thin Tilapia fillets. Top the fillets with the salsa and serve!

Loaded Potato Casserole

There should be a clear warning with this recipe that announces, "you are about to close an artery", but oh my goodness it sure seemed worth it at the time we were eating this for dinner tonight. This is such an easy meal to prepare and if you like a baked potato with all the yummy fixins like...green onions, butter, sour cream, bacon etc, then you will definitely love this casserole.

5 lb russet potatoes 
10 slices bacon 
8 oz cream cheese, softened 
1/2 cup butter, melted 
1 cup sour cream 
1/4 cup chives, minced 
2.5 cups cheddar cheese, grated 
2 tsp salt 
1/2 tsp pepper

---

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes, and cut into 1-inch chunks. Place in a large saucepan, and add enough cold water to cover by about 2 inches. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until tender and easily pierced with a paring knife, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a colander to drain; return to pan, cover, and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook until crisp and browned, turning once. Transfer to paper towels to drain; let cool, and crumble into pieces.
3. Using a fork, mash the potatoes in pan until light and fluffy. Add the cream cheese, butter, and sour cream, and stir until combined and smooth. Add the chives, 2 cups cheddar cheese, half the bacon, salt, and pepper. Stir until well combined.
4. Transfer to a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Top with remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese. Bake until top is slightly golden and potatoes are heated through, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven; garnish with remaining bacon. Serve immediately.

*original recipe from: sixsistersstuff.com

Peanut Butter Cup and Rice Krispy Brownies

Have you ever made a recipe that you knew was going to be so delicious, that you could start drooling just thinking about it? This was one of those recipes. I started by making the brownie batter and as I was pouring it into the pan, I was thinking, "what if I just left a HUGE spoonful of this in the bowl by mistake and had to lick it clean?" Come on....you can't honestly say you have never thought or done this yourself! Well, I fought the brownie batter demon and I put all of it in the pan. Now I had to figure out how to stop myself from licking the bowl clean. Hence the chant to myself " just put it in the sink and run water in it quickly, just put it in the sink and run water in it quickly" over and over and over! Once again...mission accomplished. I ran water into the bowl of precious scraps of brownie batter and watched it wash it all away. Boo Hoo! Later when these brownies were done and I had managed to eat 2 of them, I realized that with all the calories I had consumed, that little bit of brownie batter probably wouldn't have mattered. So next time, and oh trust me there WILL be a next time for this recipe....I will not run water in that bowl so quickly.

1 box brownie mix 

1/2 cup salted peanut, chopped

1 1/4 cups  Reese’s peanut butter cups, chopped

1 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

1 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 tablespoon butter

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal

Mix brownie batter according to directions on box, and pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Remove and sprinkle the top with chopped peanuts and peanut butter cups, and bake for 5-6 minutes more. While they are finishing baking, melt chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter. Stir in cereal. Remove brownies from the oven and evenly pour chocolate mixture over top.

Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

*original recipe from: www.howsweeteats.com

Ham and Roast Beef Roll Ups

I'm sure everyone has tasted these somewhere along their life journey. I had tasted them a couple years ago but had never made them. I was out walking with a friend recently and I shared with her that I needed an appetizer recipe that would be easy to travel with. Most of my appetizers are better served warm and right out of the oven. She suggested these roll ups. They fit in with what I needed since I didn't feel like lugging a crock pot or much else with me. The plus side  is that they take hardly any time at all to throw together.
Now if you want me to be honest, I can't say I'm a fan of these because I don't care for ham or roast beef, but everyone I know that has tried these, loves them. That must mean there is something wrong with my  taster ;) So if you need a quick appetizer and you are a red meat fan....these just might work for you!

Ham slices ( I used Bar S brand, it's the right amount of thickness)
Roast Beef Slices (not the super thin kind, a little thicker)
Soft spreadable cream cheese
Green onions
Fresh red bell peppers

Basically you just spread cream cheese on your ham and roll up a slice of green onion in the center and slice into bite size pieces. Do the same with roast beef, but use red pepper instead of green onions. Here is a pictoral how to that I took as I prepared them:

                      Place the green onion "lengthwise" on the ham that

                       has cream cheese spread onto it. Then roll it 

                and cut into bite size pieces

 

Place the red pepper strips on each of the short ends

of the roast beef slice that has cream cheese spread 

on it.

Now roll it up from each side until it meets 

in the middle. Slice down the center and re-roll

any loose edges of roast beef

Now slice into bite size pieces. 

Lemon Cheesecake Cheese Ball

Have you ever had one of those days when everything and everyone just "rubs you the wrong way?" This was one of those days for me. As if that wasn't enough, if I continued to eat anymore of this amazing cheese ball, even my thighs would be rubbing me the wrong way....oh wait...they already do! ;)
When I first saw this recipe on Pinterest, I just knew I had to try it. So who better to try it on than co-workers? That way if it didn't taste good, I could make up some lame excuse as to why it went wrong, but my family....they would know better.
As I read the recipe, I saw that the instructions said "mix everything together in a bowl with a spoon". Well....given the fact that this usually takes brute strength like Popeye, and I can't stand spinach, I decided to whip this together in my food processor. Best decision I made all day. I know that's not  saying much, but it's been a strange kind of a day.

The original recipe is from Annie's Eats, but like always I adapted the recipe. I just can't stand to leave recipes as they're supposed to be ;)

10 oz. cream cheese
4 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
Zest of 1 large lemon and one small lemon
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
3 graham crackers, crushed

Combine the cream cheese, sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla in a food processor until smooth. Place the mixture into a piece of plastic wrap. Shape it into a ball, the best you can, and refrigerate it for at least 3 -4 hours. Once it's firm roll the entire ball into crushed graham crackers until evenly coated. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve with: Apple slices, graham crackers, animal crackers, vanilla wafers etc.

Peanut Butter and Banana French Toast

I wish I could say I was actually in Paris this morning as I made and ate this breakfast. That would really have made it FRENCH toast, but alas I was standing in my kitchen in the middle of a big city, in the middle of the hottest winter ever and I was in the middle of getting ready for work!! Wow that was quite a run on sentence. I'm sure Natasha and Angie are going to speak to me tomorrow at work, regarding my improper use of the English language haha. Gotta love having English teachers as friends. Keeps me on my toes, but apparently, not this time! ;)
This breakfast was a nice change from the original French toast that we all usually eat. It had a good subtle peanut butter flavor and it was definitely a nice change of pace. The sliced bananas really made it taste great, but let's get real, what could NOT taste good with peanut butter and banana in it?

Recipe adapted from:  http://susikochenundbacken.blogspot.com

1/2 cup coconut milk ( You can use regular milk also)
3 eggs
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
8 slices French bread 

Butter

Powdered Sugar

Sliced banana

In a blender add milk, eggs, peanut butter, sugar, vanilla extract and cinnamon. Blend until smooth.Spray a griddle with Pam or use butter to melt onto the griddle to grease it. Dunk each slice of french bread in the milk mixture. Make sure to coat both sides. Place it on your hot griddle and cook each side until golden brown. Use your sifter to sift powdered sugar all over the top of the hot french toast. Slice fresh bananas on top to serve.

Enchilada Casserole

It's not too often when I have a day that I'm not looking forward to cooking dinner. Well, today was definitely one of those days! With my mind on many of life's issues, I just didn't have it in me to create anything new myself or to make an elaborate recipe. So, this is the kind of day that just screams out "CASSEROLE." As it turns out, I'm really happy it was a casserole kind of night. This was a delicious dinner, easy to prepare and it filled our bellies well.
*Sorry for the "twisted to the side" pan in the picture. I obviously didn't even realize it was like this until I saw the picture....AFTER we had consumed the meal, so there was no going back haha. 

*Recipe adapted from the original recipe found at: justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com

Ingredients
1 pound ground beef 
1 large onion, chopped
26 oz jar of salsa
1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tablespoons taco seasoning (powder)
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
6- 8 corn tortillas, (Depending on the size dish you use) ( I used a 2 qt dish and only had room for 6)
1 1/4 cups of frozen corn 
1/2 cup  sour cream 
2 cups, grated, pepper jack cheese
1 cup shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro

Directions
In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink, Drain.
Stir in the salsa, beans, dressing, sour cream, corn, taco seasoning and cumin.
Spoon a layer of meat mixture on bottom of a well greased 2 quart baking dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese. Place a corn tortilla on top of meat mixture. Repeat as many layers as you can to use up the meal, tortillas and cheese.
Place a layer of grated cheese over the top of the casserole. Cover with foil that has been sprayed with pam or other and bake at 400° for 25 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before topping with lettuce, tomato and cilantro.

Pineapple Casserole

Well, jury duty beckons this morning. So I thought I'd start my morning out on a positive note and blog about a side dish I made this week. Anything to get my mind off of the next 8 hours haha! I found this recipe on Pinterest and thought I would give it a try. It was actually better than I thought it would be. It made a super easy side dish and everyone that has tried it has liked it so far. I did get a suggestion that toasted coconut would be great on top of it. Next time I make it, I will try that for sure! I also think that next time I will use more bread across the top of the casserole. That was my favorite part. Of course!! ;)

2 cans crushed pineapple (20 oz each)
1/4 -1/2 cup sugar (I used right between these measurements)
2 Tbsp flour
3 eggs, beaten
5 slices french bread, crusts removed
Butter for bread

Drain the pineapple, reserving 1 cup juice. In a bowl, combine pineapple and reserved juice with sugar, flour and eggs; mix well. Spoon into a well greased, 2-qt. baking dish. Cut your buttered french bread into cubes. Place the cubes on the top of the casserole. Bake at 350, uncovered, for 45-50 minutes or until set and browned.
*If you are adding toasted coconut, I would toast the coconut in your oven and add the toasted coconut before placing in the oven. 

Recipe adapted from:
http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Golden-Pineapple-Casserole-Side-Dish

Chicken Tacos with Avocado Cream Sauce and Lime Slaw

Have you ever wished after you eat dinner that there was room for more? That's how I felt after eating these tacos tonight. They were very easy to make, super yummy and definitely were filling! I love how the taste of lime is present in all the different toppings. This is one of those that makes the "Will definitely make again list."

 For the chicken:
1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts, cut into strips 
1 1/2  teaspoon ancho chile powder 
1 teaspoon garlic salt 
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 


For the avocado cream sauce:
1/2 teaspoon lime zest
4 Tbsp fresh lime juice
 1/2 cup light sour cream  
4 Tbsp milk  
1avocado, diced

For the Slaw:
1 Tbsp lime juice
2 cups packaged cole slaw 
1/2 cup sliced green onions  
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 jalapeno, diced (you can leave this out if you don't like your food spicy) 
1 tablespoon olive oil 
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 tsp pepper 

corn tortillas
*extra limes if desired for squeezing onto the tacos 

Heat a large skillet over high heat. Sprinkle chicken with chile powder, garlic salt, and cumin. Rub into the chicken. Cook the chicken in the skillet for 5 minutes, or until it's cooked through.

In a blender, combine lime zest, 4 tablespoons of lime juice, sour cream, milk and avocado.Mix until smooth. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine 1 Tbsp lime juice, slaw, green onions, cilantro, oil, salt and pepper. Toss to coat.

Fry the tortillas in oil until crispy. Place chicken in the tortilla. Add avocado cream sauce and slaw to the top of each taco. Squeeze extra lime juice on them if so desired!

Recipe adapted from myrecipes.com

Pie Dough Lattice Cookies

This is another great Pinterest find! These were super  easy to make and actually taste great. If you are like me and you are not a huge fan of pie, but you like the pie crust....then you will love these!. These are just pie crust, with some melted butter, sugar and cinnamon. Sounds great, right? You just have to dig deep and find a little bit of patience for the lattice part. Nothing great comes easy, or so they say.
I took some step by step photos as I went along so you could see how to "fold"the strips of the dough in order to form the lattice work.
*The original recipe comes from
http://www.notmartha.org/archives/2011/09/07/styled-magazine/
(If you need further step by step instructions, you can go to that site and it will show you more of the "how to pictures")

1 box Pillsbury All Ready Pie  Crust
2 Tbsp melted butter
Cinnamon and sugar mixed together

First start by rolling both of your pie doughs onto separate sheets of parchment paper into the best rectangular shape you can get each one into. On both of your dough rectangles, cut strips (1/4 - 1/2 inches wide). Next separate the strips from each other just a fraction. Lay every other strip back onto itself halfway. Next lay another strip from the other dough rectangle down the middle  of the dough. Place the strips that had been folded back ....over the new strip going the other direction. Keep repeating by folding back the opposite strips each time and adding a new strip of dough.
This picture shows how you fold every other strip back onto itself in order to lay a strip down the middle.

This next picture was after a few more strips had been added.

After all the dough is latticed, use a round cookie cutter to cut round cookies out. Remove the extra dough from around the cookies and re-roll it to make a few more cookies and do the same process as before. Now take your round cookies (that are still on the parchment paper and move the entire paper onto a cookie sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush melted butter onto each cookie. Sprinkle them with a mix of sugar and cinnamon. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

This is the final product....

Asian Drumsticks

Silence. It's not too often we stop to appreciate it. As I was sitting here thinking of words to type tonight, the thought struck me that it's perfectly silent in my house right now. The only sound I could hear was the "whirring" of the computer tower and then the silence was broken by my fingers gently typing on the keyboard. The sounds of a busy house have settled down for the evening. The dishes are washed and the laundry is done. The years of kids making endless noise have also passed. So for now I sit and truly appreciate the quiet of my home. Earlier today this house was anything but quiet, as I cooked and baked. At times it sounded as though an orchestra of pots and pans were practicing in my kitchen for their big show. There was side dishes to  make, desserts to bake for church tomorrow and then there was this yummy chicken to make. Now you understand why there was so much noise in the kitchen earlier. All the noise was worth it for this wonderful chicken!

5 drumsticks
fresh ginger, (about a 1 1/2 inch piece)
2 small garlic cloves
1/2 tsp orange zest
1 red jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
2 tbsp orange juice
1/2 tsp Chinese five spice powder
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp fish sauce
5 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup cooking sherry
1/2 cup honey
sesame seeds, to garnish
green onions, chopped, to garnish


Heat oven to 375.
Use your zester (or you can use a grater, I just prefer the zester for a more finely grated ingredient) to zest your ginger, garlic and orange peel into a small bowl. Add the chopped jalapeno and the orange juice to the bowl. Next add the Chinese five-spice powder, and the remaining ingredients to the bowl.  Mix thoroughly.Pour the marinade into a large baggie (gallon storage bag size) with the chicken and let it marinade in the refrigerator for at least a couple of hours. Make sure to turn the bag over every so often to distribute the marinade evenly on the chicken. Pour the chicken and the marinade into a greased baking dish. Bake at 350F for half an hour. (Take the chicken out of the oven after 15 minutes and use a spoon to redistribute the marinade). After the 30 minutes, use a spoon once again to scoop some of the marinade back onto the chicken. Turn them over and make sure both sides are covered with marinade.Put them back into the oven until they are finished baking all the way through. This will probably take another 20-30 minutes. (use your spoon after 15 min just like you did before to scoop the marinade back onto the chicken.) The marinade will be thicker and kind of sticky now. that's ok...that's how you want it. Once the chicken is done, garnish with sesame seeds and chopped green onions.

Garlic Fries

I am presently burning a sugar cookie candle in my kitchen tonight to hopefully rid my home of all the garlic smell. I would love to open some windows and air it out, but I think the cold air and rain are a good enough deterrent to keep the doors and windows closed! This recipe might not do much for your breath, but it will definitely do something for your taste buds! If you love french fries and you like garlic, then this recipe will suit you just fine!

4 small to medium potatoes, sliced (with peels left on)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
 More salt and pepper (if needed)



Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
Spray a cooking sheet with Pam. Slice the potatoes into french fry slices. Put the potatoes into a large bowl with oil, salt and pepper. Toss them to distribute  the oil evenly. Place them onto the cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until fries are tender and browned some. In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp of oil, chopped garlic and flat leaf parsley. Toss together. When fries come out of the oven, put them into a bowl and toss them with the oil, parsley and garlic mixture. Season with more salt and pepper if desired.