Baked Chicken Parmesan

Italian food (and most carb-heavy food) is one of my food weaknesses.  I love a good chicken parm when I go out to eat, but it's one of those things that seems much too delicious to be something I could make at home in no time at all.  Well, I was - delightfully - wrong!

I cranked this out on Sunday afternoon when I didn't want to eat any of the leftovers I had in the fridge, and for once I had everything I needed for a recipe already in the pantry.  This dish was perfect.

I ate the chicken on its own, with pasta, and with salad, and it was delicious no matter what.  This recipe will definitely be repeating at my house.

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced in half (mine were very thick, so I sliced them to make two large, thin pieces from each)
• 3/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil
• Mozzarella cheese
• Marinara sauce
• Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray lightly with spray.

Combine breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese in a bowl.  

Rub olive oil over chicken, then dip into breadcrumb mixture and cover.

Place on baking sheet.

Lightly spray the tops and bake for 20 minutes.

Turn chicken over, bake another 5 minutes.

Remove from oven.  Spoon marinara sauce over each piece of chicken and top each with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Return to oven.  Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese is melted.

Adapted from Skinny Taste

Baby sister got Santa good!

Another of the adventures while baby sister was here to visit including a trip to the gun range with my boys.  The day before our "Fake Christmas" celebrating, baby sister, TDN, and I were trying to decide what to do since our plans to go for a hike got rained out.

We had decided on a movie day, but then my boys called with an offer I definitely couldn't resist.  They wanted to go shooting.  How can I say no to that?

Baby sister had never been to a range, and neither had I, so it was another new experience!  We rented a .45 and a 9mm and brought a shotgun with us. It was a party.

Since it was Christmas time, we got some fun targets and had a great time.  It's hard to tell from this picture, but the elf in zombie-Santa's pocket has a shot right through his nose, thanks to me!

California has goofy laws and won't let people under 21 shoot handguns, so baby sister couldn't shoot the .45 or the 9mm with us, but luckily, we had the shotgun... Man, was that a mistake for everyone else, cuz she's pretty good with a shotgun.  At one point, she had 3 shots in the gun: one through this guy's eye, one through the other eye, and number 3 made him unable to have children.  That's my sister.

Cheesy chicken tortilla bake

As my friends know, I love casseroles.  And I love cheese.  This recipe was pretty much a win-win for me, and it was easy!

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of chicken
1 (10 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chiles
15 6-inch corn tortillas
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

Directions:
You can cook the chicken any way you want, but I boil mine in water to keep it simple.  Place the chicken in a saucepan large enough to hold the chicken comfortably.  Add enough water to cover the chicken.  Bring to boiling on medium-high heat; reduce heat; cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is no longer pink, 15-20 minutes.  
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut or shred chicken into small pieces and set aside.
Combine the three cans and mix them up.  Mix in 1/2 cup of the cheese.
Chop us the tortillas into bite-size pieces.
Layer 1/3 of the tortillas into the bottom of a glass 13"x9" pan.  Place half of the chicken on top of the tortillas.  Then spoon half the soup mixture on top of the chicken. 
Repeat layers.
Top with the last of the tortilla strips.
Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
Top with cheese and bake an additional 5 minutes until the cheese melts.


Adapted from Homemaking Challenged

Pink cookies and cupcakes

The week of Valentine's day, the upstairs girls and I all got together for a cupcake decorating party.  I, of course, felt the need to use my fun new cookie cutters and contribute cookies to the party.  We spent the evening drinking pink champagne and decorating with multiple shades of pink frosting while 27 Dresses played in the background. 


Since my knee surgery was less than a week before this, I was unable to put weight on my right leg and was using crutches and countertops to propel myself around the kitchen.  Thanks to this, I had to promise one of the girls that I wouldn't overdo it...so I made cookies from a mix and didn't make gluten-free ones from scratch.


Another hurdle was remembering that I don't own a rolling pin.  Oops.  I forgot that I had borrowed one from the girls upstairs for the Christmas cookies.  Luckily, I have a well-stocked wine cabinet and was clear-headed enough to think of a wine bottle as a useful alternative!

We had a great night with a lot of laughs; including several revolving around my roommate's inability to stop eating the sweet treats.  She would spread frosting on a cupcake, and immediately start eating it.  And she would stop partway through to slather more frosting in the middle of the half-eaten cupcake.

It was a fun way of testing myself in the kitchen with the new knee, a great excuse for all of us to get together on a Monday, and a delicious snack for several days to come.

Do Re Mi

This song took a few days for the children to learn and catch on to, but once they did, they absolutely loved it and wanted to sing it over and over.  Learning solfedge early - without realizing it - will be very helpful for any children that take music classes or lessons in school.  I know it's something I will never forget!

My friend Ari made cute little cards to help cue the children as to which part we were on.  They enjoyed using the cards later on their own to re-create the song.

Do Re Mi
Doe, a deer, a female deer
Ray, a drop of golden sun
Me, a name I call myself
Far, a long, long way to run
Sew, a needle pulling thread
La, a note to follow Sew
Tea, a drink with jam and bread
That will bring us back to Do (oh-oh-oh)

Love and Hedgehugs

I saw the cutest window display at a stationery store.

My mom's class has recently gotten a hedgehog, which has prompted me to remember the time about a year ago when I really wanted a hedgehog, as well as many conversations with Tall, Dark, and Nerdy about how cute we both think they are.  Then, of course, my mom tells me she thinks they're illegal in the state of CA, so all we can do is dream, which is probably a good thing!

When I saw this window display, I was excited to see that apparently everyone else is feeling the hedgehog love these days, too!

Forced Affection Day 2013

I can see the merit in February 14th, but have never personally been a big fan of the holiday.  I think that when you're dating, most dates you go on with your boo have the potential to be more unique, romantic, and personal than almost any Valentine's Day date.

However, one of my children said something to me last year that has me reconsidering my opinion:  "Valentine's Day is the best day in the world, because everyone tells you they love you."  Hearing that reminds me of how many wonderful people I have in my life and how many people I love, and that's a great thing to remember.

To celebrate this day of love, I enjoyed a chick flick marathon on my own, watching Step Up, Notting Hill, Wimbledon, and Can't Hardly Wait.  After work, TDN came over, and we ate mustache cookies (to giggle about his fabulous mustache that recently went away) and heart cookies while watching Wet Hot American Summer and Michael Clayton with a glass of wine.

No flowers, no gifts, just a relaxing day on my own and a nice evening with my boo.  Maybe eventually I'll be ready for a cheesy Valentine's Day, but for now, this is just perfect.

Money is green, why?

A couple weeks ago, Tall Dark and Nerdy and I took an early-morning fish-finding excursion.  Not even kidding.  The aquarium store in Inner Richmond that we go to for his aquarium supplies has a wholesale-to-the-public sale first thing on Sunday mornings, so we went for it.  After being the first ones in the store and getting some super cool fish (so, maybe I'm a little nerdy too, you caught me), we went to a cute little bakery, the Toy Boat Dessert Cafe, so I could get a delicious decaf coffee beverage.

Right on top of the register, I find this little guy, and he was way too much fun not to capture! 

Banana Coconut Muffins

Part 2 of the birthday brunch muffins were these beautiful banana coconut muffins.  I don't like bananas and hated mashing them up, but everyone at the party said these were delicious.  And, my apartment did smell like delicious banana bread (a smell I do like) all day!  It was totally worth it.

Again, the original recipe was glutenous, but these cooked perfectly with gluten-free flour, and I can't imagine the taste or texture being any better with regular flour.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 very ripe bananas, mashed 
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3/4 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.  

Whisk together bananas, butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and 1/2 cup coconut in a large bowl until combined well.  Fold in flour mixture until flour is just moistened.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup coconut.

Bake until muffins are puffed and golden, about 25 minutes.

Transfer to a rack and cool slightly.

Adapted from Epicurious

Cinnamon Blueberry Muffins

A couple weeks ago was my friend's birthday, and we celebrated with a mimosa birthday brunch...that lasted all day.  It was wonderful.  Since I was off work, I got to make the muffins, gluten-free, of course.  This recipe made beautiful, dark blueberry muffins, but they were a little flat on the top because of how juicy the blueberries were.

The original recipe called for regular, all-purpose flour, but I was very happy to find that these muffins cooked just the same with the gluten-free flour.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 stick (6 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cool
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 cups gluten-free flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

Directions:

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Put liners in muffin cups.

Whisk together butter, brown sugar, milk, and egg in a bowl until combined well.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt in a large bowl.  Add milk mixture and stir until just combined.  Gently fold in blueberries.

Divide batter among lined muffin cups and bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.

Adapted from Epicurious

Diane chicken

I have no idea who Diane is, but this was my college roommate's standby recipe.  I was the luckiest girl in the world:  I'd walk into our shared apartment after a long day of classes and a hard crew practice to the smell of her Diane chicken on the stove just about ready to eat!

This is such an easy recipe, but the chicken is so tasty and makes great leftovers.  She always made it with Uncle Ben's long-grain wild rice and steamed mixed veggies, and I try to stick to that.  It's great with plain brown rice too with a little of the extra sauce on top.

Ingredients:

• 3 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 cup water
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 3 Tablespoons sugar

Directions:

Mix up the water, soy sauce, and sugar.

Put the chicken in a saucepan.  Pour the sauce over the top.

Cover and simmer on medium-high heat for 30 minutes.

Lemon drop cookies

I love desserts that start with a cake mix when I'm in a hurry, especially ones that taste delicious and unique; this is definitely one of those recipes!  Not only do these cookies look delightful, but they stay soft and have a wonderful lemony flavor.  Tall Dark and Nerdy is a big fan too!

Ingedients:

• 1 box lemon cake mix
• 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar (for rolling)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat cool whip, egg, and cake mix together.  Dough will be thick and very sticky.

Drop by teaspoonfuls into a bowl of powdered sugar.  Roll to coat.

Place on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Adapted from Tidy Mom

Ritz Cracker Meatloaf

Meatloaf is one of those not-very-exciting, lots-of-people-dislike-me dishes that I just love.  It's comfort food that Mama makes me.  However, now that I live 2000 miles away from her, I'm on my own.  
On my last day before knee surgery, I decided it was time for some comfort food (and strategic comfort food leftovers during recovery).

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup milk
• 32 Ritz crackers (one tube), crushed
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 4 oz shredded cheese (I like a mix of cheddar and something else)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds ground beef
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon mustard

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs in large bowl.  Add milk and crushed crackers.  Stir in onion and cheese.

Add ground beef.  Mix well (hands work best).  Shape into a loaf and place in loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Combine ketchup, brown sugar, and mustard to make sauce.  

Spoon half of the topping over the meatloaf after 30 minutes of baking.  Return loaf to oven for 10 more minutes.

Spoon the rest of the topping over meatloaf, and return to oven and bake for 5-10 more minutes.

Adapted from Food.com

Chicken and Stuffing

I am a huge fan of crock pot meals, especially ones that are quick to throw together on your way out the door.  This has a fairly short cook time, so it's not the best for a day of work, but it worked perfectly for my afternoon of running errands and coming home to a house that smelled amazing!  The pictures really don't do it justice.  It's not a super pretty meal, but it is mighty tasty!

Ingredients:

• 4 thawed boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 (6 oz) package of Stove Top stuffing mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1/4 cup water

Directions:

Put chicken in the crock pot.

Empty the package of stuffing on top.

Mix sour cream, soup, and water in a small bowl.  Pour over the top of the chicken and stuffing.

Cook on LOW for 4 hours.

This was so delicious and the chicken just fell apart while I was scooping it out.  Definitely a recipe to keep around.

Borrowed from The Pursuit of Happiness