Chicken Stir-Fry and....

Something else special...

But you'll have to read on for that one!

I made my first stir-fry in Japan last week! It was yummy. The chicken was moist and a little crunchy. This was the first time that I had experimented with cornstarch as a breading. I think that I am going to work with it more because I really liked the potential that it has to produce a crunchy yet moist product!

The sauce was a combo of sweet and savory pairing honey and soy sauce. Two of my favorites! And, to be healthy, there were veggies! I would like to add more next time, this is just what I had on hand...

Here is the recipe that I used:

~Crunchy Honey Chicken~

(Adapted from How Sweet Eats)

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into small cubes

2 egg whites

1/2 c. cornstarch (or flour)

1 c. broccoli florets

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

1 med. red onion, chopped

1-2 tsp. minced garlic

8 tbsp. olive oil

1/4 c. honey

Salt & Pepper

In two separate bowls, add the egg whites, lightly beaten, and the cornstarch or flour. Heat a large skilled over med-high heat and add 1-2 tbsp. olive oil. Add veggies and a pinch of salt and pepper and saute for 5 min, or until softened. Add in soy sauce and garlic and stir so veggies are coated, about 1-2 min. Remove from skillet and set aside.

With the chicken cut into cubes, season with salt and pepper. Heat the same skillet over med-hight heat and add 3 tbsp. olive oil (or enough to evenly cover the bottom of the pan.)  Dip the chicken pieces first in the egg whites, then into the cornstarch making sure to cover all of the chicken. Shake off excess. Add to the skillet and let brown for 2-3 min. per side. I did mine in two batches, resting the chicken on paper towels. Once all the chicken is done add it too the pan, then add the veggies back into the pan. Add honey and thoroughly mix to combine and heat the honey. Taste sauce and season with salt and pepper. Serve stir-fry with white or brown rice. 

Next time I am going to add more veggies, maybe some sugar snap peas, water chestnuts, more peppers...who knows!

Hubby said that the chicken was yummy and moist! He liked the breading concept, but wished it was a little bit more flavorful on its own, if it were eaten without the sauce.

I'm learning here!

Now....on to the "something special!"

~Gooey Cocoa Brownies~

(Recipe From Honey & Jam - Who got it from someone else...)

10 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 1/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. plus 2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2 lg. eggs, cold

1/2 c. AP flour

2/3 c. walnut or pecan pieces (optional)

Make sure your oven rack is in the middle or bottom third, then preheat oven to 325 F. Line the bottom and sides of an 8x8 in. baking pan with parchment paper or foil leaving an overhang on opposing sides. 

Combine the butter, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a med. microwave safe bowl and micro for 1 min. 30 sec. Remove and stir until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool. It will be gritty at this point, but it will smooth out!

When the butter and cocoa mixture is warm, not hot, stir in the vanilla with a wooden spoon. Add the eggs in one at a time, stirring vigorously after each one. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well blended, add the flour and stir until you cannot see it any longer, then beat even more! About 40 strokes or so to combine it well. Stir in nuts, if using. Spread the brownie mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick, inserted into the center of the brownies, comes out slightly moist, with a little batter. Let cool completely on a rack before cutting.

Note: I did not use nuts. I DO NOT like nuts in my brownies. I like nuts, don't get me wrong, and I like them in other baked goods, just not in my brownies...  I also baked these brownies for a little while longer, about 5-10 min or so. I used a glass baking dish, and these are really moist and fudgy brownies, I wanted to make sure they were done in the middle.

These were WONDERFUL! They are the perfect consistency that I like my brownies to be. Nice and fudgy but with a slight cake texture to them. Also chocolaty....tehehe. Hubby liked them as well, he'll eat anything I bake, but he likes his brownies a little "lighter", if you will, more like a dense cake.

Well, I now have an excuse to make more brownies! Any suggestions that are not from a box?

I hope you get a chance to try these recipes out! Especially the brownies....  ;-P 

ENJOY!

Late-Night Dinner Post

Here was the menu for Tuesday of this past week:

BBQ Chicken (w/ BBQ sauce bought in Napa Valley  :-)
Garlicky Broccoli
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes

Easy, good, and healthy comfort food! Here are the recipes....

For the Chicken, I basically just put a few breasts in a pan, seasoned them with salt and pepper, covered them in some BBQ sauce and baked them at 375 for about 45 min.

~Roasted Rosemary Potatoes~

9-10 New Potatoes, washed

2-3 tbsp. olive oil

2 tbsp crushed rosemary

2 tsp. garlic salt

2 tsp. onion powder

Pepper

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut the the potatoes into uniform cubes and place in a med. bowl. Pour olive oil over potatoes and toss to coat. Sprinkle with rosemary, garlic salt, onion powder, and a pinch or so of pepper. Toss to combine. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and bake for 15-20 min. or until potatoes are golden brown around edges and are fork tender. Serve warm. 

~Garlicky Broccoli~

(recipe from Men's Health Magazine)

1 tbsp. minced baby carrot

1 tbsp. minced red onion

2 tsp. canola oil

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger*

1 8 oz. bag broccoli florets, cut into bite sized chunks

1-2 tbsp. hot water

In a skillet, combine carrot, onion, oil, garlic, ginger, and salt to taste. Cook, stirring, over low heat 3 min. Add broccoli and stir to coat with seasonings. Add water and cover pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 min. or until broccoli are done. Add more water if necessary. Serve warm.

*I did not have any ginger on hand, so I omitted it here.

The broccoli recipe was good. I have come to like additions to cook broccoli. So far my favorites have been carrots and mushrooms. I wish this recipe was a tad bit more garlicky though...maybe more garlic next time? I think so!

Just an FYI I did not cook at all the rest of the week. Thursday we had a potential "hurricane" pass close to our area. We decided to have a little impromptu hurricane party. Needless to say, drinks were had and dinner was just a "get what you want" ordeal. Then on Friday, the Hubby got off work early and we went downtown to a restaurant called Sahara's Pita's & Subs. I was bummed that I forgot my camera because I wanted to do a review! Oh well, maybe next time!

HAPPY LABOR DAY WEEKEND!!


ENJOY!

BBQ Chicken Taco Party

Tacos are a great party/hosting food. They are easy, that are tasty, and people can have exactly what they want! On Saturday night the Hubbs and I were planning to go over to another good couples house and grill. While planning things out, word got spoken that I was a good cook, so I was asked to cook. I got SO EXCITED!! I like love to cook and entertain! (even if I am prepping all the ingredients at home, bringing them to another house, and then cooking) Hummmm....potential business venture there?? Maybe??

Wanting to keep things spicy and different. The Hubbs and I decided on doing chicken instead on steak. The tacos were accompined by a grilled asparagus and prosciutto appetizer, tortilla chips with homemade salsa and guacamole, and steamed peppers and onions. Other toppings were; grated Manchego cheese and sour cream. The meal ended with grilled peaches on grilled cinnamon-sugar tortillas with sweetened sour cream.

Phew! Think I took advantage of having a grill? I think so! Here are the recipes:

~Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus w/ Lemon~

(Recipe from Serious Eats)

1 Bunch asparagus, washed, tough ends snapped off

4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto*

1 lemon, zested and cut in half

Olive Oil

Black Pepper

Wrap each asparagus spear in 1 slice of prosciutto, or 1/2 slice if the slices are large (or asparagus are small). Place on a baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over the asparagus, and season with black pepper to taste. Preheat a gill to high heat. Place lemon halves, cut side down, and the asparagus on the grill. Cook asparagus until tender and prosciutto crisps, about 3-5 min. per side. Cook lemon halves until lightly browned, about 2-3 min. Remove asparagus from grill. Immediately squeeze the lemon halves over them, and sprinkle with lemon zest. Serve hot or at room temp. 

*I used 8 oz. of prosciutto and I halved each slice. I also used about 2-3 asparagus per roll because they were small and there were a lot in the bunch I got.

~Fresh Tomato Salsa~

(Recipe from Simply Recipes)

2-3 med sized fresh tomatoes, stems removed, seeded, and finely diced

1/2 red onion, finely diced 

1 jalapeno chili pepper, stems, ribs, and seeds removed, finely diced

1 serano chili pepper, stems, ribs, and seeds removed, finely diced

1 lime, juiced

1/2 c. cilantro, chopped 

Salt

Pepper

Chop the tomatoes, onion, and cilantro. Place in a med bowl. Prep the chilies. Be careful while handling the peppers. Avoid touching anything else with your hands afterwards until they have been washed thoroughly with soap and hot water. The seeds can be saved and added later if the salsa is not hot enough. Just a few at a time though. Combine the chilies, lime juice, salt, and pepper in the same bowl as the tomatoes. Stir to combine. Let sit for at least 1 hr. Stir before serving. Makes about 2-3 cups.

~Essential Guacamole~

(Recipe from Serious Eats)

4-5 ripe Haas avocados

3 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 dashes Tabasco

1/2 c. red onion, finely diced

1-2 lg. garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2-3 sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped (from a jar w/ water) 

Cut the avocados in half, remove the pits, and scoop the flesh into a large bowl. Immediately add the lemon juice, Tabasco, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper and toss well. Using a sharp knife, slice through the avocados in the bowl until they are finely diced. Add the sun-dried tomatoes. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes enough for 4 adults.

I had to alter this one to get the exact flavor I was looking for. The Tabasco, lemon, and sun-dried tomatoes add wonderful flavor. I  added more chopped garlic, garlic salt, and a little more Tabasco.

~Beer-Marinated Chicken Tacos w/ Onions & Peppers~

(Recipe from Serious Eats)

1 c. dark Mexican beer, I used Dos Equis Amber

2 tbsp. dark sesame oil

1 tbsp. finely chopped garlic

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper*

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

8-12 taco sized corn tortillas 

1 lg. yellow onion sliced into rings

1 red, yellow, and green pepper, cut into strips

Mix all of the ingredients for the marinade together in a small bowl. Place the chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Seal the bag, remove as much air as possible, and place in the refrigerator to marinate for 2 hours to overnight. Remove chicken from the refrigerator and preheat a grill to high. Place the peppers on double-layered tinfoil. Season with salt and pepper, and roll up into a package. Do the same for the onions. Place peppers and onions on grill, away from direct flame, about 7-8 min. before chicken. Turn foil package occasionally. Grill chicken until fully cooked and browned on both sides, about 4-5 min. per side. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for 5 min. Check peppers and onions, they are done when steam comes out of the package and both are soft. While chicken is resting, warm tortillas on the grill until pliable, about 1 min. per side. Cut chicken into thin strips.

To assemble, place a tortilla on a plate and top with guacamole, add chicken, peppers, onions, salsa, cheese and sour cream, or whatever toppings you wish. Wrap up and eat!

*I did not have cayenne pepper so I used some dried hot mexican chilies

This seems like a lot, but it was very doable for someone willing to put in the effort! I made the salsa ahead of time, and also marinated the chicken for about 3-4 hours. Everything was prepped before we went over to our friends house. All I had to do was cook!

Now, on to dessert!

~Grilled Peaches w/ Cinnamon-Sugar Tortillas & Sweetened Sour Cream~

(Peach recipe from Martha Stuart - Tortilla recipe from SAB)

4 peaches

2 tbsp. melted butter

1 c. sour cream

3 tbsp. brown sugar

4 flour tortillas

Spreadable butter

Cinnamon-sugar mixture

Mix sour cream and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Half and pit the peaches; brush both sides with butter, set aside. Preheat grill to med-low. Spread each tortilla with butter and sprinkle with a generous amount of cinnamon-sugar. Place peaches and tortillas on grill. Cook peaches until charred and softened, 4-5 min. per side. Heat the tortillas until the cinnamon-sugar bubbles and caramelizes, and the bottoms are brown, about 4 min. Remove both from grill. Place a tortilla on a plate. Slice 1 peach, two halves, and place on top of the tortilla. Spoon seasoned sour cream over top, and sprinkle with a pinch of cinnamon-sugar. Serve warm.

This was a very yummy and light dessert. I have been wanting to grill some other fruit besides pineapple. Maybe next time i'll grill some bananas? Who knows! I hope you can try some of these recipes for yourself!

ENJOY!

I Really Did Cook....

...And now I am catching up! Here is what I made last Thursday night for the Hubbs and I!

First I made some chicken breasts. These were just simply seasoned with salt and pepper, then put into the pan. After the first flip I seasoned them with some seasoning salt. Flipped one more time to season the other side of the chicken. Wait until they are cooked through, and viola! Easy, tasty chicken!

Now onto the side dish:

~Baked Sweet Potato Fries~

(adapted recipe from Paula Deen)

House Seasoning:

1 c. salt

1/4 c. black pepper

1/4 c. garlic powder

Olive oil

2-3 sweet potatoes, cut into uniform fry-length shapes (about 1/4 in. thick)

1/2 tsp. paprika

Combine the first 3 ingredients for the House Seasoning, store in an airtight container for up to 6 mo. Preheat oven to 450 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or spray with non-stick spray. In a large bowl toss sweet potatoes with enough oil to coat (too much will make them too soft). Sprinkle with about 1 tbsp. of House Seasoning and the paprika. Toss to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet. Bake until potatoes are tender and golden brown, turing occasionally, about 20 min. Let cool 5-10 min. before serving. 

I served the chicken with some mustard and ranch to dip it in. The sweet potatoes got ketchup. I would, in the future, like to experiment with a sweet ketchup to dip the sweet potatoes in. I will keep you posted!

I loves me some sweet potatoes! When I go to a restaurant and they are offered as a side, I always get them! (unless I know if they are good or not) I have had a bad sweet potato fry and it is just tragic! Hahah! I hope you enjoy these ones as much as I/we did!

ENJOY!

Easy, Yummy Meal(s)

This is what the Hubbs and I had for dinner on Wednesday night this past week: Turkey sausage w/ sautéed mushrooms, herbed barley, and steamed corn. Pretty simple and pretty straight forward. And here are the "recipes"

~Turkey Sausage w/ Sautéed Mushrooms~

5 Sweet Turkey sausages, de-thawed 

5-6 sliced button mushrooms

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 red onion, minced

1 tbsp. olive oil

Preheat a skillet over med-high heat. Add olive oil when warm. After chopping the garlic, onions, and mushrooms add them to the skillet, stirring. Saute for about 5 min. or until onions and mushrooms are soft. Once done remove from pan. Add turkey sausage. Cover and cook for 10 min. turning every 3 min until sausages are done, or a thermometer reads 180 degrees.

The herbed barley was left over from lunch the same day. It was plain so I added in some italian seasoning, a dab of olive oil and some salt and pepper. It was yummy. The barley recipe that I made for lunch was easy as well!

~Mixed Vegetable Barley Salad~

1 c. uncooked quick barley

2 c. water

salt 

pepper

olive oil

garlic

red onion

peppers

carrots

cherry tomatoes

Bring the water to a boil in a med stock pot. Once the water is boiling, add the barley, stir, reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 10-12 min. Meanwhile, chop all the veggies (amount of each veggie differs based on amount of barley used). I used 2-3 cloves garlic, about 1/4 of an onion, 1/4 of a pepper, 4 baby carrots, and 4-5 cherry tomatoes. Place all the chopped veggies in a med saute pan, with a drizzle of olive oil, over med heat. Saute for about 5-6 min. or until the veggies are cooked though. Fluff barley with a fork when done cooking. Add to sautéed veggies. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm.

Enjoy!

Keeping Up Cooking - A New Week

What a day: Monday. They are good and bad. Good in that you get to start a brand new week, and bad in that you just came off the weekend of fun! Well, this monday was not to bad, not bad indeed. I woke up with my Hubby, made him breakfast (quick egg white omelette w/ bacon and toast), rolled his sleeves for work, and then away he was. I was feeling rather productive so I:

1. Vacuumed the living room, kitchen, front entry way, hallway, and our bedroom
2. Started 2 loads of laundry
3. Organized both my side and hubby's side of the closet
4. Raided the fridge for old food
5. Edited Photos

Most of these things I had done before 9:30 am! Woah, sometimes I just amaze myself!

When the Hubs got home I whipped him up a quick lunch. Having veggies that needed to be used up (already grilled) I decided on a quesadilla. I just took two whole wheat tortillas and toasted them in a pan, then, on top of one tortilla in the pan, I put the grilled veggies, swiss cheese, a few herbs, and topped it off with the other tortilla. Flip it after about 2 or so min. and toast the other side and melt the cheese. Presto! Easy Veggie Quesadilla. Some celery and cucumbers w/ ranch dip rounded out this meal. Yummy!

Dinner was another easy one. Again, I used leftover veggies from the kabobs. These ones were not yet cooked, just cut. I made a quick stir-fry with seasoned chicken. Basically I cooked the veggies in a little bit of olive oil and seasoned them with salt and pepper. I took the veggies out and placed the chicken, cut into bite-sized cubes, into the pan. I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, and seasoning salt. Once the chicken was cooked through, I threw the veggies back into the pan, stirred, and viola, Veggie Stir Fry!

These two meals are cooked with a "recipe" to look at. I just kind of wing it as I go! Both are very yummy and a great way to use up leftovers or an abundance of vegetables!

ENJOY!

I am busy...Call me bee...

Well HELLO THERE!!

There has been some time since my last post! I do apologize, but I have a ligetimate excuse! I am in school and it is the end of the year...and that can only equate to one answer...FINALS!! Oh yeah, guess what one of my finals is? Guess? Yeah, a gallery show! Not a solo show, it is with me and 9 other amazing artists...but its stressful to get work done! Especially if you are in another state for half of that time!

I was in North Carolina visiting the Hubby other the Thanksgiving holiday! It was wonderful! I got to cook, bake, stuff my belly, relax with hubby, and play with twin boys under 2 years old! Can life get more perfect!?!?! I think not!

With being out in NC, Hubby likes for me to cook for him....and boy did I ever! I cooked many scrumptious goodies for Turkey Day, but that will come in another post...In this one I will share with you the best that I made. (or what I took photos of!)

First off, lets start with some chicken wings...BBQ ones to be exact. Hubbs and I had just gotten done working out, and he had a craving for some finger licking goodness! (not the colonel) So, I experimented with a recipe right out of my head! It turned out wonderful and moist, just like good chicken should!

~Baked BBQ Chicken Wings~

1 pkg. whole chicken wings (about 8 pieces), thawed

1 1/2 c. flour

2 tsp. seasoning salt

2 tsp. chili powder

2 tsp. garlic powder

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Preheat the oven to 375. Spray a large glass baking dish with cooking spray. Place the flour into a medium mixing bowl and add the seasoning salt, chili powder, and garlic powder. Set aside. Take the chicken wings and separate the wing from the drummy by cutting at the joint. Also cut off the wing tip and discard. Coat the pieces in the flour mixture and lay into a single row in the baking dish. Cook in oven for about 15 min. then flip the wings. Bake for another 10 min. and cover with BBQ sauce. Bake for about another 30-40 min. or until the wings are tender and the juices run clear. Remove from oven, let cool for a min. and transfer to a plate and cover with remaining BBQ sauce from the baking dish. enjoy!

These turned out very yummy indeed and they were demolished. Next time I would used more spice and crisp them up a little more. (The top heating element in our oven does not work) The spice measurements are just a guideline, use whichever ones that you like and add as much or as little as you please!

Our Last meal...

~Steamed Asparagus~

1 bunch asparagus

2 thin slabs of butter

2-3 tbsp. water

Pinch of salt and pepper

Place the asparagus in a shallow bowl and pour the water into the bottom. Season with salt and pepper and place the butter on top of the asparagus. Steam for about 2-3 min. and then stir. If needed, steam for another few min. They should be green and crisp, but cooked. Season again before serving if desired.

~Greek Salad~

1 lg. tomato

1 lg. cucumber

1 pt. pitted kalamata olives

8 oz. feta cheese

1 16 oz. jar pepperoncini peppers

1 8.5 oz. jar Tuscan flavored olive oil

1 med. red onion*

1 lg. red or green pepper*

Chop up the tomato, cucumber, and green or red peppers into bite sized pieces. Place into a large bowl. Slice the red onion into thin rings and cut off the top of the pepperoncini peppers. Add them to the bowl. Add the olives and crumble the feta cheese over the top. Pour the bottle of olive oil over the entire salad. Toss to coat. Let cool in the refrigerator for a few min. to let the flavors mingle. Serve and enjoy!

*We did not use these ingredients in our salad, but they are other classic greek additions to salads. Next time I will add them!

~Seasoned Crescent Rolls~

1 pkg. reduced fat crescent rolls

garlic powder

garlic salt

italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to temp on crescent roll package. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or tin foil and spray with cooking spray. Undo half of the crescent rolls and lay out flat on the baking sheet. Sprinkle with garlic salt and powder, and italian seasoning. Roll up and sprinkle with a little more of each seasoning. Repeat for the remaining rolls. Bake for 10-12 min. or until golden brown. Enjoy!

Again...these spices are just what I used because I was in a garlicky mood. Use whatever you like and enjoy! Duh!!

~Herbed Grilled Chicken~

1 pkg. boneless skinless chicken breasts, thawed

1/2 c. olive oil

garlic salt

garlic powder

onion powder

dried oregano

dried basil

Slice the chicken lengthwise through the middle to get 6 thin breast pieces. In a deep tuperware container pour the olive oil and the seasionings and herbs. Use as much or as little as you like! Stir to coat the chicken and store in the fridge for at least 30 min. Take chicken out and cook over med. heat, covered, for about 3-4 min. per side. Test for doneness, if inside is not pink and juices run clear they are done. Enjoy!

~Cinnamon Biscuits~

1 2/2 c. AP flour

1/2 tsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. milk

2 tbsp sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a large bowl and mix untl combined. Add more milk if needed. Turn out onto a floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 1/4 in. thick. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Make sure this mixture is a more cinnamon-y than your standard cinnamon-sugar mixture. Roll the long way into a log and slice into 1 in. pieces. Place in a muffin tin and bake at 375 for about 10-15 min. or until tender and sightly browned. The frosting I made was just powdered surgar, milk and some vanilla extract.

**Updated**

On a side note...

Apparantly I make really good cheesy eggs! Hubby had some every day that I was visiting him in NC. I make them like this:

Whip some eggs together in a bowl with a fork. Add a little bit of milk (more if you have more eggs) and whip again. Pour into a heated pan sprayed with nonstick spray. Scramble the eggs. Add the cheese on top of the almost done eggs and cover with a lid for a few seconds. Uncover and mix until all the cheese is melted. Serve and enjoy!

Cheesy Eggs!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

First Friday Post. Randomness...Bittersweet...What else?

Hello again!

I am really getting used to this posting stuff...I just wonder why I didn't start sooner. I guess it was because, after surfin' the web and looking at all of those wonderful food blogs out there, I was somewhat intimidated...I admit it, I was! But I figured, go for it! And here I am in all my glory! Hahaha

So, today is a somewhat special day. It is my last Friday in North Carolina. Hubby is at work and won't be home until late. I want to have fun, and I want to be with my hubby. But I can't have one of these things, so lets have some Random Friday Fun!

I just want to say that Dara Torres, the 41-year-old mother swimming in the Olympics, has an amazing body for being 41. I know that she gets this by spending lots of $$ on personal trainers and what not, but dang! That's what I want to have when I'm 40! (sweet dreams) Well, I can try can't I? **Note: I am a workout freak! Yeah, speaking of swimmers...ya know Michael Phelps? I heard on the news that the guy eats over 12,000 calories a day!! And he says that he has a "hard time" keeping weight on! Dang, his workouts must be totally intense! Phew!

Did You Know? Apple peels can have up to 87% more cancer fighting elements than the inside!

Science Bit: What's a Calorie? Scientifically, it's the amount of energy needed to raise the temp of 1 g. of water by 1 degree C. Nutritionally, it's the amount of energy in food that your body can use. Our digestion releases nutrients in the foods we eat, which our bodies then convert to glucose that it uses to fuel all of its functions. Yummy Yummy...in my tummy!

Recipes!! Finally...sorry...I have a lot of random useless knowledge in my head that sometimes just NEEDS to get out! I also do a lot of "spur of the moment" ramblings...I'm watching the Olympics right now...See! just like that! Well, anywho, yesterday I made some Kickin' Chicken and Pretzels so here are some photos and the recipes!

~Kickin' Chicken~

8 chicken drumsticks12 tbsp. Franks Sauce

4 tsp. Cholula (or Tabasco)

4 tsp. brown sugar

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. smokey paprika

Mix all ingredients together and pour over chicken. Let marinade for several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350-375 F. Pour chicken and sauce into large baking dish. Bake the chicken on the middle rack of the oven for about 35-40 min. or until it is no longer pink in the inside and there is no running blood. Turn on broiler and move rack up. Broil the chicken for 5 min., flip then broil for another 5 min. Let cool a little and serve with sauce in the pan. Serve with ranch or blue cheese for dipping

**These were pretty kickin', but not all that much, at least for my taste. I wish there had been more of a garlic flavor. I think I'll add more garlic next time and maybe some red pepper flakes or something to make it really kickin'! Mine were not very crispy either because the broiler in my oven does not work.

~Garlic, Herb & Cheese Pretzels~
Dough
2 1/2 c. AP flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1 pkg. instant yeast
1 c. warm water
2 tsp. basil
2 tsp. oregano
Topping
1/2 c. warm water
1 tsp. sugar
Garlic salt
Mozzarella cheese

Combine the water, sugar, and yeast in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve and let sit until frothy, about 5 min. Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Pour yeast mixture into flour and stir together to form a ball. If dough is too wet, add more flour until it comes together. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about 8-10 min. until smooth. Sprinkle with flour and place into a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30 min. to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 500 F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Dissolve sugar in warm water and set aside. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 equal parts. Roll each part into a 12-24 in. rope. (smaller = more doughy, longer = more crisp) Place pretzel in hand and spoon sugar water over top and place on baking sheet and reshape. Sprinkle with cheese or garlic salt, or both. Repeat with remaining dough. Let pretzels rest for 15 min. Bake for 6 min., rotate pans, and continue baking for 6 min. more or until cheese is golden brown and dough is firm. Enjoy!

**These pretzels where very good for my first try! The herb flavor was spot on and my favorite topping was the garlic salt. Then again, I am a garlic fanatic! I was thinking that I was going to need some dip for these pretzels, and was planning on making some garlic mustard, but they were amazing just by themselves! I really enjoy bread just plain, no butter, rarely any dip, this lets you fully appreciate the flavor of the bread. These are amazing just on their own and I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did!

Well, today I think I am going to try my hand at some cinnamon rolls. I don't know what exact recipe I am going to use, I might morph a few together. Pray that it turns out well! I'll post the results later!

Well, Peace out for now!