Chicken Salad Croissants

I modified this recipe from Allrecipes.com. It turned out really yummy! I used to think grapes in the mix were disgusting... until I actually tried it! Somehow it is just so good :) To make it more savory add a couple crumbled strips of bacon. To make it more crunchy add slivered almonds or cashews. In a pinch you can use canned chicken but it tastes MUCH better to cook the chicken and shred it yourself.

2 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken ( I grilled mine in Italian dressing and garlic on the stove top)
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 cup halved red grapes
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 squirt prepared mustard

1 dash Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.Combine chicken, celery and grapes in large bowl; set aside. In another bowl, whisk together remaining ingredients; add to salad and toss to coat. Chill until serving. Serve atop croissants.

Weekly Menu

Monday- Creamy Farfalle Pasta with Chicken and Broccoli

Tuesday- Crockpot Pulled Pork sandwiches

Wednesday - Broccoli and Beef served with rice (just bought a mix for the sauce and marinade)

Thursday - Salmon with Maple Glaze served with asperagus

Friday - Leftover night!

Saturday - Grilled Cilantro Lime Chicken with Fresh Corn Salsa served with Spanish Rice

Sunday - we do Sundays easy... be it mac and cheese or chicken nuggets!

Glazed Bacon Wrapped Weenies!

Someone great once said "everything's better with bacon on it" and it is so true... Now I just need an excuse to make these because I really reeeeeally want to!


Bacon-Wrapped Li’l Smokies in a Brown Sugar and Maple Glaze

1 pound Li'l Smokies
12 ounces, weight Center-cut Bacon
FOR THE GLAZE:
⅓ cups Brown Sugar
¼ cups Maple Syrup (the Real Stuff)
1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
A Small Pinch Of Cayenne (optional)

Empty the smokies onto some paper towels and blot them dry. Dry smokies will allow the bacon to adhere better. Place the dried smokies in a single layer (keeping them separated) onto a small cookie sheet. Place in the freezer for 45 minutes.

While the smokies are in the freezer, cut the bacon into thirds. Separate each piece of bacon and place on a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Put the bacon in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. The well-chilled smokies and bacon will help to keep everything from getting too slippery when you wrap the smokies later.

When it is nearly time to take the smokies out of the freezer, preheat the oven to 350F. Line a rimmed sheet pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Make the glaze by whisking together the brown sugar, maple syrup, mustard, and cayenne (if using). Whisk the mixture well to ensure that the larger pieces of brown sugar have broken up.

Wrap a piece of bacon around each smokie, pressing firmly on the final edge of the bacon to better ensure it does not spring open during baking. Try not to stretch the bacon when wrapping the sausages. Place the bacon-wrapped smokies onto the foil-lined sheet pan, seam side down. Continue with the rest of the bacon and smokies. Using a spoon, put a little bit of the thick glaze on top of each bacon-wrapped smokie, trying to coat each one evenly. You should have just enough glaze to do the entire batch.

If they won't stay wrapped you can secure them with a toothpick.

Bake the smokies for about 35 minutes or until they are lightly brown on top. Immediately transfer the smokies to a serving plate or a slow cooker set on low to keep warm. These a very addictive. I apologize in advance.

Triple Chocolate Muffins

No not a cupcake... you don't feel as bad eating a chocolate muffin for breakfast then you would a cupcake right? Therefore it is a muffin, it puts my mind at ease. :) I got about a dozen and a half out of this recipe. So good though!

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

1/4 cup (4 Tbsp) butter

1/4 cup sour cream

4 ounces (4 squares) semi-sweet baking chocolate

2 cups flour

2/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 cup buttermilk (I make my own SO Easy! Per 1 cup milk add 1 Tbsp. vinegar or lemon juice and let sit 5 minutes)
1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup semi sweet or milk chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular-size muffin pan or fit with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

2. Melt the butter and chocolate squares together in a microwave safe bowl for 1 minute. Stir and heat for intervals of 30 seconds stirring in between until chocolate is completely melted. Add sour cream and stir until incorporated. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg and vanilla extract together until well combined. Pour the liquid ingredients and the melted chocolate mixture over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Do not over mix the batter. Stir in chocolate chips. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

4. Bake for about 17 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Ice cream revisited

Found this great recipe for chocolate ice cream over at The Brown Eyed Baker

Gonna make it just because!

For a classic super yummy vanilla bean recipe revisit last years post here.

Chocolate Ice Cream


Makes about 1 quart

2 cups heavy cream
3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
5 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
1 cup whole milk
¾ cup granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
4 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Warm 1 cup of the cream with the cocoa powder in a medium saucepan, whisking to thoroughly blend the cocoa. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer at a very low boil for 30 seconds, whisking constantly. Remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate, stirring until smooth. Then stir in the remaining 1 cup cream. Pour the mixture into a large bowl, scraping the saucepan as thoroughly as possible, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl.

2. Warm the milk, sugar, and salt in the same saucepan. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk. Slowly pour the warm milk into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

3. Stir the mixture constantly over the medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula (170°F on an instant-read thermometer). Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the chocolate mixture until smooth, then stir in the vanilla. Stir until cool over an ice bath.

4. Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. (If the cold mixture is too thick to pour into your machine, whisk it vigorously to thin it out.)

This Weeks Menu, just because...

...i'm sick of five o' clock rolling around everyday and wondering the same thing... what the heck will I make for dinner tonight?

...i'm tired of over spending on food I think I am going to make during the week then I never do and end up throwing half of what I bought away because its spoiled.

i'm ready to make this part of life a little simpler, let's see if this helps and lets's hope I stick to it!

Click on the links for the recipes!

Monday - Homemade Spaghetti, Lion House Rolls, asparugas (amended! We spent the day at Disneyland and had Chic Fil A instead!)

Tuesday - Southwest Chicken Salad (store bought southwest salad mix topped with grilled chicken, fresh corn, black beans, cilantro and avocado)
Fresh Strawberry Pie (making with graham crust, the hub is no fan of regular pie crusts)

Wednesday - Mondays spaghetti dinner (going to spread butter, parm cheese, italian seasonings and garlic salt on rolls and possibly make them into breadsticks Olive Garden style!)

Thursday - Crispy Yogurt Chicken, roasted potatoes, salad

Friday - Night Off - something easy like mac and cheese or chicken nuggets

Saturday - White Chicken Enchiladas

Sunday - Leftovers!