Strikes my fancy

This recipe came my way via Lemons for Lulu . 1 stick butter, divided 6 chicken breasts ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 1 shallot, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 lb mushrooms, sliced, 1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped 1 16 oz package orzo 32 oz chicken broth Preheat oven to 375. In large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter. Season chicken breast and add to butter in batches adding another 2 tablespoons in between. Brown chicken for 3 minutes, turn and brown the second side for 1 minute. Remove to a plate and keep warm. In a large stockpot, melt ¼ cup butter. Add shallots and garlic to butter, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and sage. Cook until the mushrooms just begin to soften. Add orzo. Stir and cook until orzo is lightly toasted and fragrant. Pour orzo into a 13 x 9 baking dish. Top with chicken breast. Pour chicken stock over orzo and chicken. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until chicken reaches 165 degrees and liquid has...

3 tablespoon(s) vegetable oil 2 large stalks celery , finely chopped 2 large carrots ,...

 I got this neat piece from my mama with a plan already in my head to make this a bit of a bar in our new home.  The apartment we live in has yellowish walls - so you can only imagine how yellow this piece really looked against the wall!   After creating a paint booth of sorts and filling our place with fumes :-)  We ended up with this piece and I LOVE the color!

Recipe from  Chelsa's Messy Apron INGREDIENTS 1 and 1/2 cups quinoa, well rinsed 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used Hunt's) 1 can (15.25 ounces) corn, drained and rinsed 1 cup sweet peppers, chopped 1 poblano chili pepper (~3/4 cup), chopped 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped 2 tablespoons chili powder 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 3 cups water (or chicken broth) 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 2-4 tablespoons taco seasoning 1 and 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded Optional: green onions, salt and pepper to taste INSTRUCTIONS Rinse the quinoa well. I rinse my quinoa in a mesh strainer under hot water. Place the washed quinoa, drained and rinsed black beans, undrained diced tomatoes, drained and rinsed corn in the slow cooker. Chop the sweet peppers and poblano chili pepper (remove seeds if desired). Add the chopped peppers, minced g...

1.25 pound(s)  Yukon gold potatoes , cut into 1-inch chunks 3 medium  carrots , chopped 1 can(s)  (15-ounce)  chickpeas , drained 1 pound(s)  zucchini , cut into 1-inch chunks 1 cup(s)  water 2 teaspoon(s)  fennel seeds 1 teaspoon(s)  coriander 1 teaspoon(s)  salt 1/2  teaspoon(s)  cinnamon 1/2  teaspoon(s)  pepper 1 lemon , cut into quarters 1 cup(s)  frozen peas In 6- or 7-quart slow-cooker bowl, layer potatoes, carrots, chickpeas, and zucchini. Whisk water, fennel seeds, coriander, salt, cinnamon, and pepper in bowl; pour over vegetables. Top with lemon quarters. Cover and cook on high 5 hours; 10 minutes before serving, add frozen peas to cooker and re-cover. Yum!

Another recipe from  Laaloosh!   Ingredients 1 lb extra lean ground beef (96/4) 10 oz whole wheat orzo 1 large onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 tsp dried oregano 1 26oz can crushed tomatoes 1/3 cup reduced fat feta cheese, crumbled Salt & pepper to taste Instructions Prepare orzo according to package directions. Drain and set aside. While orzo is cooking, spray a large skillet with nonfat cooking spray, and set over medium high heat. Add in beef and cook until mostly cooked through. Add in onions, garlic, oregano, cinnamon and salt & pepper. Sauté until onions are tender and beef is cooked all the way through. Pour tomatoes into skillet with the beef mixture, and cook, and turn heat to medium. Continue to cook, while stirring occasionally, until mixture has thickened, about 15 minutes. Toss beef sauce with orzo and place into serving bowls. Top each bowl with 1 tbsp of feta. Preparation time: 10...

½   Red Onion (diced) 2 Tbs Garlic Powder 1   Kielbasa (diced) 4 Slices Bacon (diced) (eliminated) 3  15.25 oz. Cans   Black Beans 2  16 oz. Cans Refried Beans 32 oz.   Chicken Broth 1 Tbs.   Cajun Seasoning 1 Tbs.   McCormick Steak Seasoning 2 C.   Cooked White Rice 1 ½ C. Frozen Corn Kernels Salt & Pepper EVOO In a medium frying pan lightly cover the bottom with EVOO and sauté the onion, when tender remove the onion and cook the kielbasa and bacon. When the meat is brown place it along with the onion into a soup pot. Add the broth, beans and seasonings, let the chowder simmer for about 15 min. then season with salt & pepper and add the corn and rice. Cook for another 10 minutes until thick.   This was yummy!  I only used 2 cans of black beans and 1 can of refried beans.  Next time I might sub some different beans instead of 1 can of black beans.  But we WILL make this again!

Ingredients - 1Tbl olive oil 1 onion, thinly slicked kosher salt & black pepper 1 32 oz container low-sodium chicken broth 1 28oz can diced tomatoes, drained 1 dried ancho chili, thinly sliced, or 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper 2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken meat 1 15oz can hominy, rinsed 1 lime, cut into wedges Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion and 1/4 tsp each salt & pepper and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and beginning to brown (10-12 minutes) Add the broth, tomatoes and chili and bring to a boil.  Stir in the chicken and hominy and simmer until heated through, 3-4 minutes.  Serve with lime. I thought this was ok.  Not great and probably not to be repeated.

As soon as I saw this piece I knew I wanted to show it some love!   Some repair work, custom paint and new handles bring this a new life!   This one moved pretty slow and other than wanting it out of the house as I was moving - I kinda was ok with that :-)  This turned out so cute!

Sometimes, somehow - I have tons of bananas in my freezer.  I think this stems from the fact that I don't like bananas AT ALL if they have brown marks on them.  Just past green is my ideal ripeness!  So I went looking for a banana bread that was different from others I've made and this one made itself know :-) Ingredients 1 cup dried fruits 1 1/2 cup of apple juice 1 cup flour 1/2 tsp baking sodea 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup of light brown sugar 4 Tbs unsalted butter, melted 2 medium bananas 3 Tbs of plain yogurt 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 egg whites 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts Preheat the oven at 350F.  Place dried fruits in a small bowl, add juice, close the bowl with a lid and microwave for 30 seconds.  Once the time is up, without disturbing the dried fruits, set the bowl aside for 15 minutes.  The dried fruits will drink up most of the moisture. In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking powder and baking soda.  S...

This is as good as it gets for a before picture - THREE different covers for this chair!  I loved the color & character of this chair and simply gave it a new cover.  Oh how I wished my new house had a porch!   It hurt a little when the purchaser told me they were going to paint and recover it :-(  To each their own - off to a new home in a nursery for a new baby boy! (ok, maybe the color & material weren't the best for a boy's nursery :-))

This was a simple makeover - I even used the same knobs!  But it was fun to bring a new life to a piece.

 This was a fun makeover.  I bought this cute bedside table/dresser at a yard sale when I first moved to ATL.  It was green...that always catches my eye!  At the time the color matched my bedroom, but the knobs were a bit wild.  You can see the round knob I used at the bottom of this photo.   And then I moved & got a new bedroom set and green just wasn't cutting it anymore.  So in came a soft yellow!  Such a cute all-purpose piece!

8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs (1 3/4 pounds total) I used two chicken breast 1 Tbl lower-sodium soy sauce 1 pound red potatoes, unpeeled 1 large red pepper 3 Tbl apricot jam I used peach 1 Tbl fresh lemon juice 1 1/2 tsp vegetable oil 4 green onions, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish 1/4 tsp salt Preheat oven to 425F.  In large bowl, combine chicken and soy sauce; let stand.  Cut potatoes and red pepper into 1/2" pieces.  In small bowl, mix jam and lemon juice until blended. In large microwave-safe bowl, combine potatoes and 1/4 cup water.  Cover with vented plastic wrap and microwave on high 5 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.  Drain. Meanwhile, spread chicken on foil-lined 18" x 12" jelly-roll pan; brush with jam mixture.  Roast 15-17 minutes or until meat is no longer pink inside. While chicken roasts, in 12" nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium 1 minutes.  Add pepper and cook 3 minutes, stirring. ...

This recipe is mainly from Peas and Thank you (seems that the web-site is not working today), with some changes by me...mostly I like dairy! :-) 1c quinoa, rinsed & drained 1 1/2 c vegetable broth (I had none, so used water) 1 15oz can organic tomato sauce, divided 2 1/2 t chili powder, divided 1/2 t oregano 1 zucchini, shredded and squeezed to release all excess moisture 1/3 cup non-dairy (Tofutti) or regular cream cheese 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 t cumin salt & pepper to taste 1 c non-dairy (Daiya) mozzarella chesse, shredded 1 3oz can sliced olives, drained skipped because I don't like olives! 1 avocado, sliced cilantro for garnish skipped because the Mister doesn't like cilantro Preheat oven to 375. In a medium stockpot, combine quinoa, broth, 1/2 cup of tomato sauce, 2 t chili powder and oregano.  Bring to a boil over medium high heat.  Reduce heat, stir and cover, simmering for 15-20 minutes.  Remove lid and cook for an additional m...

  Picture (and recipe) from Real Simple Ingredients 1 pound sweet Italian sausage links, casings removed and broken into pieces 1 large onion, chopped 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 2 tablespoons tomato paste 2 cloves garlic, chopped kosher salt and black pepper 2 large russet potatoes (about 1 pound) 1 small bunch kale, stems discarded and leaves torn (about 7 cups) 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup olive oil, plus more for serving   Directions Combine the sausage, onion, tomatoes and their juices, tomato paste, garlic, 1 cup water, and ¾ teaspoon each salt and pepper in a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Nestle the potatoes in the liquid and top with the kale. Cover and cook until the potatoes are tender, on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours (this will shorten to...

  Picture (and recipe) from Cooking Light Ingredients: 1 (3.5-ounce) bag boil-in-bag basmati or brown rice 1 tablespoon canola oil   1 large onion, diced   1 1/2 teaspoons garam masala 2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained 1 (15-ounce) can unsalted crushed tomatoes   1 (6-ounce) package fresh baby spinach   1/2 cup plain 2% Greek yogurt   1/2 teaspoon salt   1. Cook rice according to package directions; drain. 2. While rice cooks, heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion; sa...

So recently our church merged with another church - one that used to be a church of 2,500 people in Southeast Atlanta...the church is over 120 years old!  I had no idea there were so many rooms in the building...and there was stuff in all of them (desks, pianos, pulpits, extra pews and chairs are the most popular...I have NEVER seen that many pulpits in one place!).  I happened to come in one evening when they were cleaning out rooms....and I turned into my mother :-)  I left with 6 pieces to restore/redo and 5 are done and sold (less than a work week later!)  Here are the few I did first.  

2 cups lentils, rinsed 1 onion, finely diced 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 (7oz) can fire roasted whole chiles 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes 3 cups chopped kale 1/2 tsp kosher salt 1 tsp ground ginger 1 Tbl cumin 3 cups chicken or vegetable broth Use a 6-quart slow cooker.  Rinse lentils until the water runs clear, and then put the wet lentils into your slow cooker.  Add diced onion and the chopped garlic.  Add the entire cans of fire roasted chiles and diced tomatoes.  Add the kale, dried spices and stir in the broth.  Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or until the lentils are bite tender and the onion is translucent. YUM!  This will be back in the winter for sure!

Sometimes makeovers are as simple as taking one piece off a mirror....

Inspiration from Real Simple   Serves 4 | Hands-On Time: 20m | Total Time: 8hr 20m   Ingredients 1 medium red onion, chopped 1 green bell pepper, chopped 4 garlic cloves, chopped 1 tablespoon chili powder 1 tablespoon ground cumin 2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon kosher salt and black pepper 1 28-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes 1 15.5-ounce can black beans, rinsed 1 15.5-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed 1 medium sweet potato (about 8 ounces), peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch pieces sour cream, sliced scallions, sliced radishes, and tortilla chips, for serving Direction...

This was found in Health.com Ingredients 1 cup dry orzo 3 cups baby arugula (I don't like arugula, so I used spinach) 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 1 tablespoon olive oil 4 small bell peppers, halved and seeded Preparation 1. Preheat oven to 400°. Cook orzo according to package directions in salted water; drain. Return to pot. Add arugula, feta, oil, and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper; stir. 2. Season inside of peppers with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Fill peppers; transfer to a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Cover with foil; bake until peppers are tender (35-40 minutes). Calories per serving: 267 Fat per serving: 7.4g Saturated fat per serving: 2.8g Monounsaturated fat per serving: 3.1g Polyunsaturated fat per serving: 0.5g Protein per serving: 10g Carbohydrates per serving: 41g Fiber per serving: 3g Cholesterol per serving: 13mg Iron per serving: 2mg Sodium per ...

Another from LaaLoosh! Ingredients 1lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces 1 16oz bag frozen pineapple tidbits 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp pepper Instructions Combine soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Stir until combined. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker, cover with pineapples and top with sauce. Cook on low 6-8 hours. During last hour of cooking, add in bell pepper slices. To thicken sauce, also remove lid from slow cooker in the last hour of cooking. If you prefer a thicker sauce, transfer sauce to pan and boil with flour or cornstarch until reduced to desired thickness. Preparation time: 15 minute(s) Cooking time: 6 hour(s) Number of servings (yield): 4 Entire recipe makes 4 servings Serving size is about 1 ½ cups Each serving = 5 Points + PER SERVING: 21...

This was inspired by one of my favs Laaloosh.com Ingredients 1/2 cup quinoa 1/2 cup green lentils, dry 2 cups fat free vegetable (or chicken) broth 1 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp red wine vinegar 1 tsp dijon mustard 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/3 cup red onion, diced 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped Juice and zest from 1 small lime Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Cook quinoa according to package directions. Place warm quinoa in a medium sized bowl, and toss with garlic. Set aside. Rinse lentils well with water, then place in a large sauce pan with vegetable broth. Bring to a simmer, and let cook on medium heat until lentils are tender, but not too soft…about 20-25 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, mustard, red wine vinegar, lime juice and lime zest. Add lentils to quinoa, and toss in remaining ingredients, then drizzle the dressing over everything and toss well to combine. Season with salt and p...

1 pound pinto beans, sorted and soaked overnight (or use quick-soak method below) 1 (12-ounce) package smoked turkey or chicken sausage (I used sundried tomato & provolone flavored)  1 (14.5-ounce) can fire roasted tomatoes with garlic 1 (15-ounce) can whole corn kernels 5 cups chicken or beef broth QUICK SOAK FOR BEANS: Put your dry beans into a large pot of water, and pick out any beans that float to the top or are oddly shapen or shriveled. Cover, and  bring to a boil. Boil at a rapid pace for 10 minutes, then remove from heat. Keep the lid on, and let the beans soak in the hot water for 1 hour before rinsing and using with your favorite recipe. The Directions Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Place the soaked and drained beans into your slow cooker insert. Add sliced sausage. Add the entire can of tomatoes and the whole can of corn. Stir in broth. Cover, and cook on low for 8 hours, or on high for about 6 hours. Serve when the beans reach desir...

This one comes from one of the Best crock-pot blogs: A Year of Slow Cooking 6 smoked chicken sausage links 4 cups random vegetables (carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, bell pepper all work well) 2 cups or so of cubed potatoes 2 cups chicken broth 1/3 to 1/2 cup white wine if you have it on hand --- if not, feel free to omit completely 1 large handful of baby spinach (to add at the very end) The Directions: --cut all veggies into 2-inch chunks --layer into crockpot, most to least dense --add sliced sausage --add broth and wine --cover and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4. --right before serving, add a handful of fresh spinach and cover for 10 minutes to wilt leaves   I didn't change a thing! (well, except I missed the part where I load the veggies most to least dense...so I might have mixed a bit when I put the potatoes in last...oops!   This was so easy and so delicious!  So good that I forgot to take a photo!  Next ...

Another from one of my favorite web-sites Laaloosh.com! Ingredients 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 6 pieces 1 12oz can or bottle of beer 4 tbsp light butter, melted 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 tsp onion powder 1 tsp cumin 1 tsp paprika Juice from one lime 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (skipped) Salt and pepper to taste Instructions Preheat oven to 400 degrees, and spray a 9” x 13” baking dish with non-fat cooking spray. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, and lay in baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the beer, and remaining ingredients. Mix well and pour over chicken. Cover with foil and roast in oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through. Remove foil, and roast for another 10 minutes. Preparation time: 10 minute(s) Cooking time: 35 minute(s) Number of servings (yield): 6 Calories: 215 Fat: 5g Protein: 26g Entire recipe makes 6 servings Serving size is 1 piece of chicken ...

This one comes from one of my favorite sites:  Laaloosh.com Ingredients 5 cups kale, chopped 1/2 cup strawberries, sliced 1/2 an avocado, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 1 tbsp honey Juice from 1 lemon Salt & pepper to taste Instructions In a large bowl, toss together kale, strawberries and avocado. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and salt & pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad and toss to coat. Preparation time: 10 minute(s) Number of servings (yield): 4 (Including the almonds which I eliminated) Calories: 192 - Fat: 14g - Protein: 5g Serving size is about 1 1/3 cups This was a hit!  So much so that I ate it for dinner, then ate it for lunch,  then made more for dinner and ate it again for lunch!  Yummy summer salad!

This is another lovely little piece that started with a frantic e-mail to my partner-with-a-truck.   This did have a door when I got it (see it on the left?), but I quickly took it off.  Well, quickly after my furniture guru adviser thought it was a good idea :-)   Starting building the shelves and shore up the supports.   Shelves done & outside painted!   Trying out drawer knobs....   Finished product!  You can't see this too well, but the inside is painted gray.  It's funny how each of these photos (from my phone) make it look like a different color blue.  For me this was adventurous for a piece I wasn't keeping, but after some Facebook feedback - I took a bit of a plunge...and it worked!  Who knows, maybe the next piece will be a more daring color!

I have wanted to try this place forever...and it did not disappoint!  I was a little worried about going on a Sunday early evening with my work clothes on (think t-shirt from a liquor manufacturer with paint on it, old shoes and a sweater with a bleach stain on the sleeve....smh) - and while I was probably the most under dressed person there (that might be an understatement!), I didn't feel like I wasn't welcome.  I think for this post - I'll let the food do the talking.  I loved everything!  Even the fuzzy fruity drink.... (I just realized I forgot to take a picture of our starter: fried clam roll = yes!)   Swordfish   Hushpuppies..I could have eaten the butter with a spoon....   Fuzzy drink with pomegranates in it & a vegetable (I can't remember!)   Scallops   Dessert (I think it was this...but maybe not as they change their menu daily: CHOCOLATE & FRANGELICO CREMAUX, chantilly cream, hazelnut caramel) ...