Strikes my fancy

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) ...

Oh how I love 1-pot meals...ranks right up there with my love of crock-pot meals ;-)  This one hits the spot for sure! Ingredients 1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces 8 cups water 12 ounces uncooked orzo 2 cups chopped tomato (about 2 medium) 2 teaspoons no-salt-added tomato paste 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 3 cups baby spinach leaves 3 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 3/4 cup)  Preparation 1. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken. Sauté 6 minutes, turning to brown all sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. 2. Bring 8 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add orzo; cook 8 minutes or until orzo is al dente. Drain in a colander over a bowl, reserving 1/4 cup cooking liquid. 3. Add reserved cooking liquid, chopped tomato, tomato paste, 1/2 teasp...

One day in my pursuing of the internets I came across another crock-pot meal !  Yup - I love them (if you haven't caught on by now!)  This one promised to not be pretty....and it was right (but who needs pretty at home if it's yummy in your tummy?!) 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and thickly sliced (I sliced mine about ½ inch thick) 1 medium onion, sliced 1 pound chicken, diced into chunks 1 cup baby carrots 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced ½ teaspoon garlic powder Salt and pepper to taste 2 tablespoons butter Grease crock (I used a 5 quart). Lay potatoes in bottom. Place chicken on top. Cover with onions, carrots, and pepper. Sprinkle each layer with salt and pepper . Slice butter into pieces and lay on top of everything. Sprinkle with garlic powder. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours or until potatoes are tender. Yield: 4 servings This was YUMMY!  But I felt like it needed something else with it.  When typing this up - I realized her p...