Sunday Dinner

Today as we were making a dessert, Joe suggested that we take a picture and then we could post it on our blog. I was happy that he liked my blog enough to want to post on it and also enough to stake a claim to it. :) I love my husband!

As I mentioned before, we got a whole bunch of apples from our friend. Besides eating a few, the first thing we made with them was

Apple Cobbler Crisp


















We actually made dessert first, but for dinner we made Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile and Lime. It was a delicious recipe from Everyday Foods. Thanks, Martha Stewart!














Roasted Chicken with Ginger, Chile and Lime
2 tablespoons plus ½ teaspoon butter, at room temperature
1 shallot, finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 piece (2 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped (about 2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon finely chopped pickled jalapeño chile
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons ground coriander
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 whole chicken (3 ½ pounds)
2 large onions, thickly sliced
1 lime, cut into 8 wedges (optional)
1. Make the ginger-chile butter: In a small bowl, using a spoon, mash together 2 tablespoons butter, shallot, ginger, jalapeño, lime juice, coriander, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 425°. Using fingers, gently loosen skin from chicken breasts. With a small spoon, insert butter mixture evenly between skin and meat; pat skin back down. Tie chicken legs together with cotton kitchen twine; tuck wing tips underneath. Rub chicken with remaining ½ teaspoon butter; season generously with salt and pepper. On a rimmed baking sheet, arrange onions in a single layer; place chicken on top.
3. Roast until chicken is well browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in a thigh (without touching bone) reads 175°, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board, and tent with oil; let rest 10 minutes (the temperature will rise by about 5 degrees).
4. On baking sheet, stir onions together with pan juices. Carve chicken; serve with onions and, if desired, lime wedges.

Per serving: 557 calories; 34 grams fat; 50.4 grams protein; 10.3 grams carbohydrates; 1.9 grams fiberNote: After taking it out of the oven, let the chicken rest at least 10 minutes. This will make the meat moister and easier to carve.

No-bakes

I really have come a long way since when we were first married two years ago. I mean - I created the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe all by myself. But I still have not been able to perfect a chocolate/peanut butter no-bake cookie recipe.
We used my sister's recipe before but we must have done something wrong because they turned out gooey. I found one online and it actually worked really well. I still want to improve on it a little, but they weren't very dry or too runny. Yay!

Our friend gave us loads of apples today, so now it's really time to get creative and see what we can come up with. My husband as the chef, and me as the taster. It works best that way.

No-bakes - The best so far
2 C Sugar
1/2 C Milk
1/2 C butter
1/4 C cocoa powder
Bring to a rolling boil, then boil and stir for 1 1/2 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 C peanut butter and 1 tsp. Vanilla.
Add 3 C Quick Oats, and mix all together. Drop quickly to parchment or waxed paper.

I should try making just one big cookie - see how that goes. :)

Snow - Cold! Muffins - Warm!

It snowed today. Yes, it's April 18th, in Salt Lake City, and it snowed. It made me wish for something warm and sweet. So here is a recipe I modified for

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cups flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
15oz canned pumpkin
2 eggs
1/2 cup butter - melted
6 ounces chocolate chips
Toasted Pecans (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl - mix well. In another bowl, beat the eggs. Add the pumpkin and the butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix gently, just to combine everything. Add chocolate chips and mix lightly until just combined. Divide into muffin cups; top with pecans if desired. Bake a 12 cup muffin pan for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not over bake. Test w/toothpick. They should still seem a little underdone when removed from the oven.

I'll see if I can post a picture when they come out of the oven. Since it makes more than 12 regular size muffins, I just put the extra in a mini loaf pan.

Medicine

On the news this morning I saw a report where a woman helps out the elderly by having laughing sessions with them.
So here is your laughing session for the week.
Even if you pretend to laugh, it still has the good effects on the body as real laughing.

Product Warnings
Dumb and Funny Warning Labels On Products:
Old Spice Red Zone Deodorant - Use only on underarms.

Zantac 75 - Do not take if allergic to Zantac.

Sleeping Pills Warning: May cause Drowsiness

Christmas Lights Warning: For indoor or outdoor use only.

Bic Lighter: Ignite lighter away from face.

Komatsu Floodlight: This floodlight is capable of illuminating large areas, even in the dark

Earplugs :These ear plugs are nontoxic, but may interfere with breathing if caught in windpipe

Mattress Warning: Do not attempt to swallow (My personal favorite)

Matches Caution: Contents may catch fire.

Pepper Spray Caution: Never aim spray at your own eyes.

Auto-Shade Windshield Visor Warning: Do not drive with sunshade in place. Remove from windshield before starting ignition.

Fix-a-Flat WARNING: Do not weld can to rim.

Rain Gauge: Suitable for outdoor use.

RCA Television Remote Control :Not Dishwasher Safe

Pine Mountain Fire Logs Caution: Risk of fire

Triops Fish Food Warning: Not for human consumption

Home Depot Treated Lumber : Do not consume

Hair Dryer Warning: Do not use while sleeping.

Road Sign: Caution water on road during rain.

Camera: This camera will only work when film is inside.

Road Sign Cemetery Road: Dead End

Church Parking Lot Sign : Thou shalt not park

Children's Superman Costume: Wearing of this garment does not enable you to fly.

Air Conditioner Caution: Avoid dropping air conditioners out of windows.

Rowenta Iron Warning: Never iron clothes on the body.

Slush Puppy Cup: This ice may be cold

American Airlines Peanuts Instructions: open packet, eat nuts.

Nabisco Easy Cheese: For best results, remove cap.

Swanson TV Dinners: This product must be cooked before eating.

Hershey's Almond Bar Warning: May contain traces of nuts

Heinz Ketchup Instructions: Put on food

Two Blogs Today

I just realized that it's gone.
The request to write this made me think of it.
It looked great when we first got it.
I think it needed more sun or fresh air so Joe put it out on the balcony.
We forgot about it.
For a week.
I don't know where it is now.
"To the lazy gardener a bonsai may often unintentionally be that plant in the pot that should have been planted into the garden 10 years ago and has had to survive on total neglect."
I don't know about that.

English Toffee

Being married to a chef, I am always learning new things. But the interesting part is how I can take those things and use them in life.
For example, I tried to make english toffee for the holidays with my mom. We tried twice and we couldn't get the recipe to take. We stirred constantly and everything, but the toffee ended up really chewy and separated, with butter oozing out of it.
When I tried another recipe later in the week, this time with the aid of my chef, we figured out the problem. My mom and I weren't letting it cook long enough. We panicked and pulled it off the flame before the toffee could reach the right stage. Standing over my chef's shoulder and watching him stir the toffee, I kept stating how it looked like it was going to burn! He told me to just wait and see. Sure enough, the toffee needed more heat and more time.
It is so interesting to see how many people will give up on the things they really want in life because it is not so easy to get. Maybe it will take some sacrifice or a lot of time, but that doesn't mean we don't deserve it or should stop trying for it. God loves us and wants us to be happy, and He knows that happiness comes when we are obedient, faithful and enduring, and through success in overcoming trials.
Next time I am faced with a challenge, I hope I can remember this lesson from my chef and stick it out through the heat, because I know I will get something really great at the end.
The toffee is nearly gone and we still have 5 days until Christmas!! It was that good!