Simmered Chinese Chicken

Here is one of my favorite childhood dishes that I'm glad to share with you! It's a very simple main dish to prepare and goes with a variety of sides!

Even now, as the chicken simmers on my stove, memories of running around the house with my little sister while Mom made dinner surface in my mind. It's crazy how the smell of certain foods can recall memories so quickly!

This dish takes only a few ingredients and a few minutes to throw together yet it warms the body and soul.

 A few, simple ingredients make this dinner a WINNER!

Simmered Chinese Chicken

Ingredients:
1 whole fryer
1 Tbl oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Tbl ketchup
1/4 cup apple juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion, sliced

For sauce:
2 Tbl cornstarch
1 Tbl water
2 tsp. sesame seeds (optional)

Directions:
- Heat oil in large pan with a lid.
- Brown chicken on all sides in oil.
- In a small bowl, mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ketchup, apple juice, garlic and green onion.
- Pour mixture over chicken.

- Cover and simmer approx. 45 minutes. (I like to flip the chicken over half-way through cooking, so that both sides get to simmer in the juices.)
- Remove chicken to platter when done cooking (reads 165 degrees on meat thermometer)

 

- Mix cornstarch and water in a small cup and add to sauce in pan.
- Cook, stirring constantly until thick (about 10 minutes).
- Serve chicken with sauce on rice,sprinkle sesame seeds on top if desired. Enjoy!

Trust me, you will not be disappointed by this simple dish. It's a little sweet, a little salty and Oh. So. Good! We enjoy Simmered Chinese Chicken served with Jasmine rice and sauteed veggies. Leftovers make a wonderful meal the next day. Okay, I'm ready for dinner!

God bless you as you bless your family and those around you,

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

I love to bake cookies, enjoy a couple of them and then ship the rest off to others! But when someone from my husband's department requested plain ol' chocolate chip cookies, I panicked! In all my baking years I had never discovered a chocolate chip recipe that I really liked. (and I'm not interested in gifting cookies that aren't totally scrumptious ;o)

This started me on the search for a GREAT chocolate chip recipe and after a bit of looking I found it! I'd like to share that recipe with you. Ready? Here goes....

First off, a few things you should know before baking these delicious cookies:

• The secret is in the instant vanilla pudding (not "cook and serve", sugar-free or any other variety)
• Making these cookies larger than your usual recipe calls for will allow them to become soft and pillowy in the middle, and a tad chewy around the outside (and overflowing with chocolate chips!)
• Also, it's super important to refrigerate the cookie dough (2-3 hours) so that the cookies bake well without spreading out too thin. (I whip up the batch of dough in the morning and bake them in the afternoon.)
• Be sure to spray your cookie sheets with oil so the cookies don't stick when you remove them. 
• Baking the cookies for only 11 minutes works perfectly! Allowing them to cool for another 10 minutes ON the cookie sheet will help them finish baking on the hot sheet and transfer better later. (don't bake them over 12 minutes).
•  Each batch makes about 16 - 18 cookies, depending on how large you make them.

 Now that you know what you are getting yourself into, here's the recipe! Really, once you make these cookies, you won't ever want to go back to an ordinary chocolate chip recipe again!

The BEST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
As shared by Averie
 

Ingredients:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
one 3.5-ounce packet instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch salt, optional and to taste
one-12 ounce bag (2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Mix together the butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla until well combined.
2. To that, add the flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and salt and mix until just combined.
3. Add the chocolate chips and stir until just combined.
4. Using a 1/4-cup measure, or your hands, form approximately 16 equal-sized dough balls and flatten each mound a bit.
5. Place mounds on a large plate or tray, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 5 days. (I have even formed the balls after refrigerating  the lump of dough)
6. Preheat oven to 350 F, Spray each sheet with cooking spray. Place dough balls on sheets at least 2 inches apart (I bake 9 cookies per sheet) and bake for about 11 minutes. Remove from oven before they begin to brown. Don't over-bake.
7. Enjoy one or two and share some with a friend! 

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, 

for they shall be satisfied."

Matthew 5:6

Have a very blessed day,

 

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Home-Fried Green Tomatoes Recipe

When I miss fried food from the fair or have a few green tomatoes on hand, this is my go-to recipe for a delicious snack. Oh. my. goodness.  There is nothing quite like these crunchy, warm veggies.

Along with green tomatoes I enjoy frying dill pickle slices (the kind that you buy in a jar to top hamburgers) or dill pickle spears! Oh yum! Hope you enjoy this easy recipe sometime soon (just not too often :)

Home-Fried Green Tomatoes
(my combination of a couple recipes)

 

Ingredients

Recipe makes 4 servings

4 large green tomatoes, or 6 small ones (try it with dill pickle slices or spears. so good!) 
2 egg whites 

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
1/2 cup cornmeal 
1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs 
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt 
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Season to taste with:
Lawry's Season Salt
Garlic Powder
Any other seasoning that you enjoy!

Directions

Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.

Whisk egg whites and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and additional seasonings on a separate plate.

Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs/cornmeal mixture to completely coat. (I did this differently - I dipped in milk/egg mixture and then dredged in dry mixture. It was an oops but turned out okay) 

In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is 1/2 inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat.

Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels and enjoy! They taste great on their own or dipped in my favorite homemade ranch (open the link and scroll down to find the ranch recipe).

Hope you enjoy this southern favorite sometime. This is a tasty snack, paired with a tall glass of sweet tea. Or it even makes a tasty meal alongside chicken wings and fresh veggies. Mmm Mmm!

 Ready for a Sunday night, finger-lickin' dinner with my family!

Even the wisest man who ever lived said that it is good to enjoy the food you work hard for. 

"Here is what I have seen: It is good and fitting for one to eat and drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labor in which he toils under the sun all the days of his life which God gives him; for it is his heritage."

Ecclesiastes 5:18

Have a blessed week and a Happy Valentine's Day,

Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sandwiches and Homemade Coleslaw

With fall in full swing, I love using my crock pot whenever I can. My favorite is to let a hunk of meat cook all day, walk into the house after being out for a while and the yummy smell of dinner has filled every room! Having dinner done and ready after a busy day is such a gift!

The first recipe was given to me by a friend and she calls it Bar-B-Que Coke Pork. I didn't have any coke on hand, but with our Soda Stream we usually have something in the fridge... and yesterday it was Dr. Pete (that's right... a make-it-yourself-off-brand). Even so, it turned out great!

The second recipe is a mix of a few coleslaw recipes that I found online and I added to. I love a light, slightly-sweet, slightly-tangy coleslaw that's not soupy, but crunchy. I tell you, THIS IS THE ONE! It was so very delicious! But, my husband wouldn't know that, as he despises any and all coleslaw. I just say, "Yeehaw! More for me!"  :o)

Here are two recipes that I tried for the first time just last night! Together they make a great, simple meal.

This is what was left over after my hubby and I ate dinner. PLENTY for another meal (or two)!

Bar-B-Que Coke Pork
(aka Pulled-Pork Sandwiches)

Ingredients:
1 pork roast (I used a 2 1/2 pounder and it was plenty for 4 hungry adults)
1 onion, sliced
garlic salt
pepper
1 can of Coke (or 1 1/2 cups of your favorite dark soda)
1 1/2 cups of your favorite bbq sauce

Directions:
Cut up the onion and lay in the bottom of the crock pot. 
Season pork and place on top of onions.
Mix up soda and bbq sauce in a small bowl and pour it over the pork.
Allow to cook on low for 8 to 10 hours.
Shred meat with two forks and mix in sauce from bottom of crock pot. 
Serve on toast or buns with coleslaw!

And finally, here is my own coleslaw creation...

Meg’s Homemade Coleslaw

 (4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded green cabbage

1 cup shredded purple cabbage

1 large carrot - shredded

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbl apple cider vinegar

1 tsp brown sugar

1 tsp white sugar

½ tsp powdered ground mustard

½ tsp celery seed

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop your veggies and place in a medium bowl.

Mix remaining ingredients in a small bowl until well blended.

Pour mixture over veggies and stir together.

Refrigerate coleslaw until served, or eat it right away!

As I type up these delicious recipes and remember all the family fun that we had yesterday, I can't help but think of this verse...

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

James 1:17

Have a wonderfully, blessed weekend,

Fun Flubber Recipe {Thoughtful Momma Monday}

What kid doesn't like to feel goo ooze through their fingers or make bathroom noises at the table?

I know mine do! We had a HOOT laughing and visiting as we played with our Flubber, and made silly sounds  :o)  The play ideas with this medium are endless!

 

Add a tall, plastic cup to the mix and you get OUT LOUD LAUGHS!

(remember playing with Flarp and making rude noises???)

It's quick and simple to make and kids want to play with it f-o-r-e-v-e-r! (which is nice on a cloudy fall day when you are stuck indoors with a cold)

The three ingredients that you need to make this are Water, Glue, and Borax*.

To add color or a bit of sparkle, you may use paint, food coloring and glitter, if you choose.

We made 2 separate batches of Flubber 

Jo's Flubber: 

White glue, water, Borax, and yellow and orange poster paint to add some color

Mo's Flubber: 

Clear glue, water, Borax, green and blue poster paint and purple glitter

To make one batch of Flubber you need to prepare:

• a small bowl with 1/2 cup water in it.
• a medium bowl with 1 cup water in it.
• 1/2 cup school glue (clear or white Elmer's glue works great)
• 1 teaspoon powdered Borax* (20 Mule Team brand Borax can be found in the laundry soap isle at your local grocery store)
• paint or food coloring to add color to your Flubber (we used poster paint)
• glitter to mix in if you are using clear glue (it won't be seen well if using white glue)

Jo mixing in his paint.

Flubber Instructions:

• Mix your 1/2 cup glue in the small bowl with the 1/2 cup water. Stir well.
• To this glue/water mixture, add your paint or food coloring and glitter

• Mix your 1 teaspoon Borax* into the medium bowl with 1 cup water. Mix well

• Dump glue/water mixture from small bowl into the Borax/water mixture and swirl with a spoon or your fingers. You will see it begin to gel together. Wanna see it in action? Check out Mo on our YouTube video!

• Scoop the Flubber out of the water and place into a third bowl or onto a plastic mat, to let the excess water drain from it. Knead the Flubber a bit and it's ready to go!

 

I hope that you and your kids have as much fun as we did. Clean up is easy and if it does get into clothes or carpet, I read that regular white vinegar will help remove it.

To store your Flubber, place in a Ziploc bag to play with another time!

God bless you abundantly,

***Borax is harmful if swallowed and may cause eye irritation if it gets in a child's eye. Please use caution when using this ingredient and wisdom when allowing your children to play with this medium.*** 


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Freeze-Ahead Banana Muffins

Quick breakfasts and mid-day snacks are great to have on hand! These homemade banana muffins are one of my favorite snacks to pull from the freezer, pop in the microwave for about 25 seconds, and serve to the kids.

If you are feeling kinda crunchy, change up the sugar for honey, substitute a cup of whole wheat flour for a cup of white flour, and add a couple tablespoons of ground flax (my favorite secret ingredient) to the mixture. They will never know  :o)


Banana Muffins 
(a triple batch)

Ingredients:
8-9 bananas, mashed well
3 large eggs
3 cups sugar (or a bit less if you prefer)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
a dash of salt

Directions:

• Peel the bananas and mash them up well in a large bowl.
• Add eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla and mix well.
• Add flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a pile on top of wet mixture. Lightly fluff the dry ingredients together before mixing it in to the wet ingredient below.
• Grease muffin tin, or line with paper cups, and scoop mixture into cups to fill a little over half full.
• Bake at 375* for 18 to 20 minutes. (in my oven they are done in 18 minutes)

I love that this recipe uses oil instead of butter, as using butter in everything can get pretty expensive. Because this is a triple batch recipe, it usually makes 3 dozen muffins. I leave one dozen in a Ziploc bag to enjoy the week that I make them and place the other two dozen in the freezer. I can pull one or two muffins out as needed or just let the whole bag thaw on the counter to eat later. It's wonderful!

And here is a "sweet" verse to feed your soul.

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul and healthy for the body." ~ Proverbs 16:24

May you be blessed with peace and health today! May kindness be found in your words and may they bring life and grace to the hearer!

Have a wonderful week,

Award Winning Apple Pie Recipe

One memorable summer of my childhood, my family was planning to visit our local county fair. Before we headed out to enjoy the sights and sounds that come with a fair, my father had the great thought of my mother entering her apple pie into the pie contest. I think he had to convince her to enter it, as she wouldn't have done so on her own. We all knew that Mom's pies were the best we ever had and that she would do well in the contest.

The day of the contest, Momma took her apple pie to the display table and filled out her registration card. We left it there to enjoy all the fair had to offer and when we returned to the contest area later in the day, we were all in for a pleasant surprise. Mom's apple pie had won third place!

There was her pie, half eaten by the judges and along side it stood a beautiful basket full of fruit - her third place prize! We were all so happy for her and so proud of her pie-making skills. We knew that she had it in her. After a fun day at the fair, we headed home with hearts full of joy and a basket full of fruit. (Maybe another pie in the making :)



Here is a wonderful, simple apple pie recipe that my mother passed down to me. If pies haven't been easy for you to make in the past or you have no experience at all, try this recipe out! You can do it!

Perfect Pie Crust

Ingredients:

1 cup cold butter (2 sticks of the real thing)

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)

5 - 10 tablespoons ice water

Directions:

1. Measure flour into a medium bowl. Mix in salt (if needed).
2. Cut butter into pieces as you add it to the bowl, then mix into flour using pasty cutter until crumbly.
3. Add ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, mixing with a fork, until the dough sticks together.
4. Form a rectangle log with your hands and wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 20 min or longer (overnight is fine, this dough freezes well too).

Before rolling out the dough, you will cut the rectangle log in half - to make a top and bottom crust.

***A few pie crust tips***

• The less you mix and handle the dough, the better. The less you handle it, the flakier it will be!
•  Before rolling the dough, take the log of dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for 10 min or so, just to take the chill off. The goal is to have cold dough, but not rock hard dough.
• When rolling it out, use a well-floured surface. If the edges of the circle break apart, piece them together like a puzzle. It doesn't have to be perfect to look and taste great!
• If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

In order that the pie crust can sit in the fridge a while before rolling it out, here is the order in which I found it best to make a pie:

1. Mix dough and place in fridge
2. Create pie filling and set aside
3. Turn on oven to correct temp.
4. Roll out dough and place in pie plate
5. Pour filling into the plate
6. Cover with top crust (if called for)
7. Place in the oven to bake!

Award Winning Apple Pie

(adapted from The New Cookbook by Better Homes and Gardens)

Ingredients:

1 recipe for double pie crust (above)

6 cups thinly sliced, peeled cooking apples (I like to use a mixture of half sweet apples and half tart apples - like Golden Delicious and Granny Smith )

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions:

1. Prepare crust as directed in recipe above and place it in the fridge.
2. Peel, core and slice your apples and place in a large bowl
3. Add to the bowl sugar, flour, and spices. Gently toss to coat.
4. Turn on oven to 375*. Roll out dough and line the bottom of pie plate with one pastry circle. Transfer apple mixture to pie plate.
5. Cut 5 or 6 small pieces of butter and place on top of pie filling.  
6. Place the second pastry circle on top of pie and pinch edges to seal, trim off the bottom of the edges as needed. Cut slits in top crust (in the shape of a letter if you would like).
7. If desired, brush top of pie with milk and sprinkle with sugar.
8. To prevent over-browning, cover edges of the pie (just the crust) with strips of foil.
9. Bake for 40 minutes, remove foil and bake another 20 minutes or until fruit is tender and filling is bubbling up through the pastry slits. Cool on wire rack and enjoy!

Don't let making your own pie crust from scratch scare you. Once you make it and enjoy it, you won't want to ever return to store bought crust. This is a wonderful dessert to share with friends, served with a cup of tea or coffee (or a scoop of vanilla ice cream).


I pray that your home is filled with love, peace, joy and the sweet scent of apple pie!


Blessings,