Mothers Day

Mothers Day felt extra sweet this year and in all honesty I can't put a finger on "why".  Chad and the children always work hard to make sure my Mom's day is special every year and this one was no different. I think it must just be a sweet feeling of joy and contentment and my heart was extra full this year.  I recieved some special gifts including something I have wanted for a long time... a 6 QT. Lodge Dutch oven coated in beautiful Red Enamel..... I LOVE it and have made some killer food in there already!  My dinner was exactly what I wanted and oh so good.... Veggie Panini's! I had the veggie one and the others had the veggies with some meat also. :-)  I have loved veggie panini's for a long time and while I would love a Panini maker, it is not practical to have a kitchen tool that only prepares 1 or 2 sandwiches at a time when you have a family of 7.  I realized last year that I can simulate a panini maker by using the grill and something to press down on the sandwiches....hence the sandwiches on the grill and covered with a jelly roll pan and bricks!  It works like a charm, you just have to be sure the grill is on low for sure. 
The deliciousness that was my Mothers Day dinner is pictured below.... pure bliss for me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Hell, Fire and Brimstone

In February, Chad and Mitchell attended our church men's retreat and it is a tradition with this retreat to hold a food contest. All the work on the recipe and presentation HAS to be completed by the MEN only. The boys were proud of thier accomplishment... Mitchell created the food and Chad created the presentation! Being that both the boys love hot stuff and Chad's an electrician, the combination of the food and presentation was just perfect for them!

 



Jalapeno Chicken Wraps

1 lb. bnls sknls chicken breasts

1T garlic powder

1T onion powder

1T pepper

2 tsp season salt

1 tsp paprika

1 small onion, cut in strips

15 jalapeno peppers halved and seeded

1 lb bacon, halved widthwise

Cut chicken into 2" x 1.5" strips. In large Ziploc bag combine garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, seasoned salt and paprika. Add chicken to bag and coat chicken. Place a strip of chicken and a strip of onion in each jalapeno half and wrap the jalapeno in 1 strip of the halved lengthwise bacon. Secure with toothpick. Grill uncovered, over indirect medium heat for 18-20 minutes or until chicken juices runs clear and bacon is crisp, turning once. Serve with ranch or blue chees dressing.

Goodbye Kitchen Aid…..Hello Beatrice

I have a long awaited, much anticipated new tool in my kitchen….a Bosch mixer! My Kitchen Aid has been my faithful friend over these last 7 years but I have heard about, read up on, and studied Bosch mixers for a very long time.  I have talked with different Bosch owners and the consensus is always the same….”I love my Bosch”!  The capacity for volume of what I am mixing is literally double, and the performance and sheer power of a Bosch far surpass my Kitchen Aid.  I have patiently anticipated the purchase of this machine and waited for a great price and Chad’s approval….and last week I got both!  With my initial experiment I was able to get two batches of Braided Broiche done in one night….that is 4 very large and delicious loaves of braided bread all in very little time! Now lest you be deceived and think I can just whip out any ol’ amazing thing, the braiding part was my arch nemesis!  I am the wife who ALWAYS calls upon her very artistic husband to arrange a platter of cookies I have baked because I can NEVER seem to get them to look “just right” on the platter.  I knew in the depths of my heart that braiding a loaf of bread was going to be like trying to work one of Mitchell’s Geometry problems….it simply will not happen without MUCH pain and moments of mass confusion!  I used a recipe for Broiche out of the cookbook that came with my Bosch and thankfully I found this great post and followed their instructions on braiding. I studiously sat in front of my laptop with my sheet pan of bread dough and carefully followed the photo tutorial.  I am happy to report that the braiding of 3 out of the 4 loaves turned out pretty darn good!  What about the 4^th loaf you ask?  Well, at some point during the braiding my brain chose to freeze and I totally lost what I was doing and could not for the life of me figure out what I did wrong so there was for sure no fixing it!  It looked awful but still tasted quite scrumptious! This new addition has been aptly named “Beatrice” as this name means “Bringer of Joy”.  She has definitely already brought great joy and I am excited for the many years to come that “Beatrice” will grace our countertop and work hard for our family!

Photo above courtesy of Pleasant Hill Grain (where I purchased my Bosch)