Feta & Spinach stuffed Chicken

The other day I was stuck at home, sick.  No husband and no kids to "help" choose a TV show. That was the only perk of the day.   I watched 10 mins of one show, 5 mins of another, 2 mins of yet another.  As wonderful as it was, I guess I am not a daytime TV lover.  I did however see the last 10 mins of Rachel Ray.  She made feta and spinach stuffed chicken.  I thought as she says - YUM-O.
It was several weeks ago that I saw the show, so this recipe was from memory.

 To start I took out chicken breasts, spinach, feta, onion and olive oil.

 I chopped my onions, seasoned with salt & pepper, sauted them in olive oil until they were perfectly soft.

 While the onions cooked, I pounded my chicken (by placing chicken in a freezer bag, it helped contain the mess)

 The spinach (which was frozen) I cooked and drained off all the water.  I added feta and my cooked onions.  Then mixed.  At this point I knew this dinner was going to be good.

 I took a chicken breast, opened it up and stuffed as much of the stuffing as I could, then I simply folded the side over.   It was messy, but since it was baked, all the goodness stayed in the pan.

 Then I melted about a tablespoon of butter and added a cup of panko bread crumbs.

 Spread the bread crumbs and cooked at 425 for 25 mins.  While the chicken cooked I made basmati rice and corn.

And the final product!   YUMMY 

I highly recommend making this for you self.   Took about 35 mins from start to finish.   


Recipe
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or more)
1 onion - diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 box frozen spinach - cooked and all excess water drained
1/2 cup feta cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 cup panko bread crumbs


1.  Preheat oven to 425
2.  Chop onion and saute in olive oil until onions are soft.  Then set asside
3.  While onions cook, heat up spinach and let cool.
4.  Take chicken and place in freezer bag.  Pound until thin.
5.  In a bowl, add cooked onions, broken feta cheese and drained spinach - mix well.
6.  Take chicken, place as much or as little spinach/cheese mixture as you want and place in baking dish.
7.  Repeat until all chicken is stuffed.
8.  Any left over spinach mix, place with chicken.
9.  Melt butter, add bread crumbs and mix, then place overtop chicken
10.  Bake for 25 mins


Recipe adapted from Rachel Ray

Carrot Cupcakes

Being my birthday weekend I offered to make birthday carrot cupcakes with cream cheese icing.  Mmmmm, who can say no to that?

Just like my birthday, these cupcakes were amazing!!

But first, to back track a little, I baked these at 9PM on a Friday night after being sick all week...  I didn't have the energy to decorate them until the next morning where I had all of 3 mins to get everything done before I ran out the door.  That being said, they were still amazing.

 Start by grating 8 large carrots (this is where a food processor comes in handy!)

 In the bowl of a stand mixer, add oil, eggs, sugar and vanilla.

 Mix until it looks perfect - or until mixed.

 Add the dry ingredients - mix until combined.

Dump all the carrots into the mix and the raisins too.

 Mix until the carrot and raisins are all over.

 Next, using a scooper (I used a plain old spoon and made a giant mess - again, it was late and I was tired) divide batter into 2 prepared cupcake pans.

Make some cream cheese icing and ENJOY!

Recipe:

8 carrots, grated

1 cup raisins

1 cup walnuts or pecans (optional)  my family does not like nuts, so I don't use them...

1 1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350

Peel and grate carrots, set aside.

In a stand-up mixer, mix sugar, oil eggs and vanilla.

Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt just until combined.

Add carrots and raisins - mix well.

For Cakes -- Put into 2 round baking pans - oiled and floured.  Bake for 34-40 mins

For Cup Cakes -- Put into 2 muffin pans (either oiled and floured or use cup cake wrappers).  Bake for 25-30 mins

** this recipe was hand written in my "recipe book"  since 1998.  I realize the directions are not as detailed as they should, but it works for me.  And since is has been in my "recipe book" I can not source where I found the original recipe, other than my Mom found it in a magazine to make for my Sisters wedding way back in 1998...

Decorate with Cream Cheese icing

8oz cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup butter (room temperature)

3 cups icing sugar

2 tsp vanilla

In mixer, cream butter and cream cheese.   Add icing sugar and vanilla, mix until smooth.  Place in piping bag for cupcakes.

Birthday Weekend!

It was my birthday weekend and what a wonderful weekend it was!!   We were busy with family and friends (and hockey).
Last night after a beautiful dinner, my family surprised me with cards.

 They brought them to the table.   Nothing better than hand made cards!!!

 They did it themselves!   They were so proud!

And of course, it made me so proud!

Then came a cake!   As I said before, he cooks but doesn't bake.   That's ok, he brought home a cake.

 Chocolate, my favourite - from the local bakery.

 Candles going....

And gone!   

Birthday weekend over for yet another year.

Thank you to everyone for all the birthday wishes.

The best Salsa

We as a family love salsa - all kinds of salsa!!!  The best recipe we have come across is this one.   Not sure where I came across the original recipe - I tend to use it as a guide and use whatever I happen to have on hand.  I have added black beans and corn, fresh tomatoes, lots of stuff...  This one I added lime juice - YUMMY! 

To start - I used a can of whole tomatoes, tomato paste, half an onion, garlic, jalapeno pepper and lots of cilantro.

Put the onion, garlic and pepper in the food processor.   Please note - we are not a "spicy" family.   I added just 1 jalapeno pepper, if you like more spice add more peppers!   

Mix/chop

Add the cilantro (and parsley if you have it)

Mix/chop some more, then add some olive oil.

Next add the tomatoes (I like using whole tomatoes in most of my cooking, I think they are better...)

And the tomato paste.

Mix until you want to eat it.

At this point I thought to add some lime juice - as I said before YUMMY!  All salsa should have lime juice added.

Place into jars and enjoy!

Ok, the presentation in a jar isn't the best... put it in a pretty bowl with a side of tortilla chips.

Recipe:

1 can of whole tomatoes

1 can of tomato paste

1 small onion (or half a large)

Garlic - depends on how much you like

Jalapeno - again, depends on how spicy you like it... I use 1

Lots of cilantro - more is better!

Parsley (if you have it)

about 2 tbsp of olive oil

salt and pepper

In a food processor chop onion, garlic and jalapeno pepper.  Add cilantro and parsley, add olive oil, then tomatoes, paste, salt and pepper.

Let sit in fridge for a few hours before serving - to let the flavours mix.

Enjoy!

Mini BAKED Donuts!!

Yes, that's right.  I said baked donuts!   I had seen these on my google reader and thought, yeah I would like to try those...  But I didn't have a pan to bake them in.   So I starred the recipe in my reader and went on with my business.

The other day I went to a local kitchen store and couldn't help but notice the 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE sign, then I couldn't help but notice the mini donut baking pan right beside the 20% OFF EVERYTHING IN THE STORE sign.   

So...  what does one do?  Buy it of course.  What does one do next?   Try out the pan!

 The ingredient list is short - I had everything except for the buttermilk (don't worry, I stopped at the store on my way home and bought some.)   What makes these donuts so good is the lemon zest stirred into the sugar....   

 I added my lemon sugar to the rest of the dry, then mixed the wet in.

 I mixed the dough and placed it into a piping bag.  It helped fill the cups equally.

 Then came the fun part -- decorating!!!  Chocolate dipped with sprinkles (these were the kids favourite)

 These were dipped in butter and then smothered in cinnamon sugar.

Then we have the plain chocolate dip.

I am sorry to report, they are all gone.  None left to share.  The good news is they are easy peasy to make and more can be made!

Recipe - taken from My Baking Addiction

Ingredients
½ cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
1¼ cups cake flour, sifted
1¼ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1½ tbsp. butter, melted
½ teaspoon of vanilla

Instructions
Prepare pan with baking spray.
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. In a small bowl combine sugar and lemon zest until the sugar is moistened and fragrant.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in sugar mixture.
3. Add buttermilk, egg, butter, and vanilla and stir until just combined.
4. Add batter to a piping bag and fill each donut cup approximately one-half full.
5. Bake 4–6 minutes or until the top of the donuts spring back when touched.
6. Let cool in pan for 4–5 minutes before removing. Finish the donuts with glaze, sprinkles, or cinnamon sugar.

adapted from Wilton

Happy Valentines Day (a day late)

I'm a day late - sorry....  Happy Valentines Day to you all!  
I'm not a day late, I'm simply sharing the love for another day!  Maybe?  
Every year I make Valentine's for the kids to give out to their classmates, this year they wanted store bought, ugg.   So, since I was running out of time... I said ok.  (I still can't believe I bought them...)
I did, however, make Valentine's for the teachers!

Stamps: Season of Friendship

Paper:  Cherry Cobbler and Whisper White

Ink: Chocolate Chip

Other:  Heart punch, Stampin' Dimensionals

Very simple design, but the kids tell me the teachers LOVED the cards - after all, that's what counts!

11 muffins?

He's a good man,  he enjoys what I cook and bake.  He's full of compliments and the odd constructive criticism (which is not always helpful...) He helps clean the kitchen after I bake.  These are all things I love.
Every so often he drops something...coffee mug or my favourite glass.  Today, while putting away the dishes, he dropped a glass on my muffin pan.   You would think the glass would shatter, but no.  The pan broke.

His suggestion - my muffin recipes will need to be modified to 11 muffins.   
I love my Pampered Chef pans... I have most of them.  I think this will need to be replaced.  Does anyone know someone who sells Pampered Chef in the area?

HAPPY 100's DAY!!

Every year we scramble around the house trying to figure out what to make to our 100's day project  -- so you ask -- what are you talking about??  What is a 100's day project?

At school, the kids celebrate the 100th day of school.  Every child in Cycle 1 (Kindergarten, Grade 1 & 2) has to come up with an idea and make some thing with 100 items.   Whether it be 10 groups of 10, or 100 of something else.   Just need to be 100.

Emma's 1st year at school, we came up with 100 poker chips (if you know our family, you know we have TONS of poker chips around the house.)  Not the best project, but as usual, I had left it too late.  It was neat and tidy in 2 sleeves.

The next year, Emma made 100 punched out flowers - she loved using my crafting stuff.  

Matt's first year, he punched out 100 Ron Rabbits (Rabbit punch, but since his bestest buddy had a Rabbit named Ron, we called it 100 Ron Rabbits)

This year we went with the Monster Theme, kind of.   My first thought was an eye with a 100 eyelashes.  It came to me while I was applying my mascara one morning.  Emma loved the idea, Matt not so much. 

Even though Emma doesn't need to make the 100's day project this year, she wanted to anyway.  I got all the craft supplies and this is the result!

What can't you do with styraphone balls, pipe cleaners and paint??

They are creating...

Matt's is DONE!  100 Pokey Eyes - he got this idea from the monster he painted.   The idea started as 10 eyes with 10 eyelashes.   I think he did an awesome job!

Emma's is an eyeball - it's painted but the 100 eye lashes are not on yet.  If she ever finishes it, I will post it.

Lemon Poppy Seed cookies

Cookies, cookies and more cookies - who doesn't like cookies?   I love cookies and love baking cookies.  I think I may have already mentioned that I love to bake...  And I think you all know I love to bake. 

For last weeks Pond Hockey Tournament I decided to make several different flavours of cookies, after all, who doesn't like cookies?  I made Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, Double Chocolate Chip Cookies (recipe will be posted shortly) and Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies.
I am please to report that this one - Lemon Poppy Seed - was a HUGE hit!   Try it, see what happens!  (if you don't have a lemon in your fridge, I have also made it with lemon extract - still good.  Real lemon is best...)


Yum Yum!

The ingredients

Cream the butter and sugars.  Add egg and lemon zest.   Then add the rest.

Once mixed, put in the fridge for at least 15 mins (otherwise they will turn to pancakes)

Get your scooper (if you don't have one yet, it's about time to get one!) 

And the final cookie - a perfect lemony not to sweet cookie.

Try it, I would love to hear your comments!

Recipe - adapted from The Pioneer Woman's Tasty kitchen

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp poppy seeds

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

lemon zest from 1 lemon

1/4 cup milk

Preheat oven to 375

Add dry ingredients, mix and set aside.

Cream butter and sugars until creamy.

add egg, vanilla and lemon zest.    Mix well.

Slowly add dry ingredients and milk in batches beginning and ending with flour.

Put dough in fridge for 15 mins.

Using your scoop, drop balls onto the cookie sheets

Bake for 12-15 mins

Makes about 30 cookies

Enjoy