Asian Chicken with a Twist

Hello friends!
   I have a self-created recipe to share with you today! (By request of a couple people who saw it on Instagram/heard about it on MFP and by my mom!)

Vance and I "created" (I use created loosely since it isn't difficult, but we didn't follow a recipe, so we still kinda created it) this recipe based off of Wal-Mart's newer "Wholesome Goodness" line of products. We found an Asian marinade in that section and decided to give it a try. Our first attempt was good, but not amazing. We continued to slightly adapt it each time. Last night, we hit the jackpot!! (Please note: the "with a twist" part is mainly because I use Cumin, which is traditionally, a non-Asian spice!)

So...without further ado...I give you....Vance and Angela's Asian Chicken with a Twist!

Asian Chicken with a Twist
(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 4 T Wholesome Goodness Asian Marinade
• 1 T Low Sodium Kikkoman Soy Sauce
• 1 c Long Grain White Rice (Dry)
• 1/4 c Sweet Peas (Frozen)
• 1/4 c Golden Corn (Frozen)
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cumin
• Salt
• Pepper
• Garlic Powder 

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a square (or rectangle) baking dish. 
2. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and cumin sprinkled on top. (This is not an exact science. If you like things spicy, make sure to be generous with the red pepper flakes. If not, use sparingly. Go easy on the cumin no matter how you like your food. It's a strong spice. Use garlic powder according to your tastes. Go easy with the salt, but it is necessary to use at least a little!) 
3. Measure out the Asian marinade and dribble over top of the chicken. It's good to have some around the sides of the chicken in the baking dish as well. 
4. Cover the dish and store it in the fridge for at least 4 hours. (It can marinate longer or shorter depending on your needs, but the longer it sits in the spices/marinade, the more flavorful it will be!)
5. When ready to make dinner, preheat the oven to 350 degrees (or don't preheat...I rarely do) and bake chicken for 20ish minutes.
6. While the chicken is baking, cook the rice according to the directions on the package. (I use a Pampered Chef microwave rice cooker that works excellent! I put the cup of rice and two cups of water in it, stick it in the microwave for 20ish minutes and tada! It's awesome!)
7. After the rice and chicken are done, add the rice, soy sauce, peas, and corn to a deep skillet or pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring it constantly so it doesn't burn or stick. Let it brown the rice a bit and cook the peas and corn. 
8.  Dice the chicken into small chunks. When satisfied with rice mixture consistency, add the contents of the baking dish (chicken, juices, spices, etc.) to the rice mixture and continue to cook/mix together for a few minutes, letting the flavors combine.
9. Divvy it up into two bowls (we use measuring cups) and enjoy!!

Nutritional Info.

390 calories (not factoring in the spices) per serving! 

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Low Cal/Fat Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

I forgot to mention a big part of Easter yesterday! My cousin, Kayla's fiance, Timmy got baptized! What a great day to be reborn!

Jon (R) and Timmy (L) before he was dunked!

Anyway...onto today's post!

I wanted to make a yummy dessert for Easter that Vance and I could eat without feeling too guilty. I scoured Pinterest, Googled Weight Watchers recipes, etc. I finally landed on a recipe that I was pretty sure would please my wonderful husband and still tickle my taste buds! The solution? Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake! (Please note, I used 1/3 less sugar strawberry preserves instead of sugar free jam, since the hubs can't have artificial sweeteners, so the cals were around 152 per slice for my version.)

My finished product!

Low Fat Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake
Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 • Size: 1 slice • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 4 pts
Calories: 132.9 • Fat: 5.6 g • Carb: 15.1 g • Fiber: 0.1 g • Protein: 5.8 g

Ingredients:

• non stick cooking spray
• 1/2 cup crushed graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tbsp light butter, softened
• 8 oz package reduced fat cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 6 oz fat-free vanilla Greek yogurt (I used Chobani)
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350°. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick spray.
2. Mix together graham cracker crumbs and butter with a fork until evenly moistened.Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
3. Gently beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth using an electric mixer. Gradually beat in fat free yogurt, egg whites, lemon juice, and flour. Do not over beat.Pour over graham cracker crust.
4. Stir jam until smooth. Drop by small spoonfuls over surface of filling. Using a knife,swirl jam gently through filling to create marble effect.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool to room temperature. Chill a few hours in the refrigerator.

Recipe card I made using the template from here. Feel free to print it out!

I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this was a hit with not only my hubs and myself, but my whole family! One of my younger cousins ate FOUR slices! Geesh! Haha! My mom thought it needed a little more sugar or maybe a little less lemon juice. Next time I make it, I'll probably use half the lemon juice to see if that helps. Let me know if you've made it or if you do! I'd love to hear what you think about it!

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12 Days of Christmas--Day 1--Christmas Recipes

While other blogs are posting about gift guides, fun new toys, and/or presents, Presents, PRESENTS, I've decided to do my 12 Days of Christmas posts about other things. Recipes, fun decorating ideas, DIY projects, crafts, etc. ALL Christmas related! I'm pretty excited! :-) Anyway, if you'd like to join in on the theme for the day (please post links/images/ideas that I didn't post) feel free to link up below so I can follow yours, too! Also, grab my 12 Days of Christmas button and post it on your blog and/or each post(s) so others can join in on the fun! :-)

If your family is like my family, then each year that you gather, people pretty much make the same desserts year to year. My mom ALWAYS makes peanut butter balls. Aunt Tina always makes Oreo balls. Grandma always makes cut out cookies. Aunt Tracy usually brings something random. (If you're a family member reading this, will you please let me know if Aunt Tracy brings anything consistently each year??) Now that I'm married, have my own home, etc. I can't ride my mom's coat tails with the dessert tradition. I made something last year, but I can't remember what it was! (The hubs and I hosted Christmas last year, so we did a LOT of cooking, even though everyone always brings side dishes and such.) Anyway, each year, there are always cookies/goodies recipes that we all KNOW are going to be there. Since, I'm adding my own dessert/goodies to the lot, I want to find a recipe that is a family favorite this year AND for years to come!

Here are some awesome recipes I found on Pinterest the last few months! (I'm linking back to where they were originally pinned from!)

1. Sour Cream Cookies (similar to Grandma's cutout cookies!)

2. Hot Cocoa Cookies (I plan on making these soon...possibly for Kahl Family Christmas this year!)

3. Red Velvet Cheesecake Cookies (I might make these for Christmas at my in-laws!)

4. Gingerbread Cupcakes w/Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting (Yum!)

5. Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes (I am not a fan of mint, so I doubt I'll make these, but how adorably Christmasy!)

Do you have any recipes to share today? Be sure to link back to this post and leave a comment letting me know that you did! I'd love to check out the recipes you posted!


<center><a href="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/angelsingin4JC/12DaysofChristmasAFT.jpg"><img border="0" src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v402/angelsingin4JC/12DaysofChristmasAFT.jpg"/></a></center>

Please click HERE to see the daily topic list of the 12 Days of Christmas at Angela's Favorite Things!

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

Eggless Cookies

Yesterday was an interesting day! We didn't make it to church because I was dreaming about the Amish. I don't know why. It isn't like I think or daydream about the Amish on a regular basis...or at all...but nevertheless, I dreamed I was with the Amish. They did NOT like my electric alarm clock (I have an ihome) so they made me turn it off. I guess when I dreamed that, I turned off my real life alarm clock, too. How bizarre!!!

Anyway, the hubs and I headed over to my Grandma's for lunch with the fam before I headed to work at Old Navy from 2-7. I was excited to learn that I wasn't closing that night since the mall will now be open until 7 on Sundays until Christmas. :-) After I left work, I was pretty tired and worn out. I did not stop ringing customers until around 6. They were everywhere! At around 6 I went into Baby Boys and did some major recovery work. People...at this time of year especially...please don't leave a mess after grabbing what you want/need. It may be our job to make sure everything is straightened, but you don't have to make it more difficult for us. Our first job is to make sure YOUR shopping needs are met. We can't stay but an hour past closing time, and if we don't have the time to clean up the disaster that customers leave behind, then we have to leave it that way for the opening shift...which isn't fair. I'm not asking you to clean up messes you come across. Just clean up after yourself. **Steps off soapbox.**

After work, the hubs made some spaghetti (I doctored the sauce because I'm Italian, and it's my job) and talked about making snickerdoodles for me a bit later. (He also sorted and did some laundry and washed most of the dishes while I was at work. Awww...what a good husband!) Well...while we were eating dinner, he asked me if Snickerdoodles require eggs. I was like...most cookies require eggs! (At least the ones I make.) This mad us both a little sad because Saturday morning, we used all the eggs for pancakes and eggs. Sooo...I Googled eggless cookie recipes and searched for one until I found one that required only ingredients we had on hand...and didn't take hours to make. This is what I found!

Eggless Cookies
Cooks.com

Original Ingredients
1/2 lb. butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour
1 tsp. water

Additional Ingredients (We used these based on the comments under the recipe.)
1 tsp baking powder
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp water (not 1 tsp)
cinnamon and sugar (rolled in)

Directions
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy.
1b. Add brown sugar.
2. Add vanilla, flour, and water.
2b. Add baking powder.
3. Blend well.
4. Roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture.
5. Drop by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet.
6. Bake at 375 degrees until light/golden brown.

These cookies turned out pretty darn well! They taste similar to a snickerdoodle when prepared with the additional ingredients, but they aren't quite like the originals! This is an awesome recipe to go to if you don't cook with eggs and/or you don't have eggs in the house and you're craving a cookie!

Don't forget about the Two of a Kind Creations Giveaway going!

It ends November 21 at 12:01am! 

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Recipe Reviews

Side note before we get started!
I started my period today. (HAPPY MONDAY!) If you haven't been reading my blog for very long, you might be wondering why I'm posting such a personal, yet natural, moment in my life. Well...it's because my hubs and I are TTC. We've not succeeded yet, and this basically proves it. Yesterday was day 70 of my cycle. 70 days. 70 FREAKING DAYS! That's the longest cycle I've ever had. What is UP? I have no idea. November 1st can't come soon enough. (See this post and this for more info.) Bright side of seeing Aunt Flo? It's a new month, with a new opportunity to TTC. I have faith. Romans 8:28.

I am such a slacker about planning our meals right now...and sharing them with you. I'm not sure if I'm honestly going to be able to keep up with the full on spreadsheet, but I'm going to try to plan out our meals and link recipes, as well as give my reviews of the new recipes we try. That spreadsheet is TIME CONSUMING. I might do it again if I hear that people are actually using it, but if I'm only making it for me, I can make it in a list form.

From the last meal plan I posted, I made 2 out of the 3 new recipes I hadn't made before. The potato soup is on my list for this week...as well as my stuffed shells!

1. Corn and Chicken Chowder

My Rating

Hubs' Rating

Review: This picture looks really gross. I know. Ha. HOWEVER, this was taken in terrible lighting...in a tupperware sandwich container...the next day. I forgot to take a pic when it was fresh because it was SO YUMMY! The hubs and I don't rate things 5 stars unless we mean it. We loved the chewiness, the smoothness, and the crunchiness. It took me about an hour to make this, which might seem daunting to some busy ladies and gents, but unless a soup is slow cooked in a crockpot, it's going to take more than 10-15 minutes to make a yummy, homemade soup. I highly recommend this to anyone!

2. Crockpot Italian Chicken

My Rating

Hubs' Rating

Review: This recipe was a bit of a let down to me. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great, thus the 3 star ratings from the hubs and I. We ate ours over whole wheat pasta, which was pretty good, but it might be better over egg noodles, as someone told me on Pinterest, that they did. I didn't really like the texture, too much, but to be fair, I didn't defrost the chicken before putting it into the crockpot. Maybe it would have turned out a little smoother if I had? Maybe not? Regardless, I feel like it was just lacking overall. I suggest you give it a try if it sounds like something you and your family might enjoy, though!

Did you try either of these recipes over the last couple of weeks? What did you think? Do you agree with my ratings? Have you tried any other recipes lately that you think I should try? Leave the link and/or recipe in the comments below, please!

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Meal Plan Monday 9/19

It's Monday again! Back to the beginning of the work week! Did you have a great weekend? 


Here's the meal plan for the week! It's a Google Document Spreadsheet. You can download it/save it to your computer and edit it to your heart's content! (Please do not post this on your blog, website, etc. without giving me credit, though. It takes time and effort planning/making these!) I'm super excited about two of these meals that I've never made before!

Recipes To Share

1. Momma Mia Stuffed Shells (AFT Original!)

2. Corn and Chicken Chowder

3. Crock Pot Italian Chicken

4. Crock Pot Hearty Potato Soup

New Recipe Reviews From Last Week

1. One Pot, Stove Top, Creamy Mac and Cheese

Please excuse the cell phone pic.

Hub's Rating

My Rating

Review: I felt like it was lacking flavor. I added some cayenne paper to it, but it still didn't make it overly interesting. It was easy to make, though kind of high maintenance since I couldn't really walk away from the stove. (Didn't want it to burn, clump, or the milk to curdle.) The end result just wasn't worth all of the work in my opinion. I also wouldn't recommend this as a meal. The hubs and I decided it would be a pretty good side dish though. It just wasn't as satisfying as an entree should be. If we added bacon crumbles and/or toasted breadcrumbs, it might have been a bit more satisfying.

2. Crock Pot Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup: 

Please excuse the cell pic...again.

Hub's Rating

My Rating

Review: We LOVED this soup! Not only was it SUPER easy to make (it took me less than 10 minutes to put it all in the crockpot, turn it on and go) but it was super delicious! The only thing I would recommend is that if you want some for the next day or to freeze OR you have more than 2-3 people in your house, double the recipe. It made enough for us for dinner and then a little left for me to have the next day, but this recipe did not make an over abundance of soup. The taste, though, was to die for, and it was hearty, satisfying, and filling! This is sure to be a Bailey Family Favorite!

Did you try any of the recipes from last week? What did you think? How did the meal plan work out for you, if you used it? I hope you have a yummy week! 

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Meal Plan Monday 9/12-9/16

Hello, Friends!!
   Happy Monday to you! I think I enjoy Mondays more than most people...mostly because I don't have to go to work on Monday. Maybe you dislike Mondays. Maybe you're like Garfield. :-)

Source

Here's the meal plan for the week! It's a Google Document Spreadsheet. You can download it/save it to your computer and edit it to your heart's content! (Please do not post this on your blog, website, etc. without giving me credit, though. It takes time and effort planning/making these!) I'm super excited about two of these meals that I've never made before!

Recipes To Share

Source

1. One Pot, Stove Top, Creamy Mac and Cheese

Source

2. Crock Pot Creamy Southwest Chicken Soup 

(I named it since someone just posted it directly to Pinterest from their phone!)

Source

3. Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
(P.S. I don't use the scallions on top, because I don't like them. They are not included in the ingredients on the spreadsheet. If you want them, please just add them to the spreadsheet.)

Tune in next Monday to hear all about my experience with the new recipes as well as to get next week's meal plan!

I'd love to hear about YOUR meal plan for the week (if you make them) OR if you use mine! Feedback anyone? :-D

If you could take 2 seconds and give this a click, it would mean so much to me! Thank you!!

Mommy's Sausage Bread

Sorry it's been so long. Life has been handing me lemons, and I've been busy making lemonade. (Figuratively and literally!)

Last night, my mom taunted all of her Facebook friends via her status. She mentioned her sausage bread. Some people had never heard of sausage bread. Others started drooling in their screens. Still others begged for pictures and the recipe! In my family, sausage bread, is a staple. I've eaten it since before I can remember. However, I don't like sausage. That being said, I call mine pizza bread. Mom always made sure to make one sausage bread, one pizza bread (pepperoni) and one stromboli when she made it for our family. My dad almost always consumed a whole loaf on his own. (My daddy is a beast.) Anyway, I hadn't really thought about the recipe until last night when people asked about it. I've always just made it without thinking about it. However, it is one of the easiest recipes to follow! It can be completely homemade or semi-homemade. Until I get a bread maker, I make the semi-homemade version. My mom always makes the semi-homemade version because seriously...who has time to make homemade bread all the time? This recipe is word for word (minus a few grammar corrections I made) from my mom. Her personality sure does shine through! ;-) Love you, Mommy!

Mommy's Sausage Bread


Ingredients:

• Frozen bread dough* (or make your own if you like)
• Any pizza toppings you enjoy (Italian sausage (browned w/casings removed), Salami, Ham, Pepperoni, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Olives, Spinach, etc.)
• Cheese...lots of cheese**
• Garlic powder or Granulated Garlc
• Egg wash
• Pizza sauce
  
  
  >Ok here's where it gets tricky. I have no set of instructions. I never seem to do it the same twice. I'll do my best.<

Directions:

1. Let dough thaw per package directions.

2. Take one loaf at a time and place on lightly floured surface. 

3. Take your stress out by punching out air bubbles. (I pretty much keep the shape it is and just roll a bit longer and much wider, gradually flipping as needed. It takes some practice, but it's not difficult to do.)

Credit: My Mom

4. Using a pastry brush (or spoon)  brush dough with egg wash. 

5. Liberally sprinkle with garlic. 

6. Add whatever ingredients you want. 

7. Top with cheese. 

8. Roll longways and pinch seams together. 

9. Place on greased cookie sheet seam side down. 

10. Either coat bread with more egg wash or rub with oil (I use oil). 

11. Sprinkle with parm. cheese if desired.

Bake about 15-20 minutes at 350.

*I use Rhodes. It comes in three loaves and is found in the frozen bread aisle. I have resorted to using Pillsbury pizza dough when I can't find the loaves but it doesn't taste as good. I have found Rhodes at Wal-Mart!

**I use mozzarella, provolone, parmesean and sometimes cheddar

Some recipes just make you think of home. This is one of those for me.