Spicy Honey Chicken Wrap

I love meals that I can make into two meals. I made this chicken for supper and served it with rice and a vegetable. Then I was able use the left over chicken for a wrap. I will admit I love wraps. They are in their own convenient to go edible wrapper. Also, the best part is saving some money on groceries especially on meals that we like.

Spicy Honey Chicken Wrap
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 coriander 
1/2 tsp cumin 
1/8 tsp cayenne powder
6 chicken breast
1/2 cup honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 cup mixed greens
1/2 cup of  tomatoes, chopped
4 tortilla wraps
Dressing, if desired

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic powder, chili powder, onion powder, coriander, cumin, and cayenne powder.
2. Coat the chicken with the spices.
3. Spray a grill or a inside grill pan with nonstick cooking spray.
4. Heat over medium heat.
5. In a small bowl, microwave the honey for about 30 seconds.
6. Add the cider vinegar to the honey and combine well.Remove about 1/8 cup of the mixture and reserve.
7. Add the chicken to the grill and brush on the honey mixture.
8. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes and flip it over.
9. Brush the other side with the honey mixture.
10. Cook the chicken for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
11. Remove and with a clean brush coat with the reserved honey mixture.
12. Serve 1/2 the chicken for supper and allow the remaining chicken to cool.
13. In the middle of the tortilla wraps, add 1/2 cup of mixed greens with a couple of tomatoes and some cooled chicken. Add dressing if desired.
14. Wrap the tortilla up like an envelope and serve.

Recipe adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything.
 
One year ago....................I made Taco Seasoning.

Did you already know......
-In 1897, the first charcoal grill was patented in the U.S. by Ellsworth B.A. Zwoyer.
-In 1952, George Stephen began selling his Weber grill created from cutting a metal buoy in half and adding a grate. 
-In the 1960s, the gas grill was invented by William G. Wepfer with Melton Lancaster as a new way to sell natural gas. 

Broccoli Cheese Soup

My husband is the first person to rally against vegetables. Maybe you have seen him in our front yard with a sign shouting "No more vegetables! No more vegetables!" So, it surprises me when he kept ordering broccoli soup in restaurants the past couple of weeks. I asked him if he would just want me to make some for him. He told me it would be nice. My oldest daughter told me this is the best broccoli soup she has ever had.

Broccoli Cheese Soup
2 lbs. broccoli
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 shallot (about 1 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 cups milk (I used skim milk)
4 oz. fontina cheese, grated
8 oz. cheddar cheese, grated
4 cups chicken broth

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil.
2. Arrange the broccoli on a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil.
3. Season the broccoli with salt and pepper.
4. Broil for 5 minutes and remove. 
5. Turn the broccoli pieces over and broil for another 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn the broccoli. Set aside to cool.
6. In a large pot, melt the butter over medium heat.
7. Add the shallot and stir for about 1 minutes.
8. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute.
9. Whisk in the the milk.
10. Add the cheese and stir until melted.
11. Stir in the chicken broth and turn down the heat to low. 
12. Add the roasted broccoli pieces and stir. 
13. Allow the soup to simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

Recipe adapted from Katy's Kitchen.

One year ago.....................I made Lemon Tassies.

Did you already know...................
-Broccoli belongs to the cabbage family.
-The word broccoli derives from the Latin word (brachium) and Italian word (braccio) that means arm.
-1 cup of broccoli has the same amount of Vitamin C as 1 orange.

Chewy Brownies

I am partial to box brownies. I have tried many homemade versions of brownies and they are good but still not the same. I will admit these brownies do not taste like box brownies. They are so much better. It doesn't mean I won't still buy box brownies but if you want a bakery style brownie then you need to make this recipe. My family agreed this is the best brownie I have ever made including the box brownies. Oh, they are so good!

Chewy Brownies
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp boiling water
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, sliced into cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate , chopped

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line the bottom of the baking pan with parchment paper. (I used a 4 qt. glass pan.) Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, the chopped unsweetened chocolate, and water.
Add the butter and stir until the butter has melted.
Add the oil and mix well.
Add the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.
Mix in the sugar.
Add the flour and sea salt. Mix until combined.
Fold in the bittersweet chocolate.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. An inserted toothpick will be a little moist.
Allow the brownies to cool for 10 minutes before removing the brownies from the pan and placing on a wire rack to continue to cool completely.

Recipe adapted from Project Domestication.

One year ago.........................I made Apple Cinnamon loaves.

Did you already know............
-Some dictionaries list a brownie as a cookie as others list it as a cake.
-One of the first brownie recipes published was the Bangor Brownie.
-The Bangor Brownie is suppose to have been created by a frugal housewife from Bangor, Maine. 

Abstract Art Sugar Cookies

When you were a kid, did you make your Mom wonderful artwork?  She thought it was a master piece and would hang it up for you. Well, I guess I never stopped wanting to make my Mom something special. So, I made her cookies with lemon extract. She loves lemon flavored desserts. I also spent some time with my kids making some art work of our own. I gave these to my Mom and she liked them.

Can you tell what I made?

Abstract Art Sugar Cookies Icing
4 Tbsp meringue powder
1/2 cup water
1 lb.powdered sugar, sifted
Food coloring gel

1. In a large bowl, mix the meringue powder with the water.
2. Beat the icing until foamy.
3. Add the sifted powdered sugar to the meringue mixture.
4. Beat on medium high for about 5 minutes or until the stiff peaks form.
5. Divide the icing into separate bowls before adding desired colors with food coloring gel. Make sure to leave some of the icing white.

Decoration directions:

1. To frost your cooled cookie, pipe a white border in the center of the cookie. (I used this cookie recipe.)
2. Flood the cookie with white icing. Allow to dry for at least an hour.
3. Once the middle white "canvas" dried, decorate the white icing with your art work. Allow to dry.
4. Take the cookie and dip the side of the cookie into the desired color to make a border. 
5. Carefully dip another side of the cookie into the icing and allow to dry before attempting the two other sides.

Frosting recipe adapted from Bake at 350 degrees. Make sure to check out her step by step directions or her wonderful cookies.
 
One year ago....................I made Seven Cheese Bread.

A bow, butterfly, and flower for my Mom

Did you already know......
-On May 10th, 1908, Anna Jarvis organized a Mother's Day observation in Grafton, West Virginia and Philadelphia.
-In 1914, Congress designated Mother's Day would be observed on the 2nd Sunday in May. 
-According to the U.S. Census Bureau, over 4 million woman gave birth last year.

Happy Mother's Day! I love you Mom!

Fruit Cups

If you end up making fresh squeezed orange juice, you will have a lot of orange shells left. Since we love fruit salad, I figured it would make nice bowls. Also, my children thought they made nice cups. I loved this recipe. You can use any fruit that you like. I used berries, bananas, oranges, and grapes. I love berries as you can see. Melons would work just as great.

Fruit Cups
4 oranges
2 cups fruit
1/4 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Slice the oranges in half. Scope out the orange sections to create a smooth bowl with the outer rind/peel/shell of the orange.Test each bowl to make sure it will stand with the open end up. If not, slice off a thin part of the bottom of the orange to make it flat. Be careful not to poke a hole in the bottom.
2. Chop the fruit into bit size pieces. (add the orange sections to the fruit.)
3. In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of fruit with the sugar. Set aside for about 15 minutes.
4. Combine the macerated fruit with the 1 cup of fruit.
5. Fill the orange bowls with the fruit.
6. Serve immediately or allow to chill for about 1 hour.

Recipe by Jen of Sweet Morris.

One year ago........................I made Pizza Sauce.

Did you already know..........
-The subsections of a blackberry and a raspberry is called a drupelet.
-A white drupelet on a blackberry or raspberry is due to the fruit being scalded by the sun. It is still usable.
-A blackberry has about 90 seeds (drupelets) per a berry.