Sassy Chicken...the Nurse...

 Where has the Sassy Chicken been?  She has been nursing the Rowdy and his Bochdalek Hernia.  Rowdy has been suffering from "fake" heart attacks for a year now.  I say fake because he has had every heart test available and has an excellent heart.  Almost a year to the date of his first "fake" attack they did a CT of the chest and discovered the problem. 

Here is a quote from the above linked article...

"Presentation of a Bochdalek hernia in an adult is exceptionally rare, Kirkland in 1959 published the first view of 34 cases of adult Bochdalek hernia and as of 1992 only 100 cases of symptomatic adult Bochdalek hernia have been reported in world literature."

Leave it to Rowdy to get something so freakish!  Anyway he is now recovering from a 7-1/2 hour surgery, followed by 4 days in ICU.

Maybe I will cook something other than bean burritos in the near future!

Rag Quilts

The rag quilt is so cute, so cuddly, so fun!  I would not use the word easy.  I have never quilted anything before and have no idea how to cut with a rotary cutter or how to use the little board to make the squares perfect.  I need a lot of help in this area.  This took me a really long time!  I am sure this could be sped up quite a bit with some knowledge of how to use these tools.  Once the squares are cut the rest is easy, but not quick.  I followed the directions from the Green Apple Orchard blog.  The directions were easy to follow.  I made it just like the directions said too, which is unusual.  :O) 

Leftover Pizza Buns

Here is an idea for leftover hamburger or hot dog buns.....

Hot dog bun pizza!  Tomato paste, garlic salt, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni.  Bake at 425 degrees until crisp.  Broil for a second or two if you like it even crispier!

The boy folded his and ate it like a sandwich!

Whipped Butter Update

Whipped butter is a hit!  It really stretches the butter.  One batch lasted one week. (This includes about 1/2 a cup of whipped butter that was dropped on the floor!) In one week we would normally use 6 to 8 sticks of butter for our spreading needs.  We used our whipped butter for toast, rolls, veggies, rice...pretty much anything at the table we would normally spread butter on.  Make some whipped butter today!

Honey Butter Drop Biscuits

Honey drop biscuits are so yummy and sweet!  Smear with whipped butter!  Enjoy!

HONEY DROP BISCUITS

• 2 cups flour
• 1 T. baking powder
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Combine dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry cutter. Combine milk and honey.  Mix honey/milk in with dry ingredients.  If you are a regular biscuit maker, this batter will seem wet.  Have no fear, it is supposed to be a little more wet than biscuit dough that you would roll out.  Drop biscuits, using two spoons, one spoon to scoop and one spoon to push it off, onto a greased baking sheet.  Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until bottoms are golden brown.  Makes 8 to 12 biscuits, depending on how big you want yours.

Check out Tasty Tuesday for more yummy recipes.

Stretching a Buck by Stretching Your Butter....Making Homemade Whipped Butter

Lessen your butter budget without buying margarine!  Make your own whipped butter.  It is really easy and I can't believe I put it off for so long.  This is perfect for toast, pancakes, rolls, muffins...anything already cooked that you would normally smear with butter.  THIS IS NOT FOR BAKING. 

Using your stand mixer with your whip attachment, whip 2 sticks of butter on high until very fluffy.  Once the butter is fluffy, continue with the mixer on high slowly streaming in 1/2 cup of olive oil.  Once olive oil is incorporated continue the same way with the water.  The butter will be very white with pretty stiff peaks.

Transfer butter to storage container.  Refrigerate until set.  After this you may leave it at room temperature or keep in fridge, whatever you are comfortable with.

WHIPPED BUTTER

I found this handy recipe at Tammy's Recipes.

• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 c. olive oil
• 1/2 c. water

Whip butter in stand mixer until light and fluffy on high.  Slowly add olive oil with the mixer still on high.  Do the same with water.  Whip until creamy white and stiff peaks form.  Chill until firm, a couple of hours.  Once set, you can store at room temperature or in the fridge.

Check out more great ideas at Works for me Wednesday.

Garlic Chicken

Going low-carb has really thrown a wrench in things around here.  I am the queen of carbs.  I love yeast.  I love flour.  Of course I am still eating these things, but Rowdy isn't and I have had to adjust things a bit.  No casseroles.  No pasta.  No  beans.  Last night I made garlic chicken.  This recipe was delicious and very simple.  Next time I will definitely double the garlic. 

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven.

Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. (Yes, I forgot and did it later!) Fry the chicken on both sides until golden brown.  Don't cook at too high a heat, you don't want to burn the butter.

While the chicken is browning, slice (not chop) 8 or more garlic cloves into thin slices.  Next time I will definitely be doubling the garlic.  Check out that bag of garlic...amazing.  Three pounds of peeled garlic cloves for $4.99 at Costco.  If you love garlic, this is definitely a must buy.

Once chicken is browned, remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.  Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the pan and toss in your sliced garlic.  Once again, be careful not to burn the butter.  Saute the garlic for three minutes or so, until it becomes soft and some pieces start to turn golden.

When the garlic is done, reduce heat to low and add 2/3 cup white wine (or broth).  Using a wooden spoon deglaze the pan with wine, scraping all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  I am using 2-Buck Chuck!  Have you heard of this?  They 4 or 5 varieties available at Trader Joe's and this is great for cooking...and yes, it is 2 Bucks.

Return chicken to pan.  Be sure to pour the juices that have accumulated on the plate back into the pan. (Notice...I did add salt and pepper.)  Place pan, uncovered, in a 425 degree oven.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Baste 2 or 3 times during the baking, scooping up garlic slices and topping the chicken with them.

This was Rowdy's plate.  Imagine the rest of us with a pile of steaming hot white rice, doused with the delicious sauce left in the pan. 

GARLIC CHICKEN

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts and 3 boneless skinless thighs (or whatevery pieces you like)
• 4 T. butter, divided
• 8 or more garlic cloves, sliced thinly
• 2/3 cup white wine (If you are not Presbyterian or you live at Hume Lake or you just don't like wine, you could use chicken broth)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an ovenproof skillet or Dutch oven.  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.  Over medium-high heat, fry chicken until golden brown on both sides. Remove to a plate and cover with foil.  Add 2 more tablespoons butter to your pan and saute the garlic over medium heat, being careful not to burn the butter, about 3 minutes, until garlic begins to soften and some start to turn golden.  Pour in wine (or broth) and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the yummy brown bits with a wooden spoon.  Turn off heat and return chicken to pan, along with the juices that have accumulated on the plate.  Place pan in oven, uncovered, and bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Cooking time may depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are.  Remove from oven and serve with a generous amount garlic slices and sauce on top.