Little Bites of Heaven

So here's a rundown of my weekend: Friday night, Jared and I tried a new Indian restaurant in Layton, Taste of India. Yes, Indian has arrived in Layton! The restaurant is on Woodland Hills Drive, near Sego Lily Day Spa. The decor is nice and simple reds and golds, the staff is friendly, and the dishes are superb. I departed from my usual order of chicken coconut korma, and I tried the lamb rogan josh, cheese naan and mango lassi. Everything was delicious and I'm sure I'll be back there again, take out or eat in. After that Jared and I drove over to DSW and to my amazement what did I see? Red Mango, my favorite fro yo place just opened near Cafe Rio, about a week ago. I was so excited I went in for a small cup and then I promptly dumped my cup on my lap in my new clean car! Oh well, I'll be going back there often enough.

Saturday my friend Jen had some friends over for pizza and a movie. We watched Australia and drooled over Hugh Jackman - Hot! I brought over some Scotcheroos. These just weren't ordinary Scotcheroos though, the yum factor was hopped up with Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos. David Lebovitz is a favorite blogger of mine, he's a cookbook author living in Paris, and he created this Triple Chocolate Scotcheroo recipe. These are to die for, and be warned, they are very addicting. Here's the recipe, and yes, I sprinkled them with a little sea salt, not necessary, but I liked it. Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Scotcheroos

1 cup (200g) sugar
1 cup (320g) light corn syrup
1/2 cup (130g) peanut butter
1/2 cup (130g) Nutella, or a similar chocolate-hazelnut paste
6 cups (200g) crisp chocolate-flavored (or mixed with plain) rice cereal (I mixed half and half)
6 ounces chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, or 1 cup (165g) chocolate chips
1 cup (165g) butterscotch-flavored chips
optional: fleur de sel or flaky sea salt

1. Butter or spray a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

2. In a large saucepan (at least 6 qts) over medium heat, bring the sugar and rice or corn syrup to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and Nutella, then mix the rice cereal in until completely coated. Press the mixture into the greased pan, making sure the top is smooth.

3. Melt the chocolate and butterscotch chips together in a clean, dry bowl set over a double boiler or microwave, stirring gently until smooth and well-blended. Spread over the rice cereal mixture, sprinkle lightly with salt (if using) and cool until set.

Serving: Once cool, cut into small bars with a sharp knife. These are pretty intense and certainly on the sweet side, so bite-sized portions are in order.

Hot Russell is Back

Did you know that Gladiator is one of my favorite movies? I think I've watched it about a billion times. Russell Crowe just does it for me. How could you not love the general who became a slave, the slave who became a gladiator, the gladiator that kills the evil emporer (creepy to the max Joaquin Phoenix)??? Well lately, let's just say Russell hasn't had any "hot" roles. Although I'm excited to see State of Play, I'm hearing good things about it. So how excited am I to see the USA Today spotlighting the new Robin Hood movie, opening next May 2010, starring Russell Crowe in all his hotness, paired up with his old Gladiator director, Ridley Scott. You bet I'm excited, do I have to wait a whole year???

I Heart This!

This season on PBS, Masterpiece Theatre has had some amazing productions. Early in the season they did Tess of the D'Urberbilles (a favorite of mine), Wuthering Heights, and an encore of Sense and Sensibility. For the last half, Masterpiece has been doing Dickens and I've been loving every presentation. On their schedule is Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Little Dorrit and The Old Curiousity Shop. I'm halfway through Little Dorrit, and it is definitely a classic. I've never read Little Dorrit but I love the movie so much that I'm sure it will find it's way on my "to read" list. I was looking at Amazon and they will soon release the ultimate Dickens Fix: The Charles Dickens Masterworks Collection including Oliver Twist, The Old Curiousity Shop, Bleak House, Little Dorrit, and Great Expectations. The Amazon price is $80.99, and the release date is May 5, 2009. Guess what I'll be doing on May 5th?

Dinner in 20?

Here's a recipe for Black Bean Tacos that I tried last night for dinner, it super quick (think dinner ready in 20 minutes), and super tasty. I saw the recipe for these tacos in Bon Appetit magazine and quickly glanced by. Surely it was too simple to be good? Well, then one of my favorite bloggers, Smitten Kitchen, did a post about these tacos and raved about how delish they were. Then I saw it posted several times on Tastespotting, and I knew I had to try it. The only thing I did different was I had some pinto beans in the fridge that needed to be used, so I substituted them, but I'll be sure to try black beans next time.

Oh, have a failed to mention my new addiction? My friend Jen hooked me up with Tastespotting and I've been hopelessly addicted since. She sent me a word of warning, and I will send one too, enter at your own risk, once you visit this website you won't be able to leave. Tastespotting is a compilation of photos and recipes from that vast world of food blogging, full of yummy-licious food. Now you've been warned.


Crispy Black Bean Tacos with Feta and Cabbage Slaw

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
5 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 cups coleslaw mix
2 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 white or yellow corn tortillas
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Bottled chipotle hot sauce or other hot sauce

Preparation:
Place beans and cumin in small bowl; partially mash. Mix 2 teaspoons olive oil and lime juice in medium bowl; add coleslaw, green onions, and cilantro and toss to coat. Season slaw to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat 3 teaspoons olive oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add tortillas in single layer. Spoon 1/4 of bean mixture onto half of each tortilla; cook 1 minute. Fold tacos in half. Cook until golden brown, about 1 minute per side. Fill tacos with feta and slaw. Pass hot sauce alongside.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I love you and I hope all your birthday wishes come true!

Book Review

Here's a book that is a MUST READ. I saw Still Alice, written by Lisa Genova, at Barnes and Noble a while back and it intrigued me but since I already had my arms full of my allowable book quota I didn't buy it. Then, last week I was wandering around again, saw it, and bought it. I intended to put it in my "to read" pile but I started reading the first page and I literally could not put it down.

Still Alice is the fictional story of Alice Howland, a highly successful professor of cognitive psychology at Harvard, married to a professor at Harvard as well, with three children. She's about to turn 50 and starts to notice odd things with her memory, she's forgetful and sometimes disoriented. She chalks it off to menopause, not getting enough sleep, or stress. However, as the severity of the memory issues increase, she makes an appointment with a neurologist at a memory disorders unit. "Alice, you have early onset Alzheimer's disease."

This book is written from the perspective of Alice so it portrays her descent into Alzheimer's and how it affects her relationship with her husband, her children and her colleagues. The author paints an incredibly intimate portrait of Alice and her family. Sometimes, I felt like I shouldn't be there listening in on their private conversations, an intrusion. There were many times that I wept for Alice and her family. I don't have any personal experience knowing anyone with Alzheimer's, but this book affected me deeply and was so touching. My grandmother has a mild to moderate form of dementia and it really helped me appreciate what she goes through sometimes. I think the next time she forgets something or asks me the same thing twice, I will have more compassion and understanding and patience. A reviewer, Beverly Beckham with The Boston Globe, wrote, "After I read Still Alice, I wanted to stand up and tell a train full of strangers, 'You have to get this book.'" I think that sums it up.

How Adorable Is This?

How cute would this be on your Easter table?

Perfect Roast Chicken

Here's an old standby recipe of mine. I especially love to make a roasted chicken on Sunday (like this last Sunday), and serve with mashed potatoes and vegies. I love this particular recipe because the chicken is always tender and juicy, with crisp skin, and very flavorful. I like to buy the 2 pack of chickens at Costco. At $6.00 per chicken, this makes for an economical (and yummy) meal.

Roast Chicken

1 whole chicken (about 6 lb.)
1 T. butter, softened
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 large onion
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the chicken inside and out with cold water and pat dry (including cavity) with paper towels. Cut onion into thick 1/4" slices and place them in 2 rows in a heavy duty roasting pan to form a bed for the chicken to rest on. Place the chicken on onions and tuck tips of wings under the bottom to keep them from burning. Put garlic cloves and thyme sprigs into cavity. Roll lemon on counter and pierce several times with a fork. Put lemon in cavity. Spread butter over entire exposed surface of the chicken. Sprinkle with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Bake for 1 1/2 hours (I generally find the length of time to be spot on). When you take the chicken out of oven let rest on cutting board for about 15 minutes before carving. You can take the drippings from the pan and make a gravy if you like. When carving I like to squeeze some of the lemon over the chicken.

Thomas Friedman is My Idol

I was reading the newspaper on Sunday and saw that one of my idols, Thomas Friedman, was going to be speaking at Abravanel Hall on Tuesday night. So last night on a whim I went and bought a cheap seat and had the pleasure of hearing Mr. Friedman speak. If you haven't heard of Thomas Friedman, he is a Pulitzer Prize winning columnist for the New York Times and he has written several books about world affairs. Some of the topics he has covered include the Middle East conflict, the cold war, U.S. domestic policy and foreign policy, terrorism, and global warming. For those of you local here, his column often appears in the editorial section of the Deseret News. I have always been a fan of his work, when he speaks - I listen. I like his world view and his arguments always make sense to me. Last night he spoke about his latest book, Hot, Flat and Crowded, which I haven't had a chance to read yet. Last year I read another recent book of his, The World is Flat, and I learned a lot from it. Now I just need to put Hot, Flat and Crowded on my reading list!

Gettin' Away

Last weekend I just had to escape so me and the girls (Jen and Amy) got out of town and headed to St. George where it was a little warmer.  It was so relaxing and we did a whole lot of nothin'.  We tried a really good Thai place and, of course, In-N-Out.  Shopping, hot tubbing, the movie, hiking, napping, like I said - a lot of relaxing.  Saturday morning we drove out to Snow Canyon and hiked around the Petrified Dunes.  I love it down in southern Utah, I love that vast ocean of red rock.  All in all, it was the perfect weekend to relax with great friends.

Sweet Find

I want to get the word out, if you are looking for some unique and personalized custom made jewelry, look no further. Check out this blog:

http://kporiginals.blogspot.com

My sweet cousin Kenna makes really unique initial pendants. She just started a blog to showcase her designs and if you like something you see you can go ahead and order it. One of her ideas I really like is you can give her your meaningful photos and have them made into a pendant. For my Grandma's 100th birthday, Kenna made her a pendant with a photo of my grandma and grandpa early in their marriage. It is a treasure! So if you're looking for a special gift for someone or you just want to treat yourself, check out this blog!

Goodbye Fabio

Last night was the first part of the finale on Top Chef. I have been rooting for Fabio all season, but alas, he made a good run and was eliminated. So SAD, and now we're left with crazy Carla, cocky Stefan, and Hosea (who I think if given the chance would like to knife Stefan in the back). But back to Fabio, I HEART FABIO! He has been so entertaining to watch all season, this guy cracks me up. His accent is adorable and it makes his comments even more hysterical. So, in honor of Fabio I thought I would post some of his better quotes of the season:

It doesn't matter how many dragoon you kill, it just matters that you bring home the preencess.

Colicchio. He is like Pope to me.

There is no freakin' blue food.

end of story....

Do I know how make hot dog? No! I know how make sausage!

I'm 30 years old and I have to sleep on the BUNKY bed.

Describing his car: it is a piece of...poo.

Here's 2 variations:
I could serve monkey ass on a clam shell and my team would win.

But I'm a chef. There's nothing that can stress me out. If they gonna give me monkey ass to fill with fried banana, I'll come up with something anyway. It's not a problem.

This is Top Chef...not Top Scallop.

And finally, the last 2 are my favs:

No way, hospital? I'll chop it off and sear it on the flattop so it doesn't bleed anymore, and tomorrow I'll deal with my finger.

I got so many kick in my ass, that sometime when I'm in the bathroom, I still pull shoes out of my ass.

End of story... now vote for Fabio for fan favorite!

2 for 1

Here's a couple of recipes that I made recently that I think are winners. The first recipe I found in Cooking Light Magazine, it was easy, economical, and low in fat.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

1 c. preshredded 4 cheese Mexican blend (I used cheddar)
1/3 c. fat free milk
1 egg
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/8 tsp. ground red pepper
1 - 14 oz. can cream style corn
1 - 8.5 oz. box corn muffin mix
1 - 4 oz. can chopped green chiles
1 - 10 oz. can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 c. shredded cooked chicken breast (I used about 3 c.)
1/2 c. fat free sour cream

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. combine 1/4 c. cheese and next seven ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until cheese melts. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces and top each serving with 1 T. sour cream.


I was watching Rachel Ray's 30 Minute Meals the other day and she was making this Chili Suizas Bake. It looked so delish I had to try it last night. Just an FYI, ground chicken is really hard to find. I went to several stores and apparently they don't offer ground chicken because of some health code. I ended up going to Marberger Meats in Bountiful (a great butcher shop BTW), and they ground me some fresh chicken. I think you could try this with ground turkey, but I prefer the ground chicken. This ends up being kind of like a chili/soup with the chips and cheese on top - kind of like a chili version of Enchilada Suizas. Yum - O!

Chili Suizas Bake

3 large poblano peppers (I didn't find poblanos so I ended up using anaheim peppers)
2 T. extra virgin olive oil
2 lbs. ground chicken
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 large or 16 medium to small tomatillos, peeled, rinsed and halved
1/4 c. cilantro, a handful
2 c. chicken stock
2 tsp. honey
salt and pepper
1 lime, juiced
1/2 c. sour cream
3 c. lightly crushed tortilla chips
1 c. shredded swiss cheese
1 c. shredded monterey jack cheese

Heat the broiler to high. Place the poblanos under hot broiler and char until blackened on all sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Leave the door of the oven cracked to allow the steam to escape. Place the peppers ina bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. All the peppers to cool enough to handle. While peppers char, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken and lightly brown, 3 -4 minutes. Stir in onions, jalapeno and garlic and cook to soften onions about 5 minutes. While onions cook, place tomatillos and cilantro in the food processor and process until smooth. Pour the tomatillos into the chicken mixture and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and honey, season with salt and pepper and simmer chili 10 minutes.

When poblano peppers are cool enough to handle, peel the skin off, remove seeds and chop, stir into chili. Remove chili pan from heat and stir in lime juice. (at this point you could either leave the mixture in the skillet, or put into a 9 x 13 pan - I used the 9 x 13). Add dollops of sour cream on top of the chili, placing spoonfuls evenly across the pan. Cover the pan with a layer of crushed chips and top with swiss and monterey jack cheeses. Place under broiler until brown and bubbly. Serve from hot skillet, spooning chili into shallow dinner bowls.

I served this with chopped red onion and avocados.

Christmas Q & A

I was sent this in an email recently and then my friend, Jen, blogged her answers and I thought it was a fun little quiz. So here are my answers, please leave me a comment, I would love to hear some of your answers.

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? I'm really bad about making my presents presentable, but usually wrapping paper.

2. Real tree or Artificial? Artificial. Last night when I was stringing the tree with lights I was really wishing for a pre-lit artificial. Is that lazy or what?

3. When do you put up the tree? Just did it last night.

4. When do you take the tree down? Usually around New Years.

5. Do you like egg nog? Just a few sips.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My cabbage patch doll (fake of course) ranks high, I also remember a porcelain doll that played music.

7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yes, my mom and I make a glass etched Nativity scene that I love. I also have a children's nativity that the kids love to play with.

8. Hardest person to buy for? My mom, she always asks for World Peace (which includes peace in our family).

9. Easiest person to buy for? My brother Jared, he's fun to shop for.

10. Mail or email Christmas cards? Neither. Would texting Christmas greetings be acceptable?

11. Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Can I pass on that?

12. Favorite Christmas Movie? Does it have to be one? Here are my top three: A Christmas Story, White Christmas, and National Lampoons Christmas.

13. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Hmm...I don't recall.

14. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? On Christmas Eve, we always do a traditional homemade Mexican dinner with tacos, tamales, posole, and my famous guacamole. I also usually make chocolate mousse or something else yummy for dessert. Maybe this year flan? We also like to put out all the goodies that we get and graze on those.

15. Clear lights or colored on the tree? Clear.

16. Favorite Christmas song? I love all of my Christmas music, my favorite last year were Josh Groban, Sissel and Sara McLaughlin.

17. Travel at Christmas or stay home? Home.

18. Can you name all of Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and of course, Rudolph.

19. Open the presents Christmas Eve or morning? Morning.

20. Most annoying thing about this time of year? Idiotic drivers and store traffic. I just want to go postal when you're walking down Costco and someone stops right in front of you to have a convo in the main aisle ("Oh, Hi Marge! How's Billy doing?") and there are about 20 people backed up behind you. I do my best to give them stink eye and loudly say "Excuse Me". Please people, do your talking in a side aisle!

21. Favorite ornament theme or color? I love snowflakes.

22. Favorite food for Christmas dinner? Our traditional dinner for our family party is ham and funeral potatoes, got to have that once a year.

23. What do you want for Christmas this year? My mom, Jared and I are going to Neil Diamond on the 19th. Woo Hoo!!! Oh, and world peace.

Gobble Gobble...

Next to Christmas, Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays.  What's better than food and family?  It's the perfect time to reflect on gratitude and all of the blessings that I have and enjoy building relationships and having fun.  This year I am making two pies, pumpkin, of course, and apple.  Have I mentioned that I really dislike pumpkin pie.  Pretty weird don't you think?  I love pumpkin anything else...pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin bread, pumpkin cake, even pumpkin soup, but give me a slice of pumpkin pie and I can't even make it through one bite.  So, here's a yummy apple pie recipe for all of those pumpkin pie haters out there, you know who you are!

French Apple Cream Pie

6 medium apples, peeled and sliced

1 tsp. orange peel

2/3 c. orange juice

4 T. butter

1/2 to 2/3 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

4 1/2 tsp. corn starch

4 1/2 tsp. water

2 T. lemon juice

1 pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sugar

1 egg

1/2 c. chopped almond

1/2 c. flaked coconut

Bake a 10 inch pie shell; cool.  Slice apples 1/4 inch thick to make 4 c. apples.  Combine 2/3 c. orange juice, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Add apples and boil gently, uncovered, turning fruit carefully as it cooks.  When apples are translucent, about 10 minutes, and tender, blend corn starch with water and add to apple mixture.  Cook, stirring, until it boils and thickens.  Remove from heat; add lemon juice and stir gently.  Cool to room temperature or chill if making ahead.

In a small bowl, whip cream cheese until fluffy.  Gradually add sugar and beat.  Add orange peel and egg.  Beat a little more.  Turn cooled apple filling into pie shell.  Spoon whipped cream cheese mixture evenly over top.  Combine almonds and coconut and sprinkle over cream cheese mixture.  Bake in a 350 degree oven until lightly browned on top, 20 to 25 minutes.  Chill and serve. 

Unaccustomed Earth Book Review

Jhumpa Lahiri, an Indian novelist, is one of my favorite authors, her previous books include The Interpreter of Maladies, which is a collection of short stories, and The Namesake, which was recently made into a movie (the movie was OK, nothing like the book). What I love about reading her books is that I will continue to think about the book days, and even weeks, after I have finished reading the book. Her stories just stay with you. As well, I love the way she writes, it's what I call "delicious reading", where you savor the words.

Her latest book, Unaccustomed Earth, is another collection of short stories. At the beginning of the book she includes a quote from "The Custom-House" by Nathaniel Hawthorne:

Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil. My children have had other birthplaces, and, so far as their fortunes may be within my control, shall strike their roots into unaccustomed earth.

Unaccustomed Earth explores the relationships between sisters and brothers, husband and wife, fathers and sons, mothers and daughters and friends and lovers. Here's a brief description of the first short story: Ruma, a young mother in a new city, is visited by her father, who carefully tends the earth of her garden, where he and his grandson form a special bond. But he's harboring a secret from his daughter, a love affair he's keeping all to himself. When I read this story, it was so interesting to me how the author chose to conclude the story. I guess I could say that about all of the story conclusions in the book.

I am obviously a fan of Jhumpa Lahiri, and I think if you give one of her books a chance, you will be drawn in and well rewarded for your efforts.

Catching Up

Apparently I haven't been updating my blog as often as I should, as my sister reminded me of yesterday. Well, I've been a little blogged out lately so I thought maybe I would share a few snippets of things I've been up to lately.

• I went down to Arizona to stay with Ken and Kenna for Halloween. I've been down before on Halloween, and I always have a great time seeing my cousins and their families. I went shopping with Boni's mom and went a *little* crazy at the M.A.C. store and L'Occitane. Thanks Judy! It was so fun trick or treating with the kids ( it's always so different not having to bundle up in coats and scarves), and we had a big party with the whole family. I also got my fix of good Mexican food and In-N-Out Burger.
• My mom and I have season tickets to the opera and last month we saw Madame Butterfly. I think it was one of the best productions by Utah Opera in recent memory. Butterfly and Pinkerton were amazing.
• I took a cooking class at Les Madeleines Bakery in Salt Lake. Les Madeleines is one of my new favorite places so it was a special treat to go to a class taught by the owner, Romina Rasmussen. I learned all sorts of new ideas and tips.
• I voted!
• I am so excited to see Quantum of Solace and Twilight. I can't wait!
• On Saturday I ran the Gobbler Gallop 5K with my friends Jen and Amy. It was the first time that I have actually ran the entire 5K. My time was 35:40. Definitely room for improvement! In truth, running is not my favorite activity but it's a good challenge for me. Now my next goal is to do a 10K.
• Happy Birthday this month to Jessica, Bronsen, Dylan and Colin! Lot's of family birthdays!

I can't end a post without sharing a recipe. This time of year pomegranates start showing up at the stores. I love pomegranates, especially in salads and desserts. I got this jello recipe a few years ago and it is so yummy I had to share, and I think you'll like it. It's one of only a few recipes in my jello repertoire.

Pomegranate Salad

1 large pkg. raspberry jello

1 c. hot water

Stir to dissolve and add:

2 c. frozen strawberries or raspberries

2 pomegranates, seeded

2 c. diced apples

3 diced bananas

1 small can crushed pineapple, drained

Mix together and put half in a 9 x 13 dish and put in refrigerator to set. Leave other half on counter. Mix 1 cup sour cream, 4 oz. cream cheese, and 1 small container of Cool Whip. Mix together and spread over set jello, then add the other jello on top. Put back in refrigerator and let set.

Tips: On the frozen fruit I used Costco frozen mixed berries and I loved that combo. I also used a large can of crushed pineapple drained. Watch the jello because it sets up quickly. The mixture for the top layer also sets quickly on the counter. Sometimes I will pop it into the microwave for 15 seconds to loosen it up before spreading. How to seed pomegranates: Make a cut in the pomegranate and pull open submersed in a big bowl of cold water. Gently pull the seeds out under water. The seeds will sink and the rind will float to the top. The underwater method is great because you don't end up with seeds and juice all over yourself and your kitchen.

What's for Dinner?

Tonight for dinner I made an old family favorite, Szechuan Chicken, and it was so yummy I had to share it with you.  I don't often cook Chinese food, and this certainly is not authentic, but it's fast and easy, always a crowd pleaser, and the chicken is tender, moist and flavorful.  

Szechuan Chicken

3 chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces

3 T. cornstarch

1 T. oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

5 T. soy sauce

1 1/2 T. white wine vinegar

1 t. sugar

1/4 c. water

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper

1/2 lb. snow peas

1/2 lb. mushrooms, sliced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 red bell pepper, diced

Toss chicken pieces with cornstarch to coat.  Heat oil in wok or large skillet.  Stir fry chicken and garlic until lightly brown.  Add soy sauce, vinegar, sugar and water (I combine ingredients in a bowl and add all at once).  Cover and cook for 3 minutes or until sugar is done.  Uncover and add remaining ingredients and stir fry 2 more minutes.  Serve over rice.

3 New Favs

I know, I know, it's been kind of a while since I lasted posted, so I thought I would share some new favorites:

1.  Jem's New CD:  Down to Earth

I can't tell you how many girl road trips I've taken rocking out to her last cd, Finally Woken. Love, Love, Love that cd, so I was definitely excited when I heard she was coming out with a new cd.  I've listened to it a couple of times now and I really like it.  It has some different beats and melodies, even kind of a funky techno dance number.  One track I really like is, It's Amazing.  

2.  The new Legacy Parkway.

Wow, this has totally changed my life.  I used to get home at 5:45 at night, 45 minutes to get home, seriously?  Now it takes me just about 10 minutes to get to work, and 10 minutes to get home, does wonders for the blood pressure.  I get on at Highway 89 in Farmington, get off on the Centerville exit, and I'm a block away from work.  Sweet!  If you haven't been on Legacy, it is so beautiful, with views out to the lake.  Another bonus - no semis or trucks allowed on the parkway.  No rock chips!  

3.  Peaches

I have always loved fresh peaches in season.  Nothing better than a fresh peach just off the tree. Lately, I've been making a fresh peach cobbler that is so yummy.  It is so simple and I think that's why I like it - beautiful fresh peaches and a simple cobbler crust.  Here's the recipe, it literally takes about 10 minutes to make.

Quick Peach Cobbler

4 c. sliced fresh peaches

1 T. lemon juice

1 c. flour

1 c. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg, beaten

6 T. butter, melted

Place peaches in deep dish.  Sprinkle with sugar to taste (I usually don't add sugar, the peaches are good enough).  Sprinkle also with lemon juice.  Sift dry ingredients together, then add egg.  Mix with fork till crumbly.  Sprinkle evenly over peaches.  Pour melted butter over crumb mixture.  Bake at 375 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until top is crusty and light brown.  Serve warm topped with whipped or ice cream.  

Wedding Doings...

The cute wedding couple

family pictures...

Uncle Chewy with Maddy, Paige and Dylan

Cute Cousins!  Hailey and Abbi

(Thanks Paige for posting these pictures on facebook!  I didn't have time to take any pictures)

SATURDAY NIGHT, Mer and Cody were married and I have to say, the wedding was a smashing success.  Everything was so beautiful.  The ceremony was sweet and short and the kids were so fun to watch.  While the bishop was proceeding with the ceremony, Hailey, Bronsen and Madison were circling around Cody and Meridith, clinging to Meridith's skirt, tugging on Cody's pant leg.  They were adorable.  

I think everyone knows by now that I like to cook, so I offered to do the dinner for the reception.  Well, Saturday morning I was seriously questioning the logic of my offer, and my sanity.  I have never done a wedding, nor prepared food for 150 before.  I think that it ended up being a good learning experience for me.  I think the food turned out really well and I have had requests to share the recipes.  Let's be clear, I definitely did not do this by myself, I had a load of fabulous people helping - including my mom, my cousin, Kenna, Boni, and the best friends a person could ask for, Jen and Krista.  

For the dinner I made some lemon chicken skewers, a panzanella salad, and fruit salad with a honey lime dressing.  Meridith also ordered red velvet cake from California Pizza Kitchen and when that ran out we served a delicious wedding cake that she ordered from Kneaders.  We also had a trio of beverages.  We had water with lemon and lime slices and mint, and Meridith had Raspberry Lemonade and Lime Pina Colada that she ordered from Kneaders as well.  Meridith also put together a cute candy buffet that the children and adults enjoyed as well.  We brought in a grill and Cody's friend, Cade, sacrificed his whole night grilling almost 300 skewers for me - bless his heart!  Of course I was running around all night and didn't think to take any pictures.  So without further ado, here are the recipes:

Chicken Piccata Brochettes

I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbook authors, Marguerite Hendersen, in Small Plates.  I did make some changes for convenience, and I will note that.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. olive oil ( probably doubled the amount of oil)

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

1/4 c. chopped fresh sage (for the reason that I was making such a large amount of marinade, I compromised and used dried herbs, but I have also used fresh in this recipe, I like using either. For the wedding I used 1 tsp. dried sage)

1/4 c. chopped fresh rosemary (I used 1 T. dried rosemary)

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. capers

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces.  Place in bowl along with garlic, oil, lemon zest and juice, salt and pepper, bay leaves, sage, rosemary, thyme and capers.  Toss; refrigerate for up to 6 hours.  Remove the bay leaves.  Soak wooden skewers in water for 10 minutes.  Thread 4 to 5 pieces of chicken on each skewer.  The recipe says: place on baking sheets and top with remaining marinade.  Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes.  I did this different.  I grilled them for 8 - 10 minutes.  In the past I have also broiled them, and I like that result as well.

Make 12 to 16 brochettes, I would plan on 2 - 3 per person.

Panzanella (Tuscan Bread Salad)

Here's another great recipe from Marguerite Henderson from Savor the Memories.  This is a beautiful salad that shows off our delicious summer tomatoes.

1 pound loaf hearty Italian bread

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

8 large ripe beefsteak tomatoes

1/4 c. sliced red onion

1 bunch (about 1 cup) fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped

1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

3 T. red wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

1/2 c. shaved romano pecorino cheese (for convenience sake, I used a pre-shredded parmesan cheese from Costco)

Cut bread into 1 inch cubes.  In bowl, toss bread with 1/4 c. olive oil and 2 cloves minced garlic.  Place on baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in 350 degree oven.  Bread should be crisp and golden on the outside.

Cut tomatoes into 1 inch pieces, place in bowl with red onion, basil leaves, 1/4 c. olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper.  Toss in toasted bread.  Allow to sit for 1/2 hour, tossing often.  Bread should be soft and saturated slightly with the oil and vinegar.  Taste for seasoning.  Serve with romano cheese on top.  (I mixed in the shredded parmesan).

Serves 8.

Fruit Salad with Honey Lime Dressing

I found this recipe on Epicurious.  I didn't use the fruit listed below, I basically made a fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, grapes, and blueberries, and used the dressing from the recipe.  I love the honey lime dressing!

1/2 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. fresh lime juice

1/4 c. honey

1 tsp. grated lime peel

2 c. chopped cantaloupe

2 c. chopped honeydew 

2 c. red or green grapes

2 c. chopped pineapple

1 1/2 c. diced papaya

1 c. halved strawberries

Whisk first 4 ingredients in small bowl to blend; set dressing aside.  Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl.  Cover dressing and fruit separately and chill until ready to serve, up to 6 hours.  Mix dressing into fruit.  Let stand 15 minutes to blend flavors.