Skillet Barbecued Chicken

Surprisingly easy and VERY yummy!!! Cooking covered on the stove made the chicken very tender and created a sugary crust.

SKILLET BARBECUED CHICKEN

1 broiler fryer, cut up (I used boneless skinless chicken breast. Actually, I am not sure what a broiler fryer is!)
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. Karo dark corn syrup
1/2 c. catsup
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. salt

In large skillet over medium heat brown chicken in butter; drain excess fat. Stir together remaining ingredients and pour over chicken. Cover; cook 30 minutes or until fork tender on low heat. Makes 4 servings.

Pork Tenderloin

A very simple, easy and impressive meal that I have made many times. The recipe calls to use the marinade as a... well...marinade. However, I have always seared the tenderloin with EVOO in a pan, then put it in the crockpot. Mixed up the marinade and poured it over the meat and cooked on low for 6-8 hours. Always turns out yummy!!

Pork Tenderloin
1-2lb pork tenderloin
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 TBL dry red wine
1TBL honey
1 TBL brown sugar
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 green onions (green parts only) chopped

Combine marinade ingredients in a measuring cup and whisk to combine. Pour over tenderloin in a plastic bag and marinade overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes or until meat is 145 degrees. Allow meat to rest about 10 minutes before cutting.

Mississippi Mud Cookies

Of course, I am a huge sucker for any recipe that involves at least 1 cup of sugar. If you add marshmallows and bit of chocolate.... Oh my!! However, the past 3 cookies Micah and I have made from scratch, he did not enjoy. I don't feel too guilty because I believe he enjoys cooking them (especially standing on the big stool) just as much as the actually eating. Thank God, he doesn't appear to have my ferocious sweet tooth!

This delicious recipe came from Southern Living August 2007. The recipe offers several variations, one being a Mississippi Mud Cake that I made shortly after receiving the magazine. It was dee-lish! Since Micah enjoys making cookies and cupcakes, I decided to try the cookie version. There were no disappointments! The gooeyness (sp?) of the marshmallows and the milk chocolate morsels were so irresistible that I ate basically the entire batch all by myself. Between these cookies and the Cadbury Mini Eggs I have been eating, this is not" shaping up" to be a very good month for my waistline!

Mississippi Mudd Cookies

1 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. miniature marshmallows

1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels in a small microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
2. Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla and melted chocolate.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in chopped pecans and 1/2 cup milk chocolate morsels.
4. Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Press 3 marshmallows into each portion of dough.
5. Bake at 350° for 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks.

Glazed Lemon Cookies

Serious yumminess from Real Simple magazine....
I am a lover of all things lemon... lemon squares, lemonade, lemon pie, a little lemon in my club soda or water, lemon heads.... the list goes on. So, when I found a yummy cookie dipped in a dee-lish icing of confectioners' sugar and lemon, I thought to myself, "Could there ever be a most betterest cookie for me?? Yum-o, to the kitchen we go!"
The cookies are simple to make and, as always, included many monkey friendly steps. Micah especially enjoyed dipping the cookies in the icing. And, I especially enjoyed dipping my fingers in the icing. :)

Glazed Lemon Cookies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature 3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if necessary
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

With an electric mixer, beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, vanilla, and salt and beat to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing until just incorporated.Divide the dough in half and shape into 1 1/4-inch-diameter logs. Wrap in wax paper and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.Heat oven to 350° F. Slice the logs into 3/8-inch-thick pieces and space them 1 1/2 inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until lightly golden, 16 to 20 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and zest until it forms a thick but pourable glaze (add more lemon juice if necessary). Dip the top of each cookie into the glaze and let set, about 15 minutes.

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

This is one of my favorite soups to make during the colder months. It is very yummy and has several "Micah friendly" steps. When we are working in the kitchen together, he has started calling us Big Chef and Little Chef. So cute. He is hoping that Santa Claus will bring him a kitchen like the one Ansley and Nathan have. How could Santa resist? Personally, I think Micah's chances are pretty good. :)

Chicken Wild Rice Soup

3 cups cooked wild rice (the real deal rice that requires 50 minutes of cooking)

2 cups cooked chicken

1 cup cubed cooked ham

1 cup shredded carrots

1 cup sliced celery

1 quart Half & Half (I usually use fat-free)

3 cubed cooked potatoes

3 cans chicken broth

1 medium onion chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons melted butter

Combine all ingredients, except flour and butter, in large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until heated (30-40 minutes). In a small bowl, stir together flour and melted butter. Stir into hot soup and continue cooking 8-10 minutes until thickened.

Monkey Macaroni

Ariana shared this very simple concoction with me several years ago, and I have been making it ever since. This is, hands down, Micah's favorite thing to make and eat! He has helped me make this so many times that I am positive he could make it all by himself. I always feel good about him eating this... tons of good healthy protein and fiber!!

1 box Annie's Organic Whole Wheat Shells & White Cheddar
1 Handful of Organic Sweet Peas
3 Slices of Turkey Bacon
Parmigiano-Reggiano (The real thing. No imitations.)

Cook the macaroni according to box directions. Toss in a handful of peas during the last minutes of cooking time. Strain. Add splash of milk, touch of butter and cheese powder. Crumble up turkey bacon (cooked in toaster oven/microwave) and stir together. Sprinkle grated parmigiano-reggiano over the top.

The majority of the time we make this, I don't add the bacon or Parmesan. Those only get added when Mommy is partaking in the meal. Micah will happily gobble, gobble up the macaroni and peas all by themselves!

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

I found this recipe years ago in Southern Living (October 2001). Since it is one of Justin's favorite meals, I have made it countless times for our family and guests. It has a simple ingredient list that requires very little planning.

Buttermilk Baked Chicken

2000 Recipe Hall of Fame

1/4 cup butter

4 boneless chicken breast

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

1 1/2 cups buttermilk, divided

3/4 c all-purpose flour

1 can cream of mushroom soup

Melt butter in 13x9 baking dish in 425 oven.

Sprinkle chicken w/salt and pepper. Dip chicken in 1/2 c buttermilk and dredge in flour.

Arrange chicken in baking dish. Bake chicken at 425 for 15 minutes. Turn, and bake for 10 minutes.

Stir together remaining 1 c buttermilk and soup, pour over chicken and bake additional 10 minutes. If necessary, shield with aluminum foil to prevent excessive burning.

I have always served this meal with brown rice (perfect for the buttermilk gravy) and green beans. Sometimes, I will add a nice crusty bread if I feel like putting in a bit more time.

In the pics below, you can see Micah pouring the green beans into the colander and then rinsing them. Next, he is unwrapping the butter before placing it in the baking dish. And, the last pic is the final product! Voila!!