Pesto Chicken

So, here is a tasty and simple favorite in our house... Enjoy!

Pesto Chicken

Need:
4 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Jar (Classico 10 oz.) Traditional Basil Pesto
2 cups preshredded Mozzarella Cheese
2 Plum Tomatoes cut in chunks

To Make:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Defrost Chicken Breasts (if frozen).
Place Chicken Breasts in large bowl.
Puncture chicken breasts with fork 2-3 times each piece.
Spread Basil Pesto over chicken, rub with spoon generously all over chicken.
Typically, for 4 pieces of chicken I would use half the jar.
If time allows let chicken marinate in basil pesto for 15-20 minutes.
Cover cookie sheet with foil.
Place chicken breasts on cookie sheet (spoon extra basil pesto back onto chicken)
Bake for 20-22 minutes.
Remove and layer generously with mozzarella cheese and tomatoes.
Bake for additional 4-6 minutes.
Enjoy! Serves: 4

Another 1st...

I can't really claim this as a new recipe, but I did make another 1st for tonight's dinner...
I made Tri-Tip! I have NEVER made any red meat before, so I was definitely showing love to my husband through this act of service to him! (I can't stand to look at, touch, smell or taste beef) I bought the Tri-Tip pre-seasoned from Costco, and just stuck it in the oven! Sounds easy enough, but let me tell you, this was a stretch for me! But if you like red meat, I think this would be the way to go. You have to be home well before dinner time, but it takes little-to-no effort!

Crystal's Turkey Dinner...

So... this is NOT a normal thing - but last week I made a Thanksgiving Day style dinner... my 1st actually! And it went well! Of course, I had all the crystal platters and bowls out on the table with post-it notes on each so that I could make sure I had everything ready to be put out, and so that I didn't forget anything. My family got there, and had a blast making fun of me for my OCD like behavior, but it was all in love so that's ok :-) Anyway... we had
Turkey
Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy
Sweet Potatoes
Corn
Rolls
Pickles & Olives
Cranberry Sauce
And it all went very well, except the fact that I burned my hand on the oven trying to check on the Turkey. But, I just seasoned the turkey with salt & pepper - nothing special, but very tasty! It was a very nice dinner, and a nice little practice run... I think I am ready for Thanksgiving at my house this year :-)

I've got something marinading!!

I've got something marinading!! Be sure to check back 

tomorrow night, I've got a London Broil marinading right now 

that I will be making tomorrow evening!  

It smells yummy!!

Honey Mustard Chicken

Honey Mustard Chicken

Ingredients

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup prepared mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste, and place in a lightly greased 9x13 baking dish.  In a small bowl, combine honey, mustard, basil, paprika, and parsley.  Mix well. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken and brush to cover.
3. Bake in the preheated over for 30 minutes.  Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture.  Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.  

Okay so this is the first dish that everyone eating didn't love.  My husband didn't really like it.  But he is not really a big fan of mustard.  Taylor and Jayden loved it and ate it up.  I hardly tried it by the time I was done with my salad, but did like it.  However, I did think that the mustard was a little overpowering and you didn't get enough of the honey flavor.  So for now a good recipe when the hubby isn't home (and we all need those recipes too-otherwise we would get tired of corndogs).  But the next time I make it I will tweak it a bit (as I enjoy doing) and may get back to you with an improved version.  Don't let that scare you away though, it is still a good recipe to begin with as long as you like mustard (which Dustin doesn't).

Slow-Cooker-Cranberry Roast

The roast cooking (notice the low fluids) and the Roast once it was "plated"

Cranberry Roast with gravy on the side (for my no gravy boys)  served with green salad and baked potatoes with all the toppings!

INGREDIENTS
1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
1 (16 ounce) can jellied cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

DIRECTIONS

1. Place onion soup mix in the bottom of a slow cooker. Place roast in the slow cooker, and top with cranberry sauce.

2. Cover, and cook 8 hours on Low.

3. Remove roast, and set aside. Set slow cooker to High. Whisk together butter and flour, and slowly mix into the liquid remaining in the slow cooker to create a thick gravy. Serve with the roast.


I made this roast last Sunday. I started it before church and was a little worried about leaving it because there seemed to be a lot less liquid than any roast I have made before but I left it and hoped for the best. It was not dry at all, it was very good!! I served it with baked potatoes (with all the toppings and a green salad. All of the family loved the roast. As for the gravy Dustin & Jayden do not eat gravy of any sort and Taylor who does normally like gravy didn't really care for it. I liked it but can see why kids wouldn't. So I give the meat a solid A- but the gravy more of a C, since I am the only one of the family who liked it.  But since you only add flower & butter to the juice left from the roast, I will make it again next time and see if Nana & Papa like it.

Candi's Red-Wine Chicken

So this is both my and my husbands new favorite meal. I tried it for the first time last night and it was the best meal in my 9 years of marriage BY FAR!! I can not tell you how much we both enjoyed this meal and it was SO easy.

I made the kids "quick food" and then put them to bed and fixed a nice candlelit meal for my husband and I. We started with a classic green salad and rolls and then I "plated" the chicken. I was still finishing my salad as my husband said "here you have to try this" and shoved a piece of chicken in my mouth. It was WONDERFUL!! I set aside the rest of my salad and started eating my chicken.

This chicken made a wonderful meal for two but it is a great family meal or a meal for guests as well. (I ran a bite back to my 7 year old daughter who was not yet asleep and she was quite disappointed that her dinner was not up to the par of mine. She has already asked me today when I am going to make it again for everyone). It is unbelievably easy and tasted like I had slaved over it for hours.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon paprika
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup red wine
salt and pepper to taste


Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook garlic in oil until tender. Place chicken in the skillet, and brown on each side.

2. Sprinkle chicken with paprika and 1 cup brown sugar. Pour red wine around chicken.

3. Cover, and simmer about 20 minutes; lightly baste chicken with wine sauce while cooking. Season to taste with salt and pepper.


Notes:

You can substitute 3 pounds of your favorite cut of chicken-or whatever you have on hand. Also, I used fresh minced garlic but jarred would save time. I also used red cooking wine found near the vinegar in my grocery store but any of your favorite red wine will work.

Something to look forward to

Tomorrow nights' meal will be Cranberry Roast. While searching for what to cook tonight I came across one that will have to wait 'till tomorrow. Not enough hours left to have it tonight unless we want to eat after 8. I am really looking forward to making it but it will have to wait one more day. So back to my search for a new recipe for tonight!! Check back tonight to see what I fixed and how it was!!

Cooking Momma Candi

Let us introduce ourselves....

We are Candi (left) and Crystal (right). We are sisters and best friends. Candi has always enjoyed cooking but always stuck to the same few dishes. Crystal has a husband who is a wonderful cook. But recently things changed for both of them. Crystal had a gorgeous baby boy and became a stay at home mom. At that time she decided to tie her apron strings and explore in the kitchen. And boy is everyone glad she did, she has a talent and is a great cook. Candi finally just got fed up with the same 'ol dishes and discovered that she really loved to cook. She was inspired by top chief but also realizes that not everyone has 2+ hours prep time. So in their quest for recipes they decided to create this blog together. Crystal is typing from Albany, OR and Candi is typing from Bakersfield, CA. Blogging together is another way for them to feel closer!!

We will be posting recipes that we try, the good and the bad. We will post tips and funny stories from the kitchen. We would also like to get into doing reviews of kitchen gadgets and gizmo's. Really we want to blog about every corner of the kitchen.