Easter Baskets

I found this tutorial a couple years ago and started one for my oldest son. I used a really cheap gingham that frayed all over the place and was excessively frustrating to work with. I gave up on the project after completing not much more than the base. I found out that my husband and his siblings had similar baskets growing up, so decided this year I'd scrap my first attempt and try again. I picked some nicer cottons, went through the work to fold and iron all the strips, and while it was tedious and took forever,  I am much happier with the outcome. Unlike the aforementioned tutorial, I took the time to hide my stitches while sewing the rows together (a thimble and pair of small needle nose pliers were absolutely necessary tools for this) and I think it will ultimately make for a stronger, better looking basket. I also learned with the first one not to cut all my strips the same length. The second one I cut the alternating green strips different lengths which made for a more random pattern that I like better. My first basket I tried a handle out of the same cord, but had a hard time attaching it and didn't especially like how it turned out. The second one I covered a stiff ribbon with wiring in it with matching fabric, and while it looks a bit flimsy, I think it will serve it's purpose better. So, probably not the funnest project I've ever done, but I think it will be fun for my kids to have homemade baskets to pull out every spring for years to come.

More Extension Drawers

I am loving the full extension drawers in my pots & pans cupboard. It's amazing how much more I can fit in the same space in addition to having easier access to everything.

Our initial hope was that this skinny cupboard would become an easy access spice rack, but it didn't conveniently fit the size jars I buy so instead we've filled it with all the vitamins, supplements and random health related bottles kicking around. Perhaps not the best use of space, but it's nice to have it all together out of the reach of little hands.

Kitchen Pantry

We've been working on fixing up the bedrooms, which means the boys have temporarily moved into my sewing room and it currently looks like this:

Without full/easy access to all my supplies, I've had to focus on some other projects. Over the MLK holiday my husband and I (okay, mostly my husband) did a quick kitchen pantry re-make.

Before

After

We'll add face plates and paint the whole thing eventually, but for now I'm pleased with the increase in space and ease of use.

Honey Mustard Pretzel Chicken

I found this recipe on Pinterest, made it exactly as the recipe suggested, and we all loved it. My chicken  breasts were pretty thick and it turned out a wee bit dryer than one would hope, but I believe that could be corrected by simply using a smaller cut.

Ingredients:

4 cups hard pretzels (like sourdough), coarsely crushed

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup Dijon mustard

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and pepper

1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 F. Set a wire rack over a large rimmed baking sheet (cover the baking sheet with tin foil to make clean up easier)

1. In a food processor pulse the pretzels until coarsely ground (small crumbs with some small pretzel pieces) then add them to a large, shallow bowl. Wipe the crumbs out of the food processor.
2. Add the oil, mustard, honey, water and vinegar to the food processor and pulse until smooth.
3. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the flavor to suit your own tastes by adding more mustard or honey.
4. Pour half of the dressing into a large shallow bowl and add the chicken breasts. Turn to coat them evenly then dredge them in the pretzel crumbs using your hand to pat them on if needed.
5. Set them on the wire rack and bake 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through (internal temperature 160 F). 
6. Let the chicken sit 5 minutes before serving with the remaining honey mustard dressing.

Chicken Salad with Creamy Roasted Pepper Dressing

I was recently diagnosed with gallbladder disease and have since had to seriously cut out fat from my diet. We were reasonably healthy eaters before, but now I've needed to cut out all animal fats, which for me means dairy products, including eggs. I also need to be especially attentive to the other kids of oils and fats that are in processed foods, as well as those I use to cook with. Pretty much I'm left with olive oil and the occasional lean white meat, and every thing else needs to be fat free. It's been a fun adventure discovering new ways to enjoy produce and making sure my family is getting all the essential nutrients they need. I made this salad tonight and got rave reviews.

For the chicken:

(I used several chicken cutlets because that's what I had, but skinless breasts work well too)

Mix 1 quart water with 1/4 cup table salt and brine chicken for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. Pat dry and rub both sides lightly with olive oil. Season with pepper. For this dish I also used some generic Italian seasoning, but you really could use whatever suits you. Just don't add any more salt, since it's already been brined.  

Place on a foil lined baking sheet and bake in the center of the oven at 350 until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees. Depending on the size and thickness of your cuts, this can take anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes. I use a probe thermometer that beeps when the meat reaches the right temperature, which takes a lot of guess work out of the process. 

For the Dressing:

(makes about 1 cup)

Roasted red or orange pepper (mine was orange)

Half of a 14 oz. container of soft tofu, drained but not pressed

Light drizzle of olive oil (1/2 to 1 tsp)

Couple drops of habanero sauce (for flavor, not heat)

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine everything in a blender or food processor and enjoy. We ate it warm for dinner, and cold for left overs the next day and liked it both ways.

For the Salad: 

Serve chicken on a bed of fresh spinach with diced tomatoes and dressing. Delicious!