Since I constantly have a stash of green chiles on hand in the freezer, I’ve really mastered the art of the “easy, quick, hatch green chile sauce”.  It’s great for topping chicken or fish, or tossed in pasta too!  It’s unbelievably fast and easy, so it’s the perfect addition to any weeknight meal.  Just how I like it – Unique, spicy, and super easy!

Quick Hatch Green Chile Sauce

(this recipe serves 2-4, depending on how much sauce you’re using.  It takes less to top chicken or fish and more if you’re tossing in pasta)

1/4 cup onion, diced

1/4 cup hatch green chile, diced

1 T. flour

1 + cup Chicken stock

kosher salt and pepper

Heat a small skillet over med-high heat and add a dash of extra virgin olive oil.  Add diced onions and cook for approximately 2 minutes.  Add the diced green chiles and cook for a minute more.  Add the flour in batches, stirring in with the onions and chiles constantly.  Add chicken stock, a little at a time, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spatula.  Reduce heat to medium and occasionally stir the mixture.  When it thickens, add chicken stock as needed to reach the desired consistency. I like the sauce to be thick enough to leave a “streak” when I break it apart with a spoon…  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon over your protein or pasta and serve!  Enjoy!

Creamy Caesar Salad Dressing

1/3 c. lowfat Greek yogurt

2 anchovy fillets, mashed

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. fresh-squeezed lemon juice

2 t. Worcestershire sauce ( or “woo sauce” as my grandmother used to say)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1/4 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

For the Salad

1 large head romaine lettuce, roughly chopped

1 French baguette, cubed into bite-sized pieces ( this time I opted for larger slices, but you can do whatever works best for you)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Loosely chop the anchovies and then mash them.  As you can see in my photo to the right, I like working the anchovies into a paste by applying pressure with a knife (it just mixes better in the dressing).  In a small bowl, combine the yogurt with the mashed anchovies, garlic, lemon juice and “Woo sauce”.  Whisk in the olive oil and half of the cheese.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spread the bread cubes on a non-stick baking sheets and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake for 5 minutes or so until golden brown.  Remove from the oven and set aside. 

** Side bar:  I freaking LOVE my cheese grater.  It’s got this removable measuring cup that attaches to the bottom and makes measuring freshly grated cheese SUPER easy.  It’s awesome.  End side bar. **  In a large bowl, toss the romaine with half of the dressing and remaining cheese.  Add the croutons and serve, passing the remaining dressing at the table.

Recipe adapted from Jamie Oliver’s in Food & Wine, March 2011

I made these using the fabulous Mason Shaker, and I think its Southern charm added just the perfect, festive flair!  The recipe for this batch yielded enough for two glasses (plus a little top off for each).  If you want to double the recipe, I think it would definitely fit inside the Mason Shaker (it’s a great size)!

If you need even more ideas for planning your May 5th Par-tay, check out my board on Pinterest!

Grapefruit Margaritas

Serves 2

1 c. Simply Grapefruit juice (If you want a sweeter taste, go with fresh-squeezed juice from two Texas grapefruits)

1/4 c. fresh-squeezed lime juice (3-4 small limes)

3 T. Grand Marnier

1/4 c. silver Tequila

1 t. light agave nectar

ice

Margarita salt (or Kosher salt) to rim the glass

1 lime, sliced into wedges for serving

Use a lime wedge to moisten the rim of the glass.  Roll the rim in margarita salt (or kosher salt).  Trust me, you’ll want the salt – it goes very nicely with the tartness of the grapefruit!  Add a little ice to each glass.

In the Mason Shaker, combine the grapefruit juice, lime juice, Grand Marnier, Tequila and agave.  Give it a good shake and divide the delicious liquid between the glasses.  Enjoy, and happy happy  Cinco de Mayo!

This adorable little mailbox only cost me $14 (but honestly I would have paid more).  I completely love the graphics on it, as well as the overall design.  With the “mailbox” look on both sides (including the flag), I think it’s a pretty special piece.

To act as a divider for the outgoing mail, I cut some kraft cardstock and added Avery tabs with the name of each month.  I love that these tabs are self-adhesive and the title can be changed easily too!  To keep with the colors of the box, I only used the red, white and blue options from the package, and I think it works well.

Here’s a shot of the inside, showing the monthly tabs and a few cards already filed in place.

My grandmother, who sent a birthday card to EVERYONE she knew (maybe that’s where a love of paper), taught me a pretty cool trick when I was in college.  She used to label each envelope (in the top right corner) with the date that it should be mailed to get to the recipient ON their birthday.  If all of the cards are filed away nicely, all you have to do is pull out the card to be mailed (on the date listed), place a stamp over the written date, and drop it in the mail!  Such a simple (but totally genius) idea that has stuck with me for YEARS…  It’s been really helpful!

I’m so excited to have this little treasure as my “mail organizer”.  It’s WAY better than a boring office filing system, don’t you think?    Happy mailings, all!

My trainer at the gym keeps trying to get me to switch to egg whites, but I just can’t make the leap.  I’m in an egg co-op, so every month I’m spoiled with amazing, huge, organic local eggs.  I can’t justify eating ONLY the whites – it would be too heartbreaking to put those delicious, golden yolks to waste!

Most of the time, I make scrambled eggs (because I can make and eat them AND get out the door faster than crunching through a bowl of cereal).  Occasionally, though, I treat myself to eggs over medium (on the weekends).  I love a runny egg, but I’m not very skilled in frying them (oh how I’ve tried)!  Instead, this is my sure-fire way of making a nice, runny egg (in less than 5 minutes).

In a nonstick skillet with cooking spray, add your egg(s).  This time I got a double yolk (score!).  Add 2-3 T. of water and cover with a lid (preferably one you can see through).  The eggs will steam, and soon after the yolk is covered in white instead of yellow, they’re ready to go!  You can cook for a minute or so after they turn white on top, but any longer than that and they won’t be particularly runny…  Remove and serve with your favorite sides (in this case crispy bacon and skillet red potatoes).  Enjoy!

How do you like YOUR eggs?

Brick Chicken
garlic (3-4 cloves), minced
red pepper flakes (to taste)
kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
2 T chopped rosemary (or whatever herbs you have handy)
juice from half of a medium lemon
olive oil
Whole chicken, spine cut out and “flattened” ( I crack the joints in the middle so it will lay flatter on the grill)
2 – foil wrapped bricks

Combine garlic, salt, pepper, lemon juice and rosemary with oil (around 2-3T, enough to make the mixture more fluid than a dry rub mixture). Rub it under the skin of the chicken on the breasts and legs.
Roast on the grill, breast side down with two foil covered bricks on top, over low to med-low heat. After 15-18 minutes, turn it over and repeat with the bricks. After about 20 minutes, the chicken should be done. Sometimes I flip it one more time just to make sure and leave on for a few extra minutes. It shouldn’t dry out, so don’t worry about that. Let rest for five minutes (if you can resist the smell!) then serve. Enjoy!

I know this “finished” pic isn’t very pretty (I like the skin really crispy), but I promise it’s juicy and delicious!

In the spring and summer, I like to pair this chicken with a tomato salad (mostly because it’s easy):

Tomato Cilantro Salad
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 T. white wine vinegar
2 t. Dijon mustard
1-2 small cloves of garlic
6 plum tomatoes sliced (I’ve also used the cherry ones, cut in half)

In a blender, combine the cilantro, oil, vinegar, mustard and garlic. Season with salt and pepper, and blend until vinaigrette is smooth. Drizzle tomatoes with vinaigrette and serve.

Now, that “filler” has become the most versatile decoration in my home! It’s actually just a pre-made frame from Hobby Lobby that I had glass cut to fit, and I add a new masterpiece (created in Adobe Illustrator and printed at my local FedEx office) whenever I get the itch!

For “everyday” use, I enjoy a Randy Rogers Band quote from the song, “Let it Go”. It has sentimental meaning and keeps me grounded.  For Halloween, I swap the frame to display my “If the broom fits, ride it” artwork.  Over Christmas, I love seeing one of my favorite holiday hymns, “Joy to the World” enlarged on the wall.  Eventually, I plan to have a design for every occasion and season, and a few extras for in-between.  Who knew there could be so much flexibility in one empty frame?

Over the past two years, the little  table has collected a few more items- a wooden “violin”, a vintage leather jewelry box, and a Kodak Brownie Movie camera… along with more antique books (I can’t help but save them when I see them at estate sales).  I never knew how much I could enjoy such a tiny corner of my home, but now that it’s a collection of items (and custom artwork) I love, it’s my very happy (small) space!

Chicken & Dumpling Soup

For the stock:

1/2 white onion

2 stalks celery

2 bay leaves

1 carrot, peeled

1 thyme sprig

3 garlic cloves

1 T. peppercorns

1 t. kosher salt

**I had leftover juice from baking a chicken, so that’s what I used as my stock base.  If you don’t have that, you can add 6 cups of water and a) chicken breast  b) chicken neck/leftover bones  c) a little store-bought chicken stock for flavor

For the dumplings:

1 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1 egg

2-3 T. chopped chives

1/2 c. buttermilk (I didn’t have any, so I substituted 2% milk with the juice from half a lemon, plus a pinch of salt – it works about the same)

For the sauce:

3 carrots, chopped

2 celery sticks, chopped into crescent moons

1/2 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. butter

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

2 bay leaves

1/4 c. flour

1 c. frozen peas

chicken meat, chopped (I used a whole chicken but you could just do 4 breasts)

1/2 c. half and half (or heavy cream if you’re so inclined)

chopped chives for garnish

salt and pepper

Instructions:

If you’re making the stock from scratch, fill a large stockpot with the liquid and ingredients listed above.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for at least 30 minutes.

While your stock is simmering, make the dumpling batter.  Start with flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.  In another bowl, whisk the egg, chopped chives and buttermilk.  (As I mentioned before, if you don’t have buttermilk you can create the same taste with regular milk + lemon juice and a pinch of salt.)  Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.  It will look a little thick, like pancake batter.

When the stock is done, the veggies should be soft (and the liquid will smell delicious).  Strain the stock to remove the large chunks of veggies and herbs.  Set aside.

In a large pot over med-high heat, heat the butter and oil for the sauce.  Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute (until fragrant), add the other veggies – carrots, celery, onion – and the bay leaves.  Cook, stirring occasionally until soft (about 5 or 6 minutes).  Add the 1/4 c. flour, stirring frequently to combine.  Cook for about a minute after the flour is absorbed, stirring (don’t let it stick to the bottom of the pan).

Add all of the strained (or store-bought) chicken stock, a little at a time, constantly stirring and scraping up flour from the bottom of the pan.  Add the frozen peas and turn to medium-low heat, cook for 20 minutes, then add the half and half (or cream) and chopped chicken.  In small spoonfuls, drop the dumpling mixture to the pot, careful they do not touch (keep in mind they will expand).  Cook for an additional 15 minutes or so, or until the dumplings are soft and puffy (but cooked through).  Add salt and pepper to taste.

At the end, if you want to add some flour and whisk to make the sauce thicker, you certainly can.  I did that the first time I made this dish, but discovered that the leftovers were just too mushy for my liking.  Since then I’ve left it more liquid, which I like because it’s more “soupy” anyway.  Garnish with chopped chives and serve.  It’s so delicious – just like chicken pot pie in a bowl!

What is your favorite “comfort food”?

(Please note this recipe is adapted from  Tyler Florence’s on Food Network)

Come to find out, what I called a “chicken coop”, was actually a “nesting box”, according to my friend Tony (who has chickens).  Tomato, tom-ahto, either way-  it’s super cool.  I originally wanted it for the store – to display cute grab-and-go-gifts – but we never seemed to have the wall space, so it collected dust in the back.  This January, we did a major clean-out at the store, and I finally decided to bring it home.  I thought I was going to hang it on my back porch, but upon examination, my granddad thought it was too heavy… so moved on to “Plan B”.

My granddad is a Jack of all Trades.  He’s an 82 year old cotton farmer, mechanic, electrician, plumber, inventor, and overall “fixer”.  I love his resourcefulness (he’s a little like MacGyver), and I appreciate his… precision.  Let’s just say anything he’s ever fixed or made is going to last awhile.  Probably forever.  He’s very thorough, and he likes things to be sturdy – like that swing set he made with tractor plow bases buried 6 feet in the ground.  There’s no uprooting that sucker!

Once we decided that the nesting box was too heavy to hang, I sketched out a plan for my granddad to make a”stand” for it.   He welded iron for the frame, and I couldn’t be more pleased with what he came up with.  I made a quick trip to his barn to pick out what I wanted for the shelf (wood or metal), and he finished it up for me. I think it’s PERFECT!

This past weekend we secured the box by anchoring it to the brick wall (just in case), and then I completed the look by potting some trailing plants and colorful flowers to place in the openings.

This project was more of an “accidental” re-purpose,  since my original vision for the nesting box changed from displaying store products to becoming a planter… but the finished product is even better than I imagined!  It’s an unusual display and perfect for my patio!  Now we just have to wait and see if I can keep the plants alive…

What have you re-purposed lately?

DIY Bunny Napkin Rings

You’ll need:

8.5 x 11 sheets of white felt

8.5 x 11 sheets of pink felt

Felt glue

1 inch white pom poms

.5 inch pink pom poms

.2 black pom poms (or small wiggle eyes if you prefer)

Sticky Back VELCRO squares (I used 7/8 inch)

Scissors

Directions:

- On the short side of the felt sheet, use the scissors to cut a strip of white felt approximately 2 inches wide.

- Then cut approximately 1 inch off the end (unless you have really fat napkins)

- Fold the longer piece (now 2 x7 inches) in half

- Fold over the end approximately 1/4 inch.  Use the scissors to cut a slit in the folded over part.  When you unfold the felt strip, there should be two small holes

- Fold over a white felt piece and cut “ears” in the length you desire

- Using the white “ears” as a guide, cut the same size piece out of the pink felt (folded)

- Trim the pink felt a little on all sides so it’s no longer joined in the middle AND so there’s white on all edges (NOT SHOWN)

- Thread one white “ear” through one slit of the felt strip

- Do the same with the other ear and adjust as needed to make even

- Using felt glue, attach the pink felt pieces to the white “ears”

- Use the glue to attach a large white pom in the back (for the tail), a medium pink pom (for the nose) and two small black poms (or wiggle eyes- for the eyes)

Side note:  This would be really cute if you wanted to make bunnies with different colors – just make the pom color for the nose match the felt!  Wouldn’t it be fun in different colors around the kids’ table?  Red, green, blue, orange?

- Affix one side of the VELCRO sticky back squares to one side of the felt strip

- Roll the felt strip (as it were wrapped around a napkin) and affix the other VELCRO piece

- Wrap around your napkins and set at each place setting.  Since the ears are pliable, you can also position them in different ways – something unique for every guest!

Easter table decorations?  Check!  Now to decide on the menu…

Happy early Easter!