MOVING ON UP TO A BETTER ROOM WITH A VIEW

There were 2 platforms with old nests a few months ago.  I noticed that one of the platforms was getting bare and the other one was being built up, but today was the first time I saw the new neighbors.  I think spring is finally here.

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WHITE BEAN & ARTICHOKE CASSOULET

WHITE BEAN & ARTICHOKE CASSOULET
2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 pound thick-cut bacon
1 pound mild Italian sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh minced Italian flat leaf parsley
14-ounce can petit diced tomatoes, basil, garlic & oregano, drained well
14-ounce can white beans, drained and rinsed
14-ounce can small artichoke hearts, drained and halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup Moscato white wine
1 +/- cups chicken stock
2 cups seasoned bread crumbs (fresh are best)
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
salt and ground black pepper

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Brown the bacon until browned and crumbly in Dutch oven casserole dish.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Add chicken and sausages and brown on all sides. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from fat and set aside. 
• Add the onions and garlic and cook 3-4 minutes until softened. 
• Add white wine and chicken stock, bringing to a boil. Turn off heat.
• Add tomatoes, beans and artichoke hearts. 

• Add meat back in.
• Mix together crumbs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, thyme and 1 tablespoon melted butter together until well blended.
• Spread crumb mixture over the top and cook covered for 45 minutes until browned.

GARLIC CIDER CHICKEN

Hubby keeps telling me that he wants more greens in his dinner.Unfortunately he didn't see the humor in this recipe.  All kidding aside, the flavor was awesome.

GARLIC CIDER CHICKEN
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons avocado oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley (no stems)
coconut oil
Wondra
fresh ground salt and pepper

• Place chicken breast between pieces of saran or in a ziploc bag.  Using a rolling pin flatten chicken pieces to even sizes.
• Generously salt and pepper each chicken breast.
• Lightly dredge chicken pieces in Wondra.
• In a large skillet melt coconut oil over medium high heat.
• Add chicken pieces and saute' each side until brown.

• In a small food processor combine garlic, green onions, avocado oil, lemon juice, parsley and apple cider vinegar and process until smooth.
• Transfer sauce to microwaveable measuring cup.
• Microwave 30-45 seconds until warm.

• Plate chicken.
• Cover with sauce.
• Enjoy.

DURANGO CHICKEN & I LOVE MY BAKING BANDS

DURANGO CHICKEN
4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can diced green chiles, drained REALLY well
1 green onion per chicken breast, minced
1 1/2 slices thin swiss or jack cheese
8 ounce package Old El Paso Roasted Tomato Mexican Cooking Sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter per chicken breast, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh fine bread crumbs
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Crush together the bread crumbs, chili powder and garlic salt until you have fine crumbs.
• Add Parmesan cheese and blend well.  Set aside.
• Pour sauce into bottom of baking dish.

• Flatten chicken breasts - I like to put them in a large ziploc bag and use a rolling pin.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Add a single layer of cheese on chicken breasts.
• Top with green onions and green chiles.
• Carefully roll chicken breasts, securing with baking bands. DO NOT USE RUBBER BANDS.

• Roll each breast in butter and then the crumb mixture.
• Place on top of sauce.
• Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.

• Plate chicken.
• Ladle sauce over chicken.
• Enjoy.

HAPPY HOMEMAKER & MENU PLAN MONDAY

Here we are at another Monday and at the end of March already.  2015 is 1/4 over already - where does the time go?  Be sure to link up with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom for Happy homemaker Monday and with Laura at I'm an Organizing Junkie for Menu Plan Monday.

WEATHER OUTSIDE
TODAY
A little foggy and partly cloudy, but with an afternoon of sun.

WEEK
By Tuesday we're supposed to drop 20 degrees and get rain.

TO DO FOR THE WEEK

• Digging out the warm weather clothes (just in case)
• Laundry
• Spring Cleaning

CURRENTLY READING

• Give a Little (Summerhill #7) by Kate Perry
• Where the Heart is (Ribbon Ridge) by Darcy Burke

TELEVISION/DVR

• NCIS 
• NCIS Los Angeles
• Castle
• Dancing with the Stars

CRAFTS & PROJECTS
I'm re-working a decorative birdhouse for my mom that was recently found to house thousands of wasps. It had completely faded to a gray.  I blocked the hole so no more wasps can take up residence and then added a little fresh color.

I tried an interesting egg color kit called 24K Eggs by RJ Rabbit.  They had a beautiful picture on the front that made the eggs appear to be a deep gold leafed color. After 2 coats of the "gold leaf" mixture and only a thin opaque layer I decided to get creative.  There wasn't enough "gold leaf" provided in the package to actually have coated 12 eggs so I put on some rubber gloves and started mixing and matching by hand the "gold leaf" with the 3  basic colors (yellow, red and blue) provided and ended up with some pretty eggs at least.  The kit though was an epic fail if you solely follow their directions.

Tried to polish the brass porch lights, but the brass is too far gone,  so went with a matching paint job to the house trim.

With all the winter rain, the slope of the yard and the spongy soil the blocks around the front yard planter always sink each year.  I spent a few hours leveling the blocks and ridding the area of moss and weeds before adding a spring touch.

MENU PLANS FOR THE WEEK

	BREAKFAST	DINNER	DESSERT
MONDAY	Cereal and Fruit	Chicken with Lemon Sage Sauce
TUESDAY	Bagel & cream cheese	EXPERIMENT NIGHT
WEDNESDAY	Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola	Ortega Chile Bake
THURSDAY	Scrambled Eggs with cheese & Toast	Country Chicken Cassoulet
FRIDAY	Yogurt with Blueberries & Granola	Green Chile Tuna Casserole
SATURDAY	Bacon Cheddar Pancakes	Hot Chicken Salad	Banana Jam
SUNDAY	Shirred Eggs	Easter Ham and all the trimmings

RECENT SUCCESSFUL RECIPES

• Goat Cheese Salad
• Apple Cinnamon Pork Chops
• Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken
• Vanilla Latte Meatballs with Coffee Gravy

RECIPE FAILS or DISLIKES

• Lemon Souffle Pancakes - Flavor was great, but just not worth the work.
• Couch Potato Bars - Hubs likes it, but honestly it didn't have enough flavor for all the work.  I much prefer my Chunky Monkeys.

RECIPE FINDS TO TRY AT A LATER DATE

• Pumpkin Empanadas
• Strawberry Coconut Cake 
• Pumpkin Brulee' Tart

HOMEMAKING TIP

 A few definitions this week to help clarify:

• BASTE - Using the drippings to coat the food as it bakes to keep it moist.
• BEAT - Whisk briskly and vigorously with a beater until mixture is stiff.
• BLEND - Mashing or mixing 2 or more ingredients together until blended well.
• BRAISE - Simmering seared meat in a covered dish with only a small amount of moisture.
• DREDGE - To coat thoroughly with flour.
• FOLD - Add delicate ingredients gently with a spoon or spatula to a thicker mixture.
• FRICASSEE - Cooking meat by stewing in a gravy.
• MINCE - Chopping ingredients very fine.
• SAUTE' - Frying in a small amount of fat.
• SIMMER - cooking over VERY low heat.

ON MY MIND LATELY
Why are we so able to accept computers and/or automation to run our lives?  When did it become acceptable to ignore the needs of people because some script on a computer dictates the flow chart of a conversation?

You can't call a doctor's office, store, or business for the most part without first encountering an automated menu.  Many times these menus do not even have the option you need on it.  It allows you to ask for a human, but first you MUST answer their questions and if you don't answer them correctly 9 times out of 10 the person you do reach will need to transfer you to someone else.  And don't even get me started on having to press 1 or 2 for English.

Long story short I want to thank Sade' for being a human that still cares and went the extra mile to help me fix a serious issue for my step dad.  It took me 2 calls and an hour and a half to get to her and then another half hour working with her, but she personified the attitude we should ALL have to help others in need.

FAVORITE PHOTO FROM THE CAMERA
I finally wrote my post about the Queen Mary and Aquarium of the Pacific this past week and as I edited pictures to post I have to say this was my favorite not only for the week, but I think for the year.

INSPIRATION

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT

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GARLIC BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN

Today I was using up some wingettes, but I prefer to make this recipe with the boneless and skinless thighs.

GARLIC BROWN SUGAR CHICKEN adapted from Damn Delicious
8 skin-on boneless chicken thighs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, garnish

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat. 
• Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside. 
• Place chicken pieces in baking dish.
• Melt remaining tablespoon butter in the skillet. 
• Add garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. 
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in brown sugar, honey, oregano, thyme and basil until well combined. 
• Pour over the chicken in the baking dish..
• Bake about 25-30 minutes or until cooked through.
• Garnish and serve chicken immediately.

Prep Time:   10 minutes
Cook Time:   40 minutes
Total Time:  50 minutes
Yield:            8 servings