Chicken Strogranoff

Chicken Stroganoff

6 to 8 servings

Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: Low 6 hours, High 3 hours

Ingredients

• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves and/or thighs
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2 10 3/4-ounce cans condensed cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
• 1/3 cup water
• 12 ounces dried wide egg noodles
• 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
• Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Directions

1. Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. In a 3-1/2- or 4-quart slow cooker combine the chicken pieces and onion. In a medium bowl stir together the soup and water. Pour over chicken and onion.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 7 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 to 3-1/2 hours.

3. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain. Just before serving, stir sour cream into mixture in cooker. To serve, spoon stroganoff mixture over hot cooked noodles. If desired, sprinkle with black pepper. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Banana Cake recipe share

Had to share this recipe, I'll let you know how it turns out.

Banana Cake

12 to 16 servings Prep: 20 minutes

Bake: 35 minutes

Cool: 2 hours

Stand: 2 hours

Ingredients

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add bananas, buttermilk or sour milk, shortening, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add eggs; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes for round pans or about 35 minutes for 13x9-inch pan or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks (see tip, page 000). Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

*Note: If you don't have buttermilk on hand, substitute sour milk in the same amount. For the 3/4 cup of sour milk needed, place 2-1/4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar in a glass measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 3/4 cup total liquid; stir. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes before using it in a recipe.

Leadership quote

Found a neat quote on leadership that I wanted to share.

Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it. ~ Dwight Eisenhower

Clicker Liquor Training

Saw this in one of my email lists and thought it was to cute to not post.
LIQUOR TRAINING

Now clicker training's quite the fad.
Results from some are not too bad.
The concept stemmed from Pavlov's hound
Responding to some special sound.

The dog would start to salivate
Before he got the food he ate.
The modern click does much the same.
Enhancing our dog-training game

By causing Fido's hopes to raise--
Anticipating treats or praise.
Sometimes you click to no avail,
And other methods also fail.

No matter how you plead or shout,
Sometimes the dog just won't put out
When asked to sit or heel or stay,
Thus giving you a rotten day.

It makes you feel quite like a fool,
And then you start to lose your cool.
But if your methods fail for you.
There's something else that you can do.

Try "liquor training", that's its name,
To help you with your dog-sport game.
"How does this method work?" you ask
Well, first you get a little flask

Containing gin or other booze
Of any kind that you may choose.
Each time your dog decides to goof,
You take a sip of 80 proof.

It helps the handler to relax
And minimize the stress attacks.
When handler's mood is more at ease,
The dog may sometimes try to please,

Or, then again may still refuse
To mind his training P's and Q's.
But whether foul results or fair
When you liquor train -- you just don't care.

Author Unknown

Zoo trip

I took 93 pictures but I couldn't upload them all. I now understand why people who can afford have multiple cameras for their different lens. It would be much easier to switch cameras then to keep switching lens. However, I have to say I had an absolute blast! The zoo was fun, but we'll come back on a warmer day that won't be so cold and sprinkling.

Tidewater Orchid Society Spring Orchid Display

Saturday, March 15 & Sunday, March 16

Celebrate spring with an extravagant display of exotic orchids. The Tidewater Orchid Society is holding its Spring Orchid Display at the Virginia Zoo on Saturday, March 15 and Sunday, March 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Hundreds of unique orchids from across the world will be on display, and Tidewater Orchid Society members will be on hand to answer questions about growing orchids

My beautiful girls

Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

Another recipe share - things that just sound good to me. How about a recipe from Chef Robert Irvine?
Chicken Cordon Bleu Burgers

2 tsp olive oil, plus more for drizzling. 4 slices Canadian bacon.
2 lbs Ground chicken breast. 2 tsp Paprika.
2 tsp Poultry Seasoning. 2 tsp Calgary Steak Seasoning
1 Shallot, finely chopped. 4 Deli slices Swiss cheese. 2/3 c Mayonnaise. 3 rounded Tbsp Dijon mustard. 2 Tbsp Freshly chopped tarragon leaves. 4 Kaiser rolls split and toasted. 8 Leaves lettuce. 1 Vine ripe tomato, thinly sliced. Preheat grill pan, or large skillet to medium high heat. Add 2 Tbsp of oil and Canadian bacon. Warm bacon and caramelize it at edges, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Remove to a piece of foil. Fold foil over loosely to keep warm. Combine chicken, paprika, poultry seasoning, grill seasoning, shallot. Score meat with the side of your hand to separate into 4 equal amounts. Make 4 large patties, 3/4 to 1 inch thick. Drizzle patties with oil and place on hot grill pan, or skillet. Cook until chicken is cooked through. Top patties with reserved cooked Canadian bacon and Swiss cheese. Cover loosely with tin foil. Turn off pan and let cheese melt. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, tarragon. Slather bun tops with sauce. Place Cordon Bleu burgers on bun bottoms and top with lettuce and tomato. Put bun tops in place.


I will have to play the recipe as I'm allergic to some of the things that are in there. I love Chicken Cordon Bleu so I'm very excited to try this out burger style. I'll update this once we try it out.

Tip Top Melon Sherbet Recipe

Tip Top Melon Sherbet Recipe

1 pound of juicy, extra-ripe, orange-fleshed melon
1/4 cup mild flavored honey (needs to be fluid, and you might use a bit less depending on the sweetness of the melon)
1/2 cup organic whole milk
generous pinch of salt

Cut the melon flesh from its rind into a medium bowl and puree with a hand blender. You will need 2 cups of puree.

Add the milk, and salt. Now you want to sweeten to taste. If your honey is in a solid or crystallized state you need to dunk the jar in a bowl of warm water until it is liquid again. This way it will mix easily with the rest of the ingredients. Start by blending in 2T. of the honey and taste. If you think the mixture needs to be sweeter, add more honey. Keep in mind you want the honey to bring out and complement the flavor of the melon, not overpower it.

Pour into an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Serves 4 to 6.

101 Cookbooks supplied the recipe, I can't wait to try it out in our Ice cream ball.

Making Ice Cream & Having a ball

Daddy, the girls and Pandora took part in making ice cream - I was in charge of pictures. All that is required is a rolling motion for 30 minutes. Thanks to Mom for the awesome Easter present - we did the mint chocolate chip
and here's our recipe:

Mint Chocolate Chip

1 quart of Half & Half
1 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar

Add 1⁄2 teaspoon mint extract
1/3 cup semi-sweet mini chocolate chips
Green food coloring

We have a Play and Freeze Ice Cream maker (Ice Cream Ball) the Mega size - which the site makes a quart but we found it makes more ice cream which is never an object to a family of four. Or anyone, right?

Northern Family

It's true that I come from a northern woodsy family. Mom and I recently went a bit wild shopping on Amazon.com where we were equally excited over a log splitter as a 12 cup food processor. I guess you never do outgrow your roots as I am just as excited for her. The log splitter reminds me of the line from Lady and Tramp where the Beaver using the muzzle remarks "Gee that works swell."

Recipe share: Red Velvet Cake

Red Velvet Cake
Prep: 1 hr. 15 minutes
Bake: 25 minutes
Cool: 10 minutes
Stand: 10 minutes

View Nutrition Facts
Ingredients

* 3 eggs
* 3/4 cup butter
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
* 2-1/4 cups sugar
* 1-1/2 tsp. vanilla
* 1 1-oz. bottle red food coloring (2 Tbsp.)
* 1-1/2 cups buttermilk
* 1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
* 1-1/2 tsp. vinegar
* 1 recipe Buttercream Frosting

Directions

Let eggs and butter stand 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour three 8 x 1 1/2-inch round baking pans; set aside.

In medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, and 3/4 tsp. salt; set aside. In large mixing bowl beat butter on medium-high 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until combined. One at a time, add eggs; beat on medium after each. Beat in food coloring on low.

Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to egg mixture; beat on low-medium after each just until combined. Stir together baking soda and vinegar. Add to batter; beat just until combined.

Spread in prepared pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until pick inserted near centers comes out clean (cakes may appear marbled). Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool.

Prepare Buttercream Frosting. Place layer flat side up on plate. Spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack layer, flat side up; spread top with 3/4 cup frosting. Stack final layer, flat side down; spread remaining frosting on top and sides. Makes 16 servings.

Buttercream Frosting: In medium saucepan whisk together 1-1/2 cups whole milk, 1/3 cup flour, and dash salt. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat; cook and stir 2 minutes more. Transfer to small bowl; cover surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cooled (do not stir). In large bowl beat 1-1/2 cups softened butter, 1-1/2 cups sugar, and 2 tsp. vanilla on medium 5 minutes until light and fluffy and sugar is almost dissolved. Add cooled milk mixture, 1/4 cup at a time; beat on low after each until smooth.

Recipe share: Butterscotch Peach Pie

INGREDIENTS:

* 3 1/2 cups sliced peaches
* pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
* 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
* 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
* dash salt
* 1/4 cup butter
* 2 teaspoons lemon juice
PREPARATION:
Place peaches in pastry-lined 9-inch pie plate. Combine the brown sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Add butter. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice then pour over peaches.
Make a lattice-style top crust. Bake at 425° for 25 to 35 minutes.

*To make a lattice top crust, cut dough into 1/2-inch-wide strips. Arrange dough strips across top of filling. Form the lattice by arranging more dough strips at right angle to first set of dough strips, weaving the strips if you wish. Trim dough strips even with the overhang on bottom crust. Tuck ends of dough strips and overhang under; press to seal. Crimp edges.

From About.com Southern Food

The first step

of an addict is admitting to an addiction if I understand the whole 12 step thing correctly. And I Orchid am a Sims 2 addict. But I really don't plan on doing anything about it. lol I figure as addictions goes this is really fairly harmless and not hurting anyone. I came to this realization last night when hubby came home and fell asleep in his chair after dinner and when I finally woke him to go to bed I said that I figured that his status bar had needed a little charging.... and dang him he made me repeat it too! It was embarrassing and what made me come to understand that I am addicted.

Back from the middle ages

Whee!!!!!!!! The bliss of finally having power and water and both at the same time. I have finally crawled out from medieval times and into the 21st century.


Thank you to the power company for the temporary fix and then thank you to the maintenance people for fixing water main.

On to a different topic found this and thought it was cute.
For Gigi:

• Your baby's birthstone is Opal (Hope)
• Your baby's Astrological Sign is Libra
• Your baby's Flower is Calendula or Cosmos (White, Yellow and Varied)

For Gwenie:

• Your baby's birthstone is Sapphire (Clear Thinking)
• Your baby's Astrological Sign is Virgo
• Your baby's Flower is Aster or Morning_Glory (Brown, Deep Blue)