Patty's Potato Soup

Sweet Tea Brined Chicken

I found this recipe in Southern Living a few months ago.  This chicken is sooooooo good.  We've cooked it on the grill, and today I roasted it in the oven (450 for 10 min, then lower to 375 for remaining - depending on size of chicken).  This isn't a last-minute dish; the chicken needs to be brined over night.

Ingredients

• 2 family-size tea bags
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 (6-inch) fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 tablespoon freshly cracked pepper
• 2 cups ice cubes
• 1 (3 1/2- to 4-lb.) cut-up whole chicken

Preparation

• 1. Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a 3-qt. heavy saucepan; add tea bags. Remove from heat; cover and steep 10 minutes.
• 2. Discard tea bags. Stir in sugar and next 6 ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool completely (about 45 minutes); stir in ice. (Mixture should be cold before adding chicken.)
• 3. Place tea mixture and chicken in a large zip-top plastic freezer bag; seal. Place bag in a shallow baking dish and chill 24 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade; pat chicken dry with paper towels.
• 4. Light one side of grill, heating to 300° to 350° (medium) heat; leave other side unlit. Place chicken, skin side down, over unlit side, and grill, covered with grill lid, 20 minutes. Turn chicken, and grill, covered with grill lid, 40 to 50 minutes or until done. Transfer chicken, skin side down, to lit side of grill, and grill 2 to 3 minutes or until skin is crispy. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Southern Living
MAY 2011

Black Bean Brownies

1 can black beans
3/4 cup sugar (I used 1/2 turbinado, 1/2 palm)
3 eggs
1/4 c cocoa powder (recipe calls for Dutch)
3 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 pinch salt
 1 tsp vanilla

Blend above ingredients in a blender.
Fold in 1/2 c chocolate chips & 1/2 cup pecans.
Pour into 8x8 greased baking dish.
Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

A couple differences between replacing flour with black beans.
95 flour carbs to 18 beans carbs
400 flour calories to 200 beans calories

These are pretty yummy.  I didn't put chocolate chips or pecans in mine and probably will next time.  The texture is a little different than my usual brownies, but the difference in calories & carbs, not to mention protein and fiber, makes up for that (There's something to be said about the no-guilt factor)

This recipe can be found at Allrecipes and probably many other places.

Carnival 2011

We made it to the Midway today, the last day the carnival will be open. Lucky for us, it was "Dollar Day" - all the rides were a dollar (down from up to 3, maybe more). The first thing Nathan saw was a train. We paid our $2 each (this train wasn't part of the carnival company), and then he proceeded to tell us he didn't want to get on. Well, too bad! The bell and horn were too loud for him (hardly loud at all though).
This is the 2nd ride he wanted on. He went around 2 or 3 times before he started crying and had to get off. Someday he'll get it!

Then we all went on the "Bear" ride - it spun. We ran into Nathan's cousin, Anthony, who wanted to ride with us. All the guys like it, but I felt otherwise. I'm not a fan of spinning.

On our way out, we stopped at the petting zoo where kids could ride ponies or even a camel. Nathan chose the pony. He rode with a guy walking along side of him, but didn't need his daddy to walk by him this time.

And then it was time to go home and take a nap (that was the bargain - he got to ride the pony if he took a nap when we got home.)

Now he's ready to go to Sea World, talking about fish and whales and jellyfish :)

Vegetarian Stuffed Bell Peppers in 21 short steps

This is a recipe I just created tonight.

1. hollow out and boil bell peppers (I used red and green. I also like to cut them into thirds before boiling)


2. Set those aside.


3. Cook 2/3 cup dry quinoa (1 part quinoa to 2 parts water. cook it like rice)


4. thinly slice some carrots (I used 3)


5. cut up broccoli stems


6. cut broccoli florets into small ones


7. dice bell peppers (green, red, yellow, whatever you want, I used 1/2 green, 1/2 red)


8. dice onion (I used 1/4)


9. 2 chopped up baked potatoes (small)


10. some sliced/diced cabbage


11. dice a tomato


12. saute carrots, peppers, onion, & broccoli stems


13. add some shakes of Worschestershire sauce


14. add potato, cabbage, and broccoli florets


15. continue cooking for a few minutes


16. add tomato


17. continue cooking until everything is thoroughly cooked (or just hot)


18. add quinoa and mix


19. put bell peppers in a baking dish, "stuff" with the mixture


20. bake at 375 (or whatever floats your boat) for 10-15 minutes


21. top with parmesan cheese

Oat Pancakes

• 2 c. oat flour or 1-1/4 c. oat flour, 1 c. whole wheat flour (I made oat flour by blending rolled oats in the blender)
• 2 c. milk or water
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 c. oil
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1 Tbsp. maple syrup

Mix dry ingredients.

Add milk or water.

Add oil and 1 egg at a time.

Mix thoroughly. Cook over griddle on medium

I kind of messed this up. I mixed all liquid ingredients together at once. If you do this, I recommend letting the mixture (everything together) sit for a few minutes before cooking and cooking on medium-high.

These pancakes were thinner than regular ones. They were kind of between a pancake and crepe. Delicious!

Adapted from this recipe.

Need help and inspiration!

If anyone comes across this blog and has some easy healthy recipes/living tips to share, please do! I've found that as the summer goes on (I'm a teacher, this was my time to get our family healthy), I just want to run out and get fast food or take-out! arg!

Red Velvet Cake

Mom's Red Velvet Cake recipe. It's the best!
("sweet milk" is actually just regular milk)


A few pictures...
1st Valentine's Day with my husband

My son's 2nd b-day cake(s) - 2 cakes because I accidentally put in double the amount of crisco in the cake!

Hand Sanitizer

I haven't made this, but wanted to put it some place I wouldn't lose it.

1/3 cup aloe vera gel
2/3 cup rubbing alcohol
few drops tea tree oil and lavender oil

Amish Oatmeal

After Nathan was born, I started eating a lot of oatmeal. It helps with milk production. This is one of my favorite recipes.

1 1/2 c. quick-cooking oats (not instant) or rolled oats
1/4 c. butter, melted (I sometimes substitute applesauce)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. vanilla
cinnamon to taste (optional)
raisins, craisins, chopped apple (optional)


Preheat oven to 350F. Grease (or use cooking spray) a 9x13" pan.

Mix together the first 8 ingredients well. Spread evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes (quick oats) or 40-45 minutes (rolled oats) until edges are golden brown. Spoon immediately into bowls. I like to add milk and sometimes a little extra sugar.

This is also great left over. Let cool and slice into bars.

Favorite (Mexican Casserole)

This is our favorite meal, so we call it "Favorite."

Brown

• 1 to 1-1/2 pounds meat (ground beef, turkey, pork, your choice)
• Add a chopped onion &/or bell pepper if you like
  

In a sauce pan, combine and heat:

• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can green enchilada sauce
• 1 can milk
• 1 cup frozen corn (optional)
• 1 can kidney beans, drained (optional)
  

Add to meat mixture.

Grease a pyrex dish and dump in your choice of Doritos or tortilla chips to generously cover the bottom.

Pour meat and sauce mixture over chips.

Bake at 350 until bubbly.

Top with cheese, lots and lots of cheese (whatever kind you like)

Meat Loaf

I made meatloaf tonight and thought I'd better go ahead and write down the recipe. I've made this type of recipe the past 3 or 4 times, but each time it's a little different.

Mix (I use my hands, but it gets really cold)

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 lb ground beef (the leanest)
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 to 3/4 cups ketchup
• 3 handfuls of barbecue potato chips
• any form of bread: tonight I used about 3/4 c stuffing leftover from last night's supper. I sometimes use about 10 saltines or 2 - 3 pieces of bread. But our favorite is to add tater tots instead of bread.
  
• garlic seasoning mix or any seasoning of your choice

Grease a pyrex dish.
Lay a few pieces of bread in the center.
Form loaf with meat mixture on top of the bread.
Bake at 350 for about an hour.

I prefer to use seasoned tater tots in place of the bread.
And adding tater tots to the meat loaf itself is so yummy! We prefer it this way.

Yogurt Muffins

I had some plain yogurt, something no one in this house is a fan of. I didn't want it to go to waste and went to the Internet in search of a muffin recipe. These muffins are super moist and low in fat!

mix

• 2 c flour (I use 1 to 1-1/2 cups whole wheat flour and the remaining as white flour)
  
• 1 c sugar
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon (optional)
  

combine, mix, and add to the above mixture just until combined

• 8 oz yogurt (any flavor)
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 Tbsp butter, melted (I use applesauce instead)
• 2 c blueberry or fruit of your choice (I like apple)

Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
This recipe makes 12 muffins, but you have to fill them full. I sometimes make 12 regular size muffins and fill a small loaf pan with the rest of the batter.

Pasta Salad

I worked at Brazos Blue Ribbon Bakery in College Station, Texas back in 1997. This is where I got this recipe (although I never actually "saw" a recipe; I just used the same ingredients).

• Cook, drain, and cool 1 box pasta shells (rigatoni is also good to use and was used at the BBRB rather than shells)
• 1 bell pepper, diced (pretty small)
• 3-4 stalks celery, diced (pretty small)
• 1 bag bacon bits or pieces (not Bacos!)
  
• 1/2 - 1 bottle ranch dressing
• 1 - 2 cups cheese

After pasta cools, add pepper, celery, bacon, ranch, and cheese.
Mix.

This pasta salad is better if you make it the day before serving, then add a little more ranch then.

Loving Loaf

I found this recipe online about 10 years ago and later made it for Billy, the Christmas we met.

Mix and press into bottom of 2 greased 8x4 loaf pans

• 1/2 c. melted butter
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1-1/2 c. crushed vanilla wafers
• 1 c. chopped pecans

Cream:

• 1 c butter
• 2 c sugar

4 eggs: Add one at a time to the creamed mixture

Mix:

• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 c milk

Sift:

• 2-2/3 c flour
• 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt

Stir into creamed mixture, alternating milk and flour.

Pour into loaf pans.

Bake 1 hour at 350F