The Bacon Cheese Chicken

You have all heard of the bacon cheese burger, well here is the bacon cheese chicken!  We eat a lot of chicken, if you haven't noticed from my blog.   We love chicken and I am always trying to find new and tasty ways to make it.  My younger son loves bacon cheeseburgers, so I thought why not bacon cheese chicken, and so it was born. This is how I made it:

Bacon Cheese Chicken

2 Tbsp. canola oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

4 Tbsp. Grey Poupon mustard

Salt and Pepper, to taste

4 slices of Swiss cheese

1/2 cup finely shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup bacon bits

3 plum tomatoes, chopped and seeded

Spread the oil in a frying pan to cover the bottom.  Wash, pat dry and remove any loose skin from the chicken and place in the frying pan.  Spread each piece, top side only, with 1 tablespoon of mustard and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook chicken on medium high heat until it is no longer pink inside, about 8 minutes on each side.  Cover and reduce heat to medium low and let cook for about 10 minutes more.  Uncover, drain off the juices and put 1 piece of the Swiss cheese on each breast, sprinkle on the cheddar and then top with the bacon.  Cover and let the cheeses melt.  Plate the chicken up and top with fresh cut tomatoes.  I served mine with grilled fresh zucchini, carrots, and red onion in a garlic herb sauce and buttered orzo, all started while the chicken was cooking.  Whole meal takes about 30 minutes to make.  Serves 4.

It's Almost Harvest Time!

One of my favorite things to do is decorate the house for all of the seasons.  It drives my family crazy, I love it!  My mom always did it, especially at Christmas, she loved Christmas.  It must have rubbed off of her on to me.  I want my family to remember these things, like I do now, when they get older and have families of their own. I don't think they appreciate the beauty of the decorating, but they will.  My oldest daughter is already on board with decorating for the seasons, I only have 3 more kids to go!

The mantel is one of the best places in the house I like to decorate.  The black candlesticks I reused and topped with the glass pumpkins.

 This little guy is one of my favorites, he is so cute nibbling on an acorn!  The scarecrow I bought a few years ago from Avon.  He is fiber optic, I sit him on top of a bale of hay.  Garlands are from Michael's.

 Crows from Dollar Tree.  Pillow is from IKEA - Cover $7.00 and Cushion $6.99.

 The banner I made myself from heavy craft paper, scrapbook paper and ribbon.  Use a printer to print out wording.

Owl - Ross $4.99 on clearance, feathers - Michael's, Metal Pumpkin Pot with Lid - Home Goods $14.99

Work Day and Casual Play

All work and no play makes you a dull girl.  Everybody works, so therefore to blow off some steam you must play, have fun, go out with the girls, have a good time.  These two outfits - 1 for the office and 1 for fun time. You don't have to buy expensive clothes to look good.  Always shop discount, clearance and with coupons.  Never pay full price unless it is something you can not live without. The bargains are out there you just have to find them!

Left - Black Dress Pants - Avenue $29.99, Empire Waist Top - Target $15.99, Lavender Sweater - Marshalls $19.99, Plum Knot Top Pumps - Payless $19.99

Right - Distressed Boyfriend Jeans - Fashion Bug $19.99, Beatles T-Shirt - Walmart $7.00, Black Jacket Marshalls $21.99, Nude Pumps - Tahari at DSW $34.99, Red Patent Belt - Target $7.99, Star Pin - Jewelbilee $7.00.

Trying New Food Flavors

I like trying new foods and flavors, so when browsing my local farmer's market I always look for things my family and I have not tried.  I picked up a fennel bulb, relatively inexpensive, and used it in a salad . If you have never tried it, it has a very mild sweet licorice flavor, a flavor that is in the background, not one that strong.  It pairs nicely with citrus fruits like oranges or grapefruit.  In my salad I used spinach, oranges, the fennel, red onion and cracked black pepper.  The dressing consisted of orange juice, olive oil, cracked black pepper, salt  and sugar.   Along with the salad, I roasted shrimp in the oven with olive oil, salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and seafood seasoning.  It takes less than 10 minutes in the oven. Served with the shrimp, veggie bird nests with tempura soy sauce.  The bird nests are made from kale, carrots, onions and mixed in a tempura batter. They can be fried or baked in the oven.   Easy light meal in less than 30 minutes, and all tasted so good!  Fennel can also be roasted in the oven with olive oil and salt and pepper.

Style Me Fabulous Work Outfits!

The Dressbarn in my area recently re-opened after remodeling the whole store.  Sooooo...I grabbed my online coupons, because I never shop without coupons, anywhere, anytime or anyplace, if I can help it.  I wanted to see the store, so I went to their soft opening the night before the Grand Opening.  It looks fabulous, it's so chic inside! I had my eye on these leopard print jeans they had in the store and when I got there they only had one pair in my size.... WHEW! So I grabbed them they were mine.  Here are some  fashionable work outfits I put together for Fall.

  Papaya colored woven jersey knit/chiffon top w/gold back zip and rolled cuffs, $25.60.  Leopard print jeans, $26.00.  I also took the scarf off the store mannequin.  Hey! it was the only one in the store, it was only $16.00.   I paired all I bought with a leather jacket that I already had. - all at Dressbarn.  Necklace is from Charming Charlie's, $12.00 and shoes from Marshalls $39.99.

 The grey dress pants in this outfit are from Avenue, $29.00 - navy jersey knit dolman sleeve top is from Walmart $7.97, you can pair it with a bold color sweater, $17.00 and a silver shoe both are from Dressbarn.

Houndstooth woven knit faux wrap skirt, Lane Bryant $44.00 - paired with a gold tank, Target, $8.00 - black jacket, Marshall's, $19.99 - black riding boots, Payless $29.99 - Necklace, Gabriel's $5.00.

A Few Grocery Store Must Haves

I took a food store run to Traders Joe's the other day.  I always find good things to bring home from that store.  If you have a Trader's near you check it out.  Don't pass it by, it's a wonderful grocery store and their prices are so reasonable.  Here are some must haves if you haven't tried them yet.  

The Bread! It's the best for a panini or just toasted to have with a cup of coffee.  These veggie bird nests, you can fry or bake, your choice, either way they are great and they come with a tempura soy dipping sauce, yum!

Pasta (Farfalle) is good and only $.99! Can't beat the price.  My son goes through bags and bags of these sweet potato chips.  He loves them and TJ's is the only place I can find sweet potato chips.

      Aahhhhh... The Pappardelle, we love it with shredded beef cooked in tomato sauce, so good!

The carrot (karat) cake is fantastic,  full of flavor and the frosting is so creamy.  

Peachy Keen Jam

I wanted to try and make peach jam, I already mastered strawberry, so why not peach.  Next on my list is orange marmalade, it's one of my favorites.  Wegmans had these really big fresh peaches, in the produce section, so I came home with them and made my jam. There is no better fruit than a fresh, ripe, juicy summer peach.  This is how I made it, the recipe is below. 

Fresh peaches and some of the other things needed to make it.  Also, canning materials you will need.

Pit, peel and chop the peaches.

 Ingredients combined in a heavy saucepan and simmering on the stove.

Sealing the jars in boiling water and fresh peach jam it is!

 Fresh Vanilla Peach Jam

5 large fresh peaches

1 3/4 cups of sugar

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

1 vanilla bean

1 Tbsp. pectin

Wash, pit, peel and chop the peaches.  Combine them in a heavy saucepan with the sugar and the lemon juice.  Slit the vanilla bean down the center, scoop out the beans with the tip of a knife into the saucepan. Bring the peaches to a boil, then reduce and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile fill a large dutch oven type pot with enough water to cover the jars.  This will be your hot water bath.  Bring it to a boil. When the peaches have cooked down, add the pectin and stir it in quickly.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.   Remove from heat and fill jars immediately while it is still hot.  Use a ladle and/or a canning funnel to fill the jars.  Leave 1/4 inch of space between the lid and the jar. Place lid on top and then screw on the rings but not too tightly.  Immediately place them in the boiling water bath right side up, be careful not to tip them over. Keep in the boiling water bath for 10 minutes, then remove keeping jars upright.  Let cool for 24 hours so the jam can set and then tighten up the rims.  Refrigerate after opening.