Chicken Cordon Bleu

Chicken:

Chicken Breasts
Sliced Ham
Cheese, Mozerella or Provalone
Breadcrumbs (Panko)
One egg, beaten

Pound chicken breasts to uniform thickness.
Season with salt and pepper on each side.
Place ham slices and cheese on each breast and roll up, holding it in place with toothpicks.
Dip chicken roll in egg, then in breadcrumbs
Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Optional Mornay Sauce:

1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. flour
1 c. milk
1/3 c. Parmesan cheese
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder
Salt and pepper
In small saucepan, melt butter. With a whisk, beat in flour. When mixture bubbles, add milk all at once, stirring with a whisk to avoid lumps. Stir in cheese, garlic powder and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, stirring constantly until it's thick.

Pour over baked Chicken Cordon Bleu just before serving.

Burlap Purse and other Fall-ish things

The weather can't seem to make up it's mind, but what's new in Idaho? Bouncing back and forth between 90's and 60's, I'm getting the itch for fall. I'm usually a spring and summer type of girl, but for some reason I am yearning for the fall this year. Maybe it's because the garden didn't do so well, so I'm ready to move on. (But Husband did rave over the very first few tomatoes we just got out of the garden! That always makes my heart sing.)

Maybe it's that I'm excited about all that's coming together and all the potential. I've felt stuck the last year and half; like I was going nowhere, making no progress in many areas - spiritual, family, and career (I say this loosely as I would be happy being a career mom - think foster care or orphanage and a career wife - taking care of the household and I dream of owning a duplex) development. Anywho, I'm excited for fall. I'm excited for the colors: the oranges, browns, deep purples (when did this pop up as a fall color?!). I'm excited for the chill in the air that causes a need for scarves, for the apples - for canning and applecider.

To my delight this morning, this popped up on a blog I regularly lurk:

Now, where do I get me some burlap?!

How to be a Coupon Psychic from the Krazy Coupon Lady

This post is from the Krazy Coupon Lady. There are actually two of them who run the site, and they live in Caldwell. (I heard them on Dave Ramsey one day - fun, huh!) Anywho, I like it when people make my data-gathering-and-analyzing life easier. :)

Everyone knows that produce is seasonal. If you want to make a triple batch of strawberry or apricot freezer jam, the best time of year to do it is during the summer when the fruit is in season, and thereby at it’s lowest annual cost. A savvy shopper waits until a product is on sale and then stocks up! The idea is to create a stockpile that will last you 3-12 months, or until the product again reaches its lowest price.

Packaged Foods are seasonal just like produce! Each calendar month brings a new batch of sales. Here’s the predictable sale cycles for each calendar month:

January:
National Oatmeal Month: Quaker
Diet Foods including: Healthy Choice, South Beach, Lean Cuisine, Special K, Kashi, Smart Start, 100 Calorie Packs
Super Bowl Sunday: Pepsi, Coke, Chips, Dips, Cheese, sandwich items, crackers, snacks, wings
Seasonal Produce: Oranges, Pears,Grapefruit, Tangerines, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kiwi, Avocado, Cabbage, Spinach
Clearance: Christmas Decorations, Toys, Wrapping Papers,
Winter Health: Cold Medicines and Vitamins

February:
National Canned Food Month: Canned Fruit, Vegetables, meats: Tuna, chicken, salmon, pie fillingsNational
Hot Breakfast Month: Malt O Meal, Oatmeal, Eggo Waffles, Syrup
Valentines: Chocolate, Hershey’s, KY Lubricant, etc
Chinese New Year: Soy Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Noodles
Seasonal Produce: Artichoke, Asparagus, Raspberries, Potatoes, Strawberries, Broccoli, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Kale, Kiwi, Avocado, Spinach

March:
Frozen Food Month: Frozen Meals, TGI Fridays, Contessa, Foster Farms Chicken, Eggo, Sara Lee, Healthy Choice, DiGiorno, Freschetta, Breyers, Dreyers, Marie Callendars
Seasonal Produce: Artichoke, Asparagus, Avocado, Haas, Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Celery, Chard, Collards, Fennel, Kale, Leek, Lemon, Lime, Mushrooms, Onions, Spring, Orange, Peas, Radish, Rhubarb, Spinach, Strawberries, Tangerine

April:
Easter: Ham, Eggs, Some Baking Supplies: sugar, spices, baking mixes, chocolate chips
Earth Day: Organic foods, Energy saver
Seasonal Produce: Artichokes, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbages, Carrots, Grapefruit, Hass Avocado, Mushrooms, Onions, Peas, Rhubarb
Clearance: After Easter sales are the time to stock up on decorating, baskets, etc for the next year.

May:
Memorial Day: BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Paper Products: plates, utensils, insect repellant, sunscreen
Cinco De Mayo: Salsa, tortillas
Seasonal Produce: Artichokes, Asparagus, Avocado, Beans, Green, Beets, Blackberries, Carrots, Onions, Sweet Vidalia, Peas, Edible Pods, Peas, English/Shelling, Potatoes, New, Raspberries, Strawberries

June:
National Dairy Month: Eggs, Milk (Free Milk Catalina, wyb cereal), Ice Cream, Cheese, Butter, Yogurt, cool whip, In-store dairy coupons or booklets
End of June is Fourth of July Sales: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
Seasonal Produce: Apricots, Blackberries, Blueberries, Boysenberries, Cherries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Honeydew, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes, Raspberries, Red Onions, Squash, Summer, Strawberries, Sweet Vidalia Onions, Tomatoes, Watermelon

July:
National Ice Cream Month
More 4th of July BBQ Sales: Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, BBQ Sauce, Ketchup, condiments, charcoal, salad dressing, potato chips, dips
End of July: Back to School Sales begin: crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Seasonal Produce: Asian Pears, Bartlett Pears, Beans, Green, *Blueberries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Garlic, Grapes, Nectarines, Onions, Red, Oranges, Valencia, Peaches, Peppers, Sweet/Bell, Plums, Potatoes, Squash, Summer, Tomatoes, Watermelon

August:
Back to School: Pudding cups, Lunch meat,
Staples and Office Depot Penny items
Disinfectant: Clorox, Purell
Clearance: Insect Repellant, Sunscreen, charcoal
Seasonal Produce: Apple, Gravenstein, Avocado, Hass, Beans, Beans, Green, Berries, Corn, Cucumber, Eggplant, Figs, Grapes, Melons, Onion, Peaches, Pears, Bartlett, Pepper, Bell, Plums, Raspberries, Squash, Summer, Tomatillo, Tomato

September:
Back to School Sales through labor day: crayons, pencils, folders, binders
Diabetes: Bayer Glucose Meters, Glucerna Cereal
Seasonal Produce: Apples, Artichokes, Beans, Bell Peppers, Chile Peppers, Cucumber, Eggplant, Grapes, Onion, Orange, Valencia, Pears, Asian, Pears, Bartlett, Pomegranate, Squash, Tomatillo, Tomatoes, Winter Squash

October:
Halloween: Candy
Beginning of the baking sales: Canned pumpkin, evap milk, baking chips
National Seafood Month
Adopt a Shelter-Dog Month: Pedigree, Purina
Seasonal Produce: Almonds, Apples, Artichokes, Arugula, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Chard, Chestnuts, Cranberries, Lemons, Parsnip, Pears, Pomegranate, Potatoes, Potatoes, Sweet, Pumpkin, Spinach, Squash, Winter, Turnips, Yams

November:
Baking Sales in full swing: nuts, chocolate chips, evap milk, sweetened condensed milk, coconut, cake mixes
Canned foods – soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Turkey, canned pumpkin, stovetop stuffing, betty crocker boxed potatoes, gravy mixes, rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, jello, marshmallows
Seasonal Produce: Anjou Pears, Beets, Broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, Cabbages, Carrots, Celery, Comice pears, cranberries, kiwi, lemons, orange, potato, squash, yams
Clearance: After Halloween sales are the time to stock up on things for the next year.
I like to buy the Halloween candy-alternatives like halloween crayons, erasers, watches, spinning tops, etc. I mix this in with my next year’s candy bowl and it stretches my loot for all the neighbor kids!

December:
Holiday Dinner: Egg Nog, Deli Platters, Instant Potatoes, gravy mixes, rhodes rolls, frozen pies, cranberry sauce, jello, marshmallows
Baking: Flour, Sugar, Butter, Cream, Cake mix, Brownie mix, Muffin mix, Breads, Pie Crust, Marshmallow, Whipped cream
Canned foods – soup, broth, condensed milk, vegetables, fruits, spaghetti sauce
Clearance: Buy all your Thanksgiving Decorations, extra table settings and turkey carving products now once they’re at least 50% off.

Early August Garden Update

The frustration continues with the garden this year. The squash have a bounty of beautiful blooms. Like this one:

And here is the growing squash:

You don't see it? Oh, that's right! You can't take a picture of nothing. Grand. Something's stealing my squash.

The Oregon Spring are starting to turn red, but they aren't that big - maybe quarter-size in diameter. And I know the plant isn't a cherry variety. The Black Zebra are slightly bigger and just now turning. The Anna Russian is tall and has lots of flowers, but not one tomato. Bust all around.

The pepper plant does have one pepper on it! I'm rooting it on as it's currently my only hope.

I want my baby back, baby back, baby back. . .

Nothing makes me feel like a million bucks quite like the words, "This is good, Wife!" There's just something about creating food that is delicious that just makes me feel like I succeeded. When I hit the mark like that, we call the recipes 'keepers'. Ribs is one of those foods that I've really grown into appreciating. I hated them as a kid, but I am excited to say I have found my rib keeper recipe!

Pork Ribs (Baby Back or Spare)
note: this is more like a general guideline. If you don't have time to prepare a day in advance, then just go with what you have.

24 hours in advance prepare the ribs:
Rub Ingredients

1/4 c. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. paprika
1 Tbsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. black pepper
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/4-1/2 tsp. cayenne red pepper

This recipe was made for 3 racks of ribs. I halved it for my one 3 to 3 1/2 lb rack.

Remove the membrane from the underside of the ribs. I have yet to gain experience enough to tell you the best way to do this, but I just made a little slit and pulled. It came off fairly easily.

Cover the ribs with the rub and let sit in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

Cooking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Wrap each section of ribs with one piece each aluminum foil. (I cut my one rack in two.) Bake the ribs for 2 1/2 hours. For the last 15 minutes of cooking, I unwrapped the foil and topped with bbq sauce.

These are fall-off-the bone tender. Play around with them - if you want them bbq'd, take them out at 2 hours, let them sit for a bit, add bbq sauce and throw them on the barbie to carmelize. I used Masterpiece brown sugar sauce, but there are so many options. And you can always make your own! It's so easy-peasy and SO delicious!

Side note: Baby back ribs are taken from the portion of the ribs closest to the spine. These tend to be shorter, curved, and have meat between the bones and on top of the bones. Spare ribs are from the belly side of the rib cage. These are flatter and generally have more bone than meat. Both of these are the typical steak-house eat-the-meat-off-the-bone kind of ribs. Country style ribs are cut from the blade end of the pork loin, next to the shoulder. They contain a lot of fat and may or may not contain bone. These are more of a fork and knife cut of meat. All of these are pork. Short ribs are similar to spare ribs but are beef.

Plantable Seeded Paper Flowers

I've seen this idea in cards, and I've actually received allysum seeds on a coupon from Old Navy. What a fun idea to make them myself! The full tutorial can be found HERE at How Does She. But the basic is to use a thick paste made out of flour and water to adhere the seeds to paper and then roll it up into flower shapes. Get creative!
I successfully over-wintered some Zinnia seeds from flower from seeds that I received from my Grandpa last spring. Maybe I'll try this project with those. . .

Thank You for Fruit Cravings!

I'm sitting here drooling over the idea of huckleberry syrup saved for the kind chilly winter morning that requires a steaming cup of coffee as one sits by the window watching the snow flakes flutter down. And I just discovered last night that my frozen corn stash is out - put that on the list of things to do in the next couple weeks! But this:

This is what might just make me stop at the fruit stand on the way home. Or pop open a can of peaches from last summer. (But, what does one do when her husband "hates hot fruit"? Can I make it just for me, have it for dinner, and tell him he's fending for himself?)

It's called "Too Easy" Peach Cobbler. Namesake aside, I do believe it looks all too delicious to pass up trying. The recipe is found HERE (or see below) at King Aurthur Flour, but I originally saw it HERE on their blog.

6 to 7 medium-sized peaches (2 pounds), peeled and sliced, OR 2 large (1 pound, 15 ounce) cans sliced peaches, drained1/4 cup (1 1/2 ounces)

Pie Filling Enhancer, to thicken the filling, optional

3 to 5 slices white bread, crusts removed, cut into cubes — 4 cups cubes, about 5 ounces

1/4 cup (1 3/4 ounces) granulated sugar

2/3 cup (5 ounces) brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons (1/2 ounce) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 large egg

1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces) butter, melted

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or a sprinkling of cinnamon (optional)

Grease an 8" square or 9" round pan. Combine the peaches with the Pie Filling Enhancer, if you're using it. Layer the sliced peaches into the pan, and top the peaches with the bread cubes.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the sugars, salt, flour, egg, and melted butter. Pour this batter over the bread cubes. Sprinkle with the nutmeg or cinnamon, if you're using it.

Bake the cobbler in a preheated 350°F oven for 45 minutes, until it's golden brown. Serve it hot or warm, with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. Yield: 8 servings.

The Verdict: In all its gooey, caramely goodness - YUM! Some cobblers can be eaten for breakfast, but this one is definitely best suited as a dessert.