Nick’s Chicken Strips

Basic fried chicken strips only better than you’ve ever had them before!

Ingredients

• Prep Time 5 Minutes
• Cook Time 10 Minutes

• 1 pound Chicken Breasts
• 1 cup Flour
• 1 pinch Salt And Pepper
• 1 pinch Season-All
• ½ cans Lemon Lime Soda, Such As Sprite (from A 12 Ounce Can)
• 2 whole Eggs
• ½ cups Vegetable Oil

Preparation Instructions

Cut chicken breasts into strips. Mix flour with salt, pepper, and season all to taste. In a separate bowl, mix Sprite and beaten eggs.

Heat part of vegetable oil on medium heat- use just enough to cover the bottom of your pan.

Once oil is heated, dip chicken strips into egg mixture first, then flour mixture and then fry until each side is golden brown and the internal temperature is 165 degrees or more.

Let strips drain on paper towels.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

These probably aren't going to win any awards for "best banana muffins ever to grace our earth", but they taste awesome with less sugar and fat than your standard banana muffin.  Which is a big win if you want to feed these to your kids frequently!

• Prep Time 15 Minutes
• Cook Time 15 Minutes

Ingredients

• ¼ cups Sour Cream
• ¼ cups Sugar
• 1 whole Egg
• ¾ teaspoons Vanilla
• 1 cup Flour
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 3 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1-½ whole Ripe Bananas
• ½ cups Chocolate Chips

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 F and grease a muffin tin (or paper muffin liners can be used).

2. Mix together the sour cream, sugar, egg, and vanilla in a medium bowl.

3. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a second medium bowl.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.

5. Mash the bananas in a bowl, and add the bananas and chocolate chips to the batter and mix thoroughly.

6. Drop into the muffin tins, and bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

7. Enjoy! They are so good when they are warm out of the oven.

Pear Flip-Flop

Pic from google images

I had a whole lot of pears from my Bountiful Basket that I needed to use up. So when I saw this recipe in the newspaper, I had to try it. (It was in the Parade section and the author is Dorie Greenspan.) It's delicious! It's similar to an apple crisp, but the pears give it a different flavor. Enjoy!

4 1/2 Tbsp butter
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups sliced or diced pears
powdered sugar, for dusting

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the butter in a 9-inch pie plate. Mix dry ingredients, then add wet ingredients. Pour batter over the hot butter. Then place the pears on top.
Bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and then dust with powdered sugar.
(The pears sink to the bottom, which is why it's called Pear Flip-Flop.)

Cowboy Caviar (aka: The most delicious salsa you'll ever eat!)

Picture from google images

Camille brought this to a party and EVERYONE wanted the recipe because it was so delicious! (So thank you Camille!)

2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1/2 tsp olive oil (I did a little more)
1 clove minced garlic (Camille uses the garlic stuff out of a jar and I used garlic powder, whatever garlic-y stuff you have will do)
salt and pepper to taste
1 large avocado
1 can black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 can corn (drained and rinsed)
2/3 c. green onion (some pictures on google images had red onions, I'm sure either would be good)
2/3 c. cilantro
1/2 lb tomatoes

Cut up all ingredients and stir in a bowl. Let sit for a few hours to blend flavors and serve with tortilla chips. Then try not to eat that whole bowl in one sitting by yourself!

Easy-peasy and oh so delicious!

* I didn't really measure too much but next time I'll do more tomatoes and less avocados (Klay doesn't like them or I would do twice as many). Add more of what you like and less of what you don't, it will still be like heaven in your mouth. 
* I couldn't stop eating it right after I made it and it was great fresh but was definitely better today after all the flavors had meshed together over night. Camille said she usually lets it sit for a few hours before eating. (If you can wait that long!)
* It makes a lot! I took half to my friend because I knew the avocados would go brown before we could eat it all.
* It did taste better today but looked really gross with all the brown avocados. Next time I'm going to leave them out and add them right before I eat it so they are nice and fresh.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

I just accidentally posted a personal post to this blog. Once I deleted it the new post title was still showing up on the sidebar. Luckily, I made some delicious cookies last night so I have a recipe to cover up my mistake!

The plate I'm talking to my visiting teaching lady and I was too lazy to take the saran wrap off for the pic!

1 c pumpkin
3/4 c sugar
1/2 c oil
1 egg
2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp milk
1 c chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla

Dissolve baking soda in milk, set aside. In large bowl add pumpkin, sugar, oil, and egg. Stir. Add flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda mixture. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and vanilla. Spoon onto cookie sheet and bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 min.

Beware: they are so yummy that I've been eating them for breakfast. Nice and healthy!

Ghost Chili

A creamy chili that’s good on the taste buds and the budget.

• Prep Time 5 Minutes
• Cook Time 45 Minutes

• 1 pound Chicken Breast, Cubed
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Chopped
• 1-½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• 2 cans (15.5 Oz) Great Northern Beans, Rinsed And Drained
• 1 can (14.5 Oz) Chicken Broth
• 2 cans (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoons Black Pepper
• ¼ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
• 1 cup Sour Cream
• ½ cups Whipping Cream

Preparation Instructions

Heat oil in a large pot. Saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder until chicken is no longer pink. Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream and cream.

If you like your chili very mild, reduce the amount of chilies to 1 can, or rinse and drain the chilies well.

To make a less rich, healthier version, use 2 cups sour cream and 1/4 cup milk.

Spiced Apple Cider

My Parents had HUNDREDS and HUNDREDS of pounds of apples from their trees this year! So that means I have a ton of fresh-pressed apple juice! But you can use this recipe with any apple juice and it will taste great......just not as great as mine;)

You can either do a big batch of this on the stove or in a crock pot.....or you can do a mug-full at a time in the microwave.

Apple Juice
Cinnamon Sticks: One for each serving. If You're doing a big pot, put in a few. If you are doing it in a mug, just put in one.
cloves: A couple for each serving.
Orange slice(opt) One for each serving.

Heat on stove top, in the microwave, or in crock pot. If you do it the crock pot it makes your house smell wonderful! Then you can drink it hot(that's how I like mine) or chill in the fridge.