There is nothing better than freshly baked bread. This is a very simple easy recipe that anyone can do. It is even easier if you have a big stand-up mixer - but it’s not necessary. I just want to over-emphasize that you really can do this! It’s going to look like a lot of work… the instruction part is long… but it really is easy. I promise!

Also, don’t be bummed if you don’t have buttermilk on hand.. (who really does anyways?) All you need to do is add 1 TBS. of vinegar to every 1 cup of milk. Although, this is only to be used for baking - don’t drink it! Let the milk sit for about 10 minutes after you’ve added the vinegar, before you use it. I used the recipe found here.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Two loaf pans
• Large mixing bowl
• Small saucepan

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees F)
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 5 1/2 cups bread flour

Instructions:

Ok.. here we go. If this is your first time baking bread, have no worries, this is going to be fun and easy. The one thing I always have to remind myself when making bread is be patient! Now, we’re ready to begin. Measure out the water in a measuring glass. Open the packages of yeast, and dump it in the water. Stick the glass in the microwave (without turning it on) and let it sit for about 10 minutes or so. What you are doing is called “proofing” the yeast - or basically you are making the yeast come alive! You’ll know when it’s done when there is a layer of foam at the top and it looks like little fireworks inside the glass. Now, place the butter or margarine and buttermilk in a small saucepan. Heat slowly until butter or margarine has melted - cool to lukewarm.

Next, place sugar, salt, baking soda, buttermilk mixture, and yeast in large mixing bowl (or your KitchenAid or any stand up mixer). Add 3 cups flour one cup at a time, and mix with the dough hook attachment of an electric mixer. Gradually add the remaining flour while continuing to mix. When dough is not sticky (and this could take awhile), turn out on a lightly floured surface. Knead for several minutes, until the dough is soft and smooth. (this step can also be done in your stand up mixer - just keep the dough hook on and let it go for about 10 minutes.) You will know when it is done when you can poke you finger at the dough and it retains it’s shape. Once that is ready to go, place in a greased bowl, and turn over once.  Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size in a warm area.

Once it has risen, punch down the dough with your hands. Divide evenly, and shape into 2 loaves. Place in two well greased loaf pans. We’re going to allow this to sit again in a warm place until the dough has risen one inch above pans.

Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes. Loaves are done when nicely brown and when you tap on the top they have a hollow sound.

Wow!  This recipe is SO good and it couldn’t be easier.  Just throw all the ingredients in a slow cooker and forget it!  This would be a great appetizer for a party as well as a great dinner.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Slow cooker

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. kielbasa
• 1 large jar chunky applesauce
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. garlic, minced
• 1 large can sauerkraut

Instructions:

Cut the kielbasa into 1 inch pieces.  Put everything into the slow cooker and set it on low for  5-6 hours.  Couldn’t be any easier than that!  Serve with your favorite side!

This is a great dish, and it’s very different from other ethnic chicken dishes I’ve made before.  I hope you try it and enjoy!

Equipment you’ll need:

• Large Skillet

Ingredients:

• 1 or 2 chicken breasts - depending on how hungry you are
• Grill seasoning
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons minced ginger root 
• 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 cup packaged shredded cabbage and carrot mix 
• 1/2 cup plum sauce

Instructions:

Thinly slice the chicken into strips and sprinkle with the grill seasoning.

Heat the skillet over high heat until very hot.  Add vegetable oil, then add in the chicken.  Cook the chicken for 2 minutes. Add the ginger, garlic, cabbage and carrot mix and stir-fry another 2 minutes. Add plum sauce to glaze the mixture, toss 1 minute.  Let the sauce reduce down a bit and once chicken is done - about 2 more minutes - scoop out over a big bed of rice.

I sure appreciate a good snack when I find it. I am of course, a “professional snacker”, meaning I love to just snack throughout the day rather than sit down to a big meal. (Mom, Dad are you reading this?) This recipe is so quick, easy, cheap, just SO good! You will thank me when that late night snacking urge kicks in!

Equipment you’ll need:

• Bowl

Ingredients:

• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can Mexican style tomatoes (they come with jalapeños and onions), drained and rinsed
• 1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1 handful cilantro, chopped
• pinch cumin
• pinch salt
• lime juice
• tortilla chips

Instructions:

Mix first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before eating. Serve with tortilla chips.

Are you noticing my patterns here? We shop on a budget, which means we eat a fair bit of chicken compared to other meats. (Thank you Trader Joe’s all-natural frozen chicken breasts!) Now, this may sound boring, but it is so far from it! We could eat a chicken meal every night of the week - and have it taste completely different each time. Now, as far as the coconut couscous, we’re just plain addicted. Really, if you haven’t tried this yet… what are you waiting for??? As far as curry dishes, this is very different from the ones previously, if you like Indian curry spices, you’ll love this! It has excellent flavor but without the heat of some of the other curry dishes.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Small sauce pan
• Large skillet
• 1 large zip-lock bag

Ingredients:

• 1 cup couscous
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can coconut milk, divided
• 2 chicken breasts, thawed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• Handful of shredded carrots (I get the bagged kind)
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 Tbs. flour
• 1 Tbs. curry powder
• 1 tsp. all-spice
• salt and pepper
• 2 tsp. vegetable oil

Instructions:

In the sauce pan, combine water and 3/4 cup coconut milk. Heat on med-high until boiling. Stir in couscous, remove from heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes and fluff with fork.

In the skillet, preheat the veggie oil on med-high. Combine flour, curry powder, all-spice, salt and pepper in a large zip lock bag. Shake well. Now put the chicken in the bag, close it up, and shake to evenly coat the chicken. Place in the skillet and allow it to brown on all sides, add the carrots and onion, and cook for another minute or two. Finally, stir in the rest of the coconut milk, and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Enjoy!

This is a fantastic vegetarian dish! While we were eating it, we had a few thoughts though, on what we would do differently next time. Erik thought bacon would be a great addition. I also wished I would have made this in a “deep dish” pie plate and double the amounts of everything! This is a great dish to play around with! Even spinach would be great to add if you wanted to keep this veggie friendly!

Equipment you’ll need:

• Pie dish

Ingredients:

• 1 package instant mashed potatoes (I used Trader Joe’s garlic instant potatoes, they were great and saved a ton of time!)
• 3/4 lb. frozen chopped broccoli, thawed
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper
• pinch of onion powder (seasonings are optional, adjust to your liking)
• pinch of nutmeg
• pinch of cayenne pepper

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook potatoes according to the directions on the box. Take your pie dish, and spray the inside with non-stock cooking spray (or some olive oil if you have that) Spread the mashed potatoes evenly around pie dish, going up the sides, this is going to be the “crust” to our quiche. Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes.

While that is in the oven, combine the eggs, milk, and seasonings in a small bowl. Whisk to combine.

One crust has baked, arrange the broccoli and onions on the bottom of the crust. Then top with lots of cheese. Pour the egg mixture over it all. Put it back in the oven, and bake for 30-35 minutes. Allow to cool for a few minutes before serving!

Erik and I had a gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma, so this week we headed up to the mall to buy some new goodies! After browsing the store, we had decided on getting a new kabob holder for the grill, which happened to be on clearance (yay)! And…

A fantastic apple peeler, corer, slicer! (Really, truly, it does ALL that!) I grew up with one of these, that my mom had purchased from Pampered Chef, and I have fond memories of making spiral apples. However, this was Erik’s first time with the device. It’s fair to say, it’s definitely a hit! The dogs even loved it! (They got to eat the “rope” made from the peel once we were done) Somehow this just makes eating fruit so much better! I have a hard time biting into apples, and this makes it so much easier to enjoy a healthy yummy apple. We will definitely be putting this to use also this fall when we make up apple pies! So put your order in now!

Amazon.com has the peeler for only $23.15 - a small price to pay for the time it will save making those apple pies, and not to mention just peeling them for a snack!  Follow the link below to purchase it!

Back To Basics Apple and Potato Peeler

You might be noticing a pattern here.. We LOVE couscous. It is so versatile and goes well with just about anything. I usually like to cook it in chicken stock, but you can use water, vegetable stock, even coconut milk.

This dish was really flavorful thanks to the lime and the rum lends a nice subtle flavor. The asparagus was amazing also, we usually make it on the grill - but after having it roasted, we will never switch again. Olive oil, salt and pepper are really all you need to make this taste amazing!

Equipment you’ll need:

• Baking sheet, covered with aluminum foil
• Small saucepan
• Large skillet

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 bunch asparagus, trimmed
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup slivered almonds
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 T. sugar
• 2 chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup rum
• 2 limes zested
• 1/4 cup mint leaves, chopped (optional, for garnish)
• 1 cup couscous
• 2 cups chicken stock

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange asparagus on the baking sheet. Drizzle some olive oil over the asparagus, and sprinkle some salt and pepper over it also. Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, then add the almonds over top. Bake for another 5-10 minutes, or until asparagus is tender and almonds are browned.

While the asparagus is cooking, heat the large skillet over med heat, drizzle some olive oil in the bottom about 2 teaspoons. Once the pan is hot, drop the onions, garlic, and sugar in and heat until onions are soft, stirring occasionally. Add the chicken and saute until golden brown on all sides. Next your going to add the lime juice (save a small amount for the couscous if you want), and carefully off the heat, add the rum. Return to the heat add 3/4 of the lime zest and a bit of salt and pepper. Let that cook down for 12-15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken is cooking, boil up that chicken stock and once it’s boiling, add the couscous. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Add the lime juice and rest of the lime zest (optional).

Once the chicken is cooked through, the rum sauce should be thickened, and it’s ready to serve. Spoon some couscous onto the plate, top with chicken and sauce, and pair it with the asparagus and almonds!

This was very easy quick and very good. I thought it was a little salty, due mostly to the feta, however if you like feta you’ll love this. Erik and I also were thinking while were eating, that goat cheese would be fantastic in this. It’s very easy to change it up to your liking.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Small saucepan
• Baking dish
• Small mixing bowl
• Rolling pin or meat tenderizer

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breast halves
• 1 4oz. container feta cheese
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 4-5 sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
• 1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
• 3/4 cup couscous
• 1 cup chicken stock

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. In between two pieces of wax paper, pound the chicken breasts with the mallet or rolling pin until 1/4 inches thick. In a small mixing bowl, combine 3 oz. feta, chopped basil, and chopped tomatoes. Mound a small amount of the cheese mixture onto the chicken breast, fold in half and secure with toothpicks. Line the baking dish with 1/2 of the breadcrumbs, put in the chicken and pour the rest of the breadcrumbs over the breasts, making sure the breadcrumbs are coating the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

For couscous: Boil the chicken stock in the small saucepan. Once it is boiling, add couscous, remove from heat, cover and let it sit for 5 minutes. Once couscous is done, add the rest of the feta cheese and 1 tablespoon of oil from the sun dried tomatoes. Stir to combine.

Enjoy!

We had this meal for dinner last night, and let me tell you… it was delicious! If you like thai food - you’d definately love this dish! I used this recipe as a starter - but I made a few adjustments.

Equipment you’ll need:

• Baking dish
• Small skillet
• Small saucepan

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 4 chicken breast halves
  
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon red curry paste ( added a bit more.. because we like it spicy!)
• 1/4 cup flaked coconut
• 1 cup quick cooking jasmine rice
• 1 can coconut milk
• freshly chopped cilantro leaves, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium size bowl, combine the bell pepper, salt and pepper, chicken stock, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, curry paste, and 3 tablespoons of the coconut milk. Stir to combine. Arrange chicken in the bottom of a baking dish and pour the liquid over the chicken. Bake for approx. 30 min or until chicken is done.

For rice: Over low heat, toast the flaked coconut until it is light brown in the skillet. About 5-8 minutes. Keep a close eye on it, it can burn fast! To prepare rice, combine the rest of the coconut milk with a little water. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Once it is boiling, turn down heat, cover and let it simmer for about 20-30 minutes. When it is done, stir in the toasted coconut!

Spoon a good amount of rice onto your plate, top with a chicken breast! Enjoy!