Strawberry Banana Shortcake

I decided to do something very simple tonight.  But still extremely tasty.  Shrawberry shortcake is by far one of my favorite desserts.  I had some bananas so I figured I would add them.  I cut up strawberries added a little sugar mashed them up and added cut up bananas.  We bought angel food cake instead of making it.

Italian Breaded Pork Chops/Chicken

A few months ago I created this recipe for breading pork chops or chicken and it is delicious! Very easy, and tasty. I use it when I make chicken parmesan, or like tonight pork chops! It is a lot of breading mixture, feel free to cut it in half if you don't want to be wasteful.










Ingredients
3 eggs lightly beaten
3 tbsp milk
1 1/2 c plain bread crumbs
italian seasoning, however much you would like
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
parsley, however much you would like
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped or minced
4 pork chops
flour (optional and I never measure this I just put it in a bowl)

Directions
1. In a shallow, flat dish mix eggs and milk. You can use a bowl, just make sure it is a dish that will allow you to fully coat the pork chops.
2. In another bowl add however much flour you would like.
3. In another bowl combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, and Italian seasoning.
4. Preheat oven to 325°.
5. Heat oil in an oven proof skillet heat oil. Cook garlic in oil until brown, remove garlic. I chop the garlic when I do this. If you mince it I am sure you can keep it in there.
6. Dip chops in flour, then egg mixture, and then bread mixture. Cook on both sides for 4-5 minutes, until golden brown. Place skillet in oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes.

I made some Alfredo noodles and a fresh salad. It was so good!! Such a great dinner. I hope you all enjoy.

Grilled Chicken

It is getting so nice outside! We decided to grill out tonight. This was super easy and very delicious!

Ingredients:

3 Boneless, skinless, chicken breast, pounded

3 tbsp soy sauce

1 1/4 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cloves of garlic chopped

lime juice, 1/2 of a lime juiced

Marinade the chicken for a couple of hours. Grill it on a grill. We had left over mashed potatoes so I added some pepper, garlic powder and sour cream. Also made a fresh salad. This chicken was very good tender and juicy.

Lemon Bars

My best friend came to visit and one of her favorite desserts is lemon bars so I made a recipe that I have had for a while. Super easy and very tasty!!

Ingredients:
Crust:
2 c flour
1 c confectioners sugar
pinch of salt
2 sticks butter softened

Filling:
4 eggs
2 c sugar
6 tbsp flour
6 tbsp fresh lemon juice
zest from one lemon




Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°, grease 9X13X2 pan.

Crust:
Mix dry ingredients. Cut in butter. Press mixture into pan. (dip fingers in powder sugar to avoid sticking to fingers.) I don't use all of the crust mixture mainly because I am not a huge fun of pie crust and I don't like when it over powers the filling. I evenly press the mixture in the pan. I probably use 2/3 of the mixture.
Bake for 20 minutes. Cool while making filling.

Filling:
Mix all ingredients. Pour over bake crust. Bake for 25 minutes.
Let set in fridge for 4-6 hours (I put it in the fridge over night), sprinkle with additional powder sugar if desired.

I love these lemon bars. The only thing is I wish they were thicker. I am going to try some different recipes. Sometimes when I make lemon bars they get what looks like foam on top. I was concerned that I was doing something wrong so I asked a friend who use to own a bakery and she said it happens to her too sometimes and not to be concerned. I just sprinkle with powder sugar so no one knows. Enjoy!

Pot Roast

It's Friday!!!  I had an incredibly long week.  And we are having a couple of people over tonight so, I decided to make a pot roast because it is so easy and delicious!  Pot roast is by far one of my favorite dishes.  My family has always used the Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix, but a few months ago I decided to be creative and I am so happy that I did.








Ingredients:
3 1/2 pound roast
1 tbsp olive oil
salt
pepper
italian seasoning
1 large yellow onion, sliced or chopped
4 cloves of garlic peeled
1/2 cup cooking Red Wine
Carrots, peeled and sliced length wise

Directions:

1. Season the meat with the salt, pepper and Italian seasoning.  This can be as little or as much as you would like.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet.
3. Sear roast on all sides, for several minutes.  Do not move meat while it is browning on one side or else it won't brown right.
4. In your crock pot, or dutch oven, add onions, carrots, and garlic.  Place roast on top of onions and garlic.
5. Pour in the red wine
6.  Cook for about 4 hours, or however long you want.  I allow mine to slowly cook all day while I am at work, which was 10 hours today.

I don't have that large of a crock pot or I would have also cut up red skinned potatoes.  I made mashed potatoes since I didn't have the room.  I learned a trick from a cooking show once that if you put the veggies under the meat they will stay firmer, so that is what I do.  Everyone always raves over this whenever I make it.  Enjoy!

Greek Hummus

We love Hummus and are always trying new recipes and variations of it. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

1 (15 oz) can of garbanzo or chick peas, drained

juice from 1 lemon

1 sprig of fresh oregano, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

salt

1 tbsp tahini paste

handful of parsley leaves, fresh

1/4 c kalamata olives, drained well and chopped

Directions

This is easy! Throw it all in the food processor. If too thick add a tad of olive oil or water. Use pita bread/chips, celery, cucumbers, and red peppers for dipping.

Homemade Burritos and Guacamole

I love guacamole!!!! I like all kinds of Mexican food. It is by far one of my most favorite kinds of food. I am not the best at making authentic Mexican food, but I am working on getting there. Tonight's dinner was very easy. My husband made burritos and when I got home I made guacamole. We make our own taco/burrito seasoning.

Ingredients: - Seasoning

1 tbsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Chipotle Tabasco Sauce

Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl. Depending how spicy you and your family like your food add as much or as little as you would like. I make about one pound of hamburger and add all of this. I then add the Tabasco sauce to taste, a few shakes. The sauce is a smoky flavor, very good.

Now on to the guacamole!!

Ingredients: - Guacamole

4-5 large avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Roma tomato, I used a regular vine tomato because I had a big one and need some of it for burrito toppings
2 serrano chili peppers, seeded
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded
1/2 red onion chopped
cilantro chopped, about 1/2 cup
3-4 tbsp lime juice
pepper
sea salt

Add peppers, cilantro, and cumin to a food processor and pulse until chopped. Add avocados, lightly pulse. I like my guacamole to be a little chunky, others like it smooth. It is really your decision on how you want it. Stir in chopped onion, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. I have been making guacamole for years, and every time I make it I will add a little of this, or a little of that. I always do the lime juice, salt and pepper to taste. If you don't have a food processor no worries. Make sure that the peppers and cilantro are chopped. How big is really up to you, I do mine finely chopped. Cut the avocados up and then I used use a potato masher and mash them up and then add everything. Enjoy!

Asian Orange Chicken Recipe

I love Asian food! I have never made it from scratch, usually I get a sauce packet and add that to chicken and veggies. Today I decided to be ambitious. I found this recipe at allrecipes.com. I did make some of my own changes, but not to many.

Ingredients:

Chicken:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-1/2" cubes

1 1/2 c all purpose flour

1 egg (beaten)

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper

Oil for frying

Orange Sauce:

1 1/2 c water

2 tbsp orange juice (about 1/2 an orange), I had fresh oranges so I used those

1/4 c lemon juice (about 1 lemon), also fresh

1/3 c rice vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp orange zest (about 1 1/2 oranges)

1 c packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp minced ginger root

1/2 tsp minced garlic (two cloves)

2 tbsp green onion (chopped)

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

3 tbsp cornstarch

1/4 c water

Instructions:

1. Dip chicken chunks in egg and then toss in the flour mixture. I don't have a deep fryer so I used my wok with some canola oil in single layer batches. Do not over crowd the wok while frying. If you have a fryer: fry the chicken at 375°. I used a skimmer to remove the chicken from the oil. Placed it on a some paper towel on a plate. I preheated my oven to 170° (the fully cooked temperature for chicken needs to be 165° internally). I placed the chicken on a cookie sheet and kept in the oven to keep warm while I made the sauce.

2. In a large saucepan, or wok rinsed after frying chicken, combine 1 1/2 c water, lemon juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, and soy sauce. Blend well over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in brown sugar, orange zest, ginger, garlic and onion. Bring to a boil.

3. Combine 3 tbsp cornstarch and 1/4 c water in a small bowl or cup, mix thoroughly. Slowly stir cornstarch mixture into sauce until sauce thickens. I then took a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies, steamed them in the microwave, added the chicken and veggies into the sauce. Served over brown rice.

This was very good. Took me about 45 minutes from start to finish. Very inexpensive!! Very simple to make! Next time I think I will add the veggies to the orange sauce and then spoon that over the chicken. I used extra crushed red pepper flakes because I wanted a little more heat. Enjoy!

Meatloaf

Today we spent the day with my little sister and her boyfriend. He has never had meatloaf so I decided to make one. I usually make one using Lipton Beefy Onion Soup mix but I decided not to do that and just kind of went with it.

Ingredients:

1 pound hamburger

1 pound ground sausage

1 onion finely chopped

1 green pepper finely chopped

2 eggs

1 c oatmeal

1/2 c milk

1/2 c ketchup

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine all ingredients. I find it easier to mix everything except the meat in a large bowl, make sure your eggs are mixed up, and then add the meat. I use a 13 X 9 glass pan and shape the mixture into a loaf. Cook for 1 hour. Spread additional ketchup on top if desired. Cook for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Making a Pillow!!!!

I have been meaning to make a pillow for one of my really good friends, and today was the day.

I make my own pillow forms because it is cheaper than buying the pre-made ones. A lot of people will just stuff the pillow but I like have my cases removable just in case it needs cleaning or fixing.

I got some plain white fabric for the form, and some stuffing. I wanted a pillow that was roughly 18X18 so I measured two squares that were 19X19 for the form.

Here is one of the squares

I pinned the two squares together and sewed them together making sure that I left about a 6-8 inch opening on one side so I could stuff it. I then stuffed it.

Form stuffed before sewing up the hole.

After stuffing I pinned the hole together, using about 5 pins just so it would stay together. I then used the sewing machine to close up the hole. Form completed now on to the hard stuff!

Pinned shut

Sewn shut.

Form completed.

My friend told me she wanted it to be purple so I use a cream colored background and 2 layers of purple organza on top of it for the from the pillow. I cut these to 20x20, I left myself some room because I knew that I would also be adding the back. I pinned the three later together and carefully sewed them together.

The three layers of the front.

I wanted to add something more to the front so I made flower petals. This was very easy because I just cut not perfect circles in a variety of sizes. I had to sew them on one layer at a time. I started in the corner pinned one sewed it at the bottom, I went backwards on the seam also just to reinforce it. The next row was 2 petals, then three, and so forth and so on until I was done.

Since I still had to the sew on the back I pinned the outside of the petals towards the center just so they wouldn't get stuck in the seam.

For the back I made what I call a sham opening. I measured a piece of the cream 20X28. I cut it slightly off centered. One edge I folded in 1/2 an inch and made a seam, the other one I folded in about 2 inches and made the seam (make sure you hold the two pieces up to the front to make sure they are the right size). Since the pillow is sewed inside out it is really important that it is pinned right. I wanted the thicker seam to be on the outside so I took extra care to pin it just right. Then I sewed all four sides together leaving about 1/4-1/2 inch all around. One trick to make the pillow square is to cut the corners diagonally after you sew it together right before the seam (make sure you do not cut the seam) this slanted corner helps create the crisp corner when you are done. And thats all folks!

The sham cover back

You can see the opening and how it is easily removable

All done!

Love

I stayed home from work today not feeling very well at all, the dramatic weather changes managed to give me a pretty nasty cold accompanied by a fever. Then I hear the awful news about Japan. Please pray for everyone who has been affected by this terrible disaster.

Whenever I tell someone, "Hey I started a blog you should check it out!" They always ask me what it is about, I tell them and then they say "Oh, a recipe blog." Yes, I will be sharing recipes but not all the time.  I am not a chef and do not claim to be a chef. I think my mom put it perfectly "a blog for women of all ages." This isn't just about cooking. I would like to say it's about how to be a woman (and to all my male followers, I am pretty confident you will learn from this too) in 2011 with all this craziness going on in the world. That brings me to today’s blog. Remember when I said there would be times when I will just be talking to you? This is one of those times. I want to add that I am a Christian, even though this is not a blog about being a Christian or a faith inspired blog, I think it is important that you all know that because it is who I am and there are times when I will be referencing God.

What is love? It is a crazy mixed emotion four letter word that we have been being told since we were born.

There is a parent’s love. A love so deep and unconditional that words cannot describe this love. I am not a parent so I have not experienced this love. I have 9 nieces and nephews that I love very much and so I am going to key into that love when I talk about a parents love. The very second a woman learns that she is pregnant she feels love; no matter what other emotions are there she always feels love. Love for her child that has just began growing. Then the baby grows and the love grows with it. A woman has this baby, the baby becomes a child, a teenager, and eventually an adult and that mother’s love grows deeper and deeper year after year. A father’s love is one of protection. Fathers love their children unconditionally also but it is a different love than a mother. Men love differently all together. Our parents are the first to love us and are usually the first we love. They are also the ones to love us no matter what.  Stand by us. Watch us make mistakes but are sure there to help us pick up the pieces. A parent’s love is so complex. I hope that one day I get to experience this love and can elaborate more on this.

There is sibling or family love. I come from one of the largest families I have ever seen so I understand this. I have two sisters and two brothers. My older sister and brother are half siblings but growing up it never mattered. We all lived together and we all got into trouble just the same, it made no difference. Siblings are the longest friendship you will ever have. They are there for everything. Every tough time, happy time, and sad time they are there. My older sister was a source of support that I needed growing up. Heck, she still is! My younger brother and sister are a riot. I am their big sister, they come to me when they need something, and it’s the way of life. I had to show the most amount of love that I have ever shown to someone to my little brother a few years ago. It is not my story to tell so I will not. But, I did one of the hardest things I have ever done for love, even to this day I still get very emotional thinking about it. My big brother is just that, a big brother. Anyone who has a big brother knows what I am saying. For a few years it was just he and I at home, I was a toddler but I think that is one of the reasons we had a stronger relationship growing up. My relationship with him is a complicated one; even so I would do anything for him. Siblings are your best friends. I love mine very much and will always be there for them.

Family love. My extended family is gigantic. Just on one half of my moms family there are my great-grandparents, both in there 80's and just celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary. My family is the two of them, their 7 kids and spouses, thirty-some odd grandchildren (my moms generation), sixty-some odd great great grandkids, and about a dozen great grandchildren. My mom is one of four kids; her dad was one of 13 kids. My dad is one of 8 kids. Needless to say there are a lot of people. And we don't just know about each other. No, we have family reunions; once a year, every year. We have family bar-b-ques throughout the summer. Basically, we know each other. Let me tell you there is so much love at the family reunions. Everyone is so happy to see each other. The kids are playing, the women are talking and the men are grilling. It's so refreshing. I look forward to these every year and get so happy just thinking about them. Family, immediate or extended, is there for you when you need them. Your graduations, marriage, moving, kids, all those great things. They are there for the terrible things as well. The things we all pray we do not have to deal with. Death, divorce, foreclosure, hospitalization, terrible, heart-breaking things. That is what family is for; embrace your family and love them.

Having friends and being friends is a love similar to siblings and families but not the same. In the post title "The Beginning" I stated that I have a great group of friends who have been an incredible source of support recently. 2010 was an interesting year for my husband and me. We got married! It was so amazing. At the same time, late 2009 my father-in-law was diagnosed with stage 4 brain cancer. So while planning our wedding we had to deal with chemo and radiation. Luckily, his dad was able to make to the wedding. And Nic and his dad were even able to go to a football game in late October. That same weekend another tumor was discovered and unfortunately 6 weeks later he passed, right before Christmas. Our friends were incredible during that time, they still are. They have shown us so much support and love. They are a great group of friends, I thank them so much for helping us get through this.  The love you show your friends is very different than what you show your siblings in one very large way. If my brother is being an idiot, I straight up tell him, "You're an idiot." I know that he might be upset but in a short amount of time he will be over it, honestly it might not affect him at all. I have some friends that I can do that with but not all. You tell your friend "You're an idiot" and you might not have a friend anymore. I could very easily tell my sibling that they are making a huge a mistake with whom they are dating; I know that they would listen to me and actually take into consideration what I am saying. Some of my friends will react that way but some will not. I have one friend that I call my "friend soul mate," from the moment we met we just clicked. I can tell her anything and she can do the same for me. We know that we will always be there for each other. She is getting ready to embark on an incredible journey. I am so happy for her but I am going to miss her so very much. There is a line in every friendship that cannot be crossed. Learning where that line is is very important. Learning how to just shut up and be there when they need you is also incredibly important. That is love.

There is the love of a significant other. Whether you are 15 or 105, you love someone. The teenage love is not the same as the love shared between a couple who have celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, but that does not mean it needs to be discredited. My sister and her husband started dating in High School got married the summer after she graduated. Ten years later they are still married with a beautiful little girl and have one of the best relationships I have ever seen. Love does not know any age. It also does not know time. How many couples do we know get divorced after 20+ years of marriage? The love of a significant other differs for everyone. Every relationship and marriage is different. However they should contain the same stuff. Open communication, passion, and honesty. I love my husband more and more everyday. We bicker like none other, but we are always honest with one another. If I am doing something that drives him crazy, is annoying, or just plain wrong he tells me. If he is being a jerk I tell him. I know that other people judge our relationship because we are always bickering but we have learned so much about each from that. I am an emotional person. It's better for me to express myself than hold it. If I was to hold in every emotion I would literally explode and bad things would happen. Nic understands that, embraces it, and loves me for it. He balances out my crazy emotionalness. He is incredible to me. I was recently asked what is the most romantic thing he has done. Nic does not do big romantic gestures but rather smaller things. He opens my car door every time we drive his car somewhere. I get a back massage or foot massage at least once a week if not more. He is truly an amazing man.

The last kind of love I will discuss is a child's love. Children love so innocently and purely. I love when I go home and my nieces and nephews run up to me and give me the biggest hugs. My 8-year-old niece recently sent me the cutest postcard. I took that postcard to work to make me smile when I am having a rough day. I love those kids more than anything and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for them. They bring me so much joy just being around them. Children do not know the ugliness of the world. Their love is great. I think it would do everyone some good to spend a day experiencing the love of a child.

Growing up in a home that went to Church regularly taught me so much about love. Even when things weren't good at home, I had the love of God and the love of that Church that I grew up in.

Love is a complex emotion. It is not always easy to love someone even after they have hurt you. Tough love is so hard. Everyone has someone to love and someone to love him or her back. It doesn't always have to be a romantic love. I could go on and on about all the different kinds of love. For me personally, I love the way I do because it is what I know.

Pistachio Lime Cookies

I had a bunch of limes left over from dinner last night (they are not in season here so I had to buy a bag of them instead of individually) and decided to try this recipe I found at foodnetwork.com

Ingredients

3 c sugar
1/2 c lime zest (about 6-8 limes)
4 1/2 c flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 c (4sticks) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes, chilled
6 oz shelled pistachios
5 egg yolks (trick for this: make sure the egg is cold and crack the egg in your hand and let the yolk run through your fingers, feels gross but it works. I got this tip from a friend of mine who use to own a bakery)
2 tsp vanilla extract, I always use pure never imitation. I have also recently discovered vanilla paste. Delicious!
1/8 tsp almond extract
3/4 c fresh lime juice (there is nothing I hate more than zesting and juicing limes or lemons but fresh is so much better than bottled!)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F, after I made them and then just re-read this you could probably wait to turn the oven on until the bowl as been in the fridge for 15 minutes.

2.In a food processor add sugar and zest. Process until well mixed. Remove 1/2 c mixture and put in a bowl. Scrape the rest of the mixture into a large bowl.

3. Add flour, baking soda and salt into food processor and pulse briefly. Add cold butter and 3 oz of pistachios. Process with short pulses until mixture resembles cornmeal and no large lumps of butter remaining. Add remaining pistachios and mix briefly. Pour this into the large bowl with sugar mixture, set aside.

4. In a medium bowl mix egg yolks, vanilla extract, almost extract and lime juice.

5. Using an electric mixer combine the sugar and flour mixtures, mix for about 15 seconds on a low setting. Keeping the mixer on and slowly add the egg mixture and mix well until combined and dough pulls away from the sides of the b

6. Refrigerate until cold but not solid, about 30 minutes. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop the dough onto parchment-lined cookie sheets. Take the dough balls and roll the tops into the reserved sugar mix. Use the bottom of a water glass to press the cookies until about 1/4 inch flat. *Tip when rolling cookie dough into balls or pressing with a glass dip your hands/the bottom of the glass into powder sugar (kind of like flour with rolls), this will prevent the dough from getting sticky.* Bake the cookies until slightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove parchment paper with the cookies still on them from the cookie sheet and place a cooling rack to cool.

I didn't have the best of luck with these. First, it was quite the process!!!! Zesting a bunch of limes, then squeezing even more limes and lastly shelling a million pistachios!!! Oy!! The prep definitely took much longer than I thought. I usually save the stuff that takes longer and involves more prep for the weekends.

Then, I accidentally added the egg mixture right when I combined the flour and sugar mixtures. Right after I had done it I realized the mistake. I also made them too big on the first batch and too thin. Roll them to about the size of a walnut and press them to be about 1/2 an inch not 1/4. The last mistake I made was I did not mix the dough long enough. They are very thin, and this is not the recipes fault but actually my own fault. I didn't mix it up right or long enough and that can cause tons of issues!! I have had one of those days today. I should have gone with my gut feeling and made lime bars!

However, they taste delicious!! Very buttery and warm. Great combination of flavors, unlike any cookie I have ever had. I guess that makes up for them maybe not looking the greatest!!  I will definitely be making these again.

Here are some pictures:

Before putting them in the oven

When they were done baking.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

We eat a lot of chicken in my house and I am always looking for new recipes to use because sometimes chicken can be boring.  I found a recipe today, it sounded delicious, I figured why not try it.  I made some changes to it from the original recipe.  I doubled the dry rub, used the chipotle chile powder, used fresh garlic, and used chicken stock for added flavor.

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken - Servings 4

Dry Rub:
3/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (crushed red pepper)
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. garlic powder (this would be 1 clove of real garlic, 1 clove minced = 1/4 tsp)
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. chipotle chile powder (this will add a lot of spice.  It is a smoky spicy and delicious!)
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried parsley

4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, pounded.  You can use breasts instead of thighs, I like to use boneless skinless thighs and trim away any of the extra fat.  Thighs are juicy and more flavorful than breasts.

2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
4 small cloves garlic minced
3 limes juiced
1/3 c. chicken stock

1. Combine the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl or a bag, I prefer bag because its easier to coat the chicken.  Evenly coat chicken with dry rub.
2. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until golden brown, do no flip chicken  repeatedly cook for about 5-6 (this can differ depending on thickness) minutes on one side and then flip to do the other side.  This will prevent the chicken from drying out.  Add the minced garlic, lime juice and chicken stock.  Cook on a low heat, covered for about 5-10 minutes.  If you can't cover the skillet spoon the sauce over the chicken continuously.  This will allow the chicken to absorb the flavor of the lime and stay moist.

I served this with steamed broccoli and real mashed potatoes.

This dish was delicious!!!!  A little on the spicy side but the creaminess of the mashed potatoes helped tone down the spiciness of the chicken.  I was afraid that it would be al little to garlicy with 4 cloves and the garlic powder but it wasn't at all!  Very tender, cut it with a fork.  It took about 30 minutes, maybe a little less.  Nic wasn't home yet so I put the skillet in the oven at  170° fahrenheit for about 15 minutes to keep it warm, it was incredibly moist and flavorful.  This is definitely going in the recipe box.

What is a homemaker?

I am so excited for this blog.  My goal is to post something everyday.  Some will be recipes, patterns, tips, etc. others will be me simply talking to you.  This is me talking to you. 

Tonights focus has been this blog.  So when I got home from work we ordered a pizza, and I have been working on this while the husband plays video games.  I tend to be a very analytical person so I am analyzing this blog to death.  I shared with the Facebook world, but have been talking about it more in depth with some closer friends and family.  It has been brought to my attention that many people associate "homemaker" with being perfect.  I don't agree at all.   I decided to first go to dictionary.com which said: a person who manages the household of his or her own family, especially as a principal occupation.  I don't see the word perfect there.  I also reached out to google, and the basic definition I am finding include phrases such as "manages the home" "organizes the home in day to day finances" I don't see perfect there either.  I also hear people say that being a homemaker means you are lazy, thats so off base I am not going to waste my time with it beyond this sentence.

Why do so many woman stress over everything being perfect?  Perfect job, perfect house, perfect wedding, perfect husband, perfect kids, perfect hair, perfect figure, perfect wardrobe.  My life is not perfect and news flash neither is anyone else's, so why stress?  My house is a home, it is not a magazine or a movie set.  I live here with my husband and my dog.  Occasionally my sister will stay here.  My house can be a mess! And it can appear to be picturesque but if you looked behind those closed doors you wouldn't think so!!  It took me THREE years to paint my living room, it was a bunch of patches for 3 years but oh well.  We invited people over all the time, I could have cared less.  I worked with what I had.  Made my home beautiful, made great meals, and learned things about making a home that I would have never known before.  I am always having people over and the house fills with laughter, thats a home.  Not perfection.

Since I am writing a blog about it, I feel that it is really important for you as my readers to know what I as an "author" think the definition of homemaker is, so here it is: A person who works towards making a structural building that they reside in a home.  A place to really enjoy.  A sanctuary for them.  A place to make memories.  Love the people around them and get loved in return.  A place to really truly live.  Part of living is eating, that does not mean always cooking.  Not perfection!

Also, I think its really important that while I make some pretty amazing meals, and work really hard to make this house a home, I do not do it alone.  My husband Nic is really truly amazing.  He cooks just as much as I do, and a lot of the times we are in the kitchen together.  He does laundry and cleans just as much as I do (I am of course better and faster at it, but oh well).  When I am at the sewing machine over analyzing something I just made, he comes to my rescue and makes me walk away.  He will spend an entire Sunday going to 18 different stores looking for things that are burnt orange, because I decided that is the accent color for the living room, only to come home with one thing.  He is an amazingly incredible man and there is no way I could do any of this without him.  I thank him for all his patience, especially with this blog! (He builds websites for a living so I keep asking for his help and his opinion while he is playing Gran Turismo)

The Beginning

Today is day one, March 8th 2011.  My name is Casie.  This is my first time blogging.  I have no idea what I am doing but I am going to try.  Everyone tells me to say who I am and why I am doing this.

Who am I? Well I am a woman, wife, sister, daughter, and friend.  I have no children (yet). I work full time, most weeks closer to 50 hours rather than 40.  In my spare time I enjoy spending time with my friends and family.  I live 250 miles away from the majority of my family, I have my husband and my little sister.  I really enjoy what little time I can spend with the rest of family.  I also have a great group of friends that I call my family away from family, they have been an amazing source of support this past year.  So, I guess that's who I am.

Why have I chosen to blog?  Well, I enjoy hosting my friends at my house.  I love cooking and trying new recipes.  I make pillows and curtains. I find great pleasure in decorating and making my home beautiful on the inside and the outside.  People have told me: "I don't know how you do it," and "I couldn't do this unless I was a stay at home."  Well that got me to thinking, who in the world can be a stay at home mom now-a-days?  Times are different than they were 40 years ago.  We need 2 vehicles, we need the nice house filled with all the nice things, we need awesome vacations.... basically we "need" all of these great things that are rather wants not needs but its the way life is.  Personally, I don't want to sacrifice the life I have just so I can say I am a homemaker, in the traditional sense.  I love my life, I enjoy being able to do what we do.  I also enjoy being a homemaker.  Who says that we as women (yes I know there are stay at home dads, and men who are homemakers but it is primarily women) have to sacrifice a career in order to be a homemaker?  I don't think its necessary.  This is a blog about what I think is the modern homemaker.  It will include recipes that I am trying for the first time, and ones I have done for years.  There will be cooking/baking tips that I think help to make life easier.  I don't have the time to spend hours preparing a meal so they will be fast, simple, and easy recipes.  I will post pictures of the things I sew and the techniques I am learning.  Lastly, how to make a house a home.  Decorating tips, gardening tips, etc.  I would like to say that in no way, shape, or form do I claim to be an expert in any of these areas.  Just what I do to make it easier to successfully work, and take care of my home, all without going insane.  Please feel free to share any of your experiences and hopefully we can all learn together.