Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Spice Tea







Spice tea is a hot orange flavored drink. Wonderful for sipping by the fire on a cold winter night or when gathering with loved ones during the holiday season. My husband first introduced this to me when we were dating and I have fond memories of this comforting and delicious tea.

Keep in mind, the amounts of these ingredients are all about the desired flavor and can all be modified to suit your taste. If you want more orange flavor you can add more tang, of you want it sweeter then use more sugar, for a more sour flavor use more lemon etc etc.

Ingredients:

2 cups tang
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened instant tea
3 packets true lemon flavor (NOT lemonade, there is a huge difference)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves

Instructions:

Simply mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, then transfer to a jar or container with a lid as moisture in the air will cause the tea to become hardened.

Depending on how flavorful you want your tea, mix a couple spoonfuls into a cup of hot water and enjoy.


Monday, March 18, 2013

Cheesy chicken rolls






This recipe is incredibly tasty and affordable to make...did I mention easy?

My dear friend Brianne shared this recipe with me and I've only changed it ever so slightly to our taste. Thanks girl, it's quickly become a go-to staple in our weekly menu.

Ingredients:

1 tube pillsbury crescent rolls
1 large can of chicken
cream cheese
shredded cheddar cheese
packet of chicken gravy mix
salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the crescents two at a time. (Note* leave the two triangles together so they form a rectangle)

2. Spread on a layer of cream cheese. Sprinkle salt on. Put on a layer of chicken and shredded cheddar. Roll it up carefully while pinching the ends together so filling doesn't leak out.

3. Place on greased cooking sheet. Spoon some of the juice from the can of chicken onto the rolls then bake until golden brown. (Note* they may be soggy from all the juice so I usually bake them longer than the crescents call for, I think around 20 minutes. If you want it more or less done then just monitor it)

4. Prepare the gravy using packet instructions, normally it's just adding hot water and simmering.
Pour gravy over rolls and serve. It's That Easy!






Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Chicken Carbonara







Hi everyone! Thanks so much for checking out my recipes.

This is our family's version of Chicken Carbonara. Instead of serving it over pasta we serve it over gnocchi. Also some versions use peas, we don't. It is by no means a healthy low fat dinner but it is really good and I have NEVER had one guest that didn't love it.

Ingredients:

1lb chicken breast
1 package of gnocchi
4 slices of bacon
Green onions
2 cloves of garlic
1 jar of Alfredo sauce
1 packet of carbonara mix

Instructions:

1. Cut chicken into strips or cubes and cooking in a skillet with a bit of butter, salt and pepper. Set aside.




2. Chop bacon into bits. Cook on medium in a skillet until partially cooked then add chopped green onions and garlic. Cook until bacon is crispy but try not to over cook green onions. Scrape the brown buildup (otherwise known as flavor) off the bottom of the pan.






3. In a separate sauce pan prepare the carbonara mix, it usually just requires butter and water.

4. Combine the chicken and both sauces to the skillet and heat on a low to medium flame till sauce gets to a simmer. Mix to incorporate all the flavor from the bottom of the pan. (Note* sauce should take on a slightly bown color) do not over cook as your chicken may become tough.







5. The gnocchi is the last and easiest step. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Collect each piece as it floats to the top and put into a big bowl. (Note* gnocchi cooks very quickly, as soon as it floats to the top of the water it's done) once all your gnocchi is in the bowl pour in the sauce and meat mixture, your done!




We always serve this dish with Garlic bread, Enjoy!




Friday, March 8, 2013

Save Your Carpet From Your Cats

Anyone who has cats knows their pee is the worst!

Well my friends, no more will I waste tears over the devastation of ruined carpet and neither will you.

Here's the solution, Natures Miracle just for cats formula.





All I did was 'the sniff test' to detect where the urine was. Then I roped off the offensive area with some tape. Simply pour the Natures Miracle onto the carpet, enough to get down to the padding. I let it sit there for 15 minutes then I vacuum it up. (*Note, I use my rainbow vacuum since it can suck up water, but most shop vacuums can do this)



Thursday, March 7, 2013

Coffee Find

I have always loved my coffee, but I've also been pretty particular about which coffee I like. I suppose I would usually go for a light or blond roast.

Recently I took a trip to Vermont with my son to see my parents. It was beautiful. It snowed almost everyday which made staying inside their cozy mountain home all the better. My mother introduced me to this delicious Ugandan blend of Green Mountain Coffee called 'Mountain Of The Moon'.

mmmmm mmmmm tasty, definitely a must try.