Man-Pleasing Chicken?

So, this one image has been on my "Chicken Recipes To Try" Pinterest board F-O-R-E-V-E-R.  I keep looking at it thinking it's just got to be amazing...or not.  Now, I'm not a mustard fan, but my all-time favorite chicken recipe (Barbecued Herb-Mustard Chicken) uses mustard in its marinade, and I LOVE it.  So I kept an open mind.  My husband loves mustard, and since this is called "Man-Pleasing Chicken" he was really my target audience...you know...to wow him.

On the difficulty scale this ranks a 1 out of 10.  You mix three ingredients in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper over your chicken, spoon the sauce over the chicken and bake.  EASY.  I had all the ingredients on hand too, so that was a plus.

The first thing I noticed was that my sauce was pretty watery.  And not as smooth.  The original recipe said it used Dijon mustard.  And there are OODLES of consistencies with Dijon mustard.  But since the recipe was adapted from a Trader Joe's one, I figured I was safe with my Trader Joe's brand which was simply called, "Dijon Mustard".    As you can see, mine looks NOTHING like the picture from Pinterest.  But I was willing to look past that, as taste is what it's all about.

So, here's the recipe:

Man-Pleasing Chicken
(Witty in the City)

Pre-heat your oven to 450 degrees.

Mix together in a bowl (or directly in the pan):
     1/2 C dijon mustard
     1/4 C maple syrup
     1 TB rice wine vinegar

Place 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken thighs* in the baking dish and sprinkle them with salt and pepper.

Pour or spoon the sauce over the chicken, turning the pieces until all are coated.

Bake for about 40 minutes** or until cooked through.

Garnish with fresh rosemary bits.

*OK...I didn't use thighs; I used boneless-skinless chicken breasts.  Still, that wouldn't alter the taste test of the dish...just the tenderness of the chicken itself.

**40 minutes would have killed my boneless skinless breasts.  Mine were done in about 15 minutes.

The results:  I asked Brian to rate them on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the above-mentioned Barbecued Herb-Mustard chicken, and a 1 being the horrible chicken I made years ago that we dubbed "Hot Dog Chicken" because the chicken ended up tasting like a hot dog!!   He gave it a 5.  I gave it a 2.  Now, in all fairness, I am not a mustard fan, and with mustard being the main ingredient out of 3 ingredients, it's very mustard-y!   But man-pleasing it wasn't.  With so many great recipes out there, there's no way I'm going to spend my time on a recipe with a combined score of 3.5/10.

****BUT**** this recipe wouldn't be getting so much attention on Pinterest if others didn't like it.  Here are some of the (very mixed) reviews I found for this recipe:

Made this last night...def a man pleaser!

This is seriously ridiculously amazing. I made it a couple weeks ago and HAVE to make again real soon, so so so goooood!

I tried this recipe to the letter, and I want to caution that if you don't LOVE the very strong taste of mustard this recipe isn't for you. My whole family said it was unedible. The picture is so misleading!!

I like mustard but you have to love it to like this chicken-- just put mine in fridge hoping I could find someone who will eat it so I'm not wasting food! This didn't please my man or my children- when all of them will eat mustard- this is the third recipe I've tried when people say it is the "best" and I have learned everyone has extremely different tastes!

Overpowering dijon mustard. tried it. not a fan

I made this for dinner the other night and my family hated it. Even my "I'll eat anything" husband. I like mustard...I thought it was ok. First recipe I've found on Pinterest that was a flop. :/

I made this and my husband actually like it and he is not much on chicken

Made this and it was amazing...used honey mustard.

My boyfriend loved it!

Made this last night...really gross

I thought it was pretty gross too. My husband didn't like it either, I'll never make it again.

Just was not that good. We ate it, but hubby asked me not to cook it again. lol!! That's the truth.

I made this for my 25 year old son - He Loved IT!!! Very good and very easy...It's a keeper! 

This recipe is AWESOME! My husband and I loved it!

Fruit Sparklers (aka Fruit Kebabs)

I made these for our annual 4th of July cul-de-sac potluck dinner.  The fruit was a HIT!  The stick fruit definitely went faster than the fruit salad in a bowl...which was the same exact fruit.  Cuteness matters!  (Blueberries, watermelon, strawberries, and pineapple.)

Just as we were starting to light up the (real) sparklers and fireworks, I passed these goodies out.  The top star is a Rice Krispy treat.  YUM!! (Blueberries, strawberries, marshmallows, and Rice Krispy treats.)

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs with Sweet and Sour Orange Dipping Sauce

Tonight I selected grilled recipe #5 to try for the summer.  I'm requiring myself to make a new grilled recipe each week.  I've had two good ones, one great one, one so-so one so far.  Tonight was another great one!

I was pleasantly surprised by the flavoring from the chicken...even without the sauce.  It could definitely stand on its own.  And, I was actually really hesitant about the sauce because I'm not a huge fan of really sweet (and orange flavored) sauces.  But this was delicious!  I did find the original sauce a bit too sweet for my taste.  Nothing a dash of Siracha couldn't cure though!

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs 
with Sweet and Sour Orange Dipping Sauce
(adapted from Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

In a medium bowl mix together:
     1 1/2  teaspoons minced fresh rosemary     1 teaspoon dark brown sugar
     1 teaspoon kosher salt
     1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
     1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
     1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Cut up 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1" pieces.  Place the chicken pieces in the bowl and evenly coat with the mixture.



In a small pan, combine:
      1/4 cup orange marmalade
      1 tablespoon rice vinegar
      1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
      1/4 tsp Siracha hot sauce (can leave out if you want it mild)

Heat on low and then pour into a small serving bowl.

Place the chicken pieces on skewers, and grill on both sides until the chicken is done.

Remove from the skewers and serve with the dipping sauce. 


To make ahead and freeze:  Place the chicken mixture in a freezer bag, sucking out all the air (or use a FoodSaver).  Defrost and prepare the sauce while the chicken is defrosting.

Honey-Lime Chicken...With a Kick!

4th of July was yesterday.  We brought burgers and marinated chicken to our neighborhood potluck and I must admit I was secretly thrilled that the grill-chef cooked up these chicken breasts dead-last. That meant that by the time they came off the grill, the other folks were already stuffed with burgers, BBQ chicken, and loads of other side dishes.  I knew these were coming and made sure to save room for them.  They were worth the wait!  (And, because they were virtually ignored by the others, there are lots of leftovers!!...WHOHOOO!!!)

The honey-lime-cilantro-garlic flavors came shining through with a kick from the Siracha.  Loved the spicy zest from the Siracha and pepper flakes.  Flavorful AND SPICY (but really, not too spicy!).

And, and added bonus, is that these are great for making ahead and freezing.  Just put the chicken and marinade in a freezer bag, suck out all the air (or use a FoodSaver), and pop in the freezer.  Defrost and grill!

This recipe is a keeper and will be stocked year-round in Beauty, my favorite freezer.  (No, I've never named my cars, but I did name my freezer!)

Honey-Lime Chicken...With a Kick!
(Kitchen Meets...Girl)

Mix together in a bowl:
     3 TB soy sauce
     2 TB honey
     1 TB vegetable/canola oil
     1 juiced lime
     2 minced garlic cloves
     2 tsp Siracha
     2 TB chopped cilantro

Add and combine thoroughly:
     1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

Marinate for at least an hour, and then grill until done, about 6-8 min. on each side. 

(On "Kitchen Meets...Girl" she made them into shish kebabs.  Either way works!)

Brick Edging For the Lawn

After

Before (Sod had already been removed.)

I'm in the midst of a huge (for me) landscaping project.  We grew up in Arizona and are not lawn people.  We just aren't that great with the upkeep and didn't get that gene passed down to us.  We never had lawns growing up!  But we have a tiny front patch, and a fairly small back lawn.  In the past ten years, the lawn had grown lumpy-bumpy and uneven.  It was full of weeds (that kept reseeding and spreading like crazy).  I HATED it and for several years have considered having it ripped out so we could start fresh.

This summer I did just that.  I hired a couple guys to rip it out and replace it with lush grass.  On a flat surface.  That was the easy part.  I simply wrote a check and a week later I had a new lawn!

The hard part was the second step.  I've always wanted some kind of barrier between the lawn and the garden...to help keep the lawn on its side.  What I liked best was a flat brick border.  But that meant digging a trench around the lawn, laying down sand, and putting it in brick by brick.

In early June we had 4 solid days of rain and the ground was perfect for digging.  I hired the neighborhood boys to come and dig out a trench.  The best $30 I ever spent.  I thought it was a bargain...their mom thought it was too much.  So now that the trench was ready,  I bought the sand and bricks.


I put down the first 30 bricks and was cruising along when an injury set in...lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow.  (The injury was from a car accident at the end of May when I gripped the steering wheel with all my might.)  With 70% of the yard left to do, I thought it would never get done.  I thought about hiring someone to finish the job, but Brian got out there yesterday, and put down another 30 bricks.  I figure we're about 65% done...whohoo!!

Newspaper and boxes covering stray grass

Once we had a nice stretch of brick edging in place, I started to put down newspaper on the garden side, to smother the stray grass/weeds.  For the past couple weeks, as soon as we're finished with the newspaper, I've been taking it outside as a method of passive weeding.  The newspaper smothers the weeds and  breaks down naturally. 

Compost

Yesterday I got so excited that some areas were sooooooo close to completion.  All they needed was some good soil smoothed out on top of the newspaper.  Thankfully, I happened to have an entire bin full of completed compost!  So I started filling one little bucket at a time and pouring it on top of the newspaper. I did a small section yesterday, and then finished a bit more today.  The end result...WOW!!  I absolutely LOVE the border and can't wait until the rest is in place.  I'm hoping the small completed section will be motivation to finish up the rest of the project.  I can't wait!!

LOVE!

Re-growing Green Onions?

Green onions are a staple in our kitchen.  I always use them. So I was intrigued to see all the images on Pinterest showing green onions re-growing on the kitchen window sill...in a glass of water.  Finally I decided to see what it was all about.

After I chopped up my onions, I kept the rooted end, with the white bulb (DANG...I usually chop that up too...right to the root!) attached.  Put them in a glass and added a bit of water. Changed the water every few days.  Slowly, but surely, they started to grow again. Can I say that again....SLLLOOWWWLLY...but surely.  Yes, slowly.  Too slow.

While these little beauties are growing on my windowsill, I've already purchased at least 5 more bunches at the grocery store!  I'm afraid I'd need about 10 glasses on my window sill, all growing at staggered rates to keep me supplied.

The green onions in back have been growing for three weeks.  The ones up front for four days.

So, does it work?  Yeah, it does.  Will I keep re-growing my green onions on my window sill?  Nope.

Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter

Recipe #2 from my new grilled recipe challenge was the Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter from Pinterest.  This one will be a keeper!  It was unbelievably fast and easy, and had a great blend of smoky, spicy, and citrus flavors.  It's a good go-to recipe when you want a tasty steak, but don't have hours (or overnight) for a marinade.  There was about 10 minutes of prep work involved...maybe even less.

Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter
Food and Wine

In a small bowl mix together:
     1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
     1 garlic clove, minced
     1 TB fresh lime juice
     1/4 tsp lime zest

In a small bowl mix together:
     1 1/2 tsp sweet paprika
     1 1/2 tsp cumin
     1 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
     1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

Rub the spice mixture over both sides of
     4 rib-eye steaks*

Grill the steaks (about 6 minutes on each side, until slightly charred and medium rare**).

Top with the butter mixture before serving.

*I kind of gambled on the beef cut.  Last fall I purchased 3/8 of a cow, and so my freezer is stocked with beef.  Some of the cuts are more challenging to me, because I've never used them before....arm roast, cube steak, round steak, and rib steak, to name a few.  The original Pinterest user suggested rib eye steak for this recipe.  After doing a little googling, I learned that rib steaks are a lesser quality steak and should not be confused with the boneless, choice cut of rib-eye. Well, my butcher labels all said, "Rib Steak", so I was pretty darn sure I didn't have rib-eyes.  Since I had 5 packages of these (with 2 steaks a piece) I knew I needed to use them.  I was worried about them being tough, but was pleasantly surprised. While they weren't the best beef cut in the world, they were pretty darn good.  I'm wondering if the kosher salt rub helped tenderize them a bit.  Anyway, I'm so glad I tried them, and will gladly use that cut for these again.  If the "rib steak" was this good, I can't imagine how good they'd be with a rib-eye cut!

**Or to your liking!

Spicy Honey Chicken

My summer pledge:  to try one new grilled recipe from Pinterest each week this summer.  Tonight I chose the Spicy Honey Chicken from Our Best Bites.  The results:  quite good!  It was easy and I'd definitely make it again.  My only complaint is that it wasn't that spicy.  I like spicy.  It was mild enough that our four year old friend gobbled it up.  And she hates anything remotely spicy.  So, yeah, I'd kick the spicy-ness up a notch.

Spicy Honey Chicken

Baste with olive oil:
     6-8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (or thighs...Our Best Bites suggests thighs, but I went ahead with the breasts)

Mix together in a bowl:
     2 tsp granulated garlic (or 1 tsp garlic powder, which is what I used)
     2 tsp chili powder
     1/2 tsp onion powder
     1/2 tsp coriander (I crushed     1/2 tsp of whole coriander seeds)
     1 tsp kosher salt
     1 tsp cumin
     1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder

Mix together in a small bowl:
     1/2 cup honey
     1 TB apple cider vinegar
(Keep out 1/8-1/4 cup for later)

Once the chicken pieces are covered in oil, put them in the spice bowl and rub in thoroughly.  Grill until the chicken is cooked through.  Just before the chicken is done, pour the honey glaze over both sides of the chicken.

When serving, pour a little bit of the sauce on the chicken....a great blend of sweet and spicy!

Summer Goal: Weekly Grilled Pinterest Recipes

Yes, I love Pinterest.  Who doesn't??  Over the past several months I've collected dozens of recipes to try.  Many are scrumptious looking desserts which will likely never be tried, because, really....we just don't make desserts that much.  But main dishes for dinner?  That's a reality.  Especially grilled food...'tis the season!

So this summer my goal is to try at least one recipe from Pinterest each week (preferably grilled), and then post the recipes and reviews here.  I'm not sure which one I'll start with, or what order...but below are some of the recipes I hope to make this summer.

Do you have a favorite grilled chicken or beef recipe? Please share.... I'd love to know!!

Skirt Steak Korean Marinade from cHow Divine

RECIPE #6:  I kinda' petered out over the summer.  But I made these this week on 10/9/12.  Couldn't find skirt steak, so I just made some with sirloin. VERY good flavor. Will definitely make again. Also, I made the effort to find a good Mirin...not the Aji Mirin sold by Kikkoman. 

Grilled Skirt Steak with Cilantro Chimichurri from Sage Recipes

Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Lime Butter from Food & Wine and  Serious Eats

***RECIPE #2:  Made the Grilled Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks on 6/21/12.  Oh, my goodness these were good!  Great garlic/lime flavor...but not overpowering.  Quick and easy to make at the last minute.  Will definitely make again!***  Click here to read my full post.

Spicy Honey Chicken from Our Best Bites via The Girl Who Ate Everything

***RECIPE #1:  Made the Spicy Honey Chicken on 6/20/12.  Overall impression:  Quite good.  Simple to make.  Will make again.  Not as spicy as I'd like...will kick up the spicy-ness next time.*****  Click here to read my full post.

Afghani Murgh (chicken) Malai Kababs with Cumin Flavored Rice from Look Who's Cooking Too
 

RECIPE #7:  Also made this in the fall, but, heck...I made it!  Good subtle Indian-type spices on the chicken.    For the rice I forgot to buy cumin seeds, so I used a little ground cumin in their place.  The rice also had a subtle flavoring. Overall, no fabulous, but a solid good.

Thai Chicken with Hot-Sour-Salty-Sweet Sauce from Food and Wine

Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs with Sweet and Sour Orange Dipping Sauce from Tracey's Culinary Adventures

***Recipe #5:  Made the Grilled Rosemary Chicken Kebabs on 7/7/12.  Pleasantly surprised with the flavor punch from such a simple (and easy) marinade.  The dipping sauce was great when a dash of Siracha was added to it!  Definitely a winner!  Click here to read my full post.

Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken from The Fresh Plate

***Recipe #3:  Made the Grilled Tequila Lime Chicken on 6/27/12.  It was OK.  The husband said, "Good", but it wasn't an earth-shattering amazing recipe.  Would I make it again?  Well, yes, because I made some for the freezer.  But I don't think it will make it into the regular rotation.***

Honey-Lime Chicken Skewers from  Kitchenmeetsgirl.com

***Recipe#4:  Made the Honey-Lime Chicken on 7/4/12.  AMAZING!  The honey-lime-cilantro-garlic flavors came shining through with a kick from the Siracha.  Will DEFINITELY make this again.  Bonus...you can marinate the chicken and freeze it.  That's my kind of cooking!***  Click here to read my full post. 

Cilantro Thai Chicken from Artsy-Foodie

Exfoliating Citrus Salt Scrub

I know, I know...this "recipe" is a bit outside the box for me.  But I was so excited to share it, because it's 1) easy, 2) very inexpensive, and 3) a GREAT gift idea!

I was first inspired by this Pinterest post.  I will admit what first caught my eye was the color...I'm a sucker for a lemony yellow.  Then I started googling all sorts of salt and sugar scrubs.  Here's what I learned:  You need a carrier oil, salt or sugar, and then a fragrance.  The carrier oil will be your base oil.  Some suggestions are cocount oil, olive oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, hazelnut oil, or grape seed oil.

Next you'll need sea salt, which is easily available.  Mine have been made with regular sea salt because it's inexpensive and easy to find.  I'd like to make some with dead sea salts, but have been a little leary about ordering online because some of the reviews I've read aren't so great (i.e. companies selling plain sea salt and just calling it dead sea salt). Sugar can also be used instead of salt.

The recipes usually call for one cup of the sea salt and 1/4-1/2 cup of the carrier oils.  Some scrubs are oilier than others.  This is one area where you can experiment a bit.

After that, comes the fun stuff:  essential oils (like peppermint or lavender) or other scents (like lemon and orange).  The fun part is you can really play around.  If you add too much of one thing, you can just add a little more salt or oil to even it out. 

Today was the first time making a scrub.  I made it as a gift for a friend, and it turned out great!  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the smell and the lemony yellow color.  I simply added a ribbon and tag and the gift is ready to present.

Exfoliating Citrus Salt Scrub

Mix together:

1 cup sea salt
1/4 cup organic coconut oil (I got mine at Trader Joe's...great price!)
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1 tsp orange zest


Place in a decorative jar (canning jars work great) and you're done!

Mason Jar Salt Shaker

I suppose I'm like most Pinterest users...I've collected tons of ideas, but created very little.  I have made a few recipes.  (The microwave popcorn popped in a paper bag has been a favorite around here.)  Today I whipped up something super simple:  a mason jar salt shaker.  The Morton's salt container works just fine.  This is just cuter when I open my cabinet!

To make it, I emptied the salt into a wide mouth pint jar.  Then I used a bread knife to cut through the middle of the salt container.  I used scissors to cut out the entire top.  I placed the round top on a piece of scrap fabric and cut out the circle.  I outlined a hole for the metal dispenser and cut it out.  Then I simply put Mod-Podge on the cardboard circle and the back of the fabric.  I placed the fabric on the cardboard, and covered the top of the fabric with Mod-Podge.  I let it dry, and then placed it on the jar, secured with a metal mason jar band.

Creamy Lemon Oat Bars

Our local downtown grocery store, Harvest Fresh, makes the BEST lemon bars I've ever had.  They have a baked cookie-like crust, a creamy lemon middle, and an oat crumble top.  They are heavenly.  Every now and then I've Googled ingredients and recipe names, searching for something similar.  Nothing has looked quite right.  Until now.

As I was browsing Pinterest, I found a photo that looked just like the bars from Harvest Fresh.  Upon looking at the ingredients, I realized I'd been searching for something with cream cheese in the middle, not condensed milk. Aha!  Tonight I tried them, and they did not disappoint!

This recipe come from Simple Daily Recipes, and after finding it, I'm making a note to head back to her blog for more recipes.

Creamy Lemon Oat Bars
Simple Daily Recipes

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together:
     1- 14 oz can of sweetened condensed milk*
     2 tsp grated lemon zest
     1/4 C fresh lemon juice

In a food processor, mix together:
     1 1/4 C flour
     1/2 C brown sugar
     1/4 tsp baking soda
     1/4 tsp salt

Add in:
     1/2 C unsalted butter, cut into smaller chunks

Pour into a medium bowl, and stir in:
     1 C old fashioned oats

Grease an 8" x 8" pan.  Place half of the dry mixture into the pan and press evenly.  Bake for about 10 minutes.

Stir the lemon mixture again, making sure it's mixed well and thick; not soupy.  Pour over the oat crust.  Crumble the remaining oat mixture over the lemon mixture. 

Bake for about 20 minutes, until golden on top and the lemon center has set.

Cool completely before cutting into 16 pieces.

*While I used the regular condensed milk, the blog's author made the recipe with regular and non-fat condensed milk.  She served them both and found no difference in taste.  Next time (and yes, there WILL be a next time...) I will make it with the non-fat milk.

Refrigerate leftover bars.  (They actually taste best cold, though if you're like my family, you won't be able to be that patient!)
     

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups

Today was the Super Bowl party.  Until kick off the only thing I could've told you about the game was that Madonna was performing at half-time.  OK...I know...that's not even about the game.  That shows you how little I knew.  What I did know, however, was that a bunch of hungry people were coming to my home, and I needed some tasty appetizers that I could quickly prepare.

I have a line up of tried-and-true recipes, but I wanted something new.  So I headed over to Pinterest and scanned my "To Try" boards.  These roll-ups (pinned from the Homemade by Holmnan blog) caught my eye because 1) SPICY always catches my eye, and 2) my roll-ups are BORING.    Of the 3 recipes I found,  I thought these would be the most time consuming but that was not the case...they were quick and easy. 

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups
(adapted from Homemade by Holman)

Cook in a boiling pot of water:
     1  1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken breasts

When the chicken is cooked through (no pink in the center), remove from the pot.  Cut off any chicken "gunk"...tendons, fat...the yucky stuff.  Shred the chicken with two forks* while it's still warm.

Mix the shredded chicken with:
     1 10 oz. can Rotel (tomatoes and green chiles), drained
     12 oz cream cheese, softened
     1 C shredded cheddar or monterey Jack cheese (I used cheddar)
     1 clove garlic, minced
     1 TB chili powder
     1/2 tsp cayenne powder
     1 tsp cumin
     1/2 tsp garlic salt
     1/4 C chopped cilantro
     6 green onions, finely chopped (white and green parts)

Spread the chicken mixture over the surface of a tortilla, and roll up tightly.  You can slice them at this point, but I find it best to refrigerate them for a bit (20+ minutes...overnight is fine too) before slicing.  Slice them to 1/2" - 1" pieces.  Try not to eat too much before serving!!

They were delicious!  So much better than my slap-some-cream-cheese-ham-and-a-long-green-onion-on-a-tortilla kind of roll up.  MUCH better.  So much better that I'll never, ever go back to those boring roll ups.  As for the spiciness level, they weren't too spicy.  A hint of a kick.  If you really like spicy (as I do), you could up the chili powder or cayenne pepper.  I might try that next time. 

*OR....try my new favorite way to shred chicken...in a KitchenAid mixer!!  I read about this on Pinterest too.  It's so incredibly easy you'll wonder why you never thought of it before!  Just put the chicken (cut in quarters or halves) in the mixing bowl with the paddle.  Turn on low (speed 2 or so) and watch the chicken shred without any work at all.  It doesn't mush it or create a weird texture...it perfectly shreds your chicken!!  After I shred the chicken in the mixer, I simply dumped the rest of the ingredients in, and let the mixer stir it together.  Easy-peasy!  Here's a tutorial I found on the Taste and See God's Goodness blog.

Gardening Inspiration From Pinterest

January in the Pacific Northwest is dreary.  We have rain for days and weeks on end, gloomy grey skies, and we tend to hole up inside the house.  Not much gets done on the yard.  The weeds are growing...oh, my!  The dried up perennials that should have been trimmed in fall, are, well, still needing a trim.  The now-shady yard that used to be sunny still needs a total overhaul.   And the grass (or is it mostly weeds by now??) in back also probably needs a total overhaul.  It's patchy with divots and holes.  

I really should get out there and at least work on it 20 minutes a day.  Perhaps that will be my goal for February.  Other than the patchy grass, I could make a SERIOUS dent in my yard work if I would only get out there for 20 minutes a day. As I'm writing this, that little voice inside my head is screaming, "SO DO IT!  MAKE A COMMITMENT AND GET OUT THERE!"  OK, I will.  20 minutes a day...10 in front; 10 in back.  When those spring bulbs start popping out of the ground, they won't be surrounded by autumn's mess.

So, what have I been doing with the yard?  Scanning Pinterest, of course, for inspiration!  Here are some of the things I'd like to incorporate in my yard this year:

Love, love, love!  I've tried so many kinds of garden markers.  I just adore these.  Source

I love the wire arch that goes over a path between two garden beds.  I might be able to do this in my front, side yard, but I think it would be too busy.  Another, even better, spot could be in the back corner of the yard, where I compost.  Hmmm...ideas!!  Source

Hanging lavender to dry.  Great way to dress up a gate too.  Source

I have a dozen or so of these short shepherd's hooks, and I have a gazillion mason jars.  Oh, yes, I most definitely have hydrangeas!  I will be doing this the next time I entertain.  Source

Attach a mailbox to the raised beds for garden tool storage.  YES!  My raised beds would love to have their own little trowels, twine, and pruners stored nearby.   Source.

I love this cucumber trellis that shades lettuce.   Source.

Cloth Napkins and Un-Paper Towels

Inspiration is all around us, and lately I've been finding a lot of inspiration on Pinterest.com.  When I'm asked to describe Pinterest, I tell friends it's like one big on-line visual bookmark that is shared with others.  You create your own categories (boards) and "pin" images to your board.  When you click on the image, it takes you (hopefully...!) to a blog or website where that image originated.

One of the first things that caught my attention were links to etsy.com stores, where crafters were making "un-paper" towels out of cloth.  Some were making them the size of the Bounty Select-a-Size towels, adding snaps to them, and attaching them to a plastic roll so they'd go right on your already-in-place paper towel holder.  The idea is that you'd  simply rip off a towel from the roll.

I was intrigued by them.  I use a LOT of paper towels...at least 10-20 a day.   If I'm cooking something messy, it's not unusual for me to go through a half a roll of paper towels.  I've tried to break this habit by purchasing flour sack towels, and while they have helped some, it wasn't the right substitute.  What I liked about these towels, is that they were small...a finished size of 6" x 11".  Just the right size to grab and use once or twice and then launder.

While I appreciate the details and design from the etsy crafters, I knew their designs would need some tweaking on my part.   When I wipe down my counters, I don't really want a snap in the way.  And when I'm folding laundry, I sure as heck don't want to have to attach all those snaps each time. 

So, I simplified the project by making mine a 2-ply cloth, with no snaps.  Instead of putting them on a roll, I fold them in half and stack them in a basket.  The basket is placed directly underneath my paper towels (still like them for raw chicken!), so that I will grab a cloth towel instead of a paper towel.

I'm proud to say that I've cut down my paper towel usage tremendously.  I've been using them for a couple months, and in that time, the same roll of paper Bounty is still in place.

Benefits to this project:  I'm creating less waste, saving money, and *gasp!*...I actually like them better!!

I chose to use Birdseye fabric (aka diaper cloth) for both sides because it's an absorbent fabric, and looks just like a little paper towel.  Also, being all white, it's easier to bleach out stains if needed.

So how did I make them?

1. First I bought 5 yards of Birdseye fabric.  I wasn't able to find it at Joann's but did find it at our local quilting shop.  It was about $3 a yard.  From those 5 yards, I was able to make about 28 2-ply towels, with an end cost being about 50¢ per towel.  That may seem high, but it's a one-time cost.  You may be able to find a better price if you hunt around for sales.
2. Next, I prewashed the fabric.  I'd never used Birdseye fabric before, so I'll let you in on what I learned...it shrinks...a LOT.  In fact, it shrunk even more the second time, even though I washed in hot water, and dried on high.  So, going forward, I'd recommend washing and drying twice before cutting the fabric.  
3. When the fabric was dry, I ironed it (easier to work with and get more precise cuts), folding it in half length-wise as I ironed.  
4. Once the fabric was ironed, I kept it folded, cutting using a rotary cutter/mat to cut 11 1/2" x 6 1/2" pieces.  I cut two at a time so I wouldn't have to match them up later.*
5. Then I stitched all around, using a 1/4" seam.  I left a 2-3" opening on one of the longer sides so I could turn them right side out later.
6. After stitching, go around again, with a zig-zag stitch to keep the fabric edges from fraying.  Or use a serger for steps 5 &6.  The Birdseye fabric frays easily.
7. Turn the towel right side out and gently square up the corners, with a point turner/creaser.  Be careful, as it's easy to poke right through the fabric.
8. Iron flat, making sure to fold in the opening.
9. Top stitch 1/8" from the outside edge, making sure to close up the opening.  That's it...you're done!

*I'd never sewn with Birdseye fabric before, and I learned that it pulls and stretches easily.  After measuring and cutting two sets of towels, I'd have to square up my fabric again before continuing on.  Otherwise I would've had sets of parallelograms; not rectangles.  Even with the constant squaring, accurate measuring, and consistent seam allowances, I don't have perfect rectangles.  They're good enough...but not perfect.

I took the project a step further and made everyday napkins as well.  For these,  I chose a patterned piece of cotton fabric for one side.  I kept them exactly the same size.  I've wanted to buy/make cloth napkins (and stop the awful paper napkin habit!) but was always put off by the large amounts of fabric used for each napkin.  I don't want all that folding each week, and buying all that fabric is pricey.  I learned that for everyday use, I really like the 6" x 11" size.  On laundry day, I fold them in half and place them in my napkin holder.

For Christmas, I made a napkin set with a holiday print on one side.