Chipotle Garlic Fried Chicken

Wow, it has been forever since I posted something!!! Sorry everyone. Work has just been hectic leaving me tired. Not enough hours in the day! Plus cooking has been sporadic this last week and a half...so without further ado, here is my recipe for the day! I am serving this with garlic mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and a fresh green salad.


4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups panko crumbs
1/2 cup flour
2 tsp chipotle chile pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 eggs, beaten
oil for frying

1. Combine panko crumbs, flour, chipotle chile pepper, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well.

2. Dip chicken in eggs and then dredge through the coating mixture.

3. Fry in hot oil for about 20 minutes (I use my deep fryer.) check the doneness of the chicken before serving!

Smothered Pork Burrito's

My brother-in-law Pete, showed me how to make these one day...so yummy. My husband doesn't like pork, but he will eat loads of these! If you don't like pork you can substitute with chicken or even beef. Serve with some hot salsa, refried beans, and maybe some tortilla chips!

8 Anaheim peppers
6 tomatillos
1 lb boneless loin pork chops, cubed
1 tsp chipotle chile pepper
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tbs chicken bouillon
6 cups water
1 cup rice
8-10 soft tortillas
1 cup cheese

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Roast Anaheim peppers and tomatillos till charred all over. Place in plastic bag, seal and set aside to cool.

2. Heat skillet to medium heat, brown pork, add chipotle chile pepper, black pepper, salt and garlic.

3. Remove chile's and tomatillos from bag, peel skins off and place in blender with about 2 cups of water and chicken bouillon. Pulse till well blended. Heat remaining 4 cups of water in a large pot on medium heat, pour sauce into pot. Stir to combine, add pork. And bring to a boil. Add rice and turn heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until rice is tender (do not stir while simmering!)

4. Heat tortillas and fill with pork and rice. Fold and place some cheese on top. Spoon sauce over the cheese, serve and enjoy!

Gourmet Burgers

While we were visiting with an old friend of my husband's a year or so ago I kind of adapted their recipe for burgers and added a little more to it! These are very juicy and very flavorful. Hope you enjoy!!!

1 1/2-2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
1 cup dry oatmeal
1 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
1/2 cup baby ray's bbq sauce
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3/4 cup sliced mushrooms

1. Combine all ingredients and shape into patties. Preheat pan to medium heat (or grill) and cook 4 minutes per side, or until desired doneness. Top with your favorite condiments and serve with some macaroni salad or fries!

April's Monthly Menu

Need some ideas on what to make for dinner? 

Check out what we are eating here!

Cola Pot Roast

Had this for dinner last night...so good, melts in your mouth.  Served it with some toasted Blue Cheese Bread from Safeway (ciabatta style) with a little butter & garlic powder, sauted zuchinni and some stuffing.  If you haven't made a roast this way, it is a must try soon!!! Left overs were wonderful in a sandwhich, tender and juicy!

3-4 lb beef roast
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can soda
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 large onion, quartered
3 sticks of celery, chopped
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon sea salt

1. Heat oil in a large skillet on medium-high.  Brown roast on all sides.

2. Mix diced tomatoes, soda, onion soup mix, onion, celery, pepper and salt. After roast is done browning place in a crock pot and poor mixture over the top of the roast.  Cook on low heat for 8-10 hours.  Serve and enjoy!

Beignets (French market Doughnuts)

Wow, I shouldn't have made these!!! They are torture! My oldest daughter Skye helped me make these. It was so much fun!!! We are taking them to our Easter potluck at church tomorrow, hope everyone else enjoys them as much as we do...if not we will bring them all home! We used our bread machine and cooked them in our "Cool Daddy" deep fryer, but you can cook them on the stove in about a quart of oil...


1 1/4 cup warm milk
1/8 cup shortening
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon yeast
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups flour
1 cup confection sugar for dusting

1. Arrange all ingredients into bread machine in order suggested my the manufacturer. Select dough cycle and remove once the dough has formed a nice ball. Wrap with saran wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 to 1 hour.

2. Working with a small baseball size amount of dough, roll out till about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into diamond shapes and gently slide into heated oil. Let fry for about 2 minutes or until golden brown, flip doughnut and let other side brown. Once done, remove from oil and let slightly cool. Place doughnut in a bad with the confection sugar and shake to coat evenly. Eat hot and enjoy or let cool and enjoy just as much!!!

March's FREE give-a-way!!!

This month's FREE give-a-way goes to Sharon Ulam!!! Congradulations!

Tired of those ice cube trays that won't let your cubes out?  Well tire no more :)  These little handy trays make getting ice cubes easy.  Just press on the bottom and they pop out effortlessly!  Leave a comment here by Wednesday the 7th at midnight for your chance to win!  Make sure to leave your email address (it will not show up in the post!)

Chicken Borscht

Most people cringe at the mention of beets, I did at first as well. My good friend Ron Harper introduced me to this wonderful soup, although the first time or two he gave me some I ended up tossing it, afraid to eat it! But once I did, wow, I realized I had been missing out on the great vegetable! Borscht is easy to make and can be adjusted to your taste.

I updated this recipe today with some changes that made it even better!  I made this the day after Thanksgiving and it was a big hit.  My husband even went back for seconds and let me tell you, he is no soup fan.  So needless to say that was a huge compliment to me!  My mother-in-law even liked it!


2 boneless skinless chicken breast
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 medium beets
2 medium potatoes, whole
1/2 head of green cabbage, chopped
2 carrots, sliced
1 large shallot bulb, chopped
1 bulb of cloves garlic, peeled
3 medium potatoes, cubed
1 package button mushrooms, quartered
3 medium tomatoes, diced
4 teaspoons of better than bullion paste
2 tablespoons dried dill weed
Sour cream for garnish
1 package bacon, cooked & crumbled for garnish, grease reserved

1. Boil the chicken in a large soup pot with the beets, 2 medium whole potatoes for about 30-45 minutes over medium heat. Remove chicken, beets and potatoes and let cool.

2. When cool, shred chicken, and place back in the soup pot. Mash the cooked potatoes and add them as well. Peel beets and place in a blender and puree and add to soup pot (you may need to add liquid to the beets to blend well.)  Add cabbage, carrots, shallot, garlic cloves, diced potatoes, and mushrooms to the soup.  Let simmer for 15-20 minutes.

3. Add tomatoes and heat till warm.  Serve with sour cream, dill, and bacon to garnish. Enjoy!!!