Shelley's Chicken Salad

This salad comes from one of my good friends, when I visit her house it is mandatory that she make it for me :)

2 cans or C shredded chicken
2 stalks celery, diced
2 stalks green onions, diced
1/4 C mayonnaise (I use Veginaise)
2 red apples, diced
1 t curry powder
1 t dill
salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients and cover tightly. Rest in refrigerator 2 hours to blend flavors.
Serve over lettuce leaves, on bread or in celery stalks. Very yummy!

3 Meals from 1 Chicken

This week is "Tech-Week" for my sons theater group, which means - no time for cooking each night, I HAVE to plan ahead and be very strategic or be ready to increase expenses and eat out. Since non of us are big fast food fans, I set to planning. I was essentially planning for meals ready to eat fast meals and was not planning on going to the store, so I turned to what was already in my freezer and my pantry and hoped for the best. A beautiful whole chicken was frozen, so I sat it to defrost and wondered..."just how many meals could I make out of this one chicken?" I scoured my home recipe book and found some help and imagination or "divine intervention!" filled in the rest.

I oven roasted my chicken (skin on) with thyme, salt, pepper and white wine. The spice combination was designed to give it flavor but not so much distinct flavor that I couldn't add other flavors to it. After cooling, I picked it apart, every evidence of meat was claimed and portioned. Then one, two, three I cooked three easy meals for my family of 4 that were easy to reheat and portion friendly, needed for the demands of the week!

Meal 1: Chicken & Cheese Burritos Enchilada Style
11/2 C Shredded Chicken
1/2 Onion sautéed              (Tip-cook other half of onion and add to salad below)
2 C Shredded Cheese         (Tip-shred extra cup of cheese for salad below)
2 C Enchilada Sauce - homemade or canned
4 Large Flour Tortillas
Briefly put each tortilla in skillet of warmed sauce to coat. Remove to greased 13X9 pan and fill (I stuffed!!) with chicken, onion, salt & pepper & cheese. Roll into Burrito, seam side down. Continue with remaining 3 tortillas. Add remaining sauce to burritos, topping with cheese. Bake 25 minutes at 375.
Made 4 servings

Meal 2: Chicken & Dumplings
3 C Shredded Chicken
1 10 oz can Cream of Chicken
1 C Chicken Broth
1 C Milk
1/2 t each Thyme and Pepper
1 C Bisquick
1/4 more Pepper
1/3C more Milk
Combine chicken through Pepper in large saucepan over med-high heat. Stir constantly. In bowl stir together Bisquick through milk just until moistened. Drop Bisquick dough by spoonfuls into boiling chicken mixture. Turn heat to low and simmer 10 minutes, uncovered. Simmer 10 more minutes, covered or longer until dumplings are done.
4 Servings

Meal 3: Mexican Chicken Salad
1 C Shredded Chicken
1/2 Sauteed Onion
1 Can Black Beans
2 Carrots
1 C Shredded Cheese
Optional-1/4 t Cumin
Romaine Lettuce
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil, Honey & Red Wine Vinegar to taste
Top cut lettuce with carrots, beans, cheese, onions and chicken. Salt & pepper as desired. Mix vinegar, oil & honey for dressing.  Also fabulous with a squeeze of lime, salsa &/or sour cream.
Made 4 servings

Enjoy!

Great Coupon and Deal Site

I just stumbled upon this great resource for daily notices of local sale, deals and coupons! Give it a try.

Pure Vanilla Extract

I love real vanilla, in fact in baking my motto is "why use 1 t of Vanilla when I can use 2"! However good Vanilla is very expensive and in my house goes fast, so I found out how to make it myself. Here's the easy recipe.

1 large bottle of Vodka
3-5 real Vanilla beans (I use Organic)

Split vanilla beans down the center to release the vanilla. Add beans to vodka and seal. You will need about 6 weeks time to cure the vanilla into extract, so store in dark dry place during cure time.

After vanilla is done, you can transfer it to a smaller glass bottle if desired. You will notice that most pure vanilla extract is packaged in dark glass bottles, this is to prevent sun/light exposure. I recommend a dark glass bottle if you can find it.

Color and consistency will not be the same as commercial products but the flavor can not be beat.

More Vodka can be added to use same process to create one more batch of extract, adding 1-2 more beans for a fuller flavor.

Beans are approximately $3-5 per bean, here is where the expense lies, but when you compare it to the amount this recipe yields to the cost of retail Vanilla, it wins in the savings department!

Amazing Make Up Remover

Here is a great recipe for natural make up remover that is kind to your face.

1 Tbls Pure Aloe Vera
1 Tbls Distilled Water
1 Tbls Jojoba Oil

Mix ingredients well in bottle.
Use just a few drops on cotton pad and wipe over face to remove make up and mascara.
Proceed with facial cleanser.

Misty's Spicy Bacon Chili

1/2 pkg Bacon, diced
21/2 lbs beef or sausage combination
1 small sweet onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 T Fennel Seed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1/2 can tomato paste
3 cans chili beans, drained
1 can green chilies
1 dark beer
3 T Beef Bouillon
1 t Chipotle Chili Powder
1 T Worcestershire
1 T Oregano
1 T Basil
1 t Cumin
1 t Hot pepper Sauce
1 t Sea Salt
1 t Black Pepper
1 t Paprika
1 T Sugar

1. In large stock pot over medium-high heat, brown bacon. Set aside.
2. Brown beef, adding ingredients through Fennel Seed. Drain excess grease from pot and return bacon.
3. Add tomatoes through Bouillon and blend.
4. Add all remaining ingredients and simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours.
5. Serve with shredded cheese, diced avocado, sour cream and/or saltine crackers.

Goes wonderful with my easy Beer Bread!

2 2/3 C Self-Rising Flour

12 oz Dark Beer

1. Heat oven to 375. Grease loaf pan.
2. Mix flour and beer just till moistened.
3. Scrape into loaf pan and Bake 50-55 min until lightly browned and pick comes out clean.
4. Cool on wire rack 5 min in pan.
5. Remove from pan, set on wire rack until cool enough to slice.
6. Slice thickly.

Enjoy!