What We Eat: Bow Tie Chicken

This recipe comes from the TBC cookbook and is by a dear friend and great cook, Sarah Sewell. But of course, I can never leave a good thing alone so some changes happened along the way. Most importantly, the veggies stay in huge chunks so that everyone can pick out what they don't like. One of these days, right? They'll all eat whatever's on the plate? Sigh...
Here's what we ate last night...and anytime I've got some extra grilled chicken! LOVE it.

Bow Tie Chicken

2 Tbsp butter
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 large sweet onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 jar alfredo sauce
1 to 1 1/4 cup milk
1 cup shredded mozarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 cup tomatoes, peeled (You're welcome, Cass.) and chopped
4 cups bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
3 chicken breasts, grilled and chopped

Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Saute onion, mushrooms and peppers until softened. Add alfredo sauce and stir. Pour 1 cup milk into sauce jar, replace lid, shake and then pour into pan. Add cheeses, seasonings (taste to see about salt), tomatoes and chicken. Lower heat. Stir until cheese melts and blends and everything is hot. Mix cooked pasta in. Add a little more milk if you'd like it saucier or if you want to put it in a dish and heat for 20 min. or so. Once again, I just mix it all and serve from the pot most times. Have I mentioned, I hate dishes? I have? Okay. Just wanted to check.

PS...just so you know: peeling tomatoes is really easy. Simply boil water in a small pan. Add a tomato and let it simmer for about 30 seconds. Plunge it into ice water after and when it cools, the skin comes off very easily. I just like to make Cassie feel like I'm going to a lot of effort. I rarely do so there's not much opportunity for that mother guilt we're supposed to pass on. Enjoy!

What We Eat: Oatmeal Everything Bars

Would be better titled: What We Try Hard Not to Eat. Or Oatmeal Every Calorie Bars. Something that gives you more warning. We seriously don't make these unless we are assured that they will be feeding a crowd because they are ridiculously good. Laura B. made them for a cookie exchange, I think, and I've yet to forgive her completely. I don't even like chocolate (Yes, you read that right. Oh, stop. There's nothing wrong with me. Well, there's lots, but that has nothing to do with food.) and I LOVE this cookie. Probably the two sticks of butter...or the bag of caramels...or the high fiber oats. Sure.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Everything Bars

1 (14 oz) bag caramels
5-6 Tbsp milk, divided
2 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups chocolate chips (I usually use milk chocolate.)

Put the unwrapped caramels into a microwave safe bowl. (Surely no one would put the plastic wrapped ones in the microwave, right? But okay...) Add 3 Tbsp milk and heat on low power in the microwave until all are melted and it's really liquidy. (Says it's not a word. Whatever.)

In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients except for chocolate together by hand, pressing all of the brown sugar into the other ingredients. Melt the butter and combine with the dry ingredients. Add 1 Tbsp of milk at a time until it forms together like cookie dough. (On humid days, it doesn't take much. In west Texas at about 10% humidity, probably the rest of your gallon.) Now for the fun part.

Take 1/2 of the mix and press it into a 9X13. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and then drizzle the caramel all over. (I always laugh in disbelief that I'm making something that has all of this in it...YUM!) Sprinkle the rest of the dough on top until it's covered and press lightly together.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25minutes. Let cool for at least 30 minutes in the pan before you start cutting it into really, really small pieces (so you feel better when you eat 5 at a time). If you don't wait, it all slides around.

Oh. my. I love this stuff. I do want credit for making this light. No. You read that right. The recipe I got called for 3 sticks of butter! I couldn't bring myself to do it...thus the milk in the batter! Bring one by when you make it. Just one. Large one. Or 5 small ones. Whatever.

What We Eat: Parmesan Chicken

Not to be confused with Chicken Parmesan. I'm sure that's good, too. But this is yumminess on a plate. Kids love it. My girls love it more than the local restaurant version which is good 'cause I'm not ever taking them there...even if a cookie in a pan, topped with ice cream comes after it. Excuse me while I raid the fridge.

This one's for Holly F. Glad Parker enjoyed it!

Parmesan Chicken

1 can chicken broth
5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp water
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1 1/2 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and pound each one to about 1/2 inch thick with a kitchen mallet (or the side of whatever you can pound with...sometimes I've used the chicken broth can unopened...whatever works) If chicken breasts are large, you can cut them in half. Add chicken to broth (save 1/4 cup if you are making the oh-so-good sauce below), cover and chill for 3 hours.

2. When chicken has marinated, remove it from the broth and dab with paper towels to remove excess liquid. Beat eggs in a medium bowl. Combine flour, salt and pepper on a plate or shallow bowl. Combine breadcrumbs and Parmesan in another bowl. To bread the chicken, first coat each breast with flour...then egg...then breadcrumb/cheese mix. If you need to, let them rest for a bit in the fridge while you get everything else finished...like the sauce...have I mentioned the sauce?

3. Melt 2 Tbsp butter and then add a couple of Tbsp of oil to barely cover the bottom of a large saute pan, and heat on medium until hot. Saute each one for 4 to 5 minutes per side or until browned. Try not to move them while this is happening. They...like me...tend to fall apart when you disturb them too much. Remove to paper towels to drain and keep warm until ready to serve. Add more butter and oil each time you put on more chicken. (No. This did not come from the Weight Watchers' website. What made you ask that?) Serve each one with a couple of spoonfuls of...mmmm...sauce drizzled oh, so lovingly over the top.

Lemon Butter Sauce:
1/4 cup salted butter (if not just add a dash more salt to the pot)
1/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 1/3 cups heavy cream

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add broth and simmer 1 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, sugar and salt. Add cream. Simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes until thickened.

My apologies to Holly F. for not giving you the sauce when I brought it over. I confess I drank it all before I could make it the 2 blocks to your house. That fruit of the Spirit called self-control? Not so much. Lemon anything makes me a little nuts. Next time! (I know you're ready for another baby, right? Wait. Please. Stop crying. I was just joking.)

What We Eat: Chicken Spaghetti

I've been promising Cassie for a while...like a year...or two...that I'd give her a copy of our family recipes. This seems like the easiest way...and maybe I'll actually follow through. Here's the first only because she just texted me to ask me for it.

Chicken Spaghetti

3 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 pkg. sliced mushrooms
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
1 can reduced fat cream of mushroom soup
1 can reduced fat cream of chicken soup
1 1/2 cups colby jack cheese
16 oz spaghetti, broken into smaller pieces and cooked
paprika

Cook the veggies in the butter...mmmm...over medium heat until onion is soft and translucent. Add chicken, soups (reduced fat! healthy!), cheese (never mind) and stir until cheese melts. Add as much of the spaghetti as you'd like to make it as saucy as you'd like. I never add all of it...and should probably figure out exactly how much this is, but who cares, really? Just put it in the fridge for when you need a quick lunch by adding butter and melting the rest of that cheese on top. You and the girls used to make that all the time when I was reading/studying/praying/talking on the phone/napping after falling asleep trying to pray (note to self: praying while lying on bed is a bad idea). Where were we? Oh, yeah. If you want to dirty another dish, pour it all into a greased (Yay! More fat!) 9X13 and heat at 350 degrees until it's hot...maybe 20 min. But why not just put it into individual bowls and sprinkle them all with paprika and serve? You hate dirty dishes anyway. Like mother, like daughter.

Recipe Swap

We've got the seniors from TBC coming over each Wednesday of this month, so I bought some extra baking supplies so I could make the normal brownies, chocolate chip cookies, etc. to go with the salty snack. But our grocery story had an after-holiday sale on some baking goodies so I picked up some mint chocolate chips (yummy in a chocolate cookie recipe last week) and some cinnamon chips. What to do with those? Regular chocolate chip cookie recipe and just substitute?

That's why I love Google. I just inserted the words cookie and cinnamon chips and got a bunch of offering, but lots of them were comments about this recipe from a site called Stephanie's Kitchen. For those of us always looking for new, good recipes, this may be a great find. Already, I'm tempted to try the Andes Mint Cookies next week!

For now, if you like cinnamon and chocolate, I think you'll really like these. When you bite in, it's a very good, but strange taste. Chocolate...almost a spice cake taste with it...chewy...yummy. The more I eat, the more I like it! Give it a try sometime and pass on links to your favorite places to look for recipes...I'd love some new ideas.

Oatmeal Chocolate and Cinnamon Chip Chipsters
recipe by stephanie
makes 4 dozen

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups cinnamon chips (I found Hershey's brand)
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Beat 1 stick (1/2 cup) of the butter in a mixer until smooth. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until combined. In a seperate bowl, add flour, baking soda and salt and whisk until combined. Add the remaining butter (1 stick) to the flour mixture and using your hands break up butter into flour until well combined and the butter is at least pea sized within the flour. Slowly add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture until well combined. Stir in oats, cinnamon chips and chocolate chips. Chill for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Scoop onto baking sheet and bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned.

Tip: I baked 2 dozen and scooped the remaining dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer until frozen and than place in a ziplock freezer bag and bake at your own convenience! Fresh cookies any time you want!

Recipe Swap

I'm not sure what to say about this cheesecake recipe that would get across to you how incredible it is. Tangy, sweet, creamy perfection. Though my husband wouldn't agree because he's a huge chocolate fan. If you're like him then you might stick with this one. But if you like lemony goodness, give this a try. You'll love it.

Lemon Cheesecake

Lemon Curd:
Juice and peel of 2 lemons
6 Tbsp butter
1 c sugar
3 eggs

Crust:
5 oz Nabisco Barnum's Animal Crackers (Should make about 1 cup.)
3 Tbsp sugar
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Filling:
1 1/4 c sugar
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
1/4 c lemon juice
1 1/2 lbs. cream cheese, softened for 45 minutes
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c heavy cream

For the Lemon Curd: Grate peel from lemons careful not to remove pith. Put peel, juice and sugar in a small sauce pan. Stir over moderate heat until sugar is dissolved. Do NOT boil. Add butter and stir until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Whisk eggs and pour lemon mix over eggs. Stir well and strain back into pan with a fine strainer. Stir constantly over low heat until mix thickens and just reaches boiling point. Again, do NOT boil. Place in a container and chill until needed.

For the Crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees. Crush cookies into fine crumbs either with a rolling pin in a ziploc bag or in a food processor. Pour into bowl and stir in sugar. Add butter and stir until evenly moistened and it resembles wet sand. Pour into a 9 inch springform pan and press down firmly and evenly over bottom of pan. Try not to get any on the sides. Bake for 15-18 min. until fragrant and golden brown. Cool pan on wire rack to room temperature, about 30 minutes. When it's cool, wrap outside of pan in two 18 inch square pieces of heavy foil and set pan in a roasting pan

For the Filling: Mix 1/4 cup sugar with lemon zest until sugar is yellow. Add remaining cup of sugar.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until softened. While mixing, add sugar mix in a steady stream and then increase speed and mix until it is creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed and add eggs 2 at a time, beating 30 sec. after each addition and scraping down sides of bowl. Add lemon juice, vanilla and salt and mix very briefly until just incorporated. Add heavy cream and again mix just until it's incorporated.

Scrape down sides one last time and pour into springform pan. Fill roasting pan with enough hot tap water to come halfway up sides of pan. Bake until center jiggles slightly, surface is no longer shiny and thermometer reads 150 degrees. It should take about 55-60 minutes. Turn off oven and prop open door wooden spoon handle or potholder. Allow cake to cool like this for 1 hour. Move pan from roasting pan and foil and place on a wire rack. Run a knife around the edges of pan to loosen sides of cake and cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.

Spread enough lemon curd onto cheesecake while it's still in the pan to reach just below the top of the pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Notes:

• Microwave lemons for 15-20 seconds to get more juice.
• 5 oz of cookies is 2 of the small boxes or about 75-80 cookies.
• The cheesecake won't get brown at all.
  
• You can make it the day before, but the longer it sits, the soggier the crust becomes.
• To make cutting easier, place cheesecake overnight in the freezer. Remove about 1 hour before serving and use a sharp knife dipped into hot water and wiped clean between each slice.
  

Recipe Swap

I've had several requests for this recipe after it was served this past weekend at the Brindley's Christmas party. I got it from a friend who got it from a friend who got it...I actually have no idea where it started, but I remember where I first had it. Our senior pastor's wife hosted a Christmas gather of women who led Bible studies at TBC and she served it for dessert. I'm not even a fan of chocolate (yes...I know, but try to get past it and love me anyway.) and even I thought it was delicious. Enjoy in small portions...so rich...so good...and yeah, a little bit complicated, but well worth the effort, right ladies??

Brownie Bottom Cheesecake with Praline Sauce

1 cup butter, divided
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate
2 1/4 cup sugar, divided
5 eggs, divided
1/4 cup milk
3 tsp. vanilla, divided
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
3 pkgs. (8 oz) cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup pecans (or more, to taste)

Preheat oven to 325. In a large bowl, slowly heat 1/2 cup butter & chocolate in microwave until just melted. Stir often. Let stand until cool. Blend in 1 1/2 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs, 1 at a time on low speed until blended well. Stir in milk and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix flour and salt together and add to chocolate mixture and combine until well blended. Pour into a greased and floured 9" springform pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

While that's cooking...mix cream cheese, 3/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla. Scrape down sides of bowl and mix slightly. Add 3 eggs, 1 at a time until well blended. Mix in sour cream.

When brownie has cooked 25 minutes, pour cream cheese mix over the top of it and continue baking 50-55 minutes or until almost set...edges should be just slightly browned, if at all. Remove from oven and run a knife around the edges of cake then let cool for a couple of hours at room temperature. Place in refrigerator 4 hours or overnight (best).

Before serving, melt 1/2 cup butter and brown sugar in a small saucepan on low. Stir often until sugar is melted and it reaches the boiling point. Add 1/2 cup whipping cream and 1 tsp vanilla and stir. Mix in pecans and cook on low about 5 minutes. Serve warm. (If making the day before, place in refrigerator and reheat in microwave, stirring often.)

Recipe Swap

One of my favorite people in the world is Nancey Ingram. She a "mature" woman (how's that, Nancey?!) who is steadfast in her friendship to me even when it's costly! We really got to know one another while heading up the women's retreat for three years together. I'm the one to call if you need a spreadsheet done or something fixed. So, I took the organizing of the lists and the nuts and bolts calls. Nancey was the one I sent the women to who just needed someone to talk to! I've never enjoyed serving with anyone more. Afterwards we were the dearest of friends. She never fails to make me laugh and also to remind me that loving God, delighting in God is not an option. She can let me vent and then pull my face to Jesus again and again. I'm so grateful to God for the gift of having met her and for somehow giving me favor in her sight.

But...she's not perfect. There was one time near Christmas when she gave me something that she never should have. Addicting isn't quite the word. I have never, ever served this stuff or given it away without someone clutching at me, demanding the recipe. It really is one of the best things you can serve a crowd. It is also our favorite teacher gift because we only give them a little. After they taste it and beg for the recipe, we trade it for a few points on the final.

No, we don't...but not a bad idea...

Here you go...don't ever make it when you are alone...or at least be smart enough to just go ahead and start a second batch!

Tijuana Trash

4 cups Bite sized Tostitos
3 cups Crispix cereal
1 bag popped microwave popcorn
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white corn syrup
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp chili powder

Mix chips, cereal and popcorn in a large baking dish or foil pan. Mix rest of ingredients in a saucepan and slowly bring to a boil over med-low heat. Drizzle over dry ingredients, stirring often. Bake for 1 hour at 250 degrees, stirring every 20 minutes. Pour onto foil to cool. Break up as it cools.

Notes:

• Yes. I know those ingredients are odd. You will not believe how good this is!
• We usually snap the chips in half before stirring them in.
  
• We never use popcorn because we LOVE the chips, so I just usually do those and cereal.
• You can use corn chex or whatever instead of Crispix.
• It is really not spicy with that much cayenne. We usually up it to at least 3/4 tsp when we make it for others and up it to 1 tsp for our family.

Recipe Swap

One of Wayne's favorite memories of teaching came from his first or second year. He was one of the last teachers assigned a spot for his "office". It ended up being way away from his classroom or from the athletic offices. In fact, the poor guy had to share it with all women. Well, I was feeling bad for him until the first couple of weeks went by and he said one day that he didn't really need to take a lunch. Not hungry? Trying to lose weight? Really? He didn't need to. I grew concerned.

Ha. Little did I know he was in heaven. You see, Wayne was the only guy in the home-ec department! All the ladies were almost to retirement years and treated him like a grandson. Fed him. Took messages for him. Fed him. Helped him with stuff. Fed him. Fixed up stuff for him. Fed him. You get the picture.

One day, he came home telling me about a dish that one of them served him. They said it was easy. Could I get the recipe? We got it and have loved it since. If you've got the chicken cooked and cut up then you are 30 minutes from the table. We pair it with Mexican rice and refried beans with some homemade tortillas. (I LOVE being from Texas!) I'll pass on those recipes some other time. (A little of Matt's Queso doesn't hurt anything either!) For now, grab your favorite box mix and store bought tortillas and enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

2 Tbsp butter
1/2 med. onion, chopped
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 oz) can mild enchilada sauce
8 oz picante sauce
3 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
12-15 flour tortillas, torn into pieces
8 oz shredded colby jack cheese

Saute onion in butter until soft. Add chicken, soups and sauces. Cook until combined well. Make layers in a greased 9X13: Tortillas, sauce, cheese. (But begin with a layer of sauce so the tortillas don't stick.) Cook for 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated through.

Notes:
Start by using the mildest ingredients. It comes out what we consider to be mildly spicy, but others (not from TX) have told us it's sort of medium spicy to them.

I usually grab a large can of enchilada sauce instead of the small one, but again that makes it spicier.

If your kids like things less spicy, mix theirs with more tortillas when you make their plate.

Recipe Swap

It's not exactly a secret that Texans love Tex-Mex food. But recreating that at home is a challenge. That's why I was thrilled when my mom-in-law gave me a cookbook by Matt Martinez. His family runs one of the best Mexican food places in Austin, Matt's El Rancho. In fact his family began the first Mexican food restaurant in Austin in 1925. And they cater the press box during the Longhorn's home games. So, they know what they're doing.

Or so I thought when I frantically flipped through the cookbook to see how they make their Queso. Surely not. Cornstarch? Kraft American cheese? Are you kidding me?? But I jumped in and got it together...called my husband in and asked him to give it a taste. We loved it and so does everyone else we serve it to. We do it over tacos, chicken enchiladas, salads...whatever comes to mind. Provided, that is, that we can keep each other from eating it all before dinner.

Good news is that we always have the ingredients on hand. Bad news for my diet...we always have the ingredients on hand. By the way, this isn't even my favorite thing from the cookbook! Wait until you taste the guacamole! Enjoy!


Matt's Chile con Queso

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 c finely chopped sweet onion
1/2 c finely chopped bell pepper or jalepeno
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp granulated garlic
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup chicken broth or water
8 oz Kraft American cheese
1 c chopped tomatoes

Using a thick pot, heat the oil and saute the onion and peppers until onion is soft. Add the dry ingredients and saute for 1-2 minutes more. Mix the cornstarch in the broth and add to onions and peppers. Stir until really thick. Add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in tomatoes. Adjust thickness to your liking by adding more broth to make it thinner or cheese to make it thicker.

Notes: We never make this little of a batch! I usually double it at least if we're making enchiladas...triple if we want it with chips, too. We also like it much spicier so I use 1 whole jalepeno with seeds and one more without seeds.

8oz is about 12 slices of cheese.

For those of you who don't know, use gloves when seeding a jalepeno. The chemicals can really make your fingers burn.

When I first made it and it began thickening up, I really thought I was ruining it. Just keep going!

Recipe Swap

Today's recipe is one that we've learned to make only when we're asked to bring a dessert somewhere. That's because all five of us count this as one of our favorites. We want it for snack, dessert, breakfast and just a bite in between. Cassie made it a couple of years ago for her Spanish class's Cinco de Mayo celebration. Each year after, the students just sign her up to do it again! She made two in one night not too long ago. It's that easy. And that good. And that full of calories. So, do yourself a favor, don't make it until you need it to feed 20. But be sure to pinch off just a bite of the corner...you have to make sure it tastes good, right?

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 (8 oz) pkgs. Cream Cheese
2 (8 ct) cans Crescent Rolls
1 1/2 c sugar (divided)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
4 Tbsp butter

Roll out one can crescent rolls into a lightly greased 9X13. Pinch lines to seal. In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, vanilla and 1 c sugar. Spread over rolls in pan. Roll out second can of rolls, pinch any lines closed and place over filling. Melt butter and drizzle on top. Mix 1/2 c sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over all.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes.

Notes: It's better warm from the oven. If I have to bake it ahead of time, I re-warm it in the oven for just a few minutes or heat the individual servings in the microwave.

Reduced fat crescent rolls and cream cheese work just as well.

The original recipe calls for a whole stick of butter to be drizzled over the top, but even I can't make myself do that!

Recipe Swap

In the same spirit of the "If God gives you time" posts, I also thought it might be nice to help you and help myself. Ever get really, really sick of eating the same thing, week after week? I think I get this from my mom. She's a great cook, but she's also a great collector. She's got a cabinet in her kitchen which is filled with papers...stacks and stacks of papers. Some cut from magazines. Some printed off the internet. Some from friends. All recipes that she just knows she'll get to one day. She also loves to try new things which did mean that we had some "amazing" combinations as I was growing up. (Was that nice enough, Mom?!)

It's also one of my greatest joys in being at home with Mom that she lets me cook! What's so special about that? Well...1) Mom and Stan buy the ingredients and they really love good food. That means I get to cook cuts of meat that I never even see at HEB! 2) I get kitchen prep help. Well, that's what I call it. Mom and Paula (my baby sister!) call it slave labor. 3) I don't clean. And any day without cleaning a kitchen is a good day. Especially after I cook. (I tend to make a bit of a mess.)

So, here's what I was thinking...I'll share a recipe each week that our family loves and that's easy enough to make for a weeknight dinner or toss together for a quick lunch or whip up for dessert when company's coming. Many of these recipes are from y'all anyway! In return, though, I'd love to hear back with more from you.

I'm going to start with a chicken salad recipe that is similar to one I saw my sister-of-my-heart, Katharine, make when she hosted a luncheon in her home. The only thing that's missing is the YUMMY dressing that she drizzled on top of it. She served it with cornbread muffins and fresh strawberries. And served fresh Georgia peach ice cream for dessert. It was so pretty and delicious. We made it the night before and plated it in no time as they sat down.

So, Katharine, in between feeding Lauren, chasing Henry and running with Emma Kate everywhere, think you could share the honey, poppyseed stuff with us? Hugs to everyone in GA, by the way...we're working on coming back!

Lemony Chicken Salad

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 sour cream
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 lbs. chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
3 to 4 cups fruit: red and white grapes, crisp apple
1 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1 bag salad greens

Stir together mayo with next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Cut grapes in half and dice apple. Add chicken and fruit to sauce. Toss well, cover and chill 1 hour. Stir in toasted pecans just before serving. Serve over salad and drizzle with a light, sweet dressing (Hopefully Katharine's!) like a poppyseed dressing or honey based.

Notes: Light ingredients work well, too. Instead of using just cooked chicken breasts, I usually roast a whole chicken that's been basted with lemon juice and also stuff the cavity with the lemons. Salt and pepper liberally then bake at 350 for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours depending on how big the chicken is.

Got another salad recipe you'd like to share? Look to the right side of the blog. You'll see a heading that says "Contact Me". Use that address and once I have a few, I'll post them all together.