Recipe
Recipes: Cashew Apple Chicken
Cashew Apple Chicken
I love weekends at home for many reasons. It is awesome spending some extra time with my family. During the week typically I do most of the cooking do to everyone’s schedule being a more crazy, however, on the weekends many times my husband will cook our family meal. He comes up with some of the most amazing and delicious dishes. It is so neat to watch him look in the fridge to see what we have or what needs used up then whipped together a new and tasty meal.
Our family enjoys chicken, apples, and cashews so this meal was a hit. I am so thankful for a husband who cooks. He has widen my recipe collections with the variety of dishes he pulls together. Yes, I am blessed!
Cashew Apple Chicken Recipe:
- 4 Chicken Breasts (boneless and skinless)
- 1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Apples, cut up in equal size pieces (we used granny smith because we had them in the fridge)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon Italian Dressing
- 1/4 cup Cashews
1. Mix together the salt, pepper, and cinnamon into a small bowl. Sprinkle the chicken breasts for a pinch of this mixture and set the remaining spice mixture aside.
2. Add the olive oil to a frying pan and allow to heat up using medium heat for about 1 minute. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook. Cook for 10 minutes on one side and turn to cook for an additional 10 minutes on the remaining side. The chicken should be a light brown on all sides. While the chicken is cooking on each side do steps 3 to 5.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Grease a baking dish.
5. Dice up the apples and set aside.
6. Once the chicken is brown on all sides (see step 2) remove the chicken breasts from the pan and place them into the baking dish.
7. Add the Maple Syrup, Italian Seasoning, and spice mixture to the pan of oil and chicken juices. Heat over medium for about 1 minute. Add the diced apples and cashews. Continue to cook for 3 minutes stirring gently. Remove from heat and spoon the apple and cashew mixture equally over the chicken breasts.
8. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.
Recipes: Easy Potato Wedges
Crispy & Delicious Potato Wedges
Easy Potato Wedges Recipe:
- 4 Potatoes
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon Pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 teaspoon Garlic Salt (we like Lawry’s Garlic Salt)
- Wash potatoes, cut into wedges.
- Place potatoes skin down in a baking dish.
- Mix the next 6 ingredients together and brush onto potatoes.
- Bake at 350 for 1 hour.
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Wash the potatoes. Cut them into wedges. Place in baking dish.
3. Mix the olive oil, pepper, paprika, and garlic salt together and pour over the potatoes. Use a spoon to gently stir the potatoes so that they are evenly coated.
4. Bake for 40 minutes or until the potato wedges are cooked and tender.
Tray of Easy Potato Wedges
Recipes: Low Carb & Low Calorie Brownies (with Walnuts)
Low Carb & Low Calorie Brownie goodness
I am super excited to share this delicious and healthy Brownie Recipe with you. It is both low carb and low calorie if you are trying to eat healthier, but occasionally want chocolate. Sometimes even while you are trying to eat healthier you just want something sweet and chocolate. This recipe includes walnuts, but they can be omitted.
A friend shared this recipe with me a couple months ago. I have made these brownies several times. They are delicious especially if you have been cutting back on sugar already! I especially like to pull them out of the freezer for a cool tasty treat during those hot days, but really they good any time.
This recipe makes 32 individual brownies. I like to make a full batch which is a 9 x 13 baking dish and store the individual brownies in the freezer for the chocolate cravings or sweet snack. Yes, these take longer than the box brownies, but they are healthier for you too. They are rich and filled with chocolate goodness that hit the spot, but it won’t set you back if you are keeping track of your calories and carbs. Once this recipe is baked and cool it has a similar texture of a real brownie, but without the extra calories and carbs in each bite. If you are looking for a healthy brown alternative try this recipe!
Low Carb & Low Calorie Brownie Recipe (with Walnuts):
- 1 stick Butter or Margarine (room temperature)
- 2 cups Erythritol (powdered is best, but works with granulated too)
- 1 tablespoon Vanilla
- 4 Eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 oz Unsweetened Chocolate (melted)
- 2 cups Flax Seed Meal
- 1 tablespoon Baking Powder
- 1/3 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 2/3 cup Water
- 1 cup Artificial Sweetner
- 1 cup Walnuts (optional)
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9 x 13 baking dish.
2. Cream butter or margarine until fluffy. Add the Erythritol and cream until fluffy (want a fluffy texture). If you use the Erythritol granulated it will not turn out as fluffy, but the brownies will still taste good (I have done it both ways).
3. Add the vanilla to the butter mixture. Beat the eggs into the mixture one at a time. Add salt and cocoa powder; beat well.
4. Add the melted unsweetened Chocolate and beat until fluffy.
5. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. This recipes has the walnuts added, but they are optional.
6. Pour brownie batter into 9 x 13 baking dish. Bake for 35 minutes. Cool and cut into 32 squares.
These taste delicious fresh, cooled, or even frozen!
Total Calories: 113 Total Net Carbs: 1.19 Per Brownie (including walnuts)
Net Carbs is calculated by taking the Carbs minus the Fiber.
If you omit the walnuts the Total Calories: 88 Total Net Carbs: 0.94
The total calories and net carbs are based of the ingredients we used while cooking this recipe. It is good idea to calculate based of the specific brand and ingredients you are using in your recipe because it may vary slightly, but this will give you a good base guideline. As long as you use the ingredients listed above it should be fairly close.
Cutting the brownies into individual pieces to enjoy
Tried some for a few days then decided to see how they tasted from the freezer. They are awesome! These brownies contain walnuts, but you don’t have to add them!
Bagged and ready to go into the freezer!
2 fresh ones were eaten now the remaining 30 are bagged to be frozen!
Recipes: Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus
Our family enjoys fruits and vegetables. We like our produce with breakfast, take it in our lunches, and have it at dinner too. Asparagus is one we really like and we love finding new ways to cook it. Whether it is baked or grilled these Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles come out very tasty. It is easy to assemble and the kids love eating this delicious vegetable.
Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles Recipe:
- 1 Bundle of Fresh Asparagus
- 12 oz package Bacon (we like the center cut with more meat)
- Dash of Salt
- Dash of Pepper
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Butter or Margarine, melted
- Sesame Seeds, optional
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Rinse and trim the ends of the asparagus. Remove any hard stems on the asparagus stalks too. Generally, the smaller the asparagus stalk the better because it is more tender.
3. Divide your asparagus up into equal piles (3 to 8 stalks). In these pictures we divided our asparagus up into 4 bundles (one for each family member). We have done smaller bundles too. Pick the number of bundles you want to do and divide it up as equal as possible.
4. Lay 1 asparagus bundle in the center of a slice of bacon. Wrap the bacon around the asparagus bundle and place on a broiler pan. Repeat this step until all your asparagus bundles are wrapped. If you have extra bacon you can cook that on the pan beside the asparagus bundles if you want.
5. Sprinkle each bundle with a dash of salt and pepper. Mix the brown sugar and melted butter or margarine together and pour over the asparagus bundles. Top with sesame seeds.
5. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the bacon is cooked.*
*GRILLING – You can also place these Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles on the grill at your next cookout! Make sure not to put it too close to a really hot spot or open flame on the grill for a long period of time. It will usually take less time on the grill to cook these bundles. Once the asparagus looks like it is started to wilt a little and the bacon is cooked these will be done.
Sometimes we make up a big tray of the Bacon Wrapped Asparagus Bundles because the kids love them re-heated as well.
Ready to bake and eat!
Delicious!
Recipes: Pickled Green Beans
Making Pickled Green Beans
Our family loves green beans. Fresh garden green beans are so tasty too! We always planted a lot of green beans whenever we had a garden. We typically had several varieties of beans from foot long beans to different types of green beans to purple beans and more.
Whenever we had extra green beans we would look for a variety of ways to store, eat, and enjoy them. I recently came across our Pickled Green Bean recipe. Since it is Spring I thought it would be a good time to share it. These pickled green beans are crunchy and tasty!
Pickled Green Beans Recipe:
- 2 pounds fresh Green Beans (rinsed)
- 2 1/2 cups White Distilled Vinegar
- 2 1/2 cups Water
- 1/4 cup Salt
- 4 Garlic Cloves (peeled)
- 1 large bunch fresh Dill Weed
- 2 teaspoons Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes
- 6 Jars (1/2 pint each) with Rings and Lids
1. Locate your jars and sterilize them.
2. Trim both ends off the rinsed fresh green beans. Make sure the green beans fit into your jars if not cut them in half.
3. In a large saucepan put the vinegar, water, and salt. Bring the mixture into a rolling boil over high heat.
4. In each jar place 1 garlic clove, 1 sprig of dill, 1/8 teaspoon of Red Pepper Flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds.
5. Pack the green beans into the jars, standing them up vertically.
6. Ladle boiling mixture into the jars until it is 1/4 inch from the top.
7. Put the lids on the jars and allow the jars and contents to cool to room temperature before placing them into the refrigerator. Let the pickles ferment for 2 to 3 weeks before eating the pickled green beans.
Makes 6 pint sized jars of Pickled Green Beans.
Green Beans being pickled
Everything added now need to put on the lids!
Jars ready to be stored for later treats!
Mother’s Day Celebration
Huge Mother’s Day chalk message on the driveway from Karlie!
I am blessed. Yesterday I was reminded again of how much God has given me. A family that loves me despite all my imperfections. Jake and the girls showered me with love on Mother’s Day. Even though Jake was on call this Mother’s Day weekend and was a little busier than normal, he made time to celebrate. It was a great day with the family.
They made me breakfast in bed. We went to church. Jake and the girls made an amazing lunch. That afternoon we relaxed, read books together, opened gifts, played games, and had fun. Thankful for my family and a chance to spend the day together. Their thoughtfulness made me feel loved and appreciated.
Breakfast in bed – cheesy scrambled eggs, ham, and sauteed mushrooms! Delicious!
Fresh flowers from the girls (they got them from Children’s Church)
Putting together the pinwheel steaks!
They choose what ingredients to stuff the steak with for lunch
Pinwheel steaks ready to go into the oven!
Stuffed with tomatoes, swiss cheese, goat cheese, bacon, ham, spinach, mushrooms, sunflowers, cranberries, and more goodies!
My steak was AMAZING!
Huge stuffed portobello mushroom! Stuffed with spinach, hummus, and topped with toasted granola – so tasty!
Mother’s Day cards from Jake and the girls. Karlie’s was the kitten and Brina’s the puppy.
Brina picked out a beautiful pink rose bush for me!
Karlie picked out a gorgeous red rose bush for me!
Adorable handmade flowers from my girls! Brina made the bright yellow one and Karlie made the blue and red one!
A place to sit and talk with Jake or read with the kids. Very comfy!
Sweet note from Brina. The top says “I am thankful to have a Mom like you because you are nice to me and play with me.” The bottom has a cute little poem!
Colorful Mother’s Day Butterfly from Brina
Cute card from Brina
Mother’s Day note from Brina wanting to know if I can play or cook with her! Love my girls!
Vibrant Mother’s Day drawing from Karlie
Sweet poem and note from Karlie on the back of her drawing.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
But no one a flower,
Just like you!
Happy Mother’s Day! Hope you are having a nice and relaxing day. Do you like the card and rose? The rose is a rare blue rose that only grows on Neptune! May you please read to me on the deck?
Thankful for my family! I treasure these times we have together. I am blessed.
Intentional Living: Weekly Goals
Last week were were somewhat into the normal routine. This past weekend we went with the kids to Columbia, SC for their State STEM Lego Robotics Competition. We spent Friday night at a hotel near the meet because we had to be up early and ready on Saturday morning for the competition. The kids had a blast and did well. There was a lot of competition and with this only being their 2nd year doing STEM Club it was a real honor to be at the event. Here are my goals for this week:
Last week’s goals
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids – it was a busy week but made a little more progress through the book
Plan one special activity with the familyPlay a Game with the KidsPrepare for Upcoming Spring EventsSpend time Monday – Friday helping the kids with Homework– some extra homework with them being gone last weekAttend After School ActivitiesLunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night beforePrep for upcoming Family Adventure– went to the girls STEM State Comprtition this past weekend and spent the night before in a hotelGet the kids caught back up with Homework from missing school last week while in FloridaPrep for upcoming State STEM CompetitionPrep for upcoming Spring BreakTake kids to Eye Dr and Dentist for regular Cleaning– eyes looking good and no one has any cavities just more lose teeth, the last of their baby teeth are starting to fall out…look out tooth fairy
Personal Goals
Drink 8 glasses of water each dayContinue my YouVersion plan(s)Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day – I did it twice this week because we had a couple items that needed washed before the STEM competition on Saturday.
Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the weekUse up food items in our pantry and freezerClean House (Focus – Extra Laundry Done from Traveling)Organize Chaos (Focus – Unpack All Suitcases and Put Items Away from Florida Trip)Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Clean Out the Van from the Florida Trip)Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Hay for the Goats)
Business Goals
Work on ideas for upcoming blog postsRespond to Inquiry – Business Relation EmailsKeep up with the day to day items that need my attentionWork completed for clients
Ministry Goals
Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car – working on it
- Payoff Medical Bills – working on it
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt) – working on it
Pay Bills & File Paperwork- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget – went about $15 over budget this week
My goals for the upcoming week
Family Goals
- Finish reading Rascal by Sterling North to the kids
- Plan one special activity with the family
- Play a Game with the Kids
- Prepare for Upcoming Spring Events
- Spend time Monday – Thursday helping the kids with Homework
- Attend After School Activities
- Lunch Boxes & Book Bags packed the night before
- Prep for upcoming Family Adventure
- Figure out the kids Science Fair Projects
- STEM Club Event Presentations for Family Night at School
- Prep for upcoming Spring Break
Personal Goals
- Drink 8 glasses of water each day
- Continue my YouVersion plan(s)
- Go to my Doctor Appointments Scheduled this week
Home (Yard & Pets) Management Goals
- All laundry for the week washed, folded, and put away in one day
- Weekly Dinner Menu planned out for the week
- Clean House (Focus – Unpack Suitcase and Items Away from State STEM Robotics Trip this weekend)
- Organize Chaos (Focus – All pictures downloaded & organized from FL and STEM trips)
- Yard / Garage Cleanup (Focus – Sweep out my side of Garage)
- Pet Care (Focus – Pick Up Mineral Bucket for the Goats)
Business Goals
- Work on ideas for upcoming blog posts
- Respond to Inquiry – Business Relation Emails
- Keep up with the day to day items that need my attention
- Work completed for clients
Ministry Goals
- Meet a friend or family member for Breakfast or Lunch
Financial Goals
- Payoff the Car
- Payoff Medical Bills
- Payoff Other Outstanding Debt – (replacement microwave, refrigerator, hot water heater, bed, and other debt)
- Pay Bills & File Paperwork
- Go grocery shopping one time to one store this week and stay within budget
I think it is important to share and encourage each other as we seek to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. I want to live intentionally not just hope all my dreams and goals come true. When I focus on small steps of improvement I am able to see results as I get closer to my goals. Some weeks I get closer to the goals I have in my life and other weeks a take a few steps back (life happens, emergencies occur, people get sick). Once the goals are written down and shared it provides a guideline for what I aim to accomplish this week.
Why Share My Goals?
- To keep me accountable
- To share a piece of my life with you as I strive to be a better Child of God, Wife, Mom, Friend, Homemaker, Entrepreneur and the many other roles I have each week
- To have my goals consistently written down so I can gauge progress more accurately
- Create healthy habits in my life
- To encourage you to share your goals with me as you continue to grown and learn
How did you do this week on your goals? Feel free to share or link to your list of weekly goals.
The picture above is one that I created for my own purposes, however, The “SMART” acronym was originally coined 30 years ago by Peter Drucker in his classic work, Management by Results.
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Recipes: Open Faced Egg Sandwiches
Breakfast is ready!
I am so grateful for a husband who cooks! He is creative and makes the most amazing recipes. Before marrying him I can probably count the number of times that I ate and kept down eggs. Somehow he has managed to slowly convert me into actually enjoying eggs for breakfast. I still cannot tolerate a fried egg, but the ones he makes (with a good helping of cheese) always are a hit even with me.
The other day he made these Open Faced Egg Sandwiches for breakfast! They were delicious! He started out using the 6 pieces of the homemade Stone Ground Wheat Bread we had leftover from a dinner earlier that week. Then toasted the bread, added a layer of tomato, eggs, spinach, and cheese! His Open Faced Egg Sandwiches contained a fried egg while mine were scrambled. The cheese topping was provolone for the fried egg and american for the scrambled eggs.
Open Faced Egg Sandwich Recipe:
- Sliced Bread (we used homemade Stone Ground Wheat Bread)
- Eggs (fried or scrambled)
- Sliced Tomatoes
- Fresh Leafy Spinach
- Cheese (Provolone or American)
Toast and butter your bread. Add the sliced tomato on top of the bread followed by the cooked egg, spinach, and cheese. Continue to cook until the cheese is melted.
Homemade Stone Ground Wheat Bread, Tomatoes, Eggs, Spinach and Provolone Cheese are the perfect breakfast combination!
Jake and my daughter love their juicy centers on their fried eggs.
I prefer scrambled with American cheese!
Tasty and delicious!
A special breakfast treat! Thankful for an amazing husband who enjoys cooking!
