Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Yes, I know.  I have been on my diet for 12 days and I haven't lost the ten pounds I want to lose. I'm tired of dieting and want a cookie.  Or a loaf of bread.  A whole loaf of fresh baked bread, slathered in butter.  Well, to be fair, I CAN have butter on Atkins.  I just can't have any bread, potatoes, or rice to put it on.  sigh

It is cold so I made some soup.  Not a soup with rice or noodles or barley.  But it was delicious, so I should quit complaining.  Lee did not gain 10 pounds last year, or if he did he went on a diet for a week and lost it, because he is a man.  And life is not fair.  Ever.  But particularly when I am on a diet.  Good thing I have such a SUNNY nature.

I did mention to Lee that he could have a happy, fat wife with no wrinkles or a thinner, grumpy wife with wrinkles.  But we have been married almost 35 years and he knows better than to enter a no win argument. 

And it was cold.  So I made soup.  He got crackers with his.  I got Sprite Zero.  sigh


 

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

32 ounces of chicken broth
3 chicken tenders, you can use more, but I had these left over from another meal
1/4 onion, chopped
2 or 3 ribs celery, sliced.  I chopped up a bit of the celery leaves, too
Broccoli and cauliflower, I bought a frozen bag or just chop about 3 cups of fresh
Italian Herbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup cilantro, chopped

 

Pour the broth into a Dutch oven and add the chicken tenders.  I trimmed off the tendon first.  You can use chicken breasts, but the tenders will cook faster.  Add the onions, a pinch of salt and a few turns of a pepper grinder.

 

Bring to broth to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for about 15 minutes.  If there is no pink in the middle of the largest tender, they are cooked.  Remove the chicken and add the celery, broccoli and cauliflower. 

 

Sprinkle in about 1/2 teaspoon of the Italian Herbs.  I didn't measure, just sprinkled about that much in the palm of my hand, crushed it a bit with my finger to release the flavors and dumped it in the pot.

 

While you bring the vegetables to a boil, use two forks to shred the chicken.  Return the shreds to the pot and reduce to a simmer for 10 more minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Sprinkle with the cilantro just before serving.

 

Serve with crackers.  Unless you are eating low carb.  Gaze enviously at anyone at the table that DOES get crackers.  Remember the 10th Commandment.  Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's crackers.

Feel virtuous and, dare I say it, just a tad bit thinner.

Three Gifts

 

Once upon a time there was a great fluffy fuzzball of a cat named Rhett.  He and his brother Ashley  (yes, I know, corny) lived in a big house on a hill with two full time employees.

 

Rhett loved going outside to look around and enjoy nature.  He signaled this by scratching up any upholstered furniture near a door he thought he would like to use.  This was effective.  Scratch the furniture and then his staff would open the door and allow (force) him outside.  It hadn't taken him long to train his staff.  They were pretty bright, for people.

 

When they didn't do what he wanted, and he TOLD them PLAIN as DAY in his LOUD commanding voice, he was forced to YELL at them. People could be so stubborn, and let's face it, kind of slow. 

 

The staff was pretty good about keeping his dining room clean and replenished, not as often as Rhett would like, but Rhett's doctor had been clear to his employees that Rhett was becoming too corpulent.  It was hard to get good help.

 

Lately it had been just too cold to go outside.  This made Rhett sad.  Outside was his favorite place to be.  Next was inside.  Last was in the car, especially on trips to the doctor.

Then one day there was a break in the clouds and the outside became almost warm.  Almost warm is okay when you have a luxurious fur coat, kept tangle free by his staff.  He loved his staff.  In a haughty, superior sort of way.  He thought it was time to reward them for their good behavior.

Rhett decided to get them a toy to play with.  He loved toys.  The best toys were the ones that moved and wiggled.  Rhett liked those a lot and figured his staff would, too.

 

So he brought them one.  That one disappeared, so he brought them another.  This time he saw a staff member throw his gift down the hillside.  How rude.  He thought he would give them one more chance and brought them one last gift.

 

Once again his overzealous staff tidied up the porch.  How stupid were they?  This was a LOVELY gift.  Well, it is true that it was no longer wiggling and fun to chase, but you could still throw it up in the air and bat it around!

 

That's it.  Three gifts in one week that were totally unappreciated and he was DONE being grateful.  Maybe his people weren't as bright as he thought.

Pink Lemonade Cookies

As a former full time employee of the Botetourt County Library system and a current casual employee ( I go in when they need me), I volunteer to help out with programs from time to time.  One such program was Tuesday.  The children's Librarian is trying to increase attendance at the children's story hour in Buchanan.  Together we thought that if we promoted it as a party and I brought some baked goods, we could get some kids and parents in for food, if not for stories and crafts!

 


The theme for the next two weeks is something to do with Valentine's Day, so I tried to come up with cookies that were heart shaped or red.  For this week I chose pink lemonade cookies.  Doesn't that just scream hot sultry days and nights and bright sunshine?  Well, we haven't got any of that.  We've had cold, icy, overcast days and freezing nights and it is currently, according to my vastly overpriced cell phone, 39°.  But I can dream, can't I???

 

Pink Lemonade Cookies

2 sticks of butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
12 ounce can of pink lemonade concentrate, thawed, divided use
zest of one lemon, divided use
4 drops red food color

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

I use a Kitchen Aid mixer for beating butter.  I can place the softened sticks in the stand mixer and away is goes.  Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Your hand can't get it light and fluffy enough, unless you are way stronger than I am.

 

Scrape it down from time to time and then add the two eggs and beat some more.  While the stand mixer is working away, place the flour, baking soda and baking powder in a bowl and stir with a fork until mixed.

 

Add a cup or so of the flour to the mixer and mix well.  Measure out 3/4 cup of the melted lemonade concentrate.  Add that to the mixer.  I added 1/2 the zest of a lemon and 4 drops of food coloring to boost the color and lemonyness.  Surely that is a word???  It only added a touch of pink to the cookies.  The rest comes in the frosting.  Save the rest of the lemonade and the lemon zest for the frosting.  Mix well.

Add the rest of the flour and mix until blended.  Drop by a small cookie scoop onto a cookie sheet, leaving room for them to spread out when baking.  I wanted heart shapes so I used my very clean palm to gently flatten the cookies slightly.  Then I took a table knife and dipped the tip in a small dish of flour.  Don't forget to tap the excess off the tip of the knife.

 

I inserted it in the top of the cookie and spread it apart a wee bit...top of the heart.  Then I used the side to make a point in the bottom of the cookie...bottom of the heart.  I used my fingers to make small adjustments and then baked them for 10 minutes.

 

Let the cookies cool for 2 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.  When cool, you can frost them.

Pink Lemonade Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/6 cup pink lemonade concentrate, from above
1/2 lemon zest, from above
4 drops red food color

 

This recipe means you have to wash the mixing bowl and beater twice.  sigh.   Place the butter in the stand mixer and mix until very soft. 

 

Add the sugar, lemonade concentrate, food coloring and lemon zest.  You will have some lemonade concentrate leftover.  Make a glass for yourself.  This is thirsty work.

 

Mix everything together.  Keep mixing until it is soft, about 5 minutes.  You can just spread the frosting on the cookie or pipe it on in a heart shape. 

 

I have a pastry bag, but you can use a  quart size freezer Ziploc bag if you don't have one and want to pipe a shape.  Use the freezer weight as they are less likely to spring a leak.  Just fill, cut the tip of one corner and squeeze gently.

 

I used a round tip and just piped a simple heart.  Ok.  I'm terrible at piping.   I tried a few fancy shapes, heart within a heart, filled hearts, but the simple heart worked best.

 

And here is the saddest part of all.  I am on Atkins.  During induction you have to be VERY strict about sugar and flour, meaning NONE.  And I don't want to start over.  It takes 2 weeks.  Two very long, sad weeks.  I'm half way there.  So no tasting.

Lee liked them and took six up to the computer.  I put a bunch in a closed container to take to library the following day.  And I walked away. 

I'm tougher than I look.  I look squidgy and puffy.  But I've got an iron will.  For ONE.  MORE.  WEEK.

But now I can't give you my opinion on how delicious and lemony these cookies are.  Lee liked them, but then he's easy.  It's a cookie, isn't it?

Walt, a library patron, said, " Like little frosty cakes.  I like soft cookies."

 

Cari, an actual library assistant, like I used to be, said, "Mmm!  Lemon!"

Sara, daughter of Cari and frequenter of the Buchanan library, said, "It was really good!"

There you have it.  Three unbiased opinions.

 

Oh, and the kids liked them, too.

My New Favorite Coleslaw

There is a restaurant in Corona del Mar that I really like called Bandera.  One of my favorite dishes is the peanut coleslaw.  I have no idea what the recipe is, but I have discovered a close cousin and we have it about twice a month.

Peanut Coleslaw

Angel Hair Coleslaw
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped peanuts
1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Marzetti Original Slaw dressing

 

The Bandera cole slaw is finely chopped in addition to thinly sliced.  I don't bother, but feel free to chop it a bit more.  Mostly I just dump the bag of thinly sliced cabbage into a medium bowl.

Chop up a bunch of peanuts.  I usually end up with about 1/2 cup, but I don't measure.  I love me some peanuts, so you may use more or less to taste.

Chop up a bunch of washed and dried cilantro tops.  Try to avoid too many leggy stems.  I usually end up with about the same amount as the chopped peanuts, 1/2 cup.

Stir everything in with the cabbage.

Add about 3 rounded soup spoons full of the Marzetti dressing, found in the chilled grocery section.  There may be other dressings out there that will work, but this is a nice one and doesn't have a lot of sugar, so it fits with my low carb diet.

It may look like you don't have enough, but you don't want to over dress this salad.  Just a touch of dressing, not soaked.  If you toss it for a minute or two, you will see that this is plenty of dressing.

 

This may not be even close to Bandera's slaw, but the cilantro and peanuts match theirs and it tastes great.  It makes for a nice change of pace from a regular lettuce salad and is a nice side dish.

Piggy Chicken

Well, once again I have proven that I have the self control of a gnat.  I gained weight over the holidays.  And you can count the holidays starting with Valentine's Day, LAST YEAR.  So, I am trying to get a jump start on losing this weight by going back to VERY low carbohydrate eating.  You must understand that I think baked goods should be one of the most important food groups. Sugar?  White flour?  But, of course!

So now, I am trying to be good.  I like salad, but EVERY night?  Boring.  So I will be searching high and low for items to add in to my diet that are low carb.  And not boring.

Luckily I recent read Cinnamon Roll Murder, by Joanne Fluke.  She is one of my favorite "murder with recipes" author.  The other one being Diane Mott Davidson.  Joanne Fluke is best know for her cookie recipes.  And there are quite a few in this book that I will be making.  Eventually.  Especially the Cinnamon Rolls from the title.  Picture this, cinnamon rolls with chocolate.  I'm already drooling and I can't make these for months.  Unless I get a B&B customer.  Then I will have to eat one before serving it....to make sure it is OK...good business practices, and all.

 But she also throws in a bunch of other recipes and there is one she calls Piggy Chicken that will fit the bill.  It was our meal when watching the Super Bowl.  (Which bored me and I left half way through.)

Piggy Chicken is a chicken tenderloin pounded flat, spread with a cream cheese mixture, wrapped with a strip of bacon and baked.  I made a few minor changes to suit me in the cream cheese, but it is basically the recipe from the book.  I really liked them, but next time I make them, I will leave the bacon off.  Sure it was delicious, but I am trying to do low carb and not go crazy high fat, although it is allowed.  Can't be good for you, right?

 

Piggy Chicken

Chicken tenders   I used five from the package and will use the others in a soup later.
Bacon  Five strips for just the two of us. 
1/3 block of cream cheese, softened
2 teaspoons finely minced onion
dash garlic salt
Pepper

 

Preheat the oven to 375°.

 

Place a piece of plastic wrap on your cutting board and put one of the tenderloins on top.  I like to cut off the thick white tendon with a pair of scissors. 

 

Put another piece on top and pound the tenderloin flat.  I used a rolling pin.  You don't want it so flat that it falls apart, but you can easily quadruple the width.
 
 

Place the chicken "pancake" to one side and repeat for as many pieces as you are making.  I made five.

Find an oven proof dish (or two, if you are making enough for a family) that will hold your pieces about an inch apart, so the bacon can crisp.  Spray it with Pam.

 

Mince the onions and add them to the cream cheese in a microwave safe bowl.  You may need to pop it in the microwave to get it soft enough to spread on the chicken.  I added a dash or two of garlic salt, but regular salt works. 

 

Place one of the chicken packets back on your cutting board and peel off the top layer of Cling wrap. 
Use a rubber spatula to spread a layer of cream cheese on the chicken.  Sprinkle with a bit of pepper.  Roll it up from the long side in the shape of a big, fat cigar.  This is where you will discover if you pounded them too flat!  Take one piece of bacon and wrap it around the chicken cigar  You may have to stretch it a bit and not cover the whole thing.  Place your Piggy Chicken in the prepared dish and continue with the rest of the chicken.

 

Bake at 375° for 25 minutes.  Then turn the oven up to 425° for 5 minutes to crisp the bacon.  My bacon didn't get crispy and I didn't want to overcook the chicken, so I took it out after about 6 minutes and it was fine.  The bacon did get a bit more crispy as it cooled.

 

Then disinfect everything you touched with your raw chicken and raw bacon fingers.  I wiped the pepper mill, the Cling box, etc.   I sent the rag I wiped my hands on to the laundry and washed everything else in hot soapy water. 

 

I liked them and Lee liked it enough for me to make again.  I may add some chopped herbs to the cream cheese.  Like I said, I may leave off the bacon.  Of course, then I will have to call it something else.  Cream cheese chicken cigars???

 

Serve with a salad.  I made cole slaw.

Two Projects

We have had company use the B&B rooms a few times since they were completed.  I have cleaned them thoroughly each time.  I know I cleaned the shower at least twice before ANYONE stayed there.  Then this last time I noticed a small area where there was no grout between two tiles.  Naturally, we have not heard from the tile installer since they got the final check, even though there are a few tiny things we asked him to come and finish.

 

So we have done the repairs or cleaned off excess grout ourselves.  The grout was a custom color and I only needed a tiny bit, so I bought a small tub from Lowe's.  I went with biscuit, rather than white.  And when I say that, you have no idea how long I stood in front of the white tub and the biscuit tub and AGONIZED over it.  Lee finally left me there in the aisle and looked at something else.

My brain starts questioning myself.  It's not white, it is more creamy, almost yellow.  But white may show too white and biscuit is not quite right, either.  The tub was less than $4.00!  I could have tossed it and come back and bought another tub in the time I stood there.  Well, not really.  Shopping at Lowe's is pretty much of an expedition for us. Seeing as how we are newly minted country folk, and all.

 

I mixed a bit up in a bowl, waited the requisite 15 minutes and used my finger to push it in the gap.  I waited a bit more and wiped off the excess with a sponge.  Then I stood up and realized I could have used neon orange.  The gap was close to the floor, the reason I never noticed before now, and looking at an angle, no one will ever know.

 

Well, except for YOU!  When you come stay here, quit crawling around the floor in the shower and looking, wouldja?

 

The other project has been on our list for a year!  We have this weird electrical junction box that juts out from the wall in the entry to the B&B.  We have thought about building shelving over it and putting a cabinet there to hide it.   Nothing large will work because there is an outlet on one side and the quilt on the other.  We love what we have done and didn't want this gray box to be a focal point.  And the reason it IS a gray box is that I painted the metal box to match the walls.  So that it would maybe be camouflaged, some how.

 

Every time we wander through an antique mall or estate sale, we look for something that we can cut up and slide over the ugly thing and hide it.  And Thursday, we think we found the solution.  We found this wooden box (magazine holder? tool box?) and it is big enough to cut up and cover the box.  So that is what we did.

 

Lee took it to the shop to cut it on one side so that it could fit mostly flush with the wall.  And then we took it to the entry and marked the dimensions of the box on the back.  Then I cut it with a jig saw.  A jig saw is hard to use for making long, straight cuts.  Well, hard for ME to use.  On the other hand, the cut parts won't be seen, so go for it.

 

RJ was sad, because we wouldn't let him help.  He is good with a jig saw.  Honest.

 Lee put in a screw to hold it and it rests on the electric box, so it is pretty secure.

 

The wall isn't even and the box flares out, so it isn't a perfect solution, but I like it.  Now I need to fill it with something.  I may put in dried or silk flowers...not plastic.  Hate plastic.

Lee was brainstorming, marbles, or colored, polished stones.  Maybe even potpourri.  Then he worried about the scent being overwhelming. 

So once, again, we have a project.  Now we need to find something decorative to fill it.  Any suggestions?