The First Thing I Cooked as a Mrs.

Oh boy, peoples. Winter has arrived.

Over the span of approximately two weeks we experienced some lovely Fall weather, only to grab our jackets and scarves to brave the sudden onset of winter!

It's like they say -- If you don't like the weather in Mississippi, it's okay - it'll change in a few days anyway.

But you know what? I like it. I don't mind it one bit.

It's given me reason to bust out my warm comfy clothes (hellooooo stretchy pants and hoodies!), my favorite soup and comfort food recipes, and Bing Crosby's version of "It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas."

I broke my own rule this year!!! I normally avoid Christmas music until Thanksgiving but this year --- nah! I'm taking a walk on the WILD SIDE and listening two weeks BEFORE!


Oooh....


But with the weather changing and whatnot, I thought this would be as good a time as any to tell you the story of the first thing I cooked for my husband after returning from our honeymoon:

Homemade Chicken Soup with Veggies

Not exactly what we planned, seeing as how we returned to 80-degree heat and boxes upon boxes of belongings to move into our place, but it worked.

You see, after a lovely honeymoon of things like this:

this...

and THIS...

...We both woke up in the wee hours of the morning feeling some kind of sick. The Plane Crud, as I have oh-so-lovingly deemed it.

"Juuuuicce!!!!"  The Mister said, unable to breathe through his nose and coughing up a storm. "I just need some juice!"

So off we went, at roughly 5:30 a.m., to the nearby grocery store to buy juice, popsicles, and medicine.

...only to find out it didn't open until 6 a.m.

But could we wait that long? Nope. When you're sick, you just need juice. PRONTO.

So we hit the road again, a few miles down the road to the WalMarts, which, mind you, is slightly creepy at that hour of the morning.

That's when it hit me. Somewhere in the depths of my messy box of recipe cards, I remembered there was a recipe for homemade chicken soup guaranteed to make any sick person feel better - the chef himself said so!

So about 45 minutes later, we loaded our car with WAY MORE bags than we planned (crazy WalMart curse!), and a few bottles of juice that we cracked open on the way home.

Sure, it would have been faster and cheaper to go with a can, but the over-achiever in me was NOT about to let the first thing I cooked for my new husband be a can of soup. That's for amateurs, right?

It's probably for people like us that day that were sick and just really needed soup -- and maybe I should have, but I'm not ashamed! Because truth be told, we both felt better by that evening.

And the soup was delicious. No joke.

So now that you know my little story, and now that you're feeling the first chills of the winter season, I present to you The Recipe...this homemade chicken soup sure to cure any cold you may have.

Or at least make it easier to deal with, anyway.

Even if you're not sick, it's definitely good for your tummy on cold nights. Don't be afraid to add more veggies than what the recipe calls for -- I usually eyeball it anyway. The more veggies, the better!

Just give yourself a good hour to prep/cook it, though. It's totally worth it.

...and don't forget the juice =)

Homemade Chicken Soup with Veggies

Serves 2-4 sick folks

Total time: About 1 hour
View original recipe here

1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (depending on size) - cooked and cut into chunks

2 cups of low-sodium chicken broth, plus one extra cup

3 red potatoes

1 cup milk (skim is best, but whole will work fine)

1/2 tbsp of EVOO

1-2 tbsp of garlic powder, depending on taste

2 whole carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

chopped onion or onion powder, to taste (I used about 1.5 tbsp)

1 tbsp basil

2 tbsp oregano

dash of cayenne pepper, to taste

dash of Tony's, to taste

Slice potatoes and place in a small sauce pan with chicken broth. Cook until potatoes are soft enough to mash, then remove potatoes. Stir and slightly mash potatoes in a bowl with milk (I left mine slightly chunky) and set aside.

In a separate, larger pot, place oil, garlic, onion, veggies, basil and oregano and cook until onions are translucent. If using onion powder, cook until celery and carrots are slightly soft. Add leftover chicken broth (from potatoes), stirring until thoroughly mixed. Let this mixture come to a boil, then add your milk and potato mixture. This will make the soup much thicker; if you prefer a more brothy soup, add the extra cup of broth. Let soup cook for 5-10 minutes, or until everything is evenly mixed and combined.

Add a dash of cayenne pepper and a little Tony's (helps with a stuffy nose!) and serve hot. Serve alone or over brown rice.

Homestyle Chicken 'n' Biscuits

Ladies and gentlemen, fall has descended upon us.

Look at that. Beee-youu-tee-fulllll.

When you live in the South - this beautiful, beautiful place - you know fall is near when the temp hits 69. When it hits 64, like today -- suddenly everything is better. People are happier, traffic is nicer (okay maybe not), everything just seems...right. Except the fact that stores have already decked their halls for Christmas. Is that odd to anyone else? But regardless...

I'm going to need fall to stick around for a few more months, yes? Yes.

I think we can all agree that with fall time comes some of the best food around. With the chill in the air and the excitement of the coming holidays and celebrations, I can't help but just want "real food."

My appetite has been wack lately - WACK, I say! Usually I'm all about the salads and the green smoothies with a side of quinoa and steamed veggies. But since the season began, all I want is the GOOD STUFF - comfort food like hearty soups and stews (thanks Natalie!!!!) and the like.

I'm even putting cheese on my veggies. WHAAATT????

I think I just like to feel warm and cozy from the inside out.

...And what better way to do that than curling up on the couch with a quilt, a Hallmark movie (or some Big Bang Theory...you choose ;) ), and a bowl of hot, fresh-out-of-the-oven Chicken 'n' Biscuits????

Oh my gracious. Just looking at it again makes my stomach growl. I've said it before, but I really, really mean it this time...THIS is comfort food at its finest.

Actually, I really, really meant it the last time I said it, too. And every other time before that.

I always mean what I say when I tell you things, invisible blog friends.

Always, always, always.

Honesty is the best policy =)

Truth? I've never made chicken and biscuits. I don't know if I've ever eaten it, honestly. I was raised a chicken & dumplins girl and thought that chicken and biscuits was just a knock off.

But no, friends. Yesterday, for some reason it was all I could think about. I had to try it. HAD TO.

And I'm not sorry.

Like, at all.

It does take a little time, but this recipe is super simple and flavorful - I actually used canned buttermilk biscuits (a rarity for me) to save time, and I won't change a thing when I make it again! It's chock full of veggie goodness, too, so you don't have to feel too guilty. It will make your tummy so, so happy - guaranteed.

As for the chicken, I used chicken legs but you could easily substitute thighs, or even skinless chicken breasts if that's what you have on hand. I highly recommend dark meat for this one, though - it really adds to the flavor of the dish.

We ate this last night alongside some broccoli that I sprinkled with garlic and baked in the oven. Delish. I highly recommend!

I hope you'll give this a try - and that it warms you up from the inside out as the temperatures begin to drop a little further :)

Homestyle Chicken 'n' Biscuits

Lightly adapted from The Novice Chef blog
Serves 4

What You'll Need:

2.5 tbsp stick butter/margarine, chopped

1 tbsp onion, chopped fine

2 tsp garlic powder (not garlic salt)

1 bag frozen veggies (I used a broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot combo), thawed

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 medium potato, cubed

2-3 chicken legs or thighs

1/2 cup flour

2 cups milk

1.5 cups chicken broth (left over from your chicken)

Small can buttermilk biscuits (I used the 5 count)

Salt

Pepper

Zero fat cooking spray or less than a tsp of butter

Paprika - optional

What You'll Do:

Place chicken in a pot with hot water, add salt and pepper to taste, then cook until completely done. Pull or cut into small pieces and set aside.

Chop potato and boil until cooked, about 10 minutes, depending on size. Meanwhile, in a separate larger pot or Dutch oven, melt butter and add onion, celery, and garlic powder. Saute for 3-4 minutes, then add your veggies: broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots. Add potato once cooked.

Stir veggies to ensure they are covered with butter and garlic mixture. Add flour and stir constantly for about 2 minutes so that everything is completely covered. Add milk a little at a time, continuing to stir until completely mixed.

Spoon in chicken broth until mixture is creamy and slightly soupy, but not to point of it becoming too broth-y. Add chicken and stir, adding salt, pepper, garlic and/or paprika to taste.

Rub a thin layer of butter on the bottom of a casserole dish (or spray with cooking spray) to prevent sticking, then arrange biscuits. Bake according to directions, but take out of oven after half the time (i.e., if directions call for 12 minutes of baking, take biscuits out after 6 minutes).

Once biscuits are halfway cooked, take dish out of the oven and pour chicken mixture on top, spreading evenly. Return the dish to oven and bake at 375 for 15-20 minutes.

Baked Chicken Parm

Awhile back, I mentioned that I made Baked Chicken Parmesan when my friend Jessica came to visit.

I've also made it a WHOLE LOT few more times since then, so I'm excited about sharing it here on the blog!

I love traditional chicken parmesan when I go out to eat, but I don't always love eating fried food. Enter in this baked version that I personally believe is just as fulfilling (okay, let's be honest...MORE fulfilling) as the fried version.


PAUSE: I've literally JUST returned from a work trip, and my mind is mush right now. Example? I keep typing "friend" instead of "fried." I love friend food; not always fried food though. I felt the need to clarify JUST IN CASE it happens again -- along with any other typos that may occur in this post!!!! =)


The trick is to cut the chicken in half lengthwise before you prep and bake it. Smaller portions mean you'll notice- I mean - have room for enjoy more of the other stuff on your plate...like dessert, am I right? Of course I am. Everybody loves dessert ;)

I also use whole-wheat pasta to lighten this dish up. If you've never had whole wheat pasta, it has a slightly grainy texture comparatively. It may be an adjustment, but after just one or two tries I really didn't notice the difference anymore. Now I don't even miss the other stuff.

Some people are awesome and make their own spaghetti sauce, but I'm even more awesome and I use the good stuff out of the jar. It's especially helpful when you're VERY hungry and have a strong desire to eat RIGHT THEN, as I usually tend to be around supper time. I usually use either marinara (YUM) or traditional, but use whatever type of spaghetti sauce your heart desires - I wouldn't recommend Alfredo, though.

It's so fancy, yet so easy.

Let me know if you make this - I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

Baked Chicken Parmesan
Adapted from Skinnytaste - Serves 2-4

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup parmesan cheese (or more, if that's your thing)
2 tbsp butter, melted
Italian seasoning, to taste (I use Chef Paul's)
1 jar of spaghetti sauce of choice (marinara works great)
A few sprinkles of part-skim mozzarella cheese (about a tsp per chicken half)
Whole wheat spaghetti noodles

Prep: Preheat oven to 450. Cook pasta al dente and set aside. Melt butter, and in a separate bowl mix breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, making 4 pieces of chicken. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray to prevent any sticking.

Lightly brush butter onto each side of chicken pieces, the dip chicken into the breadcrumb/parmesan mixture. Place each slice of chicken onto a sprayed baking sheet, the sprinkle the top of each with Italian seasoning.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, then flip chicken over and bake for another 5 minutes. Remove from oven and spoon about a tablespoon of sauce (or a little more, if you're like me and like sauce!) onto each piece, then sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Let it bake in the oven until cheese is completely melted.

To plate, place your cooked pasta onto the center of the plate, and spoon over with spaghetti sauce. Place one piece of chicken on top and add just a dash more of Italian seasoning.

A Real Deal Kind of Meal

Let's face it. If you're in your twenties, you're on the go and on the cheap.

If you're in your twenties and you're planning a wedding, you're on the go, on the cheap, and have VERY little time to plan meals.

During the week, I typically get home around 8pm. I've had to work late a good bit as of lately, then hit the gym right after. Supper usually consists of what is in my fridge at the time and what can be defrosted the fastest :) I'll be honest, for someone who LOVES to cook, it's taken some adjusting to be able to throw together a fast (and healthy) supper so I can eat before 10:30 at night. However, it's really been great for my creativity - sometimes everything tastes great, other times I'll find out a recipe needs a tad more tweaking, haha.

Friday night was no such night, however. Knowing we were going out of town on Saturday for my friend's wedding, I'd looked forward to being able to cook a REAL meal all week. Because I worked late on Thursday night, I was able to leave work a tad early on Friday and prep everything before going to the gym. #SilverLining  :o)

This recipe is, yes, another recipe found via Pinterest. I don't have a lot of time to play around on Pinterest, but when I have a few minutes I go straight for the food. I call this the "Real Deal Kind of Meal," because it's the first "real" meal I've been able to cook in a long time. "Real" as in, the kind of stuff you get from your momma's kitchen - rather than quick one-dish suppers that are barely done by 8:45 at night! Ha!

Pardon me while I flash the photos of this meal - I'm still so excited about how well it turned out!

This dish was, surprisingly, very easy and very quick to make. The longest part is waiting for the chicken to bake, which is in total around 25 minutes. However, it gives you time to prep everything else and have it ready to eat as soon as your chicken comes out of the oven.



Baked chicken smothered with spinach and mushrooms - with sides of mashed potatoes and fresh green beans. Hungry yet? I know I'd like more :) It was light on the calories too. Waistline friendly, ladies (and gents, too)! 

Oh yeah, we made dessert too -- but that's another recipe for another time ;)

This will for sure go on the books to make again. Like I said, this was a Pinterest recipe, so please note the real chef and see her adorable website.

I can't wait to post a recap of this weekend in another post! Until then - go make yourself something delicious in the kitchen!



Smothered Chicken with Spinach and Mushrooms

via Pinterest

For creamed spinach:

1/2 of a large bag of spinach leaves (I used frozen spinach, worked great!)

2 ounces of cream cheese

Shredded parmesan cheese, to taste

2 tbsp of olive oil
Garlic powder, to taste

Salt and pepper, to taste

For sauteed mushrooms*:

8 ounce package of sliced mushrooms

1/2 stick butter

2 tbsp olive oil

garlic powder, to taste

salt and pepper, to taste

italian seasoning

a dash of Tony's

*I cut this recipe slightly since there were just two of us

For chicken:

2 chicken breasts

shredded mozzerella cheese

garlic powder, to taste

seasoned salt (Mrs. Dash, Tony's, etc. I used both!)

Italian seasoning

a dash of oregano

pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oven to 350. Sprinkle the garlic powder, seasonings, and pepper on both sides of each chicken breast. Bake for 16 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the creamed spinach. Heat olive oil in a skillet, then add spinach and garlic. When completely cooked, add the cream cheese and parmesan cheese and stir until it's melted and combined. Remove from heat.

Start on your mushrooms: Melt butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add in the mushrooms and cook until they are completely browned. Once cooked, season with all of the goods :) I added just a splash of water to sort of deglaze it at this point, but this is totally optional. Cook until the water is absorbed and remove from heat.

Back to your chicken! Take your chickens out and flip them over. Place the spinach and mushrooms on top of each chicken, then add the cheese. Cook for another 12-15 minutes or until you see that the cheese is very melted and gooey :) Test your chicken to ensure that it is cooked through and remove from the oven.

Serve with veggies of your choice and impress your friends with your fabulous cooking skills! =)



P.S. Fun fact: Spinach is great for your skin, being fantastic for preventing acne, wrinkles and keratinization. It also helps with brain function and protects us against aging. Guess Popeye was onto something, huh?

WEEKEND!!!

Whew! Is anybody else running on fumes right now? What a week it has been.

A week ago (last Friday) I was getting ready to visit Natalie for a very girly weekend. I had THE LOVELIEST time with her...lots of girly things like baking, chick movies, brunch shopping :) :) :)

By the way -- why am I just now discovering the WONDERFUL-ness of BRUNCH? It's actually very close to being my favorite meal...Usually early in the mornings before work I don't have the appetite (or time) to eat a big meal, so sleeping late + eating a hearty breakfast-type meal on the weekend is something I'm totally down for.

After a casual Friday night of PJs and girl movies, Natalie and I got up on Saturday morning to head to her church's cookie swap. I left my phone in car but I wish SO BADLY that I would have kept it with me during the party so that I could have taken pictures of all of the deliciousness surrounding us. We kicked everything off with brunch -- monkey bread, breakfast casseroles, muffins, fruit, juice, coffee -- you name, it was there. I could barely contain my excitement. Sitting in a beautiful country home, surrounded by good food and exquisite Christmas decorations...it did my heart GOOD.

Monkey Bread via pillsbury.com

Then the cookie swapping ensued....There were so many women at this party, each carrying a tray of the sweetest of sweets. I'm talking cookies, brownies, cake balls, candy, things-I'm-not-even-sure-what-they-were, fudge, and {of course} Natalie's famous MAGIC BARS...the party was ON. Three tables' worth of goods...there are no words to describe the love I now have for cookie swaps! HA!



Fast forward to last night. My friend Lauren from our grad schools days (she's actually working on her PhD now -- WHAAAT??) was passing through town and needed a couch to sleep on. Lauren is one of my closest friends, so to have her visit was EXACTLY what I needed to lift my spirits after a crazy week!

...

Let me PAUSE for a moment to say that Lauren seriously knows how to have fun. Without this girl I never would have run two half-marathons (and training for #3!), or really ANY of the crazy races we have done. She's the most adventurous person I've ever known and we always have a blast...I LOVE it when she comes around!

Warrior Dash, 2012

We were the 3 Little Pigs, and the gray shirt in the back is the Big Bad Wolf!

Scariest race EVER -- we were bruised for WEEKS -- but SO. MUCH. FUN.

Last obstacle of the Dash...JUMPING THE FIRE!

I almost chickened out of this one -- Fire is one of my greatest fears. Right before this picture was taken, Lauren grabbed my hand (that's us on the left!) and said something to the effect of...

"If you don't jump, we all DIE."

...Motivating enough for me!

But back to last night!

Lauren showed up last night and we had some MAJOR catch-up time whilst I wrapped Christmas presents and made a nice pot of warm chicken tortilla soup (YESSS). This is by far one of my favorite soups to make!!!!

Later the Boy joined us for dinner and we had BLACKBERRY CRISP for dessert!!! While I've made the soup dozens of times, the crisp was purely an experiment. Thankfully, it was delicious :) If you want a warm comforting dessert that's still on the lighter side and cheap, I have a feeling you'll love it as much as we did** :)

This recipe uses very practical ingredients that I usually have on hand already, but you can add your own spin to it if you so choose. Hope everyone stays warm and safe :)

Cold Weather Blues Chicken Tortilla Soup

(adapted from a random Mexican cookbook I've had for years!)

Ingredientes*:

Chicken (I used 2 cooked chicken breasts), chopped

Chicken Broth (either 1 jar or what is left from cooking your chicken, about 2 cups)

~ 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

garlic, to taste (I used about half a teaspoon of garlic salt)

1 jar salsa

1 can corn, undrained

Juice of 1 lime (optional)

Hot sauce, to taste

Cilantro, to taste

Cheese, for topping

Sour Cream, for topping

Tortilla chips, on the side

Loudly-colored FIESTA! bowl, for serving (optional)

Instrucciones:

Cook and chop your pollo*. In a separate saucepan or pot, heat your olive oil and add your garlic. Let this saute for 2-3 minutes. Add your chicken broth (I used what was left from cooking my chicken), chicken pieces, salsa and corn, one at a time. Give your soup a good stir and let the flavors get acquainted :) If the soup looks too watery, add a bit of chicken bouillon.

Add the hot sauce (if you like it) - I used about a tablespoon - the cilantro, and the lime juice. I LOVE cilantro so I usually add a good bit, but you can leave it out altogether if you prefer; I've done that before and the soup still tastes great.

Let the soup simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. You'll know when it's done. Top it with sour cream and a sprinkle of cheese and serve with chips on the side.

Now put on your sombrero, grab your maracas and eat this soup while it's warm!

***

*See what I did there? Yeah you did! ;)

**Recipe is best friend- and Boy-approved :)

***Please excuse my excessive use of !!!!s and :)s. I love them. :)