CREAMY CRUNCHY GRAPE SALAD
This grape salad is delicious and a great side for a picnic or barbecue. Sweet, crunchy grapes topped with a sugary, creamy topping!
YARDSALE SATURDAY MAY 30TH
I was excited about yard sales this weekend because we finally had some nice weather. The last few weeks had been lacking because of rain but there was quite a few this Saturday.
One of my favorite things to hit up are fundraiser yard sales because that means lots more people and lots more things to choose from. There are usually two types of fundraiser sales, one where people donate items and other people sell them, or like the one I went to on Saturday, a fundraiser where everyone is selling their own stuff. I prefer the former, because typically you will get better prices when people sell donated items because they aren’t attached to them. When someone is selling their favorite dress that doesn’t fit anymore they tend to ask more than someone who is selling some old dress someone donated.
A good tip is to search your local online ads, Craigslist for example ( I use ksl.com classifieds, a Utah website) for fundraiser sales. I typically search for “fundraiser”, “multi-family”, “neighborhood”, or “community”. These are going to have the most items to choose from. Most everyone will advertise their sale as “huge” or “biggest yard sale” and you show up and its tiny. So going with group sales is usually a better bet.
Here are a couple of the deals I picked up this weekend. I found a cute pair of Nike shoes for $2 bucks that looked like they had hardly been worn. I don’t usually buy shoes from sales, but really these look like were worn once or twice so they will make some great Zumba shoes. I got a 2 gallon water dispenser for $1, an antique milk can for $10 and some cute baby girl clothes for 50 cents each. The milk can was a random item, but they usually sell for more, so I may flip it. I really like vintage-y, different items. I also like to buy things that I can enjoy for a little while and then if I don’t like it or they don’t work out with my decor, I can turn around and sell it for either what I paid or a profit.
I had been looking for a large basket to put the kids shoes in and found one for $5, and this cute little Mickey Mouse soap dispenser for 50 cents for the kids bathroom.
I also found some dvd’s for 50 cents each (Madagascar & Thomas the Train), a Halloween wreath for 50 cents that I think I will rework, and an Igloo water cooler for $1 to use for camping. It was a pretty fun Saturday!
SLOW COOKER PULLED PORK SANDWICHES WITH CILANTRO COLESLAW
I love a good slow cooker meal, because its so nice to have dinner ready without much prep. Pulled pork sandwiches are one of my favorite summer meals because you don’t have to heat up your whole house and you can feed a crowd. One of my favorite parts about this pulled pork sandwich is the cilantro coleslaw. It’s different from others I have tried, because it’s not overly sweet. It is still creamy and crunchy, plus the cilantro adds a nice freshness to it. Even if you are not usually a coleslaw person you should give this one a try! I really think the coleslaw makes these sandwiches perfect. We usually serve our kids a deconstructed sandwich and they seem to eat it better than as a sandwich.
YARD SALE SATURDAY MAY 23
We had a few good finds this weekend. For the little guy he loved this little bike with training wheels and a helmet for $5. He actually spotted it himself. He’s a pretty good little deal finder. I usually give him a few dollars so when we go to sales he can pick out a couple of things. I usually have to check before he makes his purchases because he tends to pick out the same toys. He’s good at negotiations and somehow convinces most people to sell him his tiny finds for one whole quarter. Lets just say we have a lot of bouncy balls at our house. 😉
I picked up this cute 20″X20″ canvas for the playroom for $2. 
This was one thing I was really excited about. An Ikea storage cabinet with baskets for only $15! That’s a steal since each basket usually costs around that. I had to pounce on it because I saw someone headed toward it so I immediately asked the seller how much it was and bought it. I actually had a similar one from Target that wasn’t as nice that I had purchased used for $10 and was able to sell for $20.
A good yard sale tip is that when you see something you like make sure you grab it especially if you want to think about it. Otherwise someone else might end up picking it up and you may realize you actually did want it. Also, make sure to ask about things you are interested in right up front instead of waiting or again you might miss a deal.
CARNE ASADA
This carne asada recipe has become a family favorite. Every time we invite friends over, it becomes their favorite too. You won’t find a better and easier carne asada recipe then this one!
YARD SALE SATURDAY MAY 16
This weekend was the Daybreak yard sale, which is a super huge community yard sale. Hundreds of residents participate each year and it is one of the best places to find great deals from everything from furniture, to decor, to clothes. This year the forecast was rain which did seem to make the turn out less than previous years, but because of the Daybreak HOA rules they can only have a yard sale on the designated day so there was still plenty. I’d estimate that we went to around 40 different sales on Saturday morning (in previous years we probably went to around 75-100). One of my favorite parts is that we can walk around to the different sales, so we get our exercise in too! Here are just a few of my favorite finds from this year-
This awesome little kid camping chair for only $1. 
This cute little ride on toy for the little Miss for $4
A Petunia Picklebottom diaper bag for $5! I know these go for way more and I actually flipped it for $25 less than two hours later after we got home.
I also picked up a bunch of cute little boys clothes for cheap, some fun Disney toys, and a couple other miscellaneous items. I always see a bunch of fun stuff (which we don’t need) but I saw a pretty nice looking Kirby vaccuum for $20, lots of darling kids play kitchens, all sorts of dressers (one was a steal at $20), a ping pong table, cute lamps, an awesome chair, and lots of other great finds.
A yard sale tip- If you see something that you know is a steal of a deal but you don’t need it for yourself, consider buying it to resell. I love to buy items and resell them so I can make a little extra cash for other yard sale items I want.
SANPETE MARINADE
I love this marinade for summer grilling. Its super easy, I usually have everything on hand, and it makes some of the best chicken. My best friend growing up went to Snow College which is located in Ephraim, Utah in Sanpete County. Sanpete County is famous for turkey farms. Traveling to visit my friend was the first time I heard of this marinade. I didn’t get a chance to try any when I visited her, but flash forward a couple of years and the company I worked for was having a huge barbecue and our HR director picked up a bunch of Sanpete marinated turkey to grill. It was so flavorful and yummy and the meat comes out so tender and moist. I usually marinade chicken instead of turkey since it’s much more readily available but turkey is also quite delicious. Try some at your next barbecue and I know you won’t be disappointed.
Sanpete Marinade
1/2 cup 7-up or Sprite
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-3 garlic cloves minced
*3 chicken breasts, pounded flat or 3 turkey cutlets
Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add the chicken and marinade in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Preheat the grill to 350 and cook chicken for about 5-8 minutes per side until cooked through. We like to serve with mashed potatoes and corn.
*Tip- I’ve mentioned before that I like to buy my chicken when its on sale then freeze individual breasts in their own ziplock bag. This makes it super easy to pound out once its thawed; just leave it in the bag for no mess!
Recipe Source-Everyday Jenny
NO KNEAD CHERRY CHIP BREAD
When I first started cooking I loved to make quick breads, like banana bread, but I was terrified of yeast breads. I had always heard you could kill the yeast if your water was too hot, it had to be the right temperature for a rise and on and on. So I told myself I would stick with quick breads, no yeast breads for me. Then one day my friend Jen was talking about how she made french bread and bagels and all sorts of different breads and I was intrigued. I asked if she would show me how and so one Saturday she taught me all she knew about breads. It was great. I’m no longer afraid of yeast breads!
After I had learned the basics of bread, another good friend, Rachel, was taking a bread class and had me over to teach me some other bread recipes. This was one of them. It is so simple to make and is very delicious, the only thing you need to remember is to give yourself enough time to make it since you start the dough the night before. The bread has a slight cherry flavor with chewy craisins and sweet melty white chocolate. I’ve had the plain version which is great with a meal, but my family loves this sweet version as a treat after dinner. I hope you enjoy it!
After I had learned the basics of bread, another good friend, Rachel, was taking a bread class and had me over to teach me some other bread recipes. This was one of them. It is so simple to make and is very delicious, the only thing you need to remember is to give yourself enough time to make it since you start the dough the night before. The bread has a slight cherry flavor with chewy craisins and sweet melty white chocolate. I’ve had the plain version which is great with a meal, but my family loves this sweet version as a treat after dinner. I hope you enjoy it!
No Knead Cherry Chip Bread
3 cups flour
1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 can ( 1 1/2 cups) cherry soda
3/4 cup craisins
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 (4-8 quart) covered heavy duty oven safe pot
In a large bowl combine the flour, yeast and salt, mix to distribute evenly. Add the craisins and chocolate chips and mix to distribute. Add the can of soda and stir until flour is incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 18-24 hours. The dough is ready when the surface is dotted with bubbles.
After the 18-24 hour rest, place dough on a well floured surface and sprinkle with a flour, knead the dough about 7-8 times, pulling the dough from the outer edge towards the center, creating tension.
Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray and transfer the dough to the bowl, seam side down. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until it has about doubled in size, about 2 hours.
After the dough has been rising for 1 1/2 hours, preheat the oven to 450 and place the covered pot in the oven while it preheats. The pot needs to be a 4-8 quart heavy pot with a lid.
Carefully remove the hot pot from the oven, remove lid and line pot with a sheet of parchment paper. Turn the dough into the hot pot with the seam side UP. Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
Remove lid and bake for additional 5 minutes to brown top.
*Note if you’re bread is getting too dark at the bottom you may need to adjust the temperature down a little bit
Recipe Source: My friend Rachel, adapted from Jim Lahey
OATMEAL CHOCOLATE CHIP (OR RAISIN) COOKIES
I’ve seen the ecard that says, “Raisin cookies that look like chocolate chip cookies are the reason I have trust issues.” But really are raisins that bad? I ate them all the time as a kid. I mean I love chocolate too-just hand me some chocolate covered raisins and I’m happy (I kid, I kid)! But the good news for all you raisin haters is you can make these oatmeal cookies with chocolate chips instead. Or if you love raisins like me, you can make oatmeal raisin. Or if you are indecisive, divide the batter and make both. Win, win. I love these cookies because they are perfectly chewy with a little bit of crunch on the outside edge. And they really taste delicious both ways. But my personal favorite is the oatmeal raisin. I prefer to use golden raisins. I think they have a better flavor then regular raisins. The raisin oatmeal version have a hint of cinnamon and they are so dang good. And much less messy for tiny hands. No chocolate covered fingers or faces to wipe up. Try them and see if you love them as much as I do!
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup butter flavored shortening
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp soda
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
Cream shortening and sugar, and add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and oatmeal and mix well. Add the chocolate chips last. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen cookies.Tips:
*Add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts if you’d like (I always do)
*Add 3/4 cup chopped walnuts if you’d like (I always do)
*For oatmeal raisin cookies, add 1 tsp cinnamon and replace chocolate chips with raisins (I prefer golden raisins).
*I like to divide the batter in half right before you add the chocolate chips and do chocolate chips in half and raisins in the other half (adding 1/2 tsp cinnamon to the batter with raisins)
*Use a small ice cream scoop or cookie scoop to make uniform sized cookies.
Recipe Source: RhRecipes
MEXICAN RICE
I love rice. It’s one of my favorite sides and I don’t ever get tired of eating it. I grew up in a home where we ate rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I had never made Mexican rice before I got married, but I love this recipe.
Mexican Rice
1 tablespoon oil
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups water (or 1 can chicken broth-omit the chicken base/bouillon)
1 tsp chicken base or chicken bouillon
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp taco seasoning
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add rice and stir often, until rice turns a nice golden toasty color. Add the seasonings and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, add tomato sauce and water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low (make sure a simmer is still maintained) and cook for 20-25 minutes until rice is tender. Mix and fluff with a fork.
Recipe Source: Adapted from Kick Off Those Heels N Cook
SLOW COOKER SHREDDED BEEF TACOS
We love Mexican food at our house and usually eat some form of it (tacos, enchiladas, fajitas) at least once a week. My friend invited us over for these delicious shredded beef tacos one day and I was hooked. I love that I can throw the meat in the slow cooker and let it cook all day, then prep all the toppings right before dinner. We love to serve ours with pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and cheese. I also made a side of Mexican rice tonight with these. I love corn tortillas for the tacos, but the kids aren’t fans so I serve theirs in flour tortillas. Tonight we enjoyed them for Cinco de Mayo, and I made a pineapple/mango salsa to top them (recipe coming soon!) Also if you aren’t a fan of onions, you can leave those out, but I think onions are delicious and they get so soft and flavorful cooking with the beef. 
Shredded Beef Tacos
Shredded Beef Tacos
1 beef chuck roast (around 2 pounds)
1 can beef broth
1 yellow onion sliced
1 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic salt
Place roast in crockpot and pour beef broth over. Mix together the dry ingredients in a small bowl and sprinkle on top of the roast. Place the sliced onions on top of roast. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours. Shred roast, remove any fat, and place back in slow cooker and allow to cook another half hour in the broth.
Heat your corn tortillas on a small pan sprayed with a little oil or in the microwave between two damp paper towels so they are warm and soft. Serve with your choice of toppings.
Recipe adapted from: Cooking Classy
YARD SALE SATURDAY MAY 2
One of my favorite things to do is yard sale! Saturday mornings you can usually find me out and about yard sale-ing. I enjoy it so much because not only do I like finding great deals, I like to flip items. I’ll buy things that are great deals and turn around and sale them for more. It’s how I make my money for yard sales for other items I want to keep. I think everyone can find great deals at yard sales. Here are some of my recent finds.
Vintage pyrex- I follow different yard sale groups on facebook so I have an idea of what things typically sell for. One thing that a lot of people collect is pyrex. I found this set for $5 and turn around and flipped it.
Globes are another popular item right now. I found this globe for only a dollar! I also turned around and flipped this item.
I love buying baby and kids clothes, and I found an awesome deal on these cute summer outfits. Only a quarter for each set and they were brand new. Yes really 25 cents! You can’t beat that!
TRES LECHES CAKE {THREE MILK CAKE}
One of my good friends brought this to a party and I had to have the recipe once I devoured my piece. I’m that person who tastes something and has to find out who made it and ask if I can have a copy of the recipe. She had gotten it from a sweet lady she worked with and was happy to share it with me. It certainly has some different ingredients (especially the cup of Coke!) but don’t leave it out. I think the cake turns out perfect just the way it is. Its super easy to make and I guarantee that someone will ask you for the recipe!
We love to serve it with fresh strawberries, but the raspberries were on sale today and they are also delicious with it. This would be the perfect way to end your Cinco de Mayo celebrations!
We love to serve it with fresh strawberries, but the raspberries were on sale today and they are also delicious with it. This would be the perfect way to end your Cinco de Mayo celebrations!
Tres Leches Cake Recipe
For the cake:
2 cups pancake mix (like Bisquick etc.)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup Coca-Cola
1 cup vegetable oil
5 large eggs
Mix together all the ingredients (batter will be thin and may have a few lumps). Pour into greased 9X13 pan and bake at 325 for 25-35 minutes, until just golden. Poke holes with a fork while warm.
For the milk part:
Mix together:
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can Nestle media crema
*Pour over warm cake & refrigerate for at least two hours or overnight. Refrigerate leftover milk to pour on before serving. Serve with fruit of your choice, such as sliced strawberries.
*Note- in the past when I made this cake I would use this method of pouring the milk over the cake and refrigerating overnight. Now I like to mix the milk and refrigerate it and the cake separately and pour on individual slices right before serving. It is great both ways.
EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS
When I was 40 weeks pregnant with my first baby, our good friends invited us to go out to dinner with them for one last “hurrah” before baby. We decided on Chili’s because it was close and let’s face it, going anywhere when you are 40 weeks pregnant is pretty uncomfortable. While we were waiting someone at another table ordered the sizzling chicken fajitas and I knew that was exactly what I wanted. It’s still one of my favorites. I came up with this recipe and not only is it super delicious, it’s really easy and you can have dinner in about 30 minutes.
Chicken Fajitas
1 tablespoon oil
*1 large chicken breast sliced in strips
3 bell peppers (choose your favorite color/s) sliced
1 medium yellow onion sliced
1 tablespoon taco seasoning
3 tsp liquid smoke
juice of 2 limes
In a large pan heat oil and add the sliced onion and bell pepper and cook over medium heat 5-7 minutes until onion is translucent and peppers start to get soft. Transfer the onions and peppers to a plate and add the chicken to the pan (if needed add a little more oil). Add the liquid smoke and lime juice and cook chicken until no longer pink. Add the peppers and onions back into the pan and add the taco seasoning. You can also add another tsp of liquid smoke if desired. Serve on tortillas with desired toppings. We like sour cream, cheese and guacamole.
*Tip- I like to buy fresh chicken breasts when they are on sale at our local grocery store. I then trim them of any visible fat with kitchen scissors (much easier than a knife) and place 1 breast per ziplock freezer bag and freeze. Then when I need chicken for dinner I can take out the desired number of breasts. Usually for our family of 4 (2 adults and 2 toddlers) we use one chicken breast. I also find that the chicken is much easier to slice if I thaw it for only a little bit and leave partially frozen for slicing.
Recipe Source- Everydayjenny.com
YARD SALE SATURDAY APRIL 25
Some of my fun finds from the weekend. These items were 10 cents each. The little chicken I ended up selling to a lady who collects the hen on nests and didn’t have a white one. 
I found these super cute baby clothes and they were either a quarter each or stuff a bag for $5. I chose to stuff a bag since I liked so many of the items and they ended up being around 10 cents each. They were nice brands like Carters and Children’s Place.
I found these super cute baby clothes and they were either a quarter each or stuff a bag for $5. I chose to stuff a bag since I liked so many of the items and they ended up being around 10 cents each. They were nice brands like Carters and Children’s Place.
This headboard was probably my deal of the day for 50 cents. I knew I could flip it for more but it was kind of bulky to load into my car. I ended up flipping it a couple of days later for $20.
DIY RUFFLE CURTAINS
When I found out I was having a little girl, I was so excited to finally do a girly nursery! I found this tutorial for ruffle curtains from a twin sheet, and figured I would give it a try.
A little background on my sewing experience. All my friends senior year in high school thought it would be awesome to take a sewing class that they were offering for the first time. Unfortunately, it was the same time as yearbook, and I really wanted to do yearbook. So I didn’t take that beginning sewing class and I still regret that decision! Yearbook is not worth missing out on sewing. If only I could have told that to my 17 year old self! So besides watching my mom sew on a machine here and there, I had no sewing experience when I decided to try this curtains. In fact I had just gotten my sewing machine for Christmas (and if you are looking for a good, basic cheap machine I got this Brother machine from Walmart as a Black Friday deal).
The instructions on the tutorial I linked to are great. I worked on the curtains at night for a few hours at a time. My lines weren’t very straight, but I think this is a great project if you are first starting out. The ruffles overlap so you can’t see all my mistakes 🙂 The curtains look great in my little girl’s room, and the best part was that I made them myself for cheap!
MICKEY MOUSE BIRTHDAY PARTY
We are a Disney loving family so I wasn’t at all surprised when I asked my little guy what kind of party he wanted for his birthday and he said Mickey Mouse! My friend Hillary is the queen of parties and she had actually thrown a Mickey Mouse first birthday party for her son a few years ago and was kind enough to let me use her decorations. I also found free printables here.
I had found a couple of cute Mickey Mouse cakes that I wanted to do and then one day I found a Mickey Mouse shaped pan at the thrift store. I asked my son which cake he wanted and he picked out the Mickey shaped cake, which hadn’t been my first choice but it was his birthday. I baked a chocolate cake and piped starts to make the Mickey Mouse face. It turned out pretty cute.
We enjoyed a BBQ of Costco hotdogs (so yummy) and chips and a pasta salad. The little kids all went crazy for the Mickey Mouse cupcakes which were super easy to make with Oreos.
All in all we had a great time and an awesome party!
CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Growing up one of my favorite places to eat was a little Chinese restaurant down the street from our house. They had the most delicious Chinese food. When I moved stateside I was surprised how different the Chinese food I grew up with in Germany was to the local Chinese places. In Germany, all the Chinese food I ordered came with lots of fresh vegetables. Here, it seemed like everything was deep fried and covered in sweet sauces. When I started dating my husband, one of the places he took me to was P.F. Chang’s and I fell in love with the crispy, savory lettuce wraps. I scoured online to find the perfect recipe so I could recreate them at home. I love the combination of chicken and mushrooms in the cold lettuce. So good!
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Chicken Lettuce Wraps
1 tablespoon oil
1 chicken breast finely chopped
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp fresh grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves grated or minced
1 package baby portabello mushrooms diced
1 can sliced water chestnuts diced
3 green onions chopped
Stir Fry Sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce (I prefer Kikkoman brand)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Saute the chicken breast in the oil until no longer pink and cooked through in a large pan over medium heat. Season with garlic salt and pepper. Add the mushrooms and water chestnuts and cook for 5-7 minutes until mushrooms cook down. Add the stir fry sauce, ginger, garlic and green onions and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve in iceberg lettuce leaves.
Dipping Sauce-
1/2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup water
2 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
2 tbs ketchup
1 tbs lemon juice
Mix together dipping sauce ingredients and serve with lettuce wraps.
*Tip- I buy my ginger and then peel all the skin off and place in a ziplock bag and freeze it. It’s so much easier to grate this way and also you can always have ginger on hand for recipes. I grate my garlic just like my ginger.
Recipe slightly adapted from: Food.com
THAI COCONUT CURRY
When my husband and I were first married one of our favorite places to eat was a little Thai restaurant tucked next to a laundry mat and bookstore. They had the most delicious curry and spring rolls. Once I stopped working to stay home with our kids, gone were the days of eating out as much. So I experimented with making my own curry and I have to say we don’t miss restaurant curry at all! This curry is rich and smooth and slightly spicy. We love to use chicken as our protein. This recipe calls for a specific type of curry paste. Most national stores like Walmart will carry the red Thai Kitchen paste, which will also work, but try googling Asian markets in your neighborhood because most of them will carry this paste. I buy a lot of cans so I have all the ingredients on hand in my pantry. Making curry at home is so much cheaper and this recipe is really so simple. My kids still find the curry too spicy, so before I add the curry paste to the recipe I will take out the cooked chicken, carrots and potatoes and they eat that over rice. 
Thai Coconut Curry
1 tablespoon oil
1 can massaman curry paste (we prefer the Maesri brand) or 2 tablespoons red curry paste (like Thai Kitchen brand)
1 can coconut milk
1 can chicken broth**
1 chicken breast sliced thin
1 yellow onion sliced into thin slices
2-3 Russet potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 carrots cut into large chunks
Optional-1 bell pepper either orange or red
Heat oil in large pan over medium heat and saute onion for 3-5 minutes. Add sliced chicken and cook until the chicken is no longer pink and cooked through. Add the can of curry paste and mix with chicken and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the coconut milk and chicken broth. Bring everything to a simmer and add the potatoes, carrots and bell pepper. Simmer for 15-20 minutes until potatoes and carrots are tender. Serve over rice. We like to eat Calrose rice that we cook in our rice cooker.
*Tip- As a shortcut I place my potatoes and carrots in a microwave safe bowl and cover with water. Microwave for about 15 minutes until potatoes are tender. Then I drain the water and add the cooked potatoes and carrots into the curry . This helps to make this meal even faster since I do this right when I am cooking the chicken so I don’t have to wait for them to cook later on.
**We have this curry in our regular meal rotation and I have started omitting the can of chicken broth. The curry goes further with it added, but without it the curry is more thick and creamy. So if you prefer a thicker curry omit the chicken broth completely or only use half the can.
***A few other notes-I use a frozen chicken breast that is slightly thawed so that I can cut it into really thin strips. This makes slicing it much easier. Also, if you are sensitive to spice you may want to start with just a few tablespoons of the masaman curry and then taste it after it has been simmered and add more according to your taste. We also like serving the curry with peanuts on top for added crunch.
QUICK AND EASY PIZZA DOUGH
Growing up I was the pickiest eater. My poor parents. One of the things I hated was pizza. This caused problems because what’s usually served at parties or other events? Yup, pizza. So for years I would eat something else before my mom sent me off to parties so I wouldn’t be hungry. I don’t remember exactly when I started liking pizza, but not until I was a teenager. Now I’ve been making up for all those years eating lots of pizza!
One of our favorite meals is homemade pizza. We usually do it on Friday nights and it’s a family event. Little Man’s favorite job is sprinkling the cheese. He still needs a little help spreading it out since he tends to sprinkle all in the same spot. We’ve tried lots of different combinations, but the kids favorite lately is ham and pineapple. We usually like sausage, mushroom and caramelized onions. There are so many different options that we don’t get bored having this weekly (some other ideas- BBQ chicken, chicken alfredo, pepperoni, Margherita etc.) We also have found we can continue having pizza during the summer time without heating up our kitchen by using our grill. Individual pizzas are easiest on the grill. Roll out like usual then brush with olive oil and cook on a preheated grill for 3-5 minutes. Flip over and cook for only one minute. On your more well-done side of the dough, add your toppings, then place back on the grill to cook for another 3-5 minutes and you will have the most delicious grilled pizza!
I have tried a couple of other pizza doughs, but I love this dough because it’s takes just a few minutes to mix and only needs 10-15 minutes to rise. Just enough time to get all the other toppings ready and preheat the oven.
Quick and Easy Pizza Dough
Ingredients
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon instant yeast
1 teaspoon salt
2-3 cups flour
- Mix the water, honey, oil, yeast and salt in a large bowl or stand mixer and gradually add the flour until a soft dough forms and pulls away from the bowl. The dough should be soft, a little sticky but smooth and not too stiff.*
- Knead the dough for 2 minutes. Remove & let rest for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into two and shape into two pizzas. Spread with sauce and toppings, and bake at 475 degrees for 8-10 minutes on a lightly greased pizza pan or one lined with parchment paper (what I like to do-easier clean up!)
*The more flour you add makes for a tougher dough. So you want to add only up to what makes the dough just pull off the sides. I learned in a class once to shake your flour in its container before you measure it so that it’s not so packed together and makes for more accurate measuring (besides weighing). There are a number of factors that will affect the dough consistency, so sometimes when I make the recipe I use closer to the 3 cups or sometimes I use only a little more that two. That’s why it’s very important to gradually add your flour.
Recipe Source- Mel’s Kitchen Cafe
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