Spice Organization

I hate my kitchen and you will probably see me mention that a few times.  I have two small drawers on each side of my stove, one is 7 inches wide and the other is 8 inches wide.  Really?  I'm also tired of not being able to find my spices in the cabinets so I decided to use the drawers.  Plus they are easier to spoon out and if they are kept in alphabetical order, easy to locate.

Supplies:

Chalkboard vinyl
2" circle cutter
Silver Sharpie
4 oz canning jars

I just punched out the amount of circles I needed then put them on the lids and wrote the name of the spice on there.

So far it has been a great change for me.  No one can find the pot holders anymore since I moved them!  HA!

Chicken Taco Crescents

Some nights when Mike works, I just want to find something easy and quick for he kids and I to eat. There are some items I always keep in the kitchen. Crescents, biscuits, chicken, taco seasoning, pasta, etc. Last night Mike had to do security at the Oak Mountain Fair (used be called the Alabama State Fair), so I just thought about what I had that I could whip up quickly because we had been out of town all weekend and there was a ton of laundry to do.

Chicken Taco Crescents

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts
1 can of 8 count crescent rolls
1/2 pack of taco seasoning
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  I used my kitchen scissors and cut up the thawed chicken breasts into bite size pieces.  Then I sauteed them in a little olive oil until they were browned just a little. Then I added 1/2 pack of taco seasoning and about a 1/8 up of water and let that simmer for a few minutes.  I rolled up about 3-4 pieces of chicken and a little cheese. Let them cook for 12-14 minutes.  I put a dollop of sour cream on the plate for dipping.

The kids loved it and if Sarah likes it then I feel like I've accomplished something. She is my somewhat picky eater.  Enjoy!

Grand Cayman (Spring Break)

We are very fortunate to have my in-laws living in the Cayman Islands.  They have lived there for about 18 years, but will soon move back to the States.  They live in West Bay at a great condo right on the water.  It's not on the beach, but you can walk down to the water and the view is spectacular.

If you ever go to Grand Cayman, you have to take a day and drive the scenic route to Rum Point, which is about a 2 hour drive on the other side of the island.  The drive itself is just amazing.  The shore line is beautiful and you drive through several little towns are just picture perfect.  We stopped and got out of the car at my favorite spot, the blow hole.

The beaches are amazing too.  I live in Alabama, our beaches are pretty with the "sugary white sand" but honestly, I hate it.  The sand is so fine, you can think about going to the beach for the day and you are covered in a thin layer of sticky sand. The sand on Cemetery Beach (you walk through a cemetery to get to this part of the beach) and most of the beach areas is a not as fine and "sugary".  It's like millions of tiny shells and you can actually get in your car after a day at the beach and not bring the beach with you, if you know what I mean.  The water is crystal clear and cool.  

Of course, you can't visit Grand Cayman without going to Margaritaville!  The restaurant, pool and slide are on the 2nd floor of a strip mall and it's so much fun.  They have 3 cabanas by the pool you can lounge in while having a Cheeseburger in Paradise and a loaded Landshark.  It also has a swim up bar, but they only use it when the cruise ships are in. We have always chosen a day with no ships to visit Margaritaville.

Now to Rum Point.  It's the most tranquil beach I've ever been too.  You have a little bit of everything there.  Sun, shade, beach volleyball, bar area, restaurant area, bath house (which is actually clean), hammocks, jet skis, and kayaks.  You can walk out in the water about 300 yards and it never gets more than waist deep.   It's my most favorite place ever. I could stay there always.  

And let's not forget the GORGEOUS sunsets.  It's different every night and equally as beautiful as the one before.  There's just something about the peacefulness of the ocean after all the boats and ships have moved on and the beauty of this Earth that God gave us.  

Although Grand Cayman is one of my favorite places I've been to so far, I don't think I could live there.  It's really expensive and they don't have a Target!  

The Best Lemonade

My little Sarah LOVES to make things in the kitchen and I love that she loves it!  She's been wanting some "real" lemonade so I finally decided to give it a try.  I've never done it before.  I'm not a huge fan of all things lemon, so it's never on the top of my list to try.  

I bought a bag of lemons and we squished them and rolled them around to loosen the juice.  

We had recently bought a juicer from Ikea and this is the first chance I've gotten to use it and I loved it!  Sarah loved helping me.

Ingredients:

1-1 1/4 cups of fresh lemon juice

1 1/2 cups of sugar

1 cup of hot water

4 cups of cold water

Directions:

1.  Roll and squeeze the lemons to loosen up the juice.

2.  Dissolve the sugar in the hot water.

3.  Depending on if you want pulp or not, strain the lemon juice into the sugar water.

4.  Add 4 cups of cold water.

5.  Pour into a pitcher and garnish with sliced lemons.

6.  Sit back and enjoy!  

Homemade Granola

Let me just start off by saying that I love granola!  It's a great snack and I love it in yogurt too.  I've been wanting to make my own for awhile and just never did.  My kitchen isn't the best place for baking and such.  I just have no counter space and it gets me frustrated. 

The granola turned out wonderful and I will just make my own from now on since it's so easy!

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped walnuts

3 cups of old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/3 cup of brown sugar

1/3 cup of honey

3 tablespoons of coconut oil

1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon of almond extract

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.  Pour the oats, salt, brown sugar and walnuts into a bowl and mix it up.

3.  In a small microwave bowl combine the honey and coconut oil.  Heat for 45 seconds and stir to          dissolve the coconut oil.  Add the almond and vanilla extract.

4.  Pour the honey mixture over the oat mixture until everything is coated.

5.  Put the oat mixture on a parchment lined cookie sheet

6.  Baked for 5 minutes, remove and stir.  Baked for another 5 minutes and remove from oven.

7.  Pour the granola onto a sheet of wax paper to cool.  After it cools completely, break it up and store      it in an air tight container. 

Enjoy!

Organizing My Kitchen

I love to organize.  I really don't have time to organize the way I want, but I should get an A for effort!

I took the day off in November 2013 to completely reorganize my kitchen.  I moved everything around to make the most of the little bit of storage space I have.  It turned out really good and I've happy with the change over the last year.  This time around I really just needed to do a little "housekeeping".  Lids to Disney cups need a home and pantry and food cabinet needed to be straightened up.

I've done a few more changes that I will post over the weekend.  

Chicken Pot Pie

I love chicken pot pie.  There is nothing better than some good ole southern comfort food.  I’ve made this before with a pie crust, but it gets too soggy when I have leftovers.   YUCK.  I’ve gotten to where I love boneless skinless chicken thighs.  I just think they are easier to cook and a lot juicier and tender.  I’m sure Mike will love this when he gets home from work in a bit.  

Ingredients:

3-4 boneless skinless chicken thighs

2 cans of mixed veggies, drained

1 can of cream of mushroom soup

1 cup of milk

Topping:

2 cups of Bisquick

1 tablespoon of mayo (I used Duke’s)

1 beaten egg

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a big bowl, mix the veggies, soup and milk and set aside.  Brown the chicken and shred, then add to the veggie mixture.  Pour the mixture into an 11x7 baking dish.  Mix the Bisquick, mayo and beaten egg until it’s crumbly then sprinkle over the chicken mixture.  Bake for 30 minutes or until the top has browned and sauce is bubbly.

Enjoy!