DAY 41 RECIPE: CHOCOLATE DIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES

Valentines day is tomorrow...SO, I was thinking instead of posting a nice Valentines day treat recipe tomorrow, when it would be too late for anyone to make it for Valentines day, I would do it today! These are pretty easy to make, and can look quite lovely! Oh yes, they also taste amazing! They melt in your mouth and are super flaky and delicate!
Enjoy and happy Valentines day!
DAY 41 RECIPE:

CHOCOLATE DIPPED SHORTBREAD COOKIES


INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Butter
¼ Cup Corn Starch
½ Cup Icing Sugar
1 & ½ Cup Flour
½ Cup Dark Chocolate Chips
½ Tbsp Shortening
½ + ½ Cups White Chocolate Chips
½ + ½ Tbsp Shortening

DIRECTIONS:
Pre heat oven to 375 degrees.
In a mixing bowl beat butter for about 1 minute.
Sift together corn starch, icing sugar and flour.
Beat flour mixture into butter. Continue to beat for 3 minutes.
On a floured board, gently roll out dough to about ½ inch thickness.
Cut into whatever shapes you wish. I used double hearts for Valentines day.
Place on a parchment lined sheet pan and refrigerate for 20 minutes. After the 20 minutes in the fridge bake them for 9-11 minutes.
When cookies are cooled, start the chocolate dipping process.
In a double boiler, melt dark chocolate chips and ½ tbsp shortening together over simmering water. When chocolate chips are almost melted, take off heat and continue stirring until completely melted and smooth. Dip one side of cookie into the chocolate and place on wax paper.
For the White Chocolate dipped:
In a double boiler, melt ½ cup white chocolate chips, with ½ tbsp shortening. Again, when chips are almost melted take off heat and keep stirring until melted and smooth. Dip cookies in and place on wax paper.
For Pink Chocolate dipped:
In a double boiler, melt ½ cup white chocolate chips, and ½ tbsp shortening. When chips are almost melted, take off heat and continue stirring until melted and smooth. Add a few drops of red food coloring and stir some more. Dip cookies in and place on wax paper.
Place all cookies in fridge for about 20 to 30 minutes to set the chocolate.

DAY 40 RECIPE: OVEN ROASTED WINTER VEGGIES

Tonight we had Mustard Rosemaary Glazed Pork Chops, with roasted Red Potatoes, and Oven Roasted Winter Veggies. I thought I would share the veggie recipe. They are so so delicious done this way. Different than your everyday veggie dish, yet so simple to make. they have a much more intense flavour made this way with a little dill to liven things up. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do!
DAY 40 RECIPE:

OVEN ROASTED WINTER VEGGIES


INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Broccoli Florets
2 Cups Cauliflower Florets
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
½ Tsp Salt
½ Tsp Pepper
1 Tsp Dried Dill


DIRECTIONS:
Pre heat oven to 400 Degrees.
Mix together broccoli and cauliflower. Spread evenly in a casserole dish.
Drizzle oil over all the veggies.
Sprinkle salt, pepper and dill over all the veggies.
Place in the oven for 20 Minutes.
Delicious, easy, looks great! A nice change from the regular taste of broccoli and cauliflower.

DAY 39 RECIPE: HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK

Tonights recipe is my recipe for homemade chicken stock. This is the chicken stock I used for yesterdays chicken stew. I use it as often as I can rather than using store bought, just for the sake of at least trying to cut back on our sodium intake. It is really easy to make and stores very easily as well.It does not have the flourescent yellow colouring of the store bought stock, but it is lovely. I hope you find it as useful as I do!

DAY 39 RECIPE:
HOMEMADE CHICKEN STOCK


INGREDIENTS:
1 “Picked Chicken” (The carcass left after picking the meat off of a chicken. There should be a little bit of the yucky meat left on it)
10-12 Cups Water
2 Large Onions, quartered
4 Garlic Cloves, crushed
3 Celery Ribs, cut in large chunks
4 Large Whole Carrots, cut into large chunks
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tsp Salt
2 Tsp Pepper
1 Tbsp Sage Leaves

DIRECTIONS:
Place picked chicken in a large dutch oven. Add onions, garlic, celery, carrots, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and sage leaves.
Pour water in. Make sure there is enough water to come about 2 inches above everything.
Stir gently together.
Place over low heat and simmer for 3 to 4 hours.
With a fine strainer, drain everything over a large container, so all that is in the container is liquid. Discard all bits and pieces.
Stock can be kept in the fridge up to a week, or frozen for up to three months.

DAY 38 RECIPE: CHICKEN STEW WITH DUMPLINGS

I decided today that I would like to make something warm and comfort food like. I had some chicken. I also had a frozen chicken carcass (sounds gross I know) that I wanted to use. SOOOOO, I thought I would make something that would need chicken stock, so I could use the carcass. Settled on chicken stew with dumplings. My first attempt at dumplings. Turned out really well! Check it out and enjoy!

DAY 38 RECIPE:

CHICKEN STEW WITH DUMPLINGS


INGREDIENTS:
STEW:
1 Lb Boneless, skinless Chicken, cut into small pieces
1 Medium Onion, sliced
2 Celery Ribs, Sliced
1 & ½ Cups Sliced Carrots
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
3 Small Potatoes, cut into 1” pieces
5 Cups Chicken Stock
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Canola Oil
6 Tbsp Flour
1 Bay Leaf
1 Tsp Sage
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Pepper

DUMPLINGS:
2 Cups Flour
4 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Butter
1 Cup Milk

DIRECTIONS:
STEW:
Heat oil in a dutch oven over high heat.
Add chicken and cook for about 10 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Remove chicken, reduce heat to medium.
Add butter, cooking until melted.
Add flour, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute.
Slowly add stock, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes.
Put chicken back in along with onion, celery, carrots and garlic.
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
Add potatoes for the last hour of cooking.

DUMPLINGS:
Toss together flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut in butter.
Add milk and stir together with a fork to make a sticky dough.
After your stew has simmered for two hours, drop giant tablespoons of dough on top of simmering stew. leave a little bit of room between each one. Cover with a tight fitting lid and leave alone for 20 minutes. DO NOT LIFT LID!.


 Now Enjoy:)

DAY 37 RECIPE: CHEESEY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

DAY 37 RECIPE:
CHEESEY CHICKEN QUESADILLAS


INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups Cooked Chicken, cubed or shredded
4 Tortillas
4 OZ Cream Cheese
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese, grated
½ Tsp Garlic Powder

DIRECTIONS:
Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl beat together cream cheese, garlic powder and 1 cup of grated cheddar.
Spread a thin layer of cream cheese mixture on one side of each tortilla.
Evenly distribute the chicken on the cream cheese layer of two tortillas.
Now sprinkle remaining cheddar over the chicken.
Top each chicken and cheese covered tortilla with a cream cheese only tortilla. Press edges together and place on a sheet pan.
Bake for about 12 minutes. Flipping over once, halfway through cooking.

DAY 36 RECIPE: SECRETLY-HEALTHY-KID-FRIENDLY-BROCCOLI-CHEESE-PIZZA

Todays recipe turned out to be so so awesome and really kid friendly! A great way to sneak in some veggies (you can't see the broccoli) and some whole wheat! And honestly, what kid doesn't like cheese pizza? To be completely honest, cheese pizza is also MY favourite! Of course you could put pretty much any other topping on it. These would also make good appys for a Superbowl party or any other occassion. They are really very simple to make; they take less than half the time my regular pizzas take, as the dough is different. Check it out. Enjoy it. Have fun! We sure did!
DAY 36 RECIPE:

SECRETLY-HEALTHY-KID-FRIENDLY- BROCCOLI-CHEESE-PIZZA

INGREDIENTS:

CRUST:

2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour

½ Cup Butter

¾ Cup Milk

3 Tsp Baking Powder

1 tsp Garlic Powder

1 Tsp Salt

SAUCE:
½ Can Tomato Sauce
½ Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Onion Powder
2 Tsp Oregano
½ Cup Broccoli Florets, super finely minced

TOPPING:

1 Cup Mozzarella Cheese, grated

DIRECTIONS:

Pre heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

In a medium sized mixing bowl toss together flour, garlic powder, salt, and baking powder.

Cut in butter.

With a fork stir in milk to form a ball. It may be a little tough to mix everything all together with a fork. If so, than abandon the fork and use your hands to squish everything into a ball.

Roll dough out to about ¼ inch thick. Cut into triangles, with a cookie cutter or a knife.

Place triangles onto sheet pan and bake for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven.
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix together to evenly incorporate everything.
Spread a little sauce on each triangle, leaving about ¼ inch of space at the top of each triangle.
Sprinkle cheese to cover sauce on each triangle.

Bake for another 5 -7 minutes.

SUPERBOWL SUNDAY; DAY 35 RECIPE: HEALTHIER CHICKEN NUGGETS

Well, today is Superbowl Sunday. Lots of excitment! Not too exciting around here to be truthful. Daddy had to go to Red Deer today for work. SO, being that I am NOT a football fan, we will not be watching it at our house this year! YAY! I did feel that I would like to have a nice Superbowl Snack day though! I felt however, instead of the heavy, greasy, bad for you snacks that normally accompany Superbowl festivities, I would try a healthier version.  So our feast consisted of Healthy Chicken Nuggets,with veggies and cheese and crackers. then a lovely fruit salad to finish. Tonights recipe for the blog will be Healthier Chicken Nuggets. I hope you all enjoy it as much as we have! A nice change from eating unhealthy, make you feel guilty even if they are tasty snacks!
Though I was planning on not watching this Superbowl game, I will admit I have tuned in for a few minutes every now and then so I could update James (Daddy) while he is driving. Looks to me like New Orleans will be the winner......Guess we will find out in a minute or so!

DAY 35 RECIPE:

HEALTHIER CHICKEN NUGGETS

INGREDIENTS:
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into like-size, bite size pieces
¾ Cup Whole Wheat Flour
½ Cup Oatmeal
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Water
1 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tsp Ground Sage

DIRECTIONS:
Pre Heat Oven to 400 Degrees.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Spray lightly with baking spray (like PAM).
Now, take 3 soup bowls.
In the first bowl, put ¼ cup of flour.
In the second bowl beat together the eggs and water.
In the third bowl add ½ cup flour, oatmeal, and seasonings. Mix together.
Now dredge chicken pieces through flour, then egg, then flour and oatmeal mixture.
Place chicken pieces onto sheet pan and spray pieces lightly with baking spray (PAM). Place in oven and take for 25 to 30 minutes; turning once halfway through.