Monday, July 1, 2013

One of These Things is Not Like the Other...




I found the top two pictures when I was doing a little project for Father's Day.  I just had to post them next to the most recent one of Steve and Max...

Friday, May 17, 2013

That's What Big Brothers Are For...

I think the pictures say it all...


Friday, May 3, 2013

New Recipes

Nothing exciting has been going on with us lately...good thing because we have had enough excitement with the meth lab and a new baby to last us quite a while.  We are loving the warm weather though and can't wait until summer break....

I have posted some recipes below.  They are really easy and FANtastic!  They have passed the James AND Steve test...which is saying a lot because they are both really picky.  I got these from my friend at work and she got them from Pinterest, so I have no idea of their origins...just know I didn't come up with them on my own.  :)

ENJOY!







Chicken Gyros

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp dried oregano
salt and pepper
1 batch tzatziki sauce (see below)
sliced tomatoes
sliced onions
sliced cucumbers
lettuce
pocketless pitas

Whisk together the garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, oil, oregano, and 1 tsp salt in a small bowl.  Add in chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.

Preheat the grill (or pan or broiler).  Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides and then grill over indirect heat until cooked through, about 8 minutes per side...depending on size.  Allow the chicken to rest for a few minutes before slicing into strips...you might want to give it a little massage at this point...the chicken has been through a lot!

Meanwhile, warm your pita bread.  Top the pita with the chicken, tzatziki, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, and lettuce.

Tzatziki Sauce

1 (32 oz) container of plain greek yogurt
2 regular cucumbers, peeled and seeded
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried dill
salt and pepper

Shred or grate the cucumbers, place them in a clean kitchen towel and then squeeze to get rid of as much excess moisture as possible.

Mix together the strained yogurt, shredded cucumbers, garlic, vinegar, and lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.  It's best to refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving so flavors can meld.

The sauce makes A LOT, so you could half the recipe and it would make enough. My sauce lasted me for a week, so one week I made chicken gyros and the next week I made beef gyros with chopped up stew meat.  

Baken Chicken Taquitos

1 Rotisserie chicken
2/3 - 1 cup of jarred or fresh salsa
1 cup shredded "mexican blend" cheese
1/3 cup sweet white and yellow corn niblets
1/3 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed well
1 tsp ground cumin
salt and pepper
large pinch of chopped fresh cilantro
1 pack of egg roll wrappers

Remove chicken from the rotisserie chicken and chop into small bite-size pieces

Mix the next seven ingredients into the chicken and mix well

Add a few spoonfuls of the chicken mixture to an eggroll wrapper.  Fold in the sides first, then roll.  Wet the far end with water so it will stick to itself.

Spray a cookie sheet with butter flavor nonstick spar and arrange the taquitos.  Spray the tops of them with the spray and sprinkle with black pepper and extra cumin.

Bake at 375 degree for about 25 min or until golden brown.

I liked these, they were super easy and the kids liked them, but they were a bit dry and I'm not sure what to do to address that issue...the recipe also suggested adding chopped spinach.  Haven't tried that yet but it sounds good...what could be added so they wouldn't be so dry???

Crockpot Chicken Fajitas

Chicken Breasts
1 package ranch dip stuff
1 package taco seasoning
1 can chicken broth

Cook on low for 7 - 8 hours or until chicken is done.  Shred chicken while its still in the juice.  Serve with grilled veggies (I like red, yellow, and orange peppers, mushrooms, and onions).  Top with salsa, sour cream, olives, and my favorite:  Avacados.

YUMMY!!