Mark's Apricot Chicken

This is a super-easy recipe, and it happens to be a favorite of my husband's. I normally start it in a skillet and then bake it in the oven, but today my chicken wasn't quite thawed, so I decided to do it in the crock-pot. It still turned out GREAT! I really haven't made it very much the last few years because one of the ingredients (there are only 4 of them!) is Catalina dressing which has red dye in it. Now, it didn't occur to me to look since I was in a hurry, but there are recipes to make your own, and here is one of them: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/1960s-Catalina-Dressing-33561

I don't know if Annie's or Newman's Own makes it, you can look.

ANYWAY, back to the recipe. Like I said about, there are only really 4 ingredients, and basically the outcome is a sweet and sour chicken. Here is how I made it today:

Place your chicken breasts in the slow cooker, you can sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper if you want, I used Tony Chacheres' cajun spice.

Cook on high for about 4-5 hours or until mostly done. Next mix the bottle of Catalina dressing, a jar of pure apricot jam or preserves, and most of a can of Durkee Fried Onions. Pour over the chicken and cook on low for about 45 more minutes.

Place in a serving dish, making sure you get all the sauce!!! Top with the remaining fried onions.

Okay, told you it was easy!!! lol

If you want to do it in the oven, I normally brown the chicken in a skillet first, then transfer to a baking dish and cook for about an hour depending on how big the chicken is. 

Mark prefers it served over rice, and for the two of us, we add tobasco or some other hot sauce to give it an extra kick. 

Enjoy!!!!

Spring gardening

Well, my garden has been in the ground since early March and I am starting to see the fruits of my labor. We added a fourth bed this year, and I planted a few new things this year. We have a full herb garden with Rosemary, Basil, Lime Basil, Oregano, Stevia, Chives, Parsley, Cilantro and garlic.

I have four tomato plants in a whiskey barrel, two are cherry and two are Roma varieties:

Our other beds have jalapenos, squash, cucumbers, red and yellow bell peppers, eggplant, okra and peas. This bed has our watermelon and cantaloupe - it seems underplanted but I promise it will be full of vines in no time!

Today I went to check on things and found a cucumber of pickling size!!

Here are our jalapeños and bell peppers.

Well, it's actually been a few days since I started this post, so we had a small harvest today. :)

I picked the 2 small cucumbers on purpose, I thought I'd try an experimental batch of refrigerator pickles. If the plants are any indication, I should have plenty to use all summer long!

Anyway, I guess that's all for now. I hope to be sharing picts and recipes all summer long. Happy gardening!

Low Carb Enchiladas

Hi everyone! Or should I say "Hi Mom!" since I know she is one person who actually reads this! lol Anyway, I ran across a recipe a few weeks ago for low carb enchiladas, and I finally got around to making them, sort of. I didn't really have everything for THAT recipe, but I know how to make enchiladas so I made them how I wanted to. Here is what I did:

For the "tortillas":

Separate 8 eggs, putting the yolks in a container in the fridge for later. Beat the whites with a little cumin and chili powder (about a dash of each) just until mixed.

Spray a small omelet pan with oil and heat to medium low. Pick up the pan and slowly pour a small amount (about 1/8) of the egg whites into the pan while carefully swirling it around so it is evenly distributed and forms a thin tortilla. Set back down on the burner and cook for about 2 minutes or until you see it start to pull away from the edge. 

Carefully flip it over (I was able to use my fingers, but be careful!!) and cook for another minute or so. Remove to a warm plate and continue to make the remainder. I was able to get 8 out of this, you can always make more if you need them.

For the filling, I just browned some ground beef with a little onion and seasoned it with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin and salt. Once it was drained I added about 1/4 cup of red enchilada sauce.

Now to assemble:

Spray a 9x12 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Take a tortilla, fill with a small amount of meat, then some shredded cheese. I used a combo of sharp cheddar and monterrey jack, but use what you like. 

Roll up and place seam down in the baking dish. Repeat until all are filled. Cover with the rest of the enchilada sauce, and more shredded cheese.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cheese is melted and starting to brown.

Serve with your choice of sour cream, fresh cilantro, sliced olives, jalapeños or salsa. ENJOY!

So there you have it. Once you know how to make the "tortillas" you can fill them with anything and make sour cream chicken enchiladas or your favorite veggie-filled enchiladas. Mark agreed with me that the egg "tortillas" reminded us of tempura battered chili rellenos, and the whole family thought they were delicious! I hope you give them a try.

The much anticipated recipe for Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken!

Hi, it's me again! I posted on FB the other night that I had made this recipe and got several requests for it. Unfortunately I didn't take photos to properly blog, but for now I'll post the recipe and then add in photos after I make it again.
I've realized that I have several recipes that are all versions of this, one was actually a shrimp recipe that I always make with chicken instead, one has white wine, some have different soups. So it's a very versatile recipe that you can play with. Below will be the original recipe as I found it, and I'll try to note where I go astray.


Cream Cheese Chicken


4 lbs chicken thighs, no skin (I use boneless chicken breasts)
2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted (I skip this part)
1 small pkg dry Italian Salad Dressing mix
2 tbsp chicken broth (I don't use)
1 lg onion, chopped (I don't use)
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup chicken broth (or white wine)
2 cloves minced garlic


Brush chicken with butter (or don't) and place in layers in a crockpot, sprinkling each layer with dry Italian dressing mix (I use about half the package). Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours (about 4-5 with breasts).
When chicken is ready, brown the onion in the 2 tsp of chicken broth. Add the remaining ingredients with the rest of the dressing mix and stir until smooth. (Since I don't use the onion I just microwave everything at half power to make the sauce.) Pour over the chicken in the crock pot and cook an additional 30-45 minutes.


You can serve over pasta or rice, I eat mine without. I also have been known to add in some sliced mushrooms. One of the skillet versions I have adds in broccoli and sun dried tomatoes - when making in the crock pot I'd add those with the sauce. Just try what you like and enjoy!!


I will try to take pictures the next time I make this. Please let me know if you make it and what you change!

Moussaka - Greek goodness

This is one of my all-time favorite recipes. In fact, I think it may be one of the best things I make,  and I don't mean to sound vain. But it's just that good! I have always been a big fan of lasagna, but since I shy away from pasta, this is what I have instead. Serve it with a big Greek salad and you just can't go wrong!

So, we're going to start with the eggplant. It should be smooth with no bruising. You want a medium-sized eggplant since the larger ones tend to be more bitter. Now, a common practice with eggplant is to "salt" it before you use it. That means, slice it into rounds no bigger than 1/4 inch. Put them in a single layer in a colander over a bowl and generously sprinkle with Kosher salt. Let it sit for a good hour and you'll see the moisture start to come out. Rinse thoroughly and pat dry. I admit, I don't always do this step, especially with a small eggplant. It usually turns out just fine! So, let's move on. Put the slices on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil and a little Kosher salt. Roast for about 20 minutes at 350º.

While that is roasting, start on the meat. You can use ground beef, but the traditional is ground lamb. You could also use a pound of each. 

Once that is cooked, drain and add 2 cloves of minced garlic, 2 diced tomatoes, 1/2 small can tomato paste, 1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth, 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp Greek seasoning, 1 tsp. dried oregano, 1 tsp salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Cover and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. Taste it and adjust the salt if necessary.

Now let's make the Bechemel sauce. I know, it sounds fancy, but if you can make gravy you'll have no problem!

Take 4 tbsp. butter and melt in a sauce pan over medium low heat. Add in 4 tbsp. flour and whisk thoroughly, let cook for about 2 minutes. Now, slowly add 1-3/4 cup milk and whisk like crazy so there are no lumps! Once that is smooth, add about 1/2 cup plain yogurt. It will thicken fairly quickly, take off the heat. You can add a little salt and white pepper to taste.

Now it's time to assemble it all. Grab a casserole dish and liberally spray with oil. Start with a layer of the eggplant.

Then use about half of the meat mixture and pour over.

Layer with another layer of the eggplant.

And yes, you guessed it, the remaining meat mixture.

And now the good part! Pour all the saucy goodness over the meat!

And now, you really need to have some good Greek cheese, but since I can't find it readily, I do the unthinkable and use Parmesan. Shhhhhh - don't tell the Greek people!!! lol

Bake at 350º for about 30 minutes or until browned and bubbly. Garnish with a little fresh oregano and let set for 15 minutes or so. If you dig in right away it will be runny - you don't want that.

I hope you enjoy it - we really love it here. There is also a similar dish called Pastitsio which used elbow macaroni instead of the eggplant. Try them both - you won't regret it! 

Baked Spaghetti Squash Casserole

Okay, this is going to be my first recipe blog! I usually forget to take photos before I start cooking, so I was quite proud of myself tonight when I remembered.

Anyway, I've made this only once before, I think, but my family liked it so much I posted it to my yahoo recipe group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/cookingfriends/

Anyway, my hubby's comment tonight on this recipe was that it wasn't "saucy" enough, so if you want it more like real spaghetti you might add a small can of tomato sauce or a few tablespoons of tomato paste. That being said, let's go!

Here are your ingredients: a spaghetti squash, a pound of ground beef, one red and/or green pepper, one onion, a clove or two of garlic, one can Italian diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, salt, black pepper, and sharp cheddar.

Start by piercing the squash a few times with a fork and then microwave for about 5-6 minutes. It should now be soft enough to cut in half lengthwise with a large knife.

Take a large spoon and scrape the seeds out.

Next, place the squash cut side up on a sheet pan, drizzle a little olive oil over the squash, then salt and pepper. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until very soft.

While it's baking, brown one pound ground beef in a large skillet and drain.

Dice the onions and bell pepper, about a half cup of each.

Add to the ground beef, add a clove or two of minced garlic.

Saute for a few minutes until the vegetables are soft.

Using a fork, scrape the flesh of the squash, which will make the "spaghetti" strands.

Add the squash to the skillet and mix thoroughly.

Grate about a cup of sharp cheddar and add to the skillet.

Pour into a greased 9 x 12 casserole.

Top with a little more grated cheddar, and sprinkle with fresh parmesan if you want.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, or until bubbling. Serve and ENJOY!!

Field Trip! Sprouts Farmer's Market

Happy Friday!

Tonight we took a family "field trip" to one of the next towns over. There is a new Sprouts Farmer's Market, which according to their circular, is a great source for natural and whole foods. Since I hate going up to Whole Foods which is really expensive, I was excited!

I have to say, I give them 2 thumbs up! The store isn't huge, but that's a good thing having two kids in tow. We headed to the bulk items first because that's our favorite! lol I have no idea how those prices compare to Whole Foods because I haven't been there in a long time. But we got some raw almonds for $4.99/lb, wasabi peas for $3.49/lb, raw pepitas for $4.99/lb, and garlic sesame sticks for $3.19/lb.

The produce looked really good. I got some broccoli for .99/lb, avocados 4/$1, grapefruit 4/$1, and bulk spinach and spring mix for $3.99/lb.

They had organic cereal 2/$4 which was a great deal, and they also had big block cheddar cheese on sale.

But the BIG deal of the night? Chicken tenders on sale for $1.79/lb!!

You have to watch - not everything in the store is natural. They had m&m-like candies which were made with artificial colors, and I'm sure there were other things.

BUT! I think it's a great store and I will watch the circulars and try to hit their sales. Their web site has recipes, and even nutrition information for the bulk items. Go to www.sprouts.com.

Have a great weekend!!!