Mango Chicken Salad

You know those days were its just to hot to have hot food? Well I was having one of those days. Its nice to have something simple like a salad every now and then. The recipe I got this from says to serve it warm on top of the lettuce but I like to chill it in the refrigerator for a while and serve it as a cold salad. You can try it both ways and decide for yourself. Ether way, this make for a nice and refreshing salad. Personally, I'm not a big fan of mango but with the coconut milk and everything else, it really makes it taste crisp and tropical. This would be a great dish for a cookout or a small get together or even just a nice privet lunch out doors were you can close your eyes, forget about husbands, screaming babies, children, bosses, coworkers life for a while and just dream of somewhere tropic. So please, take this recipe and enjoy a break... on me :)

You will need: a sauce pan, baking pan, and large bowl

• 3 Skinless, boneless, chicken breast cut into bits
• 2 limes
• 1 C unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 TB spoon coy sauce
• 1/2 T Spoon crushed red peppers
• 1/2 C flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 Mango, seeded, peeled, and chopped
• lettuce

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. squeeze the juice from one lime (about 2 TB spoons) and cut the other into wedges. Set aside.
2. In the sauce pan combine the coconut milk, lime juice, soy sauce, crushed red peppers, and chicken. Cook on medium. Bring to boil; reduce heat and cooked covered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until meat is cooked though. Stir occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, spread the coconut flakes on the baking pan and bake uncovered for 4 to 5 minutes or until they are golden brown. Turn once.
4. Remove chicken and cooking liquid and move them to the bowl. Add the mango and toss to coat all. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 4 to 5 minutes to let cool or serve hot.
5. Serve on a bed of lettuce and sprinkle on the baked coconut. Serve with lime wedges.

Mexican Casserole

Have you ever made something really simple and you thought it would turn out bland? Or have you ever tried making a type of food you know you don't like because you know the other people eating it would love it *coughHubbycough*? Well that's exactly what I thought this meal was going to be like. Personally, I'm not a big fan of Mexican food. Maybe its because my loving husband asks me to make it so much...Or maybe its because every time I think of Mexican food my heart stops and I pass out and die from heart burn. Or maybe its because of all those bad Mexican restraints I've been with those creepy waiters that stair at you and whisper in other languages that I can understand to each other right before bursting out into laughter. Who knows, what ever the case, me and Mexican food never clicked. At least not until now that is. I tell you... this is by far the best Mexican dish I think I have ever made and you know what... I'd dare say I would be willing to make it again! It was a little spicy but not to hot, the chorizo I used was AMAZING in it and the corn was sweet and added a nice contrast and coolness to the spices. It was so good! Like so good I could just stop right now and go make it and leave you all hanging without the recipe or even a photo. But I wouldn't do that to you all. So... because I think your all awesome... here it is. :)



You will need: a casserole dish, two large skillets, foil

• 2 ears fresh corn on the cob
• 8 Oz ground beef
• 7 Oz uncooked chorizo sausage
• 1 15oz can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 TB spoon olive oil
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 large yellow sweet pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 C bottled chunky green Verda
• 1 Tb spoon Chili powder
• 2 T spoons ground cumin
• 1/4 T spoon cayenne pepper
• 1 10 Pack flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 C shredded cheddar or Monterrey Jake cheese
• sour cream (optional)
• cilantro (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut corn off the cob into a bowl and set aside. Grease the casserole dish and set aside.
2. In a large skillet cook the beef and the chorizo until brown and cooked though. Break up any large pieces; drain fat. Add the beans to the meat mix and cook on low just to heat though.
3. turn off heat and cover to keep warm. In the other skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add in the onion, sweet pepper, and garlic. Cook until tender (about 10 minutes).
4. Add in the corn and seasonings. cook until heated though.
5. Place cover the bottom of the casserole dish with 2-3 tortillas. Top with half the meat mix. Make another tortilla layer and then top with half the vegetable mix and then 1/3 the cheese. Repeat.
6. Cover the top with the rest of the cheese.
7. Cover dish with foil and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden and cheese is melted.
8. top with sour cream and cilantro if desired.

Pan-Seared Chicken with Cherry-Tarragon sauce

This dish was surprisingly really good. I was afraid to make it at first because of the cherries. Its not that I have never made a chicken dish before that had fruit in it before I just couldn't see how cherries and tarragon would be together. Well let me tell you, it so SO good. I felt like it was the perfect combination of saltery and sweet and the tarragon really brought out the taste of the wine. I also loved the way the couscous soaked up all the extra sauce making it super tasty and not bland at all (which couscous can often be).





You will need: a bowl, a 12-inch skillet, tongs, and a pot.

1/4 C flour
2 T spoons paprika
1 T spoon fry mustard
8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
2 Tb Spoons olive oil
2 C fresh or frozen pitted dark sweet cherries ( I used fresh), thawed if frozen
2 Tb Spoons snipped fresh tarragon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 C dry red wine or cherry juice
1/2 C chicken broth
2 Tb spoons butter
2 C hot cooked couscous, rice, or pasta ( I used couscous but the sauce is runny enough that it would make for great pasta sauce)
1. in your bowl combine flour, paprika, mustard, 1/4 T spoon salt and pepper.Coat chicken with the mix. Cook the chicken in the skillet in the oil over medium to medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Turn once. remove from the pan and cover to keep warm.
2. In the same skillet add the cherries, tarragon, and garlic. Cook and stir over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in the wine and broth. Let simmer, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until the sauce has reduced to about 2 cups.
3. Stir in the butter and mix until its melted. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. For the couscous, while the meat is cooking, in your pot cook 2 cups of couscous or pasta according to the label.
Serve side with the chicken and spoon sauce over all. If desired, sprinkle with left over tarragon.

A Bumpy Ride

Hello all, My name is Bethany B and this is just the beginning for what I hope to be a long, adventurous, and exciting journey. I am currently trying out Blogger to see if I can get more feedback and maybe meet some new people. Maybe, I will even get a few followers... (If I'm lucky). I have found that quite a bit of people have used this site and have been successful in getting there blogs heard. Considering that this is what my website (growingourhome.com) is lacking, I figured why not give Blogger a try. So, though it might be a bit confusing for everyone who has been reading GTH for a while now, I think joining Blogger might just be the step in the right direction that this blog as a whole has been needing for some time now.
For now I will keep BOTH blogs running and fully updated with the same information so if you are a past reader you can breath easy for a while and continue to use the other site. If you are a new reader WELCOME and thank you for reading my blog and for staying patient while I figure this transition out.
Also, please note, if you are a new reader this blog isn't going away any time soon so sit back and enjoy the read :).

Busy Bees

A few weeks ago My Darlings work had a cook out and everyone who wanted to could bring something so of course I was all over that offer! But what to make? I was think of making a rub for what ever people brought to cook on the grill but quickly throw that out the window when I relized I had no idea what people were going to grill or if they were going to bring there own seasonings. I did know however, that people would most likely bring things like chips and dip and sodas and of course some kind of (or a couple kinds of ) salad. So, I desided to go with a less then traditional rout and make one of my all time favorets... a baked good! Being that it was a cook out I figured what would be better then something sweet, sunny and fresh. Thats when I found this wonderful recipe. So, with no more delay, here it is!



Rosemary and Lemon Cupcakes
You will need: a muffen pan, cupcake linners, a large mixing bowl, electric mixer, greater, and two small bowls.

• 1/2 C butter, softened
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 C cake flour
• 2 T spoons fresh minced rosemary
• 1 1/2 T spoon baking powder
• 1/2 T spoon salt
• 1 C suger
• 1 1/2 T spoon lemon extract
• 1/2 T spoon vanilla
• 2/3 C milk
• 2 T spoons greated lemon peel
• 3 TB spoons lemon juice

For Glaze

• 1 C powder sugar
• 5-5 1/2 T spoons lemon juice

1. line muffen pan with cupcake linners and set aside. In a small bowl combine the cake flour, rosemary, baking powder, and salt; mix well. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. In the large bowl beat the butter on medium-high with the electric mixer for 30 minutes. Add in the sugar, lemon extract, and vanilla. Beat for about 2 minutes or until the mix is light and fluffy. Scrap down the sides with a rubber spatula.
3. Add in eggs, one at a time beathing well after each one. Alternation adding in the flour mix and then milk starting with the flour mix. Beat on low just until mixed between each one.
4. Stir in the lemon peel and lemon juice.
5. Spoon the batter into prepared muffen pan about 3/4th full. Bake 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when you pock the middle of the cupcakes. Remove and let cool completely.

For glaze :

1. while cupcakes are cooking, combined the powdered sugar and lemon juice in a small bowl. mix well until its smooth and has a spreading consistency.
2. When cupcakes are cooled spoon the glaze on top.

for the bees I used gumpast and dyed it yellow. Then I took small pieces and rolled them into ovals. I used black food coloring and a toothpick to make the black lines. For the wings I simply pressed almond slivers into the finnished cupcakes  so that they held the 'body' of the bee up. Lastly, I just pressed in two little brown sprinkle