Chicken Stew & Dumplings

Chicken Stew & Dumplings

courtesy of Live Better America with my modifications to it.
Did you ever have chicken stew and dumplings before tonight? I haven't. It was pretty good. I think I would make this again. The dough is flavorful but it could use a little more of something. I am not sure yet but so far this was pretty good!

Ingredients: 
1 C Chicken-cooked
1 C Veggies-mixed
2 C Broth
1 C Bisquik
1/3 C Milk
2 Tbsp Green Onion
Onion Powder
Dried sage, thyme
Salt/Pepper

To Start:

1 Cup Cooked Chicken: 
Boneless breast, rubbed in salt, pepper, onion powder and minced garlic in a baking pan 350 for 30 minutes with cooking spray on the pan. Use about a cup chopped cooked chicken for this recipe.

1 Cup Mixed Veggies - carrot, onion, celery, I used fresh veggies. The original recipe calls for frozen veggie mix. **I do not recommend adding green beans like I did. They did not cook as fast as the carrot and the flavor did not blend. Im sure it does with the frozen veggie medley mix but we dont eat frozen bags of veggies in this house.

Mix Together:
1 Cup Bisquik
2 Tbsp Chopped Green Onion
1/3 tsp onion powder
Set aside to add milk to later.

Start Cooking:

In the pan/pot:
1/4 Cup Flour
and
Dried herbs - thyme, sage
salt, pepper
whisk together, add: 1 and 3/4 Cups to 2 Cups Broth (depending on your preference)
On medium heat
Then add the chicken, veggies.
Heat to boil, reduce to simmer.


For the Dumplings:
1 Cup Bisquik
2 Tbsp Chopped Green Onion
1/3 tsp onion powder
1/3 C Milk
Add milk to Bisquik until it becomes doughy. Form 6 balls, drop into soup mix.

Cover on heat 10 minutes, uncover for 10 minutes on stove. 

Cherry Lime Cupcakes Recipe for Holidays

Here is a recipe for Cherry Lime Cupcakes. They are so easy to make, and really tasty too! 

Secret ingredient is......Kool aid sugar!

Add about half the packet to the batter. Be sure to split the batter in half if you are using more than one flavor. Drop the batter in the same cupcake liner before baking and thats it!

I hope you enjoyed making cupcakes today!

Fudge 101 For Holidays

Hey everyone, thanks for hanging in there. Its been quite some time since I have updated this site. Work has kept me pretty busy lately. I am going to make some effort for more updates, especially now that the holidays are around the corner. Ok, so here we go!

Easy Chocolate Fudge Recipe

Smooth, creamy double chocolate fudge

courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen

Ingredients

• 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12 oz bag) semi sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup milk chocolate chips
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 tsp vanilla

Instructions

1. Line a 9 x 9 inch pan with HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil and grease with butter. Set aside.
2. In a large sauce pan, add the condensed milk, chocolate chips, and butter. Cook over low heat, stirring often to avoid burning. Cook until mixture is melted and well combined.
3. Remove from heat and add vanilla; stir until combined.
4. Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Tap few times to remove air bubbles.
5. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 2 hours.
6. When set, remove from pan using the foil and cut into pieces.
7. Store fudge in fridge for long storage. Just remove from fridge an hour or so before serving to soften.

Feeling confident yet? Now to move onto a more complicated recipe...

Easy Pumpkin Spice Fudge Recipe

Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, pumpkin, its definitely fall in this kitchen!

courtesy of Allrecipes

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 1/2 Cups White Sugar

2/3 Cup of Evaporated Milk

1 Cup White Chocolate Chips

1 TSP Vanilla Extract

7 Ounces Marshmallow Creme

3/4 Cup of Canned Pumpkin

1 TSP of Cinnamon** (I used Pumpkin Pie Spice instead)

1. Line a 9x9 inch pan with HEAVY DUTY aluminum foil, and set aside.
2. In a 3 quart saucepan, heat milk and sugar over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
3. Mix in pumpkin puree and cinnamon; bring back to a boil. Stir in marshmallow creme and butter. Bring to a rolling boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 18 minutes.
4. Remove from heat, and add white chocolate chips and vanilla. Stir until creamy and all chips are melted. Pour into prepared pan. Cool, remove from pan, and cut into squares. Store in a cool, dry place.

Thanks for reading! 

A Homemade Pasty Recipe

How to Make An English Style Pasty Dinner 

Pasty is a basic mini food pie. It is also served with gravy. This recipe will teach you how to make both and an excellent meal. This is sure to be a big hit at the dinner table. The portions are made by the ingredients and sizing of your choice.

Ingredients:
*ground beef - already cooked and seasoned. Can substitute ground pork, chicken, turkey...
bacon for flavor, can omit 
onions
potatoes - boiled, pierce w fork to test when done
peas
carrots
egg
butter
beef bouillon cube
Kitchen Bouquet (optional)

Bread:
Use store bought puff pastry dough, as pictured. Pillsbury crescent dough 'original' flavor also works really well. It is cheaper than the puff pastry and definitely has a crunchier texture. But its up to you, whichever you choose. You will not need alot of filling for these. Pictured below is probably double what you would need for 4 pasties.

To Prep:
-Set Oven 400 degrees
-Boil potatoes until they can be pierced with a fork. Cool, set aside. 
-Cook bacon til desired texture, remove and set side. 
-Keep pan hot, add onions then carrot, and cook for 5 minutes.
-add meat, cook til brown, set aside.
-add peas to mix

You will get a better crust when you use a proper eggwash before baking. 

To Make Pasty:
-make squares out of prebought dough, use parchment paper for cooking, (keep eye on it if using pillsbury dough because the paper will cook differently.)
-add your filling in a tablespoon, then seal edges like a triangle.
-brush with egg wash or butter. 
-Cook for 5-10 minutes. Times and heat vary, just keep an eye until crust is golden brown.

To Make Gravy:
Make a roux using equal parts of butter and flour. Whisk for 5 minutes in pan on heat.
In the meantime, boil 1 cup of water, dissolve beef bouillon cube. When ready, add to your roux.
Add some of the pan drippings from the meat (optional if you already prepared your meat the day before, but this adds a LOT of flavor.)
Whisk butter/flour, drippings, and bouillon water for a few minutes, let it thicken. 
Add a tsp of Kitchen Bouquet if you have it, for extra flavor and dark color.
Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Green Juicer Recipe

Green Juice Recipe
(requires juicer)

Ingredients:

1. Cucumber - can also add celery
2. Lettuce - kale, green, red, spinach
3. Apple - fruit, sweet flavor
4. (additional ingredients can be added: honey, ginger)

Juice together, drink right away!

actual drink! 

Pictured: Half cucumber, handful of red lettuce, one golden delicious apple.

Go green! Help yourself lose weight and help your body get healthy!

Crafting DIY: Pencil Cup Mod Podge

Introduction
Ok so this is not the project to use an inkject printed picture for on plain paper, but I did anyway. Twice. I want to go and get nicer paper but it was too hot to think about driving to the craft store. 
Anyway I start out with a can, these are expired peas from 2011, so we arent going to miss them.

Pencil Cup Tin Can Mod Podge

Items You Will Need:

tin can
soap
paper towel/rag
mod podge
brush or sponge
wax paper/surface to work on

Wash the can out really well. Use soap, then dry with paper towel or rag.

Peel the label off the can if you havent already. Clean that surface. Dry.

Apply Mod Podge to inside if you are decorating both sides of the tin can. If not just apply to the front side.

Roll your pattern evenly.

Apply the hell out of the Mod Podge

Have your image ready to be glued on.

Apply glue. Wait. Apply more. (See I did not wait.)

And there. If you take your time, you can even line up your pattern. Not like me, this was a mess halfway through I wondered why did I do this. But now I have something I can store my pens in at work! :)

Bonus: Patterned Duct Tape and Black Electrical Tape Finishings:

Wrap tape onto can. Done!

All you have to do is just wrap it around the edge for another pattern or color!

Enjoy!! I would love to see your Mod Podge Tin Cans on my blog or  Swiss Army Artist on Facebook

at my desk at the office looking fabulous!

Sleepy Blanket Logo Work

New logo design reflects characteristics similar to the represented product:

Soft colors, tranquil, comfort

Using design elements like: 

Outer glow, blue haze, a sleeping baby, image of product

Target Audience will be new parents, mostly moms and grandmoms,  

Emphasis on comfort gifts for infants and young ones.

Advertisement: Print Full Page Magazine Ads and Web/Internet Banners

Sleepy Baby Blankets wanted a logo and advertisement to promote themselves. This series was developed and approved over a lengthy period of time with several levels of the company. To ensure the right message was delivered, the CEO personally approved of each color proof. This ad campaign will be featured in Parents Magazine as well as Good Housekeeping.