Crispy Cheddar Chicken! and Summer Day and Night QAL Block 7

Hello everyone! I just had the best few days. I went to Door County, WI with a friend, my mom, and my sister. It was a blast. It was a long drive but it was worth it. We went to a drive-in movie, a light house, the beach, and lots of shops. Of course there are things I am forgetting, but it was fun. If you are from Wisconsin you probably already know about Door County if you are not from Door County do a google image search and you will see it is just gorgeous.

My husband stayed home with the dogs and I ended up leaving a night earlier than planned for the trip. Meaning I hadn't had time to cook anything for my husband to reheat. He pretty much ate out for the last three days. When I asked him what he wanted for supper this morning he told me, "Real food and something green!" I agreed completely. We were camping so we had quite a bit of convenience type foods and not much for vegetables. I was also craving some veggies. I had chicken breasts in the fridge so I decided to use that up. He had asked me to make the crumb chicken I used to make for him when he would come over in high school. I use to make that chicken nearly weekly for my family. It was good....but this is better!

I based my recipe on this link http://jamiecooksitup.net/2011/10/crispy-cheddar-chicken/. I did use some different spices to give it more flavor. I only made four servings. I dipped the chicken in milk, then in shredded cheese. I only needed a cup of cheese. Then in the cracker crumbs. I only needed half a sleeve of crackers. I seasoned the cracker crumbs with seasoning salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and a dash of chili powder. I didn't measure what I put in, but it was very little chili powder and seasoning salt. More pepper and garlic powder. I was a little skeptical of the cheese, but it turned out great. The chicken stayed very moist and the cheese added a lot of flavor! It was delicious. I highly recommend trying this recipe!

I also was able to finish my week 7 block for the QAL before leaving on our trip. I am hoping to get week 8 done sometime this weekend. I am also going to make valances for one of the teachers I work with. So, I plan on spending some time in my sewing room.

 

 

 

Summer school starts on Monday! This summer just FLEW by. I am hoping to keep posting on here at least once a week so be sure to stop in often. It may be more recipes than sewing for a while (seeing as how I HAVE to cook). If you enjoy my posts be sure to follow by email!

Swoon Block Pillow

I have had a busy couple of weeks. We had two of my nephews for four day/three nights. We don't have any children...not two-legged children anyway so it was an adjustment getting used to have the boys running around the house. We went to the zoo, played in shaving cream, watched movies, played at three different parks, made homemade ice cream, and many other things. I know I teach kindergarten and I have 13-18 kids during the school year, but that time is always pretty routine oriented. Having kids without a plan or routine is a little bit scary for me. I have also gone to the beach and walked a trail with my sister and had a movie / game night with my mom and sister. So, needless to say I have been having fun I just haven't had craft time. Tonight was the first time I made it to my craft room since last week Wednesday.

Now to share the project that I finally made!!! I have been admiring the Swoon Block for a long time. I love this block...I finally found a good tutorial online and got busy. Here is the link for the tutorial I used. http://doublenickelquilts.blogspot.com/2012/03/scrappy-nickel-swoon-quilt-block.html It was well written, but it was written for charm squares, so just keep in mind that for most of the pieces you really only need to cut 2 1/2 in squares, so you could use any fabric 2 1/2 inches wide.

Here is my finished block.

 

 

It was so pretty. I knew I needed to do something fun with it. A pillow! *HINT* If you don't want to buy expensive pillow forms or stuffing, you can buy the cheap $2 pillows from Walmart and pull the stuffing from them! If you are going to do this instead of buying a pillow form, but still want your pillow to appear very smooth (no lumps) then just apply fusible fleece to the front and back pieces of your fabric before stitching and turning.

 

 



The last thing that I really wanted to share with you is this excellent recipe I found for Apple Crisp. Isn't it gorgeous. It is even prettier once it has been baked, but I was so excited to try it that I forgot to get a picture. Here is the link: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Oatmeal-Crisp/. This recipe is great for many reasons, but I like it best because it has the crumb topping on top and bottom and everyone knows the crumb topping is the best part!!!

 

 

Hopefully I will find some more sewing time this weekend. I have a Summer Day and Night QAL Block to get done! I am going on an overnight trip next week and summer school starts a week from Monday! Hopefully you have been making the most of your summer as well! Have a great weekend.

Mister's Favorite Desert Recipe- Peanut Butter Bars

I can't believe I didn't post these sooner! Everyone loves scotcharoos...peanut butter cups are also a favorite. There is just something about the combination of chocolate and peanut butter. This is the perfect pan of bars. If you're like me you don't always have caro syrup on hand. I usually have to buy it specially when I am making scotcharoos. These bars still have the great flavor, but without the difficult ingredients. If you like a crunchier bar spread them into a 9X13 if you like a thicker chewier bar use a 9x9. I fall into the second category I like my bars thicker.





Ingredients:
1 Egg
1/2 C Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1/2 C Butter
1/2 C Peanut Butter
1 TSP Vanilla
1 C Flour
1/2 C Oatmeal
1 TSP Baking Soda
1 Cup Chocolate Chips

Directions:
Mix egg, sugar, brown sugar, butter, peanut butter, and vanilla. Add flour, oatmeal, and baking soda. Mix. Spread into pan size of your choice. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Are you ready for the best trick ever? When the bars are done turn off your oven. Pull out the bars and sprinkle your chocolate chips on the top. Stick them back in the oven with the door open slightly for about two minutes. Pull them back out and the chocolate will spead easily. That means no dirtying an extra pan or risking burnt chocolate! Let them cool and enjoy with a cold glass of milk!

My Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Everyone has their one favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Today I am encouraging you to put your favorite away and give this one a try. I have made many batches of cookies using this recipe. I usually only make a half batch or make a whole batch and freeze half the dough. Today I made the full amount to send to work with my husband. Who doesn't love a little treat? Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake cookies for 12-15 minutes.

For a Small Batch 3/4 C Butter 3/4 C Sugar 3/4 C Brown Sugar 1/2 T Vanilla 1 Egg 2 C Flour 1 tsp Baking Soda 1/4 tsp Salt 1/2 Bag Chocolate Chips or M&M's

For a Large Batch 1 1/2 C Butter 1 1/4 C Sugar 1 1/4 C Brown Sugar 1 T Vanilla 2 Eggs 4 C Flour 2 tsp Baking Soda 1/2 tsp Salt 1 Bag Chocolate Chips or M&M's