Cider Glazed Chicken & Vegetables

Tonight we were supposed to have spaghetti but I feel like we just ate that (even though we didn't) so I swapped it with tomorrow's dinner, which was chicken stirfry. I knew I wanted to use up a package of stir fry veggies that I'd had in the freezer for awhile but that's really as far as I knew what I was making. As I was steaming the rice, I got to looking at the back of the veggie package and the recipe looked good, so we gave it a try.

It was pretty good! I'd totally make it again - only I'd make it with fresh veggies instead of frozen, which is why I'm copying the recipe down here so I can remember it later. :)

From the back of the Flav-R-Pac package:

• 2 tsp Vegetable oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 cup apple cider or apple juice
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp dijon-style mustard
• Flav-R-Pac Yellow Carrot Stir Fry

In a large skillet, heat oil over hight heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper and cooked 3 minutes per side.

In a small jar combine cider, butter, brown sugar, cornstarch and mustard; shake to blend. Add to pan and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes while stirring.

Add vegetables and cook an additional 5 minutes stirring gently halfway through cooking time.

Makes 4 servings.

I wasn't too sure how it was going to taste but I loved it! Even Ben gobbled it up, and I was sure I was going to have to figure out something else for him to make.

Yum!

Monday: Menu.

Here's what the Beesley's are cooking up this week:

Monday: Connie's Potato Soup

Tuesday: Burritos

Wednesday: Spaghetti

Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry

Friday: Mexican Shredded Pot Roast

Saturday: Lasagna Soup

Sunday: Chicken Tortilla Soup

What's cooking in your kitchen this week? ;)

Keeping It Real

Miranda over at Just Drink a Coke is hosting a link party where we show off our real messes. I thought it would be fun to join in. :)

Here's my mess:

This is what my kitchen/dining room looks like most of the day. I do clean it but that dang island is just a magnet for clutter. So what's going on in this picture?

• Well, the purple sheet over the chairs to the right of the picture isn't normally there. I made a fort for Ben. He didn't care about it.
• The hutch is pretty tidy, except for the birthday present that I need to wrap for tomorrow's party.
• Island = general clutter. There's an empty milk jug that I rinsed out for Nick to put his used motor oil in, a case of Coke, the baby monitor, a huge stack of magazines (from this morning, I was trying to find my coupon for $10 off at the Amazon Baby Store), Ben's high chair tray, and the dish that usually sits on top of the dining room table (moved for the aforementioned fort), Sadie's food & water so Ben doesn't play in it, an empty coffee cup and my phone
• Rest of the counters - I've got a pile of dirty dishes going in the sink, dinner in the crock pot, lunch stuff on the counter next to my computer along with my notebook, a magazine, bills, etc.
• Not to mention the random crap Ben finds to play with and then leaves on the floor. And the tiny culprit himself.

It looks pretty awful but it takes about 5 minutes to clean up. And even less time than that to get it looking just the same again. :)

PB&J Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies

I found this recipe on Weelicious last night and made them after Ben went to bed (it seems I do most of my baking at night when Nick is at school... I wonder if that will change when school is out) and MY OH MY were these so good!!!

Nick walked in the back door, stopped and said "you baked!" He then proceeded into the kitchen where he stopped again and said "peanut butter cookies!!!" Then he continued talking to me, noticed the cookies again and interrupted himself mid sentence to say "peanut butter thumb print cookies?!?!?"

:) I think that was a nice treat for him after a really long and hard day (I could take total credit and say I made these just for that occasion - but the fact is that I wanted cookies & I wanted to make some that I could share with Ben without too much guilt).

As usual, I'll share the original recipe first and then share how I changed mine just slightly below.

PB&J Oatmeal Thumbprint Cookies (Makes about 60 cookies)

1/2 Cup Butter (1 Stick), softened
1/2 Cup Agave Nectar OR 1/2 Cup Honey

1 Large Egg
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Cup Peanut Butter
1 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour 

1 Cup Old Fashioned Oats

1 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Salt
Jam, Jelly or Preserves

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Place the butter and agave (or honey) in a bowl or standing mixer and beat for 1 minute.
3. Add the egg, vanilla and peanut butter and beat another minute on medium speed or until smooth.

4. In a separate bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.

5. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix to incorporate.
6. Drop 1 tbsp of the cookie dough onto a silpat or parchment-lined cookie sheet and using your thumb (or index finger if you prefer), make an indentation in the center of each cookie.
7. Fill the indentation of each cookie with about 1/2 teaspoon of jam.
8. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
9. Cool and serve.

Here's how mine were different:

1. I had some agave left from when I made Ben's birthday cake, but not enough. I used as much agave as I had and filled up the rest with honey (probably about a 1/4 cup each).
2. I've been doing this for awhile now with all cookie recipes that want you to put your wet ingredients in one bowl and your dry ingredients in another, and then mix the two: I've always felt it was really stupid to dirty another bowl for dry ingredients, so this is what I do and I haven't noticed a taste difference at all: mix together all the "wet" ingredients as directed. Then mix in the smaller of the dry ingredients (usually the salt, baking powder, etc) with a hand mixer and then slowly stir in the flour.
3. I'm not lucky enough to have a stand mixer, so I mixed all mine with a regular ol' hand mixer.
4. I don't have a Silpat mat or even parchment paper, so my cookies just went on a plain old cookie sheet - didn't seem to bake any differently...
5. There's no way you'll get 60 cookies if you follow the instructions. She says to drop by tablespoon full, which is what I did. I got closer to 45ish cookies (which is plenty).

In any case - these are freaking delicious!!! A bit time consuming but so worth the effort! I'll definitely make these again :)

Wacky.

Some Ben wackiness du jour:

1. Peeing on the floor and then stepping in it. That's right, folks. I sent my naked child off towards the bath, he stopped to pee and then thought it would be fun to play in it. Mama disagreed. Loudly.
2. Discovering his face reflected in the overflow drain in the tub. And then staring at himself. Admiring himself. Then he kissed himself.
3. Finding that the toothbrush tickles. :)
4. Backwards crawling. Everywhere.
5. Forts in the living room - kinda fun!
6. Digging through the picture box and looking at a picture of my mom and saying "nana" over and over - just about broke my heart. :( I think he misses her.
7. Giving hugs to new friends at Little Gym.
8. Stuffing handfuls of food into the catcher part of his bib and then giving the sign for "all done" - stinker.