Saturday, April 28, 2012

Avocado Chicken Salad

by Leslie

A quick post today about a quick and easy lunch idea.  I know you've probably seen this recipe floating around the web.  I highly suggest you take a look and give it a whirl.



Alright, alright.  So this photo may look a mess, but it does not taste a mess.  If you want a delectable, easy, fresh lunch, this is your winner.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try myself.  The concept is simple--take a typical chicken salad and spice it up a bit.  This version has some Mexican flavors like cilantro, avocado, and lime juice.  It goes easy on the mayo so it tastes super fresh.

Jaime and I whipped up this chicken salad in less than five minutes and ate it in about the same time.  We had it with tortilla chips, but I'm sure it would be equally good in a sandwich.  Try it out--even if you are not a lover of avocados, I think you would appreciate this.  

Avocado Chicken Salad
Inspired by Becoming Betty

By the way, all measurements are approximate.  Taste as you go!

1 avocado
2-3 green onions, finely minced
1-2 tablespoons mayo (optional, but it adds a nice creaminess)
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
the juice of one lime
approx. 1 1/2 cupsshredded cooked chicken
salt to taste.

1.  Mash the avocado with a fork until it is slightly smooth

2.  Add all the other ingredients and mix gently.  

3.  Serve on bread, crackers, or chips.  Enjoy!


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring Cleaning: Inside and Out

By: Laura

This last weekend, Derek, my husband said, "I have the urge to clean the garage."  My jaw dropped and I immediately responded, "OK!"  I didn't want him to loose that ambition because sometimes it doesn't last long.  So, our Saturday was filled with dust, leaves and spiderwebs, but it was mighty refreshing to get it done.  Ella was loving being outside and since it was 80 degrees, we worked up a bit of a sweat too.

We began by getting absolutely everything out of the garage.  That took some time because there was a whole lot of stuff crammed in there!  NOTE: Our neighbor kid is on the weird big wheel thing.  (they had to see what was going on.)

After the garage was cleared out, we swept and then started to get things off the concrete.  Derek nailed this board to the wall to create a tool rack.  Nicely done, eh?

We slowly started to add things back into the garage.   We really wanted to think  about the placement of each item, so perhaps, in the future, we would put them in the "right" place.

Looking good!

Organized shelves. 

And there you have it: a much cleaner and more spacious garage.

Not only did we work outside, I moved inside as well to get things organized in my closet while Ella was napping.  Here's how that went.

This is what our room looked like when I just dug in!  Yikes!

Piles were then made: winter, summer, goodwill

Ta Da!  A well organized closet.


Wow, it makes me feel good to look at it!  Give spring cleaning a try soon, it really does lift your spirits! 

Monday, April 2, 2012

Chicken Ravioli Soup

by Leslie

Last summer I was watching a lot of television.  I had more shows than I knew what to do with.  The fact was, I had yet to find a job and was doing little else with my time.

I love me some TV.

Some of my favorite things to watch were cooking shows.  One of my favorites is Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn.  She is a practical woman.  She makes one dish and shows you what to do with the leftovers, she makes freezer meals, and she tries to save you money.  I support those things fully.

In one episode she made a bunch of things with pre-packaged wonton wrappers.  That was right up my alley.

I decided to try my own version of her Ravioli Soup, and I must say, I found it very successful.  The ravioli require few ingredients and if you get into full-on assembly line mode, they go pretty fast.  Here's the process:

Start by chopping up some chicken.  I used one large chicken breast that I had roasted on the bone.

To the chicken, add some grated parmesan cheese, freshly chopped parsley, an egg and some salt and pepper (don't forget to take into account how salty your cheese is).

Get your assembly station set up.  My wonton wrappers are tucked away in a damp paper towel.

Start assembling.  Roll your wrappers out to about 4" square, put a tablespoon of filling in the middle, dampen the edges, and seal.

Here are my uncooked raviolis.  They are monsters!  


Add your ravioli to simmering chicken stock and let them cook for about 2 minutes.  The wonton wrapper will kind of shrink up on the filling.  Serve them with some hot chicken stock and enjoy!

 Chicken Ravioli Soup

Print this recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Lucinda Scala Quinn
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
½ freshly grated parmesan cheese (asiago is recommended, too)
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg or two egg whites
Flour for dusting
16 pre-packaged wonton skins, thawed if frozen
8 cups chicken stock or broth

Mix chicken, cheese and parsley, and egg in a bowl.  Stir lightly so as not to compact the mixture.  

Roll out the wonton wrappers so they are approximately 4” square.

Add a tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the center of the wrapper.  Dampen the edges of wrapper with water using your finger or a pastry brush.  Top with the other wrapper and seal by pressing with the tines of a fork.  

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer on the stove and add the ravioli one by one (I did mine in batches of 3-4).  Cook for approximately 2 minutes and serve with hot chicken broth.


Saturday, April 28, 2012

Avocado Chicken Salad

by Leslie

A quick post today about a quick and easy lunch idea.  I know you've probably seen this recipe floating around the web.  I highly suggest you take a look and give it a whirl.



Alright, alright.  So this photo may look a mess, but it does not taste a mess.  If you want a delectable, easy, fresh lunch, this is your winner.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try myself.  The concept is simple--take a typical chicken salad and spice it up a bit.  This version has some Mexican flavors like cilantro, avocado, and lime juice.  It goes easy on the mayo so it tastes super fresh.

Jaime and I whipped up this chicken salad in less than five minutes and ate it in about the same time.  We had it with tortilla chips, but I'm sure it would be equally good in a sandwich.  Try it out--even if you are not a lover of avocados, I think you would appreciate this.  

Avocado Chicken Salad
Inspired by Becoming Betty

By the way, all measurements are approximate.  Taste as you go!

1 avocado
2-3 green onions, finely minced
1-2 tablespoons mayo (optional, but it adds a nice creaminess)
1-2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
the juice of one lime
approx. 1 1/2 cupsshredded cooked chicken
salt to taste.

1.  Mash the avocado with a fork until it is slightly smooth

2.  Add all the other ingredients and mix gently.  

3.  Serve on bread, crackers, or chips.  Enjoy!


Thursday, April 5, 2012

Spring Cleaning: Inside and Out

By: Laura

This last weekend, Derek, my husband said, "I have the urge to clean the garage."  My jaw dropped and I immediately responded, "OK!"  I didn't want him to loose that ambition because sometimes it doesn't last long.  So, our Saturday was filled with dust, leaves and spiderwebs, but it was mighty refreshing to get it done.  Ella was loving being outside and since it was 80 degrees, we worked up a bit of a sweat too.

We began by getting absolutely everything out of the garage.  That took some time because there was a whole lot of stuff crammed in there!  NOTE: Our neighbor kid is on the weird big wheel thing.  (they had to see what was going on.)

After the garage was cleared out, we swept and then started to get things off the concrete.  Derek nailed this board to the wall to create a tool rack.  Nicely done, eh?

We slowly started to add things back into the garage.   We really wanted to think  about the placement of each item, so perhaps, in the future, we would put them in the "right" place.

Looking good!

Organized shelves. 

And there you have it: a much cleaner and more spacious garage.

Not only did we work outside, I moved inside as well to get things organized in my closet while Ella was napping.  Here's how that went.

This is what our room looked like when I just dug in!  Yikes!

Piles were then made: winter, summer, goodwill

Ta Da!  A well organized closet.


Wow, it makes me feel good to look at it!  Give spring cleaning a try soon, it really does lift your spirits! 

Monday, April 2, 2012

Chicken Ravioli Soup

by Leslie

Last summer I was watching a lot of television.  I had more shows than I knew what to do with.  The fact was, I had yet to find a job and was doing little else with my time.

I love me some TV.

Some of my favorite things to watch were cooking shows.  One of my favorites is Mad Hungry with Lucinda Scala Quinn.  She is a practical woman.  She makes one dish and shows you what to do with the leftovers, she makes freezer meals, and she tries to save you money.  I support those things fully.

In one episode she made a bunch of things with pre-packaged wonton wrappers.  That was right up my alley.

I decided to try my own version of her Ravioli Soup, and I must say, I found it very successful.  The ravioli require few ingredients and if you get into full-on assembly line mode, they go pretty fast.  Here's the process:

Start by chopping up some chicken.  I used one large chicken breast that I had roasted on the bone.

To the chicken, add some grated parmesan cheese, freshly chopped parsley, an egg and some salt and pepper (don't forget to take into account how salty your cheese is).

Get your assembly station set up.  My wonton wrappers are tucked away in a damp paper towel.

Start assembling.  Roll your wrappers out to about 4" square, put a tablespoon of filling in the middle, dampen the edges, and seal.

Here are my uncooked raviolis.  They are monsters!  


Add your ravioli to simmering chicken stock and let them cook for about 2 minutes.  The wonton wrapper will kind of shrink up on the filling.  Serve them with some hot chicken stock and enjoy!

 Chicken Ravioli Soup

Print this recipe

Adapted from a recipe by Lucinda Scala Quinn
Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped cooked chicken
½ freshly grated parmesan cheese (asiago is recommended, too)
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg or two egg whites
Flour for dusting
16 pre-packaged wonton skins, thawed if frozen
8 cups chicken stock or broth

Mix chicken, cheese and parsley, and egg in a bowl.  Stir lightly so as not to compact the mixture.  

Roll out the wonton wrappers so they are approximately 4” square.

Add a tablespoon of the chicken mixture to the center of the wrapper.  Dampen the edges of wrapper with water using your finger or a pastry brush.  Top with the other wrapper and seal by pressing with the tines of a fork.  

Bring the chicken stock to a simmer on the stove and add the ravioli one by one (I did mine in batches of 3-4).  Cook for approximately 2 minutes and serve with hot chicken broth.