• 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs (such as Progresso)
• 1/3 cup instant potato flakes (such as Hungry Jack)
• 1/3 cup egg beaters
• 1-2 tablespoons water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Seasonings as desired

1. Mix the dry ingredients together on a plate

2. Mix the wet ingredients together in a bowl

3. Lightly season the chicken breasts

4. Dip the chicken breast in the egg mixture

5. Dredge the wet chicken in the dry mixture

6. Place on a baking sheet sprayed with non-stick spray

7. Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees

Serve

Variations:

Chicken Parmesan

Add 1/3 cup of grated Parmesan cheese, 2 tsp of Italian cheese and 1 tsp of garlic powder to the  dry mix

This recipe scales very well.  The photos you see here are from a double batch.  It is wonderful served with hot, fresh bread and freezes very well.  I make mine in a dutch oven but I’m sure it would do well in a slow cooker too.

1 lb chicken breast cut into bite site pieces
1 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic chopped
1 medium onion chopped
1 cup mushrooms-chopped
1 bag frozen of Italian style mixed vegetables (squash, zucchini, asparagus,carrots)
1 can of diced tomatoes with garlic and onions
½ large can of crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red wine
¼ cup barley
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp salt
½ tsp rosemary
½ tsp black pepper
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp old bay seasoning
1 tsp paprika

Saute garlic, mushrooms and onions in oil in dutch oven.

Add all other ingredients

and bake, covered at 250 for 90 minutes (minimum, can go longer, up to 4 hours)  increase heat to 400 and bake for an additional 20-40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite size pieces
• 1 tablespoon Lysanders chicken seasoning
• 2 1/4 cups herb stuffing mix
• 1 jar chicken or turkey gravy
• 2 tsp minced onion

Directions

1. Cut the chicken up into bite size pieces and put it into a bowl

2. Add all of the ingredients and mix it up, then press it into a baking dish that you’ve sprayed with oil.

3. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, then turn on broil for a couple minutes to crisp up the top

4. Eat it.

See how easy that was?

Ingredients

• One and a quarter to one and a half pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced thin)
• 2 tsp Lysaders chicken rub (or other spice of your choice)
• 1 cup portabello mushrooms-chopped
• 1/3 cup onion-chopped
• 1/3 cup red or orange bell pepper-chopped
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 2 tbsp sliced green olives
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup roasted garlic marinara sauce

Directions

1. Lay the chicken out in a baking dish and sprinkle with the chicken rub

2. Saute mushrooms, onions, garlic, carrots, peppers and olives in pan with olive oil

3. Spread the mixture over the chicken

4. Spread on the marinara sauce

5. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees

Ingredients

• boneless skinless chicken breast
• Durkee tomato garlic pesto marinade
• provolone cheese slices
• sliced onions
• creamy horseradish
• mayonnaise
• garlic powder
• barbecue sauce
• buns
• red wine vinegar
• vegetable oil
• chopped, cooked bacon
• tomato slices (optional)

Directions

1. Lay your chicken breasts out on a cutting board, cover with a layer of plastic wrap and using a meat mallet (flat side) pound until they are a uniform thickness all the way across

2. Next, tenderize the chicken (I like to use a blade tenderizer but if you don’t have one then the other side of the meat mallet works too)

3.  Next, take your packet of Durkee Tomato Garlic Pesto Marinade and take out 1/8 of a tsp of the mix and set it aside (look, it made a heart!)

4. Take the rest of the mix and put it in a large zip top bag and mix it according to packet direction then add about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar

5. Place the chicken in the bad, squeeze out most of the air, squish it around to coat the chicken well then set it in the refridgerator for at least half hour (an hour is better)

6. Next, made the spread by combining 3 tablespoons mayonaise, 1 tsp barbecue sauce, 1 tsp creamy horserasdish, 1/8 tsp marinade powder and 1/2 tsp garlic powder (this is enough for 3 sandwiches, increase if you are making more)

7.  Now slice up some onions (how many depends on how many sandwiches you are making) and fry them in a pan with a bit of oil until very brown

8.  Go heat up the grill, its time to put the chicken on.  Grill the chicken for about 7 minutes on each side or until done

9. While the chicken is grilling, toast your buns under the oven broiler, then leave the broiler on, we are going to use it again in a minute

10. Once the chicken is done place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and sprinkle with chopped, cooked bacon

11. Pile on the cooked onions

12. Top each with a slice of Provolone cheese

13. Place under the broiler to melt the cheese

14.  Put the spread on the buns

15.  Top with a slice of ripe tomato (optional) and enjoy

Ingredients

• 1 Rotisserie Chicken
• 8 cups water
• 1 tablespoon minced onion
• 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 medium onion-chopped
• 1/2 cup coarsely  chopped carrot
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1/4 cup shiitake mushrooms (dried or fresh)
• 1 tsp rosemary
• 1/2 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp sage
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 cups whole wheat egg noodles

Directions

1. Remove all of the chicken meat from the bones and set it aside (how much meat you have depends on how much leftover chicken you have)

2. Place the bones and skin in a large pot

3. Fill the pot with water and add the first half of herbs and seasonings (1 tablespoon minced onion, 1/2 tbsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp sage, 1 tsp kosher salt)

4. Boil for  minimum of 2 hours (the longer the better)

5.  Drain the broth through a colander to remove bones and skin

Make sure its a colander and not  seive, you want the spices and bits of chicken and fat to come through

6. Return the broth to the pot and add in the chicken, vegetables and seasonings

7. Cook for about 1 hour (if you need to add additional water you can, do so 1 cup at a time and taste the broth to make sure the seasonings are right)

8. Make sure soup is at a rolling boil and then add in egg noodles and cook for 20 minutes

I placed the chicken breasts in a casserole dish-thusly:

Then I made a sauce (looks gross, huh?)

Its made up of these things

• 1 can cream of chicken soup (98% fat free)
• 1/4 cup chopped up sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup chopped portabello mushrooms
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 3 slices cooked bacon-chopped
• 1/2 tsp sage
• 1/2 tsp oregeno
• 1/2 tsp roasted garlic red pepper spice (To be had at the soulard farmers market if you are in St. Louis)
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 3/4 cup water

Then pour the sauce over the chicken and bake at 350 for about 30 minutes

I served it with whole wheat buttered egg noodles

I think next time I will actually make on the stovetop so that I can brown the chicken and mushrooms and onions then simmer it with the sauce.

Bra

Got it (finally) from Bare Necessities online and it fits and works under the dress, so that is done. Other than the fact that Ann’s Bra Shop can’t seem to credit me back correctly for the one I returned to them.

So all of my DIY projects are done.

Cake and Cupcakes

I picked up the candy flowers for the cupcakes. SUPER cute!

I am picking up the cupcakes and cake on Friday and will put these on them then.

Centerpieces

DONE! (unless I have to add an extra one because of some last minute RSVP’s that change our table count)

Ring bearer Pillow

Done.

Flower Girl Baskets

Done.

Garter

Got one.

Memorial Candle

Done.

Guestbook Card Basket

Done.

Card Box

Done.

Cake Topper

Done.

(no picture because its still a secret!)

Wedding Ceremony Online

We are going to attempt to broadcast our wedding ceremony live online via uStream. http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mattandkristiswedding
Watch us finally make it legal from the comfort of your own home!
(times are in Central Time)

Other

I still have quite a few items on my to-do list but it is shrinking fairly quickly.  I made calls yesterday and today to confirm orders and reservations, I still have a few calls to make there.  Tuesday is my last day of work before the wedding then I have 3 full days of running around getting stuff done before the big day!

Ingredients

• 1 cup fresh basil
• 1 ounce pistachio nuts
• 3 cloves garlic
• 2 ounces freshly grated parmesean cheese
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 4 ounce marinated artichoke hearts
• 6 ounces cooked chicken breast
• dash Kosher salt
• 1 package mini Phyllo shells

Procedure

Heat oven to 350 degrees

Grate the cheese

Put the basil in the food processor and give it a spin

Add in the garlic and nuts and about half the cheese

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil (while the food processor is running)

Add the artichokes and salt

Process until nice and creamy

Mmmmm….

Get your chicken ready.  I used the Tyson Grilled and Ready diced chicken I had in the freezer, any kind of chicken breast will do though

Take out about half of the pesto mixture and put it in a bowl

Leave the rest of the Pesto in the food processor and add the chicken.  Pulse until the chicken is chopped up. Next time I will leave mine a bit courser than this

Remove from the food processor and put in the bowl with the rest of the pesto and mix well

Fill the Phyllo tart shells with the mixture and sprinkle with a bit of the remaining cheese

Arrange on a baking sheet

Bake for 12-13 minutes then turn to broil for 1 minute

Enjoy!

Nutritionals per 2 mini tarts (approximate)

Cut 3/4 to 1 lb of chicken into small pieces

Place 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper in a ziplock bag, then place the chicken in the bag and shake to coat

Heat 2 tbsp of vegetable oil in a large pot.  Once hot add the chicken and flour mix and stir occasionally until brown the chicken

Once the chicken has browned, add 1 cup of chicken broth

Cut one large russet potato into medium large chunks

Add the potatoes to the pot

Next add in about 2/3 of a package (about 5 oz)  of dried cheese tortellini

Add the tortellini to the pot along with 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp thyme, 1 tsp rosemary, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp garlic  and salt to taste.

Simmer for at least an hour, the longer the better, I think it would also be good in a crock pot.

I served mine with some fresh baked bread.