Tasty Tuesdays: Sundried Tomato & Pesto Chicken Sandwich

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday. 

Sometimes I just need a quick bite and not a whole turn upside 

down every pan in the kitchen type of meal. 
And I am a little bit of a sandwich lover too... 

So this here meal... just happened one day.

Disclaimer: I didn't snag a photo of the finished closed sandwich 

because my taste buds just couldn't wait any longer. Sorry folks.

Ingredients: 

Baguette Bread

Pesto (I used Basil Pesto from Costco)

Sun Dried Tomatoes (you'll need the oil inside the jar too)

Cream Cheese

Cooked Chicken (I just salt & peppered mine)

Directions:

Cut your baguette sandwich style.

Remove about 8-12 pieces of sun dried tomato from the jar and dice them up. 

Dump those in with the cream cheese and add a little of the oil from the sun dried

tomato jar. I only had enough cream cheese for this left in my tub so I just used it to mix.

Mix well.

Drizzle (love that word) some of the oils from the tomato's onto your 

bread and put that in the oven to lightly toast it while you slice your chicken.

(don't forget or it will be much more than toasted.)

Once your chicken is sliced remove your bread, if you haven't already, from the oven.

On one side of your bread spread your cream cheese/tomato mix.

On the other side, spread your pesto.

Top one with your sliced chicken and close your sandwich.

Put that back in the oven for a short time just to toast it all together.

I hope you all enjoy!

^{Hebrews 4:14-16}

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, 

the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest

who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect

has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to

the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Strawberry Field Forever

Well there can't always be outfits and sunshine now can there.

Last week I found myself galavanting around a huge field packed

with rows of strawberries. As I picked and pick and picked, and chatted

 with a friend I slowly but surely picked way more than I expected.

I took home a huge bowl of strawberries wondering what in the world

I was going to do so that half or more didn't go bad sitting in that dang bowl.

I chopped them up and put them in oatmeal. I made up some shortcake

and topped it with these red delicious treats. And I even woke up early one

morning and whipped up some strawberry muffins to share.

And as I continually found uses for these mouth watering, flavor packed

strawberries, I also found myself humming a little tune I grew up hearing

thanks to my Beatles fan of a mother. "Strawberry Fields Forever."

I can't even type the title without singing it.

Does this ever happen to anyone eles? The childhood song stuck in your brain.

John 16:33

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.

In the world you will havetribulation.

But take heart; I have overcome the world.

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken & Brat Kabobs

Welcome to Tasty Tuesday. 

I have never in my life used a BBQ before. I've eaten plenty of yums

straight off the BBQ, I've ordered somethings at restaurants that have 
the word "BBQ" in it, I've been invited & attended BBQ's as events. 

But never have a used a BBQ in all of my life.

So in an effort to participate in being a human, I thought I ought to try.

And so the idea of Kabob's entered my head and whisked me away to drool land,

where we all lived happily and carnivorously ever after... Care to Join?

Here's what I did!

Disclaimer: I did mine in a different marinading order and think the way
I typed it below is better than what I did... 
Thus a lil difference in photos and directions.

Ingredients: 

8 Chicken Tenderloins

5 Beer Brats

2 Large Green Peppers

(add more colors if you'd like)

1 Large Onion

1-2 bottles Teriyaki marinade 

Note: Need long skewers

Directions:

Let's start at the very beginning. A very good place to start.

No really, when you wake up at the beginning 
of the morning, get the Brats on to boil.

You don't need to cook them 100% but at least 50% cooked.

While they're boiling, get the Veggies washed and cut. 

Cut them in large pieces about 1x1 inch at the smallest. 

(I think mine where closer to 2x2 inches)

This is especially important for the onion, seeing as how we're all

used to dicing or thin-slicing for those lil cry-babies.

When the veggies are cut and the brats is cooked to your liking,

Get your raw tenderloins and brats on the cutting board and cut them up.

Same thing, cut that meet to about 2 x 2 inches.

(not an exact science friends, just don't make them tiny)

Now that everything is cut (including any additional veggies you want)

Put it all in a gallon freezer zip lock bag and pour in 1-2 bottle of the

Teriyaki marinade. (this is your preference)
I might even suggest you put your chicken in a separate bag to 
marinade and combine it all when you skewer it later.

Let that sit in the refrigerator all the live long day, 

while you go about frolicking in field, picking daisies 

and any other major priorities you have to get through. 

About an hour before you want to eat, take that bag of goodies out

and start skewering it. I'm pretty sure I just did a healthy rotation

of all 4 things over and over and over again. 

But hey, you can live on the edge and put two peppers together if you wanted to.

When you're all skewered up, take it out and light up the BBQ.

(or as I did, have someone light up the BBQ... Maybe I still haven't used a BBQ?)

Lay out your Kabobs and cook until meat is finished.

I went ahead and sliced a baguette up with butter and garlic powder,

wrapped it in foil and put it on the BBQ too. Carbs people, I love 'em!

Enjoy!

^{Psalm 68:19-20}

Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior,
who daily bears our burdens.
Our God is a God who saves;
from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Tasty Tuesday - Parmesan Meatballs

Well, here it is people! The first Tasty Tuesday.

Bloggers seem like they always have all these fun labels for what they post 
on what day they post it... I'm not going to lie, it took me longer than it 
should have to come up with that there alliteration. Oh well, I'm new at this. 

But enough nonsense, let me tell you about these delish meatballs, 

that I concocted the other day and immediately fell in love with!

Disclaimer: I'm really bad at measuring things when I'm making it up as I go.

For all of you who need measurements... I'm sorry! Now's your chance to learn to wing it!

Ingredients: 

1 pound Ground Italian Sausage

(I used 2 pounds because it was for lots of people, 
so keep that in mind when looking at the photos)

1 large egg (per pound of meat)

Chopped Spinach (I did half a bag)

1-2 Shredded Carrots (your discretion of quantity)

Healthy amount of Black Pepper, Salt, and Parsley flakes.

Generous helping of Parmesan Cheese

(Can't forget the cheese... this makes it!)

Old Fashioned Oats

(I always error on not enough and add more if needed after mixing)

Directions:

I always begin with the egg. Crack it, dump it, move on.

Put all ingredients in bowl over the eggs.

After all items are in the bowl, it's time to roll up your sleeves. 

Dig your hands in there and start mixing. If you're afraid of a mess, I guess

you could use a spoon or fork or something, but it wont be quite the same.

Once everything is well mixed, get your scoop out and start a-scoopin.

At this point I've lined my cookie sheets with parchment paper so there's less

clean up at the end. Space the meatballs about 1 inch apart. 
After I have them scooped out I roll them into more even balls by hand.
They aren't cookies, so they don't need a lot of room to spread out. 

I baked these at 425 degrees for 1 hour. Obviously that will vary based on the oven.

I hope you all enjoy!

2 Corinthians 10: 17-18

 “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” For it is not the one who 

commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.