Disaster Zone & Loco Chicken & Rice

Wow! What a weekend. Do you remember me telling you that I was making my Father in Law's birthday cake. Well, I did make it. I spent two days on it and it WAS great. Was being the key word here. Before I get into that part of the story though, I will tell you what I did to this great cake. I made it in three tiers, and two flavors (because it had to feed about 75 people) and I decorated it like a mountain side complete with the waterfall, rocks, cattails, 3D trees,a rustic wood plank sign annnnnddd 2 bucks and a fawn. Whew! A lot of stuff on the cake. Why am I describing this to you? Because I was not able to get a picture of it before this happened......

GASP!!!! Okay...are you back in your seat yet? What had happened was.....my dear, sweet, loving, precious husband was driving the SUV and a light turns yellow. The hesitation of him wanting to go or stop resulted in a heavy pressing of the brake pedal to actually stop the vehicle and PLOP! The cake went flying. Our little princess began to cry and tell me the cake was broken. We pull over and get out of the car to assess the true damage and well.....let's just say the rest is history. The only thing that managed to survive was the sign and trees. This being because I was holding them on our long hour trip to the party.

Through my tears and frustration we made it to the party (I did not want to be there at this point) and my dear, sweet, precious, loving husband wisked the cake immediately to the kitchen where I performed the miraculous cake surgery.( I cut it into serving size pieces and gave the people what they wanted) DELICIOUS CAKE!!!!

Mocha Chocolate cake, and traditional birthday cake flavor with a bavarian filling and buttercream frosting.

The party was really nice. My father-in-law was celebrating his 70th birthday and it was his first ever birthday party. My mother-in-law did a great job with the food. She served spaghetti with salad and garlic bread, chicken salad sandwiches (because my father-in-law wanted them ) and the disaster that I brought in the door.

Oh well....at least nothing went to waste and he enjoyed all the attention too.

I did manage to make a pretty yummy and healthy dish for dinner last night too. My mexican creation of Loco Chicken and Rice.

The recipe follows for those who would like to try it.

Loco Chicken and Rice

6  boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 pkt. McCormicks Chicken Taco Seasoning

1/2 C. MCT Oil

1 large red bell pepper

1 large yellow bell pepper

1 large yellow onion

1 1/2 C. Whole Graing Rice

4 C. Chicken Broth

1 jar Pace Picante Sauce

Veggie Cheese

Light Sour Cream

Scallions

Directions:

Cut up chicken breasts into strips and place in a large bowl. Drizzle 1/4 cup of MCT Oil over it and add the chicken taco seasoning. Toss to coat and marinate for 30 minutes or overnight.

Cut up the onion and bellpeppers into thin strips. Heat a large skillet on medium heat and add 1/4 cup of MCT oil. Sautee the onions and peppers until semi tender. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Increase heat to medium/high heat and add chicken strips. Cook until browned on both sides and no longer pink inside.

Add the peppers and onions back to the chicken and lower heat to  simmer.

Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes to deglaze the pan.

In a large saucepan pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add rice, stir and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook aobut 30 minutes or until rice is tender and broth has evaported.

Add the jar of picante sauce and stir.

Plate up the dinner by scooping out the rice onto the plate and topping with the loco chicken and peppers.

Add a dollop of sour cream, cheese and scallions if desired.

ENJOY!!!

Shopping, Baking & Healthy Chicken Fingers

The other day I was introduced to a family of online shops that I did not know existed. Or at least I did not know about all of them. I was completely amazed at the 200+ available sites to shop from carrying everything from kids bedding to cookware.  As I began searching through the CSN sites my first stop was of course at the bakeware and dinnerware.  I was so excited when I saw my dishes on there. They are by Signature Houseware. I was even more excited when I realized they carried the accent pieces to go with them. So get ready for an upcoming post where I will be doing a review on the baking dish in my plate pattern. 
I am excited to see what creative ways I will be able to use it and share with you.  I will definitely be purchasing more pieces from them as well as searching their kids bedding for my little princess a  room makeover. 
Oh My, So many projects going on at one time here at the Cookie Girl's home. Will I ever finish them all? I ask myself why I add more to the mix but I just can't help myself. So once again, I add this extra baking project to the list today. I am off to make a birthday cake for my Father in Law's 70th birthday.  I am pretty lost on what I will do for the decorations but I am sure something will come together. I will post about it later if I survive from NOT eating the frosting. :)
Before I enter into the baking zone  I would like to leave you with a healthy recipe that you can try this weekend.  I promise that you will like it.  Here you gooooooo.......

Baked Chicken Fingers

4 - 5 slices of Double Fiber Bread (dried out and ground into bread crumbs)

2 Tbs. Italian Seasoning (I use the Herby Organic Seasoning)

2 Tbs. Grated Parmesan Cheese

1 pkt. Good Seasons Zesty Italian Dressing Mix

1/4 c. Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

3 Tbs. Water

1/2 C. MCT Oil

3 Medium Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (about 2 lbs.)

2 egg whites

I can't believe it's not butter Spray

Directions: Dry out your bread slices by placing a bakers rack on a cookie sheet.

Then laying the bread slices on top of the rack and bake in a 200 degree oven for about 10-15 minutes or until the bread is dry to touch.  Process the bread in a food processor to get a  small crumb texture.

 Add the Italian herbs and parmesan cheese and mix together.

Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Wash and pat dry the chicken breasts and cut into strips the size of chicken fingers.

Whisk together the italian dressing mix, vinegar, water and MCT oil until completely blended.

In a bowl, add the chicken and dressing mix. Marinate this for about 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Line a baking sheet with foil.

Pour the bread crumbs into a shallow pie plate.

Whisk 2 egg whites in a seperate pie plate.

Dip each chicken stip into the egg whites and then roll in the bread crumbs to coat. (they will not be coated completely. This is okay. )

Place the strips on the lined baking sheet.  Spritz with the butter spray.

Bake for 20-30 minutes turning the strips half way through.

Serve on a salad or with veggies. You can even use these for appetizers with a great dip.

ENJOY!!!!

Breaded Chicken Fingers

A Cookie Girl Gone Healthy~ McGriddle Style

Having read the title I am sure some of you are wondering, "What is going on with the Cookie Girl?"
It's simple really.  I just want to fit into my swimsuit this year. I am no stranger to health and fitness. My husband was an amateur body builder and I have even been known to train for fitness model competitions. This in no way makes me an expert on the subject but it does give me a little advantage to the journey that I am embarking on for the next few months.  I have a goal that has been set and I need for all of my readers to hold me accountable for this goal. Are you ready? I want to lose 30 lbs. There, I said it. Not as hard as I thought it would be. :)
Now this does not mean that I will not be posting some delicious sweet and savory recipes and pics for you.  As a matter of fact, I have one for you today. It's just a wee bit healthier.
How many of you like the McDonald's McGriddle breakfast sandwiches? I love them but the fat and calorie content are not very swimsuit friendly. How about a reality check on this.
 A Sausage McGriddle has 420 calories, 22 grams of fat, 44 grams of Carbs, 11 grams protein.

Will I ever eat another one? Not sure about that. I do however have a great alternative to this. Wanna see?

I give you the Healthy McGriddle

Healthy McGriddle

2 slices of Natures Own Double Fiber Bread (50 cal. slice)

Cinnamon (optional)

4 egg whites or egg white substitute w/o yolk

2 pieces Canadian Bacon

1 slice Veggie Cheese

Sugar Free Maple Falvor Syrup

*MCT Oil (optional)

NOTE: not all MCT oil is created equal

Butter Flavor cooking spray

Preheat griddle to Medium High heat. In a shallow pie plate whisk your egg whites.  Spray griddle with cooking spray. Dip bread slices in egg white (just like for french toast) place on griddle. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.  Brown bread slices on each side and transfer to serving plate.

Spray griddle once more with cooking spray or use 1 TBS. MCT oil. Cook egg whites like scrambled eggs. Fold eggs to fit bread and place on one slice.  Salt to taste if desired. 

Cook the canadian bacon until slightly brown and heated. Place on top of egg whites. Add a slice of veggie cheese and drizzle with a couple of Tablespoons of Sugar Free Syrup. Top with remaining bread slice. Serves One. Enjoy this with your morning coffee and you will be ready to start your day the Cookie Girl Way!
LOL It rhymes. :)

Nutrional information for the Cookie Girl Griddle:

Calories: 239   Protein: 29g   Fat:  21g   Fiber: 10g   Carbohydrates:  26g

*Click here MCT OIL for information on this product.

I am not a physician. If you have concerns or questions about the products that are listed in my recipes please consult with your family doctor before using them.

Wow! What a difference in nutritional value. Try it out and let me know what you think about the flavors.

I have many other recipes that I will be sharing while I am on this healthy journey to swimsuit heaven. :)

I hope that you will enjoy reading these posts and trying new recipes with me.

Here's to Sweet and Healthy eating!

XOXO

The Cookie Girl

I Heart Valentine's Day!

Ahhhhh Yes! Valentine's day is so very close. I love this special holiday. All of the pink and red makes me giddy like a little school girl waiting for that little paper valentine from the dreamy blue eyed boy in the seat beside her.  Do you remember those days when everyone swpped their valentine cards at school? Those days have since past but the sweet memories linger. Now that my little Princess is getting older she will soon get to make those memories with her school friends and I can't wait to help her make the cutest little valentine for that dreamy blue eyed boy.  Shhhh....don't tell her daddy I said that. He has decided to keep her under lock and key until she is 30!!!
She is only 4 and already stealing hearts. She just performed in her first ballet recital this past weekend and made hearts melt with her smile. Okay...she made my heart and her daddy's heart melt. Can you tell we are proud parents?  Here are a few pictures of her on stage. No stage fright at all.

(By the way, I married that dreamy blue eyed boy and he is still dreamy and Oh so wonderful.)

Okay, I got a little off  the Valentine subject for a second but I could not resist sharing my pics with you.

Since this is such a "SWEET" holiday for me  I would like to share with you a couple of treats that I made to celebrate.  There is nothing like peanut butter and chocolate together. Don't you agree? One of my all time favorite treats is the Reese cup. They have the Double Peanut Butter Hearts out for Valentine's. Yum!  I think I can do one better than that. How about Peanut Butter Brownies covered in chocolate? Oh, Yeah! That's the ticket. Just wait until you see what I did with the scraps. :)

It all started with this recipe...

PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES

1 cup AP flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

6 Tbls. butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla flavor

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 2 in. square pan with bakers joy or Non-stick spray.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, butter and sugars with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla.

Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Spread into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 mintues or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely. Turn out onto a piece of waxed paper to cut into shapes if desired.

 Cut out the brownies

Melt your chocolate morsels in the microwave. (DO NOT GET WATER IN THE CHOCOLATE)

It will seize up and ruin the chocolate.

Using a spatula, cover the bottom of the brownie with chocolate and place on bakers rack chocolate side up. you can place them in the freezer for a couple of minutes to speed up the drying process.

This is a messy process but worth it.

Now cover the sides and top of brownies with chocolate.

Place back on the bakers rack and into freezer for a few minutes.

You can leave them as is or add a little more to dress them up. I used white chocolate to decorate them.

store them in a single layer in an air tight container. You can package them seperately for gifts too.

I had a lot of left over brownie pieces too. I've always been taught, "Waste not, Want not".

So I took a little time to make some brownies pops. Here's how.

I used my food processor to make crumbs and then added a little cream cheese frosting to it.

I forgot to take a picture of the brownie mix as I rolled it into balls. But that is what you do. Just roll it into 1 1/2" balls. Place on a waxed paper covered cookie sheet and freeze for abot 15 minutes.

I used white chocolate to cover them . I melted the chocolate in the microwave and added a little marshmallow and coconut flavored oil to it. (It was so good)

Remove the balls from the freezer and insert sucker sticks into each ball. Dip into the chocolate and gently tap and swirl to remove excess. You can add sprinkles like I did or get a little more creative.

Here is the finished product with a few heart shaped chocolate lollipops added in.

My inspiration came from Bakerella. If you haven't seen her creative pops you should really check her blog out.

As Always....Enjoy! And Happy Valentine's Day!

XOXO

The Cookie Girl

Muse & Company Fleur de lis Chair Giveaway

Hello friends!  Are you up for a giveaway? You must see this divine giveaway over at A Diva's Hammer. My friend "The Muse" & Company are hosting this wonderfully, beautiful giveaway.
See the chair below? It is the prize. Go and visit her here A Diva's Hammer and you just might win.  Regardless if you win the chair or not, you will love reading her blog(s)
Have a Beautiful Friday!!!!

Creme Caramel....Sorta

Good Tuesday morning friends! It's gonna be another wet one today. I have a busy week still ahead of me. My sweet little princess has her first ballet recital on Saturday and we have full dress rehersal tomorrow night. I can hardly wait to see her all dressed up and dancing on stage. I am sure I will get emotional. The program is called Footsteps in Faith and I just know it will be beautiful. I will post some pictures of it all for you to see.

So on to something a little more delectable for today. I should start by saying how much I love using organic foods and eggs are no exception. Being a Foodbuzz featured publisher has it's perks too. We get to try new foods and this time around it was Eggland's Best eggs. They really are delicious eggs and I am one who uses a ton of eggs in the kitchen. There are very few dishes that I make that it doesn't call for them. So of course I was excited to try the organic eggs that Eggland's Best has. did I mention they are pretty too. Brown eggs are my favorite.
What all can you make with a dozen eggs? Here are some of the things that I made. Pasta Mama, Egg Salad Sandwiches, and of course Creme Caramel. I have never made this before and was a little nervouse on how it would turn out. I did not have the little custard cups to use (feel free to donate to the cause) lol, so I just made one big custard in a 9 inch cake pan. It took me a second to get use to the caramelized sugar (or burnt) if you will. But it really adds such a wonderful flavor to the custard. So much flavor in fact, I ate half of the custard by myself in almost one sitting. shhhhhh......don't tell anyone that part.
A little breakdown of the recipe for you and some pictures for that great visual effect.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar,divided

3 large eggs

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cup evaported milk

1 cup regular milk

1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Place 1 cup sugar in a heavy saucepan and cook over medium heat 10 mites or until sugar caramelizes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Pour evenly into 8 (4-ounce) custard cups or 1 9" cake pan.

Does anyone see the pit bull in the pan? 

Heat both the evaporated milk and regular milk together until warm. I did this in the microwave.
Whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar until blended. Gradually add warm milk, whisking constantly; stir in vanilla.

Pour mixture into prepared custard cups or cake pan. Cover each with aluminum foil; place in a 13-x9-inch pan. Add hot water to pan to a depth of 1/4 to 1/2 inch.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove custard cups or cake pan from water; uncover. Cool on a wire rack. Cover and chill 3 hours.
Run a knife around edge of cups to loosen; invert each onto a dessert plate.

Voila! A creamy and delicious dessert.