Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Deep South Eats: Sauteed Chicken and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Have you made a meal recently that really surprised you? I was looking forward to trying the recipe for Sauteed Chicken and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette from the January/February Cooking Light. In the end, I was blown away with how delicious the salad turned out. The warm chicken against the cool crisp baby spinach was made complete with the salty, sweet flavor of the vinaigrette. Throw in some crunchy apple slices and toss up your feet in satisfaction!


Ingredients:
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I just bought approximately 24 total ounces and divided it up after it was sliced)
  • 1/2 + 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 3 slices of center cut bacon
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots 
  • 2 Tablespoons white wine vinegar
  • 1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 6 cups baby spinach
  • 1 apple, cut into slices, I prefer Gala or Granny Smith when pairing with spinach
Directions:
  • Place chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet to pound out to about 1/2" thickness. This will help to cook the chicken evenly. Sprinkle pounded chicken breasts evenly with 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to the pan and swirl to coat.
  • Add chicken to pan and saute 6 minutes on each side or until done. (If all of chicken will not fit in the pan at once, feel free to cook in batches) Remove chicken and let stand for 8 minutes. Slice and keep warm.
  • While chicken is resting, reduce heat to medium and add bacon to pan. Cook around 5 minutes or until crisp, turning once. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings, and allow bacon to drain on paper towels. Crumble bacon.
  • Add shallots to drippings in the pan and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. 
  • Stir in vinegar, scraping the pan to loosen browned bits. 
  • Stir in broth, syrup, and mustard and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
  • Assemble the salad: Arrange 1 1/2 cups of baby spinach on each of 4 plates. Sprinkle evenly with remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Divide sliced chicken into 4 equal servings and top each plate of spinach with one serving of chicken. Divided apple slices evenly among plates. Drizzle 2 Tablespoons of dressing over each salad and top with crumbled bacon.
This serves 4 and with the adjustments I made (sub spinach for arugula, sub center cut bacon for applewood smoked and addition of apples) it is about 262 calories per serving.

Original recipe from Cooking Light.

Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!


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Thursday, January 26, 2012

Deep South Eats: Frito Chili Pies with Pioneer Woman's Chili

There is nothing quite like a Frito Chili Pie in the dead of winter to warm and fill you up. I had the pleasure of introducing a good friend of mine to this delicacy and she is totally hooked. The basis of this dish is really your chili. I have tried several different chili recipes to find the one that is perfect for making your "pies". Pioneer Woman's Chili is made for making Frito Chili Pies. It is thick and hearty with no runny sauce to make your Fritos soggy (which is just depressing). The masa is what makes this chili and holds it together. I promise it is worth buying because otherwise you may as well have not made the chili at all.


Ingredients:

  • 2 pounds ground beef (lean ground beef is my personal choice)
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 teaspoon ground oregano
  • 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup masa (a corn flour often found in the ethnic foods section of your grocery store)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 can diced tomatoes, drained
  • Optional add-ins: Can of drained pinto beans, Can of drained kidney beans, Jalapeno seeded and diced
  • Fritos
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Chopped onion

Directions:

  • Place ground beef and garlic in a large pot. Cook the beef until browned over medium-high heat and drain off the fat.
  • Pour in the tomato sauce followed by the oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper, chili powder, and salt.
  • Stir until well combined. Cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. If the mixture becomes dry, don't hesitate to add in 1/2 cup of water as needed.
  • After an hour of simmering, place your masa in a small bowl and add 1/2 cup of water. Stir together with a fork. It will resemble a paste.
  • Dump the masa mixture into the chili and stir together. Add the diced tomatoes and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
  • Pile Fritos in a bowl. Top with chili, shredded cheddar and chopped onion and enjoy!
Feel free to serve it straight out of a personal size Frito bag for fun. We often make this and freeze half for a later meal.


Original Recipe from Pioneer Woman Cooks cookbook.

Don't forget to check out all our fun from Disney!

Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!


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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

The Sweet Life: Favorite Pics from our Disney Trip

Are you all ready for picture overload?
Meeting Belle, Cinderella. and Aurora. The Princesses were so sweet and spent so much time talking to Belle and making her feel special.
Riding on shoulders watching the parades.
Hula-hooping on "main street".
Don't all of us who visited Disney at some point in our childhood have a picture of sitting on the ant at the Honey I Shrunk the Kids playground?
Belle and Daddy excited about going on the Safari ride at Animal Kingdom.
Showing me her lion "roar" after we saw the lions sunning.
The giraffes were so close!
Who can spot the baby elephant?
Meeting Rapunzel, Belle's favorite princess (and let me tell you it is HARD to meet Rapunzel).


The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique was so sweet and worth every penny.

We had the best time enjoying the magic of Disney and made so many wonderful memories.
There were so many other pictures I could share with you of character dinners, firework watching and so much more fun.

If you need any tips on travelling to Disney, drop me an email at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com and I will pass along what I learned.

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Deep South Eats: Baked Spaghetti

What is better than spaghetti, meat sauce, and delicious cheese?.......Not very much. While this amazing Baked Spaghetti is not something to be consumed every day (no matter how much you desire) it is a perfect dish to serve for company or large groups of people. It is filling and satisfying while maintaining the fulfillment that comes with comfort food. People will be coming back for seconds and thirds and no one will be disappointed.
Ingredients:
  • 1 16-ounce package of spaghetti
  • 1 pound ground beef (choose the leanest you can to cut down on fat and greasiness)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 26-ounce jar meatless spaghetti sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (I always resort to Lawry's)
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 5 Tablespoons butter, melted
  • 2 cups small curd cottage cheese (I used low-fat and had great results)
  • 2 cups mozzarella cheese
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Cook spaghetti according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, in a large skillet, brown ground beef and onion until beef is no longer pink, drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasoning salt allow to heat through over low heat.
  • In a large bowl, whisk eggs. Add in Parmesan cheese and butter and whisk together.
  • Drain spaghetti and add to egg mixture, tossing to coat.
  • Place half of spaghetti-egg mixture in a lightly greased 9 x 13 casserole dish. Top with half of cottage cheese followed by half of the meat sauce and half the mozzarella cheese. Repeat the layers in the same order.
  • Cover and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Original Recipe from AllRecipes.com

Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Monday, January 23, 2012

The Sweet Life: What's On the Menu?



After returning from a fabulous trip to Disney,
Where we had so much fun and made the best memories,
We are ready for a week of rest, routine and regular meals with vegetables.

Monday (Flying Home): Sandwiches
Tuesday: Sauteed Chicken and Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette
Wednesday: Pork Tenderloin with Mushroom Sauce, Risotto, and Roasted Green Beans
Thursday (Work Night): Leftovers
Friday: Packing Party for our friends moving to Nashville
Saturday (Work Night): Leftovers/Sandwiches
Sunday: Tomato Sauce with Onion and Butter, Whole Wheat Pasta, Chopped Salad


What is on the Blog Menu?


Monday: Weekly Menu
Tuesday: Deep South Eats: Baked Spaghetti 
Wednesday: The Sweet Life: Favorite Pics from Our Disney Trip
Thursday: Deep South Eats: Frito Chili Pies
Friday: Deep South Home: Sewing Room Update (It has come a long a long way)


What is on your menus this week?


Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Deep South Eats: Green Bean Bundles



If you were to find yourself at a holiday gathering with my family, there is one thing you could place a sure bet on...there are surely going to be a plethora of Green Bean Bundles present. Our family simply cannot get enough of them. While we save them for holiday celebrations, I have found they are also very easy to take with meals for new moms. These savory little treats are mindless to make and give a beautiful presentation. I do apologize that there are no exact amounts on parts of the recipe, but when looking back through family recipe cards this was the best we could do.


Ingredients:

  • Canned whole green beans (each can will make 7 to 9 bundles)
  • Center-cut bacon (less greasy)
  • Natural colored toothpicks, use round if available
  • Red Wine Vinegar
  • Garlic Powder
  • Onion Powder
  • Seasoning Sal (Lawry's for testing purposes)
  • Pepper

Directions:
  • If cooking right away, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Drain beans in a colander. This allows the beans to continue to drain as you work.
  • Open the bacon package and cut the bacon in half to make short pieces of bacon.
  • Take a handful of beans at a time (around 9 or 10) and arrange them so they are all lying in a bundle. Take one of your pieces of halved bacon and wrap it around the bundle of green beans securing the loose end with a toothpick placed through the entire bundle (see above picture).
  • Lay bacon wrapped bundle in a 9x13 baking dish. Repeat with remaining green beans and bacon until desired number of bundles has been achieved.
  • If you are choosing to make your bundles ahead of time, once bundles are completed, cover baking dish in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Do not add seasonings until ready to cook.
  • If you are baking your bundles now, generously douse the bundles with red wine vinegar. There is nothing wrong with a little puddle of red wine vinegar at the bottom of your pan.
  • Sprinkle garlic powder liberally over bundles and continue sprinkling liberally with onion powder, seasoning salt and pepper.
  • Bake for 1 hour or until top of bacon is browned and crispy.
Original recipe from....Scorched (My Family's Cookbook).


Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Deep South Eats: Poppy Seed Chicken...A Little on the Lighter Side


If you ask my husband on any given week what he would like for dinner that week, there is a 90% chance he will say "poppy seed chicken". While it is a true Southern favorite, this simple dish can pack some serious calories and fat. I am not making any claims that I have lightened the load significantly, but with small substitutions and reductions my recipe falls into the more balanced eating zone.


Check out that steam.


Ingredients:
  • 4 skinless, boneless, chicken breasts cooked and shredded (remember you can bake the frozen breasts straight from the freezer)
  • 1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 cans of reduced-fat, low-sodium cream of chicken soup (for testing purposes I used Campbell's Healthy Request)
  • 2 stacks of reduced-fat Ritz crackers
  • 1/4 cup of butter
  • 1 Tablespoon of poppy seeds
Directions:
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Combine sour cream and soup and mix well. Stir in chicken to combine.
  • Pour chicken mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish.
  • Crush Ritz crackers and place in a separate bowl along with the poppy seeds. Melt butter and pour over the cracker mixture. Stir to combine.
  • Pour cracker mixture over the chicken mixture in the casserole dish and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until bubbly.
TIP: Some recipes will call for broth to be added to sour cream and soups. If using reduced fat versions, please do NOT add broth as you will have a very runny casserole.

Original Recipe from Heavenly Scents: The North Atlanta Church of Christ Cookbook.


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Monday, January 16, 2012

The Sweet Life: Happy 4th Birthday Belle and Birthday Cake Rice Krispy Treats

I cannot believe that this sweet 5 pound 15 ounce baby....

Has become this blossoming, joy-filled 4-year old.

20 Questions on Belle's 4th Birthday
  1. What is your favorite color? Pink....White
  2. What is your favorite toy? Caroline (her baby doll) and all the other baby stuff
  3. What is your favorite food? "Peezie" (pizza) and poppyseed bread
  4. What is your favorite TV show? Berenstein Bears
  5. What is your favorite movie? "Dentist the Mentist" (Dennis the Menace)
  6. What is your favorite thing to wear? A skirt dress
  7. What is your favorite game? Candyland
  8. What is your favorite snack? Goldfish
  9. What is your favorite drink? Apple juice and lemonade
  10. What is your favorite animal? Giraffe....horses....zebras....
  11. What is your favorite song? Twinkle, twinkle
  12. What is your favorite book? "My very book" (A book called Fairy Colors)
  13. Who is your favorite friend? Kinley (church) Ashlyn and Lily Mae (school)
  14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Play on my slide
  15. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas
  16. Where is your favorite place to go? The park
  17. What is your favorite thing to do with mommy? Cook
  18. What is your favorite thing to do with daddy? Go to the polo field
  19. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? Disney World
  20. What do you want to be when you grow up? A nurse
Belle Candler, we are so proud of the girl you are becoming.
You fill our lives with so much spirit and laughter.
We look forward to watching you continue to grow and learn as God shows us all the plans he has for your life.

We have had a fun weekend of celebration and we are looking forward to Disney at the end of this week. As part of Belle's birthday celebration, we took treats to school to share with her friends. I am excited to share with you...


Birthday Cake Rice Krispy Treats

Ingredients:
  • 3 Tablespoons butter
  • 1 (10-ounce) bag marshmallows
  • 1/3 cup dry yellow cake mix
  • 6 cups of rice krispy cereal
  • 1 container of sprinkles of your choosing (optional to use whole container...I used half of the container since I was making these for a class of 16 3&4 year olds)
Directions:
  • Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add marshmallows to pan once butter is melted. Stir slowly until they melt.
  • Stir in the cake mix, a spoonful at a time, to the melted marshmallow mixture until well-combined.
  • Stir in cereal until completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Stir in half the container of sprinkles.
  • Press into pan size of choice...the bigger the pan, the more thin the treats, etc. Sprinkle the top with the remaining half of sprinkles.
  • TIP: I have found that lining the pan in parchment paper makes it super easy to pull the treats out of the pan for even cutting.
  • Allow to sit for at least 30 minutes and enjoy!
Original Recipe from Gimme Some Oven.


Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Friday, January 13, 2012

Deep South Home: Sewing Room Update

I was hoping to have more to share with you today but...
My fabrics still have not shipped and...
I managed to do this little number when putting together the 1st of 3 desks:

I am just going to say I am thankful for Band-Aid Advanced Blister Healing.

So.... while we wait for my hand to heal and courage to use the power drill (w/ screwdriver),
I will give you a run down of the plans.

My sewing room is actually a portion of our closet.
Our closet is a long square with a wall down the middle creating two separate rectangles.
I am sure it is meant for his and hers closets or closet and work out space.
We have decided to make the larger half of the rectangle our closet and the smaller half my sewing/craft space.
This is how I am planning to structure the space.
I really wish I had taken a before picture so that I could show how much I am improving the functionality of the space.

Since you can actually see the craft space/closet from our master bathroom I decided to incorporate our master color palette into the sewing room.
Our master is a calming taupe with brick red, ice blue, and chocolate brown accents.
I am going to punch up the colors a bit in the sewing room and add in a complimentary accent color.
I am using a taupey-grey, lipstick red, aqua, and apple green. While softening everything with the same taupe walls and off-white/birch furniture.

Fabrics:

From Left to Right

Idea for Window Treatments:
I love the clean lines and bold look of this window treatment. Of course, I will resist my Southern urges and leave off the monogram. 
Source: Hi Sugarplum!


Ideas for Wall Art


Ideas for the Peg Board Wall

Use peg board for hanging my scissors, large rulers, ribbon, tulle, twine, gift bags, baskets for cards, and so much more. I love the idea of painting the peg board a fun color to add brightness to the room.


I bought $1.99 trash bag holders from IKEA and will use them to hold my wrapping paper thanks to a great pin.

To-Do List:
  • Purchase 3 work tables from Ikea at $33.99 each (dimensions 47ish" x 23ish" giving a total length of 141" or close to 12' of workspace)
  • Assemble tables and arrange sewing/embroidery machines
  • Paint armoire for storing fabric (probably the taupey-grey in the fabric because I don't want a bright color to distract from my stock of sewing fabrics)
  • Recover lamp shades
  • Cover magnet boards and hang
  • Make window treatments
  • Hang peg board
  • Clean out and organize "gear"
  • Make a chair cushion
  • Order fabric
  • Hire electrician to install outlets (yeah having to run an extension cord these days one machine at a time)
What projects are you planning on knocking out these days and what are your thoughts on my sewing room update?

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!



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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Deep South Eats: Sea-Salted Praline Pecans



When preparing for our National Championship Game party, I really wanted a "wow" dessert. I was tempted to fall back on my house standard of cupcakes with decorative picks, but at last minute I decided to whip out these Praline Pecans for a fun treat. Accompanied with a king cake, we had a taste of New Orleans for the night.


I changed the original recipes by decreasing the amount of pecans to a more manageable amount. I also added a sprinkling of sea salt to balance the overwhelming sweetness of a praline. I made half with sea salt and half without. The sea-salted pralines won by a long shot.




Ingredients:
  • 4 cups pecan halves
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
  • Sea salt
Directions:
  • Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and lay your pecan halves on a baking sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes stirring occasionally. Watch closely as to not let your pecans burn. Remove from oven when toasted and allow to cool.
  • Stir together granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, milk and corn syrup in a heavy medium sized saucepan.
  • Bring to a boil over medium-heat, stirring constantly. Boil, stirring constantly for 7 to 8 minutes or until a candy thermometer registers 234 degrees.
  • Remove from heat and vigorously stir in pecans. Drop heaping spoonfuls of pecan mixture onto wax paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and allow to dry for 20 minutes or until firm.
  • Gently remove from wax paper and store in air-tight container or freezer bag in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or freezer for up to 1 month.
It is necessary to have a candy thermometer for this recipe. They are very inexpensive and can be found in the kitchen accessories aisle at Wal-Mart or Target. 

Original recipe found at MyRecipes.

Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

P.S. The fabric-covered magnet board post is coming as soon as my fabric gets delivered...it is running a little behind.


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Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Deep South Eats: Slow Cooker Jambalaya

We have a love for all things Cajun in this house (except for that game last night because that was down right depressing). Unfortunately, I must make a confession: I don't like seafood. There I did it...I said it...it is out in the open now. I am always reinventing Cajun dishes to exclude the seafood, so I was ecstatic when I came across this recipe for jambalaya that was no-sea-etarian (j/k) friendly. Adding icing to the cake, it is a slow cooker recipe! 

I really enjoyed every bit of this recipe. It was very easy and made plenty for leftovers. If I had the time I would brown the sausage in a saute pan for about 5 minutes and then brown the chicken in the sausage drippings for about 5 minutes before adding them to the slow cooker. This would help to seal in and enhance the flavor of the meats.

Ingredients:
  • 1 pound, boneless, skinless, chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1/4" slices (we used turkey sausage for lower fat content but Andouille sausage would give an incredible flavor)
  • 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice, do not drain
  • 3 Tablespoons dried minced onion flakes
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons dried parsley
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's is the preferred in this house)
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • White rice of instant rice
Directions:
  • If time allows, brown sliced sausage over medium heat for 5 minutes, remove to drain on paper towels leaving drippings in the pan. Add chicken pieces to sausage drippings and brown for 5 minutes over medium heat.
  • Combine all ingredients with the exception of the rice in the slow cooker, stirring to combine.
  • Cook in slow cooker on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 3 to 4 hours. 
  • Mix in cooked rice in the last 15 minutes and allow to heat through.
  • Serve with crusty french bread.
Note: you can mix all the ingredients together the night before with the exception of the raw meats and refrigerate. In the morning, drop in your prepared meats and slow cook away!

Original recipe from Plain Chicken.


Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Monday, January 9, 2012

The Sweet Kitchen: What's on the Menu?


There are lots of exciting things going on this week...
-only 1/3 of our house is now infected with strep throat
-there is sorta kinda a BIG game on TV tonight....Geaux Tigers!
-my little nut is turning 4 (shhh don't tell her but in lieu of a traditional party we are taking her to Disney World)

What is on the Food Menu?
Monday: National Championship Game Party...doing it Cajun style...Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Red Beans and Rice, Salad, French Bread, King Cake and Pralines
Tuesday: Leftovers to recover from our food coma
Wednesday: Poppyseed Chicken (husband's request), Green Beans and Corn
Thursday: Tomato Basil Pizza, Salad, and Fresh Fruit
Friday: Out to Eat or Leftovers
Saturday: Family Birthday Dinner...Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Baked Beans, Potato Salad and Minnie Mouse Cupcakes
Sunday: We are taking the sweet girl to the American Girl Bistro

What is on the Blog Menu?
Monday: Weekly Menu
Tuesday: Slow Cooker Jambalaya
Wednesday: How-To: Fabric Covered Magnet Board
Thursday: Pralines
Friday: Sewing Room Update (hopefully) if not, Pinterest Faves

What is on your menu this week?

Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Deep South Eats: Lemon Chicken Cordon Bleu


I have always loved Chicken Cordon Bleu. There is somethings supremely satisfying about biting into a piece of chicken and getting hits of salty ham and creamy cheese. The only downside is that it often comes battered and pan fried. Finding the recipe for Lemon Chicken Cordon Bleu was like stumbling upon a goldmine of the best of both worlds...healthy but still full of the great flavor you crave. I served them with a side of risotto and steamed green beans and we all enjoyed a satisfying meal.

Ingredients:
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 4 chicken cutlets
  • 4 slices of Provolone cheese (I used the lower fat cheese and had satisfying results)
  • 4 slices of smoked ham 
  • 2-4 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • Lemon, thinly sliced
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Parsley (optional)
Directions:
  • Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
  • If using chicken breasts, butterfly them and cut along the seam that holds the two butterflied pieces together. Here is a great slideshow about butterflying chicken breasts. After they have both been butterflied you will have 4 cutlets.
  • Lay a slice of provolone and a slice of ham on each cutlet. Tear the pieces in half or fold them as necessary so they do not extend beyond the cutlet. 
  • Fold each cutlet over to somewhat seal the ham and cheese inside and place on lightly greased or parchment coated baking sheet. 
  • Brush the tops and sides of each folded cutlet with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
  • Place one thin, lemon slice on the top of each prepared cutlet.
  • Bake for 17-20 minutes or until chicken is lightly browned.
  • Sprinkle a little parsley on top of cutlet and enjoy!

Original recipe found at Can You Stay for Dinner. Changes made to accommodate four servings.

Ever have cooking questions or want to request a recipe, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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Deep South Words to Live By: January

I chose this particular passage because it has been so meaningful to me in my life.
It has been a voice of encouragement in the good times.
It has been the strength I have leaned upon during the trials.

Whether you start 2012 with excitement or fear of what may come
Together we can remember 
Who is responsible for our successes
Who gives strength in our shortcomings
Who is everlasting



Another separate version for young children
Please don't underestimate your children's ability to memorize (even if it is 2 words at a time).




Ever have questions or want to request a recipe or tutorial, comment or email me at deepsouthsweets@gmail.com. You can also visit Deep South Sweets on Facebook or follow me on Pinterest!

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