A Sweet Side

Potato..Patato does it really matter? not to me at least, just as long as it tastes delicious! When making dinner for my family I try my best to make it as delicious and comforting as possible and it all comes down to the side dish. Personally I am a meat and potato kind of girl, you can not go wrong with a potato ever. I think that the sweet potato is not given enough credit and is sometimes overshadowed by the white potato. Not only is it sweet and delicious it also contains many nutrients such as calcium,potassium vitamin c and many more. Though it is a root vegetable and many don't consider it a " real vegetable"  they still pack a powerful nutritional punch. Sweet potatoes remind me of my Abuelita, growing up she used to make us baked sweet potatoes mixed with a little brown sugar and milk for breakfast it was simple but so warm and comforting. This recipe is one of my favorites for a sweet potato as a dinner side, there are only four ingredients, it is quick, simple to make and my little ones love them. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 sweet potatoes

1 stick of butter

Brown sugar

Cinnamon 

First thinly slice the potatoes

Next up for slicing is the butter!  (Fun fact: Butter contains a good amount of fat soluble vitamins and isn't all that bad for you in moderation.)

I used 1 stick of Sweet Cream butter and sliced it thin as well to have enough to spread through all layers of potatoes.

Once they are all sliced you can start to assemble them in the baking dish.

Start with the bottom layer of potatoes, try to spread evenly in the dish.

Take a couple pieces of the butter and place on top of the potatoes. Lightly sprinkle cinnamon and brown sugar evenly across the layer.(Fun Fact: Brown Sugar contains more essential nutrients then white sugar do to the molasses in brown sugar although it won't do to much  to meet your daily intake,it is a healthier alternative. Cinnamon also has many health benefits that lead to blood sugar regulation, brain function and better heart health.)

Once the Baking dish if filled to the top cover with foil and bake at 400° for 20-25 minutes 

Perfectly roasted and tasty to compliment your Dinner.

A SUPER centerpiece

Calling all Super Moms!! I am a mother of boys,which means right now my life consists of super heroes, Nerf guns and band aids.My oldest son turned 4 at the end of November and his birthday theme was of course super heroes. He also chose to have his party and the one and only Chuck E Cheese which I wasn't mad about considering I probably paid less there for the same amount of guests I would have had at our house including food fun and favors and an added plus no clean up for me!! SCORE!!! Although the party was basically set up on its own I thought a few extra super hero touches wouldn't hurt, plus I  love to decorate for my babies it makes me feel good to do things extra special and personal for them. So, Chuck E Cheese pretty much provided everything but I thought some cute centerpieces would add an extra POP!! to the table. These centerpieces are simple and easy to make, you can also use this same concept with different themes.

  Supplies:

6 large mason jars (or any glass jar or vase)

42 kabob skewers

6 large icons "Pow,Pop,Bam,Zap,Wow,Wham"

7 different super hero logos printed out 6 times (I used cup cake topper prints)

2 bags of decorative shred any color (I purchased mine at the Dollar Store)

Tape(I used scotch tape but any tape will do!)

Start with the base of the centerpiece which is the large icon, decorative shred and mason jar.

Take one empty mason jar and one of the large icon cut out and place the cut out inside the mason jar so it appears in the picture above. Repeat this process with all mason jars.

After all of the mason jars are done add the decorative shred inside the mason jar

Fill it so it looks like this or all the way to the top.

Now for the middle of the centerpiece you will need 42 icon cut outs, I used cup cake topper print outs, 42 kabob skewers and tape,

Separate all  icons into matching piles and start with one pile at a time when assembling.

Place the icon cut out face down and tape skewer to the back.

When secured it should look like this, Repeat this process for all the icon cut outs.

When done they should look like this. Now you can start to put together the full centerpiece.

Place one of each icon in the jar until all jars have seven different super hero icons spread evenly throughout the jar.

When finished they should look like this.

And there you have it A SUPER centerpiece for your little super hero!

My Super Hero!

Chicken in a Miracle Dish

A friend at work is a Princess House Inc. consultant and she has been trying to convince me for a while that I really need to try out this "miracle dish" that is supposedly supposed to make miracle chicken in the microwave in 40 minutes...I know, that was my thought too..a whole chicken, in the microwave? and in 40 minutes? hmm..I love the Princess House products because they are really good quality with a lifetime guarantee so every time there is a special I try to snatch up whatever I can. Well, this month the Miracle Dish was on sale for a price that was such a steal I just had to get it. Not only can you use it in the microwave it is also oven and freezer safe and has a convenient plastic lid for refrigerator storage,not to mention the beautiful floral design. My dish order came in today so that means that tonight is miracle chicken night and I am ready to put this dish to the test. 

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken 4-5 lbs( rinsed and patted dry)

1 lemon sliced

1/4 of a yellow onion

2 potatoes

1 tsp of minced garlic

4 Tbl of olive oil

McCormick lemon pepper ( or any brand you prefer)

McCormick Rotisserie Chicken Season (or any rub your prefer)

1 Princess House miracle Dish

You can also make this recipe without the miracle dish, just use any baking dish with the same ingredients. Pre heat the oven to 450 ° and bake chicken 20 minutes for every pound Tip: add an additional 15 minutes for crispier skin.

Slice the lemon,potatoes and onion and set aside

Place the sliced potatoes in dish and season with salt and pepper.

Place the whole chicken on top of the sliced potatoes and squeeze the juice from all the lemon wedges onto the chicken. Once all juice is out place one of the wedges in the cavity of the chicken and set the rest aside.

In a small bowl combine olive oil with 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1 tsp of lemon pepper and 1 tbs of rotisserie chicken seasoning and stir together.

Pour mixture over the whole chicken.

Use your hands to evenly coat the chicken so every piece of the chicken is full of flavor.

Take the sliced onions and spread evenly over the chicken, place some of the onions in the  cavity of the chicken as well.

Place the remaining lemon wedges on the sides of the chicken so it can infuse the chicken from the inside and the top.

Cover and and place in the microwave and heat on high for 40 minutes...No matter how tempted you are DO NOT OPEN THE MICROWAVE TO CHECK THE CHICKEN!! believe me it's tempting. I had to refrain myself a few times, it was the longest 40 minutes of my life. haha

At last the result....drum roll please!

Viola! It worked! it really did work!! I am now a miracle dish believer. The chicken was evenly cooked all the way through and the potatoes were cooked to the perfect softness.(Tip: Use a meat thermometer and check all parts of the chicken the chicken temperature should reach 165° F)

Not only was the chicken cooked in 40 minutes in the MICROWAVE it was also really moist and practically falling off the bone.

And its ready to be served!The lid of the Miracle dish can also be used as a serving tray which is pretty awesome if you ask me. Princess House you have made me a believer and I can not wait to try the other Miracle Dish Recipes.

You can check out this "Miracle dish" aka Fantasia bake,serve and store 3 Qt casserole dish by searching

https://www.princesshouse.com/products/product_detail.aspx?pid=190300

You won't regret it

Breakfast on the go

Breakfast, the most important part of the day.As much as I enjoy breakfast I rarely have time to sit down and eat breakfast though out the week, I know horrible right. Being in my third trimester of pregnancy it's important for me to eat breakfast everyday, when I don't I find my self at the break room vending machine looking for the quickest filler upper to hold me over until lunch..horrible. Since I work full time the easiest way for me to make sure i'm getting the sustenance I need is meal prep! This recipe is one of my favorites. There are many variations of this recipe with fancy smancy ingredients but this recipe is what I whipped up from the items I had on hand. 

Ingredients:

preheat oven to 350°

1 pre made pie crust

1 chopped potato (I had a left over baked potato I used but fresh is fine)

1 chopped zucchini 

1/3 cup chopped onion

4 slices of  bacon diced ( use already cooked bacon if you can)

12 eggs

shredded cheddar (optional)

Salt,pepper,garlic powder

Place zucchini,potato and onions into a mixing bowl and add salt,pepper and garlic powder and set bowl aside.You can add whatever spices you like, I just use the basics because they are familiar flavors for my kids.

Now prepare the base of the zucchini cups. Unroll the pie crust on a cutting board and use a roller to smooth out all parts of the crust. The size of the pie crust base depends on the size of cupcake pan you use, Since I used a standard cupcake pan I used a 2 1/2 inch cutter to cut the base of the zucchini cups.

Once the pie crust is cut out, set aside and start cracking the eggs into the mixing bowl.

Gently mix the eggs and vegetables together so all the yolks are lightly scrambled.(Tip: add 2 tbs of mill to the egg mixture for a fluffy egg.)

Now the assembly...Spray the cupcake pan with any non-stick  baking spray and place the pie crust on the bottom. Fill the cups with the egg mixture all the way to the top of the pan.

Once the cups are filled take the diced bacon and sprinkle on the top of each cup and bake at 350° for 25 minutes(Tip: sprinkle shredded cheddar cheese on top before baking to add an extra kick)

Tip:If you are serving a crowd to make it easier fill a standard cake pan with the pie crust and the egg mixture so each guest can have a slice of goodness.  

Once out of the oven let the zucchini cups rest for about 5 mins to cool.

Pop them out of the pan and enjoy!

Delicious! you can eat these on the go as your jamming out the door or as I prefer when I have time to douse them with salsa and enjoy them with a slice of toast and a cup of Jo!