Penne with Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus

Have you ever looked in your pantry and wondered how the heck you could use up the rest of something? That’s exactly what I thought when I saw a bottle of this…

Balsamic Vinegar.

I bought it last year when a recipe called for a whopping tablespoon of it.

So, with a little bit of Google-ing (is that even a word?), I was able to find a recipe that tastes as good as it sounds!

Introducing… Penne with Balsamic Chicken and Asparagus. I found this recipe on the Six Sisters’ Blog and adapted it to what I had on hand and our taste preferences. It was really easy to make and it made for a perfect well-rounded meal. Protein packed chicken, whole grains, and veggies: what more could you ask for in a meal?

Ingredients:

Approx. 1 lb. chicken breast, cooked and cut up

12 oz. whole grain/wheat penne

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

½ cup balsamic vinegar

½ teaspoon brown sugar

¼ cup margarine or butter

1/3 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

8 oz. frozen Asparagus spears (I used Pictsweet Steam’ables)

 

Directions:

Put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until there are about 3 tablespoons remaining. Stir in the brown sugar and pepper. Remove from the heat.

Cook the asparagus as directed on the package. Cut spears into 1-inch pieces.

Cook the penne in a large pot of salted water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta. In a mixing bowl, combine pasta, chicken, asparagus, butter, vinegar, Parmesan, and salt.

Feel free to top it with additional Parmesan.

Enjoy!

DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser

I have wanted to make a DIY Mason Jar Soap Dispenser for quite some time now. I have seen them practically everywhere in the online world and I’ve had all the supplies on hand. Today’s not so lovely weather made for the perfect crafting opportunity.

 

All you need is a mason jar of your liking, a mason jar lid, a ring, and a soap pump from an old soap dispenser. If you don’t have an old pump on hand, head to your local dollar store. They have plenty of soap dispensers that would work well. In addition, you need a drill and a bit the size of your pump, some sort of spray paint (I used white epoxy), and some glue (something strong-a hot glue gun will work nicely).

The task itself was so simple. I placed the lid on the mason jar and screwed on the ring. I then made a mark on the middle of the lid with a marker and drilled a hole. Place the pump through the hole to see that the hole is large enough. The hole I drilled fit the pump very nicely (it was a super tight fit) so I didn’t even have to use the glue.

Next, I spray painted the lid and the ring white to match the pump. You can get really creative with this part, but I wanted to keep mine white and classic. Allow it to dry well and then you are ready for the glue step! If your pump doesn’t fit super snug like mine did, you might want to add a few dabs of glue for security. Place a few dabs of glue under the pump and press it onto the mason jar lid, pressing down hard for about 20 seconds.

**If you are planning to paint the pump itself, especially if it is plastic, I would recommend using a paint that holds up really well on plastics, like Krylon.

Once it is done drying, you may need to cut the straw part of the soap pump to properly fit your mason jar. Mine was about two inches too long. If yours happens to be too short, you can try using a smaller mason jar or head to the dollar store to buy a soap dispenser with a longer straw part.

Fill your new and pretty soap dispenser with soap and you are done!

The World's Best Pancakes!

Yesterday was National Pancake Day. Sadly, I didn’t get to indulge in this holiday, as it was not a “cheat” day for me. However, if I had been able to indulge, I wouldn’t have gone to an IHOP to get a free stack of pancakes... I would have made my own. With the help of an old recipe, my pancakes are incredible. In fact, when I whipped up a batch a few weeks ago, my beau looked at me upon finishing his last bite and said that my pancakes were the best he had ever eaten.

 

My family has never been a fan of Bisquick or other pancake mixes. I remember going to sleepovers and wondering why the pancakes tasted funny at breakfast and wondering why my pancakes at home were so much better. For as long as I can remember, my mom has been whipping up awesome pancakes from an old tattered cookbook she received from her brother as a late-teen when she moved out of the house and started living on her own. I have been searching for the same cookbook online for years and have never been able to find the same edition. Cooking was different back then. There weren’t so many shortcuts and it took time and love to prepare meals for your family.

You can probably imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon an even earlier edition of the same vintage Betty Crocker cookbook in a thrift store a few weeks back. For only $2, I now have the cookbook I had been wanting for years, with that same awesome pancake recipe, among other great ones.

It has taken me years to find this!

Though there are many great tasting variations of the pancake recipe in this cookbook, I want to share the original, classic pancake recipe with you.

 

Yields about nine 4-inch pancakes.

Ingredients:

1 egg

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Beat the egg and mix in the remaining ingredients, whisking until smooth. Heat the skillet, and grease/spray with nonstick cooking spray if necessary, and pour about three tablespoons of batter to form each pancake. Once the pancake starts to bubble up and is dry around the edges, flip it to cook the other side. 

Whole Wheat Pancakes are just one of the many variations.

 

Feel free to add some chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, or whatever else you can think of. To make this recipe a bit healthier, try using whole wheat flour, skim milk, and omit the sugar; they still taste amazing.

Happy belated National Pancake Day!!!

Easy Fiesta Chicken Casserole

It can be pretty difficult to put together a decent dinner when you are crunched for time. I often go to the gym in the evenings and want to eat something right away after a hard workout; it’s a pain when I have no time for cooking up a wholesome meal.

Enter “Fiesta Chicken Casserole”. This is so easy to make and I didn’t even need to make a trip to the grocery store. It's packed with whole grains, protein, and fiber and tastes delicious. It's a much healthier alternative to many of the dishes you can order at your local Mexican restaurant. This dish can be prepped the night before or the morning before and tossed into the oven for a quick meal.

Easy Fiesta Chicken Casserole

(Adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff)

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups brown rice, cooked

1 cup prepared salsa
1 can diced tomatoes (I used one with peppers and onion)
1 can corn, drained (I used the no salt added kind)
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
4 chicken breasts, cooked and cubed/shredded (I boiled mine, but feel free to use rotisserie chicken)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
8 ounces of sliced or shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese
Cooking spray

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F and lightly coat a 13” X 9” baking dish with cooking spray. Combine cooked brown rice, salsa, diced tomatoes, corn, black beans, chicken breast pieces, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a mixing bowl. Cook for 15 minutes covered. Remove casserole from oven and top with cheese. Continue baking for 15 more minutes or until heated throughout.

Although this dish is great as-is, a dollop of fat-free sour cream or guacamole would be dreamy!

Enjoy!