Chicken Nuggets

Here is an inexpensive way to make homemade chicken nuggets that are pretty close to the kind you get at fast food restaurants using chicken breasts.

Chicken Nuggets

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and cubed
2 1/4 cups self-rising flour
2 T olive oil
2 T cornstarch
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 egg
2 cups water
1 quart vegetable oil for frying

Heat 1 quart of oil in pot or large skillet for frying. Using a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the pot or other thermometer, bring temperature to 360 degrees F. Combine flour, oil, cornstarch, salt, pepper, egg, and water. Mix well. Add chicken cubes to flour mixture and stir until all the chicken is coated. Using a pair of large tongs, drop each chicken piece into the pot separately and cook about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 50 chicken nuggets.

Mac 'n' Cheese

Books loves to eat Macaroni and Cheese and always has. He loves the boxed kind, but his favorite is old-fashioned Mac 'n' Cheese done on the stove. Here is his favorite recipe:

Mac 'n' Cheese

cooked elbow macaroni
2 T butter
2 T flour
2 cups milk
1/2 lb American Cheese, chopped
shredded cheddar cheese to taste
10 shakes of salt

Melt butter in medium saucepan. Add flour and stir until a paste forms. Pour milk into pan. Add cheeses and salt. Stir continually until cheese melts and sauce comes to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pan.

Pour sauce over macaroni and serve. To reheat, add a splash of milk, microwave 30 seconds, and stir.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
1 T vanilla
2 eggs
4 cups flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Combine butter, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and eggs until light and fluffly. Stir in flour, baking soda, and salt. Add chocolate chips.

Form into 1 inch balls and place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 15 minutes.

Mini Pizzas

Easy Mini-Pizzas aka "Kid Pizza"

1 Bag Crispy English Muffins
1 Jar Ragu Pizza Sauce
Whole Mozzerella Cheese, grated
Pepperoni

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Place english muffin halves on a cookie sheet. Spread with pizza sauce, top with mozzerella cheese, and pepperoni. Bake until cheese is melted and pizzas are crispy.

Clam Chowder

One of our family favorites is Clam Chowder. It's easy (thanks to Campbell's) and good on a cold night. We make ours New England style. It reminds me of nautical things, boardwalks, beaches, and the East coast. It's good with a loaf of soft french bread for dipping. This is the recipe:

2 stalks celery, sliced
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
4 cans Campbell's Cream of Potato Soup
4 cans Campbell's Cream of Celery Soup
3 cans whole or 2% milk
2 cans clams
cracked black peppercorns
shredded parmesan cheese
Goldfish crackers or Cheez Its

Boil celery and carrots until softened. Drain. Into pot with vegetables, add soups, milk, clams, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Dish into bowl and top with shredded parmesan and crackers. Stay warm. :)

Chicken Noodle Soup Simple

Mom's do not get sick days. It's the law.

So what do we do when we are "not sick" but still have a week of dinners to provide our hungry families? Order pizza, of course. But since in our house we are spoiled by Costco pizza and the only other pizza we will eat is Petrillos, and neither of those deliver, one remaining option for us is chicken noodle soup. When I am "not sick" and go to Costco to pick up my pizza, I like to get 2 roaster chickens to make dinner easier for the next few nights. After arriving home, they can be carved to produce plenty of pre-cooked and seasoned chicken to create with. That chicken is soup for my soul, the springboard of many semi-homemade meals for a not-sick mom. Some ideas for things we like at our house are Chicken Enchiladas (still working on mole for these... but a friend has given some good authentic ideas...), Chicken Quesadillas with salsa and sour cream, Chicken Salad Sandwiches, Chicken Caesar Salad, and of course, Chicken Noodle Soup. This is my recipe for Simple Chicken Noodle Soup for a "not sick" mom:

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

12 oz. package egg noodles
3 cups frozen mixed vegetables
6 cans chicken broth
3 cups roaster chicken, carved
dash of pepper
dash of celery seed

dash of italian seasoning

Cook noodles according to package directions. When there are 5 minutes of cooking time left, add 3 cups frozen mixed vegetables. Cook for remaining time and drain. To large stock pot, add chicken broth, chicken, pepper, celery seed, and italian seasoning. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. Add noodles and vegetables. Serve hot with sour dough toast.

English Toffee

Every Christmas, my older brother used to make English Toffee as a gift for family members. He would package it beautifully and the aroma was heavenly. It was the most delicious candy in the universe. I have tried many times to duplicate it, but mine is never as good.

True to my heritage, however, I make English Toffee for the kids' teachers for Christmas every year. It's not my brother's, but when I don't rush it, it's pretty good. Here's my recipe:

8 sticks of butter
4 cups of sugar
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups chopped pecans

Grease 2 cookie sheets with butter. In a large saucepan, melt butter. After the butter is melted, add sugar. Bring to a boil. With a candy thermometer clipped to the side of the saucepan, cook and stir the mixture until the candy thermometer reads "hard crack" stage (between 300 and 320 degrees). Remove from heat and pour toffee onto cookie sheets. While the toffee is cooling, melt chocolate chips in a small saucepan over a low heat, stirring constantly. When toffee is cool and hardened, spread melted chocolate over candy. Sprinkle with pecans and refrigerate at least one hour or until completely set.

note** the biggest mistake I make with English Toffee is undercooking it. If you don't cook it long enough, it is chewy and sticks to your teeth. When it is cooked long enough, it is kind of crumbly and easy to break. You can break it by placing a knife about two inches from the edge and forcing it into the candy. This creates a nice random break in the surface. Then it's ready to eat!