Wordless Wednesday

Roasted Sticky Chicken

I got this recipe year ago from the Frozen Assets Yahoo Group (all about OAMC). It was originally created by Mimi Hiller and has since been posted all over the internet. The chicken is slow-roasted to falling off the bone and gets a nice, crispy skin. It is the BEST roasted chicken. Ever.

Roasted Sticky Chicken

2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon paprika
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 whole roasting chicken, about 3 pounds
1 cup chopped onions

1. Combine all spices (first 8 ingredients) in small bowl.
2. Rinse chicken, inside and out. Drain well.
3. Rub spice mixture over skin and the inside of chicken.
4. Place in a resealable plastic bag, seal and refrigerate overnight.
5. When ready to roast, stuff cavity with onions.
6. Place chicken breast side down in roasting pan.
7. Roast uncovered at 250ºF (that's not a typo...it's really 250º! Anything over 225º is safe as long as the chicken reaches an internal temperature of at least 155º, which this does, and more) for about 5 hours. Baste occasionally with pan juices or until pan juices start to caramelize on bottom of pan and chicken is golden brown.

My notes: It's best, but not necessary to let it "marinate" overnight. I've skipped that step and it still comes out great. I've never used white pepper in my life, not necessary if you don't have it. I've also skipped basting a few times and it still turns out well. Basically, you can't mess this on up!

What's your favorite chicken recipe?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Weekend Recap

I'd been wanting to meet up with my dad for his birthday (beginning of March), and we were finally able to work it out this weekend. We didn't want to just go out to eat, we wanted to "do" something too. I remembered my friend Hillary's post on the Strasburg Railroad, so I knew they would be open.

We met up in Lancaster, and went to a diner-type place for breakfast. It was ok, but not great. Definitely better places around town, like my favorite, Shady Maple.

Then, we headed over to the Strasburg Railroad to take Dash on a train ride. The ride was great. He actually remembered when I brought him to see the Day Out with Thomas a few months ago. He asked if the engine had a face on it:) It's a fairly short ride, but the conductor makes it fun by giving the passengers some history of the railroad and the area. Cherry Crest Farm is not open yet. That place is SO much fun for kids. We'll probably go back this summer.

Then, we went traipsing around Lancaster looking for a new camera. By the way, the Ritz Camera in Boscov's at the Park City Mall is no longer there. Saving YOU the trip. We ended up driving home and going to the mall. And, we bought this.

Hopefully you will notice a big improvement in my blog photos. If Mr. Incredible lets me use it that is...

There is No Such Thing as Minor Surgery

Last week I sent out a tweet asking for prayer for surgery. (Thanks for praying!!) I didn't really offer any explanation, so here it is.

I've had sinus and allergy problems my whole life. I've done allergy shots (still do), medications, nasel sprays, Breathe Right strips, and more. But, no matter what I tried, I still felt like I could never breathe though my nose. And, I still snored. Not only was I uncomfortable, my husband was ready to divorce me. For snoring, not breathing. Heh.

So, I recently went to see yet another ENT doctor. I felt like he was the first one to take me seriously. I had a severely deviated septum and turbinate issues. We decided to do surgery to correct my problems.

I convinced myself that it was "just minor surgery", so I didn't really think about it. Then, the day before, I started to get nervous (hence the tweet). I was nervous about going under, and I was nervous about the pain. I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

What I learned this week is that there is no such thing as minor surgery. Unless we're talking removing a splinter with tweezers. I'll give you that. Anytime you get a general anesthetic, it's a big deal. Anytime you go under the knife, it's a big deal. And, if you're a big wuss like me, it's a really big deal!

The nurses and doctors were as nice as could be. My nurses were so comforting and caring. They gave me warmed blankets (like fresh out of the dryer feeling!), which I know they probably give to everyone. But, that made me feel special:) Everything went smoothly, and I was back home later that day.

Mr. Incredible totally lived up to his name and stayed with me the entire time. He even picked up my prescriptions and went to the grocery store (for like the 5th time since we got married), so this was a big deal too! Thanks, hon!

Our friends and family are taking such good care of us. Even though I'm in pain, I'm feeling so incredibly blessed.

So, what's going on with you this week?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Musings of a Housewife

Great Harvest Bread Co.

I had some time to kill after my dentist* appointment last week, so I headed down the street to find some coffee.

If you know Wayne, then you know that there are at least five or six coffee shops within a half mile area. I wanted to sit down for a bit, so I headed to Cream & Sugar. It's a cute litte cafe with yummy lattes. I've only been there once or twice, so I forgot that they require a $10 credit card purchase. Is this even allowed anymore? I never carry cash, so I said "bye bye!"

I've been to places where they charge you a 3% fee or so if you don't meet the minimum requirement. I'm not sure if that's legal or not, but I really don't even mind. It's worth the convenience to me. I much rather would have paid a tiny fee, got my latte, and been able to sit down and enjoy my self for a few minutes than had to truck back out into the monsoon rain to find another shop. Ok, end rant. On to the "Things I Love" part of this post!

On to one of my favorite places--Great Harvest Bread Co. If you are local, please check out their shops in Wayne and Ardmore.

First off, they offer FREE slices of their amazing bread to everyone who walks in the door. My favorites are cinnamon swirl, apple crumb, s'more, savannah pecan swirl, and good old honey whole wheat. Yes, I have a lot of favorites. They also have amazing morning glory muffins and cinnamon chip scones. And, please try one of their pigs in a blanket. Yum all around!

The other wonderful thing about Great Harvest is that it's about 85 heavenly degrees in there, since they have all those ovens going. It was so nice to stand there for a few minutes, just soaking up the heat on a cold, rainy day. And, the smell. Oh my, who doesn't love the smell of freshly baked bread?

I got myself a cinnamon chip scone and a large Peet's coffee. It was a great start to my day!

Have you ever been to a Great Harvest Bread Co.? Do you have a favorite bakery or coffee shop?

*If you are looking for a dentist in the area, I highly recommend Dr. Spina in Wayne!

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

I Am a Winn-ah!

My good pal PK posted this about her recent winning streak, and it got me thinking about the things I've won since I became a blog-aholic. Then, I remembered this post by Amy at The Finer Things in Life (love this blog!). So, I thought I'd put my own little list together.

I love entering blog contests--and I love winning even more:) It just goes to show that someone IS winning all those blog contests out there, so why not enter?

$10 Tupperware gift card - Bargain Hunting Moms (Love me some Tupperware, but haven't had a chance to order anything yet.)

20 piece set of Rubbermaid containers - Rubbermaid blog (LOVE the Premier containers!)

$50 Safeway gift card - The ¢entsible Life (By far one of my favorites, I stretched this far at Genaurdi's.)

Yoplait gift pack - Domestic Debacle (Free yogurt [the chocolate raspberry whips are SO good] and a fun popsicle mold)

Night at the Museum 2 gift pack - Genesis Moments (Still haven't watched this yet, in the stack to watch.)

Sun & Earth gift pack - For the Mommas (Love the all-purpose cleaner and they are a local company)

TastyKake coupons (2 free boxes) - Twitter giveaway @TastyBakingCo (Kandy Kakes, 'nuf said)

Quaker Tortillaz (free bag) - Twitter giveaway @QuakerTalk (Not crazy about this product, weird texture. I like the mini rice cakes better.)

Success Rice coupon (1 free box) - Twitter giveaway @Success_Rice (Can't remember what I made with this, but, yay free rice!)

$25 Dress Barn gift card - Domestic Debacle (Used this to buy a new black bag, it is fabulous.)

How to Be the Family CFO by Kim Snider - The ¢entsible Life (Have not gotten a chance to read this yet, but it's on my to-read list.)

The Sickies: Daycare vs. Home

We attended a parent meeting at Dash's daycare last week. Several issues were discussed, including some child health issues. The director said that there is a study (or several) out there disputing the myth that daycare kids get sick more often than kids that are home. I'm sure there are studies that favor both sides, but it got me thinking...

I used to think that Dash got sick more often than his friends since going into daycare. I'm not sure if I believe that anymore. Especially since joining Twitter last year and seeing the tweets of at-home moms. I really think that we're even. Actually, we have been enjoying a nice healthy run. Great, now that I say that, I'm sure we'll pick something up!

So, what do you think? Do you think your kids have gotten sick more often from daycare? Or, do you think it's even with kids at home?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Musings of a Housewife

Reuben Appetizers

These appetizers are a great St. Patty's Day (or anytime) treat. I made these for our Super Bowl party, and they were awesome! You can also try them with a small spoonful of sauerkraut between the corned beef and cheese (Mr. Incredible is not a big fan, so I skipped it).

Reuben Appetizers

1 loaf mini rye bread (I find it in front of the deli in the grocery store)

1 lb. deli corned beef

1 lb. deli swiss cheese

Sauerkraut (optional)

Thousand Island dressing for serving

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange slices of mini rye on a large baking sheet. Top with half a slice of corned beef, then 1/4-1/2 slice of swiss cheese. Bake 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with Thousand Island dressing. Enjoy!

Have any St. Patty's Day plans?

This post is linked to Tasty Tuesday at Balancing Beauty and Bedlam

Trader Joe's French Roast Coffee

Since we've been very deliberate about making our coffee and eating breakfast at home every morning, I had decided to start buying "good" coffee (Starbucks). To avoid being tempted to stop for a latte, I need to have a good cup of coffee! I hit a few good sales and stocked up. Alice.com also has it at a very good price. I love it, but it is a little pricey for a frugalista like me.

I was at Trader Joe's a few weeks ago and picked up a bag of French Roast on a whim. It was $3.99, or maybe $4.99. Wow, we finally cracked it open this week and I am hooked! It really brews a great cup of coffee. I plan on stocking up the next time I'm there!

What's your favorite brand of coffee? What is your favorite Trader Joe's item?

This post is linked to:
Things I Love Thursday at The Diaper Diaries
Friday Favorites at The Other Mama

Wordless Wednesday

An oldie, but a goodie. I was going through my photos and
found this one of Dash from last summer. Tennis pro!
[I know this is supposed to be wordless, but I can't help myself.]

Rite Aid and Giant Shopping Trip

Grand total for the above: $3.00

I really apologize for the crappy photos. I've been taking most photos with my phone and the quality is not the best.

I'm a CVS girl. I'm all about the instant gratification of ECBs. I've never liked my local Walgreens. I don't really have a convenient Rite Aid, so I've always kind of ignored their deals. BUT, Shannon had some really simple scenarios with low out of pocket costs, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

Then, Mindi posted this incredible deal on cheap ravioli at Giant. And, some weird ice cream that I refuse to let my 3 year old eat--I know 98% of it would end up on the floor!

Rite Aid

3 John Frieda root awakening shampoo/conditioner 5.00 each

1 Cover Girl powder 8.19

1 Cover Girl concealer 8.19

- 8.19 Cover Girl BOGO sale

- 5/20 Rite Aid coupon

- 9.00 John Frieda mfr 3 x 3.00

- 1.00 John Frieda RA video values coupon

- 8.19 Cover Girl BOGO coupon

= $0.00, plus 5.00 rebate for JF products

Giant

18 bags ravioli 1.00 each

- 15.00 instant savings

= $3.00

Rite Aid was out of all the Biore stuff, so I got a raincheck. Also, I may go back to Giant tomorrow for more ravioli. That's right. More ravioli. Deals are my crack, so look out.

Edited to add my receipts! [Ignore the extra $40 on the Giant receipt, that was cash back.]

I.Made.Bread.

I made my first two loaves of homemade bread this weekend. For those of you who missed it last week when I made homemade pizza crust, I admitted that I was afraid of yeast. I don't know why. It just seemed so easy to mess up. So, since I've been getting braver in the kitchen, I decided to give it a try.

I used the Honey Wheat Bread recipe from the back of the Gold Medal whole wheat flour bag. I used my KitchenAid mixer, but did the rest by hand. No bread maker here. (Although the funny thing is, I had one for years and never used it. I just sold it at a flea market a few months ago.) I also like Jo-Lynne's step-by-step instructions with photos here.

I'm pretty proud of my first effort. Not so proud that I remembered to take a picture, though. Dangit. The loaves came out more dense than a traditional sandwich bread you buy at the store. And, it tastes REALLY good! I will probably have to make it a few more times to get it perfect for us.

What did I learn this week? I learned that I need to stop saying "Oh, I can't do that." Because I most certainly can. And, because who really cares if I fail at making a loaf of bread?

I can see how this translates into other areas of my life. I've been a bit on the timid side my whole life. Playing it safe. Too scared to get hurt/fail/look stupid. It's funny, as I get older, I find that I don't care as much anymore. Not that you will ever find me sky diving or mountain climbing mind you. Really uncoordinated people know their limits. But, I want to try new things. I think this calls for a list. Hmm... I will have to start working on that.

What have you tried that has taken you out of your comfort zone?

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week at Inmates to Playdates (guest hosting for Musings Of a Housewife)

Featured Recipe on ForTheMommas.com

Attention, attention. I am now famous! Hahahaha.

My Alligator Danish recipe is featured on Shannon's new recipe site. Please go check it out and look at her other recipes. Her alfredo recipe is SO GOOD!

Enjoy!

CVS Shopping Trip

1 CVS pain relief 2.00

2 Excedrin 2.50 each

2 Revlon nail polish 4.99 each, buy one get one free sale

= 11.99

- 4.00 Excedrin IPs 2.00/1 x 2 (no longer available to print)

- 2.00/1 Revlon mfr

- 2.00/1 Revlon CVS coupon

= 3.99 + tax oop

Look what you can get for less than the price of ONE nail polish! I didn't have any coupons for the CVS brand acetaminophen, but it was a very good price. I'm having minor surgery in a few weeks and I can only take acetaminophen, so I wanted to grab one. I also couldn't pass up .50 a box for Excedrin. I like to buy nail polish on sale and include it in gift bags for my friends. These prices are good through tomorrow 3/6/10.

I Love a Good Book

Ever since I found this handy dandy website, Good Reads, I've finally found a good way to keep track of my books. Books I've read, books I want to read, and books I'd rather forget. I'd never had a good method before. I tried to start a journal recently, but I had a hard time remembering things when I sat down to write in it. I remembered that I wanted to read a that book that a friend recommended, but not the title. Or the author. Just a general description. Does this happen to anyone else? Good Reads is just perfect for me. Plus, I get to "friend" people, like Facebook and Twitter. It's a modern day book geek's lover's dream! So, come join me and let's geek out together...

I highly recommend:
Going Rogue by Sarah Palin
The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (Not available in the US yet, but you can order it on ebay from the UK. Ask me how I know.) by Stieg Larsson

Not a fan:
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

I'm currently reading The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. I'm not loving it, but I'm giving it a chance. Our next book club pick is The Book of Bright Ideas by Sandra Kring. Looking forward to reading that next.

I was at B&N the other night and had a store credit to use up. I couldn't decide what to get, so I threw it out to my Twitter friends. Their suggestions: The Piano Teacher, The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes, Prodigal Summer (oddly enough, I have never read any Barbara Kingslover!), The Help, and anything by Lisa Scottoline. I ended up grabbing Olive Kitteridge and running out because apparently browsing at the bookstore was not on Dash's to do list!
Have any books I should add to my list?

You Get What You Pay For

When am I ever going to learn? Quality has it's price. And, it is (almost) always worth it.

I have been on an obsessive search for new bedding for Dash's room. We moved everything around a few weeks ago and he is now in his real and final big boy bed. Except he will probably be too tall for it by the time he's 13. And, well, then he just better get a job.

This used to be our guest bed, so I did have a set for it. Sort of. I had been using an extra king-sized comforter, and it's just too big for the bed. It was annoying me. Especially with the toddler guardrail. And, it was all flowery and I felt bad for the kid. (Note: Dash did not care about it being flowery, nor does he really care about covers in general. He kicks them off. All. The. Time.)

So, what is my problem? I don't know. I wanted to have a nice "boy" bedroom for him. I think I need to write another post on why I obsess about things that don't matter. I can already hear Mr. Incredible shouting "AMEN!"

Anyway, back to the bedding search. I looked everywhere: Target (all twin stuff, no full), Walmart (poor quality), TJ Maxx (no kids bedding), Home Goods (an ENTIRE AISLE of GIRL bedding; one boy set, not my size), Pottery Barn Kids (gorgeous stuff, super pricey).

I love Pottery Barn kids, don't you? Dash's crib set and rug are from PBK (mostly gifted to us). I just feel so guilty spending the money on their stuff. But, it's what I really want. And, it's good quality.

Uggghhh. I hate this. I wish I could be more like my husband. When we go out to dinner, he orders what he wants. Forever the penny pincher, I try to order something inexpensive that I may not really be in the mood for. Am I the only one that does this? Please, just say no so I can feel better.

Anyway, I took Dash to Walmart the other day and decided to check their kid's bedding again. They had a big, ugly Batman comforter. Dash made a beeline for it and declared it his. The feel of it kind of made my skin tingle (not in a good way). I figured, what the heck? For $40 I will no longer be annoyed with an oversized comforter, AND my kid will be happy. (He thanked me profusely when we got home. He is a thankful little dude, thank God we're doing something right.)

Are you ready for the point of this post? Whew, I am. The quality of this comforter is not very good. I threw it in the washer, fine. Then, I put it in the dryer. One of those "old school" dryers with no moisture sensor. Yeah, I sort of fried the batting in a few parts of the comforter. I made it worse.

So, what did I learn this week? Go for quality, even if it costs a little more. And, don't put a crappy comforter in a small dryer. Now, to do something about those flowery curtains in the boy's room...

This post is linked to What I Learned This Week over at Musings of a Housewife

Weekend Cooking

Here is my weekend of cooking in pictures. I would like to note that I've never made my own pizza crust before. I'm actually afraid of yeast, and try to avoid making anything that requires it. Except I did make The Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls one year. They are pretty darn good. I got myself PW's cookbook for Christmas and was drooling looking through it again this weekend. Acme was out of the frozen dough I usually get, so I thought, "Time to get over it. Make your own." So, I did. And, it was fabulous. 

The boy loves a good spatula

Blueberry pancakes, nom nom nom. Love my griddle!

Popeyes a la The Pioneer Woman. When we used to make these at camp,
we put 2 slices of bacon over the eggs, but I didn't have any. Hear that PW? Add bacon!

PW's pizza crust (from the cookbook)

Tidy Mom's Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Cake, made into a trifle. I've made this before with perfect results, but this time my filling came out runny. I blame the natural peanut butter. The family and I walked this over to our sweet neighbors, who used their snowblower to help us with the end of our driveway in the recent snow storms. They (and their teenagers) also dug out our elderly neighbors.
I love seeing neighbors helping neighbors.