Measuring Up

Tonight I decided to make something for dinner called "Cheesy Chicken". Cheesy Chicken is a recipe of Brian's sister. When the family travels to the beach for their yearly vacation...it is always a request of the family for Lauren to make her famous dish. I personally have never had it... but decided that tonight I would attempt it.

Upon taking out all the ingredients, I decided not to make it according to her recipe, but to make it my own. This was not because the original recipe didn't sound great...but because I didn't want to end up in a fight with Brian! Knowing that the only Cheesy Chicken he had ever had was his sister's...and I would probably not make it the same!

I attempted to make his mother's famous Broccoli Casserole a few months ago...and those who were at the table during dinner would say it's our "ever famous fight". There we were... arguing in front of our closest friends because he told me that I needed to use less mayonnaise next time I made it. Right then and there I declared I was never going to attempt another one of Gail's recipes! I've officially messed up her brown rice and her broccoli casserole and swear to never cook them again!

I have to say... my creation tonight was de-lish! I'm going to call it... "In Sickness and Health, Curry Chicken Pot Pie" ... the name is because since our return from our honeymoon, I've been taking care of my sick husband! I sure hope tonight's meal is his turnaround point...and he's on the road to recovery!

So without further adieu...

"In Sickness and In Health, Curry Chicken Pot Pie"
Serves: 2-4
Cook Time: 45 Minutes
Temperature: 350 degrees

2-3 Boneless Chicken Breast
1 Bag of Frozen Broccoli Florets or Pieces
2 Cups of Sharp Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 Can of Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Milk (I used Skim)
2 Tablespoons Sour Cream (I used Low Fat)
1 Can Crescent Rolls (I used Reduced Fat)
Curry Powder (to taste)
Chicken Bouillon (optional)
Salt and Pepper


Cut Chicken into pieces and either boil until cooked or put in a pan and brown with Chicken Bouillon, Salt and Pepper. (I think it tastes better when you brown it in the pan). During the time the chicken is cooking, boil your broccoli according the package directions and drain after done. Combine broccoli in the pan with the chicken and stir in 1 cup of cheddar cheese. Allow to melt.

Place mixture into the bottom of a greased 9 x 13 Pyrex dish. Open can of Crescent Rolls and take apart. Place all over the top of the chicken/broccoli mixture (leaving spaces so sauce can get down into the bottom of the dish).

In pan where you cooked chicken, over medium heat, mix 1 can of cream of chicken soup, 2 T of Sour Cream, 1 Cup of Cheese, 1 Cup of Milk, Curry Powder, Salt and Pepper until cheese has melted and becomes like a sauce.

Pour Sauce over top of Crescent Rolls.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes until brown and bubbly.


Here is what It should Look Like:




Brian really liked it...but he LOVES anything with Curry...so I knew I was going to be hitting a home run with this one! (it's very similar to Chicken Divan...but easier)

Sorry Lauren for not making your recipe...but now that means you can make it for me! :)

Note to the women reading this blog: Don't make something his Mama has made for him his whole life....you end up fighting over silly things like Mayonnaise!!

Making an Impression

Chad's Lady Friend (aka Girl Friend) Bonnie has left a lasting impression on EVERYONE she has met recently. Every friend who has called to talk about our wedding has said how much they enjoyed getting to know Bonnie. I too have to agree with them. She has become somewhat of a sister to me in just a short amount of time. She makes Chad happy...which makes me happy.

Another reason that Bonnie fits right in with us "Treado's/now Simms' " is that the girl CAN COOK! The first time Brian and I went to eat dinner at her place, she made something I had never had before... Taco Soup. Those who know me...know that I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD! Brian says I'm not allowed to have chips and guacamole for a month since I ate it every day on our honeymoon! I seriously could eat Mexican everyday and be happy!

Today's blog is in honor of Bonnie.... because if there was a dish that she could have created that was to impress me....it was her Taco Soup! ...so... Thanks Bonnie for sharing...and I hope you will make up a batch and think of us...and Bonnie...who is so special.

Bonnie's Taco Soup
Cook Time: 2 Hours
Serves: A LOT

2 lbs Ground Beef
1 Onion Chopped
2 Pkgs. Ranch Seasoning Mix
2 Pkgs. Taco Seasoning Mix
1 16 oz. Pinto Beans (Undrained)
1 16 oz. Black Beans (Undrained)
2 16 oz. White Corn (Undrained)
1 16 oz. Can Diced Tomatoes and Chilies (Undrained)
1 16 oz. Can of Diced Tomatoes (Undrained)
2 Cups Water

Cook Meat and Onions Together. Drain off Fat. Stir Ranch and Taco Seasonings into cooked meat. Add remaining ingredients with juices. Add Water. Simmer for 2 hours in Crockpot.

*We Like to Serve Ours with Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese and Frito's**

"Ralphy Baby"

As Most of you know... I'm getting married this week! (Because I have been reminding you weekly for the past year via my Facebook Status!) I am a little excited...can you tell?

Most girls will tell you that they have been dreaming of this day since they were a little girl. I too have been that way...except... I haven't only been dreaming... I've been PLANNING. I can remember the day like it was yesterday, My best friend Sarah and I were going on vacation with my family to Hilton Head...and for fun we bought our first EVER addition of Modern Bride. We went through the magazine from cover to cover and picked out EVERY detail. Our dresses, our man's tuxes, our china pattern, bridesmaid dresses, honeymoon locations, etc. I still have the copy of that addition of Modern Bride...and it's fun to go back and look at our hilarious choices. Those who are in my wedding...be glad I didn't stick to my original plans....you would be wearing light pink with bows!

Ralph Lauren had a ad in the magazine with a dreamy guy leaning up against a vintage sports car in a tux... and we named him Ralphy Baby. Since 12 years old... I've been waiting on my very own "Ralphy Baby".... and I must say... it was well worth the wait! On Sunday, I will officially be "Mrs. Ralphy Baby Simms!"

If I am out of the loop for the next few weeks...I'm sure you will understand why...but with that being said.... I will return with great restaurant reviews from California and hopefully pictures from our special day.

Signing off for the last time as...
Beth Treado :)

Kathie's School House Chili

So I'm having to take back my statement from my first posting by saying that my mom doesn't cook... She DOES cook...Just NOT Often! She has her specialties and every so often we will get a taste of what Kathie can do... and I have to tell you.... She CAN cook!

Because it's Freeeeezing outside, I thought I would share with you her recipe for Chili. She calls it "School House Chili". For most of my life, I can remember Mom making her chili and hauling it to school every year in a crock-pot for her teacher friends to enjoy. So I thought I would share it with you all.... It's perfect for days like today!

Kathie's School House Chili

3 lbs ground beef
2 or 3 cans of Chili Beans
1 large chopped onion
16 ounces Ketchup
2 T. Worchestershire Sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 cans tomato paste
dash of tabasco sauce
1 T. Salt
1 T. Pepper
2 T Chili Power
2 T. Sugar

Brown Beef with Onions, Drain off fat. Add to other ingredients and simmer for 2-3 hours.

Makes: A LOT!
Serve With: Frito's, Cheese and Sour Cream (My personal favorites!)

The Tale of the Spaghetti Squash...

Well Folks... Here it is... The Famous Spaghetti Squash I posted about. Thanks to Bonnie (Chad's Lady Friend) for buying it for us to try. It was a sweet gesture and she was trying to help us out with our Pre Wedding, No Carb diet.... Up until the famous squash arrived at my house on Saturday, I had never even heard of such a thing! The Spaghetti Squash is a great alternative to pasta for those who are trying to live a low-carb lifestyle. BUT..prepare yourself, it is weird! As I was scooping out the stringy cooked squash, I was asking myself out loud... "Man, What was God thinking when he created this!?"

I did a little research online before cooking my Squash...and here's the recipe I tried...

Spaghetti Squash

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ready In: 45 Minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise and seeded 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese 3 tablespoons sliced black olives 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Directions:

1.	Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet.
2.	Place spaghetti squash cut sides down on the prepared baking sheet, and bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a sharp knife can be inserted with only a little resistance. Remove squash from oven, and set aside to cool enough to be easily handled.
3.	Meanwhile, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, and cook only until tomatoes are warm.
4.	Use a large spoon to scoop the stringy pulp from the squash, and place in a medium bowl. Toss with the sauteed vegetables, feta cheese, olives, and basil. Serve warm.

Overall: It was good.... just a little too weird for me. I mean your talking to a girl who grew up with eating squash one of two ways...either in a casserole or stewed down with onions! And I have to admit...I prefer that way MUCH better!

Totally Worth Blowing your Diet For...

Diets are Totally Overrated! (but Boy do I need to stick to one!)

A colleague shared this recipe with me after our Christmas party at work...and I've been craving it ever since.

Problem was... I started a no carb diet the day after tasting my first bite....

Tonight I caved in and I made them...and I have to say... THEY ARE TOTALLY worth blowing your diet for!

It's the Perfect Sweet/Salty Mix. I must warn you though...the pan of them will disappear before your eyes...it's just one of those treats you have in your house and every time you walk past the pan you sneak another bite. (Don't say I didn't warn you!)



Salted Nut Roll Bars

1 1/2 (16. oz.) jars of dry roasted peanuts
1 (12 oz.) package of peanut butter chips
1 (10 1/2 oz.) package of mini marshmallows
3 tsp. butter
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

Melt Butter and Chips. Add Sweetned Condensed Milk. Cook for 2 minutes. Put in 1/2 marshmallows. Let them melt, then add other half. Grease pan, cover bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan with half of the peanuts. Add Cooked mixture; spread. Then sprinkle rest of the peanuts on top. Allow to cool. Cut into squares.

In Honor...

I come from a LONG line of cooks... they were never chefs and they never claimed to be. But what they are...are true Southern people who express their love through food.

In my lifetime, I've been privileged to watch two amazing women stand over a stove and create some of the best meals I've ever put in my mouth. Though one is deceased and the other isn't able to cook anymore...I still live through those memories. Every time I step into my kitchen a rush of my childhood returns.

In honor of the fact that I'm getting married next week... I thought I'd share a funny quick story with you. Those of you know my mother know, that she doesn't cook! She doesn't cook, because she doesn't have too! I have a Dad who steps into the kitchen and whips up a meal in no time flat! Mom made us a cookbook years ago and included in it was a recipe titled, "How to Catch A Husband Chicken Divan!" .... she claims it was the meal that she made for my Dad right before they became engaged over 30 years ago!.... So with that being said... a few years ago I adapted the recipe and created a version of it for Brian.... and needless to say... I will be passing down my recipe to our daughter one day with the same note... because I swear It's One of the ways I got him to Fall Hook Line and Sinker for me!

So In honor of My Wedding next week... Here is my Recipe for the New Version of ...

"How to Catch a Husband Chicken Divan!"
Recipe From: Paula Deen

• 2 (10-ounce) packages frozen broccoli, chopped
• 6 cups shredded chicken, cooked
• 2 (10 3/4-ounce) cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup grated sharp Cheddar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove the outer wrappers from the boxes of broccoli. Open 1 end of each box. Microwave on full power for 2 minutes, until thawed. Drain the broccoli and put into a casserole dish. Add the shredded chicken.

In a medium bowl, combine the soup, mayonnaise, sour cream, Cheddar, lemon juice, curry powder, salt and pepper, to taste, and wine. Whisk together to make a sauce. Pour the sauce over the broccoli and chicken. Mix well with a spatula.

Place the mixture into an 11 by 7-inch casserole dish or 2 (9-inch) square disposable aluminum foil pans that have been sprayed with vegetable oil cooking spray. Pat down evenly and smooth with a spatula. Combine the Parmesan, bread crumbs and butter and sprinkle over the top.

Bake for about 30 to 45 minutes.