Slow Baked Chicken and Potatoes

The first day of my menu, I had chosen this recipe called Slow Baked Chicken and Potatoes.  I'm not giving you the link yet because I am not giving it a great review.  I am giving you the recipe to try if you would like.

It was half good.  The chicken and bacon was delicious.  But, the potatoes were not done.  they were still crispy, and that was not the texture I was looking for.  We even tried cooking it an extra hour.

Now, I have not given up on this recipe.  I am going to try it again next month, but I am going to cook it all day in the slow cooker/crockpot instead of for just 2 hours in the oven.

And now, the recipe so you can try it if you want.  Just cook it longer so the potatoes are cooked.

Doesn't it look delicious????

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 lb potatoes, thinly sliced
• 2 large onions, thinly sliced
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 5 boneless skinless chicken breast
• 4-6 bacon slices, uncooked
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 300F. Grease an 11" cast iron skillet with olive oil. Set aside.
2. Scrub the potatoes.  Thinly slice the potatoes and onions. Mince the garlic and finely chop the thyme and rosemary.
3. In a large bowl combine the sliced potatoes, onions, minced garlic, fresh herbs. Season with salt and pepper and arrange layers of the potatoes in the prepared skillet.
4. Place the chicken breasts on top of the potatoes and finish with pieces of roughly chopped bacon.
5. Pour the chicken stock in the skillet and season with salt and pepper.
6. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and place in the heated oven. Bake for 2 hours without opening the oven.
7. After two hours, open the oven and remove the aluminum foil.
8. Turn he broiler on and cook for few more minutes until the potatoes slices and chicken get a little brown color.

 ~Sherie~

Greek Theatre and a Recipe

Yesterday was our first official school day of the 2014-2015 school year!  We did our normal schedule, although I had an appointment right in the middle of the day, so even though we got it all complete, it was broken up into morning session and afternoon session.

Today was about the same.  You see when you own your own business, you have to meet clients when they are available.  So, today we did the morning session and afternoon session as well.  This actually seems to be working out pretty good.

On to what we are learning!  We are still studying Mystery of History Volume 1.  We are up to 478 - 399 BC when Greece was at its prime and they were not afraid of war, so they explored art, theatre, etc.  My boys actually understood this time period.  There are some time periods that at their young age, they have no idea what its all about. 

Anyway, we learned about how plays were sometimes played out by only 2 actors.  The actors would change their masks to show the change of characters and their moods.

Today, my boys created their own masks.  And here they are.

Yes, this one is upside down.  He wanted it that way.

And now for a recipe!

I wanted something today that was going to change up what our menu.  I am tired of the same ole same ole.  So, tonight I took a recipe and made it my own.  It's Super easy and was very good!

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup Dry Ranch Dressing Mix
1/3 Cup Louisiana Hot Sauce
1/4 Cup Butter, melted
4 Chicken Breast, boneless, cut into strips

Directions:
Non-hot strips (for the boys)
Coat the chicken strips with the ranch dressing mix and place on a baking sheet covered in wrinkled up tin-foil.  Drizzle butter on chicken.  Bake for 40 minutes in an 350 degree oven.

Boneless Hot Wings

Mix the Ranch Dressing Mix with the hot sauce.  Then, coat the chicken strips with the mixture.  Place chicken on a baking sheet that has been covered with a wrinkled up piece of tin-foil.  Drizzle butter over chicken.  Bake for 40 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I ate mine on a bed of spring mix lettuce, with black olives, and ranch dressing. 

After this picture was taken, I added french fried onions to the salad.

Everybody loved it!  I hope you do too!!!!!

Back to the grindstone

As many of you have noticed, or maybe you didn't, I have not been blogging for a while.  I was blogging about homeschooling.  We are still homeschooling, I just stink at blogging about it.  So, I am going back to what I like to do, I'm going to use this blog as my own diary of sorts and also a place to keep the recipes that are hits at the A Estate.

I hope you enjoy reading about out crazy life and that may be a recipe or two that you try and actually like.

So, today during reading with my seven year old, he's reading How Oliver Olson Changed the World.  He reads about Neil Armstrong's quote "that's one small step for man, one giant step for mankind."  He says, its a giant step for mankind, and a small step for girlkind.  LOL!  I laughed so hard.  No, he's not sexist, he's seven.  And that is just how seven year olds think.

Here is a little recipe for today.  I don't have any pictures, but maybe the next time I cook it, I will add the pics.


BUFFALO CHICKEN SANDWICHES/SALADS (hubby ate it as a salad, I ate it as a salad)
2 bottle of buffalo sauce, I used whatever I had on hand
2 Tablespoons of  ranch seasoning
4 chicken breasts


In your crockpot, pour 1 of the bottles of buffalo sauce.  Then add the ranch and stir.  Next add your chicken.  And top it off with the other buffalo sauce bottle (I actually only used 1/2 bottle here).  Cook on low 8-10 hours.

Before serving, shred chicken.

Delicious!!!!!

Enjoy!
Sherie

Oven Baked Fried Chicken

Oven Baked Fried Chicken

(Please over look the picture, I am not a professional.  But, this chicken is GOOD!)

 

 

In a large zippered bag, mix the following:  1 T Seasoned Salt, 3/4 tsp Pepper, 1 c. Flour, 2 tsp. Paprika.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut 3 Tablespoons of  butter or margarine into the bottom of a a 9x13 pan. Place baking pan in the oven while it is heating up. Drench chicken (I cut up 5 pieces of chicken into tenders) pieces in milk.  Shake excess milk off of chicken and completely coat each piece with the seasoning mix.  Place each piece of chicken in the pan. Cook for 20 min. Turn each piece of chicken and continue cooking for 20 more minutes, or until cooked through.

Enjoy!
Sherie

Easy, Healthier Chicken Parmesan

Easy, Healthier Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
4 Chicken Breasts
Spaghetti Sauce
4 Cups Mozzarella Cheese (I said Heather, not completely healthy.  LOL!)
Bread Crumbs

Directions:

Cut Chicken into bite sized pieces. Spread Olive oil on bottom of 9x13 baking dish.  Place chicken pieces on top of oil.  Pour spaghetti sauce over chicken.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes.  Sprinkle 1/2 of the cheese on top of the chicken, sprinkle bread crumbs on cheese, then sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the bread crumbs.  Bake an additional 20 minutes or until the cheese is all melted and browning.

Enjoy!