Chicken Divan Casserole

This is what I call comfort food! I love casseroles. Here's another great one from Marie over at the English Kitchen.

Chicken Divan Casserole

1 medium head of fresh broccoli
1 lb of chicken breast tenders ...
salt and pepper to taste
1 bay leaf
splash of hot pepper sauce
2 cups cooked rice

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk or half and half, warmed
1/4 teaspoon of medium curry powder
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
salt and white pepper to taste

Topping

1 cup Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Place the chicken into a saucepan along with cold water to cover. Add some salt and black pepper, the bay leaf and a splash of hot pepper sauce. Bring to the boil. Take off the heat, cover and set aside to cool.

Wash and trim the broccoli. Break up into bite sized florets. Peel the stems and cut into chunks. Steam until crispy tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Melt the butter for the sauce in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the flour. Cook, stirring for one minute. Whisk in the warm milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until the mixture bubbles and thickens. Crumble in the bouillon cube and whisk in along with the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Taste and add salt and white pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a shallow baking dish with cooking spray. Open the rice and sprinkle it over the bottom of the dish. Drain the chicken and break into pieces, sprinkle this over the rice. Top with the broccoli florets and stems. Nap the top with the warm cheese sauce, covering everything completely and allowing it to sink down into the casserole dish. Mix together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle them evenly over top of the casserole. If desired, spritz lightly with cooking spray.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until heated through, bubbling and the topping is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving. Delicious!

http://theenglishkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/03/chicken-divan-casserole.html

Basic Turkey Gravy

Basic Turkey Gravy

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup flour
Salt and pepper
4 cups turkey or chicken broth, warmed
Turkey drippings and giblets, optional

Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then add onion. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour on the onions, stirring constantly, and cook until flour is golden to brown. Adjust heat so mixture does not burn. Gradually whisk in 4 cups stock until mixture thickens and is smooth. If it is too thick, add more broth. Cool, cover and chill.

When ready to serve, reheat mixture over low heat, stirring. Scrape bottom of turkey pan and add drippings or giblets to gravy. Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve.

Photo Source: NYtimes.com

♥ Molten Lava Cake

What could be better than chocolate cake? How about warm chocolate cake with melted hot chocolate fudge that oozes out of the center when you cut into it with your fork? Rich melted chocolate that's like the hot fudge topping on your vanilla ice cream sundae....did I say ice cream? Oh that would be so good with this easy to make decadent and delightful and delicious to die for dessert!

  

Molten Lava Cake

4 individual ramekins
1 (6 oz) Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate bar
8 tablespoons butter, diced and room temperature
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
Butter for Ramekins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt chocolate in a double boiler or use a heat proof bowl sitting over a saucepan of hot simmering water. Stir until smooth and remove from heat. Add the diced butter and stir until it completely melts and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat your eggs and sugar until blended and light in color. Stir in your melted chocolate first and then the flour.
Stir in melted chocolate and then the flour. Grease 4 individual ramekins with butter, buttering the bottoms first and then up the sides. Then fill each one with chocolate batter, about two thirds full.

Set ramekins on baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes. Depending on how oozy you want your chocolate filling. Run a knife all around the outside of each ramekin when finished baking and invert on a plate.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream or plain right out of the oven. Oh My!

***This Photograph was taken by the owner of Welcome Home and is copyrighted as the property of ©Welcome Home.

FOOD TIP: LEMONS

Food Tip for the day....
Why waste a whole lemon when you might only need a little lemon juice? Skewer your lemon instead.

If you only need a few drops of juice, puncture a small hole through the lemon's skin with a skewer or fork and squeeze what you need. Cutting them in half will only dry them out quicker. But this will preserve the whole lemon so you can use it again and again.

Image Credit: Getty Images / Jack Hollingsworth

YOUR LIFE STORY

Whenever you don't understand what's happening in your life, just close your eyes, take a deep breath and say...."God, I know this is a part of your plan for me, but will you please just help me get through it?"

I very much believe in God, but I respect those who have chosen not to. I have watched him perform miracles in my own life, and so I am certain that he is real. At this point in my life, I pretty much sit back and allow God to write my life story without any interference on my part. I believe he has planned my life well in advance. He started planning it from the very moment I came here to start this journey and so I just go along for the ride. I sometimes sit back and review past chapters that God has written and I find them to be quite interesting. Sometimes they are very funny and sometimes terribly sad, but all the while inspiring. Reading back on what he has written so far makes perfect sense, even though it didn't seem so at the time.

I am always looking forward to the next chapter in God's story of my life and where it will take me. And sometimes when my life gets scary or worrisome, I know that there is a lesson there for me to learn and God has put some challenges there to see how I will handle them. I know that he will never give more than I can handle and no matter how much I wonder and worry about whatever comes next, I know that God knows full well what he is doing and he is in control. My mother taught me many years ago that "Faith is not believing God can.....it's knowing God WILL." Those words have gotten me through quite a few struggles in my lifetime.

God is writing your life story too and only he knows how the story ends. And while we worry and fear what might happen next, only he knows every detail of the next chapter. Just take some time to sit back and think about what he has written for you so far. Every single page seems to all fit together. Every chapter has an ending. He is the great author of your story and no matter what is going on in your life, just let him write it.

~Marty

MY NEW COOKBOOKS

I am just thrilled! I am getting hundreds of wonderful emails and messages from fans that have just received their new Home For Dinner Cookbook in hardback and soft cover today. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for loving it and taking the time to let me know. An author always sits back and hopes for the best when a new book is released. These messages are putting all my fears to rest....thank you so much. A fan sent me a photo of her two books today, and she said I could share it with you. Thank you Agnes for your kind words and allowing me to share your photo.

For those of you who are not aware that I now have two cookbooks available....

They are both available now and they are perfect for those of you who yearn for good old fashioned, uncomplicated home-cooked southern food. The kind of food that memories are made of; and they both come to you straight from my Mother's recipe box. The proceeds go to support the No Kill Advocacy Group in their efforts to save the lives of healthy dogs and cats that are being killed while they wait and hope ...for their forever family to find them. Over 6 million dogs and cats will die this year while waiting. We can change this.

My newest cookbook, released just last week is called, "Home For Dinner." It's a beautiful and thick 152 page cookbook, with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It is now available in E-book format for your computer, iPad, iPhones and now for your Android Smart phones. Once you purchase the ebook, you own it and you can then download it to all your devices. It's only $24.99 and can be purchased with your credit card or PayPal.

The book is also available in a soft cover and hardback. It is bookstore quality and meant for those who are sticklers for top notch binding, gorgeous paper, and professional printing. This is not just an average cookbook. It is a limited first edition book and the production team at this publishing house produces each high quality book as they are ordered, which doesn't always lend itself to affordability. The books are not just sitting in a warehouse. They actually make your book as you order and ship it to you anywhere in the world. And for a limited time, you can take another 25% off a check out by entering the code SAVE25BLURB

To purchase "Home For Dinner" in E-book format for $24.99 today go to: http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/443961-home-for-dinner

To purchase "Home For Dinner" in hardback or soft cover go to: http://www.blurb.com/b/4696540-home-for-dinner
___________________________________

My original cookbook is still available too. It is called, "Welcome Home Cooking." This is a beautiful 196 page cookbook with full page, full color, high quality photography that accompanies each recipe. It includes Main Dishes, Salads, Breads and Rolls, Desserts, and so much more. It is now available in E-book format for your computer, iPad, iPhones and now for your Android Smart phones. Again, once you purchase it for only $24.99 you can download it to all your devices. The book is also available in a soft cover and hardback.

To purchase "Welcome Home Cooking" in E-book format for $24.99 today go to: http://store.blurb.com/ebooks/412757-welcome-home-cooking

To purchase "Welcome Home Cooking" in hardback or soft cover go to: http://www.blurb.com/search/site_search?search=welcome+home+cooking

And for a limited time, there is a 25% discount for friends of Welcome Home who want to purchase this book too. Enter the code SAVE25BLURB at checkout.

*The book is not available in bookstores. It is only available online through the publisher who offers and safe and secure site for purchasing it. You will receive your new book within 5 minutes if you order the ebook and within 10 days or so when you order hard or soft cover.

♥ Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Okay, so here is my weakness...not a big piece of chocolate cake. Not a beautiful slice of fudge brownie pie. But Brussels Sprouts my friends. I love these things! Just one look at those crispy outer leaves is enough to set my heart a fl...utter! I ate this whole bowl in one sitting...those leaves you see are as crisp as potato chips! YUM!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

1 lb fresh Brussels sprouts
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non stick cooking spray (I use Pam with butter). In a large bowl, add the butter and the olive oil and minced garlic and stir.

Slice the sprouts in half lengthwise and trim the bottom stems.
Toss the sprouts with the olive oil and butter mixture. Spread out on a baking sheet and salt and pepper to taste. Roast for 30 minutes turning them every 10 minutes. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.

♥ Prayer For The Hungry

 

As we look forward and plan our wonderful Thanksgiving dinners this year, please take a few seconds to think of and pray for those that are less
fortunate. Please make a pledge to help those that
have no one and very little of their own. ...And tell yourself that from this day forward you will try to make a difference.

I have always said that if there was a little box on our tax returns that asked if we care to donate just $1 dollar to feed the hungry in this country, we could start to wipe out hunger in America.

 

Prayer For The Hungry

"Oh, God, when I have food
help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me
to remember the jobless;

While I am in my warm home,
help me to remember the cold and the homeless;
When I am without pain,
help me to remember those who suffer.

And in remembering those less fortunate,
please help me to destroy my complacency;
and please stir my compassion,
so that I am concerned enough to help;
By word and by deed,
those who cry out for the very things I might
take for granted.

Thank you God for all that I have. Help me find a way to give to others that need more than I.

Amen.

My Mother's Lap

My Mother's Lap

I have so many wonderful memories of the loving relationship I had with my Mom when I was growing up. I am always reluctant to allow myself to get too deep in remembering them all as it hurts far too much.

But of all the ...memories I cherish, it is the memory of always laying my head in her lap whenever I needed her. It was the safest place to be when my heart was broken. It was a place to go to when I needed to feel comfort and cherished and loved. There was no other place like it when I was scared or hurt or feeling lonely. I can still feel her soft hands stroking my hair and the sweet sound of her voice telling me how much she loved me and her promise that everything would be okay. And it just was. Everything was okay and all was well in the world when I heard those words and felt her warm touch.

And later...when I was a grown woman and life had dealt me a broken heart or presented me with an ultimatum I couldn't handle, I would run to her for those comforting moments, time and time again. It was where I needed to be, and no matter how grown up I really was, for those moments I was her baby again and she was my angel and my refuge and my safe haven. No matter how much pain or what it was that was hurting me, I knew I could get through it with her reassurance that I would be okay.

Of all the memories in my lifetime, those will forever be the most precious to me. Those times are what I long for and yearn for so often. Those times are gone now and the void is so overwhelming at times, it takes my breath away. Life still throws some curve balls and gives me some tough challenges and I still need so much to hear her tell me it will be okay. Sometimes, if I close my eyes tight and drown out the world, I can get lost in my memories of her and I can almost feel her hands stroking my hair.

Oh how ironic this journey of life can be... for little did I know that one day I would be comforting her and stroking her hair as she lay dying. And I would whisper those same words for the last time. "I love you Mom... more than life itself and I cannot bear the thought of going on without you. But I will be okay and I'll see you again. You can go now to a better place. I promise you everything will be okay."

~Marty

Tempura Shrimp

 I love making tempura anything! Why? Because it is so easy and I love the light and crispy coating that comes from this batter. The trick is using ice cold water for your batter. Once that cold batter hits that hot oil you get that crispy ...bubbly coating. So, why order tempura when you can make it so quickly at home? Once you try this batter, you'll be making tempura everything. In this recipe I made simple tempura shrimp but used to the same batter and oil to make tempura vegetables the same night. 



 Tempura Shrimp

12 extra large shrimp, cleaned and peeled
1 cup ice cold water
1 large egg
1 cup flour
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
cooking oil

In a bowl, mix the water and the egg together. In another bowl, mix the flour and baking soda together. Stir dry mix into the wet mix until combined – lumps are okay. Place the batter in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes while you prepare your shrimp. You want your batter as cold as possible.

Make little cuts across the center of the belly to keep the shrimp from curling during cooking. Run a skewer through each shrimp. In a deep pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil to about 350 degrees. Test the oil by dropping a tiny bit of batter into it. When it is the right temperature, it will sizzle and float to the top right away.

Dip the shrimp in the batter, coating completely, and then fry until one side is golden brown and flip. Fry until golden and remove to paper towel to drain. Remove the skewers and serve. Then use your same batter and oil to make whatever vegetables you like.

 Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home.