Barbecue Chicken

We don't have a grill, and we can't have one in our apartment complex, so I have to come up with my own way of barbecuing. I have found that baking chicken in the oven "low and slow" results in a very tender, melt-in-your-mouth result. Plus, once it's in the oven, you can walk away and forget about it for over and hour and get back to other important matters. This is a recipe for a homemade BBQ sauce that we love, but if you're in a huge hurry, I'm sure you could just buy a bottle and get similar results.

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. ketchup
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp. onion powder
1 package boneless chicken thighs or breasts (Hint: thighs are so much more tender and moist, but breasts work well, too)

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt, mustard powder, garlic powder, onion powder, and chili powder. Simmer the sauce for 15 minutes. Add cornstarch, if needed, to thicken.

Place the chicken thighs into a baking dish, and pour the sauce over them. Cover tightly with foil.Bake for 15 minutes in the preheated oven, then reduce the temperature to 300 degrees F, and bake for one hour. Remove cover, stir and bake uncovered for 15 minutes.

I have no picture for this one. There's just no way to make BBQ look pretty in a picture. But I assure you, this is a regular meal in our house because it really is great.

Strawberry Shortcake Trifle

I have decided that every recipe my mom gives me is going to be a home-run. This one is no exception. I actually made this on Memorial Day to go with our barbecue, pasta salad, and corn on the cob, and we couldn't stop eating it. The picture doesn't do it justice:

It's one of those recipes that just gets better and better as the days pass and the flavors meld.

1 Angel Food cake
1 (8 oz.) package light cream cheese, at room temperature
1 (14 oz.) can fat free sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 oz.) container fat free Cool Whip
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. corn starch
3 Tbsp. strawberry gelatin (I used Jello brand)
1 cup water
2 cups fresh strawberries, cut into thick slices

Pinch cake into large bite-sized pieces. For the custard: Mix together cream cheese, condensed milk, and Cool Whip in a large bowl and set aside. For the glaze: In a medium saucepan, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and gelatin; add water. Cook stirring over medium heat until thick. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. When cooled, fold in strawberries.

To assemble, place 1/3 of angel food cake in bottom of a trifle bowl. Top with 1/3 of the glaze, and 1/3 of the custard mixture. Repeat layers in this order for the remaining cake, glaze, and custard. Top with more Cool Whip and fresh strawberries.

We're seniors!

Buckle your seatbelts...we're seniors!!I went to lunch today with some of my classmates to catch up over summer break. It was wonderful seeing everyone again :)

Homemade Salsa

I got a nice Cuisinart food processor for our wedding that never worked. It broke my little heart, but I've kept it in the cabinet hoping it would eventually "magically" work. My cute hubby decided to make it his little project. He took it apart, got out his soldering kit, soldered a few wires together, and ta-da...it works!!!

In the process of repair:All done!
I knew immediately what I wanted to make first. I cannot stand jarred salsa, and I love, love, love restaurant-style salsa. This recipe found on Brown Eyed Baker turned out great!! So tasty and fresh!
Here's what you'll need:

14 oz. can whole tomatoes (peeled) with juice
1 (10 oz.) can original Rotel
2 Tbsp. chopped onion
1/2 clove garlic, chopped
1/2 jalepeño, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro
Juice from 1/4 a fresh lime
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon granulated sugar
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin

Add all ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until you get desired consistency. Refrigerate for at least two hours (but trust me, this tastes 10X better the next day), and then serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Enjoy!!

In other news, I start my senior year of dental school tomorrow. I'm having mixed emotions...I SO do not want to go back, but I'm ready to get this year over and on to the exciting things God has planned for me after dental school. Here's to a fresh start for senior year!

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Nothing says summer to me like fresh fruits and veggies. This is a perfect summer meal that is healthy and tasty! And I'm always happy to find a salad recipe that Jonathan loves, too. Here's the recipe:

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1/4 cup white sugar (I often do less and add a little Splenda)
1/2 c. olive oil
1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp. minced onion
1 quart fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
10 oz. fresh spinach
1/4 c. almonds, sliced or slivered
feta cheese
Chicken breast cutlets

In a medium bowl, whisk together poppy seeds, sugar, olive oil, vinegar, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, and onion. Cover and chill for at least one hour (the flavors need to blend).

Season chicken breasts with garlic powder and other desired seasonings, and cook on the grill (I use my George Foreman grill) until cooked through but still tender.

Assemble your own salad with spinach, strawberries, almonds, and feta. Top with chicken. Stir dressing well, spoon 1-2 teaspoons over your salad, to desired wetness. Enjoy!

Back from N'awlins

After a couple of weeks of travel madness, we are back home and trying to squeeze in some rest. We went home for the 4th of July, and then to New Orleans for my birthday (the big 25) and had a wonderful trip. These are some iPhone photos:

Beignets and cafe-au'-lait on your birthday? Yes, please!We love trips together!

He's back!

Jonathan is back from a blur of a business trip that included 7 flights over 4 days to Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado. He's back just in time for us to leave to go home tomorrow, lol :) Poor thing...hopefully he'll let me do a lot of the driving so he can rest. We're also going to New Orleans for my birthday since it's pretty close to home, so I'm very excited. Happy 4th of July!