Comfort Craze :: Homemade Chicken & Dumplings

Seeing as it's Mardi Gras, I figure I'm probably the only twenty-something in Louisiana blogging right now after a very unadventurous day, and I can see that many are already far gone from all the parading and partying (oh Facebook, you make me so jealous!). Though I wish I could say differently, I am stone sober and already curled up in bed with my space heater by my feet (this is typically my ideal kind of night, but I've been cooped up in the house for so long now that I'm just plain bored!). Considering today's cold and rainy weather, my empty bank account and the fact that I still worked a full day (yes, some of us still have to work on Fat Tuesday!), I'd say a good home cooked comfort meal was a good way to end my blah kind of day!

I don't know about you, but comfort food to me is basically anything tossed in a pot to simmer with enough salt and butter to clog the arteries. This recipe for chicken & dumplings is what my dad's mom (aka Maw-Maw) uses and what I remember my mom cooking, and I love it just as much as I did growing up!

The ingredients are simple... chicken, biscuits, butter, and salt and pepper. But the flavor is amazing! The preparation can be a bit messy and time consuming, but it's worth every minute and every bit of flour spilled.

Before leaving for work this morning, I stuck 3 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts in the bottom of my Crockpot, poured one carton of Swanson chicken broth, filled the rest up with water, sprinkled salt and pepper, and dropped several tablespoons of butter (this part took less than 5 minutes!). I set the Crockpot timer to 6 1/2 hours and went on my way!

Since Marc goes to work well before the sun's even up (I still don't know how he does it!), he ends up getting home a couple hours before I do.. so I had him take care of the chicken for me. I had him take out the chicken and shred it, putting it aside in a bowl. The broth was transferred to a pot that I would later use on the stove.

Maw-Maw goes the old-fashioned route and usually uses whole bone-in chicken for most of her cooking. It definitely adds more flavor and gets you more meat for your buck. As for me, I'd rather save myself some time and energy by using boneless meat.. not to mention, I buy breasts because I prefer white meat to dark meat.

As for cooking the chicken, I highly recommend using a slow-cooker. The chicken falls apart much easier and tends to be juicier than plain old boiled chicken.

For a large pot of chicken & dumplings, you'll want to use 4 cans of biscuits.. and it's important to get the FLAKY kind!

Lightly spray non-stick cooking spray onto a rolling pin (or if you don't own one like me, a large plastic cup will work just fine!) and gently roll each biscuit flat on a light layer of flour.

Each biscuit should look a little something like this...

Then you'll want to cut them into strips about 1/2 inch wide...

Bring the chicken broth to a light boil, and lay each dough strip flat one by one (if you drop them in, the dough will curl up and clump which you don't want to happen). Use a spoon to gently move the biscuits around and let them cook evenly. Cover, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Stir in the cooked chicken once the dumplings are close to being done. Don't let the chicken simmer in for too long or it can dry out.

You will most definitely underestimate the amount of salt and pepper you'll need, so do a few taste tests and season to your liking before serving out this delicious feast.

It's not a very picturesque meal, but it's hearty and oh so amazing!

Enjoy!

My Acne Miracle

When I graduated college and entered true adulthood, I thought that my acne days were over. Unfortunately, and little did I know that my acne was far from being gone. Between the stress of not being able to find a job and my lack of health insurance causing me to forgo birth control which had helped regulate my hormones since I was 18, my acne took a turn for the worst. So, there I was going on 23 and battling self-consciousness as blemishes and pimples awkwardly covered my face in areas impossible to cover up (in addition to enduring the painful ovarian cysts that immediately returned when birth control was no longer an option for me). I always struggled with my childish look and was worried no one would take me seriously, especially in the professional world and now especially with acne. I went through college listening to comments about how I looked 16 (now that I've crossed over into the "going on 30" age, I would kill to look like I did then!), and it wasn't long before I got my college degree that my braces finally came off. I went through my acne spurts in high school where some days/weeks were better/worse than others (and let's not forget the breakouts that always accompany that dreaded time of the month!), but I was very fortunate that my acne was mild and typically hormone-driven. Bad acne was difficult to deal with as an adult, and I can't even imagine how hard it must have been for the teenagers who suffered from it in high school when kids are cruel and expectations are high.

Anyway, almost a year after I graduated when I was made a full-time employee where I work now and was given health benefits, I immediately sought out a lady doctor and got back on birth control. I'm not sure if it had to do with my year-long hiatus from it and/or post-college hormone changes, but I ended up having to switch a few times before I found one I liked. My awful ovarian cysts finally subsided (thank GOD!), but unfortunately my acne did not clear up. After this, I decided to visit a dermatologist. Dr. Dickerson (who is AMAZING) first tried me on an oral antibiotic called monodox (doxycycline) as well as a prescription acne cream. I didn't have high hopes for the acne cream because they have NEVER worked on my skin, and just as I expected, it dried my face out and made the breakouts worse. After upping the dose of the antibiotic and still seeing no results, we cut that out of my daily regimen and finally found my miracle medicine: spironolactone!

So, in my unprofessional and pseudo-scientific description, spironolactone is an inhibitor of the hormone androgen which is produced in the ovaries and converted into estrogen (in men, androgen is the sex hormone that "plays a role in male traits and productivity"). Overproduction of androgen in women can cause acne, which is why the antiandrogen spironolactone can help decrease and clear acne breakouts. A friend of mine who tried spironolactone didn't see any results, but I was very fortunate that it worked! Since then, I've been on the 50 mg pill once nightly, and aside from my 28th-day-breakout, I rarely have any acne hiccups. I will say, however, that the rare occasion when I forget to take it results in an almost immediate breakout. But I guess that just means the medicine is working!

Spironolactone may or may not work for others like it has for me, but it has been such a life-changer and confidence-booster and I wanted to share my miracle drug. Being a young adult while striving to be healthy, look good, do well and have your colleagues and superiors take you seriously is a hard task, but having clear skin can give you the extra boost of confidence you need to strut your stuff and succeed in life. Society expects women to look a certain way, but when we're honest with ourselves, we also know that our outer beauty can most definitely make us feel better inside, even if it is subjective to our own reflections.

I also want to make a point of saying that the right makeup has played a role in my skin's comeback as well. Up until recently, I used store-bought makeup (aka Covergirl, Maybelline, Revlon...) and I assumed that "good" makeup was too expensive to afford. I was wrong. For the Clinique products I now use, I probably spend between $5 and $15 more per item than I did at Walmart. This slight increase in price, however, gets me more bang for my buck (ex: my Clinique foundation lasts a LOT longer than my Covergirl foundation ever did) AND it's better for my skin. My new makeup even feels lighter, which common sense can tell us is a good thing considering we don't want our skin being bogged down by heavy chemicals. Who wants wrinkles anyway? I sure don't!

And lastly, I'll admit that I've been guilty of not properly washing my face or taking my makeup off before bed. I always thought of it as an added chore, and aside from using soap & water in the shower, my makeup was never truly cleaned free. So, I got me a bottle of Clinique Take the Day Off Makeup Remover, and Dr. Dickerson gave me samples of Cetaphil Dermacontrol Oil Control Foam Wash to last a freakin lifetime (not really... but she did give me a LOT), and I've kept a pretty good record of keeping a pretty clean face!

Hopefully you didn't go a quarter of your life before realizing these simple girl rules, but remember.. it's never too late to start healthy habits!

Veggie Creations :: Zucchini Stuffed Bell Peppers

 

So, I borrowed this idea not too long ago from my college roommate (oh, how I miss living with girls!). Kelsey taught me a hearty spaghetti and meat sauce, a delicious meat loaf, and so much more (though my meat sauce still isn't up to par!)! I often miss the nights walking home to our apartment, eating frozen chicken nuggets from the toaster oven and our late night chats in the reclining chair that we snagged from the dumpster (which, by the way, was the most awkward piece of furniture two girls have ever had to carry!). Those were the simple times. Now I have student loans to pay back and a second mouth to feed!

Anyway, she made these a few months back, and since then I've re-made these babies time and time again!

Now, I have a hard time giving measurements because I eyeball just about everything I make, and I prepare my dishes however my taste buds are telling me to at the time. But the basic ingredients for this calls for bell peppers (cut in half), diced zucchini, diced tomatoes, Italian bread crumbs, parmesan cheese and olive oil.

I mix the zucchini, tomatoes, bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper in a bowl with some olive oil. After cutting and seeding the peppers, I drizzle some olive oil on the inside. I scoop in some of the delicious veggie mixture, top with more bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and drizzle more olive oil over all of it. Remember, one bell pepper cut in half makes two stuffed bell peppers (unless you just cut the top off.. then you've got yourself a very large stuffed pepper!)

I usually enclose the entire pan with foil and cook in the oven at 450 degrees for about 30-45 minutes or until the bell pepper is "steamed". I then uncover the peppers to let the breaded topping harden. If I'm feeling impatient, I'll put the oven on broil for a few minutes. I tend to do this a lot :)

It's such a simple mixture, but the flavors all meld together in such a way that's filling enough to be a meal and yet light enough to be a side. Marc doesn't like bell peppers at all, but he was sweet to tell me he enjoyed this the first couple of times I made it even though he didn't. Now, I just make a couple for myself and take one to work with me the next day for lunch. It's even better reheated, and the pepper is even softer and juicier to eat!

Now, I've made them slightly different each time, depending on what the grocery had on sale or what I had in my fridge. I've also made this with yellow squash when the grocery was out of zucchini and it tastes equally delicious! Keep in mind that you can add in whatever veggies or spices you prefer. I LOVE tomatoes so mine are usually PACKED full of them. MMM!

It's healthy, filling and delicious, and it's guaranteed to leave you wanting more! I hope you love this as much as I do!

DIY :: Christmas Caddy

When my husband leaves empty beer boxes in the fridge (which he often does!), my instinct is to throw them away to make room for something else. But instead of tossing them out like I usually do, I decided to turn this one into something useful (seeing as it fits the season!).

With no beer bottles to keep them sturdy, these boxes are actually pretty flimsy. So, the first thing I did was reinforce the bottom with part of an empty Coca-Cola box (ironically found empty in the fridge as well!).

I cut the Coke box even in width and about an inch longer on each side.

Using my hot glue gun, I attached the stabilizer piece to the bottom of the box.

 I folded the ends up...

and glued them very tightly.

I decided to use mine as a holiday utensil caddy...

but you could even detach the inside dividers to fit cocktail plates and napkins!

An upcycled six-pack box is perfect as a condiment caddy for an outdoor barbeque, storage divider for your markers and crafts, display holder for your Christmas cards...

or even a home-picked beer variety pack for a friend!

Recycle the box from your favorite beer to make something useful or repurpose one from a more seasonal beverage to match the theme of your home.

Think twice before you toss out that empty drink box next time... it might just be the thing you've been looking for!

Dinner Now, Dinner Later: Easy Freezy Leftovers!

On a busy day or a night when I'm suffering a bad migraine, I'm thankful to have pre-made meals that I can prepare in little time and with little effort.

Freezing your leftovers is a simple task, but let me save you some spills by giving you a trick I learned.

For a 2 serving portion, I use quart sized freezer bags. If I'm freezing single serving portions (great for a quick microwaveable lunch!) I use sandwich bags and I group those together inside of a freezer bag. I use gallon sized for anything larger.

Also, I'm a fan of anything off-brand, but these sealable bags are worth the extra pennies. The many times I have used off-brand bags, I have ended up with leaks and busts. Don't take your chances... Ziploc is the way to go!

Before you fill, take a permanent marker and label your bag. If you freeze a lot of meals like I do, you will need a way to decipher what's in the bag weeks down the line when you've forgotten what's in there.

When pouring something liquidy, that bag can become flimsy and hard to manage while also holding a ladle. Open the bag and insert it into a large cup like this.

Be sure to turn the top inside out and let it hang over the cup. This keeps your bag in place and lets you pour without dripping on the "zipper".

After filling, carefully pull the bag out of the cup. (See? No spills on the edge!)

 

Get as much air as you can out of the bag before sealing. This helps keep your food fresh and the freezer burn away.

 

Lay the bag flat for easy storage and stack inside your freezer.

 

Repeat with other delicious meals!

Remember, your frozen dinner will only be as fresh as when you freeze it, so the sooner you get it in there the better it'll be the second time around. Don't hesitate to stick your leftovers in there the day that you make them. More often than not, my meals end up tasting even better after they've been frozen because the flavors have all that time to mesh and mingle.

When you're ready to unfreeze and unwind with your easy pre-made meal, you can do it a few different ways:

1. Let it thaw on its own. I'm too impatient for this, but if you think of it ahead of time, you can take it out of the freezer and let it sit out on the counter or even in the fridge for a few hours.
2. Stick it in some hot water. Keeping it sealed, you can dunk it in a bowl of hot water or in a sink with running hot water.
3. Use your handy dandy microwave. I thaw all of my leftovers just long enough in the microwave to loosen them up. While still in the bag, I break them into icy pieces then pour them into a pot on the stove. I cook it on low until it's the right temperature to eat.

If your leftovers aren't enough to fill you up, pair them with some frozen veggies or baked bread. I keep cans of crescent rolls in my fridge for a fast filler.

It's not rocket science, but I hope this helps you realize the possibilities of cooking at home and how easy it is to prepare for the dinner you'll have days or weeks from now!

Cooking at Home: My Secret to Saving $$$

I've always enjoyed cooking. But it doesn't exactly thrill me to slave over the stove after a long day at the office and an evening of housework. So, why do I do it? Aside from it being healthier than the alternative (depending on the amount of butter I'm using... YUM!), I cook to save us money.

Between my husband's hefty appetite and my utter lack of interest in eating from a fast food dollar menu every night (although I do have a weakness for Wendy's chicken nuggets and a chocolate frosty!), eating out can get expensive... fast! A trip to Taco Bell will cost more than $10 between the two of us, and Taco Bell is on the cheaper end of the fast food options out there. And though I constantly crave those delicious Doritos Locos Tacos, a fast food meal just isn't worth the money or the calories, and here's why:

I can spend the same amount of money to cook a meal at home that will typically feed both my husband and me two or three times. Having leftovers to take to work with me the next day saves me from spending more money and getting a quick fix at the closest drive-thru. Not to mention, a greasy meal at lunchtime inevitably slows me down the rest of the day, and I'm left wanting a shower and a nap.

We're less tempted to eat out when we have perishables. Knowing we have ground meat that needs to be cooked or milk that's due to expire, we're encouraged to cook and eat what we have before it goes bad. Uneaten food is wasted money!

A home cooked meal is not only healthier than a greasy, cheese and bacon smothered burger (I'm not going to lie... that sounds delicious right now!), but it also makes us feel better. My cooking isn't always lean, but we're absolutely more energized than we would be after eating something battered and fried.

Marc and I are also aware of which fast foods taste the best and how it all makes us feel, so if there's no food in the house we're often tempted to opt for a more expensive option. A meal from Raising Cane's will cost us about $15, and a meal from a table service restaurant will cost us upwards of $40 if you include a tip and my husband's weakness for an ice cold beer or two. Add that up over a week, and we have ourselves a food bill larger than we can afford!

With my small salary and Marc back in school again, a nice night out doesn't come often for us. But because of that, we've learned to appreciate the small luxuries and enjoy it when we can. Cooking successfully on a budget is a very rewarding task, especially when I have a full and happy hubby!

I grew up eating and loving my momma's delicious home made meals, and there's a lot to say about the quality bonding time the family gets by eating together at the dinner table. I will always love to cook and continue to cook, even when our bank account begins to grow. The only thing that might change slightly is my grocery list... more steak and seafood! MMM!

DIY :: Coffee Table Do-Over

 

I'd like to introduce our first DIY furniture makeover we did last spring!

This table belonged to my husband and his college roommates, and who knows who had it before that. It went through food falls, beer spills, stinky man feet and so much more. I then added to the destruction when my nail polish remover landed a spill of its own. It was time for a makeover!

With a gift card in hand, we headed over to Lowe's where we purchased everything we needed. A circular sander, primer, paint, brushes and topcoat. It was a bit of an expense up front, but it was worth it. After a few projects, you will find that you've acquired all the basic necessities for all your future DIY endeavors.

We set up shop in the driveway and got to work. For a fast and easy fix, we used the super gritty sand paper (60 coarse) and it got the stain and grime off in record time. The great thing about an orbital sander is it doesn't require a lot of pressure or force; however, my hand tends to cramp up from the gripping and vibrations, so Marc usually does most of the sanding.

Using a utility rag, I wiped the entire table free of saw dust. If you use a damp cloth, make sure that the wood is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

We then took the table out into the yard and primed (as renters, we couldn't afford to risk getting paint on the driveway. Better safe than sorry!). We did one even coat of white primer using a can of Zinsser Bulls Eye All Surface Primer. After letting it dry for about 30 minutes, we got to work on the paint!

I laid an old sheet down in our kitchen and brought the table in for painting. We ended up letting the first coat dry over night and applying the second coat the next day. A couple layers of polyurethane, and we got ourselves a beautiful table. Not bad for our first DIY project!

What we used...

• orbital sander (we bought a DeWalt 3-Amp Orbital Sander from Lowes for $79 and used 60 coarse sand paper)
• spray can of white primer (we used Zinsser Bulls Eye All Surface Primer)
• white paint (we used Olympic Premium Semi-Gloss Latex Paint)
• polyurethane (we used Minwax Fast-Drying Clear Gloss Polyurethane) 

What we did...

Sand the stain away...

until it looks something like this.

Evenly apply a coat of primer.

Apply a thin coat of paint and let it dry completely.

Repeat if necessary, then add a topcoat or two.

And then you're done!

Some amateur words of advice from my first project...

• Let the primer, paint and top coats dry completely before applying second coats or moving to the next step. Think of it like painting your nails!
• Sanding isn't always necessary, especially if you're painting instead of staining. If you're looking for a super quick do-over, refer to Pinterest or Google to find out if you absolutely need to sand. Depending on the piece of furniture and your desired results, you can maybe save yourself some time and effort!
• Most importantly, have fun!