Cooking

Kicked Up Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich

/ Jodi / 2 Comments

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I LOVE Chicken!

It is so versatile.  There are so so so many different things you can do with it.  So many ways to prepare it.

Grilled, fried, baked, broiled, boiled, stir fried…

In pasta, in the crockpot, marinated, breaded, with vegies, with fruit, with sauce, in a wrap or in a sandwich……

The possibilities are limitless, and I make chicken at least twice a week.

So when I saw this AMAZING looking Chicken sandwich on Carlsbad Cravings’ Blog,   I knew I had to try it!

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Since  my dear friend Janet was coming over for dinner this past Monday, I thought this would be a great recipe to try.  (and being that Marty is not a huge teriyaki fan <SERIOUSLY?? – WHAT THE HECK!>, I knew he wouldn’t mind with Janet here 🙂 ).

From the sticky sweetness of the homemade honey teriyaki sauce with a kick of heat to the smooth coolness of the honey lime avacado yogurt sauce to the tangy sweetness of the grilled, marinated pineapple to the crunchy goodness of the crisp red onion, to the heat and bite of the melted pepper jack cheese to the juiciness of the marinated grilled chicken breast to the sweetness of the tomato………..

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SIGH…

Oh My!  Are you dying yet??

So many layers of wonderfulness on a grilled bun!

We all decided it might even be just fine without one or two of the ingredients, but totally enjoyed these delish, but a bit sloppy sammies that are totally restaurant worthy.

Have an extra two or three napkins on hand when eating this one!

We enjoyed with a large fresh tossed salad, and I have lots of leftover chicken for salads and sandwiches and wraps the rest of the week.

Check out the recipe Jen posted here for what she calls Honey Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Sandwiches with Honey Cotija Avacado Spread and tweak to your own taste and enjoyment (i.e. I subbed Feta cheese for Cotija cheese, which I was clueless about…)

I’m pretty sure you are going to love this.  I know I did!

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Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making Bagna Cauda with Oh Rob

/ Jodi / 7 Comments
Bagna Cauda

Sharing a Communal Pot of Warm Bagna Cauda, Crispy Vegetables and Homemade Chewy, Crusty, Ciabattaa with family and friends

Oh the fun we had this past weekend with family and friends; and as promised, I wanted to share a special treat with you today.

My buddy, “Oh Rob,” as I affectionately refer to him, was in the house, and we made some Bagna Cauda to take to a picnic.

I asked if I could photograph him making it to share on my blog, and in true Oh Rob fashion, he graciously obliged.

OR wine

Some of you might ask – “What the heck is Bagna Cauda?”

Others might say – “Ooooohhhh how I love that stuff!!!!”

Now don’t be scared off by the <ahem> low-calorie, low-cholesterol, low sodium ingredients…

You balance that by eating it with crisp, crunchy, healthy, fresh vegetables….

…..or crusty loaves of chewy bread (like the homemade Ciabatta we had!).

Now – Oh Rob is Italian – and oh how he loves being Italian!  So you guessed it, Bagna Cauda is an Italian recipe.

Bagna Cauda is a warm dip served and eaten similar to fondue.  It is made with garlic, olive oil, butter, anchovies, and Rob’s “secret” ingredient”  (making this recipe a silver medal winner in a local bagna cauda competition!).

Bagna Cauda is best served in a large pan in the center of the table for communal sharing.

Are you ready?

OR1To get in the mood, Rob first meticulously secures his Ivy Newsboy cap atop his head and spritzes himself with a bit of romantic, manly scented cologne.

OR1aHe then chooses his favorite Italian music selection from his iPhone…

OR2and pours a robust glass of dry red wine.

The mood is set.  Can you feel it?

OR Garlic1Now Rob begins the chopping of fresh garlic….

OR Garlic2Trying every sharp knife and the good old Pampered Chef Food Chopper, Oh Rob finely chops the garlic, and adds it to his electric skillet that has been coated with a thin layer of olive oil.

OR Garlic3After sautéing the garlic for a few minutes in the olive oil,

OR AnchoviesIt is time to test the anchovy filets.

OR Anchovies2Per Chef Oh Rob, Bagna Cauda cannot be made without first sampling an anchovy filet on a cracker…

OR Anchovies3Oh Delizioso!  We sampled on a sea salt flatbread cracker.

OR Anchovies5After passing our taste test, Oh Rob added two cans of anchovy filets with the olive oil they are packed in, smashing them and integrating and infusing them into the olive oil and garlic.

OR Anchovies 01

Per Oh Rob – “Roland” is the best.  Around here, these cans sell for about $7.95 a can.  And he gets them at our local Italian Store, Labriolas.

OR butter3Next we add a……. yep – I have to admit – a pound of butter.

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As Oh Rob adds the butter, he repeats the words of his wise Momma over and over – “Do NOT burn the butter Bobby.    Do NOT burn the butter!”

Then it is time to add the Brugnoli family secret ingredient that Oh Rob gave me special permission to share.

OR Sour Cream12 – 3 heaping spoonfuls of sour cream get whisked in to finish this delicacy off.

OR VeggiesTime to chop the veggies.

Notice our special helper and floor cleaner-upper, Mikey, is standing guard ready to help while Oh Rob cuts up crunchy stalks of celery to make great scoopers of Bagna Cauda,

OR peppersAnd then some sweet red and orange and yellow peppers,

OR cabbageand chunks of cabbage.

Any firm, crisp vegetable you love tastes delicious dipped in bagna cauda.

Bagna CaudaAnd oh how wonderful it was communally sharing all this deliciousness with friends while sipping sangria.

Thanks for sharing Oh Rob, and thanks for a fun picnic Gary and Cindy.   Great to see you Kathleen and Jack, and so glad to finally meet you Sally!

Mangia bevi e sii felice!

Eat Drink and Be Merry!

at Life In Between.

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Wraps with Pineapple Slaw

/ Jodi / 5 Comments

Hawaiin BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Slaw 2One day last week, I was surprised to get an email from Nick sending me a link to a recipe he saw on Host the Toast’s Blog for Crock Pot Hawaiian BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Slaw.  (Who knew he read recipe blogs?!?)

Anyway – he somehow charmingly hinted that it would make a great dinner sometime.

Well – woohoo!  Looked YUMMY to me, and I am always up for a new recipe.

I was excited that he wanted me to try something new and different.

So last night I made these yummy wraps (our version of the taco) – because – hey – Nick loves any meal that can be wrapped in a flour tortilla and eaten with one hand.

srirachaAnd we both love anything zipped up with spicy Sriracha sauce.  (In this case both the chicken and the slaw!)

For those unfamiliar with Sriracha – a little goes a long way – so BEWARE faint of spicy taste bud fans – and use sparingly if you are a bit wimpy about zippiness.

The chicken is so tender and juicy and spicy and sweet and yummy.

It could be eaten as is or on a bun or even over some steamed rice (I happened to make a yummy pan of Basmati Rice Pilaf as the “side” dish last night).

And the slaw – oh so yummy and bright and fresh – and such a perfect blend of crunchiness and sweet and zippy and tangy.  Placed atop the BBQ chicken on a flour tortilla with a generous sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese – Oh my!

Pineapple SlawI’m guessing some of the more unusual ingredients from the original recipe  (like coconut milk and rice vinegar) can be omitted or substituted.  (In fact, I did purchase the coconut milk – for the first time – but substituted red wine vinegar for the rice vinegar).

Be creative – don’t worry if you don’t have all the ingredients – mix and match – plug and play – substitute – omit – follow your own taste buds.

So…

Happy to report that Nick LOVED it…

I loved it…

Marty liked it – a lot – (can’t give it a “LOVE” though –  he’s always been a little weird about fruit mixed with savory  – whatever – be boring then)

Here is the recipe for how I made it.

Enjoy!

Chicken:
3 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast
1½ cups pineapple juice
½ cup honey BBQ Sauce
1/4 cup honey
⅓ cup soy sauce
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp ginger
2 Tbsp sriracha sauce (this stuff is POTENT – so only use 1 Tbsp if you’re a sissy!)

Flour tortillas
Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Pineapple Slaw:
½ small purple cabbage, sliced thin
¼ medium green cabbage, sliced thin
¼ fresh pineapple, cored and diced
½ small red or Vidalia onion, diced
3 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
¼ cup coconut milk
1 lime
1 Tbsp sriracha
1 tsp brown sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Whisk together pineapple juice, soy sauce, BBQ sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and sriracha.
Place chicken breasts in crock pot and cover with the sauce mixture.
Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Combine and toss all of the slaw ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

After the chicken is cooked for 7-8 hours in the crock pot, shred it with a fork and let it absorb the sauce for another 30 minutes or more.

To eat, place a serving of chicken on the flour tortilla, top with pineapple slaw and a generous sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese. Roll it up, and enjoy!

Hawaiin BBQ Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Slaw 2Cheers and Hugs and a zippy Aloha!

Jodi

Crazy Addictive Homemade Caramel Corn

/ Jodi / 6 Comments

Caramel Corn bowl

Sometimes I like to fuss and make fancy schmansy appetizers and snacks for company or to take somewhere.

Other times, I rely on tried and true no-fail crowd pleasers like this A M A Z I N G  homemade Caramel Corn.

No matter when or where I serve it or what else is on the table, there is rarely, if ever, a kernel left.

I originally got this recipe from one of my very dear friends, Pam (aka Bubby or the Bubster as I affectionately like to call her – have you noticed a trend in nicknaming with me??!!…) who brought it to our house one holiday season years ago.

I have made this stuff (that is literally like CRACK it is so addicting!) to give as gifts, take to parties, or just serve when having a crowd over many, many times over the years since Bubby first brought it and got us all hooked.

You have got to try this.

And then you have to let me know if you have any leftover.

I dare you – even double dare you – to resist this stuff.

You start with 2 bags of Snyder’s Hulless Puff’n Corn Popcorn.  (You know – that melt in your mouth puffy kind that doesn’t have the kernels that get caught between your teeth).  Dump them in a large roaster pan, and turn your oven on 250 degrees to preheat.

Caramel Corn 1

Then you melt 2 sticks of BUTTER and 1 TBSP of peanut butter in a saucepan.

Add 2 cups of packed brown sugar and 1/2 cup Karo Light Corn Syrup, and boil for 5 minutes.

Caramel Corn 2

Remove from heat, and add 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp baking soda, and watch the crazy chemistry work.  (Not sure why – maybe some of you that paid a bit more attention in high school chemistry class know why – but it just completely grows and changes consistency after that little bit of baking soda.)  And if you didn’t start out with a large enough saucepan, you can easily overflow, so be prepared!

Caramel Corn 3

Pour this mixture over the popcorn in the roasting pan and stir well.

Caramel Corn 4

Then bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour (stirring every 15 minutes or so).

Caramel Corn 5

I made this along with about 10 zillion (ok I exaggerate) other things for our Father’s Day Picnic Celebration this past Sunday, and it is the only thing that I did NOT have any leftover of…..

Just saying……  You gotta try this stuff!

And let me know if you have any leftover…

Caramel Corn bowl

Cheers and hugs,

Jodi

Zippy Pepperoni Chicken

/ Jodi / 1 Comment

pepchknI could make chicken for dinner every night.

Marty, on the other hand, is like – “Where’s the Beef!”

But he puts up with it – at least twice a week for dinner.

Oh – there must be ten thousand gajillion ways to make chicken, and this is one of my FAVORITES!  Zippy Pepperoni Chicken!

And what makes it even better is it’s a crockpot recipe.

So throw it together in the morning, go to work, and come home to this deliciousness.

Start by throwing a 3 lb bag of frozen chicken breasts or tenderloins in the crock pot (no need to thaw) and sprinkle with a little salt and lots of coarsely ground pepper.

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Then sauté some garlic in olive oil for about 2 minutes.

pepchkn2While that is infusing, chop up a handful of pepperoni (no measurement needed – just add as much as you like) – I probably used about 3/4 of a cup chopped.

pepchkn3

and stir that into the garlic and olive oil to sauté for about another 2 minutes.

pepchkn4Add a jar of your favorite Marinara Sauce (I used Bertolli) – or you could certainly make fresh if you are so inclined, have time – or are a better cook than me!

pepchkn5and some dried and/or fresh herbs to your liking.  I used dried oregano and fresh basil (one of my faves!)

pepchkn6Then just pour all this yumminess over the chicken in the crockpot, set to low, go to work – or shop – or play – or whatever you do all day…..

pepchkn7and about 15 minutes before you are ready to eat – at least 6 hours or so later – lay some plump slices of fresh mozzarella on top and a smathering of freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (ooooohhh  la la!)

pepchkn9And oh wait until you taste and smell this!  Party in your mouth!

Add some pasta if you like (I used Dreamfields Angel Hair – an itsy bit healthier with some extra grams of fiber – since this recipe is so – well (ahem) healthy…. (ok Yummy!)

pepchkn8pastaPretty dang delish!

pepchknBest enjoyed with some red wine and a great friend!  (Loved sharing it with you Jan!)

pepchkn10Until we cook again…

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

Homemade Haluski – Peasant Food fit for a King

/ Jodi / 3 Comments

How can something so simple taste so good?
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Every once in a while, I just get a hankering for halushka/haluski/cabbage and noodles (you say tomato – I say tomahto).  This old-fashioned Polish peasant comfort food makes a great side dish to pork.  Our favorite is a lemon-garlic-herb marinated pork tenderloin on the grill.

This past weekend, Marty grilled the tenderloin while I whipped up this haluski and a nice beet salad, and voila! – Yummy deliciousness on a plate and in my mouth!

It is SOOOO easy and SOOO inexpensive to make.

You start out with a stick of butter, a head of cabbage, a large sweet (Vidalia) onion, a bag of Halushka noodles, and garlic, salt, and pepper to taste.  (What’s that cost?  About a total of maybe $5?!)

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In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the garlic.

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And the sliced sweet onion.

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Coarsely chop the cabbage.

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And add to the buttery garlic and onion yumminess with a nice dash of salt

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And coarsely ground pepper to taste (which I am L O V I N G on everything lately)!

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Then you sauté and reduce it down for about 10 minutes.  I starts out looking like a lot of cabbage

h8but be patient and watch as it reduces and softens and browns into an amazing caramelized deliciousness that looks about like this

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while that is working its wonderfulness, add the bag of noodles to a large pot of salted boiling water

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and boil for about 8 minutes.

h11Once they are al dente, strain and add the noodles to the buttery, caramelized cabbage, onion and garlic mixture.

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I like to make it a little ahead of time, put a lid on it and let it “soak” and marinade.  When ready to serve, sauté for a couple more minutes to get some of those noodles crispy brown, and ENJOY….

at Life in Between or A N Y   T I M E!

Cheers and Hugs,

Jodi

 

the first post – so how do I begin?

/ Jodi / 22 Comments

So I have a good idea what I want to write about… for the most part. My BFF’s oldest daughter told me I should start a “lifestyle” blog.  I guess she thinks my life is interesting….  or at least enough that one or two people might want to read about things I do….  (Hopefully I’ll have at least one subscriber – Jacyln Rae – hint hint!)

Or maybe she just thinks I would enjoy doing it, and that is enough.

Hmmm…. I think I like that…

You know…. that’s one of the perks of growing – err – older and wiser – you get to the point where you realize you can do things just because you want to. Yes – there are those things most of us HAVE to do – like paying bills, doing laundry, working – you get the gist – but what do you like to do in between all that?

That’s the real “living” part.

“Life in between” can mean so many things…

The main reason I titled this blog with it is because I want to share the things I choose to do in between the things I “have” to do.

It can also be a stage of life that is in between stages – and aren’t they all?!

Right now – I’m kind of in between the mom stage and the empty nester and grandma stage. And Oh I Can’t Wait to be a Grandma!  (No hint hint Jake and Colleen – whenever you are ready…  well – maybe a little hint hint)

I think I was born to “mother.”  And oh poor everyone around me that I “mother” – sorry! It’s just in my DNA – I want to nurture, I want to comfort, I want to make happy. Could be worst things -right?!  (clear throat)  But don’t ask my boys…

So anyway – the things I love to do “in between” the things I have to do – that’s what I want to share with you here.

French Macarons

I love to bake.  I love how it makes the house smell.  I love how it makes people feel when they bite into a buttery, chocolately, caramely yummy thing.  I love surprising someone with a special treat of something they love.  Here is a picture of my first attempt at French Macarons.  I was so excited these testy little buggers turned out.  Not sure I’ll ever make them again – so much work – so temperamental – and what if they don’t turn out the next time?  Was it beginner’s luck?  I’ll just believe I’ve MASTERED them….  and leave it at that….

I also love to decorate – my home that is.  And it’s not all about it being House and Garden perfect for those of you that know me and are thinking  “Jodi – you are NOT an interior decorator!”

My ultimate goal (in deocrating) is to create a place that is warm and welcoming.  A place where someone can just drop by (no formal invitations needed around here) and feel comfortable and welcomed and loved.  No shoes off in my house.  So what if the carpet has stains…  Those stains represent someone who I shared my home with or that spilled a drink or our dog who came in after a rainy spring day – so what…  I grew up in a house that was House and Garden perfect… that meant NO SHOES inside…  it meant that you could see sweeper marks in the carpet from the daily vacuum…. it meant that you could literally eat off the garage floor if you were so inclined because it was so clean….  and that’s all good…  Mom was an awesome “cleaner”…  but it’s not me.  I want comfort, warmth, welcoming.  I want my house to feel like your favorite worn slippers or most comfortable fleece hoodie or your “go to” black yoga pants.  That’s what trips my trigger.

Here’s a little peek at our home – and that’s my little buddy “Mikey” who is never far from my side.  After this LONG COLD winter, it was so nice to see the daffodils and grass recently.

signs of spring

And I also love to craft.  It’s been various things through the years…  I’ve tried knitting and crocheting and cross-stitching, tole painting, slate painting, wood crafts, and ceramics.  My most recent crafting obsession is papercrafting – stamping, coloring, cutting, punching, pasting, tying – anything with paper and ink.  I guess it feels comforting being that I (and so many of us) spend so much time on the computer.  It feels extra special to create and send a special handmade something to someone and hope they realize the time and love you put into it – just for them. Here’s a card I made for a very special cousin and friend – Oh Rob! (I’m sure you’ll hear more about him in coming posts). Oh how I love that guy – and his amazingly talented and loving wife and superhero to me, Joyce.  Rob’s “One Little Word” this year is “reflection,” so I wanted to create a birthday card acknowledging and celebrating “reflection.”

rob reflection birthday card 2014

And then – I love to photograph it all.  Dear hubby got me my first good camera for Christmas this year – and I think he might regret it….  I know my boys do…. but I just love taking photographs of crazy, silly, normal, everyday things.   Not a trained professional by any means – not even a class – haven’t even read the whole manual (sorry Patty – I will get there!) – just have fun with it and love seeing what it captures.  My BFF, Jill, honored me with the privilege of capturing  her daughter, Jackie’s bridal shower recently – oh what fun that was – and even allowed me to do a “photo shoot” with her in-laws (I think George and Alice are going to be more famous than all of us) for a work campaign.

Recently, while Marty (that’s the dear hubby’s name) was cutting grass, I was doing very important things like taking pictures of dandelions and bees on them….  and HE snapped this little gem with his phone while on the tractor…. Not flattering – but yep – that about sums it up.  The silly things I do in my life in between…..

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So we’ll see how this goes….  I now have my first post under my belt.

Cheers and hugs,

Jodi