Category: LIfestyle

Tried this new recipe out…. from King Arthur Flour….

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter(16 Tablespoons), 1 cup light brown sugar, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, 2 cups King Arthur Flour, 1 cup Old-Fashioned Oats, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 3 cups semi-chocolate chips, 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

Beat together butter, eggs and sugar. Whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and mix on medium speed with your mixer. I personally love my Red Kitchen Aid Mixer. Add chocolate chips and walnuts.

Drop by tablespoons onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 12 – 17 minutes depending on your oven, until the cookies are light golden brown. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool..

Enjoy!

Loving this cool February night with just a hint of Spring in the air…. grilling, chilling and loving the Carolinas!

A good steak and a glass of wine is a perfect Saturday night dinner….

Monday’s… What can I say? This day started off quite dreary in the Carolinas…..back to work..five days until the weekend…. go ahead and admit it…we love our weekends…

But we all make a choice…and Monday’s can be fun…. so working happily through Monday and in the back of our minds, an amazing Monday night dinner..

I started with 4 chicken breast seasoned with salt and pepper on an sheet pan rubbed down in olive oil….they headed into a 350 degree oven while I “prepped the veggies”…baby potatoes…fresh green beans and Roma tomatoes

First things first, four chicKen breast seasoned with salt and pepper….and roasted for about 30 minutes… toss the potatoes and fresh green beans in olive oil and Kosher salt.

Roast the chicken breast for about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and add the potatoes. Roast for another fifteen minutes, add the green beans on top and roast about 10 more minutes. Add the Roma tomatoes and roast for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the roasted chicken and veggies from the oven and sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan cheese on top of the Roma tomatoes. Place pan back in the oven and bake until the cheese is light golden and bubbly. In the meantime, toss together a spring mix salad with black olives, cherry tomatoes and Brianna’s Italian Vinaigrette. Remove the delicious roasted chicken and veggies from the oven and serve with the spring mix salad. Wonderful Monday night dinner!

CANNELLONI

We are starting the cannelloni..you need a red sauce to begin. This recipe has been doubled for two casseroles.  It is a process and labor of love to make cannelloni, but it is absolutely worth every minute it takes to make it. 

Cannelloni

1 boiled chicken deboned and shredded

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 cups diced petite tomatoes

1 cup water

1 can tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried  basil

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Cook the onions in the olive oil until they are soft and not brown.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, sugar and salt.  Simmer on low for about an hour or until the sauce is thick. 

Cannelloni Filling

½ cup finely chopped onions

1 garlic clove finely chopped

2 ten ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach which has been defrosted and squeezed completely dry.

4 tablespoons butter

Shredded chicken meat from boiled chicken

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup heavy cream

4 eggs (beaten)

1 teaspoon oregano

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the onions, add the garlic and cook until soft in the butter. Stir in the spinach and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add the shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, cream and beaten eggs.  Stir together, add oregano, salt and pepper. 

Besciamella Sauce

1 ½ sticks of butter

¾ cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons salt

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat.  Remove from heat and stir in the flour.  Pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly until flour is dissolved.  Transfer back to high heat and whisk constantly until the sauce comes to a boil and is smooth.  Reduce the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the wires of the whisk heavily.  Remove from heat.

Assembling the Cannelloni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill the cannelloni with the chicken mixture. Place a film of tomato sauce in a 10 x 14 inch shallow baking dish. Lay the cannelloni side by side in one layer of tomato sauce.  Pour the besciamella sauce over the cannelloni and spoon the tomato sauce on top.  Place two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese on top and dot with one tablespoon of butter. 

Bake the cannelloni uncovered on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling. 

Tips on preparing the cannelloni.  As I said earlier, this is truly a labor of love.  It is best to divide the preparation into steps and complete over two days unless you have about 8 hours of time to devote to it in one day.  I usually cook my chicken and make my tomato sauce on day one.  I make the filling for the cannelloni and the besciamella sauce on the second day as well as assemble it.  This freezes beautifully.  I also recommend if you are going to take the time to make one cannellonni, you make several at the same time.

Click on the link below the picture below for the “How to Video of Making Cannelloni”

CANNELLONI

We are starting the cannelloni..you need a red sauce to begin. This recipe has been doubled for two casseroles.  It is a process and labor of love to make cannelloni, but it is absolutely worth every minute it takes to make it. 

Cannelloni

1 boiled chicken deboned and shredded

Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup finely chopped onion

4 cups diced petite tomatoes

1 cup water

1 can tomato paste

2 teaspoons dried  basil

1 teaspoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Cook the onions in the olive oil until they are soft and not brown.  Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, basil, sugar and salt.  Simmer on low for about an hour or until the sauce is thick. 

Cannelloni Filling

½ cup finely chopped onions

1 garlic clove finely chopped

2 ten ounce packages of frozen chopped spinach which has been defrosted and squeezed completely dry.

4 tablespoons butter

Shredded chicken meat from boiled chicken

½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

½ cup heavy cream

4 eggs (beaten)

1 teaspoon oregano

Salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the onions, add the garlic and cook until soft in the butter. Stir in the spinach and cook for about 3 – 4 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a large bowl and add the shredded chicken, parmesan cheese, cream and beaten eggs.  Stir together, add oregano, salt and pepper. 

Besciamella Sauce

1 ½ sticks of butter

¾ cup flour

2 cups milk

2 cups heavy cream

2 teaspoons salt

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat.  Remove from heat and stir in the flour.  Pour in the milk and cream, whisking constantly until flour is dissolved.  Transfer back to high heat and whisk constantly until the sauce comes to a boil and is smooth.  Reduce the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes until sauce is thick enough to coat the wires of the whisk heavily.  Remove from heat.

Assembling the Cannelloni

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill the cannelloni with the chicken mixture. Place a film of tomato sauce in a 10 x 14 inch shallow baking dish. Lay the cannelloni side by side in one layer of tomato sauce.  Pour the besciamella sauce over the cannelloni and spoon the tomato sauce on top.  Place two tablespoons of grated parmesan cheese on top and dot with one tablespoon of butter. 

Bake the cannelloni uncovered on the middle shelf of the oven for about 20 minutes or until cheese melts and sauce is bubbling. 

Tips on preparing the cannelloni.  As I said earlier, this is truly a labor of love.  It is best to divide the preparation into steps and complete over two days unless you have about 8 hours of time to devote to it in one day.  I usually cook my chicken and make my tomato sauce on day one.  I make the filling for the cannelloni and the besciamella sauce on the second day as well as assemble it.  This freezes beautifully.  I also recommend if you are going to take the time to make one cannellonni, you make several at the same time.

I am so excited to start a new journey today… I have had the opportunity to take the FWTFL Certification Course to become a Faster Way to Fat Loss Coach… After thinking about it for the last 6 months, I decided to take the plunge and “go for it.” I love cooking and exercising… So I am looking forward to posting new recipes, pics, new friends and all the fun things that go with new journeys….