Easy Chicken Curry

After eating all these holiday sweets, I'm ready for some "real" food again. This one is really easy and very good. I'm still looking for the "best" curry recipe that is potato based. If you have a perfect recipe, do share! Enjoy!

{EASY CHICKEN CURRY}

click here for a printable version of this recipe.

1 lb. chicken, cooked and shredded

1/4 c. butter

1 1/2 c. apple, chopped

1/2 c. onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/3 c. flour

2 tsp. curry

Salt  & Pepper

2 c. chicken broth

1 c. tomato juice (or 1/2 c. tomato sauce + 1/2 c. water)

1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

Cooked Jasmine Rice

Melt butter and add apple, onion, and garlic. Cook 5 minutes. Stir in flour, curry, salt and pepper. Add chicken broth, worcestershire sauce, and tomato juice. Cook and stir until thick. Add cooked chicken and heat through.

Toppings:

Raisins

Coconut, shredded

Sliced Almonds or peanuts

Pineapple tidbits

Serve curried chicken over bed of hot rice with any combination of toppings.

Mini White Chocolate Caramel Popcorn Balls

I realize I JUST posted the recipe for caramel popcorn. But I think I did mention they were completely addicting. Well, I made more this afternoon. 

Christmas is coming and we are ALL getting fat, right? Actually, I have to say we haven't been eating too many sweets this season. It's just been too busy. However, today I cracked. My son and I built doughnut hole snowmen as well as these yummy mini white chocolate caramel popcorn balls. It's more of an idea than an actual recipe. But, I think they'd make cute little Christmas gifts for your friends and neighbors. I mean, I'm not sharing mine with my neighbors, but you go ahead and do so.

Below are the instructions for the popcorn balls. And if you want to see our little doughnut hole snowman, click here. Enjoy!

{WHITE CHOCOLATE CARAMEL POPCORN BALLS}

1 batch Grandma's Caramel Popcorn {recipe found here}

1/4 c. white chocolate melting wafers

Make caramel popcorn according to recipe. Shape into mini popcorn balls and drizzle white chocolate over top.

Doughnut Hole Snowmen

Now listen, I realize this isn't a "high fashion" looking snowman. I realize I could have made another one that looked more photogenic. But I like this one, because I had a blast building it with my adorable 2-year-old son. 

My son is obsessed with snowmen this year. Me? I'd really rather stay inside than go out in the snow...that's daddy's job. So, we built these cute, little, indoor, doughnut-hole snowmen today. He LOVED it! And so did I. He was so surprised that he could have free reign with candy. It was adorable. 

So, here's just a fun food activity for you and your kids this winter season. Obviously you can use all different sorts of things to decorate, but here's what we used.

{DOUGHNUT HOLE SNOWMEN}

 -Powdered Sugar Doughnut Holes

- Pretzel Sticks

- Chocolate Grasshopper cookies

- Candy Corns

- Pull n' peel Licorice

- Marshmallows

- White Chocolate Wafers

Melt Chocolate wafers in microwave in 30 second intervals until it's runny. Spread a little dollop on your plate and stick first dough-nut hole on top (as the white chocolate sets up, it will be your "plaster"). Stick a pretzel in the dough-nut hole and place the next dough-nut hole on top. Put another pretzel in the middle dough-nut hole just until half is hidden. Stick the 3rd dough-nut hole on the pretzel that is exposed. Spread white chocolate on top of head and anchor a cookie on top for a hat. Decorate with candies as you like! Enjoy!

Roasted Spiced Sweet Potatoes

I think sweet potatoes get a bad rap, at least in my family. We just assign someone to make sweet potatoes (or yams) for Thanksgiving just because that's what you're "supposed" to do. So, this year I got the assignment. I decided to try something different in hopes of reviving the joy of sweet potatoes in my family. I just wanted a good recipe for sweet potatoes. I think it worked! These were quite tasty. And they'd be a great compliment to any holiday meal you're making this season. They'd be amazing next to a Honey Ham. Oh yes. Enjoy!

{ROASTED SPICED SWEET POTATOES} 

click here for a printable version of this recipe

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling potatoes after cooked

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lay the sweet potatoes out in a single layer on a roasting tray. In a separate bowl, mix together oil, honey, sugar, and cinnamon.  Drizzle over the potatoes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for 25 to 30 minutes in oven or until tender. Take sweet potatoes out of the oven and transfer them to a serving platter. Drizzle with more extra-virgin olive oil.

Grandma's Legendary Caramel Popcorn

Legendary is what I call it. Addicting is what it was. And all in my belly, is where it is.

My Grandma was the closest thing to an angelic visitation I'll ever have in this life. She was the sweetest and most innocent person ever. And that woman knew how to cook. And this has to be my favorite one...her caramel popcorn.

I made some last night and I literally could not stop eating it! I think I ate most of the batch myself. Nope, I'm POSITIVE I ate most of the batch myself. It's that good.

I'm seriously a little hesitant to share the recipe. But it's too good NOT to share. And since she's the sweetest person to have ever lived, I'm sure she'll forgive me for posting it. So you better enjoy it!

{GRANDMA'S LEGENDARY CARAMEL POPCORN}

click here for a printable version of this recipe.

5 oz bag of pre-popped butter popcorn

1/2 c. margarine

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. light corn syrup

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

In saucepan combine butter, sugar and corn syrup. Stir well and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir in sweetened condensed milk and simmer stirring constantly until mixture comes to soft ball stage (232 degrees). My brothers are genius! They figured out this takes 10 minutes. So if you don't have a thermometer, just stir in a simmer for 10 minutes and you'll be good every time! Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour over corn and mix in. Makes about 15 popcorn balls.

NOTE: I remember as a child rubbing my hands with shortening and then taking the popcorn out of the bowl to form into balls. It's a good little trick to keeping your hands less sticky. Enjoy!

White Texas Sheet Cake with Coconut Frosting

No, I'm not a Texan. But I do know a thing or two about Texan pride. They claim everything is BIGGER and better in Texas. Well, I've been there. I've eaten fried gator tail. It's ok. And I even love French Toast made with Texas Toast. But I'm sorry, I can't agree with the statement that everything is better there. However, this cake is "White Texas Sheet Cake." And I think they just might be on to something. This is absolutely one of the tastiest cakes I've made. It hit the spot. Enjoy!

{WHITE TEXAS SHEET CAKE WITH COCONUT FROSTING}

1/3 c. shortening

2 egg whites

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 c. flour

1 3/4 c. buttermilk

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 tsp. almond flavoring

Icing:

1/2 c. butter, melted

1/2 c. flaked coconut

1/3 c. buttermilk

2 1/2 c. powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 9x13 pan. In a mixer, beat shortening, egg whites, and sugar together. Add baking soda, salt, flour, buttermilk, vanilla and almond flavoring. Beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 25-30 minutes or until light golden brown. For icing, combine all ingredients and blend until smooth. Spread icing on warm cake.

Delicious Clam Chow-dah

This is another dish I "claimed" I used to not like. But that's when I was eating it out of a can. Shame. Shame. 

I changed my mind on my first trip to Boston a few years back. Wow! Once you have "chow-dah" in Boston, forget it! It's so delicious. In fact, my husband went on a business trip there just a month ago. I kept telling him, "Honey, if you do nothing else PLEASE promise me you'll get a bowl of clam chowder." 

He didn't.

But that's ok! He was busy. So I came up with this dish instead. I combined a few of my favorite recipes to come up with the Ultimate Clam Chowder recipe. 

BUT WAIT!!! If you claim you don't like seafood or clam chowder, this recipe is wonderful because you can bump up the clams or you can minimize or even ELIMINATE the clams and it's still a delicious chowder. I'm not lying. It's the truth. Enjoy!

{DELICIOUS CLAM CHOWER}

click here for a printable version

2 c. carrots, diced

2 c. onion, chopped

3/4 c. green pepper, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

4 c. potatoes, cubed

1 bay leaf

2 cans clam juice (reserve the clams!)

Water

1 c. tomatoes, chopped

4 slices bacon, cooked & crumbled

3/4 c. butter

3/4 c. flour

1 qt. Half & Half

1 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 1/2 tsp. Pepper

2 tsp. Basil

Splash Red Wine Vinegar

Put carrots, onion, green pepper, garlic, potatoes and bay leaf in large stock pot. Saute over medium high heat for about 5 minutes until they start to soften and sweat. Pour clam juice over veggies and allow to simmer 1 minute. Add tomatoes and enough water to barely cover all. Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes until all the veggies are cooked through. 

Meanwhile in a separate saucepan, melt butter; add flour blending until smooth. Slowly add half & half, constantly whisking until the mixture becomes thick and smooth (you can use milk for a lower calorie soup). Add basil, salt and pepper. Add cream mixture to soup and mix together. Add bacon and vinegar. Heat through and serve with warm bread.