I Love You, Friday!!! (Honey-Garlic Chicken)

So after a very crazy-odd week at work I am finally off the weekend!!!  Yippee!!  I came home and immediately,  well after I rested for about 30 minutes and showered, finished Debbie's B'day Cheesecake..  It really looks great and smells so good,  and I had so much fun decorating it.. no pressure,  not like at work when I decorate a cake..  that drives me nuts.. I want perfection always..  lol..  I don't achieve it,  but I want it.. 
So for dinner tonight is a quick and simple and yummy dinner and a new recipe..

Honey-Garlic Chicken over Rice

Olive Oil
1 onion, sliced
5 to 8 cloves garlic, minced
2 to 4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast, sliced
3 to 6 cups stir fry veges, fresh or frozen
1/2 each red, green, yellow bell pepper
1 c low fat Italian Salad Dressing
2 to 4 tbsp honey
1 tsp ginger

In a large skillet heat olive oil,  saute onion for about 5 minutes,  add the garlic and cook another minute,  add the chicken and cook 5 to 10 minutes, until cooked through,  add the bell peppers, stir fry veges, ginger, salad dressing and honey.. stir well and cook for about 5 to 10 minutes,  depending on the amt of veges..  serve over hot cooked rice..

What Does It Mean To You?!?!?! (Cajun Chicken, Cornbread Cassarole, Cherry Pie Filling)

Work was a little crazy today..  did quite a bit of everything and I am exhausted,  but I am going to go lose myself in making dinner..  and well maybe even go so far as to make Cherry Pie Fillins..  we shall see!!  

I have been thinking a lot lately about friendship and what it should mean to us..  I got this from a Devotion this morning and wanted to share.. 
"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

What makes a good friend? Someone who runs errands for you when you're sick? Who takes your kids off your hands when you need a break? Who sits with you over a cup of coffee and listens? Someone you can count on to see the latest chick flicks with you? Someone who challenges you to be a better person and follower of God?

In each of these examples, we see friendship taking an active form. As I have studied the Bible, I see three instances of friendship in action. Job 2:11-13 shows us how Job's friends came to help him as he faced hardship. Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar dropped everything to go comfort their friend - even if it was just to sit silently beside him. They knew that just their presence and willingness to listen would comfort him.

Acts 28:15 gives us a glimpse into how just the sight of trusted friends can encourage us. Paul's friends heard he was coming so they traveled a great distance to greet him. For Paul this was a huge blessing. Sometimes just knowing someone is willing to make an effort on your behalf will put wind in your sails. I love that Paul first thanked God for his friends. I want to remember, like he did, that friends are a gift from God.

Acts 12:12-19 tells us how Peter's friends couldn't be with him because he was imprisoned. But that didn't stop them from doing what they could. They gathered together to pray. The King James Version of Acts 12:5 says that they were literally praying "without ceasing." These friends knew that corporate prayer was an action they could take on behalf of their friend who needed them.

Whether we physically go to our friend's side or spiritually partner with them in prayer, we can look to these examples from the Bible as to how to be friends in action.

In a society that is more and more driven to social media, texting, and emailing as a way to stay connected, we cannot overlook what taking physical action in real time can mean. We can be active in faith, in love, in joy, in kindness. We choose to act because we understand that we are God's hands and feet to those He puts in our lives. Yes, it takes extra effort, time, and even money to be an active friend. But the blessings outweigh the effort as we live according to the examples God has given us.

Cajun Chicken

3 to 4 chicken breast
flour
salt
pepper
garlic powder
cajun seasoning
paprika
red pepper flakes
melted butter

In a large shallow bowl mix the flour and spices,  rinse the chicken and dredge in the flour mixture,  place in a 9x13 pan sprayed with cooking spray,  drizzle with a little melted butter and bake in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes depending on how big and thick the chicken breast are.

Cornbread Cassarole

1 pkg corn muffin mix
1 egg
2 tbsp melted butter
1 can whole kernel corn, drained
1 can cream style corn
garlic powder
cajun seasoning
paprika

Mix all together and pour into a greased baking dish,  bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes until done in the middle..

Cherry Pie Filling

8 c pitted dark sweet cherries
1 c sugar
zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/2 c water
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 c water

In a large saucepan bring cherries, sugar, lemon juice, zest and water to a boil,  reduce heat and simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes,  stirring occasionally..  mix the cornstarch and water together and slowly add to the cherries..  stir and cook for another 2 to 5 minutes.. remove from heat and cool.. 

Waiting!! Patiently?? (Avocado Egg Salad Sandwiches)

Another glorious Wednesday greeted me this morning as I woke up at 6am,  I didn't get up,  just dozed on and off until 8am;  then decided to get up and check the status of Saundra's b'day present from Boo and I..  Urban Decay's Naked Palette..  she has been wanting it since she got the Alice in Wonderland collection last year..  so I ordered it even though her b'day is next month..  :)  
I will probably break down and let her have it,  though I keep telling her I am going to keep it from her..   This wonderful package is keeping me from going to see Winnie the Pooh this afternoon..  grrr.. going to have to wait til Sunday after Boo and I get off work..  so as I am sitting here trying to be patient about said pkg and movie I have been browsing some of my favorite web sites and blogs..  and alas there is this recipe for an Avocado Egg Salad that sounds just delish,  and I have eggs and avocados and the rest of the ingredients so I am making lunch..  just put the eggs on to boil,(so I forgot to turn the stove on, sue me.. lol)  so now waiting for them to finish cooking so I can complete the recipe and eat,  cause my Cheerios from 8am are long gone.. 

Avocado Egg Salad

8 or 9 boiled eggs
2 large avocados, chopped
4 tbsp mayo
3 tsp vinegar
salt and pepper to taste
chopped chives or green onions
Bread

In a large bowl mash the eggs,  add the avocado pieces and mash again,  add the mayo, vinegar, s&p and mix well,  spread on a slice of bread and sprinkle with chives or green onions and a slice of tomato if you are feeling it.. 

Yes, It was a Monday!!! (Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas, Spanish Rice)

Yesterday I tried sneaking into the Super T to do my grocery shopping,  was sort of in a hurry and really just wasn't in the mood to see/talk to anyone I knew..  so I park on grocery side,  something I NEVER do and walk through the grocery doors,  wham run right into Bill..  nice,  so he says,  we need you to decorate a cake tomorrow..  I was like Bill,  I haven't tried to decorate anything in over a year and a half.. I don't know if I can do it..  so I went and looked at the cake..  no way.. very intricate checkerboard design that I wasn't going to half-ass try to do,  mess up and then it be on my head..  plus I am stretched so thin right now at work it isn't funny..  seems I am never in one spot long enough to make any kind of impact.. I can't ever get cosmetics finished on Mondays and Fridays in 3 hours..  plus dealing with guest.. which I had one today that totally freaked me out,  then later pissed me off.. she couldn't see well,  just shapes.. but she was alone in the store.. does that mean she drove??  anyway.. she wanted the most natural and best face firming cream,  and my thought was lady,  if you are just starting, then you are a little late.. but anyway,  so I showed her the Boots line,  great products,  hear nothing but good things about them..  I have to read every single ingredient in every product she is interested in because remember,  she can't see..  so finally I rid myself of her,  not sure what she was getting because I had to go to lunch.. at 2:15 when I was getting ready to leave and took my defective merchandise(do you know when you open and rub lipstick on the back of your hand to see if you like it that someone has to pull that off and we have to damage it out and throw it away?)up to guest services. There is my sweet TabbyLoo defecting all this Boots makeup out and I look at her and say.. "what did the heifer look like??"  She was like, "huh??"  I said.. "did she have sunglasses?" and she said "yeah"  The woman got the crap home and called their 1-800 number and asked if it would clog her pores and they answered,  well yes,  it could..  HELLO LADY.. everything you put on your face could clog your pores..   grrrr..  so all that had to be tossed..   what a freaking waste..   one hundred and forty three dollars worth of good product tossed into the trash..  so frustrating.. 
So before I went off on my little tangent I was talking about being stretched thin at work..   Mondays and Fridays I go in at 6am and push the hanging product for softlines(clothing and apparel) then transition over to cosmetics around 10 to 10:30 depending on if we finish,  then I try to get it done in basically 3 hours because I have lunch and a 15 minute break,  plus guest first, dealing with crazy people, statusing with Team Leads and Execs, etc..  Tuesdays I am in Jewelry and Accessories which is always such a hot mess..  I love it,  but it gets stressful because no one runs my strays, zones or basically does anything in those two depts..   Thursdays I get to do research in Jewelry which entails me finding all my product and putting it out where it is supposed to go,  scanning any outs and seeing if there are any counts and zeroing out the counts..  plus usually covering operator breaks and lunch, phone calls, guest first, etc..   I LOVE my job.. then weekends I basically run around like a crazy person all over the store wherever they need me.. :) 
I got home today,  totally exhausted,  rested for a few minutes,  talked to my girls and then showered,  took Boo to work, came home and took a 30 minute cat-nap with Avril and then went into the kitchen to cook dinner,  brand new recipe and it is definitely a keeper.. It is so good..  and I was good and remembered to take pics..  YaY Me!!!  lol

Avril trying to check out what "Grandma" is making for dinner,  Dylan just willing to clean up the floor!!

Black Bean and Corn Enchiladas

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed well.. could use 2 c black beans you have cooked
1 can mexicorn,  drained
1 small can diced chilis
1/4 c enchilada sauce(you will need 1 whole can)
1 c colby jack cheese(I use 2%)(you will use the whole 8 oz pkg)
9 small flour tortillas

In a medium sized bowl, mix the black beans and corn together,  add the chilis, enchilada sauce and cheese,  mix well.   Spread 1/4c enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan,  put about 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp mixture in the middle of the tortilla roll it up and place seam side down in pan,  repeat until through all tortillas and spread the rest of the enchilada sauce over the tortilla and spread the other half of the cheese over the top.. bake in a 350 degree oven for 25 to 30 minutes..

My CRACK!!!  Hazelnut Iced Coffee!! 

Spanish Rice
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 c rice
1 can of tomatoes(southwestern style)and enough water to make 2 cups

In a medium saucepan heat the oil,  add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes,  add the garlic and cook for a minute..  add the rice and "toast" it for about 3 to 5 minutes, watching it so it doesn't burn..  add the tomatoes and water and stir well,  cover and bring to a boil,  stir, reduce heat and cover and cook for about 20 to 25 minutes..