Sooo what's new & exciting...

Hey Everyone... have you tried any of the recipes I have posted? 


Well being that I just posted the Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken one last night, I'm sure you haven't tried that one - but I'm interested to see if anyone has tried the goat cheese chicken and, did you like it? love it? want some more of it?? Does anyone like that I post recipes, if so I'll keep doing it...


Has anyone else like "had it" with winter, even though we really, in south-western Ontario, have really barely had a winter! I just hate this in-between stuff. Blatantly because for like two weeks I have had this lingering cold, sore throat and sinus pressure that just will not go away! I'm chalking it up to being the damp cold weather we have been having! 


Sidenote: Did anyone else have like, crazy winds this weekend.. I swear, I'm surprised our roof did not blow off.. our neighbours JUST had their roof shingled and let's just say they are missing quite a few now! 


Needless to say, Neil has worked quite a bit with the icy and windy days, it's kept them quite busy. Last week he was on his 'early week' which has him into work at 4am, and home by 12:30pm - needless to say, he needs a nap by the time mid-afternoon rolls around! He does this once every three or four weeks. 


Sooo a couple of weeks ago, my Uncle was up to visit my Grandparents on Family Day, we were putting together a puzzle while Grandpa Jimmy coached us, Cam, Neil, Wayne, Grandma and I all slaved away.. it brings back memories, when we were little and Grandpa was always telling us how to do something.. because you and I both know, he knows better. Well my friends, now it's as simple as a frickin' puzzle - anyway, it keeps his mind going - and it's kind of cute. 
Anyhow, back to the point of this - a while ago this young lady popped by the farm with my Uncle, to take pictures of our cows - I wondered at the time why our cows, and what she was going to do with the pictures - well some time later, she sent my parents some sketches - WOW - is she ever talented! Her name is Sarah Hillock, and cows are her main focus, which obviously I love. This time I got the pleasure of hanging out with her while she took pictures again, this time though - it was of our newest and cutest babies! Oh my goodness, we had a lot of fun.. I cannot wait to see her work this time!!  
Check her website out - http://www.sarahhillock.com/ 


I'm looking forward to having this week slightly slower then most of the weeks this year - I have a few plans, like SEWING - really wanted to do more sewing this year, and yet it's March and I have done NONE - I have a lot of cutting done, but no sewing - productive? Somewhat. I have a few friends requesting some, so I will get on it this week. I do love doing them. Did I tell you, we bought a treadmill? Yes, so this week I'm spending more time on that aswell. Neil says we're going to have a competition. I will let him write the rules, because sure enough I will lose anyways. He is slightly competitive, to be honest! We are both trying to be healthier and eat better before we start to have kids! Of course, we're not perfect. ;) 


I'm looking forward to meeting Jamie-Lee sometime this week - we've been trying to get out for lunch for a long time, I have my photobook to show her and we need some time to catch up - we spent so much time together last summer, perhaps she needed a break from me! Though I see she's doing a couple more weddings this summer, so I must not have ruined her totally for wedding decorating!! Though I will say, we made a good team - and I loved my big day!!


It's a pretty exciting time right now for a few of our friends, some are buying houses (or intently looking) and some are having babies! For those of you who are, we are so excited for you and cannot wait for it all to happen for you!! 


Okay, I think that is all for today.. hope you're all doing well. 
Love,

Dinner - Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken {aka Jack Astor's ~ my version}

Ok, so apparently as of lately it's much easier to blog about what I cook, then what exactly is going on in my life - great eh? Can you tell I love food - when I have nothing else to say, food comes pretttyyy naturally... 


Tonight's Dinner - Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken.. on a work night, very easy and very delirious! I do not hide, this is no no way a "deep down home cooked meal" - but it's simply a pretty darn close attempt at trying to make Jack Astor's Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken, in which they now charge close to $20 for, for around.. $5 per person at home. Again, this isn't made from complete scratch, so don't judge me ok - it was taste I was going for.. 

You'll need...

3 good size Chicken Fingers per person - M&M's are THE BEST to use! (http://www.mmmeatshops.com/en/products/product.asp?productID=343&catID=4)

A bottle of Thai Sweet & Spicy Sauce (I just checked their website for it, and it's not showing anymore, but you can also buy a bottle of "cock" brand, {thats rooster my friends} Thai Sweet & Spicy Sauce at No Frills, it's a big bottle and it has a red label - it's about $2.00 per bottle. The one from M&M's hands down tastes WAY better, but I have used this brand before and it was okay too. 

Honey

Sesame Seeds, toasted 

Carrot, cut like matchsticks 

(did you know...you can buy them this way, found in some stores by the baby carrots!!)

1 Red Pepper, cut into fine strips

Sweet Snow Peas, rinsed

Bean Sprouts

3-4 Green Onions, finely chopped

Jasmine Rice, cook as directed

Bake chicken fingers as directed on package. 

Start Jasmine Rice in rice cooker or stove stop. We love our rice cooker and it makes it perfect every single time! We rarely use a rice cooker, but for the $20 is cost us for the cooker, these ethnic rices cook so nicely in it - it's SO worth it!! 

Prepare vegetables. In other words, if you bought the match stick carrotes, chop the green onion and red peppers - quick, yep!!

Toast your sesame seeds, have you done this before? It adds so much flavour to them! Put a frying pan on medium low and put your sesame seeds in the pan. Keep them moving in the pan, you will smell the aroma and notice they start to turn a light toasty brown. Shut the heat off when they are all equally toasted.

Meanwhile, add 3 parts Thai Sweet & Spicy Sauce and one part honey. I use about 3/4 cipe of the Sweet & Spicy and 1/4 honey. Pop is in the microwave in a small microwave safe bowl and heat until it's hot. Stir and heat again. The heating process will thin out of the sauce, and that's ok! 

Once the chicken fingers and rice are all done, turn a large wok or frying pan, add a little olive oil and stir fry the carrots and red peppers. The amount of vegetables you want, depends on if you like them - we love ALL of these vegetables, so I tend to cook a lot! Once they are soft, throw in a handful or two of bean sprouts, the snow peas and toss. Basically you just want the sprouts and snow peas to be warm, not cooked. Once this is achieved, add 3/4 of the green onions and shut off the heat. Toss again. 

Now you're ready to plate.. lay a bed of Jasmine Rice, then chop up the chicken into bit size pieces, then add the stir fried red pepper, carrot, snow peas and bean sprouts on top. Drizzle with the hot Thai Sweet & Spicy Sauce/Honey mixture, and spring toasted sesame seeds and reserved green onion on top! 


You're ready to eat, hope you enjoy!