Brussell Sprouts in Foil

New Recipe Wednesday

As a kid we didn't eat a vegetable unless it was a green bean, pea or corn. Now as an adult I like to branch out every now and then. So when I saw these huge brussell sprouts at Aldi's I had to try them. This is what I did.

Brussell Sprouts in foil

Foil
Brussell Sprouts
Olive Oil
Sea Salt
Ground Black Pepper

Cut off growth ends of the Brussell Sprouts. Mine were huge so I then cut them in half lengthwise. Toss with olive oil to lightly coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cut a piece of foil big enough to hold your brussell sprouts  on a single layer. I formed the edges to help hold them in. Place them on the grill or in the oven. Flip them over after a few minutes. Cook till tender.

Healthy Yum!!!

Linda

Succulent Fancy

It was late April and the gardener in me just couldn't get enough gardening in. Lucky for me I have two friends with birthdays close together, so after a fun lunch at Twisters (I highly recommend it if you live in the Kansas City area. Delicious at the right price.) we headed back to my house and started a little project.

Succulents, its the craze for the last few years. And I'm just jumping on board. You can buy these little babies anywhere. I picked mine out at a couple different places. I don't claim to know everything about these little guys but I do have a few pointers. So here we go:

The really bright colorful succulents need to be outside in a real dry climate where they will soak up the heat. I stuck to shades of green. I will eventually put them outside this summer here in the midwest but the cool nights of spring are no place for them.



I do know that they may do ok in the midwest if planted in the ground outside as my sister in Iowa used to grow chicks and hens like crazy. So I bought a few of a different type and am trying it in my own Kansas yard.



Ok, Now, select a vessel. All I asked of my friends was to bring a vessel of their choice to our little planting party. This is the one I originally chose. I got it at a Thrift store. But when I saw the size of the plants versus the size of my vessel I had to think up something else.

I bought potting soil for cactus. You need a good draining soil. Succulent roots do not like to be wet.












Layer the bottom of your vessel with small stones. About an inch deep maybe less if you vessel is not tall as ours were.
















Now add your cactus potting mix.


















As you could see there are several little babies in each pot when I bought them. Carefully pull them apart. This is a great sharing craft planting party.











Now put their little bottoms in your dirt. Root side down of course. Sheryl wanted to place a few of the small stones on top of her soil. But I have full confidence my babies will grow so big I won't be able to see the soil in just a short time. The chicks and hens had little guys you can see them in the picture. Snip them off from momma and plant them with the stem in the soil. For more info on that check this out.The others had roots of their own already. That really big guy in the center of the pot was a little bigger. Before I planted him I snapped off several of the lower leaves.

Propogation: Lay these guys on a smooth flat surface for a few days. Then move them to a layer of soil. Now you can mist them. Just mist not drops of water. Remember succulents like it dry. You should see little shoots come off of them that will grow their own set of roots. Awesomesauce! Now you have more succulent friends to plant in other vessels. Here's more info.






Sorry, I got off track. Back to our new vessel of succulents. Water them to make the soil moist through and through. Now, hands off. Only mist if your soil is dry to the touch. Then after about a month lightly mist once a month. I used this site to gain more knowledge. I hope this helped. I got all my info off of different sites from Pinterest. Who doesn't love Pinterest? Right? So many cool ideas. 

Thanks for checking in on me. Next time I'll show you what I have been doing in the yard.

Linda

Italian Chicken in Foil

New Recipe Wednesday

It's Spring and I have been busy in the flower beds and vegetable garden. I can stay out there for hours and enjoy every minute of weed pulling, ground tilling and planting. My other loves are sewing and creating. Cooking typically is not what I love to do. But now and then we all have to try a new recipe. So I had time tonight for one of the quickest recipes ever to make. Make this in the oven or on the grill.

Italian Chicken in Foil

aluminum foil

4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves
4 tsp olive oil
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
minced garlic your preference, small amount if you are not a garlic lover. Alot if you love garlic.
1 red onion
1 green bell pepper
1/3 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Tear off a piece of foil that is big enough to have chicken to be wrapped in. Like a sleeping bag for chicken.
Place chicken on foil. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Slice onion and bell pepper. Place them over the chicken. Sprinkle with minced garlic.
Fold up the foil to cover chicken and seal all sides. Place on baking sheet if cooking in oven. Or place on grill.
Bake for 20 minutes. You will know when it is done. The foil will puff up like a balloon if you have sealed it well.

Next time I make this I plan to use red bell pepper instead of green, to make it sweeter.
You can also add julienned carrots. Or other herbs to your liking. I may try a basil leaf.

Now, if you are feeding an army go ahead and make this recipe as is. But I was the only one at home tonight so, I took one chicken breast, drizzled with oil, added the amounts of vegetables I wanted and cooked as is. Delicious! I just watched the foil and when it was puffed up like a balloon, I took it out...dinner is served.

Enjoy!

Linda

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

New Recipe Wednesday

I loved the Pasta recipe I shared with you a few weeks back but then I came across this gem. I think you'll like it even better!

Three Cheese Chicken Penne Pasta Bake

1 1/2 cups multigrain penne pasta, uncooked
1 9 oz. pkg fresh spinach leaves
1/2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 tsp basil leaves
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, drained
2 oz. cream cheese
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta as directed on package. adding spinach to the boiling water for the last 1 minute.

Cook and stir chicken and basil in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add spaghetti sauce and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Simmer 3 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in cream cheese.

Drain pasta mixture; return to pan. Stir in chicken mixture and 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese. Spoon into 2 quart or 8 inch square baking dish.

Bake 20 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake 3 minutes.

Make 6 servings. Enjoy!

Linda