Reviews of some Recently-Tried Recipes

Bebimbap!

Nota Bene: I'm only reviewing recipes we liked. Why bother sharing the duds?

-Bebimbap: 

We've made Bebimbap before (using the recipe in this wonderful children's book), but it's such a good dish that I'm always up for trying  a new version. This one was good! I really liked the sauce on the meat.

-Seafood Rice Skillet: 

We had a guest over for dinner the night we had this dish. Partway through the dinner, when I encouraged him to have seconds, he grinned a bit guiltily and said, "I've already had thirds." (Which, by the way, makes him the best kind of dinner guest: the kind that is infinitely flattering to the cooks.) I share that anecdote as proof that this really was a good recipe.

Changes I made: I doubled the amount of seafood (because we're trying to have more protein, and because, well, I like seafood).  I also used saffron instead of tumeric. I know that kind of defeats the "budget" part of this recipe, except that it didn't in our case, because I had saffron left over from another recipe I'd made months ago, and so it was a matter of not wasting what I'd already spent money on.

-Mediterranean Spiced Salmon and Vegetable Quinoa: 

Skipped the salmon spice mix b/c I already had one I liked,but the veggie quinoa was yummy and refreshing.

-Ultimate BBQ Chicken Quesadillas: 

Make sure you keep the diced red onion and the cilantro! Makes all the difference. This was good the night of, and even better the next day, warmed up in the toaster oven.

-Southwest Beef and Cabbage Stir-fry: 

Just super-yummy! I've actually made this a couple of times now.

I am a better cook than a food photographer! Trust me that this taste good.

-Blackened Shrimp Tacos: 

You could probably skip dressing the cabbage (it's a bit much), but DON'T skip the lime-smoky-garlic sauce; it's SO good!

-Viking Chicken: 

We all loved the fruit roasted with the veg. I made a simple gravy with the pan juices, and it was nice and sweet. Otherwise, it's basically roasted chicken w/ veg.




What have you enjoyed cooking lately?


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell


This post contains Amazon affiliate links; if you purchase a book from this link, I receive a small percentage of the purchase price. I will probably use it to buy more books. (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

Weekly Links - Holy Week edition

~ LINKS TO SOME INTERESTING READING, too late for the weekend, but perfect for a monday ~



-"Thoughts on the 'Benedict Option' - a Lament": Dr. Peters' point? Don't write a book about the Benedictines and get the monasticism wrong. 


-"10 Things You Should Know About the Trinity": This whole thing is good, but I especially appreciate point #8.


-"The Death of the Levite's Concubine":

Once having choked it down, you’re left wondering, as with the whole rest of Judges, who exactly the good guy is. 

-"Three Myths of Cohabitation": interview with a sociologist who just completed a very interesting study. A snippet:

Generally speaking, the least educated married families in Europe enjoy more stability than the most educated cohabiting families. That’s not what I would have guessed.

-"Stop Hating on Christian Popular Culture": now here's a challenge for our modern age!


-"Celebrating the Feast of the Anunnciation": I'm a few weeks late on this one, but I really appreciate this piece, and I think it's a good meditation for Holy Week:

This year I had several friends who faced the death of a loved one right at Christmas time.  They had no choice but to grieve and celebrate in the same breath. These sorts of emotional juxtapositions always be gut retchingly difficult. Yet living year by year through the liturgical seasons we are offered a foretaste of the multi-dimensional nature of our emotional life.  In following the seasons we are encouraged to explore the depths of our own souls in both joy and sorrow, to bring our hearts before God, and to align ourselves with the life of the church. When triumph is followed by disaster we have a sense of the path to take, we have walked it and we know where to fix our eyes. In the darkness of the tomb we wait for the light of resurrection.

-"Sushi Saturdays": My eldest daughter and I are the only people in the house who love sushi, and we're determined that this experiment is the perfect activity for Bright Week this year.


-"Researchers Have Transformed a Spinach Leaf into Working Heart Tissue": wow!


-"The Impossible Novel that Became IMPOSSIBLE SAINTS": I follow Clarissa Harwood on Twitter, and enjoyed reading this long version of her first novel sale, especially her honesty when she said:

In hindsight I can see that I was far too close to Novel #2 to see it clearly enough to revise it. I invested too much of myself in it, but that’s also why it was such a joy to write. It was everything a first draft should be: too long, repetitive, self-indulgent, and confusing. In other words, what was an utter delight to write was a complete nightmare to read.

I hope you have a good and blessed Holy Week!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Don't know what to make for supper? Here are 5 ideas

a crunchy slaw and a creamy chicken salad - so good together!

My family has to eat, and that means I have to cook. It's a chore that's more fun (for me!) when I try new stuff. Here are some recipes I've tried recently, with notes on what I changed, and how it all turned out.


- "Cashew Chicken Salad with Citrus"
This is the dish in the picture above (to the right).  I served it with a simple slaw.

And here's my confession about the slaw: I looked up the ingredients in those fancy, expensive, prepackaged salads you can buy bagged at the grocery store, and just copied them. Here's what I put in my knockoff version: red cabbage, savoy cabbage, celery, shredded cabbage, and cilantro, tossed with a store-bought dressing (Girard's "Chinese chicken salad") and some soy sauce and a bit of sugar.

The two dishes went together really well.

- "One-Pan Broccoli-Bacon Mac'n'Cheese"
This was good, but I suggest a few changes:

1) Use more bacon. I mean, c'mon.
2) You can use canned pumpkin in place of the squash. You could also just roast a butternut squash and scoop out and puree the flesh, instead of buying the expensive-ish frozen stuff.
3) It never hurts to add garlic. Or dried onion flakes. Or red pepper flakes. Or whatever spiciness floats your boat.


- "Thai Vegetable Curry Soup"
Yum. Yum, yum, yum.... this is one you make for the broth.


- "Spicy Thai Noodle Bowls" 
This was a big hit. I love meals that have lots of pieces, where everyone at the table can customize their own dish to their own particular tastes (which is why we have taco salad almost every week...).

I should note, though, that I made one big change to the recipe:
----I roasted the chicken instead of sautéing and then simmering it; with six people to cook for, it's just easier, especially if I want leftovers. Plus, I love the taste roasting gives, well, everything.

It used to be that I never used my giant roasting pan except for giant turkeys, but I've recently discovered it's my best friend in the kitchen. Want to quickly and easily cook 10 pounds of veg? Giant roasting pan. Want to quickly and easily cook 5 pounds of boneless, skinless chicken thighs? Giant roasting pan.

I'm telling you, it's the answer to everything.

Here's how you do it: take your veg or meat, chop it into even-ish portions, toss the whole lot with some olive oil, spices, and salt, and stick it all in the oven at 425 or so. Stir every twenty minutes or so till it's done.

Everything will taste good.

Honest.

-"Lime Shrimp Dragon Noodles" 
I took down the heat level in this for the sake of the kids, but it was still spicy and delicious.

Not healthy, mind, but spicy and delicious.


---and, finally, a bonus! here's a side dish we tried recently and liked:
-"Fruit Salad with Thai Herbs" 
Good (easy!) side.



That's it for this round! Have you found any good recipes recently? Share 'em in the comments!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Savory Oatmeal with Garlic, Cherry Tomatoes, Mushrooms, & Pepperjack

I have a new favorite breakfast. It lets me indulge in all my love of salty carbs, and still has a pretty reasonable calorie count and lots of fiber and vitamins and produce and other good stuff like that.

It's savory oatmeal.

Yes: all the health benefits of oatmeal can be yours, without once indulging in some overly-sweetened, pre-packaged junk that only a seven-year-old could love.

You can add any good and savory thing you like--I've heard tell of plopping a fried egg on top, or mixing in some sautéed onions--but this is how I like mine.

First, I measure in my half-cup of dry instant oats, and then I sprinkle in a generous amount of garlic powder, and a reasonable few shakes of salt and red pepper flakes:



Then I add my cup of water, mix, and microwave according to the directions on the tub--about a minute and a half on high.

Then I add a small can of drained mushrooms, about a cup of chopped-up tomatoes, and an ounce of pepperjack:



Then I pour some milk--maybe half a cup?--over the top and mix it all together:



Mmm. A big bowl of salty, carb-y goodness, all under 400 calories, and with 20 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber, to boot.


Eat hearty!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Recently Tried Recipes (with reviews!)

beef and ale pie - loaded w/ veg, too. Yum!

"Skillet Beef and Ale Pie": Mmm, yum. This was a delicious dish.  Though, I have to admit that as I was cooking it I found the recommended seasoning just a bit lacking, so I added garlic (always add garlic!) and some extra thyme.

Next time I might add fewer tomatoes and more celery and carrots - maybe some other vegetables, too. This recipe strikes me as very versatile and I think it could easily accommodating a variety of veggie/meat/spice variations.

But beef + veggies drowned in a delicious gravy and topped with a flaky crust? Thumbs up.


"Mexican Rice": delicious the night of - even better the next day in a BRC burrito!


"Shrimp Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce": These were not only beautiful (look at the picture at the link!), but they were delicious.
The kids, however, preferred eating them in a deconstructed manner, i.e., they wanted all the insides on their own.  I liked mine all-of-a-piece.
Bonus: the pickled veg, which I made too many of, were pretty yummy on their own as a snack later.


Have you cooked anything new recently? Share it with us in the comments!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Weekly Links: Virus-full waters, Cold Summer Dinners, Publishing Rejections, and more!

Your weekly round-up of good reading from around the web:

"AP Investigation: Olympic teams to swim, boat in Rio's filth": eeeew . . .

"Top 10 Cold Summer Dinners": so perfect for this time of year!


"Rejection Relief - First Blood": Caution for language, but some great stuff for writers.


"The Holy Round of Creeds and Chants and Mysteries": exegesis of a fascinating little poem.


"July Happened": heartbreaking and real.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Recently-tried recipes (with short reviews!)

The constant dinner-making is more fun when I try new things. Here are a few I've tried lately:

-Southwestern Eggrolls: I liked this one - made it more than once - but the was a tiny bit too hard (too crispy?) on the outside, I think because it was baked rather than fried. Probably an okay trade-off for the calories. Still absolutely delicious.

-Fish Taco Bowls - simple, but good.

-Fruit Dip - this was really, really good. Not that you need an excuse to eat fresh fruit, but if you did, this would serve the purpose nicely.

-The Lazy Cheese and Egg Bread Bowl - this was so good!  I want to eat this every day.

-Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta - needed more garlic (and, weirdly, less butter).

-Red Lentil Soup  - good and basic. Not amazing, but just normal, real food.

-Zuppa Toscana - not nearly as good as I hoped it would be. But the broth was yummy.


Have you found any good new recipes lately?


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Weekly Links

"Guy in your MFA":

 Guy In Your MFA (Guy) was born out of a big stack of pieces I needed to critique for the next day and my frustration with this whole culture of pseudo-pretentious literary works, both in myself and in my colleagues.

"Five Things Every Christian Should be Doing with God’s Word"

. . . Psalm 119 is one of the best examples of Scripture speaking about Scripture.  It is the Word about the Word.
And in it, we find David interacting with the Word of God in five ways that should be paradigmatic for all believers . . .

"The Most Qualified By Far: On Clinton and Qualifications":

Mrs. Clinton is one times more qualified than Mr. Bush . . . at best.

"A Composed Salad Is a Meal Unto Itself":

 . . . it can contain almost anything the cook wants to arrange, roll, roast, poach, bake or grill, from thin shavings of fennel and whole kernels of local corn to dollops of ricotta and shards of country ham. Tossed together, the result would be sloppy and monotonous. A bit of order makes it satisfying and elegant.

Weekly Links: Rainbow Recipes, Horror vs. Terror, and more!

Some good reading for your weekend:

"27 Rainbow Recipes that Will Bring Joy to Your Life": So pretty.

"Why the Shift from Horror to Terror on 'CSI' Is a Problem":

There is a fine line between accurate storytelling—wherein a crime show might show some violence to tell an honest story about the consequences of wrongdoing—and gratuitous depiction, in which violence is portrayed not for the sake of the story but for the spectacle of it. 

"Fittest Type of All Disciples: Bartholomew/Nathanael":

Because of the way Nathanael is brought to Jesus, commentator Rudolf Stier calls Nathanel "the fittest type of all disciples." God has already been at work on him in multiples ways; he is summoned by the witness of another disciple; and he is introduced directly to Jesus, converted by his word. Nathanael's faith is the occasion of Jesus first "truly, truly I say to you" statement.

"Mincemeat: on Writing":

As a writer and a mother of two children, I thought I didn't have any spare time. And then we added twins to our family, and I wondered what I used to do with all that spare time. 

"The Likely Cause of Addiction Has Been Discovered, and It Is Not What You Think":

. . . human beings have a deep need to bond and form connections. It's how we get our satisfaction. If we can't connect with each other, we will connect with anything we can find -- the whirr of a roulette wheel or the prick of a syringe. He says we should stop talking about 'addiction' altogether, and instead call it 'bonding.' A heroin addict has bonded with heroin because she couldn't bond as fully with anything else. 

So the opposite of addiction is not sobriety. It is human connection.

"Am I Empty?":

Empty.  It needs to be said.  Infertility and miscarriage leave one empty.  There is pain.  There is loss. Someone is missing. That needs to be acknowledged. Years later, there are scars.  I felt it then; I feel them now.  I contemplated the starkness of the word, the label.  My label.  My label?

"Measles Is Horrible":

Before the vaccine, the United States saw approximately 4 million cases of measles each year and 400 to 500 deaths. These are the stats that vaccine-deniers tend to emphasize—a relatively low number of deaths compared with the number of infections. However, those statistics alone leave out a big part of measles infections. Prevaccine, almost 48,000 people were also hospitalized each year because of measles and measles complications. One in 20 of those infected developed pneumonia. More rarely but more seriously, each year 1,000 became chronically disabled due to measles encephalitis. 

Measles is not a benign disease.

Recently-tried Recipes

Cooking is one of those things that just has to happen in order for life to go on (and it can't always be as simple as the cheese, crackers, and grapes pictured above), but I've found I enjoy the necessity a lot more when I try new things. So, in that spirit, here are some recipes I've tried recently, along with a short review of each:


"Chicken, Bacon, and Corn Salad with Honey-Lime Vinaigrette":  This was sooooo good. And I prepared most of it separately so the kids could pick and choose what they wanted and what they didn't, and so it worked pretty well as a family dinner, too.

"Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad": This one I made for a Sunday potluck at church. It was great! I kept everything separate until right before we served up, and that worked really well.

"Crab and Corn Chowder, with Bacon and Jalapeno": This is one I made just for me - my family is not such a big fan of seafood. But I thought this was AMAZING. So yummy.  I didn't mind not sharing. :)

"Warm, Spiced Sangria": I made this for Thanksgiving, and it was so good, and so well-received, that I made it for Christmas too.  Highly recommended. (But perhaps to0 delicious and wonderful for anything but a feast!)

"Over-the-top Creamed Brussels Sprouts Gratin": this really is over-the-top.  Another Thanksgiving recipe: it was perfect for a feast, but too much for every day. (It starts with frying bacon IN butter - how could it be anything BUT a feast recipe?)

"Garlic Noodles": this, on the other hand, is a lovely work-a-day sort of a recipe. The kids loved it.  Add some veggies & leftover chicken, and you've got a perfect weekday lunch.


Have you tried any new recipes recently?


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Recently-tried Recipes

Here are some recipes I've tried recently and enjoyed. Thought you might like them too!

1) Faux "Orange Julius": This was very like its namesake. A delicious weekend breakfast treat.

2) Chilled Black Bean, Feta, and Cucumber Salad: a nice, healthy summer lunch.

3) Tex-Mex Chopped Salad: oh, this was so good. A party in your mouth. And a perfectly delightful dinner.

4) Greek Pasta Salad: Yummy, again. (If you haven't caught on yet, I only link to recipes I liked.) This was one that was stellar the first day, but even better the next.

Also, for what it's worth, I added a can of cooked chicken, just to up the protein content for my six-person family.

5) Garlicky Baked Shrimp: I actually made this with a frozen seafood mix from Trader Joe's - so I had more than just shrimp. Despite that, it turned out really well. I liked the crunchy topping, and the convenience of baking the seafood instead of sautéing it.


Let me know if there's any good recipes you've tried recently - I love getting new ideas for dinner!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

A Libation for St. Luke

Today, October 18, is St. Luke's Day, and I have a drink for you in celebration of the feast day!

Now, I fully admit that the origin of this drink is a little silly - okay, more than a little silly: the origin of this drink is a pun.

St. Luke is sometimes referred to as "Luke the physician". So he's a doctor. And he lived during the days of the Roman Empire.

The drink is a rum & Dr. Pepper. (Like a rum & Coke, but oh-so-much better.)

A rum'n'doctor.

A Roman doctor.

Groan.

I know, I know, I'm so sorry.

BUT. If you do want to raise a toast to St. Luke in all sincerity, and you'd like to use a punny drink to do so, here's how you make a St. Luke:

To make a "St. Luke":
-1 can Dr. Pepper

-1 oz. rum

Mix and enjoy! (Responsibly, as a legal adult, etc.)



Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica snell

Weekend Links: Letters, gospels, and more

"Pastor Saeed's Letter to His Daughter Rebekka":

I know that you question why you have prayed so many times for my return and yet I am not home yet. Now there is a big WHY In your mind you are asking: WHY Jesus isn’t answering your prayers and the prayers of all of the people around the world praying for my release and for me to be home with you and our family.

"The Gospel, the Gospels and Rome - Where Do We Draw the Line?": Such a nice, long, chewy article.

"The Food Lab: Make Your Own Just-Add-Hot-Water Instant Noodles (and Make Your Coworkers Jealous)":  My husband and I are determined to give this a try. It's exactly the kind of food we love eating and - portable! cool!

"Healthy Pumpkin Spiced Coffee":  And this one is cool because you can make the pumpkin-milk base ad keep it in the fridge for a few days. Mmmmmm . . . .

Recipe: Sweet & Sour Mango Smoothie

This is my favorite refreshment on a hot day (it's been in the 100's here in the Los Angeles basin). I especially like this smoothie because it's not sickly-sweet, but instead it's nice and tangy. The plain yogurt adds a nice hit of sour, and the mango sweetens it naturally. The result is something that's appetizing without being cloying.


Here's the recipe - and it couldn't be simpler - in a blender, put:

-1 c. milk
-1 c. plain yogurt
-1 c. frozen mango
-1 T. ground flaxseed (optional - I put it in for some healthy fat, because I tend to use fat-free milk & yogurt)

Blend it to a smooth consistency.  Enjoy!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell



This post contains Amazon affiliate links. (See full disclosure on sidebar of my blog.)

Recently-tried Recipes

I've found out recently, that I can get rid of a lot of the plodding feel of cooking dinner again (it's the again (and again, and again) part that gets difficult) by regularly throwing new recipes into the mix. Here are a few I've tried - and liked - recently.

"Almost Famous: Ikea's Swedish Meatballs": These were creamy and wonderful. Though I had to both make the meatballs and the sauce from scratch, it still didn't feel like a fussy meal. The meatballs came together easily, and the sauce was just a basic white sauce, with a few extra touches. And the results? Deeee-licious.

"Grilled Turkey, Apple, and Cheddar Sandwiches": After hearing the ingredients, our kids opted for regular ol' grilled cheese. Which is probably a good thing, because the mango chutney I bought for this recipe turned out to be pretty spicy (it had a lot of ginger in it).

I loved these. So did my husband. He said, "they're good. Despite the parsley".

And I said, "They're good. Despite the ginger."

So there you go: these sandwiches were good enough to overcome not one, but two mild dislikes on the part of the eaters. We're totally planning on making them again. They were excellent.


If you've tried any new recipes recently that were a hit with your families, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Recently-tried recipes

I went on a baking spree recently. I just had this urge to open up a ton of bookmarked recipes and sprint through them.

So I did! And boy, did we eat well that night (and for several mornings afterwards).

Here's what I made:

-Lemon-Herb Roasted shrimp - om nom nom nom.  Nom nom. Nom, nommy-nom nom.

Just sayin'.  (But then, I like shrimp.)

-healthy pumpkin spice latte - this one I modified by using dairy milk, rather than almond. It was much darker and earthier than the fluffy Starbucks version, but I really liked it. And she's right: this version could be a meal.

-island spice cookies - oh my goodness, this is what Lofthouse cookies wish they were. Be sure to make the maple icing. (And next time, I might add a little Chinese Five Spice powder to these, just to pack a bit more punch - I like my spice cookies spicy. But they were still scrumptious, just as written.)

-muesli cookies - my husband really liked these, and so did one of my kids. I need to make them again to see if I do too - I was recovering from wisdom tooth removal while these were in play.

-pb granola bars - These were a hit with 4 out of 6 family members - but the people who liked them really liked them. I was one of the few exceptions; the honey taste was just too strong for me. But if you really like the taste of honey, you will devour these. I'm planning on making them again, because they're super-simple, decently healthy, and a great easy breakfast if you make them beforehand.


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

P.S.: On a recent post, I asked for breakfast ideas, so I wanted to be sure to note that both the muesli cookies and the pb bars froze really well, and helped me in my quest for easier breakfasts!

Weekend Link Round-up!

A bit of good reading from 'round the Web:

"The Courage to Rest":

When I began to try to live by the new, focused schedule, I found that more than anything it was an exercise in letting go of control. I understood on a visceral level why it’s monks and nuns who are known to have the most peaceful daily routines: because it requires great trust in God to walk away from your endless list of demands when there is still technically time to get a few more things done. It requires tremendous faith to rest.

"What’s Next on Sherlock? Steven Moffat Answers Our Lingering Questions About Season 3 ": For all my fellow fans. :)

"wordy wednesday: peanut sauce":  Yummmmm, I want to make this.

"New York Fugshion Week: Tadashi Shoji": This slideshow has so many things I want to wear. Especially the capes.

"Between Heaven and Earth": this analysis of the death of Absalom is just fascinating. (No, really, it is.)


Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

Weekend Link Round-up!

"Sherlock’s Best Man Speech is Basically Fanfic, Moffat Says He’s Absolutely Not A Sociopath": Cool excerpts from the creator of "Sherlock".

"For the Love of the Light": how one woman celebrates Candlemas.

"Equivocation and Contraception": a nice bit of clarification in the middle of the pro-life discussions.

"Why Harlequin Is Not Just The Minor Leagues For Single Title":

I'll just come right out and say it. It takes a real author to be able to write for a series line, and certainly a strong writer to be successful at this.

Roast a whole head of cauliflower! - a friend passed this along to me as a Lenten recipe idea - looks great!

3 Great Ways to Use Winter Squash

Along with healthy greens, the other thing I'm always getting in my CSA basket is winter squash. Here are a few good ways to use it:

1) Stuff it. All that yummy stuff in the middle and you'll scarcely notice the healthy vegetable around the edge.

2) Bake with it. For butternut squash: puree it and use it in place of canned pumpkin. Roasting squash is as easy as halving it, scooping out the seeds, placing it upside down on a greased baking sheet, and roasting it at about 400 degrees for about 40 minutes (give or take, depending on the size of the squash). Once it's roasted, you can puree it, and then you've basically got yourself a homemade can of Libby's packed pumpkin. You can use the butternut puree as a replacement in pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, or pumpkin cookies.

3) Use it as a base for soup. Again, you can use it in place of canned pumpkin. My favorite squash soup involves beans, lime, coconut milk, and sage.



And that is the sum total of my creativity. What do you do with your winter squashes?

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

7 Quick Takes: Recipe Edition . . . again

I would be such a boring cook without the internet! Here's some amazing stuff I've made recently:

1) -Chai Banana Bread - This doesn't have a strong chai flavor, but the spices do add a nice bit of warmth to the bread. I made it without the cream cheese icing, and it was perfect for breakfast.

2) -Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins - Now, on this one, you do want to make the topping. The crunchy, buttery cinnamon-sugar topping is brilliant. And the muffins are almost as good cold as they were warm, which I find impressive.

3) -Slow Cooker Chicken Enchilada Soup - spicy and delicious. Be sure to serve it with some of the extras - especially the tortilla chips.

4) -Baked Cheddar Chicken Chimichangas - Brushing these with a butter/olive oil mix before baking makes them flaky and wonderful. Not nearly as hard as they sound, and absolutely delicious piping hot. (Not bad cold, either!)

5) -Baked Chicken Nachos - this was much more casserole-y than I expected, but it turned out really well.

6) -Creamy Baked Chicken Curry - oh my goodness: creamy curry sauce is such a wonderful idea. This was great.

7) And . . . that's it. So, for #7, would you tell me what yummy thing you've made recently?

Peace of Christ to you,
Jessica Snell

More Quick Takes can be found here, at Conversion Diary.