Saffron and Thyme Noodles with Chicken

Saffron and Thyme Noodles with Chicken

Noodle Sauce:
1/2 chopped Shallot
3-4 stems of Thyme leaves - lightly chopped
1 tsp olive oil
~Saute Shallots for a few minutes
Add
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 to 3 pinches of Saffron
1 1/2cup Chicken stock
2 large Yellow tomatoes diced or 1 cup diced Yellow Pear Tomatoes
1 large Yellow or Orange Bell Pepper chopped
~Let simmer on low until chicken is cooked

Fettuccine:
whole package of Fettuccine or egg Fettaccine
Salt water

Chicken:
4 pieces of chicken cut into bite size pieces
1/2 chopped Shallot
3 stems of Thyme leaves - lightly chopped
2 tsp Grape seed Oil or Olive Oil
1/4 cup Chicken stock
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Drain Pasta, put into serving bowl. Add chicken and Sauce. Toss in sauce, let sit, then toss in sauce. Repeat until noodles absorb most of the sauce. When ready to serve grate fresh Parmesan or Irish Chedder Cheese on top if noodles.

Baked Maple Chicken and Mashed Maple Butternut Squash

Baked Maple Chicken

4-6 pieces of chicken
almond meal/flour(optional)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
2 tsp lemon
dash of pepper
1/3 cup melted butter

Heat oven to 400. Place chicken in baking dish. sprinkle almond meal over chicken. Mix in a bowl remaining ingredients. Poor mixture over chicken and bake for 50 min.

Mashed Maple Butternut Squash

1 Butternut Squash
1/2 cup butter or cream cheese
1/4 cup 100% maple syrup
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon

Peel butternut squash with potato peeler, cut into chunks, remove seeds and put in a pot of water. Boil until you can pierce easily with a fork. Drain water. Mash with a potato masher and add all ingredients while mashing.

Cajun Salmon

4-6 oz Salmon
1 Tsp Cajun seasoning (add more if you like it spicy)
2 gloves minced garlic
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup cooking white wine
1/4 cup butter (optional)
2 vine ripe tomatoes chopped
1 red bell pepper chopped

Simmer Butter, wine, garlic, onion, and Cajun seasoning. Add Salmon until half way cooked. Take salmon out and chop then put back into sauce. Add tomatoes and bell peppers. Cook until salmon is fully cooked.
I like to put this on top of crackers.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This has been my family's favorite chocolate chip cookies for the past 10 years. They are very moist and creamy.

Just finished my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. I didn't have any shortening so I just double up on butter. Soo tasty.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup shortening ( or double up on butter if you want really soft cookies)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
6 ounces of semisweet chocolate chips, I prefer to use Ghiradelli

Heat oven to 375. Mix sugars, butter, shortening, egg, and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients.

Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto an un-greased cookie sheet. Bake until light brown, 8-10 minutes. Makes about 3 1/2 dozen, but it just depends on your cookie size. These cookies spread out so don't be afraid to use small drops of dough on the cookie sheet. Cookie dough should be very sticky.

Tasty Cookies

Around the holidays I love sugar cookies, but I like my sugar cookies made with maple syrup. I lost my favorite recipe last year for sugar cookies with maple syrup so I googled it, no luck. I did find a Cinnamon Maple Sugar Cookie recipe though. It is so tasty that every time I make them they disappear, aka my family. I am not fond of frosting or sugar toppings, but you can treat these cookies like any other sugar cookie. My oldest daughter likes to put sugar sprinkles on her cookies.
Cinnamon Maple Sugar Cookies
2/3 cup softened butter
3/4 cup sugar ( I like to do 1/4 brown sugar and 2/4 white sugar makes the cookies even better)
1 Egg
4 Tsp pure maple syrup
1 Tsp vanilla
2 tsp cinnamon
2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder
1/2 Tsp Salt

Cream Butter & sugar
Beat egg, syrup, vanilla
mix in cinnamon, flour, baking powder, and salt

Chill dough. I like to put it in the freezer so it chills faster, normally 20 min in the freezer will do, but you can put it in the fridge and wait an hr to 2 if you don't want to make cookies right away.
Roll you cookie dough out and cut with cookie cutters.
Preheat oven to 375 bake for 8min.
This can make lots of cookies, it depends on the size of your cookie cutters.

New Line

So I have decided that I am going to make 2 purses and I have finished up the design. Now all I have to do is order the material and extras to start the line. I hope that it turns out as good as I am imagining it. I have seen the other camo purses that are out there and I think my designs are unique. Not being able to work towards my career is really hard on me. I miss working so my new business is getting all my creative juices. It has been really hard to go from working since I was 14 not working and not making my own money. I have sold a few of my bracelets which feels really good. My purse line is just another way to try to improve my business and maybe draw in more business. I am very lucky to have a supportive husband and family to that like my business ideas. My worst fear about my new business is the quality not being up to par. I really try hard to make sure my crafts are made really well. I have purchased clothes for my daughters and they fall apart after 1 wash. Good thing I can repair them. I just don't want that to ever happen to anything I make. I really hope I can get a good deal on every thing I need to make my purses so I can offer them at a competitive price.
New adventures are fun but challenging.

New Business

I am starting a new business. RockenCamo is my new company. I just got my Tax ID and my FEID and my DBA. So excited. I am making and sewn/ braided military camo bracelets. I thought of it one night and decided to try it out. Getting all the right paper work submitted was the hardest thing to do. I was so confused, but luckily I have an awesome tax guy that helped guide me in the right direction. My husband is so supportive and even he likes to wear my bracelets. He likes the plain USMC dessert camo. Since I just started selling them, I haven't sold very many, but with every sale I get so excited. I have a new idea to make purses out of camo material. I just need to break down and purchase the things I need. Starting a business is a little nerve racking because you have to put out money that you don't know if you will make back. I love being creative and I love when people like my designs. So even if I don't make back all of the money I spend starting the business, I am so glad that I tried. YAY for inspiration, new ideas, and new beginnings.