Chicken Divan

Chicken Divan is one of the many delicious recipes out of our entrees section in the cookbook. I have never tried to make this recipe nor have I ever tasted this dish before so I  am looking forward to putting it all together and trying it out for the first time.This recipe calls for a few different ingredients that I never thought would go together well.

Mayonaise, Curry Powder, Broccolli and more.
I got all my ingredients today from the Italian Grocery Store here in Ohio called

Rulli Bros.

For all you Latina lovers, it is similar but it is as big as a large department store.

To get my chicken was a challenge. I guess I should have gotten a head start a little earlier this morning. The women that were waiting were all a little older and they were shopping
like it was Black Friday  in The Fashion Outlets Mall.

I pulled my ticket  at the meat counter and I pulled #44. Come to find out they were on #13. Normally at Wegmans or any other store you usually pull number 3 and they are on number 2. The women that shop there definitely have there shopping system down, get your number first, then do all your shopping and by the time you are done, your number will most likely be called. 

Oh well now I know. I guess when Chicken Breasts are $1.58 per pound you really cannot blame the chaos.

This dish was a quick dish to make. Especially if you prepare it earlier in the day and about 45 minutes before you are looking to have dinner, you can just put it in the oven.
If you are going to get your ingredients together earlier in the day, I would suggest getting the chicken ready at the last minute. The first step you are told to do in this recipe is brown the chicken in oil before actually baking it with all the other ingredients. When browning chicken you are really not totally cooking it through so I suggest that you do not brown the chicken and then store it in the fridge until you are ready to bake.
Just get your sauces ready ahead of time , but the chicken I would cook right before you know you are going to bake it.

When you put everything in the baking dish there is no right or wrong way just put it all in and top with with all the sauces.


The sauces are pretty thick so cover everything the best you can.

While baking Chicken Divan you can prepare a nice rice dish or salad. You really do not need a side of vegetables to serve with this dinner, because of the mushrooms and broccolli that come right in the dish.

After taking the Chicken Divan out of the oven, you get the most mouth watering aroma that fills your kitchen. The top of it actually looks a little carmalized once it is done.

The flavors from the sauce on top of everything just is amazing and the breadcrumbs that are baked on top just add to the wonderful flavor.

This is a Must Try dish that everyone will love!!

Hope you enjoy

Bon Appetit!

Tex-Mex

When going to a party or picnic and you want to bring something that the guest will go nuts for.. Bring Tex Mex!

This taco dip is a blend of different layers that give you a taste for more.

The recipe is so easy and quick and it is even really cheap to make.

Most people do not like tomatoes but in this appetizer you can put the tomatoes in I am sure they will eat it either way, it gives it a nice taste.

Just for you curious readers out there. Tex Mex is a blend of blend of Mexican and southwest U.S. cultural elements. It is a Mexican recipe that was made by Texas cooks.

The recipe gives you the order in which you should do your layers. The first two layers are key, I would not change that. The last couple you can flip flop to your liking if you wish but the original way is a hit.

In this recipe you have to do some chopping. I got to put my new Pampered Chef food chopper into use on my olives. That little cooking tool is amazing it saves time and your fingers from chopping food really small. I would highly recommend getting one!

                                                                                          

Once all the layers are into the dish, you are Done!

You can put it into the fridge and let it sit until its party time.

Just a little tip:

1. I would suggest grating the cheese yourself on top, rather than gettting the cheese in a bag already shredded. Just a little tip, that will make a difference.
2. Scoops are the tortilla chip that go best with this dip!
(you can use any type of tortilla chip scoops are just my preference)

Hope you enjoy!

Cookie Dough Brownies

Well I hope you all enjoyed the cherry squares. This next recipe I am going to stick with the desserts. YUM!!

Next week I will start with some entrees and sides. My menu this week for dinner is already made so I will stick to baking some tasty treats.

This dessert I am baking today is probably the 3rd dessert I have ever made in a kitchen. That is including the cherry squares from yesterday. Baking has never been something I have had interest in. I love to cook more than anything. I do not mind following directions but baking you have to follow pretty much every single direction or else things can get screwed up.(If you put regular sugar into a recipe that calls for confectioner sugar things really can get messy.. ha ha.. been there done that..)
 I like going into the kitchen with an open mind, trying a little of this and trying a little of that. If it works it works if it doesnt there is always tomorrow or my wonderful husband who will try anything to make me happy.

Cookie Dough Brownies is the special treat for today. I dont know about you, but cookie dough alone is one of my favorites and browniesss... who could not love them.
There are three different steps to this recipe. I will make the actual brownie then I will top them with a creamy, buttery mix. Finally I will use a chocolaty glaze to finish the top. My mouth is watering as I am typing this.

Well the brownies are made and they are cooling down. I will then move to the next step. I have my ingredients ready for the next two steps in front of me and the one ingredient is just so tempting to taste. Semisweet Chocolate Chips, how can you do all this baking and not have a few of these as you go along.

I mean you want to make sure they are fresh, right?

This recipe is very easy, there are a few more steps and ingredients needed, compared to the cherry squares and regular brownies, but it is well worth the extra steps. If you do need these brownies for a party, picnic or any sort of gathering other than just eating them in the comfort of your own home. I would suggest to start this delicious masterpiece the day before. I made them yesterday, but after each step you want to make sure it cools down completely before you move onto the next step. It is a layered dessert.

When I put my final layer on, I let the brownies sit out through the night, covered of course, and when I woke up this morning I  had the best breakfast any girl would want. A Cookie Dough Brownie and a glass of milk.
Mmmmmmmm....
Wow, these brownies are amazing.
They came out perfect. You get the best of both worlds..
Brownie vs. The cookie Dough!

Hints and Tips:

1.When you do try this recipe, I would suggest the only step that you should put the baking dish in the fridge with the brownies, is when you put the cookie dough layer on. All the other steps just leave it out to cool down and chill out.

2.While eating this delicious dessert a glass of water or milk is a must! If you are a chocolate lover, you will get everything you want and more.

3.This one recipe is enough for quite a few people. You can cut them into regular brownie sizes or into little squares to share with co- workers like I am going to do tonite.

4. Finally... While making the last step if you want to have a volunteer lick the remains off the spoon go for it, I would recommend keeping it to yourself!

Enjoy.

Cherry Squares

 How could I not start this blog without my sweet tooth. Cherry squares are a family favorite. They have been around a long time and this was the very first time I have made them. I have enjoyed them so many times at family gatherings especially around the holidays, but I have never taken the time out to actually try the recipe myself until today.

 Well now that we have moved to Ohio our shopping is a little bit different than Niagara Falls. There is no Wegmans and there is no Tops! So my choices for the ingredients today were either Marcs or Giant Eagle. So I went to Marcs. Its a pretty neat store it has everything from socks and shoes to cherry pie filling and crisco. It is a great store for  prices that cannot be beat.

To make the cherry squares was very easy, and the time it took to make them was actually mind boggling that something so tasty and mouth watering could be so quick to bake.

The key to baking to me is to have everything available right in front of you from the actual ingredients to the measuring tools.

    Another tip I learned after mixing my ingredients together was that black was not the perfect color to wear. After adding my cup and a half of flour to the bowl I decided to add about a third of that cup to my pants. Oh well you live and you learn especially while in the kitchen.

The recipe is now done and is cooling down, before i cut them into squares. Marco has invited over his buddies and I am sure I will get the honest opinon. Word of advice when you are baking something delicious. Make sure your husband is out of the house until the recipe is all cooled down and ready to serve. He has asked me three times already if he can just break off a little corner.... NOOO!!

Hope you enjoy the cherry squares as much as my family has and when you do get your hands on this cookbook feel free to comment on how they came out!

          Natalie vs. Kitchen Aid Mixer:     This recipe was fun for me to make, especially because this was my first time ever using my Kitchen Aid mixer! I love it and it was so easy to use. Until I had to clean the mixer and could not figure out how to get the tool that I was mixing with OFF! So I did pull out the handbook. After every other language they give you recipes in I finally found the English section. Really? If they sell this Kitchen Aid mixer in the U.S. why does there have to be so many different options of language for directions. I know and everyone else who has this mixer knows that this product could never be bought here and brought to one of the other countries. It would need a ticket for a seat all on its own. That mixer is one of the heaviest household appliances I have ever seen. I moved it from front to back of the counter and I was struggling. In the end though it is still my new best friend.