Clone of Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad

I have been making this recipe for years and it is one of my favorite salad recipes. You could literally drink the dressing it is so good. We are having company tonight and this is what I am making. Just in the mood for a good ol' salad. I usually don't make the chicken from scratch anymore but just stop at Hardee's or somewhere and buy chicken fingers and cut up and add to the salad. To me, Hardee's has the BEST chicken fingers on the market right now. Enjoy!

Applebee’s Oriental Chicken Salad

Dressing
3 T. honey
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1-1/2 T. rice wine vinegar
1/8 t. sesame oil
1 t. Grey Poupon Dijon mustard

Salad
1 chicken breast
3 c. chopped romaine lettuce
1 c. red cabbage
1 c. Napa cabbage
1/2 carrot, shredded
1 green onion, chopped
1 T. sliced almonds
1/3 c. chow mein noodles

Dredge
1 egg
1/2 c. milk

Batter
1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. Corn Flakes
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
2-3 c. vegetable oil (frying)

Preheat oil in deep fryer or deep pan to 350 degrees. Blend ingredients of dressing with electric mixer. Chill. Beat egg and milk, mix well. In another bowl, combine flour with cornflakes, salt and pepper. Cut chicken into 4-5 strips. Dip chicken into egg mixture and then into flour mix. Fry each finger for 5 minutes. Toss romaine, red and napa cabbage and carrots. Sprinkle onion, almonds and chow mein noodles. Add chicken and dressing.

Sheryl Parsons - Papier Mache Extraordinaire

I spent an entire day doing nothing but drooling over Sheryl Parsons' papier mache santas. She certainly has the process down to a science. For years I have wanted to try my hand at making papier mache santas but have always let my intimidation get the best of me. I have several books on the subject and have studied and studied them and bought several packages of celluclay but just plain chickened out. Why do we let things get to us like that? I mean, the worst that can happen is that I fail. I loathe failure and let just the mere thought of it keep me away from trying new things. I must work on this and get over that. A true hang up of my character if ever there was one. I am looking to Sheryl right now for inspiration and courage to try this...If I fail then so what? I go back to my comfort zone and do something I feel comfortable in doing, like my painting. You MUST go check out her blog...it is full of the most beautiful santas imaginable. Right now she is one of my heroes. I am finding several new heroes this year and they are all so creative.

http://mothersdreamartworks.blogspot.com/

Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes and Sloppy Chicken Joes

Well, hubby called me this past Friday and told me we were having company on Saturday night. Instead of making a big dinner I just wanted to make some kind of sandwiches as we would rather hang out at our bar and socialize more than eat but I knew I had to feed my friends something. I really had nothing that I could think of in the pantry or fridge to fix them until I came across these recipes and had the ingredients to make both the Buffalo Chicken Sloppy Joes and the Sloppy Chicken Joes (a BBQ type). I also had potatoes to make Buffalo Chicken Potatoes and BBQ Potato Wedges. I really liked them all...out of all four recipes I had only made the BBQ Potato Wedges before. I hope you find them fast and reliable on those days when you have absolutely nothing to fix. Who doesn't keep chicken and potatoes around? Enjoy!

NOTE: Instead of the ground chicken I just boiled about 10 chicken breast cutlets and shredded them and divided them up and used them in both recipes.

Buffalo Chicken Joes

Ingredients
6 whole wheat hamburger buns
1 lb ground chicken
1/2 cup hot sauce (i used texas pete)
1/2 medium onion
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1 large stalk celery
3/4 cup grated carrots
4-5 tbsp fat free ranch dressing (could also use fat free blue cheese)
1 tbsp vinegar

Directions
Heat olive oil in nonstick skillet.

Chop celery and place in skillet with carrots. Add in two minced cloves of garlic. Add vinegar and ground chicken. Cook until chicken is brown and vegetables are tender.

Add in hot sauce. You can add as little or as much sauce as you like, depending how hot your like your buffalo wings.

Turn off heat and add in 4 tbsp of fat free ranch or blue cheese dressing.

Number of Servings: 6

Sloppy Chicken Joes
serves 4

1 1/2-pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or shredded rotisserie chicken)
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
4 to 6 hamburger buns

Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large skillet, combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Add the diced chicken breasts, cover and cook over medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. (If using rotisserie chicken, just cook until heated through.)

Serve the chicken on the hamburger buns.

Buffalo Potatoes

4 to 5 Large Idaho Russet Potatoes, peeled, each cut in 8 wedges
1/4 c. Olive Oil
1/2 c. Dry Parmesan Cheese
1 c. Instant flaked mashed potatoes
2 t. Old Bay Seasoning
1 pinch Cayenne pepper - I used 1 t.
Pan spray coating
salt to taste

1. Blanch potato wedges in salted water. (boil salted water and add potatoes and cook 4-5 minutes, until semi-tender), drain. While hot, toss with half the oil.
2. In bowl mix cheese, flaked potatoes, Old Bay Seasoning and pepper. toss with warm potatoes to coat well.
3. Spread potatoes on pan sprayed with coating.
4. Bake at 450° F, 18-20 minutes, or until cooked through.
5. Season with salt.
6. Serve with Marinara, Bologneses or Blue cheese sauce, if desired.


BBQ Potatoes

Cut potatoes into wedges. Lay foil on bottom of pan. Put wedges on foil and brush with ketchup, paprika, mustard, little butter. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Brush with more sauce and bake 15 minutes more.

Jump Start on the Craft Season

So proud of myself that here it is the middle of January and I have managed to get a gourd painted today. This was so much fun to paint. I have a ton of gourds that need to be painted up so I'm hoping to do that this year. A fun change from painting only ornaments. I had to take the picture outside with our snow since the gourd is of santa building a snowman. A customer of mine had asked if I could do a santa gourd much like one of my lightbulb ornaments...I think I got it right, even painting a more thorough face. I'm studying some different santa faces to paint this year. So far, so good! I also added a photo of the big snow we got yesterday...our first for the winter season. I don't mind getting it on the weekends when I don't have to drive in it. So pretty and calming. Thanks for looking!

Kitchen Remodel

Been very busy for many months painting my oak kitchen cabinets white. As you can see the old oak cabinets had an arch on the top ones so we ordered new doors for the top only. I wanted a modern kitchen and I thought the square ones looked more simple and modern. I love clean lines. Plus our old bottom ones were that way anyway. What a process. Now that we have our new refrigerator we found out it doesn't fit right under the cabinet that is there so we have ordered a smaller cabinet for that space so it looks like my painting cabinets project STILL is not over with. UGH! Just this past week we had Granite Transformations come in and put in our countertops and blacksplash. What a difference that makes. My kitchen looks so clean now. Well, except for the floor but we aren't putting in the bamboo flooring until we get a few ceiling drywall projects finished. Such a slow process...worth the wait tho! We are putting the wood floors in the kitchen and our great room which are connected. Will post pics of those when it gets done. We are also thinking about cutting out the middle of my pantry door and a few of the top cabinet doors and adding glass which will add to the modern look. We also have ordered stainless steel door handles that look really modern. I just couldn't wait to share how far we have come. I have attached a picture of what the kitchen looked before we started the whole process and what it looks like right now. enjoy!

Eats for New Years

New years wouldn't be complete without something good to eat would it? We are only having a few friends down to bring in the new year so instead of making the 5 appetizers I was gonna do I opted for something way simpler and less time consuming...just good ol' soup and sandwich. It has gotten really chilly here in Kentucky, especially at night so this will keep us all nice and toasty. I've chosen to make Kentucky hot browns and hot brown soup. I hope this won't be ham and turkey overkill. When I make reubens, I usually make reuben chowder to go along with them and they really accompany one another really well so I'm keeping my fingers crossed...if I know my friends they will eat it all up and won't care. We love to eat! I also wanted to make something to munch on and am trying a new recipe for Queso Blanco dip. It was interesting finding the white American cheese in the deli but luckily they had it. Will let you know how it turns out! I also am fortunate that in our small town there is a tobacco shop that sells just about anything (like a convenience store) and they sell this wonderful "Dr. Pete's Praline Mustard Glaze." Any of you tried that before? Well, you are missing out if you haven't. You can use it on meats but I love to pour it over a block of cream cheese and serve it with crackers and it is just wonderful. Hard to explain...a sweetness and salty taste together. I bought a few bottles of that and will be serving it too. I'm making a butterfinger pie for the first time for dessert. It looks fairly simple. I opted to use a chocolate pie crust that is already made. Will also let you know how that turns out and if it is a keeper. I found another butterfinger pie recipe and was going to try it but it was way more complicated. Probably tastes better but I'm all for cutting back on time today. Our beloved Kentucky Wildcats play our across state rivals Louisville today at noon so I'm gonna be pressed for time. Enjoy the recipes!!

Cindy’s KY Hot Brown Casserole (Makes 4)
4 oz. butter 6 T. flour
3 c. milk 1 egg
6 T. freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 oz. heavy cream Salt
Pepper, white
2 T. chicken bouillion
4 slices turkey (fairly thick slice)
4 slices Kentucky Legend Black Forest Ham
8 slices bread
Extra parmesan cheese for topping
8 strips bacon, cooked

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fry bacon, break into bits. Have ingredients measured before you start because this goes fast. Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add flour all at once, whisking to make thick roux. Add milk, whisking to mix it in well. Stir in parmesan cheese. Reduce heat. Whisk egg lightly in cup or bowl. Stir in a little of hot sauce to temper the egg so it won’t scramble when you add it to the sauce. When egg is well mixed with a little for the sauce, whisk this combination into saucepan. Heat sauce until it becomes smooth and thick (you may have to add cornstarch to thicken), taking care not to let it come to a boil. Remove from heat. If you are using heavy cream, whip it and then fold it into the sauce gently. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

Toast slices in toaster or broil until golden, do both sides. Trim crust from bread edges. Line the bottom of a casserole dish with one piece of toast, add a slice of ham, another piece of toast and end with a slice of turkey. Cover with sauce. Spread all of the sauce over the turkey. Sprinkle with remaining parmesan cheese and bacon bits. Place in oven and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Garnish top of casserole with a slice of tomato. Serve while hot.

Kentucky Hot Brown Soup
¼ c. butter
¼ c. onions, chopped
¼ c. flour
½ t. garlic salt
¼ t. hot sauce
4 c. milk
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ c. ham, cubed or chopped (I used packaged)
½ c. turkey, cubed or chopped (I used packaged)

Melt butter in Dutch pan. Add onions and cook until tender. Add flour, garlic salt and hot sauce and cook for one minute. Gradually stir in milk and cook until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat and add cheese and cook until melted. Add ham and turkey (do not boil). Garnish with green onions, tomatoes and bacon.

Chilled Butterfinger Pie
• 6 (2 1/8 ounce) butterfinger candy bars , crushed
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
• 1 (12 ounce) carton Cool Whip
• 1 graham cracker crust

Directions:
Mix first three ingredients together. Put it in pie crust. Chill.

Queso Blanco Dip
*Note: White American cheese can be found at the deli counter in most grocery stores. I could only find it presliced so instead of shredding it as stated in the recipe, I simply cut it into thin strips. Also, this dip reheats beautifully on low in the microwave or on the stovetop. Not that there will be any left…but if there is, now you know how to reheat.
*Makes about 2 cups

INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
12 oounces white American cheese, shredded or sliced thinly
4 ounces Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/4-2/3 cup milk
1 tomato, seeded and finely diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and jalapeño to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add both of the shredded cheeses and 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk or stir until completely melted. Mix in the tomato and cilantro, and add additional milk gradually as necessary to achieve desired consistency (I added about 1/2 cup total). Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately.

Painted Christmas Presents

Sorry...just now getting around to posting about what has kept me so busy throughout the Christmas holiday. I was off work the week before Christmas and it's a good thing I was as I painted the ENTIRE time I was off. I painted dear hubby lightbulb ornaments to give away where he works for Pepsi every year. This year since my favorite Pepsi commercial showed a tropical santa who is on vacation and chooses Pepsi over Coke I decided that I wanted to paint him up so I did. I love designing as much as I love painting. Here is a picture of the finished ornament. I painted nine of them. I'm not much into repetition but I got through it somehow. I felt like a sweat factory.

Also, this year my sisters and I decided to make one another something as a gift as we decided to only buy gifts for the kids. I have had 4 ice skates sitting on my craft room shelf for many years and so wanted to paint them up for someone that is near and dear to my heart so I decided that would be my gift. I never painted them before because they intimidated me so much. Why do we let things intimidate us like that? The good thing with paint is that if the project doesn't turn out the way you want it to then you can just coat it with more paint until you like the finished project. As some of you know, I have an aversion to spray painting. I admit I'm not good at it. It always runs on me so I've always favored the paint brush...imagine that. So I painted on my primer first so that the paints would adhere to the shoe. Next I took a sponge and sponged on blue and white together to make the background. Then I put on my pattern using graphite and a stylus and went from there. My friend Martha who is the most brilliant crafter I know (right up there with my late mom's brilliant craft knowledge which is a BIG honor) helped and nudged me along the way. She had painted skates before and she told me what to use and do. I love the added glitter to the blades that she suggested. Needless to say, my sisters and sister-in-law just loved them. Made me swell with pride when they opened them up as I had managed to not let the intimidation get the best of me.

My niece who has taken after me and my mom has the love of crafting as much as us and I needed to make her something handmade also so I painted her this wooden frame I bought at Wally World. She is a freshman in high school and varsity cheerleader and she loves anything with their mascot on it. She is in the back row in the middle...tallest girl. Such a beauty and sweetness about her. Was such fun to paint on wood again for a change. In the olden days that is all I used to paint on until I found the love of painting on burnt out lightbulbs. This year I am gonna strive to paint on more wood. Back in the days when mom and I would cut wood together we would often joke "who needs diamonds and furs when you can have the wonderful smell of wood." We loved wood! I need to get back there some and enjoy the fun of cutting out wood again. And remember the wonderful memories I had with mom. Yeah...throw in a few tears.

Well, that is what I've been up to...hope you have been crafting your little hearts out too!