Homemade and Repainted

Today has been rather productive considering I am fighting some kind of virus. I managed to make homemade chicken nuggets and repaint a mirror. I also swept the floors and started some laundry. Whew! I hope I can keep this up today!

Homemade Chicken Nuggets

2 boneless/skinless chicken breast (or whatever you have) cut into bite sized pieces
2T EVOO
1 or more cloves of garlic crushed
2T spicy brown mustard
pepper to taste

Marinade the chicken bites in the above mix for 30 minutes

1 cup bread crumbs
grated Parmesan cheese
poultry seasoning

Mix dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.

Spoon chicken pieces, 5 or so at a time, into the dry mix. Using a slotted spoon, coat the chicken and place on a greased cookie sheet.
Bake at 475 for 15 minutes

Have you even seen ornate GOLD mirrors and thought, "Gee, I'm just not a gold kind of person"? That's me! I have no use for anything gold, including jewelry. My good friend gave me a huge, gold mirror and today I finally painted it so it could be hung!
Never fret, grab that inexpensive mirror at Goodwill or yard sales, put on a thin coat of primer and top it with latex paint of your choice. Don't worry about the details and all the nooks and crannies. Just slap it on, shabby it up a bit and put on the wall...or better yet, sell it for a nice profit!

(not finished, just in progress)

Beans Beans The Musical Fruit

Tonight I rocked the house with dinner. Mind you, this doesn't happen very often so I am extra excited tonight! I think what makes this soup so special is the fact that it's main ingredient is black beans, and I don't like black beans!

Brianne's version of black bean soup:

1 1/2 c Chicken broth
1 1/2c Water
1 Medium onion chopped
2 Cloves of garlic
1 1/2t Cumin-give or take
If you like real spicy soup, add red pepper flakes

Boil the above ingredients until onions are soft. Add:

2 Cans of La Costena Black Beans (19.75 oz)
1 Can of Rotel tomatoes
1 Rotisserie chicken or any type of meat you want to add

Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes. I covered them to minimize moisture loss.
Use immersion blender or food processor to mash the beans and tomato mixture. I used minimal broth in the food processor and returned beans to the pot.
Add rotisserie chicken, chopped of course.

Add a 10 oz can of diced tomatoes and simmer 10 minutes or put on low until you are ready to serve.

Top with rough chopped cilantro and lime juice

Get ready! It is awesome!

Chicken and Lime Soup

Okay, I know, blog post really need photos. We devoured the soup so fast I didn't have a chance to take a picture!
I got this recipe from www.recipezaar.com. It was wonderful but I think more of an appetizer or summer soup. It just wasn't hearty enough for the winter. If you decide to make a winter version I would LOVE to know about it!

2T EVOO
1 onion chopped
Garlic to taste

1 Carton Chicken Broth (4 cups)
1 Rotisserie Chicken, meat removed from the bones

2 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/4c rough chopped cilantro
juice from one lime
Mix in a bowl and set aside

Saute onion and garlic in oil for 3-5 minutes then add chicken broth. Bring to a boil and add chicken. Simmer partially covered for 20 minutes.
Just before serving add the tomato and cilantro mix, stir and serve immediately.

The lime and cilantro are incredible with bright flavors. This would be a perfect appetizer to a Mexican fiesta or served in the summer with grilled veggies and crusty bread!