Athenian Chicken

Here is another easy, yet delicious chicken breast recipe. This is an easy one to prepare on a weeknight. If you can prepare the chicken in the marinade the night before, that will save you some time the night you want to cook it.

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts (I cut mine in half and pound thinner)
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. dry Italian dressing seasoning
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• Oregano

An important thing to know if youre trying to eat healthy is appropriate serving sizes. A serving of meat should be 3 oz. when you buy chicken breasts they are much larger than 3 oz., so you really should cut them in half before cooking. I cut in half them place between wax paper and pound a little to make them thinner.  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Salt and pepper the chicken breasts. Place in a bag with Italian dressing seasoning and lemon juice. Shake around to make sure each breast is coated. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. 

Place chicken breasts in a deep baking dish. Pour marinade over chicken.msprinkle with oregano and put a small pat of butter on each breast. Cover with foil and bake for 30-40 minutes (longer for chicken not pounded thin). Remove foil. Sprinkle with feta and Parmesan. Turn oven to broil and cook another 3-4 minutes.

We served with green beans and Henderson Hummus (Updated Version). Yum!


This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

FREE DIY Monthly Baby Printables

These are super cute and FREE! I love all the cute pictures I see of babies wearing onesies or shirts that say how many months old they are. Instead of buying them, why not do it yourself? These free printables allow you to do just that!

I have included boy and girl designs, from 1 month all the way up to one year. There are 4 monthly circles on each file. The best way to do this is as follows:

1. Right click on the image you want, and select "save as picture." Save the picture to a file that you will remember on your computer.
2. Buy onesies or T-Shirts from Wal-mart or Target. You will need to buy T-Shirt Transfer/Iron-on paper from a craft store. Here is a link to Avery's T-Shirt Transfer Paper.
3. Load the paper into your printer following the directions included in the package.
4. Locate the file and "open." It will open on your computer as a picture.
5. Select "print." When your specific printer dialogue box opens, be sure to uncheck any boxes that might say "fit to frame." Print as a full page or 8x10 photo. Hopefully your printer shows a preview so you can ensure the entire image will print correctly.
6. After printing, follow the instructions in the paper package for transferring the image to your shirts.

Ta da! Now you have boutique looking shirts for your baby to commemorate each milestone, but at a fraction of the cost! Take a picture of your darling baby wearing at each monthly milestone and purchase our Customized Facebook Cover Image to show off your little one!


Keep checking back, as I am planning on adding cute designs with a tie, mustache, animals, etc. I'm also going to do some for 1 year, 2 years, etc.

Enjoy!



Boy Prints:

 

Girl Prints:

 

 

Secret Fruit Salad

This recipe  has been floating around Pinterest for awhile, but I just finally got around to making it. I found the original Secret Fruit Salad recipe on Rachel Schultz's Blog.  It is delicious- just make sure you let it refrigerate to let the fruit juices mix with the pudding mix.  I pretty much kept the recipe the same, I just changed up the berries.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Pineapple cut in chunks
• 1 lb of Strawberries cut into halfs or quarters
• 1 bunch of Grapes
• 1 pint of Blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons Instant Vanilla Pudding Mix Powder

serves about 10

Wash all fruit well and cut into desired sized pieces.  

Place in large bowl and toss with Dry Pudding Mix.  Make sure you let the Fruit Salad refrigerate at about 12 hours to let all of the fruit juices to create the yummy vanilla dressing!

French Onion Salisbury Steak with Crunchy Cheese Toast

This is a recipe that Tracy got from her sister-in-law Meghan.  Meghan makes it often and it is one of her husband's favorite dishes.  This recipe has been modified slightly, but the original is from Cuisine at Home Magazine.

I took Meghan's recommendation and gave this a try.  I wasn't sure I was going to make the Cheese Toasts, but with a last minute phone call to Meghan she insisted they were necessary to "slop up the goodness" so I made them.  She was right!  Next time I plan to add a couple handfuls of mushrooms because we love them and I think that the flavor of the sauce will mix perfectly with them.

Serves 6

Ingredients:
For the Steak

• 1 1/4 lb Ground Chuck
• 1/2 Tablespoon dried Parsely
• 2 Tablespoons minced Scallions
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 2 Tablespoons of All Purpose Flour

For the Sauce

• 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
• 1 Cup of Sliced Onions
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Tomato Paste
• 2 Cups of Low Sodium Beef Broth
• 1/4 Cup of Dry Red Wine
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon dried Thyme
• A Couple Handfuls of Sliced Mushrooms (optional)

Cheese Toasts

• 6 Slices of French Bread
• 2 Tablespoons Butter (at room temp)
• Garlic Powder
• Paprika
• 1/4 Cup Shredded Swiss Cheese
• 1 Tablespoon Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Combine ground chuck, parsley, scallions, salt, and pepper.  Divide into 6 oval shaped patties about 3/4 inch thick.  (Do as I say not as I do.  After making them I wished they had been smaller.)

Place 2 tablespoons of flour on a plate and dredge each portion in flour.  (make sure to reserve 1 tablespoon of flour).

Heat Oil in a large skillet.  Add patties and brown each side for about 4 minutes.  Remove from pan and set aside.  To the same skillet add the onions and sugar.  Saute about 5 minutes.  

Next add in the minced garlic and tomato paste and cook about 1 minute.  Add remaining tablespoon of flour and cook another minute.

Preheat oven to 400.
Stir in beef broth, wine, salt, and thyme.  Return the meat back to the skillet.  Bring sauce to a boil, reduce hea and simmer (covered) for about 10 minutes.  Serve steaks with sauce ladled over and cheese toasts.

To make cheese toasts
Butter one side of bread with room temp butter.  Sprinkle with garlic powder.  Sprinkle evenly with swiss and parmesan cheeses.  Sprinkle with Paprika.

Bake at 400 for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted and starting to brown.  

This recipe was featured on our 30 Days of Dinners June Menu, Make sure to check out all of the other great recipes on this month's menu!

Garlic Rosemary Potato Wedges

As I have said before, potatoes are a staple side dish at the Lewis House.  This is just one more variation that I can throw together in minutes and it goes well with so many things.  

Ingredients:

• 3 Russet Potatoes
• About a Tablespoon of Fresh Rosemary (or a little less if you don't use fresh)
• 1/2 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• Sea Salt
• Pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Wash potatoes and cut each potato into about 6 wedges.  

Place potatoes in single layer in baking dish and drizzle olive oil over them and then sprinkle with minced garlic.  Add salt, pepper, and rosemary.  Toss with spatula.  Bake for about 30 minutes or until crisp.

Low Carb Italian Chopped Salad

I love Italian sub sandwiches, but I dont really love all the fat and carbs, but you can turn almost any sandwich into a delicious salad? Here's my take on an Italian chopped salad.

For the Dressing:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 tsp. Dijon mustard
• Lots of pepper
• Salt

Put all ingredients in food processor and blend. Chill for 30 minutes.

For the salad:

• Romaine or iceberg lettuce
• Turkey pepperoni, fat free ham and hard salami
• Tomatoes
• Cucumbers
• Red onions
• 2 slices mozzarella cheese
  

Chop up lettuce into small bite size pieces. Chop desired amount of other ingredients and toss all of it lightly in the dressing. Serve immediately!

This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.

HOT and Spicy Chicken Fajita Piles

Fajitas, Tacos, burritos, enchiladas- you name it we LOVE it!  In order to eat these things on a weekly basis, they have to be changed up a little bit.  This alternative eliminates the tortilla shell and just piles the same stuff onto a bed of Cilantro Brown Rice.  The flavor of the chicken is awesome!  The lime and chipotle peppers are a perfect combination.

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• Peppers
• Sliced Mushrooms
• Onion
• Lettuce
• Diced Tomatoes
• Fat Free Sour Cream
• Cilantro Brown Rice

Marinade

• 2 Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce
• 1/4 Teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 3 teaspoons Lime Juice
• 2 Tablespoons water

Combine Marinade ingredients in small food processor until well blended.  Place chicken in zippered storage bag and pour marinade in.  Place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

 Grill chicken breasts until cooked through.

 Removed chicken from grill and thinly slice.

 While chicken is cooking, begin steaming peppers and onions.  They will take the longest.  Add the mushrooms last as they will take just a couple of minutes.

Place Cilantro Brown Rice on plate and pile on the chicken and veggies and top with lettuce, sour cream, tomatoes, salsa, or cheese.


This recipe was featured on the Marvelous May Menu, be sure to check out the rest of the May Menu.