Week 32

Sunday May 16, 2010

Sizzling Chicken Fajitas, Saucepan Bars

This week we were in the mood for Mexican Food--- mmm mmm! We decided to try another Chicken fajita recipe. They are a classic. This marinade turned out really good. Saucepan bars were another recipe from the Lionhouse Entertaining book. I was a slightly skeptical looking at the measurements, but they turned out to be (as Dora the Explorer would say) Delicioso!!!

Laney was Dessert Chef today!

After the butter is melted everything is added to the saucepan, hence the name Saucepan Bars

Laney stopped micro managing and let Isabel be the stir girl while she measured everything out.

She dutifully read the recipe, and consulted me when there was confusion

She was spot on with her measurements

I love to see how their dexterity has developed over the years

Those two sisters worked together very well. It warmed my heart to watch them.

I am so grateful my children appreciate the nutty flavor.  Unfortunately for my mom, my taste for nuts didn't arrive until after I bore children.  Yes, I was that child who had to have some brownies left nut free, along with my brother Greg. Although, I don't think my brother ever got over it--even as an adult. So everytime I dump nuts into a dessert, I am thankful some genes didn't pass to my offspring. Today, those walnuts made the dessert-- mmm mmm!

The Sugar container needed to be refilled with sugar so of course I had 3 enthusiastic volunteers. Their mouths watering at the thought of being so close to that much sugar. I'll never forget the time I found Laney and Jordan behind the couch sticking glue sticks into the sugar container and licking them. How do they come up with this stuff? Back when we had our green couches, the small couch by the piano was the perfect shield to many devious acts of food sneaking. I have found boxes of cereal, both kinds of sugar, crackers, etc....

Anyway back to the sugar scene. 3 kids fighting over filling the conatiner is a recipe for a spill, and so it was. The funny thing was, I found it fairly comical at the time. Yet Isabel a culprit the the spill was the one mad.  Which I then found even more comical, that she was getting mad at me for laughing! Go figure!

Jordan and JJ made the meat marinade so everything could marinate while we were at church.

Jordan always looks to serious when he cooks. I was teasing him about it.

So he flashed me a smile :)

The assorted ingrediants to the marinade

The Veggies were marinated too!

Sizzling Fajitas!

Smoothie time

Jordan's guts fell out of his fajita, so he ate the tortilla seperate at the end.

After unfolding it he held it up and said "look Batman"

--it really did look like the batman symbol.

Sizzling Fajitas

Ingredients:

•1 - 1 1/2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
•2 medium yellow onions sliced into 1/4 inch strips
•1 large red bell pepper sliced into 1/4 inch strips
•2 medium zucchini, sliced into strips

Marinade

•1/2 cup olive oil
•1 tsp. liquid smoke
•2 tbs apple cider vinegar
•1 tsp. honey
•1/4 cup water
•1 tbs. fresh lime juice
•1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
•3 cloves garlic, minced
•1/2 tsp. oregano leaves
•1 tsp. soy sauce

Toppings

•a bowl of sour cream
•guacamole
•salsa
•2 cups shredded mild cheddar cheese
•fajita size flour tortillas

Slice meat into strips. Pour 2/3 marinade on chicken and 1/3 on sliced veggies. Marinate atleast 2 hours.
Fry until veggies are done and serve in tortilla with desired toppings.

Review:
These were my favorite fajitas ever. The marinade had a wonderful flavor. When they were cooked the housed was filled with a delicious aroma.  We made fresh quacamole ....and I am having withdrawls just writing about them. I really enjoyed the zuccini and I would probably put even more veggies in. This will definitely be in the archives of family favorites. Everyone loved them. I asked everyone if they would give thumbs up and all the kids put both hands high above their heads in unison. Yum Yum!

Saucepan Bars

1/2 cup butter

Melt in medium saucepan.

Remove from heat and add:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tbsp. water

1tsp. vanilla

1 egg

Then add:

1 cup flour

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup choc. chips

1 cup coconut

1/2 cup walnuts chopped

Stir until mixed and pour into greased/floured  9x13

(we used a slightly smaller casserole pan I wouldn't do 9x13, I think it would be to thin)

Bake 20-22 min @ 350

Review:

These were a great hit with the fam! I topped them with icecream, but I think they are best with milk! They are a quick and easy bar recipe that remind me of blondies. Though unlike blondie recipes I have tried these don't come out dry, but moist and chewy. We inhaled the pan. These will be great in a time crunch in the future. Thumbs way up!