Chicken Alfredo Roll-Ups





After a field trip day, usually the last thing a teacher would want to do is experiment with a new recipe, but I've been pumped all week about this recipe.  I mustered up my energy and went to work boiling noodles and making homemade alfredo sauce.  If you would have told me even 6 months ago that I would be spending my Friday night whipping up homemade alfredo sauce I would have laughed right off my chair.  Well folks, it happened and guess what...it was COMPLETELY worth the effort (and pretty easy too!) If you can measure, throw ingredients into a pot and stir you are golden.  Absolutely delicious!  So much cheesy goodness!  Word to the wise-just because it's sugar free doesn't mean it is fat free.  This is not the definition of health, but wow is it good.  Here you go...

Chicken Alfredo Roll Ups

9 lasagna noodles
2 1/2 c. alfredo sauce (it is optional to make this yourself...I've attached the homemade recipe below)
2 c. cooked shredded chicken
2 c. shredded Mozzarella

Preheat oven to 350.  Boil lasagna noodles al dente. Spray an 8x8 pan and pour alfredo sauce in the pan just enough to coat the bottom.  Combine chicken with alfredo sauce and then spoon and spread onto lasagna noodle.  Sprinkle with mozzarella and roll.  Roll carefully.  I do about three rolls per noodle.  Then place seam side down into pan.  Continue until all noodles have been filled and rolled.  Pour remaining alfredo sauce on the top of the roll ups.  Top with remaining cheese.  Bake for 30 minutes. 


Homemade Alfredo Sauce

1/2 c. butter
2 c. heavy cream
2 oz. cream cheese
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 c. parmesan cheese

Melt butter over medium heat in sauce pan.  Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.  Add cream cheese and heavy cream.  Wisk until smooth.  Add garlic powder, oregano, salt, pepper, and parmesan cheese.  Wisk frequently and simmer for 15 minutes to thicken. (This is nice because while this is simmering, you can start the water boiling for your noodles.)

Tomorrow is my saliva test!  Woot woot!  Who wouldn't be excited about collecting 4 vials of your own spit through out the day???  Awesome blossom!  Nah, it's really not going to be too bad.  I don't have to do it on a school day but I won't lie, spit grosses me out.  I don't know why, but it always has.  At least the test doesn't involve needles or blood so I am extremely thankful.  This is painless and I am very thankful that I am able to get this test.  I pray that the results will be able to uncover more of the mystery as to why I get so many migraines.   

Bathroom rediscovered

Since last fall, we have been slowly working on the bathroom.  When I say "we" I am mainly referring to Tom and his dad.  Thank goodness for Tom's dad.  He has helped us out with lots of projects!  So here's what's been done so far...When Tom moved in he found some lovely soggy carpet in there so he and his dad ripped out the carpet and replaced it with vinyl flooring.  Then he replaced the toilet and the sink faucet.  The first thing to go when I moved in was the gold sliding doors attached to the tub.  Once again Tom and his dad ripped out the doors, recaulked and patched up.  Then they installed the new curved curtain rod with a brand new shower curtain!  HUGE improvement!  We got beautiful new towels and rugs for wedding gifts so that completed the look.  The next step was to change the walls.  Oh the walls.  Textured wall board with tiny pink and green flowers on a yellow/white background just doesn't match our personalities.  Thankfully, Sherwin Williams 40% off sale saves the day with some good primer and gray paint.  Finish off with replacing the wooden towel racks...why would one make a towel rod made of wood?  Towels=wet=wet wood=rot.  Gross.  It's all taken care of now though.  Here's the finished product.  The bathroom is one of my favorite rooms in the house now.  It's come a long way from the carpeted, wall boarded, gold sliding doored room we used to know.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

Before I tell you about what's been heating up the kitchen, I will give you a migraine update.  If you are just interested in the food it won't hurt my feelings.  Go ahead and scroll down for the good stuff.  Anyway, for those of you interested, I have had 5 migraines so far in April.  One yesterday and one again today.  Yesterday was hard.  I was being stubborn and didn't want to take my medicine because in my mind it's only a migraine if it's bad enough that I have to break down and take my meds.  Well, I felt it coming on Friday.  Then I took some Advil, which slowed it down.  Felt it Saturday and then went to a friend's birthday party.  Later in the evening I started to feel dizzy, shakey and couldn't concentrate.  My head was starting to do its migraine thing and my body was sending me plenty of warning signs that I need to get home pronto.  So we went home and I was still stubborn and thought I could sleep it off...as if that has ever worked.  Well, I woke up to the mother of all migraines Sunday morning.  Missed church and felt worthless all day.  Lesson learned: TAKE YOUR MEDS!!!  So today on my way home from school I started to feel a migraine coming on again.  So I pulled into a parking lot and took my meds.  Migraine was gone within 1.5 hours.  Ta da!  God has provided relief from these migraines and I need to appreciate it and get past my stubborn streak and use what God has given me for as long as I can.

Jan. 4
Feb. 4
Mar. 12
Apr. 5 (to date)

On average, still way better than 8-10 a month!  I must be doing something right!
Bonus: Weight lost 19.5 lbs.  Inches lost 20.5 in.

I've been on a Mexican food kick lately.  I feel like I'm missing out on lots of yummy and delicious things (it is worth it though to have less migraines) that I need to add some flavor to whatever I do eat.  These were really good and really easy.  One pan. Done.  I would suggest using flour tortillas, but since every flour tortilla I've found contains something I can't have, I used corn tortillas for my quesadilla.
This is a pic of Tom's meal.

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas

Ingredients

·         1/2 pound chicken breast, cut into thin slices

·         1 tablespoon olive oil

·         1 lime, juice and zest

·         1/2 tablespoon chili powder

·         1 teaspoon cumin

·         1/2 teaspoon oregano

·         1 clove garlic, chopped

·         1 tablespoon oil

·         1 onion, sliced

·         1/2 green bell pepper, sliced

·         1/2 red bell pepper, sliced

      2 tsp butter

·         4 large (10 inch) tortillas

·         2 cups jack and cheddar, shredded  

Cut up your raw chicken into small pieces.  Heat olive oil in skillet, then add chicken, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and lime juice.  Cook together until chicken is no longer pink.  Add onion, garlic, and peppers.  Saute for about 5 minutes until onions are translucent.  Put chicken, spice, and veggie mix into a seperate bowl.  Melt 1/2 tsp butter in skillet you just used.  Stir tortilla around in butter and then sprinkle cheese on half of tortilla, then add chicken mixture.  Fold other half over and cook 2 min each side.  Use 1/2 tsp butter to brown each tortilla.  Top with sour cream, salsa, or quacamole!

Mexican Chili...hot hot hot!!

Tonight I put together a new recipe inspired by a recipe I found the other day. 

It was really hearty and spicy. 

Mexican Chili

1 lb ground turkey
3 c. chicken stock
28 oz can diced tomatoes
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayanne pepper
4 garlic cloves
2 c. frozen corn
3 jalepenos
1 green pepper
1 onion
1 can black beans (rinsed and drained)
1 small can tomato paste
8 oz. pepper jack cheese

Combine chicken stock, raw ground turkey, cumin, chili powder and cayanne pepper into dutch oven on stove top.  Simmer chicken stock, spices and ground turkey until turkey is browned.  Meanwhile, chop garlic, jalepenos, green pepper and onion then add to pot.  Add diced tomatoes.  Simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Add corn, black beans and tomato paste. Simmer 5 more minutes and then shred pepper jack cheese into pot.  When cheese is melted it is ready to serve!  Top with cheese, sour cream or cilantro.  Side with tortilla chips and dip into chili!

The Great Migraine Update:

January: 4
February: 4
March: 12 (This was the month when I found out about my nut intolerance.) 
April: 3

Now the only things I have cut out of my diet are refined sugars, nitrates, nitrites, MSG, any other preservatives and alcohol (except wine).  The triggers are getting narrowed down!  YES!!

This weekend I went to my cousin's wedding and I had no idea what contained sugar so I passed on the chex mix, chocolates, cake and rolls.  I had chicken, green beans, cheesy potatoes, salad, cheese and my first glass of wine of the year!  It has been over 48 hours and no migraine yet so wine must not be a trigger.

Cheesy Stuffed Pretzels, Rolo Cookies & a Smoked Sausage Bake

Happy Saturday!  It's been an afternoon of kitchen appliance craziness at our house.  First I used my Kitchen Aid mixer to make up some dough for Rolo Stuffed Cookies to take to Easter and to feed my husband.  He claimed he needed all 4 dozen, but finally agreed to share and bring some to Easter lunch tomorrow...hehe ;)  I've shared this recipe before and let me tell you this is some crazy thick dough and it was a lot easier this time using the Kitchen Aid mixer instead of arm muscle.  Here's the recipe again in case you missed it last time.

Then Tom unpacked and assembled my Cuisinart Food Processor for me (b-day present from my mom...yes!!!!!) so I could make Cheesy Stuffed Pretzels.  This was my first best shot at using yeast and my first time using the food processor so I was a bit nervous.  It took me only 3 tries to mix the yeast with the water.  I know what you are thinking...Laura you are mixing two ingredients.  How can you possibly mess this up??  Well, I cut the recipe in half, and cut the amount of yeast in half, but failed to cut the amount of water in half.  So I waited the ten minutes for it to get "frothy" and then looked at my recipe again suddenly remembering I didn't halve the water.  Dump and start again.  This time I forgot to warm the water before putting the yeast in.  Dump and try again.  Third time's a charm because I successfully measured the correct amount of water, warmed said water and added in the appropriate amount of yeast!  Success!!  Then I found out that I definitely need a big cutting/rolling board surface.  I tried to roll out the dough using wax paper as a base, but it moved with the dough and the dough got sticky and ripped the wax paper.  Next, it was time to twist the dough into a pretzel shape.  Mind went completely blank.  WHAT DOES A PRETZEL LOOK LIKE AGAIN??  Thankfully, my husband frequented Auntie Anne's a lot during his long hours working at the mall so he worked the dough into very impressive pretzel shapes.  Go Tom!  So the pretzels turned out beautifully and the food processor was a snap to use.  If I hadn't messed up with the yeast and had been able to think about the shape of a pretzel it would have been a really simple recipe.  They taste more like cheese sticks (think Godfather's Pizza cheese sticks) than pretzels, but regardless, they are GOOD! Oh and I put about 1/4 of the sugar it called for and I halved this recipe when I actually made it. 

Cheese Stuffed Everything Pretzels
Adapted from Guy Fieri, via the Food Network

Yields: 12 pretzels

Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (approx. 110 degrees)
2 packets active dry yeast
4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp sea salt
1 T sugar
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg
3 cups shredded colby jack cheese

Toppings:
1 egg
2 T milk
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp minced onion
1 tsp sea salt

In a large measuring cup, heat water and sprinkle yeast over the water.  Stir to combine and let sit for about 10 minutes until frothy.  Meanwhile, in a food processor fitted with a dough blade, combine all dry ingredients and pulse to combine.  Add egg and yeast mixture and pulse in short bursts until the dough comes together.  Do not over mix, you just want the dough to come together.  Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a few times with your hands.  If dough feels sticky, add a little more flour.  Form the dough into a ball and cut in half.

Roll out 1/2 of the dough into a large rectangle, approximately 12"x17", sprinkle about 3/4 cup of the colby jack cheese down the center 1/3 of the dough.  Fold one edge over the cheese, sprinkle with another 3/4 cup cheese, and fold over the remaining 1/3.  Pinch the edges of the dough to seal the cheese inside.  Roll out the dough again into a rectangle about 11"x15".  Cut the dough into six strips approximately 1 1/2" wide.  Roll each strip into a tube and form into a pretzel shape by looping and crossing the ends over each other, then tuck back onto the loop and pinch to seal.  Transfer to a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Repeat with remaining half of dough. 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  In a small bowl, combine remaining egg and milk.  Whisk to combine and set aside.  In another small bowl, combine garlic, onion, and salt.  Brush the pretzels liberally with the egg wash, then sprinkle with spice mixture.  Bake 18-20 minutes until light golden brown.  Transfer pretzels to a wire rack to cool.

Last night I tried out another new recipe called Smoked Sausage Rotini Bake.  Cheesy goodness was all over this too.  Love my cheese.  Don't worry, easy recipe for all of my "I can eat whatever kind of sausage I want" friends.  It was definitely a challenge to find sausage that did not contain nitrates, nitrites, MSG, sugar or high fructose corn syrup, but I'm always up for a challenge!!  Thank the Lord for HyVee.  I love that store.  The employees are always super friendly and you can always find some poor high school kid stocking shelves to help you find some random item. :)  And they give you 10 cents off your bill when you bring in your own grocery bags.  Anyway, after scouring all of the ingredient lists in the sausages in the fresh meat section and frozen food section, I ventured over to the healthy food section.  I finally found smoked chicken sausage in the frozen health food aisle.  YAY!  Delicious, relatively healthy comfort food in the same dish.  Oh and I used that new cheese by Kraft that has a "Touch of Philadelphia" in it and boy was it tasty!  (On sale for $1.48 per 8 oz. bag at HyVee by the way.)  Here's the recipe.

Smoked Sausage Rotini Bake

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked dried rotini pasta
• 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package cooked smoked turkey sausage, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 (14- to 15-oune) jar pizza sauce
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 Tbsp melted butter 
• 4 ounces (1 cup) Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (Iused Touch of Philadelphia cheese)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Cook pasta according to package directions using the minimum amount of time.  Drain; set aside.

Combine all ingredients except cheese in greased 8.5 x 11 casserole dish.  Bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Continue baking, uncovered, for 10 minutes or until mixture is heated through and cheese is melted.

Stuffed Chicken with Pink Poppy Blooms

It's gorgeous out!  What an amazing week for a break!  I have been keeping busy crocheting, reading, enjoying the outdoors, working in the yard, planting seeds, pilates, yoga, hiking, biking , shopping, and cooking some new recipes.  Last night we had my mom over for dinner and I combined two recipes I found online.  They both involve stuffing chicken with cheese and goodies.  You can't go wrong with that.  Because my hubby is a meat lover, I stuffed his chicken with pepperoni and swiss.  My mom and I love broccoli so I stuffed ours with swiss and broccoli.  You could get creative here and pretty much stuff these guys with any meat, veggie or cheese you want.



This is the broccoli and swiss one.  It's not the greatest picture, but you get the general idea.

 Here's what I did:

Laura's Stuffed Chicken Goodness

3 chicken breasts (cut each into 3 pieces and pound into thin cutlets)
1 egg
2 tsp water
1/2 c. bread crumbs ( I used Panko)
1 Tbsp oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the egg and water together in a small bowl.  Mix bread crumbs and spices in another small bowl.  Place 1/2 slice of cheese and 3 pepperoni slices or 4 small broccoli cuts on each cutlet.  Roll up and secure with toothpicks.  Dip your stuffed cutlets into the egg wash one at a time and then roll in crumb/spice mixture.  Transfer onto sprayed baking sheet.  When finished dipping all cutlets, bake for 25-30 minutes.

Today I decided to bust out the paints.  I have been seeing a lot of flowers popping out of the ground in our backyard and poppies are a popular flower in paintings so I created my own version.  I used my red acrylic paint for the blooms, but I was too impatient to let the white background dry completely, so the petals have a pink stain to them.  I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it yet.  Does anybody have a room it would match?  Maybe a little girl's room?  Let me know if you are interested or know someone who might be.

Migraine Update!

January :4
February: 4
March: 12
April: 0

I haven't reintroduced anything this month since March was completely out of hand.  It's interesting that I haven't had a migraine since I've been on Spring Break.  Hmmm....possibly stress related??  Just might be.  No matter what the reason, I'm thankful.

So to recap...here's what I've changed about my eating since the beginning of 2012...

No sugars (nothing that ends with an "ose" ) or sweeteners unless it's in fruits or honey. 
No nuts. (I think I have a food intolerance to them).
No nitrites or nitrates (found in deli meats, bacon, sausage).
No MSG.
Red meats sparingly (1 to 2 times/month).
Preservatives sparingly (trying for less than 5 ingredients in foods).
No alcohol.

I'm getting a saliva test at the beginning of May, which is supposed to test my hormone and cortisol levels.  It's not covered by insurance, but I think it will be worth it to know if hormones are an issue.  We'll see!!

Happy Easter ya'll.  Enjoy the bunnies, eggs and family dinners, but remember the real reason we celebrate.  Jesus is risen and has paid the penalty for our sins so we could have a relationship with God and spend eternity with Him.  Praise God for this amazing thing he did for all humanity.