The Husband Cooks

So I called The Husband at home this afternoon and he was in the midst of playing in my kitchen, refusing to tell me what he was up to, except that dinner was “taken care of.” Hmmm. The Husband likes pork chops – me, not so much. Because of that, I don’t make them that often, so he took matters into his own hands.

Ran over to a bookstore at lunchtime to scope out their newest cookbooks. I haven’t been there in over a month, and with them getting regular shipments weekly, think of all the new cookbooks I could be missing! A mere fifteen minutes later, I had another 8 to add to my growing collection. Their prices there are good enough that I don’t need much “Should I? Shouldn’t I?” rationalization before adding another one to my basket. Eli and Bella will be happy with one of my purchases. I picked up the Three Dog Bakery Cookbook. It’s actually been on my list for awhile and at $3.99, how could I not snap this one up? So for all the dog owners who visit my site, be prepared for some tasty canine nibbles coming soon (and one I already made tonight!). I also bought Betty Crocker’s Quick and Easy, Betty Crocker’s Baking for Today, Gordon Ramsay’s Just Desserts, Better Homes and Gardens’ Kid Favorites and lastly, Cooking for Harry. Cooking for Harry is not a cookbook, but rather a story involving a family’s love of cooking, and for each other. If you’re interested in this one, I noticed that there are some used copies available on Amazon’s site for just a penny! I also picked up a small gift for a friend, but since she reads my site, I’m remaining mum on that one for now. So, all told, 9 books for about $50. In case you were counting, it’s actually 8 food-related books, and then lastly HGTV’s Landscape Makeovers.

M&Ms just launched the newest candy in their confection line … Mega M&Ms. Aimed at adults, it has new colors all its own (beige, teal, burgundy, etc.) and is 55% bigger. Who can argue with more chocolate? Nicholas is partial to the minis himself, although if he had a choice between chocolate and mint, Tic-Tacs (“tip taps”) and Mentos win hands down. I swear, the kid has the freshest breath of anyone I know in the 3-year-old set. He definitely didn’t get his love of sweets from me … that comes from my Mom. I’m more of a “salty” fiend myself. At least someone in the family got her sweet tooth!

Had a request for the Honey-Mustard Chicken Salad recipe I made last night, so I’ve included that below, with my changes. It comes together really quickly and is light and tasty – perfect for this heatwave-weather we’ve been having. Do try it if you get a chance.

Lastly, Jennifer over at Taste Everything Once had some real kind words to say about my blog and, most especially, Nicholas, in her post today. If you haven’t had a chance to visit her site before, go ahead and check it out. I check in daily – she’s always up to some new, fun project.

Finally, tomorrow is Friday … and I’ve never been so glad to see the end of the week come. It’s been a rough week all around. Tune in tomorrow to see how we wrap it all up.

Honey-Mustard Chicken Salad
(adapted from a Pillsbury recipe)

1 bag (16 oz) coleslaw blend
1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 packages (3 oz. each) chicken ramen noodle soup mix
1 can (11 oz) Green Giant Mexicorn whole kernel corn with red and green peppers, drained
1 cup honey-mustard salad dressing
1 can (11 oz) mandarin orange segments, drained
1/2 cup slivered almond, toasted

In very large bowl, mix coleslaw blend, chicken, onions, noodles (breaking them in bite size pieces) from soup mix and corn. In small bowl, mix dressing and contents of the seasoning packets from the soup mix. Pour dressing over salad and toss to mix. Gently stir in orange segments. Serve, topped with almonds.

Cate’s note: If you’re planning on serving this over more than one day, don’t add the ramen noodles into the salad, but use them for crunchy topping instead. If you add them into the salad, they’ll lose their crunch by the next day.

Fleas Navidad Muffins

Fleas Navidad Muffins
(for DOGS)
Makes 16
2 tablespoons honey
2-3/4 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped peanuts
4 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, mix together honey, water, applesauce, vanilla and egg. In a separate bowl, mix peanuts, flour, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, mixing well. Spoon into a greased muffin tin, filling each cup two-thirds full. Bake for 35 minutes. Store in a sealed container.