Don't you love it when you find a recipe that utilizes things that you normally keep on hand and it turns out tasting really good? I ran across a recipe like that recently and it's going into the permanent file. I found this recipe on the Mennonite Girls Can Cook website. It uses cabbage, chicken, onions, and noodles. I used Ramen Noodles since that was what I had on hand. My kids always give me a hard time for changing recipes but I tried to stick pretty close to the original when making this. I cut down the proportions since it was just the two of us and added a dash of sesame oil at the end of the cooking time for a little burst of flavor.

Here's the post with the original recipe. I used one large chicken breast, about 4 cups of cabbage, and two packages of ramen noodles. I cooked the noodles and then added them on top of the other ingredients as the recipe details. It was really good and I will be making this one again.

I'm making good progress on the wedding sewing. I have the flower girl dress and two of the bridesmaids dresses ready for their final fittings and have started in on another of the dresses. Three of the four bridesmaids are from out of town. One girl is local but has just had a new baby so I am doing her dress last.

Nora has been busy trying to tie up some loose ends. The biggest problem seems to be regarding the reception area. It's apparently not large enough for the expected number of guests so she is seeking a creative alternative--perhaps a tent? We would appreciate your prayers. I'm sure it will all work out, but these are busy days.

At work we are just starting to implement a new computer program, so that too is adding some stress. In the end it should be very helpful, but there's quite a distance to go in the meantime.

We recently celebrated DS Mark's birthday. We had a small celebration at our house the day before his actual birthday. This should be a very exciting year for him and Katie as they anticipate the birth of a son in early April. The baby is due the same week as Nora's wedding.

Last night I tried a new recipe that I saw in last Sunday's newspaper. It was really delicious, so I will post the link for you. I had a couple of sweet potatoes that I needed to use so that is the main reason I decided to try it. I did brine the chicken, but I don't really think that that step was necessary. When I make it again I plan to put the chicken in with the vegetables at the beginning of the cooking time and then add the cream and cheese halfway through. We like our chicken very tender and I didn't think 35 mins. was quite long enough. The vegetable mixture was extremely tasty--it would be a great side dish on its own.

Have a blessed weekend!

Becka

Sunday morning Rob made these delicious Sour Cream Cherry Scones that I found on a Land O'Lakes website some time ago. They were delicious and very attractive. Keep this one in mind if you need something different for brunch or for a morning bridal shower, etc.

Sunday for lunch we made Brushchetta Chicken. DD Megan has made this recipe for me for the last two years for my birthday, but we had never made it before. Megan is a scrapbooker and she found this recipe on a site by Becky Higgins who is the author of many books about scrapbooking.She has a section for recipes on her blog. (If you go to the link scroll down the page. It is the second recipe pictured.) It worked well for after church on Sunday. Rob grilled the chicken while I prepared the side dishes.

Here's the recipe for those who can't get to her blog:

GRILLED CHICKEN BRUSCHETTA

Sundried tomato salad dressing
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
4 medium tomatoes, finely chopped (I used less)
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1 small pkg. fresh basil, chopped (I used dried Italian Seasoning)

Marinate chicken in sundried tomato dressing ahead of time. Place large sheet of heavy-duty foil over half of grill grate; preheat grill to medium heat. Grill chicken on uncovered side of grill about 6 minutes. Meanwhile, combine tomatoes, cheese, basil and dressing (as much as you desire; I did about 1/3 cup). Back to the grill - Turn chicken over; place on the foil-covered part of the grill, cooked-side up. Top evenly with tomato mixture. Close lid. Grill an additional 8 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

I pounded the chicken breasts to make sure they were all about the same thickness. The trick in the recipe for grilling the chicken first on the grill grate and then flipping it over onto foil works really well.

I often find recipes on-line and print them out. Unfortunately I sometimes have a hard time locating the recipe when I want to make it. Recently I have come up with a new system that has been working well. After I print out the recipe I place it in a notebook that I have prepared with dividers for different categories of foods. When I try the recipe I note any changes, comments, etc. If I want to prepare it again I copy the recipe onto a recipe card and put it into my recipe file for future reference. (I still have a couple of files of recipe booklets, pages from magazines, etc. that I need to cull through, but this is helping me keep organized with the new recipes I come across.)

Do you try very many recipes that you find on-line? What are some of your favorite recipe websites?

Becka

Good Chicken Breasts
10 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (for each piece of chicken you need a slice of ham and a slice of bacon)
10 slices deli ham
10 slices bacon (I use turkey bacon)
toothpicks
8 oz. sour cream
8 oz. can sliced mushrooms, drained (optional)
1/2 pkg. dry onion soup mix
1 can cream of chicken soup

Trim chicken breast of any fat and skin. Cut in half if they are really large.

Wrap each piece with a slice of the ham and a slice of the bacon. Secure with a toothpick. Place in a large baking pan. This part of the recipe can be done on Saturday night.

Mix together the sour cream, dried onion soup mix, and cream of chicken soup. Before baking top the chicken breasts with the mushrooms and then the soup mixture. Cover the pan with foil. Bake at 250 degrees for 3 1/2 hours. Before serving stir the sauce.

This is good with mashed potatoes or noodles.

If you have any recipes that you have found that work well for Sunday dinner feel free to link or post them here - I'm always glad to have some new ideas.

Becka