Stuff and Other Stuff!
One of the world's most beautiful voices is silenced to the ears of those on earth. Luciano Pavarotti passed away.
When I think of opera, I think of a lovely lady that grew up in in NYC. She, like Mr. Pavarotti, is no longer among the living. I have fond memories of her stories of the Met and other places in her hometown. She preferred to be called Gene, short for Genevieve. That was her middle name, she apparently wasn't fond of her given name, Lillian.
Another passing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/08/books/07cnd-lengle.html?ex=1346904000&en=332247bcc295cc00&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss
Madeleine L’Engle, who in writing more than 60 books, including childhood fables, religious meditations and science fiction, weaved emotional tapestries transcending genre and generation, died Thursday in Connecticut. She was 88.
She was best known as the author of the series that began with the book, "A Wrinkle in Time."
Current audio book is "It Takes a Village, Tenth Anniversary Edition" by Hillary Rodham Clinton.
I finished the white yarned areas on my project, added the gold thread and added the corner pearls. Still need to add the bells, flowers, put a backing on it, and add the sleeve.
Recipes behind the cut.
Grilled Spicy Chicken Sandwiches
Prep Time: 30 min ; Start to Finish: 30 min
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Grill up a chicken breast sandwich with a secret-ingredient, sweet-hot sauce.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 slices (1 oz each) Havarti or Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup peach preserves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
8 Pillsbury® Oven Baked frozen crusty French dinner rolls
Lettuce leaves, if desired
1 . Bake dinner rolls as directed on package. Heat gas or charcoal grill. To flatten each chicken breast, place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Working from center, gently pound chicken with flat side of meat mallet or rolling pin until about 1/2 inch thick. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
2 . When grill is heated, place chicken on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill over medium coals; cover grill. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is clear when center of thickest part is cut (170°F). Slice each chicken breast in half crosswise. Slice each piece of cheese in half; top each chicken breast piece with slice of cheese; cook 1 minute longer or until cheese is melted.
3 . In small bowl, mix peach preserves and pepper flakes. Slice rolls; place chicken on bottom halves of rolls. Top each with 1 tablespoon preserves mixture. Cover with top halves of rolls.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): Cook chicken on gas grill over medium-low heat or on charcoal grill over medium-low coals. Continue as directed above.
To add creaminess to this tasty sandwich, spread bottom half of each roll with 1 tablespoon mayonnaise before topping with chicken. Add a crunch with fresh lettuce leaves.
Crescent Dogs
Prep Time: 10 min ; Start to Finish: 25 min
Makes: 8 sandwiches
Crescent rolls update the popular "pig-in-blanket" concept, along with a yummy surprise: melted cheese in each frank.
8 hot dogs
4 slices (3/4 oz each) American cheese, each cut into 6 strips
1 can (8 oz) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 . Heat oven to 375°F. Slit hot dogs to within 1/2 inch of ends; insert 3 strips of cheese into each slit.
2 . Separate dough into triangles. Wrap dough triangle around each hot dog. Place on ungreased cookie sheet, cheese side up.
3 . Bake at 375°F. for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Substitution: If using Pillsbury® Big & Flaky large refrigerated crescent dinner rolls, use large hot dogs and bake at 350°F. for 16 to 20 minutes.
Oven-Fried Ranch Chicken
Prep Time: 10 min ; Start to Finish: 1 hr 50 min
Makes: 4 servings
Classic oven-fried chicken gets a kick from ranch dressing in a super-simple, decidedly delicious recipe.
Chicken
2 cups buttermilk
1 twin-package (2 oz total) ranch dressing mix
3 1/2 lb cut-up whole chicken
Cooking spray
Breading
1 pouch (6.5 oz) cornbread & muffin mix
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 . In large resealable food-storage plastic bag, mix buttermilk, dressing mix and chicken. Seal bag; turn bag several times to coat chicken. Refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2 . Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 15x10x1-inch pan with cooking spray. In shallow dish, mix breading ingredients. Remove chicken pieces one at a time from buttermilk mixture. Dip chicken in breading, turning to coat completely; shake off excess. Place chicken, bone side down, in pan. Lightly spray top of chicken with cooking spray.
3 . Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until juice of chicken is clear when thickest piece is cut to bone (170°F for breasts; 180°F for thighs and legs).
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change.
If you don't have buttermilk on hand, pour 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice into a 2-cup measuring cup and add enough regular milk to measure 2 cups. Stir, then let stand 5 minutes.Italian Zucchini Crescent Pie
Prep Time: 30 min ; Start to Finish: 55 min
Makes: 6 servings
Whether you have a bounty of zucchini from your garden or you pick up a few from the supermarket, this savory pie is a winner!
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup chopped onions
2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
2 eggs, well beaten
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded Muenster or mozzarella cheese
1 (8-oz.) can Pillsbury® Refrigerated Crescent Dinner Rolls
2 teaspoons prepared mustard
1 . Heat oven to 375°F. Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini and onions; cook 6 to 8 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in parsley flakes, salt, pepper, garlic powder, basil and oregano.
2 . In large bowl, combine eggs and cheese; mix well. Add cooked vegetable mixture; stir gently to mix.
3 . Separate dough into 8 triangles. Place in ungreased 10-inch pie pan, 12x8-inch (2-quart) glass baking dish or 11-inch quiche pan; press over bottom and up sides to form crust. Firmly press perforations to seal. Spread crust with mustard. Pour egg mixture evenly into crust-lined pan.
4 . Bake at 375°F. for 18 to 22 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary, cover edge of crust with strips of foil during last 10 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft) Bake at 375°F. for 30 to 35 minutes, covering edge of crust with foil after first 15 minutes of baking. Cookie Ice Cream-a-Rounds
Prep Time: 1 hr ; Start to Finish: 4 hr 10 min
Makes: 9 sandwiches
Pretty! Pretty easy, that is, with different flavors of ice cream stacked between Pillsbury® cookies.
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips or candy sprinkles
2 1/4 cups any flavor ice cream, slightly softened
1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Shape cookie dough into 18 balls On ungreased cookie sheet, place balls 3 inches apart.
2 . Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 15 minutes.
3 . Cut nine 12x9-inch sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper. Place chocolate chips in small shallow bowl.
4 . For each sandwich, spoon about 1/4 cup ice cream onto bottom of 1 cookie. Top with second cookie, bottom side down; press together gently. Roll outer edge of ice cream in chocolate chips. Quickly wrap each sandwich in plastic wrap. Freeze 3 hours or until firm. For longer storage, place wrapped sandwiches in resealable freezer plastic bag. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change. Fudgy Ice Cream Sandwiches
Prep Time: 15 min ; Start to Finish: 2 hr
Makes: 12 sandwiches
Cookies made from refrigerated dough team up with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce for awesome homemade ice cream sandwiches.
1 roll (16.5 oz) Pillsbury® Create 'n Bake® refrigerated chocolate chip cookies
1/2 cup hot fudge topping
1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream, softened
1 . Heat oven to 350°F. Line two 8-inch square pans with foil. In each pan, place half of cookie dough; press evenly in bottoms. Bake 14 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans completely, about 20 minutes. Press edges flat.
2 . Remove cookies from pans by lifting foil. Invert cookies onto work surface; remove foil. Spread each cookie with fudge topping. (If topping is too firm to spread evenly, warm slightly to soften as directed on label.)
3 . Return foil to 1 pan; place 1 cookie in pan, fudge side up. Spread ice cream evenly over fudge topping. Top with remaining cookie, fudge side down. Place pan in freezer for at least 1 hour or until firm.
4 . Remove cookie sandwich from pan by lifting foil; remove foil. Cut into 12 sandwiches. Wrap each in foil. Store in freezer. Let stand at room temperature 5 minutes before unwrapping.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):Break up cookie dough in a bowl. Knead or stir 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour into cookie dough before pressing into bottom of pan. Breakfast Biscuit Sandwiches
Prep Time: 10 min ; Start to Finish: 10 min
Makes: 4 sandwiches
Short on time? It takes just 10 minutes to make this on-the-go hot breakfast, thanks to Pillsbury® Microwave buttermilk biscuits.
2 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
4 Pillsbury® Microwave frozen buttermilk biscuits (from 16-oz bag)
4 slices packaged precooked bacon, cut in half crosswise
1 . Spray 9-inch glass pie plate with cooking spray. In small bowl, mix eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour into pie plate.
2 . Microwave uncovered on High about 1 minute 30 seconds, lifting edge with spatula to let egg mixture run underneath every 30 seconds, until set. Fold in half; if still wet, microwave 30 seconds longer. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with plastic wrap.
3 . Microwave biscuits and bacon as directed.
4 . Split warm biscuits horizontally; place on 4 individual serving plates. Cut eggs into 4 wedges. Place eggs and bacon on bottom halves of biscuits. Cover with top halves of biscuits.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change.
Use fully cooked sausage patties or a slice of ham in place of the bacon.Garden Variety Omelet
Prep Time: 25 min ; Start to Finish: 25 min
Makes: 2 servings
Counting calories? A hearty breakfast for two filled with veggies weighs in at just 120 calories per serving. Simply delicious!
Filling
1/4 cup sliced (1/4-inch-thick) zucchini
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper (1/4 medium)
1/4 cup chopped yellow or green bell pepper (1/4 medium)
1/4 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
Omelet
1 carton (8 oz) fat-free egg product (1 cup) or 4 eggs
1 tablespoon fat-free (skim) milk
Toppings
1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Swiss cheese (1 oz)
1 small plum (Roma) tomato, sliced
1 . Cut zucchini slices into quarters. Heat 10- or 8-inch nonstick skillet with sloping sides (omelet pan) over medium heat. Add zucchini and remaining filling ingredients; cook 4 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Remove cooked vegetables from skillet; place on plate and cover to keep warm. Cool skillet 1 minute; wipe clean with paper towel.
2 . In small bowl, mix egg product and milk. Heat same skillet over medium heat. Pour egg mixture into skillet; cook 4 to 5 minutes without stirring but lifting edges occasionally to allow uncooked egg mixture to flow to bottom of skillet, until mixture is set but top is still moist.
3 . Spoon cooked vegetables onto half of omelet; sprinkle with cheese. With wide spatula, loosen edge of omelet and fold over vegetables. Arrange tomato slices on top of omelet.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change.
This is a great way to get your vegetables at breakfast! Red, yellow and green bell peppers are high in vitamin C, and all the vegetables provide fiber.Chocolate-Almond Ice Cream Pie
Makes: 8 servings Nutrition Information
Just four ingredients fill an easy Pillsbury® unroll-and-bake pie crust in a rich, chocolaty frozen dessert.
3 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
3/4 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1 Pillsbury® refrigerated pie crust (from 15-oz box), softened as directed on box
1 quart (4 cups) chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
1 . Heat oven to 400°F. In small bowl, mix melted butter, almonds and sugar. Spoon 1/3 of mixture into shallow baking pan; spread evenly. Bake 5 to 7 minutes, stirring once, until toasted. Set aside to cool, stirring once.
2 . Meanwhile, place pie crust in ungreased 9-inch glass pie plate; press crust firmly against side and bottom. Fold excess crust under and press together to form thick crust edge; flute. DO NOT PRICK CRUST. Spoon remaining 2/3 of almond mixture into bottom and up side of crust; press against crust.
3 . Bake 12 to 14 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
4 . Spoon ice cream into cooled baked crust. Sprinkle cooled almond mixture over ice cream. Freeze uncovered until firm, about 4 hours. Let pie stand at room temperature 10 minutes before cutting. Pie can be stored in freezer up to 1 week.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft):No change.
Substitute your favorite flavor ice cream or a different type of nut. Caramel ice cream and cashews are a tasty combo.