Curried Chicken Salad Wraps

I find myself cooking on a deadline quite often. When life in general is busy, sometimes it seems almost more of a hassle to join a pot luck or invite company over because, lets face it, who has time to slave in the kitchen for hours? This recipe is perfect for get-togethers because it takes little effort to create big flavor. I personally prefer this curry chicken salad to any I've tried from a restaurant, and it's frequently requested by my Mom when I invite her over for lunch.

For folks with gluten sensitivity, the actual chicken salad is gluten-free. Simply serve on a bed of lettuce, in a lettuce wrap, or in one of the tasty gluten free tortilla options available.

INGREDIENTS:

2 pre-cooked chicken breasts, chilled and diced

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 green onion, chopped

1/2 C chopped red grapes OR tiny red champagne grapes

3/4 to 1 C mayonnaise,  

1 T yellow curry powder

salt & pepper to taste

3 leaves romaine lettuce, rinsed and shredded

6 lg burrito sized flour tortillas

I usually put a couple chicken breasts in the oven the night before. I sprinkle with a little Johnny's Seasoned Salt and bake at 350 degrees for aprox 35 - 45 minutes or until juice runs clear and is no longer pink. When cooked through, I wrap breasts in aluminum foil and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

Dice the chicken in small cubes as seen in photo above. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Our family really likes grapes so sometime we put a little more than 1/2 of a cup in the mixture. We also frequent our farmer's market and substitute tiny red champagne grapes when they're available. 

The crispness of romaine lettuce is the perfect compliment to this salad, so I shred two leaves and set them aside in a bowl.

Place a some of the curry chicken salad mixture in a strip down the center of a tortilla, leaving the ends available for folding.

Place some of the crispy romaine strips over the chicken mixture.

I simply fold the tortilla, one side first, bottom second, and the other side last, leaving the other end open.

A voila', you have an amazingly flavorful curry chicken salad wrap to wow your friends and family with. Now you'll be volunteering to bring this curry chicken salad to every get together you're invited to. And why stop there? I often slip this into lunchboxes or the picnic basket for our sunny afternoons at the park.

Enjoy! -- Jenn

Apricot Glazed Turkey Breast

This is a recipe I've adapted from a recipe given to me by a friend in Alaska. Originally she used an entire packet french onion soup mix, and a can of cranberry sauce with whole berries in it. She would simply mix those two items together and pour over a turkey breast in the crock pot, cooking on low for 3-4 hrs. That recipe is good too, but the sauce mixture seemed to overpower the flavor of the turkey to me. She was excited about sharing a recipe that her family loved and was extremely simple to make. I get that, but it just wasn't to our family's taste. The good thing is I did get this idea from it. I did mine in the oven this time due to the fact that my crock-pot is now in appliance heaven and I haven't replaced it yet. (RIP little black crock, we had a good run!) Normally I would cook this in the crock pot, but I like the versatility of this amazingly simple recipe.

This dish is extremely time efficient and only uses 3 ingredients. One pre-cooked turkey breast (approx 3-4 pounds), one packet onion soup mix, and one small jar apricot jam. Apricots are fresh and plenty here in the Northwest and we preserve our own jams & jellies each summer, that's what I used here. You can use your favorite apricot jam from your local grocer.

I like onion soup mix, but it can be pretty overpowering when using it while combining flavors. So for this recipe, I only use half of the packet onion soup mix and half of the jar of apricot jam. Place onion soup mix and apricot jam in a small bowl and stir until well blended.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place turkey breast and 1/2 C water in baking dish. Glaze turkey breast with apricot/onion soup mixture. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for one hour following label directions on the turkey. 

When it's done baking, let sit for 5 minutes for juices to settle before slicing. The house smells wonderful and the turkey is so juicy with the perfect blend of flavors. We usually serve this with some baked sweet potatoes and some sort of steamed vegetable, such as green beans. 

The juice actually makes a really good gravy that brings the sweet potatoes to a whole new level. Simply use approx 1C of the turkey's juices,  2T cornstarch, and 1/2 C milk; mix continually using whisk while mixture simmers until thickened. It will be sweeter than the traditional turkey gravy, but it's a perfect compliment to the turkey meat and sweet potatoes, if you choose to have them as a side dish. 

Happy Feasting -- Jenn

The Bavarian Village - Leavenworth WA

Willkommen

Welcome to one of our family's favorite vacation spots. Nestled among apple orchards on the eastern base of the Cascade Mountains in Washington state, is a magical little village called Leavenworth. Known as the Bavarian Village, the Christmas Village, and the Little German Town, it's the perfect place to feel like you're on an expensive European vacation right here in the Northwest.

A view of Front Street, Leavenworth, WA.

The air smells of a luscious blend of pine covered mountains, sausages with sauerkraut, and fresh baked gingerbread. In this village you are likely to see lederhosen, beer steins, horse drawn carriages, and during the holiday season Father Christmas strolls the streets with his woodland elves. (Yes I said elves!)

A Bavarian building with painted murals of local wildlife.

It's a magical place for kids and adults alike. Spring is celebrated with a parade and costumed Bavarian dancers lace ribbons around a May Day Pole erected in the center of town. Summer brings hundreds of hanging flower baskets and window boxes overflowing with showy blooms showcasing Bavarian architectural details on the buildings. World class golf, inner tubing a lazy river, eating homemade goodies at umbrella shaded tables, shopping for art in the park, wine tastings, or drinking local micro-brews from ice cold beer steins are among some of the fun activities you can do in the Summer here. 

The entire town of Leavenworth has Bavarian architecture.

In Autumn while the town celebrates the Autumn Leaf Festival and people literally dance in the streets for Oktoberfest, the surrounding hills become a vibrant mix of red, orange and gold. It's one of the best times of the year to join a local wine tasting tour. Not only can you hire a car & driver to take you on a tour of the best valley views, but it's harvest time, and many of the local wineries feature specialty farm-to-table dinners created by local chefs. 

Flower baskets in front of Kris Kringl, a shop dedicated to all things Christmas.

In the Winter people from far and wide travel to this snowy wonderland to watch the Tree Lighting Ceremony. The entire town sparkles with Christmas lights. Leavenworth's streets becomes a place where Father Christmas and his elves greet visitors, street vendors sell hot cider, roasted nuts, fresh kettle corn, handmade wooden toys, and ornaments, and fire barrels are warm gathering spots for those enjoying the holiday atmosphere. The sloped lawn in the center of town, now blanketed with snow, becomes a sledding hill for kids of all ages, and many families take advantage of the well groomed cross country skiing trails that run through town or the nearby ski resorts. 

The sign for the Gingerbread Factory.

Our family has had a long love affair with the little town of Leavenworth. It's the backdrop for many happy memories; hot summer days floating the lazy river, watching salmon jump the fish ladder at the Icicle River Dam, picking out apples at roadside farm stands for fresh apple cider with my grandparents, autumn leaves falling in the park while my cousins and I did the chicken dance to accordion music during Oktoberfest, making gingerbread houses at the Gingerbread Factory, gathering perfect pine cones in the surrounding mountains, and my favorite memory; sledding at night. While sledding with my cousins on the town sledding hill, the Christmas lights set the snow aglow while big snowflakes fell. It made me feel like I was in a life-sized snow globe. After thoroughly freezing ourselves sledding for hours, my family and I would gather around a  fire barrel sipping on hot apple cider or hot cocoa. 

One of the things I like the best about Leavenworth is that it's a place where people go to be happy and every day is a celebration. That's how life really should be. I hope you have the opportunity to make some memories in this unique little town. Below I've attached links to some of our favorite spots as well as the City of Leavenworth and visitors borough help you plan your vacation in the Christmas Village.

The Gingerbread Factory

Kris Kringl - The Christmas Shop
The Gingerbread Factory
The Wood Shop & Hat Shop
The Leavenworth Taffy Shop
A Book For All Seasons
The Cheesemonger's Shop
The Soup Cellar
The Baren Haus Restaurant
Cafe Verona

The City of Leavenworth Official Site
Visit Leavenworth Site

BBQ Chicken Chop Salad

Trying to eat healthy can be a challenge for someone who grew up believing a meal consisted of some version of meat, potatoes, bread and cheese. It shocks me that I could go an entire day without eating one fresh fruit or vegetable. That being said, I have never considered sitting down to a green salad a viable meal. I always felt unsatisfied or hungry too soon after eating. This was becoming a big problem. I want to teach the kids what healthy is from a young age so they don't struggle with weight and other health issues that accompany an unhealthy diet. How could I teach them if I couldn't follow through with healthy eating myself? I'm a firm believer in leading by example, so I had to figure out a way to make salads heartier and more filling without compromising the nutrient value. 

How did I do that? Well....truth be told, I went out to eat. I started to pay attention to the ingredients in the restaurant salads I loved and noticed there's a big difference between a "green salad" and what I call a "meal salad". A green salad is a simple salad consisting of some form of lettuce, maybe a bit of onion, celery, cucumber or tomato, topped off with a crouton and whatever dressing suits your mood. A meal salad usually has some meat, beans, nuts, cheese, or pasta added to the basic green salad make it more substantial. The little light bulb in my head went off, and I got creative in the kitchen!

This BBQ Chicken salad is a winning result of that kitchen creativity. 

For this salad I used some leftover grilled chicken breasts coated in BBQ sauce from a gathering with friends the night before. In the past I have made this by simply baking two chicken breasts in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until cooked through, and coating them with our favorite low sugar bottled BBQ sauce.

• Take two heads crisp romaine lettuce, rinse and dry with paper towels; chop into bite sized pieces and put into large salad bowl. 
• Chop two green onion, one celery stick, half a cucumber (peeled), and half of a sweet red or orange pepper; add to chopped romaine lettuce; gently toss.
• Cut chilled BBQ chicken breasts into cubes and add to salad mixture.
• Add 1/4 cup diced or shredded cheddar cheese.
• Cut approximately 10-12 canned baby corn and 10-12 grape tomatoes into halves and sprinkle over salad mixture. 
• Top with your favorite blue cheese or ranch dressing to serve.

If your family is trying to green up your mealtime, this is a great way to start. Adding foods like BBQ chicken and baby corn make this a popular dish with the kids. Mine love this salad! 

Enjoy! -- Jenn

Jeff's Super Simple Peach Cobbler

My previous job at the Humane Society could be stressful to say the least. Our amazing staff saw the best and, unfortunately, the worst of human behavior toward defenseless animals. The ups and downs of daily life at the shelter made us a tight knit family, working together for the greater good. As a way to unwind we would often have pot-lucks or BBQs. Lets just say we appreciated a day of grazing on good grub, and we all had our own signature dishes.

My co-worker, Jeff, was known for this amazingly simple peach cobbler. With big flavor and only 3 ingredients I normally have on hand in the pantry, this is a great go-to recipe when we're looking for something sweet, gooey, and warm for dessert. Making this dish also reminds me of the good times and laughter shared with co-workers that became family. I miss them and wish them the best in their efforts to build a much needed new shelter.

INGREDIENTS:

2 - 15 oz cans sliced peaches in light syrup (do not drain)

1 box Yellow Cake Mix

1 sick butter (1/2 cup) melted

Pour the 2 cans of peaches (including juice) into a 13x9x2 in baking dish. I personally prefer more peaches so I add an extra 15 oz can of peaches, drained. It's important to drain the additional peaches if you add them because the additional liquid will make the crust soggy. (I learned this the hard way.) 

Evenly sprinkle the yellow cake mix over the peaches, trying to make it as level as you can. (see above photo) It's OK if some peaches are peeking through.

As seen in the above 2 photos, evenly drizzle melted butter over yellow cake mix. Not all of the cake mix will be saturated.

Place in oven pre-heated at 350 degrees, and bake for 35 min or until evenly browned and bubbly. Let sit for 10 minutes for juices to thicken, before serving.

I highly recommend serving this tasty treat with your favorite french vanilla ice cream to bring the flavor to the next level. Dig in! This is guaranteed to be one of your family's most requested, super simple recipes. 

Columbia River Mom supports the Wenatchee Valley Humane Society. If you're interested in finding out more information about this fantastic organization or would like to support their efforts to build a desperately needed new shelter, please visit their website:

 www.wenatcheehumane.org

Thank you!  -- Jenn

Tri-Fruit Salad

I think everyone has their favorite food combinations, sweet & salty, spinach & mushrooms, bacon & tomato. Years ago I made my favorite fruit combination into a salad. It seemed I wasn't able to have just blueberries without the strawberries & cantaloupe. Now this salad is requested on a regular basis at pot lucks, birthday parties, and just because it sounds good. This dish is super quick & easy to make and epitomizes the sweetness of summer! Best of all it only has natural sugars, NO fat, and is stock full of essential vitamins and nutrients like potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vintamin K, and folate. I definitely don't mind the kids having second and third helpings of this dish.

You'll need 1 ripe cantaloupe, 1 pint fresh strawberries, and a heaping cup of fresh blueberries. I also add a spring of fresh mint, chopped, when I can find it. 

Clean and rinse all fruit; cut cantaloupe into bit sized pieces, cut strawberries into fours, and add blueberries whole. Gently stir to combine fruit. If using mint, sprinkle over top for garnish. (I couldn't find mint at our local market so we didn't use it this time.) 

What did I tell ya? Super quick and easy!

ENJOY! -- Jenn

Seattle Chop Salad

When I moved from my hometown of Anchorage Alaska I swear I went through withdrawal. No I didn't miss the long frigid winter, I missed a place called the Snow City Cafe. I ate at my favorite eatery at least once a week. My lunch of choice was a piece of brilliance called the Seattle Chop Salad. I would sit at my 7th floor downtown office and literally salivate at the thought of this hearty salad that blends the flavors of roasted chicken, thick bacon, crisp romaine lettuce, tangy blue cheese, and perfectly cooked macaroni noodles that soaked up their sweet home-made vinaigrette.

Now I don't have the Snow City Cafe recipe, and if I did I'm pretty sure they wouldn't appreciate me sharing it. So I've come up with my own version of my favorite salad that's as close as I can get it. I'm resigned to the fact that this will never be THE perfect Seattle Chop Salad, but I must say it's a pretty darn good second, because with each bite I find myself back at my favorite cafe.

I've attached a link to the Snow City Cafe for anyone that may have the chance to visit them in Anchorage. I highly recommend it! They have AMAZING breakfasts also........well, just take a look at the menu posted on their site and you'll see.

www.snowcitycafe.com

You will not regret taking the time to stop in for a meal at the Snow City Cafe! 

INGREDIENTS:

2 med chicken breasts; cooked, diced & chilled

1 C macaroni noodles; cooked, drained & chilled

8 slices thick smoked bacon; fried & crumbled

1 med head romaine lettuce; cleaned, drained & chopped

1 small head green leaf lettuce; cleaned, drained & chopped

2 medium tomatoes; chopped

2 green onions; sliced thin

1 pkg blue cheese crumbles 

1 bottle of your favorite sweet vinaigrette (we use Brianna's Blush)

One of the great things about this dish is you can fix all the items ahead and put them together when it's time to eat. 

• Bake the chicken breasts sprinkled with your favorite seasoning (I use Johnny's Seasoned Salt) at 350 degrees for aprox 30 minutes or until cooked through. Let cool and dice; set aside until meal time.
• Cook the macaroni according to package instructions taking care not to over cook. When finished cooking, drain and set aside for later. Mix in aprox 2 Tablespoons dressing to keep the macaroni from sticking together when it cools.
• Fry bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble before setting aside for later.
• Rinse and drain lettuce; chop and set into a bowl, mix in previously cooked & cooled macaroni. Top with chopped & chilled chicken, bacon, tomato and green onion. FYI - the Snow City Cafe version doesn't have green onion, but I love the flavor addition.
• Sprinkle blue cheese crumbles over the top of salad before serving. Top with dressing when served. 

I hope you enjoy this salad as much as I do.  -- Jenn

Easiest Guacamole EVER

I admit it, I am a snacker. I love to snack....all day. Unfortunately when I succumb to the snacking bug, I don't exactly make the healthiest food choices as well as I have a tenancy to over eat. Now, don't get me wrong, snacking isn't necessarily a bad habit. From what I understand, eating several small meals (aka snacks) per day not only helps maintain blood sugar levels but it also speeds up your metabolism. The key is, this only works as long as you're making healthier choices and keeping quantities small.

With that in mind I've started to make some healthier choices when it comes my snacking, but I've noticed sometimes it takes longer to prepare a healthier snack that it actually takes to eat it. That doesn't work for my busy schedule. This guacamole recipe (if you could call it a recipe, it's more of a "how to") is perfect if you're looking for something quick, tasty, and filling. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 med ripe avocado

2 T of your favorite salsa (I like the Southwest Salsa because it has corn & black beans.)

Tortilla Chips

Peel and pit avocado, cutting into cubes. Mash avocado with a fork in a bowl until creamy. (See photo below.)

Mix in your favorite salsa until well blended.

Serve with tortilla chips of your choice and enjoy!

HEALTHY TIP: I've started reading labels so I know exactly how many chips make a serving. This helps me keep my quantities in perspective so I don't over do it. (Which is easy when there are chips involved.) I also make sure to buy the smaller avocado if I'm the only one eating. The large ones are way too big for a single serving, but are great if sharing.

Fair Style Mini Corn Dogs

Due to my illness I haven't been able to cook, post or pretty much move for the last week, so PLEASE forgive the delay in getting posts on this blog this week. I'm on the mend but still have minimal energy compared to my usual self which doesn't matter when the kids are hungry. After living off previously frozen meals and canned food for the last week, they're ready to see me back in the kitchen. 

It's not easy being a single parent, especially when you're sick, but I must say the girls were amazing throughout this whole thing. I wanted to make them something we don't have very often and consider a treat, yet something quick and easy so I don't drain what limited energy supply I do have right now. I'm trying to break away from the food-as-a-reward camp but I think I can make an exception this time as a "thank you" for their roll in getting me back on the mend.

Like any hot blooded american, we LOVE fair food, every deep fried bit of it; especially CORN DOGS. Unfortunately, because of their deep fried status, we limit our consumption of these crispy goodies to when we're actually at the fair (go figure). I've been experimenting with several recipes & ingredients and think I've finally come up with the perfect blend of sweet corn breading and the best hot dog. I have toddlers so I'm making these as mini corn dog nuggets (without the stick), but I can't see any reason this wouldn't work for a full blown dog on a stick if you would prefer.

INGREDIENTS:

1 package Beef Franks (we LOVE Hebrew National)
21 Popsicle Sticks
1 C yellow corn meal
1 C white flour
1/4 C sugar (not shown in photo)
4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
a dash of pepper
a dash of cayenne pepper (not shown in photo)
1 C cold milk
2 Tbsp honey
1 egg
1 - 48 fl oz vegetable oil (for frying)

First cut the franks into threes. Then dry the natural juices off with a paper towel so corn bread mixture will stick to frank during frying process. Place a Popsicle stick through the end of each piece until firmly secure but not so far that the stick shows through the other end. (see photo below)

Mix all other ingredients (except oil) together in bowl to make cornbread mixture. This is easy to do by hand so no need for an actual mixer.

Pour oil into med sauce pan and heat to 350 degrees. If you don't have a thermometer you can tell when the oil is ready by putting a couple small drops of water into the oil before it's hot, when the oil heats up to the point it pops where the water is, then it's ready. 

When oil is at the right temp, carefully insert the dipped frank into the oil, submerging it to the point where the Popsicle stick is inserted. Roll/turn corn dog in oil until evenly browned; place on paper towel covered plate to drain. 

Carefully remove Popsicle sticks and serve with your favorite dipping sauces.

This recipe makes 21 mini dogs if you use the Hebrew National franks. These were a HUGE hit at our table.  Having two young children that don't have very large tummies, we had quite a bit left over so we decided to share with our neighbor boys, ages 8 & 10, and it was a big hit for them too. Their mom didn't waste any time asking for the recipe. 

Thanks for joining us! -- Jenn

Hearty Lentil Kale Soup

I have to say it's hard for me to justify eating hot soup when it's over 100 degrees outside. Don't ask me why, but for some reason soup is cemented in my mind as only a cold weather dish. But with a persistent cough, stuffy head and a runaway voice, hot nutrient rich soup is exactly what my body's screaming for right now. 

I had the ingredients on hand to make a super easy flavorful lentil & kale soup. The easier the better right now because when my voice ran away it apparently took my energy with it. Another reason I like this recipe is the ingredients are items I usually have on hand. I had also purchased some gorgeous kale, carrots & onions on my last visit to the local Farmer's Market that need to be used up. 

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp light olive oil
1 C (approx 3 med-size) carrots, peeled & sliced
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 C (approx 2 lg stalks) celery, chopped
1 pound extra lean ground beef
2 Tbsp minced garlic OR 3-4 lg fresh garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Johnny's Seasoned Salt
1 carton (32 fl oz) beef stock, plus one carton water
1 bag (16 oz) lentils, thoroughly rinsed
1/2 sprig fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried Rosemary)
1 sprig fresh parsley (or 1 tsp dried parsley flakes)
2 cans (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes in juice or one large (29 oz) can
2 C chopped fresh green curly leaf kale
(can add additional cup of chopped kale if desired, it looks like a lot but will cook down)
Shredded Parmesan to garnish

Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add carrots, onions and celery; saute until onions are turning transparent. Add ground beef, garlic cloves and Johnny's Seasoned Salt, cook until meat is browned. I use a very lean meat so there isn't usually any need to drain, but if using meat with a higher fat content, drain and set aside.

While meat & vegetable mixture is browning; place large soup pot over med/ high heat, pour beef stock into pot plus one additional stock container of water. Add rinsed lentils, thyme, rosemary & parsley. Bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes.
NOTE: Don't add salt to lentils while cooking because they will become tough.

Reduce heat to medium, maintaining a low boil. Add meat mixture, and canned diced tomatoes. Continue at a low boil for an additional 10 minutes.

Mix in chopped kale. Continue to boil for approx 3 minutes or until kale is wilted.

I made a large pot so I can set half aside and freeze for another day when I'm in need of a back up meal. This recipe should serve 10-12.

Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese over soup before serving.

ENJOY! -- Jenn