Zesty Ginger Ale Chicken N' Veggies

SPRING has finally shown her glorious face here in the MW!! Thank heavens, because I was starting to get one serious case of fever folks! That polar vortex rubbish was no joke; it had me feeling all kinds of unmotivated and sluggish. Isn't it funny how just a little sunshine can really brighten our days? I'm feeling all kinds of energized now like my lil' solar battery of a spirit has been fully charged or I just chugged a pot of coffee, jug of soda, and a couple red bulls type of amped up! Fresh air, sunshine, and temps that don't freeze your face give me happy vibes galore. On another positive note, I just welcomed a new fur buddy to my pack, named Quagmire. He's a total ball of too much youngster energy (& a little creep lol)! If puppies can't lift your spirits and put a lil smile on your face and some pep in your step, I don't know that anything can!? FOR REAL, if you don't like puppies just hit the back button now, cuz we can't be pals, seriously though. N.E. WHO < Moving onto this Divine Ginger Ale Chicken, it's so freaking scrumptious peoples! I've seen numerous recipes for Dr.Pepper & Coke Pulled Pork, 7-Up Chicken, and I personally, adore BBQ Root Beer pulled pork, but what about some GINGER ALE MEATS YO?! It seemed like that left out, misfit soda in all these meaty creations on the inter web, so I decided to show it a little love and embrace its' unique gloriousness. PLUS, Ginger Ale just so happened to be on sale for 99 cents a 2 Liter (and whole chickens were on sale as well, so it was like the cosmos wanted me to make this glorious thrifty, chicken concoction for y'all lol)! Move over Dr.Pepper, Coke, and 7-UP, because it's Ginger Ales' time to shine ;)

Whatcha ' Need:

• 5-7 lb Whole Chicken (mine was slightly over 7lbs, and it will serve many of delish purposes to follow)
• 2 cups Ginger Ale (more/less depending on size of bird^)
• 5- 7 med/lg Russet or Idaho potatoes 
• 1 large onion (diced)
• 1/2 bag frozen green beans (or 1 can drained)
• 4 TBS Cold Butter or Margarine (cut into 4 slabs) 
• 1+ tsp each of lemon pepper, paprika, cumin, & Italian Blend seasoning
• 1/2tsp +/- garlic powder, oregano, salt, (& Cajun seasoning opt) 

First, gather all the dry spices, and place the recommended or desired amount in a small mixing bowl, and measure out the ginger ale and set it aside. Then lightly grease a large roasting pan w/ non stick cooking spray.

Next, rinse the inside & outside of the chicken in your sink, remove giblets/neck, and pat it dry w/ a paper towel. Place the bird breast side up in the middle of the greased pan.

Now, take the dry spices and rub them all over the outside of the bird, sprinkle inside, carefully, pull up on the chicken breast skin and rub spices underneath the skin as well. (wash those dirty bird hands after touching the raw chicken and b4 touching anything else to prevent spreading the funkies all over the place lol)

Sorry about the awkward view, but this way you can more easily see how I put the spices/butter under the skin as well ;)

Next, cut half a stick of butter into 4~ TBS sized slabs and place them underneath the chicken skin a top the breast region.

Adding butter under the skin makes for a super moist chicken if it's not over cooked ;)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F)

Now clean, remove funky spots, and cut the potatoes into nice hearty sized chunks like (6-8 chunks per potato or so). Spread them around the chicken in the pan along with the diced onion. Sprinkle the potatoes w/ a dash of the seasonings used to coat the bird (like 1/4 tsp or so just for extra flavour)

Pour the ginger ale over and inside the bird's cavity and on top of the potato/onion mixture in the pan.

Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and bake for about 1.5 hours depending on the size of the bird.

My chicken was slightly over 7lbs so I baked it for 1 hour and 45 minutes with the foil on. (about 20 minutes per pound is usually a good rule of thumb when making any large chunk of meat in the oven)

I removed the chicken from the oven, uncovered it, and basted it with the yummy pan juices. Then, put in the frozen (or drained can) green beans and placed the chicken back in the oven with the foil off for another 35-45 minutes or so (again depending on the size of your bird).

Many chickens have pop up timers, but they can not always be a great indicator of actual doneness so always test w/ a meat thermometer (and by wiggling the leg on the chicken) The thigh is the thickest part of the chicken, so if the leg seems super jiggly like it could fall right off with a slight tug and the juices are clear then the bird is most likely done, but again, always check with a meat thermometer if unsure, by inserting it in the thigh region of the chicken (not breast).

    

When that beautiful bird is all done let it nap/rest for about 10 minutes before carving into it so the juices will redistribute and you don't end up with a super dry chicken situation (icks lol). Now prepare to rock your world and wow the fam with this easy but SUPER YUMMY, zesty chicken dinner winner!

I hope you dig this dish! Thanks for popping in, and big HUGS!

Fully Loaded Jalapeno Popper Potato Frittata

I <3 breakfast foods. CERiously. One of my all time fav comfort foods is a simple fried egg sandwich; it's versatile (endless combo opts), easy, comforting, and it takes like 7 minutes max. to throw together! I was literally raised on breakfast foods for dinner, it was one of my favorite nights of the week actually. HECK TO THE YEAH pancakes, french toast, fried eggs and bologna sandwiches, biscuits and gravy (my Bros' favorite, which almost made me hate it as a kid because almost EVERY SINGLE TIME my Mum asked what they wanted to eat... 95% of the time it was friggin B&G, like I was in total food shock if they chose something different lol), oatmeal and toast, or really anything smothered in maple syrup is a win! No joke though, if you're serving breakfast food at night I'm SOOo down to chow w/ you. I don't care if it's 4 in the wee morn or 11 at night, I'll eat french toast and fried potatoes like they are goin' out of style (tho, I'm pretty sure they'll forever stand the foodie tests of time aka timeless)! If loving breakfast at night is wrong then I definitely don't want to be right ;) Any who....this "egg bake," as my Mum would call it, is fully loaded with crispy bacon and potatoes, zesty jalapeno peppers and red onion, gooey globs of cream cheese, and of course the magnificent, wondrous, under-estimated EGG! YUP, this dish has it going on like King Kong Peoples! Brace yo' selves for edible magic ;)

The Culprits aka Wicked Good Ingredients:

• 1/3 diced jalapeno peppers
• 1/2 lb bacon (pork or turkey)
• 8 large eggs
• 4 medium sized russet potatoes (or about 2 cups frozen, thawed southern style hash browns)
• 8 oz Cream Cheese 
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup shredded Mexican Cheese (or Pepper Jack)
• 2 TBS of Hot Sauce
• Opt~ 1 TBS of Pickled Pepper Juice from Jar Jalapenos
• 1/2 of a Large Red Onion, finely diced (or 1 small)  
•  Additional Spices To Your Preferences: 2 tsp Chili Powder, 1 tsp Garlic, 2 tsp Salt, 1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes, 1 tsp Lemon Pepper, paprika

Start by prepping your potatoes. Clean and remove skins that are knotty or contain icky blemishes. Cut the potato into fourths (or in half twice) then dice them into similar sized 1/4 inch cubes or chunks. Place them in a medium sized sauce pan and cover them with water and sprinkle w/ 1 tsp of salt. Bring them to a boil over medium heat and cook about 10 minutes or so until fork tender. Drain the potatoes well and set aside.

Still working on this food photo jazz, bare with me folks lol

Now let's talk bacon. I always add a sprinkle or dash of seasoning to the bacon like lemon pepper or chili powder just for added depth and extra yum, but bacon is beautiful just as is so season or don't season to your liking. Pan fry the bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crisp or two your desired liking, if they are a bit extra crispy that's okay too!! They'll be taking a soft bath in eggs soon enough so no frets!

 While the bacon cooks, start prepping your red onion and jalapeno peppers. Red onion is pretty assertive so I decided to only add a half, but it's your thang do what you wanna do ;) 

Once the bacon is all cooked and cooling on a paper towel lined plate, turn the heat down a tad and slowly add in the onion, peppers, and potatoes to the pan with the bacon drippings. These items all contain water content so carefully and slowly is key when adding them to hot grease to prevent painful chaotic happenings lol!  Drizzle the potatoes/veggies with hot sauce and sprinkle with 1 tsp chili powder, garlic, red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp salt and fry for about 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent sticking or burning.

While all that is going down, preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F) and spray a 9 x 13 baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Set Aside....

In a medium sized mixing bowl combine eggs, milk, 1 tsp chili powder, and a 1/2 tsp salt. Mix until well blended. The longer you beat it the fluffier. Set aside....

Now, we build/layer :) Evenly spread the slightly fried potato mixture across the bottom of the greased pan. Then sprinkle it with the yummy crumbled seasoned bacon (it's okay if it's a slice shy, we gotta taste test right hehe).

Next, we pour the egg mixture evenly atop the potatoes, peppers and bacon. && NOW, THE GLORIOUS CREAM CHEESE!! Cut that cheese... into nice hearty lil cubes and strategically dollop them into the eggy goodness. Then top it all off with a sprinkle of shredded cheese about 1 cup or so should do, but the more the merrier as far as cheese goes! I've never once said any dish had too much cheese #Facts

 Bake that beauty in the oven for about 45 minutes. Give it a jiggle and if it's done it won't jiggle back, or insert a small thin knife into the center to test for gooeyness (you could use a tooth pick as well, However, I prefer to use a knife because it can be washed and reused a zillion times, and it reduces silly unnecessary wastes that truly add up. It might not seem like much, but I bet landfills contain zillions of those lil guys, probably used only once to test a baked good or whatnot~Eco-Food for Thought~ Little changes add up to big changes overtime.)

If there is no jiggle and the inserted knife... (wink, wink, nudge, nudge lol) is clean, remove that lil lovely and let it chill (if it still seems a bit gooey, cook 5-10 more minutes until firm and the knife comes out clean). Serve it up with some fresh citrus fruit or a slice of toast with jam.  Breakfast, Lunch, Brunch or Dinner is now served. Hope you enjoy! Big Cyber Hugs & Thanks For Popping In <3

;) Better lighting huh?!

Fully Loaded Potachos w/ Spicy Ranch Sauce

It doesn't get much better in my book than bacon, potatoes, sour cream, and cheddar cheese. Like seriously, if you don't love any of those glorious foods then I'm not sure we can truly be buddies!I don't think I'd even want to live in a world without dairy and potatoes. NOT. EVEN. KIDDING. If by some cruel twist of fate I ever become lactose intolerant, PLEASE, just take me out to the pasture because that would be way more humane than living a life without cheese. No, but for real, I'd be super sad without things like sour cream, cheese, and chocolate milk! And I'm fairly certain I've already stated my adoration for meat and potatoes a few times now. Don't get me wrong, I love fruits and veggies or a nice lite salad, but given the choice between a salad or fully loaded fries/nachos, I'm picking the fries or nachos 75% of the time! One of mine and my dudes guilty pleasures is ordering fully loaded fries from the local bowling alley, they totally rock. Not to too my own horn or anything tho ;) but my potachos (aka the love child of potatoes and nachos) were waaaay better!!! They are also less fatty because they aren't fried and I used low fat sour cream. So I didn't even have to feel super guilty when loading my face full of them. HECK to the YEAH! Though these aren't fried and full of greasy badness they are packed with mad flavor and they might just change your potato world :)

Just look at those lil Beauties :)

Whatcha' need:

• 5-6 Large Idaho or Russet Potatoes (cleaned)
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (or cheese of choice)
• 1 pack bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled (I used pork, but turkey bacon would be yummy too)
• 1/2 cup low fat sour cream
• 1/4 cup ranch dressing
• 1 TBSP Milk
•  1 jalapeno chopped or about 10 jarred slices diced
• Non stick cooking spray (I used butter flavored)

Salt, Pepper and other desired seasonings: Chili Powder, Oregano, Red Pepper Flakes, Minced Onion and Garlic, Onion Powder.

I started by frying my bacon on the stove top, but feel free to throw it in the oven or cook it however you prefer (if using turkey bacon be sure to add some oil to the pan because it does not naturally produce grease like pork or beef) Once the bacon has cooked and cooled crumble it into nice little chunks, it's okay to taste test a piece or 3 when no one is looking ;)

Next clean potatoes and remove any excessive bumps, bruises or blemishes on the skin or internally. Slice the potatoes in 1/4 inch - 1/2 circles or rounds (like chips) with a veggie slicer or by hand, but try to keep them all about the same size to ensure even cooking. Place the potatoes slices in a pot and cover them with water and a dash of salt. Bring them to a slow boil and allow them to just become fork tender. This only takes about 5 minutes of them boiling, they don't need to be mashably soft just par cooked.

I boiled these with salt and dried minced onion/garlic ^

Strain the potatoes and preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a large baking sheet or pizza pan with non stick cooking spray and layer the potatoes evenly across the pan overlapping them just slightly so when you sprinkle all that yummy cheese and bacon on it doesn't just fall through the cracks.

Now spray the tops of the potatoes with a generous dose of more cooking spray (I also drizzled on a teaspoon of the reserved bacon grease just for good measures lol) and sprinkle with your desired seasonings and a nice dash of salt. Place them in the oven and cook for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.



Combine the sour cream, ranch, milk and diced peppers in a measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.

Next, remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle them with cheese and the bacon crumbles and put it back into the oven for 5-10 more minutes or until cheese is nice and gooey.

Remove that glorious masterpiece from the oven and let it cool a few minutes. Drizzle it with the spicy ranch sauce or serve it on the side for dipping. AND NOW, Prepare to be mind blown by the Potachos! These things are what dreams are made of... For seriousness folks! They are like little slices of potato magic and cheesy happiness! Make these gems for your next gathering or couch-gating extravaganza and the people will <3 you forever, PROMISES!

Caution: If these potachos change your life, I am not legally responsible... but your way welcome ;)     

Jiffy Corn and Tater' Cakes

It's been a crazy, intense week for me, to say the least. 2015... definitely hasn't started off as well as I would've liked. I originally planned on the whole healthier eating resolution shtuff to have commenced by now, but it's literally freezing around these parts (and a salad doesn't exactly scream warm, cozy comfort food)!!! Like your skin will ACTUALLY start to freeze after 10 minutes outdoors (not even exaggerating, it was stated so on the news this very morn #coldhardMidwestfacts lol) Let's just keep it real folks... a salad is no where near as much fun or as yummy to consume in the winter as it is in the summer. When it's skin freezing degrees outside, you're not looking for refreshing cool eats! Stand outside for 5 minutes and you're plenty refreshed, and in desperate need for something warm that sticks to your ribs. The last thing I want is a cold plate of refreshing veggies when it feels like I'm in an icebox lol! So um yeah, even though I've made a few minor healthy changes, I'm holding off on crazy intense dietary commitments until this polar vortex jazz clears up! These fried beauts right here are anything, BUT "refreshing!" However, they are
freaking delicious, super simple, and perfect for polar vortex munchings. These cakes are a glorious hybrid between hush puppies and hash browns and will def stick to your ribs in all the right (and wrong) ways. Honestly, bikini readiness is really the last thing on my mind right now lol, however.... I did use 1% milk so booyah :)

 Whatcha Need'

2 cups shredded frozen hash browns (thawed)
1 box Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
1 cup shredded cheddar
2 eggs
2 TBS Melted Margarine or butter
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil (or oil of choice) for frying
1 small onion (shredded, finely chopped or grated, I used my cheese grater)
1 jalapeno pepper seeds and all or (about 1/4 cup chopped peppers from jar) opt

Additional spices seasoned to your preference: 1 tsp each minced garlic, lemon pepper, chili powder, and red pepper flakes

 In a medium sized frying pan heat oil on medium/high heat. Next, mix all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined (except for the oil your heating up in the pan). Line a plate with a few paper towels and set aside for when the fritters are done.

Test the oil to ensure that it is nice and hot by wetting your finger tips and sprinkling just a dash of water into the oil. If it's ready it will sizzle like crazy. Once the oil is ready to rock n' roll, using an average sized ice cream scoop or small ladle, dollop the batter carefully into the hot oil.

Try not to fidget with the fritters/batter too much when first placing them in the pan: you don't want to disturb them for about 3-4 minutes. At which point, they should be solidified as well as be good and crispy and ready for a flipping. Flip with caution, using a slotted spatula and cook about for 4 more minutes.

Carefully... remove the fritters from the frying pan, place them on the paper towel lined plate, and allow them to cool/drain off excess oil before enjoying their awesomeness! I served mine with a couple fried eggs and low-fat sour cream and ketchup, but these are SERIOUSLY delicious without anything and would accompany just about everything nicely. These gems are definitely worth breaking a few resolutions for :) Hope you dig these easy and filling fritters

(FYI: I was so excited to eat them that I didn't take a fancy final picture of them on the plate lol, Sorry :) but you get the gist)