A recipe from my good friend Carol

Here is a chicken recipe that also includes the use of popcorn as a stuffing ... imagine that. When I found this recipe, I thought it was perfect for people like me, who just are not sure how to tell when poultry is thoroughly
cooked, but not dried out.

Give this a try.

4-5 lb. Chicken
1-cup melted butter
1-cup stuffing (Pepperidge Farm is best)
1-cup uncooked popcorn (ORVILLE REDENBACHER'S LOW FAT)
Lightly salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush chicken well with melted butter, then salt and pepper. Fill the cavity with the stuffing and popcorn. Place in baking pan with the neck end towards the back of the oven. Listen for the popping sounds. When the chicken's ass blows the oven door open and the chicken flies across the room, it's done.

Sorry....Nothing new.

Sorry, I've been crazy busy lately. I don't have any new recipes to post.

Cranberry Sauce

I love Thanksgiving. I think just because of the food. My favorite leftover is a sandwich with mayo, turkey, stuffing, & homemade cranberry sauce. You may think ick but really you have to try it. If you like the canned stuff you'll love this & if you don't like the canned stuff you'll probably still like this.

1 pkg fresh cranberries
3/4 C Sugar
1 C Orange Juice

Wash cranberries. Remove any stems or mushy berries. Place in med sauce pan with sugar & OJ. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat & simmer until berries start to pop. About 10 min. Remove from heat, cool to room temp, then refrigerate.

Open Faced Bagelwich

This recipe is super quick & easy. My hubby really enjoys it & it comes in handy when I'm in a time crunch or just not in the mood to cook a full on meal. It goes great with soup or veggies & dip.

Pre-heat oven to 400. Cut desired flavor of bagel in half. Spread with honey mustard (I use Ken's). Top with deli sliced ham or turkey followed by your choice of cheese (I like baby swiss). Place on cookie sheet in oven for @ 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Thai Chicken Noodle Soup, Yummmm!

A few years ago my parents took me to a little Thai restaurant by their house. I fell in love with a soup called Tom Ka Gai. It was absolutely delicious. After searching the internet for recipes, I came up with my own adaptation to suit my family.

1 quart chicken stock, homemade or canned
1 lemongrass stalk, white part, crushed slightly or 1 tsp. lemongrass paste
@ 1 inch fresh grated ginger root
zest of 1 lime
2 small fresh Thai chilies, halved lengthwise (I omitted for the kids)
2 large garlic cloves, smashed
1/2 pkg Thai rice noodles
1 can (14.5 oz.) coconut milk
(I used Goya brand coconut milk)
2 tsp. sugar
2 cups shredded cooked chicken (4 cooked chicken breasts)
juice of 3 limes
salt & fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup fresh chopped cilantro (or more)

In large soup pot, bring chicken stock to a simmer over medium heat. Add lemongrass, lime zest, ginger, Thai chilies, and smashed garlic cloves. Simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes, then strain stock to remove pieces. (I didn't strain the stock, I used an immersion blender to puree the pieces.)

Turn heat to low, then stir in noodles, coconut milk, sugar, shredded chicken, lime juice, salt and cracked pepper. Simmer about 5 minutes without boiling to cook noodles and heat chicken through. Ladle soup into individual bowls and sprinkle with cilantro if desired.