Another Great Recipe from a Fellow Pea

Several of the ladies on the board I frequent, twopeasinabucket, keep cooking and baking blogs. I found a great recipe for Apricot Balsamic Chicken on one blog (I'll add a link here as soon as I get permission from the owner.) and tried it out when my sister was over last night. Even my husband, the pickiest man God ever created, liked it. Here's the recipe I used:

Apricot Balsamic Chicken

2 T butter
1/2 c apricot preserves
3 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 t crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 t rosemary leaves
pinch of sea salt

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Once melted, add the remaining ingredients. Lower the heat to medium-low and let cook until sauce thickens.

Remove from the pan and pour in a bowl to let cool. (Can be prepared a few days in advance if you prefer. Just warm in the microwave before use to thin slightly.)

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Put the chicken on a hot grill. Make sure the heat is on low so you don't burn the chicken on the outside and have a raw center.

When the chicken is cooked (it should be slightly firm in the center), brush on the glaze. Turn chicken over and coat the other side. Keep turning and coating until you've used all the glaze and the chicken is nice and caramelized. Remove from grill and serve.

Notes
~~We served this to my niece, who is two, so I was afraid to use the red pepper flakes. When I make it again (and I will) I will be sure to add them.

~~I also omitted the rosemary, but that's just because I don't like it!

It was a big hit for us and I hope you enjoy it, too!

You Have *GOT* to Try This!

Well, as I last posted, I have started baking again. I tried this out on some willing subjects (read: my family) and garnered rave reviews. Hope you enjoy it, too!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 (10 oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, softened
1 c white sugar
1 T vanilla extract
1/2 c butter, melted
1/2 c white sugar
1 T ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten one tube of crescent roll dough and press into the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Mix cream cheese, 1 c sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the dough in the pan.

Unroll the remaining crescent roll dough, and place over the top of the cream cheese layer. Spread melted butter over the top, and sprinkle the top with the mixture of 1/2 c sugar and the cinnamon.

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is lightly toasted.

Cool and refrigerate before serving.

A few tips:
I wanted to give the recipe as it is written, but to be fair, I also wanted to show a few things I did differently.

~~First of all, instead of regular vanilla extract, I used French Vanilla. It added something amazing to the recipe. I have never tasted a cheesecake like this before!

~~Also, I misread the recipe for the cinnamon/sugar topping. Instead of 1/2 cup, I mixed 3/4 cup sugar with the cinnamon.

~~Finally, the recipe says to refrigerate and serve cool. It was a unanimous decision that it was best served slightly warm with vanilla bean ice cream.

Now run - run! - to the grocery store and get started baking!!

*S*

Bad, Bad Blogger

I have been meaning to write this post for, oh, about two months now! It had dawned on me that I have not been keeping up. For some reason, though, I let two months go by before updating again! Here's what I'm working on:

1) Classes start of Monday! I love going to school. It makes me feel like I am doing something worthwhile.

2) I have gotten interested in baking again, and am reading every cooking blog I can find. My husband and my father-in-law make willing test subjects. My first project is to recreate Sopapilla Cheesecake that I first tried about 3 years ago. Updates to follow.

3) My nephew was born about three weeks ago. He is growing by leaps and bounds. Big sister couldn't be happier, and mom and baby are all doing fine. I've taken him shopping three times already. I intend to train him well, just as I have his sister!

I also got a fabulous haircut recently and have continued on my weight loss journey. So far, 8 lbs and counting. I'm going to Weight Watchers meetings and also tracking my progress on thedailyplate.com .

My roommate from college is dropping by to see me tomorrow. She is in town visiting her brother's family. I can't wait to see her!!