Chopper's BunSpace

Yes, Chopper was a bit jealous of our MySpace and Facebook pages so we got him his own. I'm sure the cats will be complaining tomorrow that they feel left out.

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp

8-10 medium apples (I used Granny Smith and Honey Crisp)
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
1 T. grated ginger root
1/2 t grated fresh nutmeg (makes all the difference)
3/4 cup plus 1 T. butter
(optional) 1/2 t. Penzey's French Four Spice*

Grease slow cooker with 1 T. of butter and fill with apple slices. *Optional - Sprinkle apples with Penzey's French Four Spice and toss gently to coat.

In a mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, spices and butter. Distribute over the apple slices and press down lightly.

Cooking time will vary according to your slow coker. For an older model with a lower overall temperture, cook on high for 3-4 hours. I find that setting makes the apples mushy so I generally set my slow cooker to medium and cook for 3 hours.

Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

*Penzey's French Four Spice is a blend of Muntok white pepper, nutmeg, ginger, and powedered cloves. I find it gives just a little zing to the apples. You can order it online or check out their store in Scottsdale.

Ugly Chair Becomes A Swan

Time to talk about Ugly Chair. Ugly Chair has been a fixture at our house for years. We found it beside an empty lot in downtown Mesa more years ago than I care to remember. It was peeking out of a big pile of junk that someone illegally dumped. We were driving by in the truck and I instantly recognized the sound bone structure and limitless potential in Ugly Chair. Ok, really - we just needed a chair for the porch where HuzBen could sit smoke his ciggies away from my asthmatic lungs. It fit our main criteria of not costing anything. I wanted to do the "green" thing by recycling someone else's junk. We took it home.

Ugly Chair spent the last several years going back and forth between the yard and the porch, depending on the weather and the need for space. It got to be sort of a joke that I never seemed to get around to refurbishing Ugly Chair. As rough on the eyes as the chair was, my husband put cardboard and newspapers on the seat, covered it with an old blanket and spent many confortable hours in Ugly Chair while reading on the porch.

When my mother would visit from New Jersey I would tell her about my grand plans to re-do the chair and make it presentable. Bless her heart my mother never has a cross word to say about anything but her eyes were saying "Seriously? Hello! Put that thing out at the curb where it belongs!" In direct contrast, my father actually said on many occasions, "Seriously? Hello! Put that thing out at the curb where it belongs!" And at least once he tried to do just that when I wasn't looking. If it wasn't for our superb neighborhood block watch I'm sure he would have snuck it off to the dump while I was in NYC.

That's all behind us now because this week Ugly Chair had it's makeover. I took a Home Depot gift certificate I'd been saving and I purchased some almond colored spray paint. Joann's had leather beading cord that I used to replace the leather strips that had rotted away. The folks at Mesa Sales helped me pick out a foam cushion and some marine grade thread for the seat and the pillow. The vinyl was found at a steal for 80% off when Hancock's closed a few months ago.

Ugly Chair is now back on the porch and HuzBen and the kitties are thriled with the makeover. While no one is going to mistake it for being redone by a professional, I think Ugly Chair approves.

Adventures in BBQ'ing

Yesterday afternoon I was planning to make my Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwiches for Sunday dinner. It was a beautiful day so I thought we'd eat outside and take advantage of the fantastic fall weather.

My brother gave us a nice Charbroil grill last summer but it's a lot of grill for just the two of us. When I do use it, I like to make as much food as possible so I am not wasting propane. Safeway had chicken quarters for 88 cents a pound this week. I bought a bunch so I decided to put those on the grill first with some BBQ sauce and save them for dinner later in the week and freeze the rest. When that chicken was nearly done I was planning to add the boneless chicken breasts for the sandwiches. Yes, I thought I was Super Time Management Frugal Grilling Woman! Nothing could stop me from eating well on a budget! What's the phrase? Pride goeth before the fall?

The chicken quarters had been on the grill for 15 minutes and I took some things outside to set the table. I could hear that the grill was starting to flame up from the chicken fat so I grabbed a water bottle to tame the flames. That's where the insanity began.

Unknown to me, the back wheel on the grill had become loose. When I opened the grill the back wheel fell off and the grill tipped over backwards. When the grill hit the ground, blazing chicken quarters bounced up and went flying in every direction. That in turn set the grass on fire. The fire was also still going inside the open grill itself and flames were about 18 inches high.

Oh yeah, did I mention that I have not one but two jumbo propane tanks? One is attached to the grill left side and the other is stored off to the right. Not exactly what you want to have around when you've just flipped over your grill and set your yard on fire.

Thank God, the hose was only a few feet away since I'd been watering the potted herbs only hours before the calamity. I put out the fire as I yelled for HuzBen who has just woke up from a nap. Nothing like walking up to your shrieking wife and your yard being incinerated. (I'm sure he was saying to himself, "Yipee, less grass to cut!")

HuzBen held the hose as I turned off the propane valve and then we got the grill back upright. We scooped up the chicken flambe and mud caked utensils that went sailing several feet away when the grill hit the ground.

In the end no one was hurt and the house and yard are fine. I am very thankful it was the back wheel and not the front wheel or the grill would have tipped over on me. Nothing was broken and even the grill is fine, except for the piece of plastic flower pot that was on the ground and is now melted to the back of the lid. We did lose the chicken quarters but I played it safe and cooked the boneless chicken breasts on the stove and dinner wasn't even 5 minutes later. We still ate outside and dinner was wonderful. The recipe and an actual picture of last night's dinner are here. I love the smell of freshly torched grass in the evening.

So much for another day in the East Valley!

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey Mustard Sauce and Balsamic Vinegar Carmelized Onions

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Honey Mustard Sauce
And Balsamic Vinegar Onions

For Chicken-

Pound 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are of even thickness. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle lightly with garlic salt and paprika. Place directly on grill grate and cook until they are done.

Serve on a large toasted bun with Honey Mustard Sauce and Carmelized Balsamic Onions.


Honey Mustard Sauce

2 parts mayonnaise
1 part Dijon mustard
1 part honey

Balsamic Vinegar Carmelized Onions

2 large onions
2 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Slice the onions into rings and separate.

Take your largest, heavy, non-stick frying pan and heat it on med heat for about 3 minutes. Turn the heat to med/low

Place all the onions in the pan and drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar. Do not cover the pan. Every 8 to 10 minutes toss the onions to coat them with the vinegar.

It may take an hour for the onion to soften and carmelize – don’t rush it.

Rosaries For Life

Rosaries For Life is starting a 72 day Novena on November 10th. It will end on January 20th, Inauguration Day. The recent 40 Days for Life campaign showed just how much prayer can accomplish. Think of what 68,000,000 rosaries could do . . .

The following is from their blog - please go there and sign up to pray for our country.

http://rosariesforlife.wordpress.com/

"There are five specific intentions. You may specifically pray a specific mystery for a specific intention, or simply pray the whole rosary for all of the intentions. If possible, pray the rosary in front of the Blessed Sacrament. The intentions are these:

* For the triumph of the Culture of Life in the United States of America.

* For President-elect Obama, and for all of the leaders of the United States of America, that they will be led personally to Jesus Christ and His truth, and that they will lead our country in a positive direction. Or in other words, as Archbishop Wuerl said, “That our nation’s new leaders be guided in their decisions with wisdom and compassion and at the heart of all of their decisions may there be a deep respect for and commitment to the sanctity and dignity of all human life and support for the most vulnerable among us.”

* For the hearts, minds and SOULS of the American people, that they will be turned back towards Jesus Christ and the “least of His brethren”.

* For a renewal of the virtues of purity and self-control, especially among our youth.

* In reparation for the scourges of abortion, Embryonic Stem Cell Research, euthanasia, cloning, artificial contraception, and all manifestations of the Culture of Death, and especially in reparation for the support and/or complacency that we as American Catholics have shown to these evils.

I Timothy 2:1-2 -First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intecessions, and thanksgivings be made for all men - for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, godly, and respectful in every way.

Ephesians 6:11-13 - Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."