Recipe Friday: Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

The weather in Illinois is still cold and rainy one day while nice and spring like the next. This soup is a nice pick me up/warm me up kind of meal.

Chicken Vegetable Barley Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces

1 teaspoon poultry seasoning

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 ½ cup chopped fresh mushrooms

2 celery stalks, diced

1 cup chopped carrot

½ cup chopped onion

½ cup chopped pepper (red, green, yellow, or orange)

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons dried basil, crushed

1 teaspoon dried parsley, crushed

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

6 cups chicken broth

1 lbs potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 2 ¾ cups)

½ cup quick cooking barley

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, toss chicken breast pieces with poultry seasoning; set aside
2. In a Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, pepper, garlic, basil, parsley, and black pepper. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove vegetables from Dutch oven; set aside.
3. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to Dutch oven; heat over medium head. Add chicken pieces and cook for about 5 minutes or until browned; stir occasionally.
4. Return vegetables to Dutch oven. Add broth and bring to boil.
5. Add potatoes and barley to Dutch oven, return to boil, and reduce heat.
6. Cover and simmer about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
7. Makes 8 (1 ½ cup) servings.

Happy Eating!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Recipe Friday: Chicken Tamale Casserole

The one thing I miss about living in Arizona is all the wonderful Mexican and Southwestern foods. Since moving back to Illinois, I haven’t been able to find anything like it. A friend of mine sent me a recipe and said it was “pretty close” to the real thing so I should try it.

Of course, I tweaked it a bit to have more fiber and some more spices. So here you have the updated, almost “Mexican” version of Chicken Tamale Casserole.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Ingredients:

      1 1/2 cup pre-shredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided

      1/3 cup fat-free milk

      1/4 cup egg substitute or one egg

      1 teaspoon ground cumin

      1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper

      1 (14 3/4-ounce) can cream-style corn

      1 (8.5-ounce) box corn muffin mix (such as Martha White)

      1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chilies, drained

      Cooking spray

      1 (10-ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)

      2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast (seasoned with your favorite spices)

      1 can black or kidney beans, drained

      1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. Combine 1/2 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chilies) in a large bowl, stirring just until  moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set.
4. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour ½ can of enchilada  sauce over top. 
5. Mix chicken, beans, and remaining ½ can of enchilada sauce together. Pour over top of corn bread mixture.
6. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese. 
7. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. 
8. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes.
9. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream 

Happy Eating!!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Remembering Grandma - Sharing the Love of Baking

I found out today that a friend of mine's grandma passed away. It got me starting to think about my grandma and the things I had in common with her. The one thing that always stood out was our mutual love of baking.

Grandma Lena (my dad's mom) made the best cookies and would share them on birthdays and special occasions. At Christmas time, she would fill large tins of cookies and present them to each of her children. My dad would tease us and say "since my name is on the tin, that must mean they are all for me". The greatest joy was my first Christmas away from home and receiving a package with cookies especially made just for me by my grandma.

I still remember the first time she let me watch her make a batch of her famous honey cookies. She would take out a TV tray, measure out all the ingredients using her hands as measuring utensils, and sit in her favorite chair while mixing the ingredients by hand. I was always amazed at how each cookie would come out the same size and perfectly baked.

As the years went by, I too learned how to make cookies, cakes, pies, and other desserts while experimenting in my mom's kitchen. To this day, I can't remember a time when I don't volunteer to make a friend a birthday cake or sign up at work to bring in the dessert goodies for a potluck.

In honor of my grandma, I wanted to share with you a simple cake that can be enjoyed on a relaxing Sunday while visiting with family or shared with special friends.

Double-Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

 Ingredients:

1 box (2-layer size) lemon cake mix

1 pkg.  (3 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Gelatin

1-1/4 cups water

1/2 cup  oil

4 eggs

1/4 cup  poppy seed

1/2 cup (1/2 of 8-oz. tub) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese Spread

2 Tbsp.  butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

2 Tbsp.  shredded peel and 1 Tbsp. juice from 1 lemon, divided

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees
2. Beat first 5 ingredients in a large bowl with a mixer until well blended.
3. Stir in poppy seed. Pour into well-greased and lightly floured 12-cup fluted tube pan or 10-inch tube pan.
4. Bake 50 minutes to 1 hour or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.
5. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Loosen cake from sides of pan with knife. Invert cake onto wire rack; gently remove pan. Cool cake completely.
6. Beat cream cheese spread and butter with mixer on low speed until well blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and lemon juice. Spread over top of cake. Garnish with peel.
7. Store cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Remember in the fast paced world we live in to stop and smell the roses, spend time with loved ones, and teach a young child your talents.

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

BESTeam Weekly Feature – CK Silver

Come check out this week's BESTeam featured site CK Silver.

This shop incorporates things from Cindy and Marilyn, a daughter and mother team. They love creating classic pieces of jewelry that you'll be proud to wear anytime and anywhere.

At CK Silver you will see beautiful handcrafted sterling silver jewelry that is timeless and elegant in nature. Most pieces incorporate sterling silver, freshwater pearls, semi-precious stones, and Swarovski crystal. Each piece of jewelry is unique and many are one of a kind.

CK Silver’s primary inspiration is the beauty of nature, and the amazing richness of creation that we find all around us. Custom orders welcome, and all birthstones are available either in the stone itself or in Swarovski crystal.

Midnight Remembrance Silver Cross, Onyx, and Brecciate Jasper Necklace

This necklace is a beautiful combination of red brecciate jasper, black onyx, and sterling silver. It features a beautiful sterling silver cross wire-wrapped for strength and beauty on a 35mm brecciate jasper pendant.

Wedding Dance Sterling Silver Earrings

These earrings make you think of a bride & groom dancing at their wedding in their glorious attire. They are hand wire-wrapped with sterling silver wire and incorporate freshwater pearls & genuine rubies.

Tantalizing Fire and Ice Sterling Silver Bracelet

This bracelet is beautiful and dainty, and designed in a timeless fashion. It incorporates freshwater pearls and red jasper beads wire-wrapped in sterling silver for the most tantalizingly beautiful look.

These are only a few of the wonderful pieces of jewelry available. Please check out the rest of this beautiful collection at CK Silver and also take the time to view the CK Silver blog where there is a new feature “where CK Silver will bring you beautiful pairings of jewelry and clothing or accessories.”

Happy Shopping!

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Link Up LOVE Party

READY.....SET....LOVE/COMMENT....LINK....ADD the LINK to your BLOG!!! 

***Guidelines***
1. Follow EVERYONE's blog in the Linky Tool
2. Leave a comment
3. Add the link below to your blog post
4. Get ready for lots of new blog friends!

Have fun blog hopping and posting comments of "love" and "appreciation" along the way
Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Girl Onesie Mini Book

My brother-in-law's sister Julie is having a baby girl and I had to try my hand at making a baby onesie mini album for her. It took me a bit to get the rounded neck and leg openings to look just right, but I am ecstatic about the way things turned out.

I also made her a folded baby card with bookmark tags filled with nursery rhymes.

It was such a crowd pleaser that now I am working on making a few of the mini books and cards for our Etsy shop. I will definitely let everyone know when those get posted.

Creativity Bug ~ Sue

Featured Freebies for the Week of April 11th

Happy Monday!

Here are a few digital images and printable freebies we found on blogs and other places on the web.

Beccy's Place features a Basket filled with eggs just in time for Easter

Edible Crafts shares a Party Printable set

Making Our Mark has an Easter Bunny digital image

Altered Scrap is featuring a butterfly image

May Brit's Hobbyblog has a bear in a buggy which would work great on baby cards or pages

Sliejke is featuring a kitty, puppy with wagon, mole in flowerpot, and love birds images

If you have any links to fabulous freebie digitals, printables, etc. that you would like to share please feel free to include the link in our comment section.

Happy Crafting!!
Creativity Bug ~ Sue