If you happen to be in the area of Willow, Alaska, you may catch a glimpse of a building that will make you wonder if you have been transported to the land of fairy tales — or at least the land of Dr. Seuss.
Known by locals as the Dr. Seuss House or the Willow Tower, it is an unfinished, 185-foot high structure that seems to be a gravity-defying stack of houses. It is owned by Anchorage attorney Phil Weidner, who designed it to be a home and an observatory. He began building it in the late 1990’s and spent fifteen years on the construction before taking a hiatus.
Weidner calls the project “The Goose Creek Tower,” due to its proximity to Goose Creek. From the observation deck on the top floor, viewers can take in a breath-taking view of Denali and the start of Aleutian Island chain.
So today is Thursday and I’m posting about what I created on Tuesday. Does that tell you how my week has gone so far? Anyway’s, Tuesday my wife and I had to babysit our two grandchildren Wednesday Renee 5 (Yes, that’s her real name, but we call her Winnie) and our grandson Finn who’s 2 and comparable to an F5 tornado with legs and arms. I had thawed out some chicken without any intent on how I was going to prepare it and I knew we wouldn’t be eating until later on that evening after my daughter came home and took the kids upstairs. (we live in a 2 family home and they live upstairs) so it was going to be a “wing it” kind of supper.
I made the kids a couple of grilled cheeses (Winnie says that my grilled cheeses are the best in the whole world) and rummaged through the fridge to get inspired. I came upon a small, unopened, container of Ricotta cheese, a pound of bacon and some fresh mushrooms. I also had a red pepper and some sweet onions as I always do, and despite the kids running around and my granddaughter asking me one hundred times if she could help me cook (she loves to cook), the creative juices began to flow and the light bulb above my head went form dim to bright.
I was going to make “Ricotta stuffed chicken wrapped in bacon.” Let the creating begin . . .
“Ingredients”
3-4 medium/large boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (you want them large enough to be able to cut a pocket)
Small container (about 1-1/12 cups) Ricotta cheese
1 lb bacon (about 10-12 strips)
1 onion (I used sweet) chopped
1/2 red pepper chopped
1 cup mushrooms (any kind) chopped
3 cloves garlic chopped
Salt, pepper or your favorite seasoning for the chicken
Butter (about 2 tbsp)
Toothpicks (optional and obviously not to eat)
“Putting It All Together”
Set oven to 350 degrees
Saute onions, peppers and mushrooms in pan with butter just until softened. Add garlic and saute a couple more minutes. Remove from stove top and let cool for a few minutes.
Veggie’s
Using a paring knife, start at one end of chicken breast and gently cut to the other side to form a pocket. Do not cut all the way through. Season both sides of chicken breast.
In a small bowl combine Ricotta cheese and cooked veggies. Mix well
On a piece of wax paper, lay out 3 strips of bacon
Take chicken breast and using a spoon stuff pocket with Ricotta mixture.
Place the stuffed breast over the 3 strips of bacon and bring the ends up to meet on top. Secure with toothpicks.
Place on cookie sheet or cast iron pan and then repeat process for remaining breasts.
Ricotta Mixture
bacon wrapped chicken before cooking
If you have any Ricotta or bacon left over, I just place it on top of chicken before baking it. (optional)
Place in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes. Remove from oven and let it sit for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Ricotta stuffed chicken with bacon
I hope you enjoy the music selection I’ve chosen for today, I’m calling it “Theme Song Thursday” Also, if you get a chance, please take a jog over to my other sites for some enlightening, funny and sometimes even educational post’s and pages; www.jamesrsirois.com “Blogging Around With The Original Domestic God” and
The record for the most snow to fall in one day occurred on April 14, 1921 in Silver Lake, Colorado.
The storm began at 2:30 pm, and by the same time the next day, residents were buried under 6.5 feet (2 meters) of snow.
The storm did not stop after 24 hours, however. It raged for a total of 32.5 hours, and by the time it was over, 8 feet (2.5 meters) of snow, which is the record for one continuous snowfall.
Performing all the tasks of the “Original Domestic God”can occasionally get, well . . . predictable and boring. (Cue really big yawn) and that includes cooking meals as well. And while it’s true that I have never in my life had a cooking lesson, I can, with great ease, comprehend the instructions written in a“how to manual,” er um . . . “recipe.”
This“Domestic God” has also become well-versed in morphing recipes and testing outnew food combinations that I believe will taste great. Yeah, sometimes that doesn’t go as planned and even my “Domestic dog and Domesticcat’s” won’t eat it. While my wife will politely come up with some excuse not to eat it, my middle daughter Sarah will come right out and say; “hey dad, what the hell did you make, this is terrible!” Then my wife will start to chuckle, I’ll laugh and soon we’re all laughing and I’m on the phone ordering a pizza.Luckily for me and my wallet, that doesn’t happen very often.
My “bacon, apple, stuffed, pork chops”is one of those recipes. I tweaked it just a little bit and the result was stupendous! The aroma that fills your house will make your mouth water (but not like when your mouth waters before you barf), but in a good way. So break out that tablet, iphone or pen and paper and get ready to write down this awesome recipe you can serve your family anytime. The prep work is a tad bit time consuming so don’t try to make this on a night when you’re pressed for time.
Ingredients for Bacon, Apple, Stuffed, Chops
“INGREDIENTS”
Cast Iron pan (my favorite, go-to pan or Dutch oven)
4-6 thick cut (1 1/2-2 inches) bone-in pork chops
3 sm/med apples (I use gala, but you can use what you like) cored and chopped
10 strips bacon cut into bite size pieces (before cooking), I actually used the whole package. There’s always room for more bacon! “Those who thinkbacon is bad for them should give up thinking!”
1 med red onion, chopped
3 sage leaves, finely chopped- 3 cloves garlic (1TBSP jarred, chopped garlic)- 2 stalks celery finely chopped- 1/4 cup chopped pecans- 2 tsp brown sugar- a few red pepper flakes (not too much now)
2-3 TBSP Lard
Toothpicks
Salt, pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika
“LET’S GET COOKING”
Set oven to 350 degrees
Melt lard over med heat and add bacon pieces. When bacon begins to crisp, add chopped apples and chopped red onions. Cook until the onions are softened and add garlic, chopped pecans, sage, pepper flakes and brown sugar. Cook an additional 3 minutes, remove from heat and transfer mixture to another pan or bowl to cool down.
Stuffing Mixture for Chops
While stuffing mix is cooling down, take your chops and using a sharp paring knife start at one end of the chop and wiggle the knife through it as you cut to the opposite end. You want to form a pocket 4-5 inches long and about 3 inches deep (about 70% of chop)
Next, season both sides of chops with salt, pepper, chili powder and smoked paprika. Put about 2/3 of the stuffing mixture in a separate bowl. The other 1/3 you have left over (if you don’t have to use all of it) you can put it on top of the chops later, but you don’t want the spoon/fork that’s touched the raw pork to touch the extra stuffing mixture.)
Take each seasoned chop and using a spoon or fork put as much of the stuffing mixture into the pocket as it will hold. Place toothpicks through chop to hold all that deliciously goodness in. Repeat with other chops. If you run out of stuffing mixture, use the other 1/3 you have set aside.
Heat the cast iron pan/Dutch oven over medium high heat. Place chops in pan and sear 2 minutes on both sides. Transfer pan/dutch oven into preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 30-35 minutes. If you have any stuffing mixture left over, evenly distribute it on top of chops and bake for another 5-6 minutes. Remove pan and let chops sit for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Bacon, Apple, Stuffed, Pork Chops
And for your listening enjoyment, how about some Carly Simon? I know you’ll like this song as much as I do and the title is so appropriate; “The Stuff (ing) That Dreams Are made Of!”
Or maybe you might like to hear some Weezer and . . . “Pork and Beans!”
Peace to you my fellow bloggers, foodies and Super Hero Mom & Dad Chef’s!
My second child, a girl, was born in January 2015. I felt the same instant rush of love I felt with my son two years previously – the same desperate need to protect, whatever the cost. Though, I know, this doesn’t always come at first.
But I would be fooling myself if I said I felt *exactly* the same about both my children instantly. My son was already a person – walking, talking. He had favourites and things that made him happy and things that made him sad.
My daughter cried. A lot. She had severe silent reflux and would sometimes scream from 2pm until she finally wore herself out at around 11pm. It broke my heart – but I found it hard to… enjoy her…in the same way my little boy brought joy with every new thing he learned. He found it incredibly difficult. He cried…
So, me and my entire family have put ourselves on a healthy eating regiment, hell bent on losing some serious weight we gained after our record breaking 112+ inches of snow. When you’re stuck in the house, you tend to cook totally awesome, comfort food. Notice I didn’t say healthy, just comforting. At the beginning it was tough as I had to end my affair with Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia, but wait, I found Ben & Jerry’s Cherry Garcia frozen yogurt (you can’t see me right now, but I’m doing my happy dance!)
Luckily, I am very creative and have worked out some recipes that are not only healthy, but taste great too! I used to think that combination couldn’t exist. I was wrong . . . it can. It just takes a little planning. For example last night’s dinner consisted of; Marinated pork chops cooked on the grill, Buttercup squash with maple butter and smokey, roasted, onion and garlic, red potatoes. Everything was delicious! I have also learned that the key to eating healthy and losing weight is everything in moderation.
Since beginning my healthy eating plan, I have lost about 11 pounds and boy I can’t believe how much better I feel. Watch for my next few post’s on how to tame your sweet tooth! Today’s music selection is going to be light . . .like me!
Last night was “Whip It Together Friday!” No, it had nothing to do with anything kinky or fetish like, unless you like rubbing BBQ chicken all over yourself? Anyway, I was really not in the mood to cook something that took dedication or a huge commitment last night so I went searching to find something I could “whip” up. Bing, Bang, Boom, . . some chicken tenders, a small container of ricotta cheese, a package of frozen pastry sheets, a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and an onion.
I seasoned the tenders, baked them in the oven and when they were done I tossed them in the BBQ sauce. While they were cooking, I defrosted the 2 pastry sheets, sliced half an onion and caramelized it and then combined the onions with the small container of ricotta. As soon as the BBQ chicken was all good, I rolled out the 2 pastry sheets and placed one on a lightly greased cookie sheet. I spread the ricotta mixture on the pastry sheet, added the BBQ chicken and then topped it with the cheddar cheese. Carefully, I placed the second pastry sheet on top of the first and using a fork, crimped it together. I made 3 small slits to vent it, brushed it with olive oil and sprinkled a little sea salt and Parmesan cheese on top.
Into the 375 degree oven it went for about 25 minutes and voila! A BBQ chicken thingamajig . . . I served it with a Cesar salad and it was “awesome!”
BBQ chicken Pastry
BBQ chicken ricotta pastry
I hope you enjoy the music to eat by tonight. Let me ask you this; “have yo got all your summer stuff together yet?” You do know, it’s right around the corner, right? Here, let me help you . . .come visit me at www.summeractivitiesandgamesforkids.weebly.com
If you don’t see what you’re looking for, just type it in the search box and hit enter . . .that’s it . . . and you’re off to a great start to the summer!
not sure why I posted this last video, it has nothing to do with chicken . . .I just had a wicked nostalgic flashback . . .I hope you like it anyway!
Do you like burgers? What kind? Are you a purest who likes a burger on a bun, void of any condiments or are you a pile as mush of everything you can on it burger lover? I enjoy both, it really depends on what kind of mood I’m in. A simple thin burger on a toasted bun with nothing on it can be just as satisfying as one loaded up with every condiment known to mankind. Grilling season has begun again (you can’t see me, but I’m jumping up and down with joy right now!) and it’s time to get creative with the burgers.
The “Jimbo Burger” is both easy to make and even better to eat. It’s so good that condiments are not required, but that doesn’t mean you can’t add them. You can put anything your heart desires on it, it’s your burger! What I like about this burger is its full, rich, taste. And because I’m on the “D” word, Ya, that’s “Diet” for all of you who don’t know what that is. Then again, if you don’t know what it is, you’ve probably never had to be on one! In that case . . . screw you! I’m just kidding, you’re lucky because “Diet’s” suck! Anyway, because I’m on the “D” word, a small Jimbo Burger is very satisfying.
So without further ado, here’s how you make a “Jimbo Burger Deluxe”
INGREDIENTS
1-2 pounds ground beef, depending on how many people you’re feeding. (I get the 85% lean burger as it still has a little bit of fat for flavor)
1 cup crushed Dorito’s (I use original cheese flavor, but you can use which ever one you want)
1 package dry onion soup mix
1 egg
1-2 TBSP steak sauce, your choice. (I use A1, but generic or even Worcestershire sauce is totally cool)
slices of cheese to top burger with (I use American, but you can use cheddar, low fat, Swiss, etc . . . )
Jimbo Burger Deluxe
85% lean ground beef
DIRECTIONS
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients except the slices of cheese. Mix well . . . I used my hands (clean of course) and form into patties. You can grill them, fry them, or whatever way you’re comfortable cooking them. Add the slices of cheese to top of burgers when burgers are done. Serve on a toasted sesame seed bun. The secret to a great burger is; A. Using your thumb, make an indentation in the center of your burger before cooking them. B. Place it on the grill or pan . . . and leave it alone! The reason some burgers come out crappy is because people feel the need to continuously flip them. That is not necessary! I flip my burgers 4 times max.
Jimbo Burger mix
Jimbo Burger Pattie
Jimbo Burger’s Deluxe
Before you head to my awesome music selection for today, I wanted to let you know about my website for “all things summer!” Summer is literally right around the corner so why not get prepared now? You can find anything and everything you need for summer without leaving your house! I humbly invite you to check it out! www.summeractivitiesandgamesforkids.weebly.com Go ahead, your kids will love you for it . . . and you just might find something for yourself!
So today’s music selection is obviously sticking with the burger theme so I hope you like it as much as I do. Enjoy!
If you have the time, after you check out my summer website, stroll on over to;
So there I was, putting all my ingredients together for my super special marinade, adding a little bit of this and a little bit of that, a dash here, a cup there and voila, finished! Happy that it was mixed the way I wanted it to be, I dashed over to the fridge and grabbed the package of pork chops. This was going to be great, they were going to be able to bathe in my delicious goodness all day before I grilled them on our new grill.
I placed the large, elixir filled, zip lock bag next to the chops and proceeded to open the package. I took my cooking tongs and picked up a chop to deliver it to its new home. I new something was wrong when the hair in my nostrils curled up and tried to hide, what was that smell? I picked up another chop and the smell of rotted flesh evaporated into a dark green cloud around me. Thinking that it might just be my age worn sniffer, I did the appropriate thing that any gentleman would do;. “Honey, can you come here for a minute, I need you to smell something for me?”
Being the awesome woman that she is, she happily came in from the living room to oblige. As she drew closer, I could see her eyes open up wide and begin to water. “What is that horrid smell?” she asked stepping back a few steps and gagging. “Oh, you smell it too?” I blurted out knowing full well that she was being overtaken by the noxious fumes. “I think the pork chops are bad! Well doesn’t that just suck out loud!” All my hard work to create the perfect marinade ruined by fetid, stinky, pork chops!
I checked the date on the package of chops as my wife ran around cleansing the air with a can of deodorizing spray and lighting every candle she could get her hands on. The expiration date wasn’t for four more days and I had just bought them yesterday. Major disappointment as I was looking forward to chops on the grill. It will be awhile before I buy another package of chops, that’s for sure. I think that horrible smell is permanently embedded in the lining of my nose. Anyways, I dropped my wife off at work and went back to the grocery store with my grocery receipt. They gave me back my money, no questions asked. I used that cash to buy a package of chicken and made it home to whip up another batch of my awesome marinade and soak the chicken in it. I was really anxious about opening the package of chicken, but all was good!
So the stinky pork chop sublimation was saved by the chicken and the story ended well. A delicious, delectable, supper was grilled and served without an issue. “There is nothing more gross than the smell of rotten, meat!”
perfectly grilled chicken
Before I direct you to our music for today, I’d like to remind you to please check out my other sites for more fun and excitement.
themusicalcookbook 