Hip Hop Violinist

For those of you that have not seen this video it is AWESOME! Man can this girl play, she is amazing!

Radio Contest

I LOVE listening to the radio and trying to call in for the contests. 2 years ago I won Kelly Clarkson tickets, which was a blast. Yesterday I was listening the 104.4 my fm and they had a contest to see if you could identify the celebrity. The clue was that they were a actor/actress that has also been on Broadway. The second I heard the clip I knew who it was. I called in and on my 1st call I got through. I could not believe it the first call, that NEVER happens. I told them my guess which was Mario Lopez. They had me hold for a LONG time then finally Valentine came on the radio and asked what my guess was I told him who I thought and guess what I was right. I won 2 tickets to see Minksy's at the Ahmanson Theater and a $75.00 gift card for dinner at CIUDAD. I am way excited to eat at CIUDAD the owners are know as the Too Hot Tamales (for those of you that watch foodnetwork). I know it will be an AMAZING meal!

Recipe Wednesday

I have been trying ALOT of new recipes this week. They all have been great. I will post 2 this week and save some for next week they all come from My Kitchen Cafe. She has great recipes they are easy to follow and all the ones that I have tried my family LOVES.

The first one is Sweet and Sour Chicken. This was a huge hit with my family. The chicken is tender and the sauce is perfect.

We served it over rice with a little bit of extra sauce that I

made on the stove.

Delani who NEVER eats any meat was asking for seconds.

The chicken is so moist and tender you can cut it with a fork.

Sweet and Sour Chicken :

3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Salt and pepper

1 cup cornstarch

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup canola oil

Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Put all the chicken and the cornstarch in a Ziploc bag smooch all around till chicken is covered then dip in egg. Fry in a little oil until brown but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sauce ingredients (below) together and pour over chicken.

Sauce:

¾ cup sugar

4 tablespoons ketchup

½ cup vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Bake for one hour at 325 degrees. Turn chicken every 15 minutes. If you like extra sauce, make another batch of sauce and bring it to a boil on the stove top. Stir constantly and let cook over medium heat until thickened and reduced - about 6-8 minutes.

The next one is another favorite of mine. My family loves broccoli so this was a great way to make it. The sauce is creamy and smooth and the broccoli just pushed it over the edge. This would be a great base for any kind of veggie soup.

Broccoli Cheese Soup 1 can chicken broth

1 small onion, diced

1/3 c. flour

1/4 c. butter

Pepper to taste (I used about 1/2 teaspoon)

2 c. milk (I used 2% with great results)

1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (the sharper the better for flavor - I used mild cheddar and hopefully next time will have sharp cheddar on hand)

1/2 c. shredded Swiss Cheese

Steamed chopped broccoli (the amount of broccoli really boils down to preference - I wanted a lot of broccoli in my soup, so I chopped and steamed approximately 2 1/2 to 3 cups of broccoli florets)

Simmer chicken broth and chopped onion for 15-20 minutes in a covered small saucepan, until onions are soft. Heat milk in microwave for 1-2 minutes. In a separate medium-sized stockpot, melt butter then add flour and pepper. Cook together for a couple of minutes, then whisk in warmed milk. Stir and heat together on medium-high heat until soup starts to thicken. Next add chicken broth and continue to stir until well blended. Add cheeses and steamed broccoli. Serve immediately. Makes approximately 4 servings

Artisan Bread Bowls adapted from King Arthur:

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup nonfat dry milk

2 teaspoons yeast

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons oil

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water, enough to make a smooth, soft dough Let yeast dissolve in warm water until creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients—by hand, mixer or bread machine— and knead till you've created a smooth dough.Allow the dough to rise, covered, for 45 minutes; it should become puffy. Divide the dough into 5-6 pieces, depending on how large you want your bread bowl to be. Roll each piece into a ball. Place on a lightly greased or parchment covered baking sheet.Cover the bread bowls with greased plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 4 hours (or up to 24 hours); this step will give the bread bowls extra flavor, and a delightfully crisp-chewy texture. Two or more hours before serving, remove the bread bowls from the refrigerator. Uncover, and let them sit for about one hour while you preheat the oven to 425°F.

Just before baking, slash the top surface of the bowls several times with a sharp razor/knife to allow them to expand. Bake for 22 to 28 minutes, until the bowls are deep brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Remove from the oven, and cool on a rack.

Italian Bread Bowls adapted from allrecipes.com

1 1/2 tablespoons yeast

2 1/2 cups warm water

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

7 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornmeal

1 egg white

1 tablespoon water

In a large bowl (or bowl of an electric mixer), dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes. Add salt, oil and 4 cups flour to the yeast mixture; beat well. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well with an electric mixer at medium speed after each addition until a soft but not sticky dough is formed (you may not need to use all 7 cups). When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 6 minutes (or let knead in an electric mixer). Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 40 minutes. Punch dough down, and divide into 6-8 equal portions. Shape each portion into a round ball. Place loaves on lightly greased baking sheets sprinkled with cornmeal (or use silpat liners or parchment paper). Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 35 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, beat together egg white and 1 tablespoon water; lightly brush the loaves with half of this egg wash. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Brush with remaining egg mixture, and bake 10 to 15 more minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks.

I have yet to make either one of these bread bowls. They are on my list of things to make in the next week. Just thought I would add the recipe for those of you that would like to have the soup in one. ENJOY I know my family did!

Source: My Kitchen Cafe

New Years Resolutions

Every Year I make New Years resolutions and EVERY Year by January 5th they are broke. So this year I decided to make resolutions that were actually attainable, and I have yet to break them. Most of them are boring things but one that I have made is every month to take a family outing to somewhere new. Somewhere, where we have never been or the girls have never been. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money, just being together will make our family stronger. So for the month of January we went down to Pasadena and looked at the Rose Parade Floats. I have grown up in Cali and have ever done this. I have been to the Rose Parade but this was much different. You were so close to the floats and could see all the hard work that had gone into making them beautiful. If you think they are beautiful when you watch them on TV multiply that by 100 and that is how much more beautiful they are in person. My favorite float pictures are posted. Leave me a comment on fun things you have done with your family!