Jessica

Hobo Chicken & Rice

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This was an experiment that turned out wonderfully! I’ve been making tin foil dinners for about forever, but rice never really seemed like it was a viable option since it requires so much water.. even instant rice, but modern day offers a lot of options. So we tried a new experiment.

We used chicken with instant flavored rice, some veggies and
it worked like a charm. The chicken was moist and flavorful; the rice perfectly
cooked and while the broccoli was slightly over done, I won’t complain I mean
it was so easy and delicious.

We used Uncle Ben’s Ready Rice because the instructions required no
additional water to cook, so we thought it might work in the foil, and it did,
wonderfully. In preparing this meal I cut up the chicken ahead of time and
tossed it with the oil, salt and pepper in a small ziplock bag before tossing
it in the freezer. We do this to ensure our food stays fresher on our camping
trips, and we have less work to do in the woods.

Hobo Chicken & Rice

1 chicken breast, cut into bit size pieces

½ a package of instant, flavored rice

1 cup cut vegetables of choice

Take two large sheets of tin foil and place one on top of
the other. Place the chicken in the middle along with oil, salt & Pepper.
Toss the chicken to coat. Add rice on top and vegetables. Bring the sides of
the top piece of foil up together and roll downward to create a closed tube.
Roll the side openings up to seal the tube and flip the package over. Repeat
the same folding technique with the other piece of foil and place packet on hot
coals. Cook for 20 minutes or so turning and flipping the package regularly. Remove
from heat and allow the package to cool for a minute before opening. If you
open the package and the chicken is not thoroughly cooked refold the package
and return it to hot coals until the chicken is fully cooked. (Serves 1)

Brody Story: Camping at our Secret Spot

By Jessica

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Oh HAIIIIIIII EVERYONE!!

Hi!

Hi Hi HI!

Brody here!

I’m back again to tell you about the awesome weekend I had with my parents last weekend. I may still be recovering from all of the fun; I’ve been sleeping for days.

On Friday morning my parents packed everything we needed up and headed into the woods. I even had my food and bowls packed up for the trip. We hiked into our secret spot and set up camp, well Mom and Dad set up camp, I had some discovering to do.

There were so many sticks you guys! So. Many. Sticks.

One of my favorite things to do was swim in the lake. Whether my parents were tossing sticks for me to get or not I was in that water every chance I got.

On the third day this big spiky thing came into camp and I had to bark and growl at him to get him to go away. Mom said it was a porcupine. I’m pretty sure is was a bear. It was terrifying, but luckily I have a pretty big bark and he moseyed his little tush right outa there.

It was really nice to see my parents without their cell phones, or TV, or computers around. They were able to pay so much more attention to me, and I could tell they are so much more relaxed now. I think we need to do this more often.

I can’t wait to head back next year.

Until the next adventure.

Brody out-

The Wedding Location

By Jessica

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Well ladies and gents it’s official; we chose a location for our wedding and it only took us 10ish months.

I knew planning a wedding would be tough, but I hope it gets easier from here on out. For us the big problem is that our families are centered about 1.5 hours apart, which is just far enough to make it really hard to pick a location. Do you choose something equidistant? 45 minutes is still a fairly long ride, especially for a DD. Do you choose one town and make the other family drive? But then how do you choose one side or the other? And you will upset a person with any of these options, that’s just a fact of the matter. I wish someone told me to be prepared for that one.

In the end money and hotel location made all the difference. The local Elk’s Club is perfect for our budget, and so close to downtown, hotels, and major highways. And added plus is that is it beautiful! I really wanted to avoid places that had fancy chandeliers and designed carpets, because I was afraid they would contrast with the feel of the wedding that I want (rustic). Besides I didn’t want my wedding to feel just like 10,000 other weddings that are held at those kinds of venues. This place is like a blank canvas, with super high, white ceilings that have pot lights and a basic carpet floor. Decorating is probably the part I am most excited about. I even created a whole Pinterest board for it already.Now that, that is out of the way I really hope the rest of the planning goes smoothly. There is still 13 more months to go so there’s plenty of time for a big catastrophe. I suppose we will have to wait and see.

Barbecue Grilled Chicken Salad

By Jessica

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I have a pretty huge obsession with barbeque, I mean who wouldn’t? It’s saucy, for one you can change it up however you like, a little sweeter, a bit more of a vinegar bite, or bring on the heat. Plus it’s super versatile. I mean you don’t just have to use it in conjunction with the grill. I have slathered it on grilled cheese, and even baked with it.

This time around I wanted to lighten it up with salad. I love salad, but Chuck isn’t as sold as I am on the stuff, and prefers somethingheartier, so most of the time our salads are pretty loaded down (example 1, 2, & 3) with an abundance of vegetables, cheeses, croutons, and meat sides, remember it’s all about compromise.

I have been making this salad for years, and I’m sure that

it is nothing new to you guys after all, the concept is pretty basic. It’s getting the ratios down that takes time. I think I finally have it; the perfect balance of ingredients.

I personally think it’s so well balanced that dressing isn’t even necessary. There are so many flavorful, creamy components that it would be just overkill. However I know not everyone feels that way, so a light drizzle of olive oil might be in order.

Barbecue Grilled Chicken Salad

Prep time: 1 hour

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 1 hour 10 mins

Serves: Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup BBQ Sauce
3 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 cups chopped romaine lettuce
3 cups baby spinach
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 medium cucumber, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1/4 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup frozen corn, defrosted
1 avocado, cut into 1 inch pieces
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles

Instructions

Trim the chicken of fat and place in a covered bowl with about barbecue sauce to marinade, at least half an hour.
Cook on a preheated grill for 4-5 minutes a side, or until the juices run clear, basting with sauce regularly.
Meanwhile toss all vegetables together in a large bowl and top with avocado and blue cheese.
When the chicken is done, and cooled cut it into bite size pieces and top the salad.
Serve immediately with your choice of dressings.

Your First Week Back to School Meal Plan

By Jessica

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I’m not in school any more, but I have some friends and
cousins whose kiddies are getting ready to pack themselves up and head back.
That first week can be stressful, everyone is trying to adjust to the new
schedule, and it’s hard, that part I remember.

I thought I could help those of you who are going to be
thrown head first into it by putting together a super easy 7 day dinner meal
plan. This post tells you what to cook and when, with links to all the recipes.. Everything can be cooked in under 30 minutes
and feeds a family of four.

I know it’s awesome.

I added some suggestions and tricks under each recipe so be
sure to read through those before you get started.

Sunday – One Pan Chicken Pot Pie

Swap out the Chive biscuits in this one for the premade kind
that you can just unwrap and place on top. Also you can swap the celery, and
carrot for frozen mixed vegetables that you can stir in when you add the frozen peas,
less chopping and lots of time saving.

Monday – Crock Pot Korean Beef w/ Rice

You can trade the individual sauce ingredients (soy, sesame,
etc.) for a premade sauce or marinade like hoisin sauce or teryiaki if you would like, but this one is already pretty easy. Also make some extra rice for Wednesday’s recipe.

Tuesday – South West Meatball Skillet

Don’t have all the necessary spices? Just grab a packet of Southwest
taco or fajita seasoning instead. Super easy.

Wednesday – Shrimp Fried Rice

To keep costs down make extra rice on Monday and use that
for this recipe, instead of the instant rice.

Thursday – Steak Salad w/ Dijon Vinaigrette
Cooking steak only takes a few minutes, and you can buy a couple bags of salad, and serve this with a baked potato or side of crusty bread for a complete meal, then serve the leftover bread on Friday with the soup.

Friday – Minestrone Soup w/ Bread
This recipe is super versatile so here you can use frozen vegetables instead of chopping the celery and carrot. Just add it in with the spinach and you are all set.

Saturday – Tomato Sausage & Bean Stew
There’s really no corners to cut with this one, it’s already so easy.

These are just some ideas I have had, but they are a lot of
work, so I don’t want to dive into them if you guys don’t find them useful.

Jessica

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