BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Justin requested this twice in one week. A tip I learned recently: to make the perfect shredded chicken, bake the chicken and then put it in the kitchen aid using the flat beater. Let the mixer work it for a few seconds, watching for your desired consistency. For these sandwiches I like it a little chunky. It only takes about two seconds to go from chunky to finely shredded so you have to watch closely! Finely shredded is not bad either, Justin actually prefers it to chunky.
I can't call this a recipe, really, more of an equation, since I just use Lefty's Spices, LLC BBQ sauce. It's our favorite here in DC.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

shredded chicken + bbq sauce + hamburger bun = happy husband.

Easy Peasy

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

I got this from under the cap of the Quaker Oats container. It works for me. I only made half a batch for our little family, and it was perfect. Mason helped me make them and it was adorable.

Vanishing Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
from Quaker Oats

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tbsp butter, softened
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
• 3 cups Quaker Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins

Heat oven to 350°. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla; beat well

Combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Pour large bowl with sugar mix; mix well.

Add oats and raisins; mix well with spoon, not mixer.

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Bar cookies: Bake 30-35 minutes in ungreased 9x13 inch metal baking pan.

Notes: In DC I baked these for 10 minutes one pan at a time, and they were perfect.

Spicy Roast Chicken

Always looking for new things to do with a chicken breast-- Justin liked this a lot. I changed a few things from another recipe.

Spicy Roast Chicken

• 24 ounces whole cherry tomatoes (about 4 cups), stemmed
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 5 garlic cloves, pressed
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper
• 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
• 4 bone-in chicken breasts (10 to 12 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 can of diced tomatotes
  

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Toss the tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Add diced tomatoes.

2. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the tomato mixture over the chicken, arranging the tomatoes in a single layer on the sheet around the chicken. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and the tomatoes are blistered, about 35 minutes.

3. Transfer the chicken to plates. Spoon the tomatoes and juices over the chicken. Serve.

Note: I added the diced tomatoes to make it more saucy. I would like this without as well.

Chick-Fil-A Carrot and Raisin Salad

Tried this for the first time on a road trip. Delicious!

Chick-Fil-A Carrot and Raisin Salad

• 4 cups finely shredded carrots
• 1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, with juice
• 1 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Chill all ingredients except sugar at least 30 minutes. Dissolve the sugar in the pineapple, then combine everything gently in a large bowl. May be refrigerated up to 72 hours. Serves 8.

NOTE: Fresh carrots are the secret, according to Chick-Fil-A.

Sugar Cookies

A friend made these for me and Justin said they were the best cookies he's ever eaten. So I got the recipe:

Sugar Cookies
by Lethe Bradshaw

• 2- 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 cup butter softened
• 1-1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg

Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes. They will bake on the pan when you take them out. She overcooked them by two minutes when she made them for us. :)

Smothered Chicken n Bacon

I made this tonight when I didn't think about dinner until after 6pm. I just threw this together with what I had on hand and Justin really liked it. Not the healthiest, but yummy. I used chicken that had already been grilled and then frozen tonight, but I'm writing the recipe as if I started with fresh chicken.

Smothered Chicken N Bacon
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

• Chicken Breast
  
• Sriracha Chili Sauce (or other favorite hot sauce)
  
• Ranch Dressing
  
• Bacon
• Cheese of choice

Preheat oven to 375. Grill chicken breast. Lay grilled chicken on pan (I cover my pans with aluminum foil to reduce cleanup.) Put small amount of hot sauce on chicken. Squirt quarter-size amount of ranch dressing on top of that. Tear one strip of bacon in half and lay the halves side-by-side over the chicken. Cover chicken with cheese. I used shredded mozzarella tonight. Cook for about 10 minutes, until cheese is melted and bacon is cooked.
Notes: Bacon bits can be substituted for bacon for more color on top of the cheese. I added a strip of bacon on the side of the pan to help me know when the bacon was fully cooked since I couldn't see it under the cheese.

French Toast Ooh-la-la

I had this at a hotel and tried to copy it the best I could.

French Toast Ooh-la-la
by Brooke Cheesman Hochstein

• 4 slices of bread
• 2 cups corn flakes (if large flakes, crush them a little)
• 2 eggs
• 2 glubs of milk (Dad's term)
• Cinnamon
• Fresh fruit of choice

Preheat oven to 375. Break the eggs in one bowl, glub the milk in, mix it up. Add a dash of cinnamon to the mix. In another bowl or on a plate with a rim, pour the corn flakes. Dip one piece of bread, make sure it is totally covered, but do not let it get so soggy that it falls apart. Then drop the bread in the corn flakes and flip it around until it is completely covered in flakes. You should not see much bread when you are done. Place bread on a cookie sheet. Repeat for all four pieces of toast.
Bake at 375 for 5-10 minutes or until egg is cooked through.
Top with syrup and/or fresh fruit (strawberries, bananas, and blueberries are my favorite).