Yummy in my Tummy

So, this weekend we went hiking up around Amicalola Falls. It was beautiful. Just look at this sunrise!

After a weekend of chilly hiking I needed some comfort food! I decided to make the Ham and Cheese Macaroni Casserole with Peas from  this month's Cooking Light Magazine. I use a lot of their recipes. And if you know me, you know that I don't always follow the recipes. This was no exception. 

I decided to use spiral noodles instead of elbow macaroni, havarti instead of swiss cheese, and Pepperidge Farm herbed Stuffing instead of bread crumbs.   It turned out quite nicely, don't you think? I thought that the cheese was still a bit gloopy before it baked. But it worked out great. Also, the amount of servings was correct. I got 8 total. Dave and I are eating a lot of mac & cheese in our lunches!

Then I got a bit crazy and decided to make the Decadent Double-Chocolate Cake from CL too. I rushed and goofed on the order of ingredients. And I substituted the chocolate liqueur in the glaze for 1/8 cup of Kahlua. It turned out fine. I wouldn't take it to a party, but if I goofed it up and it tasted good , the recipe cooked properly should be great. I have been craving chocolate, and this has satisfied without too much fat or sugar! I mean I ate it for breakfast. Chocolate is a breakfast food right?

I am excited about this issue of Cooking Light. There are at least 12 recipes that I want to try. They all look and sound so good, and most of them not too complicated. 

Looks like the rest of the week is easy cooking. I will hit some of the CL recipes maybe by the end of next week. Until the next post, Happy Eating!

Sombrero Chicken

Ever since my friend Jennifer made her roast chicken I have wanted to post a picture of mine. We call it Sombrero Chicken. The "sombrero" was a wedding gift. It cooks a beautiful chicken. Here it is before roasting. I ran out of gray salt and used a packet of italian seasoning mix and stuffed a lemon in the cavity. It worked out great! And here it is after roasting. Beautiful and delicious! After we enjoy our Sombrero Chicken I always make a stock out of the bones. It can't be easier. Pull the meat off of the bones and keep it for leftovers. Then put the bones in a stock pot and cover them with water. I usually let them simmer for a good 2 hours. This makes a great stock that can be used for anything. I like to freeze it in ice cube tray for easy use later.

Also, our leftover chicken got made into chicken pot pie. It turned out beautiful too. For the pot pie, I sautee onion and celery in butter until softened. Then I add frozen mixed vegetables and cook them until they are cooked through. I add the chicken, a bit more butter, milk, cornstarch, a dash of marjoram and pepper. Then I put all of the ingredients into a ready made pie crust. top it, bake it at 425 degrees for about 35 minutes and you have a yummy pot pie!