My mom has given us asparagus from her garden when she has seen us recently, and I just love it!  It’s so delicious and tender, and I love finding new ways to fix it.  I love making it with my Venetian Apricot Chicken recipe (and it’s so much better than the store-bought stuff I had for those pictures).

I have also been baking it with olive oil, salt, garlic, and ginger.  I tried that with some orange bell pepper (unbaked picture above) and that was a delicious combination as well!  Another great way to make asparagus is this simple Asparagus and Onions recipe.

Have you gotten any fresh asparagus this season?

I am going to go out on a limb here, and share something silly that I like – my old, worn pot holders!

I don’t care for big oven mitts, and most pot holders are too stiff to be worth anything when trying to remove a dish or cookie sheet from the oven.  I have two old pot holders (they were passed to me from someone else) that are super thin and flexible, and I use them every day.

Burned, stained, I don’t care.  They are probably my most essential kitchen items!

Does anyone else feel the same way about pot holders, or am I completely crazy?

I hate, hate, hate the dirty feeling when I get to the car after shopping.  You know the feeling – you’ve handled lots of groceries or clothes that everyone else in town has handled, and you’re just dirty.

I always keep a package of wipes in my car and it truly is a sanity-savor!  Occasionally you’ll find coupons for them as well, and I’ve even gotten free samples.

and while we’re on the subject, I really like those car-size Kleenex boxed.  Genius.

strips of old t-shirts turned into a braided headband, learned here

I have a love-hate relationship with youtube.  I hate all the stupid videos and hateful comments, but…

I like all the re-purposing videos I find on youtube!

I want to sometime turn a pair of jeans into a skirt, turn a shirt into a skirt, and get that Old Hollywood Glam.

As far as kitchen tutorials, I love Anne Jisca‘s tips for peeling garlic quickly.

Do you have any favorite youtube tutorials or DIY videos?

I discovered this really cute blog.

On it, I found this really awesome recipe.

I made it tonight.

It was so worthwhile that I am staying up late to post about it.

Black Bean and Corn Roasted Salsa

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, mostly leaves
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup minced red onion (I used vidalia)
1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 14.5-ounce can fire roasted tomatoes, well drained
1/2 cup black beans
1/2 cup corn kernels
the juice of 1 lime*

Directions:

The original recipe called for the use of a food processor, which I don’t have.  I just used a knife, which is basically the same thing but it requires more elbow grease. If you do have a food processor, be sure to check out the original post for easier directions.

1. Chop the cilantro, garlic, onion, jalapeño, and tomatoes until they are very fine.  Combine in a bowl and stir in salt.

2. Add the beans, corn, and juice.  Stir well and enjoy served on tortilla chips.

* I used 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Today I will tell you…

how much I like wine glasses.  I love that wine glasses dress up any meal, no matter what you put in them. (All right, maybe not milk…)

Wine glasses (and candles) are two of my favorite easy ways to create a restaurant-like atmosphere at home.  That, and good food, of course!

The first think I want to share that I like love is Goodwill!  I love being able to snag slightly-used deals now and then, even though you won’t see me in Goodwill on a daily or weekly basis.

This week, however, I snagged two deals for $5 each:

A Kitchen Aid salad spinner:

and a Vera Bradley Lunch bag for work:

A quick wash and dry and it’s as good as new, minus the price tag!

What have been some of your favorite Goodwill finds?

I decided to make sweet potato hash browns when I wanted a slightly heartier breakfast than just eggs.  I don’t usually keep regular white potatoes on hand, but nearly always have sweet potatoes from my mom. (If I run out, I beg for more. )  They turned out well; I’m sure I’ll make them again.

Sweet Potato Hash Browns
Slightly adapted from this recipe

2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil.  Add sweet potatoes, and cook until they can be easily pierced with a fork buy still offer some resistance (3-5 minutes, depending on size).  Drain.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onions and sauté, stirring occasionally until onions are tender and golden brown.  Transfer onions to a small bowl; set aside.

3. Pour remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil into skillet, and place over medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 8 minutes.  Add reserved onions and cook about 2 more minutes.  Toss in parsley, and adjust the seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

We love the flavor of sweet potatoes.  I served these hash browns with easy fried eggs, and my husband also had toast but I chose not to.

Venetian Apricot Chicken!!

Doesn’t it sound and look delightful?

It is.

So I’ll share exactly how I made it – only slightly differently from the original recipe.

Venetian Apricot Chicken
from Olive Garden; serves 4

Apricot Sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup apricot preserves
salt and pepper to taste

Tomato Mixture
1/2 pound roma tomatoes, sliced and then each slice cut into fourths
6 basil leaves, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 teaspoon garlic pepper (I didn’t have this; I used about 1/2 granulated garlic, 1/2 black pepper)
salt to taste

Garlic Herb Seasoning
3 teaspoons garlic pepper
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning*

1 bunch asparagus, with the bottom inch of the stems removed
1/2 pound broccoli florets
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sprinkled with salt, pepper, granulated garlic, and olive oil
Chopped parsley to garnish, optional (I didn’t have it this time)

Directions:

1. Combine Garlic Herb Seasoning ingredients in a small bowl or measuring cup and set aside.

2. Blend chicken stock and apricot preserves in a sauce pan.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil and remove from heat.

3. Combine tomatoes, basil, garlic pepper, and salt in a separate mixing bowl and set aside.

4. Blanch asparagus and broccoli for 1-2 minutes in a pot of salted boiling water.  Transfer immediately to ice bath to stop cooking.

5. Coat sauté pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil.  While keeping ingredients separate in pan, heat cooled asparagus, broccoli, and tomato mixture until hot.  Do not overcook.

6. Grill chicken until internal temperature reaches 165ºF.  (I used my indoor panini grill, since that’s the only grill I have.  Click here to learn more of my tips about grilling chicken on an indoor grill.)

7. Place grilled chicken on a plate next to hot broccoli and asparagus.  Sprinkle Garlic Herb Seasoning on broccoli.  Pour tomato mixture on top of vegetables.  Top chicken breasts with apricot sauce and garnish with chopped parsley (optional).

We love the apricot sauce so much that we put it on our vegetables, too.

* I thought the Garlic Herb Seasoning made a little more than necessary; I didn’t use all of it.

Any suggestions on a favorite Olive Garden recipe I should try next?