Orange-Tarragon Chicken

Today's recipe is on the menu for Monday in the May/June 2011 issue of Cooking with Paula Deen magazine.  It was filled with a wonderful citrus-y sweet flavor.  Looking for a meal for a special occasion this is one that will be sure to win anyone over!  This chicken dish over pasta with a side of asparagus was definitely a winner in my book!

1 3/4 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 shallot, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 (16-ounce) package linguine, cooked and kept warm

1.  Cut chicken breasts in half crosswise, and pound to 1/4-inch thickness.  Sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2.  In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat.  Add chicken breasts, in batches if necessary, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove from skillet, and keep warm.

3.  Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet.  Add wine, and cook for 2 minutes, scraping browned bits from bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon.   Add orange juice, cream and tarragon.  Return chicken to skillet, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.  Slice chicken.  Serve over hot cooked linguine with steamed asparagus.

Not Your Average Bar

When you mention the word bar in reference to a wedding most people think you typical beer, wine and mixed drink bar.  While those are always expected, why not spice things up with a different type of bar???

Candy Bar:

These have been around awhile now, and are still always a hit!  The best candy bar I have ever seen had a bit of sentiment attached to it.  The bride and groom chose to only have candy on their candy bar that was favorites of their wedding party!  Take it a step further and add fun little cards on the candy table with blurbs about whose favorite candy it is and why they are special to you!

themeparty.com

Dessert Bar:

Not a huge candy fan, but love sweets?  Stock a bar with family favorites!  Homemade brownies, cobblers, pies and cakes; who can resist!

weddingbycolor.com

Biscuit Bar:

This fun twist is strictly southern ya’ll!  Pile delicious buttery biscuits on a basket with an assortment of honey, jelly’s, jam’s and flavored butter’s.  Leave some sweet little bags with miniature toppings so your guests can take them for the road!

100layercake.com

Soda Bar:

This is quite simple, yet festive for those who opt not to have an alcoholic bar at their wedding.  Provide flavored syrups, seltzer and empty bottles or pretty glasses for party goers to test their creations!

perfectweddingguide.com

Coffee Bar:

Having a winter wedding, adore coffee or plan to party until the wee hour of the morning?!? Then this is the bar for you!  Set out different blends of coffee, liquid and power flavorings, yummy toppings, hire a barista and serve this delight in monogrammed mugs with you and your sweeties name on one side and “the perfect blend” on the other!

weddepot.com





Jumping Jack's Sloppy Joes

This week begins the Cooking with Paula Deen, Dinners Planned for a Week Series.  That's right over the next 5 week's we will explore the recipes in Paula's May/June 2011 issue.  Please enjoy my experiences and more importantly the recipes!

To kick us off we will start with the "Thursday" menu which includes Jumping Jack's Sloppy Joes, Steak Fries and Pickle Spears.  This was without a doubt the best Sloppy Joe I have ever eaten ... WWAAAYYYY better than the canned stuff!  If you don't try any other recipe PLEASE try this one!

Jumping Jack's Sloppy Joes

2 pounds of ground chuck
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 (8oz) cans tomato sauce
1 (6oz) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons yellow mustard
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 hamburger buns

1. In a large skillet, combine ground chuck, onion, celery, and garlic.  Cook over medium heat until beef is browned and crumbly; drain.  Return beef mixture to skillet.

2.  Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, mustard, pepper and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.  Serve over hamburger buns with fries and pickle spears.

Here are some pictures of the magazine recipe and my process :-)

Father's Day Celebration

This weekend I was blessed with the opportunity to honor my father all weekend long!  After traveling to Maryland from North Carolina my family joined my father in an event his fraternity held on Saturday night.  We got all dressed up in our after 5 best and celebrated the mission of the mighty men of Omega Psi Phi in style.

Then Sunday after presenting daddy with a few new fun colored shirts & tie combos it was off to church with my aunt & uncle followed by a yummy father's day brunch.  My other aunt, uncle & family joined us and we enjoyed the day surrounded by family.  Our sweet father's menu was expertly put together by the host family and included a smorgasbord of goodies; Smoked Salmon Frittata, Confetti Egg Bake, Uncle Rob's famous pancakes, Grits, Turkey Bacon, Roasted Red Potatoes, Salmon Fillet, Baked Chicken, Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Sweet Tea & Champagne Punch.

It was a wonderful weekend for me spending time with an amazing family.  Leave a comment and tell me about your Father's Day Festivities!

Daddy posing in his purple suit with matching purple & gold tie after the Cabaret

Me, Daddy & My Sister after Church on Father's Day



Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Strips

Happy Thursday!  Today's recipe comes from my RR, sad to say this will be the last RR recipe for a while.  I thought it would be fun to do a weekly menu from a magazine, so next week I will be sharing my experiences with Paula Deen's 5 in a week from her magazine.

Right now I'm happy to share this kid approved recipe for Crunchy Parmesan Chicken Strips from the May 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray!  I made these this past weekend and they were delish!

A look at the recipe in the magazine 

The ingredients all lined up and ready to be dipped, coated and fried



Tenders in the fryer



All finished!



I LOVE SOUTHERN WEDDINGS

Hey ya'll!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!  Mine started off with a very exciting event for me ... A Yard Sale!  But not just any yard sale ... a SOUTHERN WEDDINGS yard sale!!! This is my FAVORITE Magazine & Blog EVER!!! Based out of Chapel Hill, NC these wonderful ladies thought it would be a great idea to host a yard sale while they were in the process of moving offices with all proceeds benefiting tornado victims & stop hunger now.  Needless to say I was super excited for Friday and picked up a few goodies myself!

My V2 & V3 Copy of SW Mag ... I placed a bid on V1, hope I won!

My goodies! 2 super cute cake stands & a set of pretty martini glasses with Cheerwine, copy of V2 and a yummy cupcake (not pictured) with a festive flag on top!

Close up of the cupcake decor!

Myself, Close friend & the ladies of SW Mag! (L-R) Lara, Me, Whitney, KaLeah & Emily

Sweet-and-Sour Chicken

Okay, so by now you know how much I love Rachael Ray!  Today I have another recipe out of her June/July 2011 issue of Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine.  Not a huge fan of Asian-esq cuisine, I thought this might be a delicious balance of what I like and a take-out type meal.  I tried this meal last week for dinner and was pleasantly surprised!  Look how my Sweet-and-Sour Chicken dinner turned out!

My scrumptious meal!

Look at the per peson price as qouted in the magazine!



A Touch of Romance

Look at this wedding that I did this past weekend.  The color scheme was very soft with White's, Ivory's, touches of silver and gold accented with shades of purple.  Once it was all said and done, the ceremony was sentimental, decor turned out beautifully, the cake was gorgeous, food was delicious and the party was live!

Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn

Every month I get excited to flip through Everyday with Rachael Ray.  In the new format they have this handy dandy weeknight meal planner in the June/July issue.  You pop it out of your magazine and into your purse/pocket take it to the grocery store complete with recipes and shopping list in one adorable package!!!  One recipe that caught my eye was the Penne with Grilled Summer Squash and Sweet Corn.  I tried it for dinner this week and it was delicious!  Try it for yourself!

The Weeknight Meal Planner straight from the Magazine





Rach as she prepares the dish on her show