I'm back!

I know. It's been forever! And we still aren't entirely done with the home projects. But things are under control enough that I have a few free moments again ... so yay!


I am currently contemplating all the veggies I will soon have. We have determined that our mystery squash plant is some sort of monstrous killer pumpkin plant. The thing has taken over half our garden and is growing into the yard now. Looks like we're going to have 30+ pumpkins. So, if you live in the Hillsboro area and are looking for pumpkins in about a month ... see me! Our corn, potatoes, green beans and tomatoes have just taken off. Finally starting to harvest some tomatoes, and I'm seeing signs of growth on the bean plants. I'm starting to get excited about all the produce I'm not going to be buying soon. In the meantime, though, we are eating lots of zucchini, since it's in season and fairly cheap.


Trying another new recipe today, and I figured I would pass it along. It's a pretty simple one, which is my favorite kind. And the cost is so minimal that it's almost laughable. Our entire dinner tonight will probably cost about $1.50.  I am borrowing this recipe from Dr. A's Habits of Health. I made a couple minor adjustments to fit what was in my pantry, but otherwise, this is it. Balsamic Glazed Chicken with Rosemary:


Two 6-ounce boneless/skinless chicken breasts (purchased frozen & on sale - about $1.00)
2 tbsp diced onion (which I don't have on hand, so I am substituting 1/4 tsp onion powder)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary, chopped fine (also don't have, so I substituted a couple dashes of some rosemary garlic seasoning I had in the spice cupboard)
1/4 tsp black pepper


Combine onion, garlic, vinegar, pepper, water, oil and rosemary in a bowl. Add chicken and marinate for 2-3 hours or overnight. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry. Heat grill or set broiler to high and cook chicken for 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook for 3-4 minutes more or until cooked through. Remove from heat and serve. Makes 2 portions (I threw in a couple extra ounces of chicken, so there's enough for a toddler portion).


I plan to dice the chicken and add it to a salad - lettuce, spinach, mushrooms and tomatoes. Probably not even 50 cents worth of food, but we'll say it is, just because. :-)


Check back tomorrow. I'm planning one of my new vegetarian recipes and will be posting the recipe. I almost wish I'd made it today, because just reading the recipe has had my mouth watering for the last 3 days!