Hi Myrna & Mary Evelyn,

Sorry to be so Tardy getting back to you, but Adland's at it again. Every few months they seem intent upon making me change my email address, so they stop sending me the notifications for awhile. So, I change my email for a couple of days, then a few days later, I go back to my original email and Abacadabra! Presto Chango! It Works Again!

This doesn't happen anywhere else but here at Adland, so I know it's not the fault of my email providers. Go Figure!

Anyway, I'm glad you all liked the Soup Stock recipes and pointers and I appreciate the Chuckle, Mary Evelyn. I don't think I've got another Recipe left in me tonight, but just for laughs, here's a Reprise of the

Baked Chicken with the Popcorn Stuffing

6-7 lb. baking chicken
4 ozs. melted butter
4 ozs. cup stuffing
4 ozs. uncooked popcorn
Salt/pepper to taste
______________________________

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brush the chicken well with the melted butter and season all over with salt, and pepper.

Fill the cavity with the stuffing and the popcorn all mixed together.

Place the chicken in a baking pan with its neck-end toward the back of the oven.

Now listen for the popping sounds.

When the chicken’s rear end blows the oven door open and the chicken flies across the room, it is done.

And you thought Men couldn’t cook!

Hope Your Week's Been Great & Your Weekend's Super,

Phil

Hi Friends,

It's Friday night, so let's do something Short & Spicy. First of all, the cheese is not just on top of these yummy little burgers, it's inside too! They taste great. Then, just add these spicy baked fries. Very easy to make, and a great way to kick up your burger platter.

Mini Cheeseburgers

Ingredients

• 1 pound lean ground beef
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1 egg
• 1 pinch garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup ketchup

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. Mix ground beef, 1/2 cup ketchup, 1/2 cup shredded cheese, egg, and garlic powder in a large bowl. Form mixture into 1 inch balls, and gently press onto prepared baking sheet to form mini-burgers.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Spread remaining ketchup on burgers, and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Return burgers to the oven, and bake until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes.

Spicy Chili French Fries

Ingredients

• 4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch thick fries
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup tomato-vegetable juice cocktail
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons dried onion granules
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a large baking sheet.
2. Fill a large bowl with cold water, add the potatoes, and allow to soak for 10 minutes.
3. Whisk together the oil, vegetable juice cocktail, chili powder, ground cumin, onion granules, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Drain the potatoes, and pat dry with paper towels. Toss the potatoes with the oil and spice mixture; stir until evenly coated. Arrange fries in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
4. Bake fries in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Turn and continue to bake until browned and crispy, about 20 additional minutes.

Have A Wonderful Weekend,

Phil

For today's Dinner, we'll start with these Chicken breasts dipped in garlic butter and Cheddar bread crumbs. One of my favorites and I've never had any leftovers.

Garlic Cheddar Chicken

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 8 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - pounded thin

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat, and cook the garlic until tender, about 5 minutes.
3. In a shallow bowl, mix the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, Cheddar cheese, parsley, oregano, pepper, and salt.
4. Dip each chicken breast in the garlic butter to coat, then press into the bread crumb mixture. Arrange the coated chicken breasts in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with any remaining butter and top with any remaining bread crumb mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink and juices run clear.

Next, for a simply delicious Vegetable, try these Roasted Garlic and Asparagus, prepared in a neat packet. You can omit the wine and decrease the garlic and oil if desired, but I will say that the flavor is Great, the way it is prepared here.

Roasted Asparagus and Garlic

Ingredients

• 12 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 3 cups diagonally sliced asparagus
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Tear off 6 large pieces of foil. Divide garlic, olive oil, wine, asparagus, and thyme and arrange them on each piece of foil. Fold over each foil packet to seal. Place the packets on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes until the asparagus is tender, but still a little crisp. Carefully open packets and serve asparagus with juices poured on top.

Finally, with quick-cooking rice, this is a speedy side dish, but the almonds make it special enough to serve to company. It goes well with all kinds of meats.

Almond Rice Pilaf

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 1 tablespoon butter or margarine
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups uncooked instant rice

Directions

1. In a saucepan, saute onion and almonds in butter until the onion is tender and the almonds are lightly browned. Add broth; bring to a boil. Stir in rice and cover. Remove from the heat. Let stand for 5-8 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.

Have A Terrific Weekend My Friend,

Phil

Hello My Friends,

I'm getting a late start tonight, so I'm afraid that we'll have to keep it simple. Everybody loves Good Bread, so here's one of the best I've ever found. It's also one of the easiest breads I've ever made and I've always been happy with the results. This is a sweet brown bread with no eggs or fat added. Best served warm from the oven.

Another great thing about making Bread, I have one loaf to eat and one to give away.

Colonial Brown Bread

Ingredients

• 4 cups buttermilk
• 4 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt. Pour in buttermilk, and stir until all of the dry mixture has been absorbed. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared loaf pans.
3. Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted into the crown of the loaf comes out clean. Serve warm. Store leftover bread wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator. This reheats well.

Yield: 2 - 9x5 inch loaves

Have A Peaceful Evening My Friends,

Phil

Hi Friends,

Here's a real Treat. I don't usually fix anything this "fancy" during the week, but I'll be snowed in for awhile so I figured I might as well enjoy it!

We have some Penne Pasta tossed with asparagus, red peppers, pecans, and Parmesan cheese in a delicious sauce that is creamy without being over-powering. This has been a tremendous hit every time I've made it.

Asparagus, Chicken, and Pecan Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 red bell pepper, chopped
• 2 bunches asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• salt to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound grilled chicken breast strips
• 1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pecan halves (optional)

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes; drain.
2. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Stir in the garlic, red pepper, and asparagus; cook and stir 5 minutes until the garlic softens and mellows. Pour in the chicken broth, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Simmer until the vegetables have softened, then add the basil, salt, pepper, butter, and chicken. Cook and stir a few minutes until the chicken is hot. Stir in the cooked pasta, then fold in the Parmesan cheese and pecan halves to serve.

Hope Your Week's Terrific,

Phil