Kickin' Chicken Cagle Style

Big, big fans of the Zaxby's Kickin' Chicken sandwich here and guess what? I've figured out how to make my own. I assure sure it wasn't very difficult but it is much less expensive this way, plus I can turn up the heat if i want.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches

Chicken breast strips breaded and cooked (buy the prepackaged or make your own I've done both)
Hot sauce
Butter, melted
Texas Toast
Provolone cheese slices
Ranch dressing

This is pretty vague I realize, we make them individually and I make them for us all some nights.
Mix 1/4 cup hot sauce and 1 tablespoon melted butter for each four strips of chicken. I put the sauce in a Zip-Loc bag and shake to coat the chicken.
I butter and toast 2 slices of bread for each sandwich  in a hot skillet, then put the seasoned chicken strips, cheese slice and a drizzle of dressing onto the toast. If you want your cheese melted just nuke it for 15-20 seconds and you're good to go.  Yum~

(S)Leap Day

Got up this morning with good intentions.  Getting the kids to school on time, then to the doctor's office,  going out to work for a couple of hours, then a soccer game this afternoon (as a watcher, not a player), these were all in the plan.

When I got out to the car, I could not get it started. Turned the key, not a sound. Plan B take the van, so I grabbed the key ring and we hopped in only to find the van key missing. Joy. Long story short- after laying on the ground being "loved" by the puppy the key was retrieved from it's handy dandy magnetic case.

The first order of business after school drop-off was to figure out why the car didn't start. Several more failed attempts to fire it up led to the discovery that I'd failed to put it in park last night. I hate when that happens.  Problem solved ,so, on to the doc where their computers were down, waiting was long and blood was drawn.

Now that I have gotten back to house, my leap day plans have become a sleap day plan.  Happy napping!

Mr. Jefferson Would Be Appalled

At the risk of being flagged as a terrorist by the powers that be(there was a recent memo that said a belief that government is too intrusive is one of the signs to watch for), I am going to say that the government has become far too intrusive.

The recent story of an FDA employee taking the mom-packed lunch of a four year old in North Carolina because it did not meet federal nutritional guidelines is beyond scary.  Even the enforcement of seat belt laws is ,in my opinion, a violation of my freedoms. My lack of a seat belt endangers no one but me. I think Thomas Jefferson would agree as he once said:

"Liberty I would say that, in the whole plenitude of its extent, it is unobstructed action according to our will. But rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add “within the limits of the law,” because law is often but the tyrant’s will, and always so when it violates the right of an individual."

Another issue is the recent report from Reporters Without Borders that America ranks 47th now in freedom of the press. You'd think this would make those who profess to be journalists more inclined to break stories and report on issues that are less likely to be smiled upon by those who put out the propaganda we are fed in our daily news.  MediaMatters.org is a far left "progressive" non-profit. it's stated goal is to counter conservative views.  Tucker Carlson of Fox News says that NBC/MSNBC's primetime news programs are practically scripted by this not for profit organization.  MediaMatters, by the way, is contributing $20 million to influence the media in regards to Obama's reelection campaign.That's disconcerting but not nearly as scary to me as a story on last night's CBS news.  The report was on the solar panel industry in America and it's inability to compete well with China since China's manufacturers are subsidized by the government.  I got the feeling they were pushing for more aide from our government in order to be competitive. That's fine and dandy but they failed to mention Solyndra, you know the solar panel company given $500 million tax dollars by the Obama administration  (a major stakeholder in Solyndra was George Kaiser; a BIG time Obama fundraiser), it filed for bankruptcy and had it's debt restructured in order to see that others (Kaiser) were paid back prior to the government.  Seems to me that their "news" was nothing more than justification for Obama's scandalous approval of something the Bush White House had deemed unworthy. Relevant? I think so.  Look this stuff up, don't take my word for it.

 Here's the link for the Carlson interview http://www.foxnews.com/on-air/oreilly/2012/02/14/tucker-carlson-new-expose-media-matters and go to http://mediamatters.org/ and check out what they're all about.  The CBS story is here http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57378769/chinese-solar-panels-exemplify-trade-problems/ and you can just Google Solyndra, there's plenty of info out there.

Our freedoms and moneys are not only being taken away, we're being indoctrinated to not even to question the whys. So, am I a terrorist for believing that this is not the America our forefathers had in mind? I don't think so- below are several quotes from Thomas Jefferson who must be turning in his grave at  the behemoth this government has become.

Liberty is the great parent of science and of virtue; and a nation will be great in both in proportion as it is free.

He who knows nothing is closer to the truth than he whose mind is filled with falsehoods and errors.

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

I have never been able to conceive how any rational being could propose happiness to himself from the exercise of power over others.

To compel a man to furnish funds for the propagation of ideas he disbelieves and abhors is sinful and tyrannical.

In a government bottomed on the will of all, the...liberty of every individual citizen becomes interesting to all.

I’m a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it.

The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not.

Cream Cheese and Duct Tape

I am proud to be a southern woman. I don't apologize for my drawl, for my love of sweet tea, denim or duct tape.  Duct tape can be used to repair almost anything that has a hole, leaks, or needs to be held together (that would include a tea jug, a pair of jeans and perhaps a big mouth on occasion). I have even repaired a hole in our porch ceiling with duct tape. It was only to be a temporary fix, mind you, but that was five years ago and it still holds. Walk in any Walmart or Home Depot south of the Mason Dixon and you can find a wide array of color choices for your taping needs. Now since I've never shopped for the tape anywhere else, I can't tell you if it holds true in other regions.



In addition to my duct taping skills, as a stay at home mom I have spent a lot of time in the kitchen where I learned to make the sweet tea and other traditional southern favorites such as fried chicken, grits, and biscuits. But here's a little known southern secret for you (well, it's my secret and I'm southern-see the opening line),  "Cream cheese is the duct tape of the kitchen". Those aren't my words, I am quoting my sister but it is such a great line it needed to be shared.

From breakfasts to dinners, from appetizers to desserts, it's blendable properties are amazing. Savory or sweet, yep it works. I try to keep at least six of the 8 ounce blocks on hand at all times and sometimes that's not enough. I love, love, love, that Philadelphia brand has the pre-flavored sauces and spreads but mostly it's just the plain blocks that I use.

To be honest, I don't really know if the cream cheese thing is solely southern or if the love of it crosses boundaries.  I do know it's good stuff.

In any case, Allrecipes is my favorite source of recipes on the web, so here are the links to a few of theirs, plus just a couple of my own recipes using cream cheese. I assure you there are many more, if you do an ingredient search on Allrecipes site, you'll see over 2,000 of them. :)

Appetizers:

Tortilla Pinwheels, http://allrecipes.com/recipe/ranch-ham-roll-ups/detail.aspx
Veggie Pizza   http://allrecipes.com/recipe/veggie-pizza/detail.aspx

Aunt Shelia's Cheese Ball

1 package cream cheese softened
1 bunch green onions chopped
dash of garlic salt
teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small package Land-o-frost corned beef, cut into very small pieces
1/2 cup shredded cheddar
 1 cup chopped pecans
Cream cheese with mixer add remaining ingredients, except pecans. Mix well. Form into ball shape and roll in pecans to cover.  Chill. Serve with your favorite crackers.

Main Dish

Crockpot Italian Chicken

2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
1 package dry Italian dressing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 package cream cheese, softened
Place chicken and soup in crockpot, sprinkle with dressing mix  . Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. Shred chicken with fork while still in crock. Take 1/4 to 1/2 cup liquid from cooked chicken mix with cream cheese. Pour mixture over chicken in the crock and heat through 15 to 30 minutes. Serve over cooked egg noodles. Yum.

Dessert

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Cream Cheese Mints http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-candies/detail.aspx
Peanut Butter Pie http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cream-cheese-candies/detail.aspx
and of course,

 Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8 oz block cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 box confectioner's sugar
1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Cream butter and cream cheese together until smooth and creamy, add vanilla and mix well. Then add the sugar a bit at a time until desired consistency is reached. If you want to use pecans fold them in at the end of your mixing.

And for a quick snack take two vanilla wafers and spread with cream cheese and peanut butter, sandwich together, or another possibility is to spread a little of the cheese. on Ritz crackers and top with pepper jelly. YUMMY!

How do you cook with cream cheese?

Show me the money, please

  I am  addicted to Pinterest, I confess.  I am hooked, or maybe pinned, I don't really know.  Boards with recipes, cute clothes, quotes and decorating ideas,  such a great idea. Why didn't I come up with it? Don't you ask yourself that all the time? Every time I find a cool new product or website, I wonder that.

Sometimes, I have a great idea only to discover that someone else had it long before me. A recent example is the laptop cooling station.  When my computer began overheating, I started putting it on a small counter top fan and  it stopped shutting down, so I thought Tracey you are one clever woman. The only problem is that the computer wasn't level and kept falling off.  I told Sparta we should develop a computer sized fan because surely we were not the only ones with such a problem. A little research showed I was correct and a couple of years late.  I am really loving my laptop fan and it only cost $20.

Back in the early 90's, I thought home delivery and pick up of movie rentals was a good idea. Didn't act on it and now there's Netflix. Of course, at the time the rentals were VHS and mailing would have been bulky and not cost effective.  Ahead of my time, perhaps?

Paperclips, liquid paper, post-it notes, pet rocks, silly bands,clips to hold your sunglasses to the visor, "key-finder" key rings and some of those crazy phone apps- all things that are as simple as they were successful.

Oh well, maybe someday my ideas and the universe will be aligned.

Be Still

I talk to God when I am on the go; while driving the kids here and there, while traveling with work, as I walk, and as I go about the business of keeping house, and I felt pretty good about all the multi-tasking, killing the proverbial two birds with one stone ,you know. That is until I realized and recognized how very little of my undivided attention I give to God.

I absolutely hate speaking with someone who is not paying attention. You might know what I’m talking about. Whether it’s attention divided between the television or someone who is planning what to say before your thoughts are even completed, or it could even be the other party doesn’t  have the courtesy to pretend to be interested, it drives me positively batty.

Listening, really listening, takes skill and a willingness to put other things aside momentarily and engage. God’s attention to my concerns (small as they are in the world and large though they are to me) is unquestionable. His word assures us that he hears and knows even those things for which we have no words. If the God of all creation¬ cares that much about me, seems only right that I should cultivate the discipline of listening to him. I certainly owe Him the respect, reverence and even politeness of my full attention and I intend to take time and give it especially seeing how he tells me too, more than once.

Exodus 14:14



The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.


Psalm 37:7


Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.



Psalm 46:10


He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Happy 2012!!

Well, the holiday season is over. School is back in session and the time for a new routine is now. As 2012 begins, I vow to lose the 15 pounds I put back on in 2011.  I will eat breakfasts high in protein, I will find some form of physical activity that I can stick with, I will remove the junk food from my house and I will maintain a (cough, cough)positive attitude and (ahem)sunny disposition .

My past resolutions didn't make it long and so I stopped even pretending to make them. In fact this is the first year I've made a New Year's resolution in this century and I have high hopes. Here's why.  In my Alabama family's version of dirty Santa, I picked up some diet pills and believe me when I say the battle for them was fierce. Also, while at my mom and dad's for the holidays I was introduced to the Just Dance video games and loved them, I may have become addicted with the Michael Jackson Experience being my very favorite one ( because I can actually beat my less rhythmically challenged sisters on "Thriller").  Shh...don't tell them but I think it might have to do with the hours I spent back in the day working on my zombie moves.

Although it wasn't nearly as much fun as competing with my three sisters, I did manage a couple of hours with the Wii this morning.  I popped a pill and haven't been hungry yet and have thus far managed to be nice and smile at all in my path. Since I am currently home alone it's been pretty easy, I guess when I have to be with people it might be put to the test.

Day 1 gets two thumbs up.

Here's hoping that 2012 is a stellar year!!