Back at the Ranch

Meanwhile at the Smith's...

Dodger is Home!!!

He is doing so much better than I thought,

BUT he is CONSTANTLY scratching and licking

which is not the zonked-out, down-for-the-count puppy I expected!

I am tickled out of my MIND that he is so happy,

and overall back to his sweet and playful self.

We got Dodgie Podgie a rotisserie chicken to eat for this week

(that I will absolutely be making a homemade stock from),

as well as another one of his favorite toys.

That pup is as content as he could be!

And when I say that I cannot express enough thanks

to all the friends and loved ones that

prayed

loved on me

gave support

hugged

showed concern

and prayed some more

I mean it.

"This is the confidence that we have in Him,

that if we ask anything according to His will,

He hears us.

And we know that if He hears us,

whatever we ask,

we know that we have the petitions

that we have asked of Him."

I John 5:14-15

"Rejoice always,

Pray without ceasing,

In everything give thanks..."

I Thessalonians 5:16

So... it's excited-craziness on the homefront,

which explains why I'm blogging instead of finishing my Pharmacology III Case Study (for now).

I'm really excited about some dinner plans for this week/weekend!

Up next is: Chicken Marbella!

 I was particularly excited when I stumbled upon this recipe, because...

There is a lovely little package of dried figs in our pantry that NEED to be used.

When I saw this roasted chicken recipe called for "prunes" I knew it be an easy and yummy swap to use figs instead

Ingredients

2 chickens, 2 1/2 lbs each, quartered, bone-in, skin-on

1/2 head of garlic, peeled and finely puréed

2 Tbsp dried oregano

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 cup pitted prunes

8 large pitted Spanish green olives, cut in half

1/4 cup capers with a bit of juice

3 bay leaves

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup white wine

2 Tbsp fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped

Instructions

1. In a large bowl combine garlic, oregano, salt and pepper to taste, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves. Add the chicken pieces and coat completely with the marinade. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated, several hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Arrange chicken in a single layer in one or two large, shallow baking pans and spoon marinade over it evenly. Sprinkle chicken pieces with brown sugar and pour white wine around them.

3. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, basting frequently with the pan juices. Chicken is done when thigh pieces, pricked with a fork at their thickest point, yield clear yellow juice (not pink).

4. With a slotted spoon, transfer chicken, prunes, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Add some of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with parsley or cilantro. Serve remaining juice in a gravy boat.

Yield: Serves 5-8.

 Chef's Notes

1. I will be using boneless, skinless chicken breast

2. I will probably add some diced onion or shallot

3. I will slow cook it in a Crock Pot

4. I will garnish with cilantro

5. And I will serve over saffron rice with a tossed green salad ;)

I recommend this Creamy Mustard Vinaigrette by Ina Garten. Toss in some pumpernickel croutons and shave some asiago on top. Do it.

Sheesh, there are other things I wanted to share.

But its late.

I'm exhausted.

I haven't marinated the chicken yet!

And I look forward to crawling into my warm fluffy bed and reading a NON-school book.

Stay tuned for sweet budgeting tips

and fun hairstyle ideas.

Time to tuck Dodgie Puppy in bed back at home,

where he belongs :)

Sweet Dreams ('cause ours sure are tonight)

Blessings - Katie