Date Night In

One of my Christmas gifts to Brandon was a cooking date night.  One night after the kids went down we were going to try and recreate one of our new favorite dishes.  The Kung Pao Chicken from P.F. Chang's is SO yummy and we were wanting some more.

So I searched online and found a recipe that claimed to taste like the restaurant version.

Half of the fun was us getting in the kitchen together and cooking.

We ate it over rice and it was YUMMY!!!  We will definitely be eating this again very soon.

BBQ Chicken Nachos

Okay, so I've read lots of recipes on Pinterest that talked about Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce.

I had never heard of it, so when it went on sale 2 for 1 at Publix a few weeks ago I grabbed it quickly.  I bought the Honey Barbecue Sauce because one of my husband's favorite things to eat is the Boneless Honey BBQ wings at Applebees- they are gross to me.  This was a sacrifice! I put chicken breasts in the crockpot and covered them with sauce (about 1/3 of the bottle).  The chicken just fell apart.  It was so yummy!
A few weeks ago we had gone on a date to Sesame, a great local restaurant that is known for their burgers and beer.  I LOVE a good burger...theirs are great; served only with grass-fed beef and house made condiments.  For an appetizer we decided to try their BBQ pork nachos.  They were so good we both wished we would've each ordered our own and just had that for dinner.
So a few days ago when I made this BBQ chicken again I saved two of the chicken breasts for our Super Bowl get together to try my own version of nachos.
I used my favorite wedding gifts, some of my Wilton Armetale platters.

I love these because they can go from oven to grill to freezer to the table.  So I put Tostitos, Hint of Lime chips on the platter, 

topped with the shredded bbq chicken, covered with sharp cheddar cheese and put it in the oven on broil, just until the cheese melted.  Then I topped with shredded spinach, taco sauce, and spicy ranch dressing.  It was so good with made two batches.  So, you've been warned, they're addicting!

My friend Jessica

This is my dear friend Jessica

Anyone that knows her, knows that God has gifted her with hospitality.  Along with being an amazing hostess in her home, delivering meals to those who've just had a rough day, she is an amazing cook AND baker.

Everywhere she takes food, people always want her recipes.  One day maybe she'll write a cookbook and you all can buy it.  Until then, I joked that I was going to feature her on my blog...she laughed...I was serious.  So, these recipes are from her home to yours (with her permission).  It would be a crime to keep these a secret and she doesn't have time to write them down for everyone, she's in the kitchen whipping up something amazing I'm sure.  

Chicken Salad

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast

1/2 c mayo 

1/2-3/4 c sour cream

1/2-3/4 c finely chopped celery

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp dill weed

1/2 tsp onion powder

grapes, pecans, craisins, etc.

-Put chicken breast in slow cooker and cover with water, cook on low for 45 min-1hr (depending on size). Allow to cool, trim off any fat, cut into tiny pieces or bite size chunks, whichever you prefer

-Stir together equal parts of mayo and sour cream and add remaining ingredients.  Serve on croissants or a bed of lettuce with fresh fruit. Enjoy!

*I use 1/2 c of mayo (Duke's brand only) and sour cream.  I didn't add celery because my hubby isn't a fan and it's still yummy.  My favorite way to make it is with grapes and served on croissants