Maple-Glazed Chicken

This is one of my family's favourite recipes. It has just the right amount of sweetness and is pull apart tender. The taste is amazing!

Maple-Glazed Chicken

Ingredients:

        1.5 lb package of Chicken Thighs, six pieces serves three people
        1/2 cup of Dijon Mustard
        1/4 cup of Maple Syrup (I use New York State Maple Syrup)
        1 Tbs of Rice Wine Vinegar
        Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. 
2. Then, mix together dijon mustard, maple syrup, and rice wine vinegar. 
3. Put chicken thighs into a foil-lined, oven-proof baking dish. 
4. Then, salt and pepper the thighs. 
5. Pour your maple mustard mixture over them, turning the thighs in the mixture so they are fully coated. 
6. Put the chicken thighs into the oven.
7. Baste the tops of the chicken with more sauce half way through.
8. Bake for 40 minutes or until a meat thermometer reads 165ºF.
9. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. 
10. Plate the chicken, making sure to spoon some extra sauce over the top. 

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I found this recipe at Closet Cooking and made it for dinner last night. I had to make enough for seven of us, so I never was able to get a photo of a finished product. So I'll show you the original photo from Closet Cooking.  This recipe was so delicious and the kids went for seconds!

To Quote Kevin at Closet Cooking:

All of the flavours of a bacon double cheese burger in a grilled cheese sandwich with plenty of ooey gooey melted cheese!

Bacon Double Cheeseburger Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients:

        2 strips Bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

        1/2 small Onion, diced

        1 clove Garlic, chopped
        1/4 lb Ground Beef

        1 Tbs Ketchup

        1 tsp Mustard

        1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

        Salt and Pepper to taste

        2 slices Bread

        1 Tbs Butter

        1/4 cup Cheddar, shredded

        1/4 cup Mozzarella, shredded

        1/4 cup Lettuce, shredded

        1/4 cup Tomatoes, diced

        1 Tbs Pickle, diced

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a pan over medium heat.
2. Set aside on paper towels to drain, reserving 1 tsp of grease in the pan and the rest elsewhere.
3. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about a minute.
5. Add the ground beef and cook draining any grease when done.
6. Mix in the ketchup, mustard, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper, simmer to reduce, remove from heat and set aside.
7. Heat a clean pan over medium heat.
8. Butter the outside side of each slice of bread, place one slice in a pan buttered side down.
9. Sprinkle on half of the cheese.
10. Top with the the bacon, beef, lettuce, tomato and pickle followed by the remaining cheese and slice of bread, buttered side up.
11. Cook until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 2-4 minutes per side.

Makes 7 servings.

Enjoy!

            Ingrid

Healthy Water Recipes

The weather is getting warmer and, if you are like me, you are breaking out the cold beverages.  I thought I would share some great drinks that you can sip on all day and enjoy their health benefits as well. 

From Together We Will Lose It

FAT FLUSH WATER 

You should drink at least three 8 oz glasses per day, they say the longer it sits, the better it

tastes. You can eat them as well but they are intended as flavoring and still work, so that is a personal choice. The Vitamin C turns fat into fuel, the tangerine increases your sensitivity to insulin, and the cucumber makes you feel full. Try it for 10 days and see what you think!

Ingredients per 8 oz serving

Water:

1 slice grapefruit

1 tangerine

½ cucumber, sliced

2 peppermint leaves

Ice – as much as you like

Directions:

Wash grapefruit, tangerine cucumber and peppermint leaves. Slice cucumber, grapefruit and

tangerine (or peel). Combine all ingredients (fruits, vegetables, 8 oz water, and ice) into a large

pitcher.

Stir & Enjoy!

From  All-Natural Weight Loss: 

If you really want to cleanse then DRINK, DRINK, DRINK. Here are 8 home-made vitamin

water recipes to help you keep the water flowing!

The classical: lemon/cucumber:

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + 1 cucumber and a lemon, thinly sliced + 1/4 cup fresh

finely chopped basil leaf + 1/3 of finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The granite  Strawberry/Lime or Raspberry/Lime:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 6 strawberries / 0r Raspberries and one thinly sliced lime

+ 12 finely chopped fresh mint leaves. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The digestive: Fennel/citrus:

First: infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel in 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes. Allow to cool.

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water + lemon juice (put the leftover lemon in the mix) + a small thinly sliced orange + 12 fresh chopped mint leaves + the infusion of fennel seeds. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

The antiox: Blackberry/Sage:

Note that a part from the berries, sage leafs is the herb that has the highest antioxidant content.

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of blackberries that have been very slightly crushed + 3-4 sage leaves. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

Watermelon: Watermelon/Rosemary:

Mix in a pitcher 10 cups of water + 1 cup of watermelon cut into cubes + 2 rosemary

stems. Leave in refrigerator overnight before serving.

The exotic: Pineapple/Mint:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of pineapple cut into cubes + 12 fresh mint leaves finely chopped. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The traditional: Apple/Cinnamo:

Mix in a pitcher : 10 cups of water + 1 cup of apple cut into cubes + 2 cinnamon sticks + 2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

The zingibir: Ginger/Tea:

 

In advance: heat 1 teaspoon of ginger in two cups of tea, let it cool down.

Mix in a pitcher: 10 cups of water with two cups of the ginger tea + 4-5 pieces of fresh ginger

cut into cubes. Leave in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

From A Sweet Simple Life:

Sassy Water  

Ingredients:

        2 lemons

        1/2 cucumber
        10-12 mint leaves
        3 quarts water

Directions:

1. Slice cucumber and lemons. Place in the bottom of the pitcher. Toss in mint leaves. Add water.
2. Chill overnight or for at least 8 hours.

Yields: 10-12 glasses

Enjoy!

            Ingrid