Confessions

Ok ok... I admit. I am NOT a consistent blogger. My apologies.

As far as whats been happening around here... My corn is now taller than my fence! Wo-hoo! I have several more zuchinnis and tomatoes showing up. And my potato plants are h.u.g.e! I am so loving loving loving my garden. Its definitely my favorite part of the summer.

Things I have learned... Weeds aren't the end of the world. 'Seven' dust keeps the bugs from eating every new leaf. My lilac tree creates way too much shade for the east side of the garden (this issue really must be addressed next year). And most important, I love to garden.

Food Wise...
Husband and I went on a little weekend get-away, so I didn't have to cook at all Saturday or Sunday :) :) :) :) :) However, before the get-away, eight o'clock on Friday night rolled around super fast and I was starting to feel that onery, panicky, stressed-out anxiety I get when I haven't made a plan for dinner (Does anyone else ever have these feelings???). Rather than lash out unreasonably at Flint, I opened up my recipe box and tried to find the easiest possible thing to make. (Not lashing out really was progress for me.) And boy oh boy did I ever succeed at finding the perfect recipe! Only seven ingredients and hardly any prep at all. And best of all, Flint loved it!!!

BBQ Chicken

1 c sugar
1 c ketchup
1/2 c vinegar
3 T soy sauce
1 t garlic salt
1 t mustard
4-5 small thawed chicken breasts

Mix together sauce ingredients in baking dish. Add chicken.
Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Do not cover. Serve over rice.
Easy peazy :)

So... My chicken wasn't thawed, and my microwave is no good at thawing meat (really, turn it to defrost for 30 seconds and the item is cooked --- sooooo annoying). I decided to be brave and threw the frozen chicken into the BBQ sauce. I cranked the heat to 400 degrees for the first half hour and then lowered it to 350 for the last half. It worked great! The chicken was perfectly moist. The sauce is very different from all my other BBQ recipes (due to the soy sauce). This will sound crazy and possibly gross, but it was like a cross between Chinese and BBQ. Don't be weirded out. It was delish! Really! I started my water for the rice when I turned the oven down and the rice was done just in time. It was by far, the easiest meal I have made in a LONG time, possibly ever. Give it a try!

PS: Had it not been a last minute thing, I would have tried to come up with a vegetable to go with. I am a little stumped though. If I were to call it strictly Chinese, I might say go with cooked broccoli mixed into the sauce once you take it out of the oven. If you are calling it BBQ, corn on the cob on the side maybe? Really, who cares... Just grab that bag of peas out of the freezer and add some green to your plate. I should have, but I slacked off :)