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

Chicken, Cheese & a Carter!

Yay! We have our FIRST guest blogger here at the Emerald Gardens! Let me introduce you to 

Mrs. Kelli {Carter} Meyer

 

I know Kelli as a Carter, so its hard for me to remember the Meyer at the end! Kelli and I grew up together and have always been good gal pals. Specifically when I think of Kelli, I think of showing steers. She and I were always county fair buddies and did lots of 4-H/FFA stuff together. The Carter family women are great cooks (who love spicy food!) and Kelli's mom makes the best fudge to be found :) Kelli is now forever away, living in Missouri, doing great things with her life: husband in vet school while wife in nursing school - you guys rock!).

Kelli sent me a few recipes. Today I am sharing a chicken dish. Sadly I couldn't make it for dinner because I don't have Stovetop on hand (...and the grocery store in 80 miles away...). However, I am grocery shopping on Thursday and Stovetop will be at the top of my list! Once I've made it, I'll give my review :)

Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Because they lived...

In honor of my pepper plants surviving the crash, last night for dinner I made fajitas. Mmmm!

Fajitas
3 large green bell peppers, sliced into long strips
1 medium onion, also sliced into long strips
3 large chicken breasts, cooked and sliced into long strips
Fajita seasoning packet
Tortillas
Cheese, salsa, sour cream, ranch dressing, etc...

After cooking chicken, saute peppers and onions in a small amount of oil until tender. Return chicken to pan. Add contents of fajita packet* and a few tablespoons of water. Once chicken is reheated and seasoning is stirred throughout, you are ready to eat! Warm tortillas over stove or in microwave. Enjoy!

*I don't always use the entire packet. I usually start with half and go from there.

 Serving Size: Last night this fed 4 adults. However, there wasn't much left over. I was wishing I would have added one more chicken breast.

Can't wait for the end of the summer when I can use my own green peppers for this recipe!