Tried & True Tuesday ~ Kickin' Chicken Marinade

This week's Tried & True is another recipe shared by one of my best friends years ago, in Maryland.  This is the same friend that shared her mom's Crazy Cake recipe - so it's a good one!  It's a marinade that my family loves so much, the last time I made it, they requested the chicken two days in a row...it's that good!  The marinade isn't too hot, with a tangy delicious taste!  

The recipe didn't have a name, so I decided to call it, Kickin' Chicken Marinade!  The marinade is so simple to throw together, with only FOUR fabulous ingredients!

When I was given the recipe, no measurements were given.  All I was told, was to use a lot of Frank's RedHot, some olive oil, a good amount of lime juice, and a little garlic - cloves or powder.  My friend doesn't measure, she just throws it all together.

There are no rules for the amount of each ingredient, 

but here are the measurements I use:

Kickin' Chicken Marinade 

Print Recipe 
Ingredients

2-3 lbs of Chicken (breast, thighs, drumsticks, wings ~ bone-in or boneless)

1 Cup Frank's RedHot Original

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Lime Juice (fresh is best, but bottle is good too)

2 Cloves of Garlic, miced or pressed (you can use garlic powder)

Lime - cut into slices

Directions

In a medium size bowl, mix RedHot, olive oil, lime juice and garlic.  Place chicken in a pan, bowl or ziploc bag and pour marinade over top, making sure the chicken is submerged in the marinade.  Marinade for four hours in the fridge.  Remove chicken from marinade and grill.  The chicken is great with fresh lime juice squeezed on top!  Enjoy!  

I'll be sharing this recipe at these great parties:

Thanks so much for visiting!

Cheers!

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Inspiration Cafe ~ It's A Steal Series - Heather "knocks off" Natalie

Our new series, "It's a Steal" is in full swing right now.

It's a fun series where we "steal" or "knock off" a 

fellow blogger's idea and show you what we come up with! 

At the Inspiration Cafe, we are stealing ideas from each other...

so much fun!!!

It's Heather's turn this week and she has stolen an idea 

from Natalie over at NorthShore Days.

Click on the Cafe door to check it out!

Inspiration Cafe is looking for guest posters. If you would like to guest post, please let us know, we would love to have you.  If you would prefer a feature instead, feel free to drop us a line. New or old posts welcome.

Tried & True Tuesday ~ Strawberry Lemon Banana Muffins

Welcome to Tried & True Tuesday!

This week I'm sharing another family favorite,
a wonderful spring and summer recipe... 

Strawberry Lemon Banana Muffins!

These muffins can be made with or without eggs!

Strawberry Lemon Banana Muffins:

Print Recipe 
(adapted from Joy of Baking)

Ingredients

1/2 cup Melted Butter - salted or unsalted

1/2 cup Plain Yogurt (or 2 large eggs lightly beaten)

1 cup Overripe Mashed Bananas (approx 2 large bananas)
1 Tablespoon Lemon Zest

1 1/2 cups Strawberries (cut to small, bite size pieces)

1/2 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

1/2 teaspoon Pure Lemon Extract

2 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour

3/4 cup  Light Brown Sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder

1/4 teaspoon Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick cooking spray. Next, melt butter and set it aside until it cools to room temperature.  In a medium size bowl, mix yogurt, mashed bananas, the vanilla and lemon extract. Once the butter is cool, add it to the the banana mixture.  In a separate large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients {flour, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon and salt}.  After they are mixed well, add the strawberries and lemon zest.  Fold the strawberries and lemon zest in the dry ingredients, making sure the strawberry pieces are coated well.  Next, add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until just blended. Do not over mix the batter.  Fill each muffin cup with the batter (see photo).  Place in oven on middle rack and bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place muffins on a wire rack to cool.   Recipe makes 1 dozen.  Enjoy!

Tips:  
       -If you prefer Strawberry Banana Muffins, skip the lemon zest 
        and Lemon extract - add a 1/2 teaspoon more of pure vanilla extract,
        for 1 teaspoon total.

       -I have made these muffins without butter.  They are more dense, 
        but still yummy!

Thank you so much for visiting!

Have a great week!

Cheers!

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Inspiration Cafe ~ It's a Steal Series

Wishing all the Moms out there, a wonderful Mother's Day!

It's my turn at the Cafe for...

 "It's a Steal"

A fun new series where we "steal" or "knock off" a 

fellow blogger's idea and show you what we come up with! 

My task this week was to 

"knock off" Danni of Silo Hill Farm.

Click on the Cafe door to see what I made...

My Inspiration Cafe friends are ONE in a MILLION!

I had the biggest, sweetest (sneaky) surprise today!  My dear friends from Inspiration Cafe,  Natalie of NorthShore Days, Danni of Silo Hill Farm, Heather of The Beating Hearth, and Mel of Mellywood's Mansion, all celebrated my ONE MILLION pageviews by doing one of my recipes or crafts!  To say I am touched is an understatement.  I am so lucky to call these girls friends. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart. ♥ 

To see what sneaky, sweet fun they've been up to, head over to their blogs:

NorthShore Days

Silo Hill Farm

The Beating Hearth

Mellywood's Mansion

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers!

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Tried & True Tuesday ~ Loaded Sweet & Salty Cookies

There is something about sweet and salty that I love and crave!  So in my most recent quest for a sweet-salty tooth, I made a batch of cookies loaded with sweet and salty goodness.

Today I'm sharing a loaded Sweet & Salty Cookie recipe.  I used my favorite chocolate chip cookie dough and added a few favorites for the perfect sweet and salty fix!   Semi-sweet chocolate chips, Reese's peanut butter chips, pieces of pretzels and caramel bits...a sweet & salty winner!

Loaded Sweet & Salty Cookies Recipe:

Print Recipe 
Ingredients
1 cup Salted Butter/Softened at room temperature (2 sticks)
3/4 cup Light Brown Sugar - press brown sugar down when measuring
3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
2 1/2 cups of All-Purpose Flour 
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips 
1 cup Peanut Butter Chips
1 cup Caramel Bits (optional- just use extra chocolate and/or PB chips)
1 cup Pretzel Pieces (small pretzel sticks broken them into small pieces)

Directions 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until they are smooth/creamy.  Next, add eggs and vanilla.  Blend well, until smooth/creamy.  Now add flour, then salt and baking soda on top - mix until all the dry ingredients are just blended - Do Not Over Mix. Last, add chocolate and peanut butter chips, caramel bits and pretzels   Fold the ingredients into the dough, until just blended.  Do not over mix.  Place heaping round tablespoons of dough on a ungreased cookie sheet, approximately one inch apart.  {I use The Pampered Chef's Medium size scooper for the dough, it's the perfect size and I never have to touch the dough ~ love that!}  Place cookies in the oven on middle rack and bake for 9-11 minutes, depending on your oven.   Bake until cookies turn a light golden brown.   Remove, place cookies on rack to cool. Recipe makes 4 dozen cookies.  ENJOY! 

Sharing my cookie recipe at these great parties:

Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers!

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Inspiration Cafe ~ It's a Steal Series

We start our new series this week,

 "It's a Steal"

Yup, we get to "steal" or "knock off" a fellow blogger's idea, 

and show you what we come up with. 

 

Here at Inspiration Cafe we are going to steal ideas from each other...fun!!!

Natalie had her mission this week and that was to 

knock off my blog, Sweet Little Bluebird.

Click on the Cafe picture to see what Nat made...

Inspiration Cafe is looking for guest posters. If you would like to guest post, please let us know, we would love to have you.  If you would prefer a feature instead, feel free to drop us a line. New or old posts welcome.