The Last Meal in My Old Kitchen: Moroccan Chicken

So.
A very petite woman arrived with my Kitchen Designer today.  He introduced her as Missy and told me that she was there to dismantle the kitchen.  That was 8:30 this morning.  The only thing in my kitchen right now is a stove, which is still fuctional.  Obviously, what we need to say to this is GIRL POWER!
Missy took it all apart, stacked everything on the front porch for Habitat for Humanity, dragged the boxes of laminate out of the basement, and was on her way at 12:30.  Yep, that was Day 1 of the reno.
But, seeing as I still had some fresh veggies in my fridge which is now located in my empty dining room, and it was under 20C today and I didn't want to stand in front of the BBQ, I made the recipe I'd planned and not had a chance to make for the Magazine Challenge.
I present to you now from the July/August 2005 issue of Everyday Food Moroccan Chicken:

I'm still here!

So.
J and I went to New York City, and come home to an email announcing that we would be starting kitchen renovations in a week and a weekend.  While I've done some cooking, I've been spending more time perseverating about the packing for the reno.
I think I have some recipes stored up on the camera for the time during the reno, and I looked at September's Everday Food while I ate lunch today, and it looks amazing! 
Pictures of the before kitchen are coming soon, and then we'll be back into some recipes.
Hooray!

Ridiculously Simple: Ranch Chicken Foil Packets

So.
I made these a while ago.  I found the pictures on my camera today, and I can't figure out why I didn't post this.  I don't remember how long ago I made these, and the pictures are just in front of the stuffed potato pictures.  I don't know.  I know my mom was here...perhaps it doesn't really matter.  But the important thing is I made these, they were easy, and J says I can make them again.
I pinned these one night while poking about on Pinterest.  The concept is simple and well familiar to all of us who have been camping.  I liked not adding the freeze-dried gravy.  Ranch is tasty.  I also decided to skip the bacon, despite the fact that these would be really good with the addition of a chopped slice of bacon per package.  We divided the Stove Top three ways, but you could split it four.  I'm pretty sure J would be wondering where the rest of his was.
So what have we learned here?  I have no clue when I made these, but I know they're good.  Bacon makes everything better.  Right.
I present to you now Best Life 4 Moms Ranch Chicken Foil Packets:

Got Milk 2: Flourless Peanutbutter Chocolate Chunk Cookies

So.
There's no question I like to bake.  I was updating the index today and discovered how much cake I seem to make.  I also make a lot of cupcakes.  But cookies, not so much anymore.  My mother always had a full cookie jar.  I'm not exactly sure why I don't.  But whatever the reason, I don't often make cookies all that often.
When I saw these in the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food, I thought they sounded a lot like the recipe on the peanut butter jar.  I have made those cookies without success in the past, so I'm not sure what exactly I was expecting.  But, I had lots of peanuts and a package of good chocolate chunks, so they were worth a shot.
J would tell you that these are great with a glass of milk while watching the news.  I would tell you the texture is such that you don't miss the flour.  I don't know if these qualify as gluten free, but with quality ingredients comes a quality product.
From the March 2005 issue of Everyday Food, I present to you now Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies:

Magazine Challenge: Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches

So.
You know what I've learned?  If I plan to make stuff for the Magazine Challenge, it goes better if I get to it fast and right after I've gone through the magazine to make my list.  I'm still excited at that point about what I've found.  I'm also more likely to remember that I was excited about it.  That's not because I'm going to be 40 this year, I just get excited about other recipes.  Really.
I think one of the things about the Magazine Challenge this year has been that we've tried things that we wouldn't otherwise try.  Often, I'd look at a recipe like this and wonder if we'd really like it.  Now, I've decided to go for it.  I'm glad I did.  This was lovely.
This is actually 2 recipes in one.  The July/Aug 2005 issue of Everyday Food is the grilling issue, which included steak recipes.  There are rubs and marinades for a variety of cuts of beef.  Then to go with the flank steak marinade, was a recipe for these sandwiches.  I would eat the carrot slaw alone for lunch.  True story.  It makes these sandwiches, which are filling.
I present to you now from the July/Aug 2005 EDF, Flank Steak with Lime Marinade in Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches:

Planning: July 6 - 11, 2013

So.
J and I are leaving for New York City soon.  For a whole week.  I'm so excited.  I was browsing Groupon today, and there's a dessert walking tour in Hell's Kitchen I want to take.  6 stops of dessert.  6 of them.  So exciting.  And it's on our anniversary too.  How could there possibly be a better thing to do for our anniversary, seeing as the roller disco in Central Park that I so desperately wanted to see is cancelled for the New York Triathlon.
But - from now until then, J and I still need to eat.  I should have a nice queue of recipes lined up for while we're gone.  As well, stay tuned for the 11th, when I will have another Pintester Movement post.  This month's challenge is to make one of Sonia's pins.  Oy.  I've been looking, and I'm not sure what I'm going to do.
And then, when we get back, we should be close to the start of the kitchen reno.  Hopefully I'll have a chance to do a little cooking before it starts so there are some things lurking in the freezer for the time that I won't be able to use the kitchen.  That's what I'm most not looking forward to.
Anyway, we still have a few days until we go.  And we need to eat during that time.  So here are the plans from Saturday until Tuesday or Wednesday lunch:

Saturday:  Leftovers for lunch, Grilled Steak and Potato Salad with Blue Cheese.
Sunday:  Ham and Potato Frittata for lunch with salad, and Grilled Pork Tenderloin for dinner. 
Monday: Leftover frittata for lunch, Pork Fried Rice for dinner.
Tuesday:  Pork Fried Rice for lunch, dinner out - we're taking the cat to the "spa" with my friend while we're away.  She's going to cry all the way there in the car.  Sigh.
Wednesday:  If we're here for lunch, probably Bake Thing.  If not, something on the road.

Beyond that, I've got everything for Flourless Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookies, Strawberry-Orange Sorbet, and Nutella Poundcake.  I'll make some, if not all of those as well. 
Sounds like a good week, and then we're off for some fun!  Let's see what happens!

Pintertest Kitchen: Pecan Pie Muffins

So.
I'm a day late on Pintertest Kitchen.  I decided it didn't matter.  Summer and all.  I'm running behind.
But whatever.  I spent a day cooking this week.  It was awesome.  I haven't spent a day like that in a while, and it was totally worth it.  One thing I made was this pin:

I am still using the pecans my father bought me before he died.  Dad would stop at Adcock's in Georgia and stock up for mom and me.  I keep them in the freezer and use them often.  I still have halves, meal, and pieces in my freezer.  These are a perfect way to use them.
I present to you now Southern Living's Pecan Pie Muffins:

Yummy Side: Twice Baked Potatoes

So.
J has been asking for a few weeks if we could have Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches and Twice Baked Potatoes.  I've been putting him off.  It's not that either of these things are difficult or things I don't like, I've just been putting him off.  That finally changed when I realized how much we've been spending eating out while work was crazy.  I finally got around to making these for dinner.
A few years ago, I was part of a cookbook exchange where I received a couple of books that I use quite a bit:  Tom LaCalamita's Ultimate Bread Machine Cookbook and Rachel Ray's 30-Minute Meals 2.  This recipe is a riff on Rachel's recipe.
I have a love/hate relationship with Rachel Ray.  Her stupid little cutesy words bug me, and her smoker's voice gets to me.  I do, however, use some of her recipes regularly.  We love her Italian Wedding Soup, and her suggestions around mise en place are fantastic.  We love these potatoes too.  I need to get that cookbook out.  There are some fun menus.
This is a take out at home menu of twice baked potatoes (Super Stuffed Potatoes), buffalo chicken sandwiches and orange sherbet freezes.  I've never made the drinks, and I have followed the recipe for the sandwiches (which are great), but I make them faster and easier:  Cook a small chicken breast for each person in a frying pan, cutting in half to make more like cutlets.  When mostly cooked, pour Frank's Red Hot Sauce over the chicken, coating well.  Continue to cook, allowing the sauce to thicken.  Turn several times.  Slice fresh crusty rolls and place 1 breast per bun.  Drizzle with ranch or bleu cheese salad dressing.
But the side.  Yum.  I present to you now my adaptation Rachel Ray's Super Stuffed Potatoes:

Magazine Challenge: July/August Planning

So.
It's just as well that I have 2 months to do some catching up on the magazine challenge.  We've put down the deposit on our kitchen reno, and are planning that to start in late July or early August.  Now that I have some time to cook, I'm hoping to make a few things from previous months as well. 
The July/August 2005 issue of EDF is a good one.  It's the first one from this year that I've made anything from as well.  I've made the Double Blueberry Muffins from the In Season feature.  They're good, but I like Bonnie's Blueberry Muffins better.  However, they were made with cornmeal and have a nice crunch to them.  So I chose 6 other things that looked interesting.
I didn't pick 12 things.  I'm not sure I could have come up with 12.  6 will do.  Here's this issue's standouts that I want to make:

1. Moroccan Chicken
2. Red, White and Blueberry Trifle
3. Barbeque Sauce
4. Flank Steak with Lime Marinade
5. Vietnamese Steak Sandwiches
6. Butter Pecan Pie

With those 2 desserts, we obviously need to have people in this summer.  Now that the pool is open and the patio furniture is set up, we need to do exactly that.