Sweet Spicy MotherCLUCKERS

These sweet and spicy chicken slices are mother-clucking good! They are the perfect sandwich to serve at your next party, get together or gathering of friends. The chicken is cooked in the crock pot and is sweet and savory. The pickled onions at great texture and the Serrano peppers really bring the heat. Remove the seeds and you will have a nice hint of heat that does not incinerate your taste buds, but if you like it HOT, leave the seeds in the pepper.

You can prepare the pickled onions the day before or start them in the morning and then you can let your chicken cook in the crockpot while you relax or go run a few errands. 

If you have never had pickled onions, they are absolutely delicious on sandwiches, tacos, as a topping on your favorite meat and poultry dishes and pretty tasty on salads. They are pretty flavorful on just about anything.

These peppers really add that extra something to these sliders

Sweet Hawaiian Rolls balance the flavors perfectly, but these are also great on toasted dinner rolls, baguettes or torta rolls. The bread you use is only limited to your imagination.

You can assemble these sliders and serve on a platter, or leave the fixings out and let your guests build their own.

Whether you like a little heat...

or a lot

These  sliders hit the spot. Just one bite and you will say in your most incorrect english: "commere you sweet spicy muthaclucka"

Ingredients

1 Package of Hawaiian Dinner Rolls

1 red onion

1/2 cup Apple Cider Vinegar 

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt

1 Serrano Pepper

Sweet n Spicy Pulled Barbecue Chicken (recipe below)

For Sweet n Spicy Pulled Barbecue Chicken 

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 12 ounce bottle barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Italian Salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 Tablespoon Siracha

Directions:

Place chicken in crock pot. combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Cook on high for three hours. Take a fork and shred the chicken, reduce heat to low and cook for one more hour.

For Pickled Onions

1 red onion thinly sliced

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup warm water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 

Directions:

Whisk together vinegar, water, sugar and salt until well combined and sugar is dissolved.  Place sliced onions in a jar and pour the liquid on top and let sit for 1 hour in covered jar. The flavors are better if you put in refrigerator and wait one day. These will keep for a few weeks in your refrigerator.

To assemble sliders:

Slice rolls in half, top with a generous serving of the chicken, top with pickled onions and sliced de-seeded peppers. 

Servings: 16 sliders or  six regular size servings

Bon Appetit!

Leopard and Butterflies

Happy Tuesday! I have been having such a great summer and if you have been checking out my food posts, you know I have been making great use of all the fresh berries this season. One of the great things about living in Los Angeles is all of the amazing farmers markets and the abundance of fresh produce. The weather here can't be beat, but sometimes I wish I could wear some of those beautiful winter coats I have, but it does not get cold enough to justify wearing them most of the time.

Today's look is one that I wear quite often. Jeans and a classic blazer with a great pair of shoes. It is very easy to put together and a timeless look. The pumps I am wearing are sky but because of the platform they are comfortable. 

I do not wear heels this high all the time, but when the shoes are comfortable and easy to walk in, I don't mind.  I paired the leopard print with a coral blazer and a blue palette. I think the colors complement each other in a great way. What do you think?

Blazer: Old Navy, Camel T-Shirt: Macys, Scarf: Fashion District:, Purse: Handbag Heaven, Shoes: Target, Necklace: F-21

F-21 is a great place to get accessories. 

I am still in love with this bag even after having it for years. The gold hardware and the rich navy color make it such a versatile bag.

Do you wear heels all the time?   As much as I love them I don't wear them every day. I don't think there is anything cute about walking like your feet hurt.

I have been known to carry a pair of slippers or flats in my purse and have no shame in taking off shoes that hurt my feet and swapping them with something comfortable. Fortunately, these pumps are very kind to my feet even though the heel is high. Platform shoes are so comfortable and make it possible to wear a much higher heel than you might normally wear. Do you like platforms?

For those of you who have been with me awhile, you know that this butterfly ring is symbolic for me. A few years back I went through some challenges and then once I got past them, some of my friends were saying that my evolution reminded them of a butterfly or the story of the Phoenix. 

The first thing I noticed about this blazer was the vibrant color and the gathers in the back

There is just something about a animal print shoes. Grrrrrrr...

Have a great day!

Blueberry Vanilla Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

I absolutely love blueberry muffins and I recently fell in love with blueberry pancakes. I buy lots of fresh fruit from farmers markets and I could not wait to create something tasty with fresh berries. These pancakes are fluffy and bursting with fresh blueberries and a hint of vanilla. 

The homemade blueberry maple syrup makes these pancakes extra special, but they are also tasty with a simple maple butter syrup. Perfect for leisurely morning when you have time to really enjoy them. This makes around 8 servings, so spoil your family with these, or invite a few friends over:-)

These are berry berry good...

Doesn't this look like a great breakfast?

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg 

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup blueberries

Servings: 8-10 6 inch pancakes

Directions

Whisk together dry ingredients in a bowl, make a well in the center.  In a large bowl, whisk together buttermilk, egg, oil and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients until just moistened. Gently fold in blueberries.

Pour  1/4 cup pancake batter onto hot greased griddle or skillet on medium heat. Cook pancakes until tops are filled with bubbles and edges look cooked.  (about 1-2 minutes per side) flip and cook other side. Serve with Blueberry Maple Syrup or Maple Butter Syrup ( both recipes follow)

Maple Blueberry Syrup

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup Grade B maple syrup

2 tablespoons sugar

1 stick cinnamon 

In a medium saucepan, add blueberries, syrup, sugar and cinnamon stick. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 15 minutes. Strain and serve warm over pancakes.

Maple Butter Syrup

1 cup maple syrup

1 stick butter cut into cubes

Directions

Heat maple syrup and whisk in a few cubes at a time until all the butter is incorporated.  Serve warm over pancakes. This syrup will keep for a couple of months in the refrigerator. To use leftovers, warm slightly or sit out and let come to room temperature. Do not boil.

um um good...

Rainbow Stripes

Happy Thursday! How is your week so far? School started for my little guy, so now it is back to homework and little league season.  My son thinks his only homework is what the teacher gives him. HA! I am one of those moms that encourages him to stretch beyond what the school system offers and the result of that is nothing short of AMAZING. 

 

I am enjoying these last weeks of summer and wishing that school started in September like it did when I was a kid. I would have been able to do a lot more stuff with my son if his summer wasn't so short, so now we only have the weekends, but I always make the most of them.

I am definitely enjoying wearing my summer dresses while there is still a little warm weather left. The  dress I am wearing is from Burlington Coat Factory and I thought it was the perfect rainbow of colors and a great length.  What I like about this dress is that it can be dressed up or down. I am already imagining how I can style it for winter.

Dress: Burlington Coat Factory, Shoes: Franco Sarto, Jewelry: F-21

I really love vintage looking dresses and dresses that have a little POOF:-) What are your favorite types of dresses?

I really like these flats and although some may disagree, I think flats and oxfords can be just as stylish as a pair of heels. Do you wear flats?

Have a great day!

Baked Goat Cheese Salad

Baked Goat Cheese adds a delicious element to a green salad. I often order this salad in high end restaurants and wanted to recreate this dish at home. I wanted to make this a little healthier by baking the goat cheese, but you can also pan fry this and get the same crispy results. This starts with a mix of arugula and spring salad mix, a delicious vinaigrette and these crispy baked goat cheese rounds. If you have never tried Goat Cheese, you are truly missing out on some extreme deliciousness.

Slice goat cheese into rounds discs (approximately 3/4 inch thick) . You can also use dental floss to slice the goat cheese. It is less messy this way, which I found out after starting with a knife. Roll each disc into a round golf ball size. Roll cheese into chopped chives.

This is what the cheese looks like before it is dipped into crumb mixture. I like to use a mixture of seasoned bread crumbs mixed with Panko crumbs, but rather you combine the bread crumbs, or use one type, this will be very tasty.

Toasted Hazelnuts and the herbed goat cheese taste amazing together. I like to dress this salad with a bright citrus vinagrette, but this works well with any vinaigrette, especially balsamic.

Ingredients

8 oz log of fresh goat cheese

1/2  cup chopped chives

1/2 herb bread crumbs

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

6 cups spring lettuce mix

1 cup Arugula

2 Tablespoons toasted Hazlenuts

Vinaigrette

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

Cut goat cheese into 8 discs. Roll into balls and dip into chopped chives. Mix the two bread crumbs and place into a bowl.  Roll the cheese into the bread crumbs. You can also lightly brush the balls with olive oil to get the crumbs to coat the cheese better.  Flatten each ball with the bottom of a glass and place the goat cheese rounds in freezer to set for 30 minutes.

While the cheese is setting in the freezer. Preheat oven to 375.  Wash salad greens and tear into bite size pieces.  Toast the hazlenuts until they are golden brown (about 5 minutes).

In a medium bowl, whisk all of the vinaigrette ingredients together. Place goat cheese in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Flip halfway through cooking so that both sides are crispy and golden brown.

Toss salad and sprinkle with toasted hazlenuts and top with 2-3 rounds of goat cheese.

Bon Appetit!

Rasberry and Orange Sherbet

Happy Monday Loves! How was your weekend? I cannot believe we are in the month of August. Where does all the time go? I organized my closet and by the time I was done I had three gigantic bags of clothes to donate.  Would you believe that even after that, I still had a ton of clothes?  

I think most women love clothes and shoes, so its no surprise that most of us accumulate a lot over time. Do you ever look back at things you used to love and then feel like your style has evolved and you don't like it anymore? I think we have all had those moments.  It seems like I am having a lot of those lately. I think it comes with getting older, but I don't think getting older means you can't dress with style and flair.

Fall is just around the corner, but I am still loving bold bright ensembles like this orange white and pink combo. What I love about these pieces is that they can easily be remixed into a fall look. The weather has been a little cool recently, so I layered my dress with this bold orange and white button down. I am looking forward to pulling out my boots and scarves and I know it won't be too long because the days are already starting to have a chilly bite in the evening and little by little the days are getting shorter.

What are your favorite fall looks?

Shirt: JC Penney, Dress: Old Navy, Purse: Maxx New York, Shoes: Private Boutique

 I love the hardware detail on this bag

Vibrant and colorful, just the way I like it:-)

Have a great day!