Spinach Salad with Chicken, Avocado & Feta Cheese

Credit: Recipe Girl
Recipe: http://www.recipegirl.com/2012/04/02/spinach-salad-with-chicken-avocado-and-goat-cheese/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheRecipeGirl+%28The+Recipe+Girl%29&utm_content=My+Yahoo

Cochran Review: Well, as a first time veggie farmer, I learned about spinach plants "bolting" this week. Meaning the temperature went up and the spinach plants began to flower and wilt their leaves! Ahhh! So, I had to pick all of my leaves quick and get eating! I found this recipe and gave it a go. So glad I did! Yum! I changed a few things for no other reason than I didn't feel like going to the produce stand or grocery.

Here's what I changed: I substituted red bell pepper for the tomatoes, pecans for the pine nuts, & Feta cheese for the goat cheese. I added chives from my garden.

In regards to the dressing, I used red wine vinegar instead of white wine vinegar, because it is what I had on hand. I used Schnucks (local grocer) Whole Grain with Garlic Mustard.

This meal came together quick and easy for me since it was right after Memorial Day. My husband grilled a lot of corn in husk and meats on the charcoal grill. So I used that corn and chicken in my salad. I completely recommend having a summer grill meal and using those leftovers in this salad to make a new meal. I questioned the corn, but went for it. I was not disappointed! This is a great light, hot summer day meal. Hope you enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken

Credit: Stick A Fork In It

Recipe: http://forkinit.blogspot.com/2010/09/crockpot-barbecue-chicken.html

Cochran Recipe: Need an easy meal for a busy day tomorrow. This is the winner. Stay tuned!

Oven Roasted Potatoes



Credit: Sweet Peas Kitchen

Recipe: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2010/07/24/oven-roasted-potatoes/

Greek Salsa Chicken

 

Credit: Sweet Peas Kitchen

Recipe: http://sweetpeaskitchen.com/2011/02/08/greek-salsa-chicken/

Cochran Review: Trying this week. Stay tuned!

Chicken Spinach Noodle Casserole

Credit: Real Simple
Recipe: http://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/browse-all-recipes/chicken-noodle-casserole-00100000075552/index.html

Cochran Comments: I have several of these ingredients left over from last week's meals. So, we are going to try this some time this week. I think I'll try to substitute Greek yogurt for sour cream and skim milk for whole milk. Stay tuned!

French Toast & Bacon Cupcakes

Credit: Mama B Blog
Recipe: http://mamabblog.com/2011/06/french-toast-and-bacon-cupakes.html

Cochran Review: I whipped these up this morning. You can tell a mama is responsible for this recipe, because it is oh so easy! I keep whole wheat flour on hand at home. So, I used that instead of white four. Other than this change, I followed the recipe. I'm getting ready to ice the cupcakes shortly. Unfortunately, my meat loving husband ate up all of the bacon I precooked. So, I'll need to pick that up during my weekly grocery run today. However, I couldn't resist trying one hot out of the oven! So, I iced one and we dug in! YUM! We got more of a cinnamon roll taste than french toast. Maybe it is the wheat flour or the lacking bacon. We will try again with bacon and let you know... if they last!! Cinnamon roll, french toast, whatever it is, there's no arguing in our family that it is pure yummy!!

So, just tried this with bacon! And it is AH-MA-zing!!! Oh so good! Thanks for joining us for breakfast! Enjoy!

Here's a pic of our cupcakes:

 

Blackened Chicken & Cilantro Lime Quinoa

Credit: Sarcastic Cooking
Recipe: http://www.sarcasticcooking.com/2012/03/15/blackened-chicken-and-cilantro-lime-quinoa/

Cochran Review: Although the recipe came from Sarcastic Cooking, there's nothing sarcastic about my family's love for it! Quick, easy and yummy! Just the way dinner is meant to be!! LOVED the Greek Yogurt/Avocado dressing to top the meal! It was a nice touch since the chicken seasoning packed a little heat (not too much tho; my 16 month old enjoyed it). The quinoa was very flavorful, too.

Here is a pic from our meal:

Storms passed through right as I was cooking, and we lost power for 3 hours. Another reason I was so grateful the meal cooked up easy and quick. So, we enjoyed our family dinner over candlelight, which was very fun! Thanks for joining us for dinner! Enjoy!