Overheard during the Superbowl

David Beckham commercial.

I said, "Well, that was fun to look at."

My husband, "Hmph."

Me, "Hey, his wife's hot."

Him, "No, she's not."

Me, "What... why?"

Him, "Women don't get hotter with..."

~moment of silence~

Me, quick turn of the head and stare

Him, ... "surgery?"

Saturday Smoothie

I made smoothies this morning. What a medley of flavors!
I don't even remember the last time I've had a smoothie.
My 6 year old thought it was an "uh-maze-ing" drink.

Saturday Smoothie

1 1/4 cups (calcium fortified) orange juice
1 banana
1 1/4 cups frozen berries (I used blueberries and strawberries)
1/2 cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 tablespoon sugar (optional)

Combine orange juice, banana, berries, yogurt and sugar, if using, in a blender; cover and blend until creamy. Serve immediately.

Source: Eating Well

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Thursday Thanks Tank #173

Each Thursday I try to make a list of my thankful thoughts. Sometimes I jot it down on paper, sometimes I share that list here, and other times I just highlight one or two things that I am thankful for. This is my Thursday Thanks Tank.

I am thankful for:

1. Nature. I keep filling up the bird bath for the birds. They are fun to watch.

2. Imagination. My daughter and I have been playing with Fisher Price Little People a lot this week. There's nothing quite like letting a four year old lead the imaginative play.

3. Making a good purchase on Craig's List.

4. Asking for Boxtops on Craig's List and having someone give us 60 Boxtops.

5. Chocolate milk. A delightful treat.

6. Children mend quickly. My 6 year old had stitches last week. They were taken out yesterday. He's a trooper.

7. Getting caught up on emails and phone calls. I'd been playing phone tag with two people for over a week and I finally connected with them both. I also made time to answer a few emails. It feels good to make time for important things.

8. Quality Kitchen Time. Hmph, couldn't figure out exactly how to label this one. The weekend nights were spent cooking with my husband. We love to cook together. I also tried out 4 new main dish recipes this week, plus homemade croutons.

I had more that I was going to write but I started this list much earlier in the day and then got interrupted. The rest of the day was full of little bits of normalcy -kitchen cleaning, kid refereeing, answering kid questions, helping with homework, hugs and kisses. It was a good day. I am thankful for the daily grind. And now, I am going to grab my book and read for a while - a great way to end a good day.

Sweet Bacon Chicken

I've set a goal for myself to try at least 2 new recipes a week. Some of the new meals are mouth-watering good and some are just solid. I'm expanding my recipe base and enjoying cooking new things. That works for me!

Last week, we tried out this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken and it did not disappoint us. Not only did its taste delight us, but the aroma that filled the kitchen was marvelous.

Sweet Bacon Chicken

1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 pounds)
8 slices of bacon, halved crosswise
1 cup packed light brown sugar

1. In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, orange juice, and garlic. Add the chicken to the bowl and toss to coat well with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease a wire cooling rack or coat with cooking spray. Place the wrack on the baking sheet.

3. Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drip off. Wrap a bacon slice around each piece of thigh. Secure the bacon with a toothpick.

4. Crumble the brown sugar into a bowl. Dip each bacon-wrapped thigh into the sugar, taking care to coat evenly. Place the chicken on the prepared rack. Bake, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the chicken is cooked through - about 30 minutes.

I served this with creamy grits with sweet corn, homemade biscuits and sweet tea.

Recipe Source: Paula Deen