Third Recipe for LIFE: Baked Chicken

Third Recipe For Life: Baked Chicken. How many things can you do with baked chicken? They cannot be counted, nor should they. From salads, to pizza, casseroles to soup it seems like there is always a need for baked chicken—at least at my house. Here is a simple, sure way to prepare chicken that will produce a quality product that you can freeze for later use, or use right away!

When I bake my chicken I use fresh vegetables to give it flavor, which also ends up giving me delicious broth when the process is complete. The broth is a bonus to cook with. It can be can be frozen in a zip lock bag or in an ice cube tray for smaller amounts.

What do you use baked chicken for?

Second Recipe for LIFE- Roasted Vegetables, Sweet Potatoes!

When I think about a roasted vegetable the first thing that comes to mind is an oven fry. I’ve probably made 200 pounds of potatoes into oven fries over the years, but there are so many other vegetables that can be roasted and should be roasted. You know why? They are easy and they taste delicious, actually sublime! The ingredients are simple and healthy, that is why this is my Second Recipe for Life.

There are two rules to roasting vegetables:

1. Cut your vegetables about the same size so that they get done at the same time
2. If you are mixing a variety of veggies, choose them wisely. Not all vegetables roast at the same time schedule (check the chart below)

The goal is to have your vegetables be tender on the inside, and carmelized on the outside. This is achieved with a hot oven, olive oil and seasonings and roasting them for the proper amount of time for the choosen vegetable (which you'll get the feel of as you prepare them).

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Quick Roasting Medium Roasting SlowRoasting

Asparagus Bell Peppers Potatoes (all kinds)

Mushrooms Onions (all kinds) Winter Squash

Tomatoes Zucchini & Summer Squash Carrots

Sprouts Egg Plant Beets

Of course there are many more vegetables but this is a place to begin . . .

If you are a whiz at roasting vegetables, take an evening to teach someone else how to make this simple, yet delicious and wonderful dish. It can brighten almost any meal.

What do you like your roasted vegetables with?

First Basic Recipe for LIFE- Fluffy Scrambled Eggs

I have joined Jamie Oliver's FOOD REVOLUTION, and watched the first in the series of television shows on Sunday night. Did you? If you caught my post a few weeks back about his acceptance speech you'll recall him talking about "10 recipes for life".

I've done some thinking about that. Over the last few weeks I put together a small, very small cookbook for my son with barebones information about how to buy food, what brands are reliable, how to plan a menu and use your time wisely in the kitchen and some actual weekly menus with a handful of recipes. The recipes I included are exactly what I think Oliver is talking about. Simple food with a few ingredients that will sustain life.

I realize that most of you in the blogging world are making gourmet food. But do your children and neighbors know how to scramble an egg? If not, here is a tried and true recipe that I think everyone should have for LIFE. It's the first recipe in the book for my son, it takes 45 seconds to make-- FLUFFY SCRAMBLED EGGS, made in a cast iron skillet.

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We all have our "go-to" recipes that pull us through life. I know you have them.

What do you make on a night when you wish you didn't have to cook dinner but everyone is starving and you know you can do better than take-out?

I really want to know.