Roasted Red Pepper, Mushroom, Spinach, And Chicken Thigh Recipe

 

Roasted Red Pepper Chicken Recipe

3 large red bell peppers 

5 chicken thighs

8oz  button mushrooms

1 red onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup white wine (or chicken stock + 1 Tbsp. Lemon juice)

1 cup chicken stock

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (to taste)

Salt

1 medium bowl of baby spinach leaves

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup olive oil

Step 1.

To roast the red peppers:

Place in preheated oven at 30 min at 350°F – 180°C and roast for 40-45 minutes. Remove and place in a bowl or anything with a lid. Cover and leave for 30 minutes. 

Or:

Place the red peppers in a preheated grill. Roast until the skins blacken. Rotate the peppers until they are uniformly blackened on all sides. Remove from grill and place in a covered bowl for 30 minutes.

Step 2.

Slice the mushrooms in fairly thick slices and sauté in a frying pan with a little olive oil. Set aside once nicely brown.

Step 3.

 Cut chicken thighs in 2 or 3 pieces. Sprinkle with smoked paprika and cayenne pepper. Place the same pan on high heat with olive oil and sauté the chicken until nice and brown on each side. Set aside once cooked.

Step 4.

Place the diced onion in the same pan on low heat, add the minced garlic and gently cook until a little brown. Add extra oil if required. Deglaze with white wine then add chicken stock. Reduce by half.

Step 5.

For the bell peppers, remove from bowl and peel off the skins. They should remove easily. Take out the core, tear them apart and scrape away any seeds. Keep one or two slices for later. Place the rest in a blender along with the onion and wine reduction. Blitz on high until velvet smooth.

Step 6.

Pour bell pepper sauce into the same pan on medium heat. Add the cream and return the chicken and mushrooms. Slice into strips the roasted bell peppers set aside. Add to the sauce, mix well, taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and cayenne pepper. Leave to simmer very gently for 3-4 minutes.

Step 7.

Chop up the baby spinach in medium coarse size and add to the sauce mix. Mix well and serve over pasta.

This is a really tasty dish! I had a some beautiful red bell peppers which led me to search for a recipe that highlighted the red pepper flavor. Red peppers are kind of special because you have to wait so long for their color to change. After all that waiting I wanted to cook something special with them.

I found this recipe through a tantalizing cooking video. The original recipe is from recipe 30.com.

https://recipe30.com/chicken-in-roasted-bell-pepper-sauce.html/

The flavors that were prominent were the capsaicin of the peppers, the olive oil soaked into the mushrooms, the smokey hint of the smoked paprika, and richness of the cream, and earthiness isolated to the spinach bites.

Peppers, Peppers, Peppers!

 

I have been able to harvest a lot of peppers from our small garden plot this year.

I have used the banana peppers to make Lacto-Fermented Pickled Peppers. I still think this is the best recipe for pickled peppers. You can follow this link for the recipe:

https://simplyinspirations101.blogspot.com/2017/11/lacto-fermented-peppers-recipe.html?m=1

The habanero plants have produced marvelously! I have been using them to make some aged pepper hot sauce. If you are curious about my method you can read all about it here:

http://simplyinspirations101.blogspot.com/2020/10/my-aged-pepper-hot-sauce-recipe.html?m=0

When my Mom was in town to meet our newest baby she froze the majority of the bell pepper harvest for me. She just diced the peppers and froze them in freezer bags. It was a blessing to have her help! :)

Genesis 8:22

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Seasons are changing here in the Mid-west.  My flowers are fading. The days are shortening. Soon we will be going to weiner roasts and enjoying campfires with family and friends.

Brief Birth Story For Baby #4

 What A Baby Costs

By Edgar Albert Guest

"How much do babies cost?" said he

The other night upon my knee;

And then I said: "They cost a lot;

A lot of watching by a cot,

A lot of sleepless hours and care,

A lot of heartache and despair,

A lot of fear and trying dread,

And sometimes many tears are shed

In payment for our babies small,

But every one is worth it all.

"For babies people have to pay

A heavy price from day to day--

There is no way to get one cheap.

Why, sometimes when they're fast asleep

You have to get up in the night

And go and see that they're all right.

But what they cost in constant care

And worry, does not half compare

With what they bring of joy and bliss...

You'd pay much more for just a kiss.

"Who buys a baby has to pay

A portion of the bill each day;

He has to give his time and thought

Unto the little one he's bought.

He has to stand a lot of pain

Inside his heart and not complain;

And pay with lonely days and sad

For all the happy hours he's had.

All this a baby costs, and yet

His smile is worth it all, you bet."

I normally don't share personal information such as birth stories on this blog, but since I have shared more pregnancy related topics this time around I will go ahead and recount a brief description of the labor and delivery of my most recent child.

This pregnancy was my most difficult pregnancy so far. It culminated in the most easy delivery that I have had with any of my children. It brings to mind this verse from Ecclesiastes:

Ecclesiastes 7:8

Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Baby #4 was born at 41+3 weeks. I wasn't surprised at all to be overdue. All of my children have been born a week or more past their due dates. I always expect to go late.

I was having contractions through the night, but I was ignoring them and able to sleep pretty well.

When I woke up at 5:36a.m. my waters ruptured. I called the midwife. Then I woke up Mr. In The Mid-west.

The children started waking up. Mr. In The Mid-west was cleaning the house to get ready for people to show up. He was also getting the children ready to leave. I was packing clothes for the children and cleaning the bathroom and brushing Dear Daughter's hair between contractions. I wasn't timing them, but I could tell they were getting close.

The midwife called at 6:37a.m. to see what contractions were like. I timed a few. They were 2 minutes apart and a minute long! She said she would leave her house and head our way. It's an 1 1/2 hour drive, by the way.

Around 7a.m. is when I felt like I was going through transition. Around 7 is also when my Mother-in-law got to our house to pick up the children.

I went to lay down. I usually get really sleepy after transition and experience a welcome respite before the really hard part starts.

The midwife got here at 8:20. She made it! I was starting to do little, teeny tiny, pushes. May be I should describe it as slightly bearing down. But I really didn't want to push. The midwife checked and said I had a cervical lip. I tried a squatting type position for 2-3 contractions. I wasn't holding myself up on my own. Mr. In The Mid-west was holding me up by holding me under my arms and I was just dangling in a squatting position. That worked. The lip was gone and I could push the baby out. I like to be on my knees, leaning into the bed for that part. Baby #4 was born at 8:46a.m! 3 hours of labor. Not bad at all! :) 

I am grateful that everything went well. I am also glad that it is all over. I have been enjoying getting to know our newest little bundle of joy! :)

Sweet-N-Sour Chicken Recipe!

 I posted this recipe several years ago. I gave the post a title that made the recipe hard to find, though. I still use and love this recipe. So, I think now is a good time to re-publish the tasty Sweet-N-Sour Chicken Recipe.

Chicken:
• 2 lbs. Chicken, skinless chicken thighs(preferably), or breasts
• 1 cup cornstarch
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/2 - 2 cups frying oil
Sauce:
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Cut the chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces.  Place the cornstarch in a gallon-sized ziploc bag. Put the chicken into the bag with the cornstarch and seal, tossing to coat the chicken.                                           Or, put the corn starch and chicken pieces into a lidded container and shake vigorously to coat all the chicken.
3. Whisk the eggs together in a shallow pie plate. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until very hot and rippling. Dip the cornstarch-coated chicken pieces in the egg and place them carefully in a single layer in the hot skillet.
4. Cook for 20-30 seconds on each side until the crust is golden but the chicken is not all the way cooked through (this is where it's really important to have a hot skillet/oil). Place the chicken pieces in a single layer in a 9X13-inch baking dish and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
5. Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and pour over the chicken. Bake for one hour, turning the chicken once or twice while cooking to coat evenly with sauce. Serve over hot, steamed rice.

I have frozen this meal. This is how I did that.

To Freeze:

Complete steps 2-4. Drain and cool the par-fried chicken pieces. Freeze the chicken in a bag.

When ready to bake:

Put the frozen par-fried chicken pieces into casserole pan. Pour sauce over the chicken pieces and stir to coat.

Bake at 350° F. for 1 hour, stirring twice during the baking time.

Recommend Support Belt For Pelvic Girdle Pain

 

This belt has changed my life. I am dead serious. I had been dealing with almost constant hip pain and limited mobility from January until the end of May with my latest pregnancy.

I read this article, which my sister shared with me:

https://www.maternity-belt.co.uk/about/pelvic-girdle-pain/

The article described all my symptoms and gave suggestions to mitigate the pain and flare ups. 

I didn't see a Doctor or seek any professional medical advice.

Please, by all means, and, of course, if you find yourself in a similar situation you should talk to your Doctor.

That being said, if you read the article about Pelvic Girdle Pain and it describes what you are going through, this support belt may help you.

What happened for me at the end of May is that I visited my sister and she let me borrow her support belt. (Insert angelic choir sound.) Immediate relief! I could go up and down the stairs without hurting. I could lift my foot high enough to put my rubber boots on again. I could walk from the van to the house (or down the hall, or out to the clothesline, or anywhere really) without having to stop, wincing in pain, and wait a few seconds for my legs to work again.

The belt is two pieces. The first part is a Velcro pad in the front to which the second part attaches. It goes on below the belly, around the area of your hip sockets and tail bone. I have worn it both over my skirt and under my skirt. I have not worn it on bare skin. I always wore some type of garment under the belt like a slip or pantyhose. "Pantyhose when your pregnant?!" Well, that is a rabbit trail about varicose veins that I am not going to go down right now.......... 

I wore this support belt everyday during the waking hours. I was able to sleep comfortably at night with the belt off. You certainly can wear the belt through the night, though. My sister mostly wore the belt at night while she slept because that is when she had the most trouble with her hips.

This belt restored my ability to take care of basic household chores. I could squat down or bend over to pick up things off of the floor again. I could take care of the grocery shopping, climbing in and out of the van, hauling children back and forth. 

I have never been so grateful to be able to walk! I have never been so grateful to have relief from pain! Like I said, I had been in nearly constant pain; sitting, standing, walking, kneeling, crawling, laying down, rolling over..... I was so ready for relief!

Prior to reading the article about Pelvic Girdle Pain I had tried to figure out how to avoid flare ups and keep my legs moving easily. I tried stretching and gentle exercises. That didn't help and it seemed to make things worse. I tried supplementing with liquid Calcium, which didn't make any difference. I thought the wonder cure of eating a sugar free diet may help, but, no, it didn't.

After reading the article on Pelvic Girdle Pain I began implementing some of their suggestions. I kept my knees together.  No squatting for me. Whenever I was sitting I would press my knees together. That helped. 

I never crossed my legs anymore. 

I slept on my left side with a pillow between my knees every night. That helped. 

I would go up stairs sideways, one leg at time. That helped.

I stopped carrying things (and children) on my hip or off to one side. That helped.

But, nothing helped as much as the support belt. If I become pregnant again I will be purchasing a belt of my own. The belt costs about $40.00. Here is a link to the website of the company that produces the support belt that has helped me so much:

https://www.optp.com/Maternity-SI-LOC-Support-Belt

I hope anyone out there who is suffering from this type of hip pain can get help. I recommend that you try a support belt like this. It might just be an easy solution that you've been looking for.

How I Got Rid of Leg Cramps

I tried taking a few different types of Calcium/Magnesium supplements when I started having leg cramps in the night. 

This is what ended working for me. Of course, what worked for me may not work for you. Please talk to your Doctor and do your own research. :)

The combination that worked was a Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin D supplement from Walmart taken before bed along with a teaspoon of Natto.

This Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc,
 and Vit. D from Walmart

Natto? What is that?

Natto is a fermented soybean condiment common in Japan. I buy Natto at our local Asian market in the frozen foods section. 

Natto comes with a piece of thin plastic
over the beans to keep it from drying out. 

Packaging of frozen Natto

Natto comes in packages of 4 small
containers

Why would I take Natto with Calcium/Magnesium?

Natto contains massive amounts of vitamin K2. I heard on Dr. Paul's podcast (Against the Wind) that, while vitamin D3 is essential for the body to absorb Calcium, vitamin K2 is essential for making sure the Calcium gets deposited in the right places; building bones as opposed to arthritis, etc.

I had to take 4 capsules of the Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Vitamin D supplement at night before bed along with a teaspoon of Natto to be free from cramps all night. If I only took 3 capsules I would be on the verge of a cramp all night. If I took 4 capsules without the Natto I would be on the verge of a cramp all night. I needed to take 4 capsules with Natto before bed to have good results.

This is highly anecdotal and not scientific at all. I wanted to tell my experience here. Maybe it can help someone out there to figure out what combination of supplements they need to take to get rid of their leg cramps.

I didn't have to have many cramps to feel desperate to find a solution. They are so painful! And at the moment of muscle seizer one feels so helpless! 

If you have any tips for dealing with leg cramps please leave them in the comments below! :)

Tropical Fruit Whip!

 This recipe is inspired by the Pineapple Whip recipe from Dinning On A Dime .com. 

Ingredients:

Frozen Bananas

Frozen Pineapple, fresh or canned

Canned Coconut milk

Vanilla Extract

A tip for those using canned pineapple: freeze it in an ice cube tray. This will make it easy to blend up.

I have only tried this recipe with canned pineapple. I think it would be much better with fresh pineapple, though. I can taste the "tinny" flavor from the tin can of the canned pineapple. 

These are rough quantities. Please adjust the amounts to your preferences!

Tropical Fruit Whip

Yield: 4 large servings

1 (13.5oz.) can coconut milk

1 (20oz.) can pineapple chunks, frozen

2 1/2 cups banana chunks, frozen

2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring (I really like Mexican style vanilla flavoring in this shake.)

Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until really smooth and somewhat aerated.

Serve cold. 

Enjoy!

KJV Pew Bible Review|Holman Publishers Vs. Hendrickson Publishers

A couple years ago I came to the conclusion that I would like to use a hardcover pew Bible, as opposed to a leather bound study Bible. The Bible that I use gets beat up. My Bible is part of my everyday, less than pristine, life.

Stitched Signatures
The stitches are visible in the crack above.

Why A Pew Bible?

They are:

• Cheap

• Durable

• Bare Bones Scripture

• Easy to replace

Another thing that made me want to use a pew Bible is that they tend to be plain scripture without commentary and references.

I like this for two reasons:

1. I can come to my own understanding of what the Bible means without as many preconceived notions.

2. The Bible can be fewer pages from Genesis through Revelations. 

I have a Holman Publishers pew Bible that I have used for the past 31 months. It has served me well. It is showing signs of wear and has needed taping in a few areas inside the front and back cover. Mr. In The Mid-west just bought me a new Bible. My new one is from Hendrickson Publishers. I will do a little review and comparison between the two.

Hendrickson Publishers on the Left
Holman Publishers on the Right

Holman Publishers KJV Pew Bible

ISBN #978-1-5864-0942-5

Dimensions:

8"×5.5"×1.25"

Font style and size:

Construction:

Stitched Signatures ✓

Ribbon X

Number of pages from Genesis through Revelations:

1077

Special Features:

Words of Christ in red ✓

Salvation plan ✓

Paragraph delineation symbols ✓

Epistle of dedicatory X

Study helps X

Maps ✓ (2 maps)

Capitol letters and spellings in particular verses:

Gen. 1:2 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

Psalm 51:11 Capitol S in Spirit  X

John 6:63 Capitol S in Spirit  X

2 Tim. 3:17 throughly not thoroughly ✓

1 John 5:7 Capitol F, W, H,+G in Father, Word, and Holy Ghost ✓

1 John 5:8 Capitol S in Spirit  X

Hendrickson Publishers KJV Pew Bible 

ISBN # 978-1-59856-220-0

Dimensions:

8.75"×5.5"×1.125"

Font style and size:

Construction:

Stitched Signatures ✓

Ribbon X

Number of pages from Genesis through Revelations:

740

Special Features:

Words of Christ in red  X

Salvation plan  X

Paragraph delineation symbols ✓

Epistle of dedicatory  ✓

Study helps  ✓ (Key Bible Promises, Harmony of the Gospels, Miracles of the Old Testament, Miracles of the New Testament, Parables of the Old Testament, Old Testament Prophecies of the Passion, and Parables of the New Testament. Only 15 pages total)

Maps ✓ (3 maps)

Capitol letters and spellings in particular verses:

Gen. 1:2 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

Psalm 51:11 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

John 6:63 Capitol S in Spirit  X

1 Tim. 3:17 throughly not thoroughly ✓

1 John 5:7 Capitol F, W, H,+G in Father, Word, and Holy Ghost ✓

1 John 5:8 Capitol S in Spirit ✓

I really like the fact that both Bibles are constructed with stitched signatures. Stitched signatures are much more durable than glued in pages.

I find both fonts and size of the letters easy to read.

The thing that I am most excited about in my new (Hendrickson Publishers) Bible is that it is only 740 pages Genesis through Revelations. 

One feature that I think I will miss is the words of Christ in red that the Holman Publishers Bible features.

Have you considered using a pew Bible for your main Bible? 

Do you want to know any other details about these two Bibles that I compared?

Psalm 119:89

For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.