Just set up shop

So I just set up shop on Etsy! I paint bottles and am hoping to sell them and maybe start branching out. So here are the four bottles I currently have up on Etsy and the shop name in case anyone is interested! Thanks for reading and there will be more to come!!

www.etsy.com/shop/Dragonellasbottles

 

Mac 'N Cheese on the fly

So I've been craving mac 'n cheese for about 2 days now, but really didn't think I had the ingredients for it, I also look and didn't have a premade box either. (Sad face) But tonight I double checked what all I had and said "F it, I am going to make mac 'n cheese!!" And did! Sometimes you just gotta double check whatcha got and do with what you have!

1 Tbsp butter
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
3/4 cup cheese
1/4 box of pasta

Alright so the precise measurement might be off, cause I eye balled it mainly its usually how I make my sauces. But this as close to precise as possible. The pasta I used was zigi rigati.

Bring water to a boil, add salt. Then add the pasta, cook for about 8 mins. When pasta is cooking place butter into sauce pan, let cook down. Once the butter is melted add flour slowly whisking as you add, making a roux. Then add milk, once again slowly adding while whisking. Once these ingredients are combined add cheese, small handfuls at a time. Whisk until smooth, then add next handful of cheese until cheese is melted in. Once pasta is done cooking, drain and add to sauce, stir. Add salt and pepper for taste. For this experiment I also added 5 dashes of hot sauce. Delicious if I must say! :)

Back from vacation and Pinterest inspires

So here is a link to a recipe I saw on Pinterest and inspired me to try something new! http://therecipecritic.com/2013/09/baked-honey-sesame-chicken/

The unfortunate part, when I stared at this recipe was the fact that I didn't have sesame oil or rice wine vinegar. But since I wanted so badly to try, I count out on ingredient and attempted to make another! Also had to cut back the amount of ingredients because, well I just had half of what is called for.

2 chicken breast, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/2 cup cornstarch
salt, pepper, and red pepper
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Sauce:
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
1/2 "sesame oil" ~ toasted sesame seeds for about 2-3mins, then added 1 tbsp olive oil. Add together and                                 set aside until you are making sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch

Preheat oven at 325 degrees. In small bowl whisk eggs and cornstarch until smooth. Heat vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat. Once all chicken has been cut sprinkle spices over top. Once oil is heat, put a few chicken pieces into egg cornstarch mix. Carefully add chicken to oil. (if you have a splatter screen, it is advised to use, grease splatter HURTS!!!!) Turn over chicken once, making sure there is a light brown color to the skin. When one batch of chicken is done place into a greased 8x8 pan. As group of chicken is cooking you may start on sauce. Stir all ingredients together, set aside and let thicken a little. When all the chicken is done and are in the pan, pour the sauce over chicken, making sure all the chicken is covered. Place into oven for 45mins, and make sure every 15mins you stir the chicken around. Let stand for about 5mins and serve. A little sweet and tangy, all good :)

Completed bottle!! Wooooooo

So I asked some of my facebook friends for any ideas on what to paint on a bottle next. I got two responses *sad face* one was for a football time logo, I'll get to it some day. And the other which I took the idea and am running with it is "leopard print". So I looked up not only leopard print, but zebra, giraffe and snow leopard to get a clearer view of how they look...and I am talking real pelts. So I have the paint to do snow leopard and did that. Here are the results!! I am also going to open a shop on Etsy to sell my products, but not until I come back from vacation, next week :)

An empty cleaned wine bottle!

I lightly spray painted with a mate white, so you'll be able to see the inside just a little.

Took black and white acrylic paint to make gray and did random spots.

Around the gray spots I did black lines, making it look like leopard.

Snow leopards also have a blue-ish gray spots in and around their major spots.

And then after the acrylic paint dried I applied a clear finish coat for shine! Complete!!

video

This is my first attempt at video. Please enjoy and let me know if there is anything that can be changed to make my future videos better! Thanks
http://youtu.be/yERn5-SYBOM       

Chicken Wild Rice Cassserole

So another experiment and a rehash of another experiment! My first chicken casserole turned out great, and now I present another chicken casserole....and yes it turned out delicious. Not only did I love it my roommate did as well!! :))

4 chicken thighs
1 1/2 cups wild rice
4 oz canned mushrooms (about 2 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced)
10 oz frozen chopped spinach (about 5 oz fresh baby spinach)
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp unsalted butter

Spices; salt, pepper, Cheyenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season chicken, and set to the side. In large sauce pan melt butter and add garlic. Let cook for about a minute and then add spinach, cook for about 2 mins. Then add mushrooms, if there is any excess liquid drain, then add cream, salt and pepper.
In 13x9 casserole dish layer bottom with wild rice, uncooked. Place chicken on top and pour sauce onto chicken and rice. Cover with aluminum foil and place in oven for 45 mins. Halfway through stir.

Not everything is a success......but with practice makes delicious

So I attempted to make sweet potato hash browns this morning. It wasn't a complete fail, but this is one of those times where practice will definitely come in handy, LOL.

 I can at least peel and julienne a sweet potato well.
After the sweet potato was grated I rinsed it until the water ran clear. I added salt, cinnamon and brown sugar and mixed it all together.  Then in a cast iron skillet, my favorite, I put some bacon grease in then the potato. Either I didn't let it cook enough on one side or it was too wet. When I went to turn it over it stuck to the pan and wasn't the crisp you'd look for with hash browns. But I digress....it turned out ok. Ignore the attempt at sunny side up eggs.....I almost had it but the yolk broke, but when I put the eggs on my plate it bowled itself which was epic in itself :)

Shrimp and Spinach alferdo pasta

Another experiment gone completely right!!!

8 oz spaghetti noodles

4 cups baby spinach

2 tbsp butter

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tbsp all purpose flour

3 oz raw large shrimp, peeled and rinsed

1 tbsp olive oil 

salt 

pepper

cayenne pepper

thyme

In large pot, fill with water and bring to a boil. In a saute pan melt butter over medium heat, adding garlic. Once garlic starts to cook add spinach, continue to stir. Once water has come to a boil add salt, then pasta, cooking to al dente,  7-8 mins. Once the spinach is welted and cooked add heaving whipping cream and flour, mix well to dissolve flour. In separate saute pan over medium heat, add olive oil let heat for about minute. In a bowl add shrimp, a pinch of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, and thyme, coat shrimp evenly...with hands is best. Once shrimp is coated add to olive oil pan, cook each side until pink. When the noodles are done, strain pasta in colander. As sauce is cooking, slowly add cheese until its thicker, then salt and pepper. Once shrimp is cooked add to sauce, then add pasta, stir together, and of course Enjoy!!  

Chicken Rice Casserole

Everyone loves a casserole!!

1 zucchini, cut in half
4 white mushrooms
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups white rice, uncooked
1/2 cup diced tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
5 chicken wings or 3 thighs*
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut 1 medium to large zucchini in half, use first half to julienne, put aside. Dice rest of zucchini and mushrooms. As the oven is heating up, grab a medium pot and start sauce, on stove over medium heat. Take butter and place in pot, let melt a little and then add minced garlic. As the garlic starts to cook, add the julienne zucchini. Add heavy whipping cream, stir for about a minute then add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, salt and pepper. In 8x8 inch casserole dish add uncooked rice, zucchini, mushrooms. Season chicken (as desired)

, add to casserole dish. remove pot from stove and add sauce on top of ingredients in casserole dish, making sure everything is evenly covered. Cover dish with aluminum foil, place in oven for 40 mins. At the half way point take casserole out, remove foil and add cheese on top. Place back into oven for remaining time. Let cool for 3-5 mins. Enjoy!

*thighs may take longer, 40-50 mins.