Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken & French Puffs

Happy Friday!! Yay! It's yucky outside though, and as I heard someone say "it feels like the inside of a wet diaper"!!! HAHA! Yes it does, though. 

Well, news here? We are beginning to "house hunt" in Sioux City. Why? Because Aaron is going back to college at WIT in the fall. :) Haha... news, huh?! Ya, we have no news for a long time... and now we have big news! Aaron has decided to go back for Paramedic training. Something he has been involved in in the past, and something he still has a passion for. He's just one big public servant! :) Love him! 

We are definately taking the house hunt a little more seriously and smarter this time around. We kind of jumped in too quickly last time in KS. We know what we need/want, and we're not going to make many sacrifices this time. I am excited to get back to Sioux City... I like the bigger city feel, and expanded shopping/dining options.

So, I'm sure you'll be hearing more about what we're finding, etc. So stay tuned! 

Now, let's eat!

Yes, those are potatoes from a box. I do cave every once in awhile... for a good sale, that is. And they are yummy!

Let's talk about the chicken though. That was quite tasty! Thanks to The Pajama Chef!


Lemon Brown Sugar Chicken
1 lb thinly sliced chicken breasts
~1/2 cup flour
~1 Tbsp paprika
Canola oil
2-3 fresh lemons, juiced
~2 Tbsp Brown sugar

(~ = give or take, guestimate, don't bother measuring exactly)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-medium high heat. Combine flour and paprika in a small bowl. Coat the chicken breasts in flour mixture and brown on each side, about 2 minutes each side. 

- Place in a casserole dish and top with brown sugar.

- Heat lemon juice briefly in hot skillet, stirring up good bits left from chicken. :)  By the way, you know how to juice a lemon, right? And you know how much better fresh lemon juice tastes than store-bought, right?? It's so easy, just slice the lemon in half and squeeze into a bowl, removing any seeds that fall in. Annnnnd, putting the left-over skins, etc down the garbage disposal makes it smell fresh!

- Pour lemon juice over chicken. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through. 

Look at that crusty brown sugar! It kind of reminds me of chinese food! It's good! Along side of boxed potatoes, and asparagus I hunted! :)


Ok, and just because recipes/pictures are backing up in my supply... I have to share this with you!!!!

Simple, sugary, buttery, AMAZING! Pioneer Woman's French Breakfast Puffs! I don't really have any idea why they're french? Or breakfast? Or puffs? They are kinda like cinnamon sugar muffins... or cake donuts! They are to die for though! And easy enough to make quick on the spot, like I did one night! I needed something sweet! And the ingredients are so easy!

So I quick made them! I made 1/2 of Pioneer Woman's recipe, which was supposed to only make 6 muffins... but it still made 12 like her original recipe said it would! 


Cinnamon Sugar Cake Donut Muffins (the name I'm gonna give them, and I'm gonna give you the 1/2 recipe I used, which gave me 12 muffins)


1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup Crisco shortening
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 stick butter (I think I used even less than that)

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.

- In a large bowl stir together flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Set aside.

- In a different bowl, cream together 1/2 cup sugar and shortening. Then add eggs and mix again. Add flour mixture and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.

- Fill prepared muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

- In a bowl, melt butter. In a separate bowl combine remaining sugar and cinnamon. Dip baked muffins in butter, coating thoroughly, then coat with cinnamon-sugar mixture. 

          
Oh dear!!!!!!!! THESE WERE AMAZING! Like... make them right now!