A "Lighter" Meal Idea-Chicken Teriakyi, Brown Rice, Steamed Broccoli, and Applesauce Brownies

Chicken Teriakyi

Once again, I looked to Keeping it Simple's Thursday dish, to inspire me to make dinner.  They made Chicken Teriakyi.  http://craftskeepmesane.blogspot.com/2011/03/tasty-thursday-teriakyi-chicken.html I wanted to lighten it up a bit so my version is slightly different than theirs. I used 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil instead of their 1/4 cup of oil.  I served  it over brown rice. It turned out wonderfully.

Steamed Broccoli

Have you seen the Pampered Chef steamer?  http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=250&categoryCode=KW 

It is a fabulous kitchen accessory.  Not only does it reheat foods, in the microwave, without a mess, it also steams vegetables to perfection.  I put the crown of a head of broccoli in the microcooker. I added a very small amount of water.  I steamed the broccoli for about 3 minutes.  It's very important to check your broccoli to make sure it isn't overcooked.  It tastes wonderful, still slightly crisp, and beautifully green.  No additional seasoning is needed.

Applesauce Brownies

I am not going to try to convince you that brownies are in any way healthy.  But, if you must have brownies, you can make them healthier!  We use to LOVE Betty Crocker, Triple Chunk brownie mix.  Now, they've gone and changed the recipe and honestly, they aren't as good.  That being said, they aren't that bad either.  I hate when they change something that's nearly perfect! Anyway, I make this mix and use applesauce instead of oil and egg whites, instead of eggs.  Much better for you and your getting in some fruit!

Dish Soap Dispenser Upgrade & Tutorial

I hate doing dishes. I would prefer everything go in the dishwasher, but that isn't the case. There are always those dishes or pots and pans that must be washed by hand.  Over the last few months, my dish washing has increased, due to excessive cooking.  While I stand at the sink, I continue to look at that unattractive container of dish soap.  Why couldn't it be nicer and a bit more discrete?  Aha, a crafting idea.

Off I went to all my favorite stores, yes Mom, that included Walmart.  (She likes to harass me for going to Walmart regularly.  It doesn't help that my 2 year old asks if we are going to Walmart whenever I tell him we have to run to the store.  Let's just say that between trips to Sam's Club and Walmart, I am helping increase the Walton family fortune).  I digress.

I shopped all the stores until I found something that worked.  I planned to find a container for my dish soap, but decided to upgrade and label both. (I'm pretty sure I found these at Target, sorry Walton family, but I'm not positive.  It's been awhile).

Both soap dispensers are clear.  I filled them up with my hand soap and dish soap.  That looked plain though.  People might get confused as to which one to use.  (I know Mom, it is just horrible that I let people wash their hands at my kitchen sink.  Shame on me!) 

Therefore, I utilized my handy dandy Silhouette machine.  Are you beginning to understand how much I love this machine and all the nifty things you can do with it?  I cut out my words and removed the excess vinyl.

I picked up the words that I need for each dispenser using my transfer tape.  Since this was a curved surface it was a bit harder to get the letters on perfectly.  Thankfully, this vinyl is forgiving and I was able to take off a letter and put it back on where I needed it to be.

There you have it.  I love my new soap dispensers.  They are unique and I don't have to look at the unattractive dish soap bottle any longer.  Does that bother anyone else or just me?

Now, I must return to the sink full of dishes that won't clean themselves.  At least I had a crafting break!  If only all chores could be sidetracked with a craft to make it more enjoyable!



We are linking up this project to all these wonderful parties.  Go visit them for more great ideas!