Bacon Wrapped Chicken (made in the slow cooker!)

I've been reading cook books lately.  Lots of cook books.  I miss cooking so much that I just lay around and think about what I'll cook when I'm up and around again.  (Recovery update:  I stood up without crutches the other day!  That may sound ridiculous to you but it was a pretty big deal for me).  Anyway, I found this recipe for bacon wrapped chicken that's made in a slow cooker.  Sounded interesting.  But, some of the ingredients weren't my family's favorite.  So, I fiddled with it a little and changed it up a bit.  Then, with my husband's help, I wheeled into the kitchen and gave it a try.

BACON WRAPPED CHICKEN

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 slices thick-cut bacon
Salt and pepper
2 cups chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 onion, thickly sliced
1/2 cup sour cream

Place sliced onion into the slow cooker.

Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

Wrap a slice of bacon around each chicken breast and place them on top of the onions.

In a large measuring cup mix broth and soup well.

Pour the broth mixture into the slow cooker.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

At this point, the chicken is fully cooked.  However, the bacon is chewy.  If you like chewy bacon, eat it as is.  I like my bacon a little crispier, so I removed the chicken to a cookie sheet and placed it under the broiler for a few minutes.  Just until the bacon crisped up.

Before:

After:

Now to finish the sauce.  I removed the onions and discarded them because my Pickiest-Eater-Ever Son won't eat them.  Plus, it makes for a smoother sauce.  But you can leave them in if you like.

Then, I whisked in the sour cream.

 Now, just ladle the sauce into a gravy boat and serve it with the chicken.

This was very easy to make.  The hardest part was wrapping the bacon around the chicken (and that wasn't hard at all).

The chicken was moist and infused with flavor from the bacon and onions.  (Two of the best flavors in the world, by the way). The sauce was creamy and delicious, also full of flavor from simmering with bacon and onions.  Easy and delicious... My favorite kind of supper!  (And, if I can do it without standing up, you can definitely do it!)

Cake In A Mug

When you are recovering from double ankle surgery, there's not much to do.  You can't really go anywhere or do much of anything except read or watch TV.  Once I had reread every book and magazine in my possession and watched almost everything on the DVR (except the weird nature shows my Dad tapes when he comes over.  I really don't want to see a park ranger picking up decaying animals and trying to figure out what killed them), I turned to the internet (which, of course, is filled with even weirder things).   But, I stuck to researching new recipes.  The thing I am looking forward to the most is getting back on my feet in front of my stove.  Man, I miss cooking!  My daughter and husband are doing their very best to cook supper (and I love them for doing it because fast food gets old way too fast!).  But, I really miss doing it myself.  Cooking relaxes me.  It's my therapy.  Put on some music and dance around the kitchen, you'll see, your troubles will disappear.

Obviously, I can't dance around with a cast on one ankle and bandages on the other.  But I needed to get into the kitchen and do something.  I found a recipe online that seemed too easy to work.  It's a Cake in a Mug recipe that's made in the microwave.  I hopped on my scooter (more like gently slid onto it) and headed to the kitchen.

CAKE IN A MUG

1 box Angel Food cake mix
1 box Devil's Food cake mix

In a large bowl, mix together the two cake mixes.

Store this in an airtight container.  When you are ready for a little something sweet, get out a microwave-safe mug.  Add 3 TBS of the mix and 2 TBS water.  Mix thoroughly!

Then put it in the microwave for 1 minute.  (If you have a very powerful microwave, try 45-50 seconds).  It's easy to remember 3, 2, 1.  3 TBS mix, 2 TBS water, 1 minute in the microwave.

This is not the most beautiful thing in the world, but it tastes good.  It was moist and sweet but not too sweet.  Top it with some whipped cream or chocolate syrup or even fruit (sliced strawberries would be nice).

Don't like chocolate?  (I don't understand you, but whatever). You can substitute any flavor cake mix.  But you must use the Angel Food Cake mix!  It has ingredients that help this rise.  But, you could pair it with lemon, strawberry, spice cake, yellow cake mix.  Any flavor you like.

This would be a great mix to keep at your desk in the office.  Because all that you need is water and a microwave, you can make it almost anywhere.  Perfect for when you need just a little something sweet!

This one is too easy not to try!