Blackened Chicken over Dirty Rice

The hubby and I really enjoy spicy food (and the kiddos are beginning to). I have always been a fan of blackened chicken so I decided that it was high time I attempted some. It was so simple, spicy, moist, and delicious we will definitely be making it again! You can prep your chicken (pound and lightly rub with oil ahead of time) and seasoning mixture ahead of time (combine and store in an airtight container), then quickly throw it together at suppertime. I used the spice rub from Guy Fieri's Cajun Chicken Alfredo and served it with my version of Emeril's Dirty Rice.

Salted Caramel Sauce

It all started out because of Starbucks' Salted Caramel Latte. Everything went downhill from there. I love caramel, BUT adding salt to it really takes caramel to a whole new level. I'd made homemade caramel before so I figured I could learn how to make salted caramel. I decided to play around with this recipe from Cooking Channel and it came out absolutely delectable!

Grilled Chocolate Cake

We were having another "Dinner at 8pm" and I decided that I wanted to make dessert on the grill so I made up my mind to attempt chocolate cake and the grill. It turned out lovely and we enjoyed it with some homemade vanilla frozen yogurt. It didn't take very long to whip together either, which is always a perk!

Grilled Honey Cinnamon Plums

This is such an easy and delicious dessert to make on the grill while plums are in season. Top your freshly grilled plums with homemade whipped cream, vanilla frozen yogurt, or lowfat ice cream.

• Plums (however many you what to make, you can get about 4 thick slices out of one plum)
• Cinnamon
• Honey

Directions

1. Sprinkle plum slices with cinnamon, then drizzle with honey. 
2. Place on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes each side. Serve warm with any of the above mentioned toppings. 

Philly Cheesesteak Flatbread Sandwiches

One night, I decided that I didn't want to make sub bread for Philly Cheesesteak sandwiches. I determined that I would much rather have flatbread, but...I didn't want to run to the store with the kids. Yes, a lot of the time it's just more work than making something from scratch or finding a substitute that I have on hand. So, I determined to find a flatbread recipe. I am so glad I did, too. I LOVE it! It's fairly quick and easy to make and has such a great texture and versatility to it. Anyway, I made up my flatbread on the grill and then decided to try cooking the filling on the grill as well. I pulled out my awesome 14" cast iron skillet on created something delicious! In fact, it
was so delicious that there wasn't anything left over.

[Guest Post] Grain Free Pizza Crust

I have several friends who are allergic to gluten and one of them recently shared a recipe with me that she

developed for grain-free pizza crust. I asked if I could share it here for your benefit and she so graciously agreed.

• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 1/2 cups of tapioca flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup coconut flour

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine the butter, water and salt and bring to a boil. 
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the garlic and then the tapioca flour. 
4. Combine well and let cool for about 5 minutes. 
5. Next add in the eggs, combining well and then the coconut flour. Knead the dough until it comes together nicely. 
6. Plop the dough onto a parchment lined baking sheet and spread it out with your fingers. 
7. Place it in the oven for 35 minutes. The underside should be a golden brown. Take out, and top with your favorite toppings. 
8. Place back in oven at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes, until the cheese is melted & browned. Enjoy!

Temperance: WE'RE DEBT FREE!!

It has taken me a lot longer to post this than I had hoped but it is finally up, and we're still in the black 8 months later! God is good! 

On February 13th, 2013 we accomplished a goal we've been working toward since Miss E. was only a few months old (September 2008). We made the final payment on my student loan, the last of our non-mortgage debt. The moment when I logged in to my student loan account and scheduled the final payment was AWESOME! This feeling of  relief passed over me and I couldn't help but remember the day when Jared told me that we were going to attempt what I thought was impossible and live without credit cards. If you remember my original post, Temperance: Getting Out of Debt, about our journey toward freedom, we were hoping to be debt free by Christmas 2011 so we could call the Dave Ramsey Show to make our "Debt Free Scream" as a Christmas present to ourselves. 

But Murphy came knocking and delayed our progress. We had to replace our van (since it was the only vehicle that could fit our whole family) and wanted to pay cash for it so extra money went toward that instead of debt. Then the company Jared worked for hit a rough patch and all bonuses stopped. Needless to say, those last 18 months were really hard and we wanted to make a big deal out of our accomplishment so we did something big. We decided to take Mr. R. and Miss E. on a road trip to Financial Peace Plaza to make our "Debt Free Scream" live on the show at the beginning of April. Grandma graciously took Miss A and Miss S, we rented a car, and headed for Nashville, TN. We drove pretty much non-stop till we got to Bowling Green, KY where we spent the night. Then we got up and drove to Nashville. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip but it was worth it. It took a lot of work to become debt free and the reward was awesome! Of course, we had to fit a trip to Puckett's Grocery in while there as you'll see from a few of the pictures. :)

Here's a short picture video of our trip and live appearance on the Dave Ramsey Show. I still get a little emotional when I listen to it and think about all that happened in those 4 1/2 years that it took to get things paid off.

Pigs in a Blanket

My kids love pigs in a blanket and, well, I guess I do, too. I mean who wouldn't - a hot dog (turkey, pork, or beef) and cheese encased in a crescent roll "bun". No more hot dog falling out of the bun or the bun breaking apart. :)

Pepperoni and Sausage Flatbread Pizza

Ever since I learned how to make flatbread a few weeks ago I've worked to expand my list of uses for it. I've made sandwiches, appetizers and finally I've even made pepperoni and sausage pizza for supper. I'm almost to the point where I like grilled flatbread crust more than my usual hand-tossed crust. The crust comes out nice and crunchy like a wood-fired thin crust pizza. This recipe makes 3 pizzas.