Coffee Break Blog!

Salsa Chicken - Yum!

I found this recipe while searching allrecipes.com. I like recipes that are easy and use common ingredients that I already have in the kitchen. This one fits the bill and it tastes REALLY good.

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 4 tbspns taco seasoning
• 1 cup salsa
• 1 cup shredded cheese

Coat each side of the chicken breast with taco seasoning. Place in 9x13 pan. cover with salsa. Bake at 375 for 25-35 minutes. Add shredded cheese and bake for 3-5 minutes. Done! Add sour cream if desired.

This was really good with some spanish rich as the side dish and chips and salsa. So easy and flavorful!

Fred Meyer Beef Recall

Kroger stores like Fred Meyer and QFC have issued a recall on ground beef. The recall is voluntary and is due to e-coli contamaniation. The affected people were in Michigan and Ohio and Kroger recalled the meat in those states last week but expanded the recall to all their stores on Tuesday.

The affected meat is ground beef products in Styrofoam tray packages wrapped in clear cellophane or purchased from an in-store service counter. The affected meat has a "sell by date" of

Fred Meyer May 21-July 5 and QFC May 21-July 5

In addition to the ground beef described above, Kroger is recalling Private Selection Natural ground beef sold in 16 oz. packages that were in the selfservice meat case. The “sell by” dates for this product is July 11 through July 21, 2008.

If you have any products covered in this recall, they should return the product to a Kroger store for a full refund or replacement.

Broccoli Salad

This is a great salad to take to any bbq. People will ask you for the recipe and there won't be any leftovers! The key to this recipe is the Apple Cider Vinegar.

• 3 heads fresh broccoli (cut up)
• 1 lb bacon (cooked and crumbled to small pieces)
• 1 cup sharp cheese shredded
• 1 1/2 cups mayo
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 4 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix everything together except the bacon and cheese and refridgerate for 3-4 hours. Add bacon and cheese right before serving. Yum!

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

This is a simpe and easy dip to take to any pot luck or summer BBQ. For the garlic I use the frozen cubes from Trader Joes. It's a great time saver! Use crackers or bread for dipping.

To read reviews of this recipe from allrecipes.com click here.

INGREDIENTS

4 cloves garlic (or 4 frozen garlic cubes)

1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 (10 ounce) container Alfredo-style pasta sauce

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

DIRECTIONS

In an 8x8 inch baking dish, spread the garlic, spinach, artichoke hearts, Alfredo-style pasta sauce, mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Cover and bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or until cheeses are melted and bubbly. Serve warm.

Thai Restaurant Review

My family doesn't go out to eat very often, and we usually end up going to the same places which sometimes is good but other times is too monotonous.

For Thai food we go to D Thai in Bothell at Canyon Park. It's in the Albertson's parking lot and it's close to home. The restaurant is small (there's only 1 table that would accommodate 5 or more grownups), the food comes out quick, and the price is right. Plus they have take out ready pretty much as soon as we drive there which is nice.

When we first started going there 5 years ago their menu had a personal history about how the restaurant came to be and different names they tried. It was really nice to hear about a family restaurant that has "made it" with all the chain restaurants these days. 

We usually order the phad thai because the kids love it and then try another dish. The food is good although a little bland but that's mostly because we have to get zero stars because of the kids. And we always get a thai iced tea that disappears immediately. I wish those were available at coffee stands!

I went on line and read some of the reviews of D Thai and people liked the food but some suggested trying another thai restaurant a few miles away called Pen Thai so maybe we'll go there next time.

So try D Thai and see if you like it. It's worth a shot. And back in the day before kids my husband and I could split one order of phad thai. Now with kids we have to order more food and take home left overs, which isn't a bad thing really, sure does make the car smell good on the way home!