Warm Chicken Salad (giveaway closed) NEW WINNER PICKED

Good evening foodie family!  First things first.  50,000 Facebook fans?!?!  Are you KIDDING?  Awesomeness.  Thank you!  I thank you for your kind and positive comments, sharing the recipes you think look great, telling your friends about Chefwannabe, and just being great friends.  Yes, I consider all of you friends, like my foodie family!  I can't tell you enough, how important you are.  So keep reading for some fun at the end of this post.  Now, for the recipe......

Quite possibly one of the most VERSATILE dishes you could have in your recipe collection!  Undoubtedly so actually. 

When I thought up this recipe, it was completely from memory.  I ate this once, literally 12 years ago and never got the recipe.  I didn't figure it could be to hard to replicate so I went for it and came out with this fantastic dish.  You could serve this as an appetizer OR as a main dish and here is how. 

Appetizer, serve with crackers or crostini, keep knives nearby, cut the chicken VERY small and use as a hot dip.  DELISH. 

Main Dish, serve with bigger chunks of chicken, and put it over some rice, or egg noodles, a side salad and a veggie.   Leave out the breadcrumbs and serve it hot on a crusty roll!

See what I mean?  It is rich, I won't lie, but that is why I suggested serving with noodles, rice, or crackers, etc.  I love a good versatile recipe and I think I have given you one with this dish.  Let's get started.  It will take you only a few minutes to put together.

2 lbs cooked chicken, cubed
1/2 cup of celery, diced small
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
6 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1/2 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo/salad dressing
1 cup shredded cheese of choice (I used cheddar) divided
/4 cup breadcrumbs
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl, mix together, chicken, celery, water chestnuts, almonds, cream cheese, sour cream, mayo/salad dressing, 1/4 cup of shredded cheese and salt and pepper.  Combine all ingredients well and place into a casserole dish you have sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.  I used a deep dish round casserole, just use what you think will work for you.  Top with the rest of the cheese and breadcrumbs.  Bake for 25-35 minutes depending on your casserole size.  You are looking for melty cheese and completely heated all the way through. 

 

50,000 GIVEAWAY!

Now for my surprise.  As you all know I spent a few weeks with family in NJ and PA. I had time to do some shopping at a couple of my favorite stores, Ikea, and The Christmas Tree Shoppe.  Before Facebook made recent changes I expected to hit 50k early in December so some of my shopping included a few Christmas items.  Well, as luck would have it we didn't get there until recently.  So I am giving away a little box of goodies from both stores.  Just a little thank you for all of your support.  I am not telling you what it is it, because they were to be little surprise Christmas gifts so I am keeping that part the same!  I wish it were a huge luxurious gift package, instead it is some of my favorite things, that make cooking fun for me and I hope they do for you as well. The entry form is below, you have 5 ways to enter, so get all 5 of your entries!!  You have until Friday at 9pm CST to enter!

Your "love to share" Chefwannabe

 

DANIELLE TAFT-WINNER 

I just emailed you. Please respond within 48 hours!

Entry-Form

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

 

 

The winner of the T-fal and Cookingplanit.com giveaway is.................

 

(tongue roll style drum roll please.......................)

 

 

 

BLESSIE NELSON

 

Blessie you have 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be selected!

I am so thankful to each of you for entering.  I hope that you will stick around, and continue following me, here, or any of my social media sites! 

 

I love giving you all things, to show you my appreciation for laughing with me, "lifing" with me, sharing your lives and families with me and COOKING WITH ME!

 

Enjoy a beautiful weekend!

 

Your "giddy" Chefwannabe

Chris

 

T-fal Review and....GIVEAWAY! (CLOSED)

OH YOU GUYS...............!! 

I know I have been throwing "T-fal" around like crazy lately, but it is with good reason.

I was sent a beautiful 12 piece set with "Thermo-Spot".  What that means is, in middle of the sauté pans, is a red dot with writing and circles.  When your pan is at the optimum temperature and ready for your ingredients it turns completely solid red.  I love this for sautéing, nobody wants their veggies sitting in oil so long they won't brown up or sauté nicely.  Another thing I love about the sauté` pans are of course they are nonstick and the handles don't get hot.  All of the pots in the set are oven safe to 450 degrees F.  I tested it and they did beautifully.  Just REMEMBER, the handles are HOT when you get them out of the oven.  I know, it might be obvious to you, but if you are in a hurry and you just are thinking, "oh, they don't get hot" and BAM, you need a skin graft.  Know what I mean? 

My Spaghetti Frittata, fresh from the oven in my T-fal 10.5 inch Sauté Pan!

There is another HUGE perk to these pots and pans, and that is, they are marked with measurements on the inside!  WOOHOO!  Seriously, no more measuring or guessing.  It is right on the pot, and easy to fill your pots to the desired measurement.  I also appreciate the glass lids.  I have the attention span of  worm and I love watching my food cook. 

I also tested this in the dishwasher.  I am leary of ever putting my cookware (and knives) in the dishwasher.  I sucked it up and went for it, for the sake of testing every claim these pots have.  It turned out just fine.  I have to say, I won't do it on a regular basis, I just can't, I CAN'T but, in a hurried moment I will know they are going to be just fine.  When you hand wash the nonstick pans, the food just slides out.  It makes me all tingly.  Even the nonstick clean easily. 

I am completely satisfied, and even impressed with these pots.  With the 12 piece set you get:

-5.5 Qt Covered Dutch Oven
-3.2 Qt Covered Sauce Pan
-2.2 Qt Covered Sauce Pan
-1.1 Qt Covered Sauce Pan
-8 in. Saute Pan
-10.5 in. Saute Pan
2 Stainless Tools (large spoon and spatula)

This set retails for an average of about 100.00 depending on where you buy it.  I not only think it is a quality product for the price, I think if you don't get your hands on it, you are nuts!  Oh and by the way, mine have black handles, some have red.  I am not sure what you will get if you win the giveaway. 

Now for the part you have been waiting for!!!

I get to give away one set to one of you!  ACCKK!!  You are REQUIRED to have signed up for a free profile at Cookingplanit.  Your membership will be verified.  So don't forget or  you can't win! 

Entry-Form

You can STILL enter the remaining giveaways!  Hurry!!!  Check them out here!

The Cooking Planit and T-fal 2013 Giveaway
Start	End	Flight 1	Flight 2
8/19/13	8/25/13	Baby Boomster	Mrs. Schwartz's Kitchen
8/20/13	8/26/13	CopyKat Recipes	Daily Dish Recipes
8/21/13	8/27/13	Lisa Cooking	LarksCountryHeart
8/22/13	8/28/13	ME Redone	Hot Eats and Cool Reads
8/23/13	8/29/13	Mother Would Know	The Two Bite Club
8/24/13	8/30/13	Sophistishe	Citron Limette
8/25/13	8/31/13	Kitchen Concoctions	Cupcakes and Kale Chips
8/26/13	9/1/13	I Can Cook That	Leave a Happy Plate
8/27/13	9/2/13	Peaches & Cake	i love my disorganized life
8/28/13	9/3/13	Diddles & Dumplings	Yates Yummies
8/29/13	9/4/13	Basil Momma	Cooking With Libby
8/30/13	9/5/13	Persnickety Plates	Creole Contessa
8/31/13	9/6/13	Ancestral Chef	Bite Sized Blog
9/1/13	9/7/13	The Staten Island Family	Mamal Diane
9/2/13	9/8/13	Food Fash	Recipes For My Boys
9/3/13	9/9/13	The Wicked Noodle	Hungry Little Girl
9/4/13	9/10/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	The Tasty Fork
9/5/13	9/11/13	Yi Reservation	Dixie Chik Cooks
9/6/13	9/12/13	Chicago Foodie Sisters	The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
9/7/13	9/13/13	Cooking from a SAHM	FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe
9/8/13	9/14/13	Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen	Rants from My Crazy Kitchen
9/9/13	9/15/13	What Jew Wanna Eat	Sumptuous Spoonfuls
9/10/13	9/16/13	The Mama Report	Busy Mom of Two
9/11/13	9/17/13	Culicurious	Huppie Mama
9/12/13	9/18/13	Three Diets. One Dinner.	Spice's Bites

Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup from Cookingplanit.com

Where to being....where to begin.  I am so excited to share this recipe with you guys.  This is a review of a wonderful website AND includes a FABULOUS recipe.  This was really hard for me because, I am not a follower or rules.  I am not a follower of recipes (accept my own) and my attention span is as long as an ant.  I did it though, I followed the steps, exactly as written so I could offer you a real opinion and my real experience.

That being said, you all may know from my many reminders I am part of a group of 50 bloggers all working with Cookingplanit and T-fal.  I am always completely honest with you all when I do these things and I NEVER endorse or review positively a product or site I think is crap.  I am thrilled to share BOTH of these with you.  And I think this review and recipe are beyond, well worth your read.  Because of these kind folks, I get to give back to you all, and I will give you more info on THAT in a couple of days!

Cookingplanit is a website that gives you recipes, any which way you like them, step by step instructions on prep and cooking and how to get it all done, your whole meal, at the same time.  That is my biggest kitchen challenge, getting everything done at the same time!  You can register on the website for free, to use for FREE.  It is easy and (hint, hint) you WILL need to be registered there to be able to win the set of T-fal pots and pans later this week).  You can also buy the app for your IPhone for 2.99.  It makes your grocery list, tells you what time it will be ready, and pretty much does everything but cook the meal!  For that, you are going to need an entirely different website! HA!  Another thing I really love is being able to pick the ingredients I want, the kind of meal I want,  and that it will take food allergies into consideration as well.  Just go check it out, my fingers hurt and if I could come to each of your homes and pull it up for you, I would.  That is how strongly I feel about it.  They are always adding new recipes too! 

There is ONE teeeeeeny little detail I would love to see Cookingplanit incorporate into their website.  That is alternate ingredients.  I substituted 2 things, both of which as a cook I know I can substitute but for someone who is new to the kitchen, they may be unsure. 

As part of my Cookingplanit adventure, I was asked to pick a recipe and make it, and then share with you all.  Oh gosh.  It took me weeks to decide, I mean, have you BEEN over there?   Everything looks fantastic.  I am a soup lover as you all know, and you know I cook for my parents for their freezer as well so I had a double agenda, I wanted something I would enjoy as well as my 80 year old parents who can't eat with as much spice and such as they may have once.  I found the answer to my dreams.  In fact, this pot is goin' down MY hatch, I will make them another batch! 

On a serious note, I am positive you will enjoy the kitchen ideas, assistance, and learn a ton.  I hope you enjoy the site as much as I do, in fact it is now a permanent fixture on my bookmarks BAR, yea, I know, the BAR not just the regular bookmarks.  See?!?!

Here are a couple of things I changed.  I used skim milk instead of heavy cream and I used rotini pasta instead of penne.  I felt like the creamy broth would just get caught up in the rotini better.  I also omitted the wine and used extra chicken stock in its place.  Here are the ingredients and directions as they are on the website for.... Creamy Chicken Pasta Soup



I hope this was helpful for you and you check out this delicious soup for sure!!

Remember, giveaway is coming up soon, in the meantime make sure to get entered in one of the current giveaways!

The Cooking Planit and T-fal 2013 Giveaway
Start	End	Flight 1	Flight 2
8/19/13	8/25/13	Baby Boomster	Mrs. Schwartz's Kitchen
8/20/13	8/26/13	CopyKat Recipes	Daily Dish Recipes
8/21/13	8/27/13	Lisa Cooking	LarksCountryHeart
8/22/13	8/28/13	ME Redone	Hot Eats and Cool Reads
8/23/13	8/29/13	Mother Would Know	The Two Bite Club
8/24/13	8/30/13	Sophistishe	Citron Limette
8/25/13	8/31/13	Kitchen Concoctions	Cupcakes and Kale Chips
8/26/13	9/1/13	I Can Cook That	Leave a Happy Plate
8/27/13	9/2/13	Peaches & Cake	i love my disorganized life
8/28/13	9/3/13	Diddles & Dumplings	Yates Yummies
8/29/13	9/4/13	Basil Momma	Cooking With Libby
8/30/13	9/5/13	Persnickety Plates	Creole Contessa
8/31/13	9/6/13	Ancestral Chef	Bite Sized Blog
9/1/13	9/7/13	The Staten Island Family	Mamal Diane
9/2/13	9/8/13	Food Fash	Recipes For My Boys
9/3/13	9/9/13	The Wicked Noodle	Hungry Little Girl
9/4/13	9/10/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	The Tasty Fork
9/5/13	9/11/13	Yi Reservation	Dixie Chik Cooks
9/6/13	9/12/13	Chicago Foodie Sisters	The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
9/7/13	9/13/13	Cooking from a SAHM	FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe
9/8/13	9/14/13	Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen	Rants from My Crazy Kitchen
9/9/13	9/15/13	What Jew Wanna Eat	Sumptuous Spoonfuls
9/10/13	9/16/13	The Mama Report	Busy Mom of Two
9/11/13	9/17/13	Culicurious	Huppie Mama
9/12/13	9/18/13	Three Diets. One Dinner.	Spice's Bites

T-Fal Cookware GIVEAWAY!

Oh you guys........

This is SO exciting!  You know how much I love giving you chances to win free things, right?  Well this one is a doozy. 

I have teamed up with T-fal and Cookingplanit and 49 other bloggers to give away, not just 1, but 50 sets of T-fal cookware!  Oh yea, you read it right, you have a chance, oh wait....you have 50 chances to win!  Get a look at this beautiful cookware!  We will all be running a one week giveaway, for a set of these gorgeous pans. 

I will be posting more details later but let me give you a couple of hints!  Go to Cookingplanit and register.  It takes only a minute and the website ROCKS.  It helps you plan meals so that you can get everything done at one time AND the recipes are fab!  I am the girl who has shoe leather roast beast because the potatoes aren't done.  Some refer to my type as a "hot mess"!!  You can choose the kind of meals, ingredients, allergies, etc.  It also makes a grocery list for you!   I am having a ball exploring this website and I know you will too!  There is also an app for your IPhone via ITunes for
$2.99. (android version is promised soon!)   This registration, that is completely free WILL be a requirement for your chance to win! 

Take a minute and check out these other bloggers, and take advantage of their great recipes, and more chances to win!  You will see the beginning and ending dates of their giveaways in the first column!  Now, run, don't walk, and get ready to read great reviews of this cookware, and website along with great recipes!

The fine print: Open to US citizens only.  Limit 1 winner per household.  If you win on multiple contests you will receive only one set of cookware and an alternate winner will be chosen to receive your other sets.   I have received a set of cookware that I have agreed to review for T-fal and agreed to promote Cookingplanit.com.  These reviews are my own, and are completely uninfluenced by either company. 

The Cooking Planit and T-fal 2013 Giveaway
Start	End	Flight 1	Flight 2
8/19/13	8/25/13	Baby Boomster	Mrs. Schwartz's Kitchen
8/20/13	8/26/13	CopyKat Recipes	Daily Dish Recipes
8/21/13	8/27/13	Lisa Cooking	LarksCountryHeart
8/22/13	8/28/13	ME Redone	Hot Eats and Cool Reads
8/23/13	8/29/13	Mother Would Know	The Two Bite Club
8/24/13	8/30/13	Sophistishe	Citron Limette
8/25/13	8/31/13	Kitchen Concoctions	Cupcakes and Kale Chips
8/26/13	9/1/13	I Can Cook That	Leave a Happy Plate
8/27/13	9/2/13	Peaches & Cake	i love my disorganized life
8/28/13	9/3/13	Diddles & Dumplings	Yates Yummies
8/29/13	9/4/13	Basil Momma	Cooking With Libby
8/30/13	9/5/13	Persnickety Plates	Creole Contessa
8/31/13	9/6/13	Ancestral Chef	Bite Sized Blog
9/1/13	9/7/13	The Staten Island Family	Mamal Diane
9/2/13	9/8/13	Food Fash	Recipes For My Boys
9/3/13	9/9/13	The Wicked Noodle	Hungry Little Girl
9/4/13	9/10/13	Unorganized Mommy of 3	The Tasty Fork
9/5/13	9/11/13	Yi Reservation	Dixie Chik Cooks
9/6/13	9/12/13	Chicago Foodie Sisters	The Fountain Avenue Kitchen
9/7/13	9/13/13	Cooking from a SAHM	FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe
9/8/13	9/14/13	Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen	Rants from My Crazy Kitchen
9/9/13	9/15/13	What Jew Wanna Eat	Sumptuous Spoonfuls
9/10/13	9/16/13	The Mama Report	Busy Mom of Two
9/11/13	9/17/13	Culicurious	Huppie Mama
9/12/13	9/18/13	Three Diets. One Dinner.	Spice's Bites

As American As.........Caramel Apple Pie and Lodge Cast Iron Giveaway! (CLOSED)

WINNER OF THE LODGE CAST IRON CHEF'S SKILLET ISSS.....

MICHAEL CHAMBERS!

You have 48 hours to email me with your contact information.  ftchefwannabe@hotmail.com

CONGRATULATIONS!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

I did it.  I faced my biggest kitchen fear.  Cast iron. 

With the 4th of July coming up, I have been thinking of all food "All American".  Burgers, fries and apple pies.  OK ,so the song says Cherry but, I think APPLE.   I also think of fireworks, one of my favorite things EVER, but that has nothing to do with cooking, so I will refrain from going into how much I love them!  Let me tell you how I came to apple pies and......cast. iron. 

I was at my moms last week, and told her of my plan to do this recipe.  She ran, OK wait.  She chop, chop, chopped behind her walker to the kitchen.  I heard the clanging of pots and pans, a sound from my childhood I am still in therapy over!  As my ears were screaming for some reprieve it suddenly stopped.  I hear the wheels of her walker, and here she comes, with a cast iron skillet in hand.  "Here!  Here!  This was my moms, you can have it, and use it and make your pie in it"  Ahh, mooommmm, really?  But I am terrified of cast iron.  She looked at me as if to say, "you are far dumber than I thought".  "AFRAID?"  I said, they gross me out.  You can't wash them and I don't want remnants from last weeks dinner in tonight's dish and all that kind of gross stuff.  She said, as only she can, making my one syllable name into 3, "Caaaa-hriissss, you are ridiculous".  Oh no she didn't.  Oh, yes she did.  So I smiled, took the skillet and spend all night researching how to care for, and clean this baby. 

I am happy to report, I have used it 2 times.  I just looks at me sometimes, as if it knows how intimidating it is, and how much I am on the fence about my relationship with it.  It knows how it took care of my pie, how unbelieveably amazing it was, and it taunts me with that fact.  And if you wondered, yes, I HAVE had my meds today. HA!


2 pie crusts (I cheated and bought mine rolled in the fridge section)
5-6 large apples (peeled and sliced) apple variety is up to you, I used Gala
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 cup caramel sauce
9-12 inch cast iron skillet
1 egg (beaten with a splash of water for the top of the pie)
Sprinkles or Sugar (optional)

If your skillet is well seasoned there is no need to grease it or use butter, if it isn't, rub it with 1 tbsp of vegetable oil. 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

I used a 9 inch skillet, but if yours is a bit bigger simply use your rolling pin and on a flour surface roll your crust out a little thinner, no biggie at all.  When you have it to the proper size, place it in your cast iron skillet.  Making sure it goes up the sides as well.  Dont' stretch it, just place it down into the skillet carefully and get it all the way to the bottom edges!! 

In a large bowl mix together apples, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and caramel sauce.  Mix until the apples are coated and it is mixed well.  Carefully pour into your bottom crust, it will seem like to much but trust me, it will be fine!  Even out the filling and prepare your top crust. (rolling out to make bigger if needed)  You will also need to use a small cookie cutter to cut out any shapes if you want at this time instead of cutting vents.  If you want to just slit some vents on top that is fine as well.  I used a star cookie butter to cut out a star.   I did cut a few vents as well.  Now place on top of the pie and careful "fold" the top crust under trying to catch the bottom crust to be able to pinch them together a little bit.  This isn't the end of the world if you just fold the top crust under either.  Trust me, nobody is gonna care when they dig into this dream!! 

Brush the crust lightly with eggs wash and sprinkle on some granulated sugar or sprinkles or both!  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.  If you think the edges are getting to brown, simple cover the edges with strips of foil! 

I let mine cool 1 hour before serving.  Heavenly!  I think it is so cool to have a family pot.  It is the first kitchen thing I have gotten that was passed down.  So cool, thanks Ma!

 

NOW...........(tongue drum roll please)

Since I faced my cast iron fear, I wanted to share with you all!  The kind folks at Lodge Cast Iron Company are giving one of you a 10.5 inch cast iron Chefs Skillet!  ACCKK!!!  It is true! 

The form to enter is pretty self exclamatory.  You have a bazillion ways to enter.  You MUST follow Lodge Cast Iron and FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe on Facebook or here on my blog directly.  You have other entry options but those are mandatory!  Good luck and make sure to get entered and share with your friends!  You can make this pie in yours even!

DISCLAIMER: You WILL need to email me with your address AND phone number if you win.  This will not be shared with anyone but Lodge Cast Iron so they can ship your prize.  Just in case that makes you uncomfortable I wanted to let you know.  This is open to the lower 48 states only. 

Entry-Form

Your "no longer intimidated by cast iron" Chefwannabe

(CLOSED) New Years Giveaway....Keep On Baking!

Happy New Year!

Can you believe it is 2013 already?  Must husband and I were talking about what we thought it would be like when we were kids.  He was sure we would be flying around with jet packs by now!  I never really thought about it but I thought it would be like the Jetsons kind of.  We couldn't have been more wrong eh?  Even though we are jet pack less, and hover car less, I am pretty grateful for what we have!

This year has been just incredible for FoodThoughtsOfaChefWannabe.  10,000 fans in the last 12 months on Facebook and 274 fans here.  (lets grow this number, can we?).  I appeared in Penzey's Spices with 2 original recipes and a story about being a mom, and my parents.  I was recently published on Fox News Online Magazine as well.  Even though I haven't mentioned yet, I also have gone to a self hosted domain.  You can find me now at www.foodthoughtsofachefannabe.com.  I am a "dot com"!!!  These little things in life excite me in ways even I don't understand.  One thing I do understand is how important each of you have made this journey.  Your support, your friendship, your input, your jokes, laughter, faith and humanity are all gifts you share with me.  I am eternally grateful. 

As most of you know I always say I am a terrible baker.  I have spent the last year working hard to bake better.  I have to have a few things to get in the baking mood, good LOUD music, chocolate, and fun kitchen tools! You may or may not remember how excited I was to get my porcelain measuring spoons and then I got the Curtis Stone glass measuring cups.  Have you SEEN Curtis Stone?  I will be anything that hottie wants to sell me, INCLUDING measuring cups.  I had to justify 30.00 measuring cups, so I promised my hubs I would learn to bake better.  It is working so far...thank you Curtis, my lovey, I LOVE BAKING!

Hopefully some new fun kitchen tools AND a little Curtis in your life will help YOU love to bake even more than maybe you already do!!

Anyway the point is, I decided to find some glass measuring stuff for you all.  I found you these great ones!  You will get the spoons and measuring cups/bowls.  I picked up 2 sets, so there will be 2 winners! 

Now, get entered..........hurry!

 



a Rafflecopter giveaway