Apricot Salsa Grilled Chicken Salad

Sometimes you just have to make something for dinner that isn't mac and cheese, chicken nuggets or ramen, for your own sanity. It may mean that your children may not partake, fine. They can have cold cereal for dinner. I got this recipe from a health newsletter at work awhile ago. I highly recommend it. It tastes great, fairly easy to make and it's really good for you too. High in vitamins, fiber and lean protein. And no, my children would not even think about trying it. Maybe someday. At least my husband and I enjoyed it.

Apricot Salsa Grilled Chicken Salad

Salsa ingredients
1/3 c orange juice
1/4 c dried apricots
2 T apricot preserves
1 t olive oil
1/3 c chopped red pepper
1 T chopped fresh cilantro
1 medium green onion, sliced
1/2 tsp grated orange peel (or substitute more orange juice)

Salad ingredients
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (abt 5 oz each)
1/4 t garlic salt (I subsituted lime pepper)
3 cups of mixed salad greens

Set aside 1 T orange juice. In 1 qt saucepan, heat apricots and remaining oj to boiling. Reduce heat; simmer uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until most of oj is absorbed. Cool 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix 1 T orange juice, preserves and oil and start grilling chicken. Add apricot mixture and remaining salsa ingredients.
Sprinkle chicken with garlic salt and grill. Cook for 15-20 minutes or until chicken juice is clear when thickest part is cut. Cut into half inch slices. Divide greens between 2 plates. Top with chicken strips and salsa.

What to do when your kids are sick

First of all any advice that I dispense here does not replace seeing a medical doctor. (And whenever taking over the counter medication, use as directed.) There are times when you just need to suck it up and admit that this is beyond your scope and go to see a doctor at a clinic or hospital. Having said that, as a pediatric nurse there have been countless times that I have seen kids come into the hospital that would have been ok staying at home. They say better safe than sorry, however in this case, safe can make you sorry when you see that medical bill.

When your child is throwing up...

• Pepto-Bismal can do wonders. Give it a try, it won't hurt anything.
  
• It is important to keep them hydrated. However, if you give them too much to drink at once, that can cause them to throw up, which will make them even more dehydrated. Start with an ounce, if half an hour later s/he has kept it down, give another. Do this for a couple hours before increasing the amount.
• Don't give them anything too acidic (like orange juice) to drink and whatever you do, don't give them milk. Try pedialyte or half strength apple juice.
• If they can't keep anything down when trying an ounce at a time, and it has been 12 hours since they have been able to eat/drink anything, call your doctor. S/he may give you further advice, or let you know it is time to come in an see him.

When your child has diarrhea...

• Again try the Pepto-Bismal.
• Keep them hydrated, but this time you don't have to be quite as stringent as above, unless they have both symptoms.
• Give them yogurt. It has bacteria in it that can help replace the normal flora that they are losing with the diarrhea.
• If they are crying, but have no tears, they are too dehydrated. Call your doctor.
  

When your child is running a fever...

• If they are over a year old, try children's Motrin (Ibuprofen) & Tylenol (Acetaminophen). They do wonders for bringing down a fever, especially when you alternate them.
• If they are under a year, just give Tylenol.
• Make sure that they are getting enough to drink.
• Check the environment. Where's the thermostat? How many layers are they wearing?
  
• If their fever is still 100.4 F or higher, call your doctor.

What is most important is to listen to your kids and look at the overall picture. Are they behaving different than what is normal for them? Are they complaining of pain in an odd place? If things aren't right, don't ignore them. Watch them and if they don't get any better, take them to see a doctor.

Websites for saving money

www.upromise.com
This website is most helpful for shopping online. Setting up an account is free and after you do that they take a percentage of the money that you spend at pre contracted websites and put it into a savings account for your kids' college fund. They also provide many coupon codes that are exclusive to Upromise members. The amount you get back varies with the retailer, but there is a huge variety and although the amounts I get back are usually small, it's money that I would have spent anyway and it adds up. Although the most common benefits are from online shopping, there are also other perks. (I.e. I entered in my phone # after setting up a new account with Qwest and got a kick back from them. I used a real estate agent that they referred to sell my home and got $400 of my closing costs back. I've also got a few random pennies back here and there from registering my Alberton's card.)

http://www.couponmountain.com/
Tons of coupon codes. I most often come here when looking for free shipping.

Sites for printing coupons:

www.coupons.com
www.smartsource.com
www.redplum.com

Blogs:

http://www.wisebread.com/
This one posts lots of freebies, samples and sales.
http://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/
I don't agree with everything this guy has to say, but he has some good ideas.
http://www.utahshoppingsecrets.com/
This one gives lists of prices at grocery stores and rates how good a deal it is. They also give instructions on where to get coupons for said items. They're really big on making the most of your newspaper coupons. They watch grocery stores in places other than Utah, (I think that they watch every state.) that's just where they're based and they tend to know the ins and outs of Utah grocery stores best.
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/

There are many others and the blogs can direct you to some of them. These are just some that I have found that work.

Alice- a way to save time and money

Today I just discovered something wonderful...Alice. (Like the maid from The Brady Bunch) It's a grocery website, and unlike some other sites there is no fee to join and shipping is always free. That's right, free, with no minimum dollar amount to get that free shipping. It's a great place to get non-perishable items and they add coupons to those items automatically. So you get great deals without the hassle of clipping coupons. Then Alice will email you a reminder (based on the numbers in your household) when you might be running low on particular items from your account. No more 'Oh shoot, I only have half a roll of the toilet paper in the house, and I need to run to the store right now to restock and I have to put clean clothes on the kids and find a lost shoe and deal with tantrums because the kids haven't napped today' because Alice will have reminded you in time for a new package to be shipped to your house this morning.
Another great thing is you don't have to buy in bulk in order to get these great deals. The site also offers the quality products that we're used to shopping for. And it makes shopping easy. You can search by room, product, brand, coupon, new products or the best deals.
This morning I ordered a large package of Huggies baby wipes (that was cheaper than my local Walmart), deodorant (2 Speed Sticks @ 58 cents each), paper towels (Bounty@ 59 cents), Charmin toilet paper (12 rolls), Reynold's recycled aluminum foil, and Crest Children's toothpaste. A pretty basic list, which came to $20.26 with tax. And I love, love, love that it is being shipped to my door, for free. Oh Alice, where have you been all my life?
The drawbacks of this service:
1. You must purchase at least 6 items (but really, when was the last time you went to the store and got less than 6 items?)
2. If you really do need the product right now, you're out of luck, standard UPS shipping rates apply.
3. I've found that it's not generally a good place to purchase pantry items. At least where I live I find that I can get cereal for half of the cost, or less.
Having said that, I still highly endorse it. Check it out at the link below

http://www.alice.com/referral/25CBC15E

Chile Relleno

This dish is so delicious and not as difficult as I expected. I had a friend recently ask me how to make it so here you go. I've tried a few different recipes and it gets easier with practice. The first time I tried it was kind of a flop, but don't give up. It's totally worth taking another stab at it. After my less than masterful first try I also found it helpful to watch someone else do it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J28rY2A7SeQ

This was the one that I used last night and I chose it because I wasn't in the mood to fry anything. And it was quicker than that guy's.

Baked Chile Relleno

6 large green chiles
1/2 pound cheese, grated or cut into strips
2 eggs, separated
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt

Peel chiles;(That's all the recipe says, but what that really means is the process of broiling, blistering and peeling them. Kind of a hassel, but if you don't do it right, they're just not as good) Remove seeds through a small opening in the side. Fill chiles with cheese. Fasten with a wooden pick, handling carefully.

Beat egg whites until stiff; beat yolks until thick.

Sift together dry ingredients; add to yolks, blending well. Fold in beaten egg whites. Dip chiles into batter; place in greased casserole dish. Bake at 325 degrees F until batter is cooked and lightly browned on top. (About 25 min)

Enjoy!

Here's another recipe from About.com http://mexicanfood.about.com/od/techniques/ht/chilerelleno.htm. It's similar to the one that I used the first time. It says that it takes 15-20 minutes. That is a big fat lie. But it gives some good tips.

Chile Relleno

You can omit the flour for a low-carb version.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 15 to 20 minutes

Here's How:

1. Roast the chiles*
   Roast and peel each chile and let them cool. *If fresh chiles are unavailable, use canned whole green chiles.
2. Remove the seeds
   Insert a sharp knife into the top of the chile, just under the stem and slice downward about half way down the chile. Using a spoon or a knife, scrape the seeds and the white membrane out, without tearing the chiles flesh.
3. Stuff the chiles
   Place a slice of cheese into the chile, but don't force it. If the cheese is too large, trim it down until it fits inside. Make sure the open edges of the chile still come together.

4. Prepare the chiles
   This step is optional Place half of the flour on the bottom of a plate. Place the chiles on the flour and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Use your finger to make sure the entire chile is coated. Dust off remaining flour and set chiles aside. If you rinsed your chiles in water, this step is important for the batter to stick.
5. Prepare batter
   For a simple batter, whip 3-6 egg whites until stiff. Slowly fold in yolks and a pinch of salt. Or use your favorite batter recipe.
6. Cook chiles
   One at a time, dip the stuffed chiles into the batter and then into the hot oil. Cook until batter is a crisp golden brown.
7. Drain excess oil
   Remove chiles from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Tips:

1. Use cold eggs for the batter.
2. Test the oil with a drop of batter before putting a whole chile in. If the drop of batter sizzles and floats to the top, it's the right temp. If it sinks, the oil is not hot enough.
3. The flour should be a very light coat. It helps the batter stick to the chile.
4. Monterey Jack and Queso Blanco work well for Chile Rellenos

What You Need:

• 6-12 large, roasted and peeled chiles (Anaheim, or Poblano work well)
• 3-6 large eggs (approx. 1 egg for 2 chiles)
• 1/4 cup flour (optional)
• Brick of cheese cut into 1/4 inch thick rectangles as long as the chile
• Deep fryer or a large pan with 2 inches of oil
• Pinch of salt
• Paper towels for draining