We eat a lot of chicken at my house and I am always looking for new recipes. I recently received 125 Best Chicken Recipes from the Robert Rose publishing company.  I was so happy with all the good recipes and idea’s that the book had.   Most of the meals could be made in 20 or 30 minutes so perfect for a fast week night dinner. I was surprised at the wide variety of recipes there were some that could be made in a skillet, oven or grill.

A couple of my favorites that I will make again are the Thai Chicken Noodle Salad and the Orange-Rosemary Glazed Chicken Breast.  Both of these recipes were easy to make and had lots of flavor.  I thought the menus that were suggested with each dish were a great addition.

This weekend is Memorial day and the beginning of grilling season so we are going to have the Pesto-Grilled Chicken with Fresh Tomato Pasta. Doesn’t this look good?  I am able to share the photo’s and recipe Courtesy of 125 Best Chicken Recipes by Rose Murray 2014 © www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with publisher permission.

Pesto-Grilled Chicken with Fresh Tomato Pasta, page 170

A small amount of pesto sauce pushed under the skin of chicken breasts not only gives them a lovely flavor, but helps to keep them moist while they cook.

Grease barbecue grill and preheat to medium-high

4                            bone-in skin-on chicken breasts                         4

1/2 cup               pesto sauce                                                   125 mL

Fresh Tomato Pasta

4 cups                  corkscrew pasta (or 12 oz [375 g] fettuccine)1 L

1 tbsp                  olive oil                                                             15 mL

4                            ripe tomatoes, unpeeled                                       4

Half                      red onion, coarsely chopped                          Half

2                            cloves garlic, minced                                              2

2 tbsp                  chopped fresh basil (or 1 tsp [5 mL] dried)                                         25 mL

2 tbsp                  chopped fresh oregano (or 1 tsp [5 mL] dried)                                 25 mL

2 tsp                     red wine vinegar                                            10 mL

1 tsp                     packed brown sugar                                        5 mL

Salt and pepper

1. Gently poke your fingers under the skin of each breast and lift the skin slightly. (Be careful not to tear the membrane that connects the skin to the chicken.) Gently stuff 2 tbsp (25 mL) pesto in each breast, massaging to even out.
2. Starting with the pesto-side up, grill chicken for 5 minutes. Turn the breasts and grill for another
   5 minutes. Turn again and finish on the grill with the pesto side up for 5 to 7 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside.
3. Fresh Tomato Pasta: Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until tender but firm. Drain well and toss with the oil.
4. While the pasta cooks, core the tomatoes and coarsely chop. In a bowl combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, basil, oregano, vinegar and sugar. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the pasta and serve immediately.

You can order own copy of 125 Best Chicken Recipes HERE along with lots of other recipe or informational books.  You can also find them locally at Barnes and Nobles. Stay connected so you can see whats new on Facebook and Twitter.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I love trying new things in the kitchen and recently I received a Baker’s Mat Silicone Baking Mat.  I have seen these baking mats used on all kinds of cooking shows so I was excited to try one. You may ask why do people use them and there are a few reasons.  The reason I use it is there is no need for parchment paper or cooking spray.  Clean up is a breeze too!  The silicone baking mat is so easy to wash up with just dish soap and water.  It is even safe to put in the dishwasher.  No more scrubbing cookie sheets.

The Baker’s Mat baking mat is great for making cookies, candy, rolling dough, and pizza dough.  It is 11″ x 16 5/8″ and fits perfect on my cookie sheet.  The baking mat can go from freezer to oven no problem – it withstands temperatures from -40°F to 480°F (-40°C to 249°C).

I used my baking mat the other day to make cookies.  I was surprised how easy the cookies came off the pan without using cooking spray.  I also liked how fast it was to clean up the dishes when I was done.  Easy storage too – either roll up or lay flat. There is also a lifetime Guarantee on it.  This mat should not be used as a cutting surface as that will damage the mat.

If you are looking for something that saves you time and money in the kitchen the Baker’s Mat ~ Silicone Baking Mat is an ideal purchase.  You can find the them HERE on Amazon.com.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

I love to make meals that taste good and are easy to make.  I decided on Sunday to make Easy Beef Tips over noodles.  The Tips tasted good and actually had left over for lunch the next day which I thought tasted even better.  I have been making this recipe for years so I am not sure where I found and I have added to it till I found just the right flavors.

I received a few new kitchen gadgets from Good Cook that I used while I was making my dinner. I just love kitchen gadgets and love trying new things. Here is what I received.

1. Safe-cut Can Opener ~ Don’t laugh but the first time I used it I thought it wasn’t working.  I love that it cuts under the lid so you have a nice clean cut.

2. Pot Clip Holder ~ I had never seen one of these – it is in the top right – it clips on to your pot and you can put a spoon in it to hold it in place. I have a bamboo skewer in mine because if you place the skewer over a pot of boiling pasta it will not over flow.  It really does work on preventing boil-overs.

3. Flip Measuring spoon ~  That is the bottom right picture. I love this spoon double sided pockets that inverts to different measuring capacities of 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, and 1 tbsp. I use it often!

4. Egg Separator ~ This sure makes separating the yolks from the whites a lot easier!

5. SMART Ice cream scoop – Great Scooper who would have thought of this it splits in half to release perfect balls of ice cream with no residue.

If you like Good Cook on Facebook you have a chance to participate in the first 5-day Kitchen Gadget Giveaway starting June 2 – June 7 and win selected products that can be added to your drawer.

Starting June 2, 2014 you have a chance to build your own ideal Kitchen Drawer filled with the Good Cook tools and gadgets that you pick. Visit goodcook.com and choose up to 15 items from selected Good Cook products to create their ideal kitchen drawer then enter to win everything they selected. If they can’t decide what they want, they can let our Kitchen Experts help – simply choose one of our featured Kitchen Expert Blogger drawers and enter it for a chance to win.

Every drawer has a chance to win an instant prize, and participants can submit a new drawer every day for a chance to win.  Look for the “Add Me” icon below on any participating product and add that item to their drawer.

More information will be coming – remember to enter daily and let me know if you win!

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I am new to Probiotic’s ~ I have done a bit of reading on how they are used to help you feel better and help your digestive system. I was happy to try these Pro-15 from Hyperbiotics.  How do you know you need to take probiotics? Gas, bloating and constipation maybe a sign along with weakened immune system, malabsorption of nutrients, candida overgrowth and other health and digestive problems. Probiotics help restore the beneficial gut bacteria. Gut bacteria can be depleted for many reasons including age, stress, bad diet, infection and many other reasons.

Here is some interesting information about Pro-15.  You will get 15 times more results taking this small round pill than with capsules. The superior patented technology helps reach the area most needed.  Hyperbiotics Pro-15 is released at a consistent level throughout the day and throughout your GI tract. This will help relieve your sensitive stomach.

Fatigue and irritability are often a result of poor vitamin and nutrient absorption. PRO-15 Probiotics Supplement helps create a microenvironment inside your digestive system that promotes full mineral absorption so you can finally feel like your happy, energetic and vibrant self.

80% of your immune system is in your gut, and when probiotics (the good guys) are abundant in your body, it’s harder for the disease causing bacteria (the bad guys) to settle in. PRO-15 Probiotics restore beneficial bacteria for optimal digestive and immune health, help control yeast and candida overgrowth and promote daily relief from allergies, gas, bloating and constipation. Life should be easy.

New studies show that gut microflora may improve your metabolism and accelerate weight loss. Let’s get your gut back into equilibrium so your waistline will follow.

I like that these pills are easy to swallow, have a long shelf life and no refridgeration is necessary and they are 100% natural. I am on week 2 of taking PRO-15 Probiotics and I have notice a bit more energy. I am glad I am getting my digestive tract back on track. You can too – you can purchase Pro-15 HERE and also on Amazon.com. Make sure to stay connected on Facebook and Twitter.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Disclosure: I got this product as part of an advertorial.

I recently tried this Even Glow Serum with 20% Vitamin C Serum.  The reason I wanted to try it was to help even my skin tone out more. I had noticed that I was getting a bit of discoloration on one of my cheeks and I had heard so many great things about products with Vitamin C in them.  I also like to use products that have natural ingredients in them and this Even Glow Serum is 98% natural.

Along with the Vitamin C this serum includes Organic Rosehip Seed Oil and Organic Sea Buckthorn Oil to hydrate and lock in moisture. Resistem which is plant stem cells that help protect from stress-related aging, promote skin detoxification and helps your skin regenerate faster. Hyaluronic Acid helps penetrate your skin deeply, and actives collagen production for a fresher, younger, firmer, and brighter complexion. The finial natural ingredient is Green Tea Extact which is a potent antioxidant which also contribute to the overall anti-inflammatory and anti-irritant benefits of this ancient health and beauty secret. All of these ingredients work together to make your skin look fantastic!

Here is what I like best about this Even Glow Serum from Valentia is how it helps even my skin tone, it increases the glow and makes your skin look radiant. It was so easy to use and it absorbed into my skin rapidly.  I also like that it helps reduce wrinkles, fine lines and also increase collagen so my skin retains elasticity.  I am looking forward to younger looking skin.

If you would like to purchase Even Glow Serum from Valentia skin Care you can do so HERE on Amazon.com.

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.