Apple Crisp and Chicken

Don't judge me when you read this new blog of mine. It isn't nearly as fancy as many others out there, and I admittedly don't know too much about cooking. However, I still cook so I thought I would document what I make, mainly for my own purposes. If you benefit from it, then Yay!

Let's start things off with one of my favorite things to make for dinner. Marinated chicken. :) My mouth is watering already. Oh, I should also mention that I am a very visual person, so I will take pictures of everything I think is relevant. However, I am no photographer, so these pictures aren't really up to par. Sorry!

This is the marinade I love to use. The brand is called "All Seasons" and you can find it in the condiment aisle. This is only one of their flavors, and I love them all.
You can use fresh chicken, but I prefer to buy, as my good friend Carlee calls them, boobies in a bag. They are also known as frozen chicken breasts. :) Put however many breasts you want in a ziplock and pour some of the marinade on them, till they are nicely coated. I like to marinate them for at least one hour if not more.

My preferred way of cooking these is on the grill, but in the colder months of the year I opt to cook them in the oven as a means of heating up the house. But they are so much better on the grill. If you cook them on the grill, put them on medium heat about 10 minutes per side. If you bake them in the oven, put them in a glass baking dish and cook them at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.

I like to make baked potatoes or mashed potatoes and a side of veggies when I make this chicken. It is so quick and easy, so we really do eat this often in our home.

Moving on....Apple Crisp. Tis the season! I picked my apples straight off of my mom's tree. It doesn't get any better than that. I did some research on apple crisp recipes and discovered that they are all extremely similar. So, I settled with the recipe from my "only failed me once" cookbook. It's called How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman.

(I meant to take a before picture, but I was too eager to eat it

that I forgot. These left overs only lasted about 2 hours.)

6 cups peeled, cored, sliced apples (This equaled 5 apples for me.)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

juice of 1/2 lemon (I used lemon juice from a bottle, about a tablespoon)

2/3 cup brown sugar, or to taste

5 tablespoons cold butter, cut into bits

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 cup flour

dash of salt

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit with half the cinnamon, (1/2 tsp) the lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar, and spread it in a greased 8 inch square or 9 inch round baking dish.

2. Combine all the other ingredients--including the remaining cinnamon and sugar--in the container of a food processor and pulse a few times, then process a few seconds more until everything is well incorporated but not uniform. (To mix the ingredients by hand, soften the butter slightly, toss together the dry ingredients, then work in the butter with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or a fork.)

3. Spread the topping over the apples and bake 30-40 minutes, until the topping is browned and the apples are tender. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.

There you go! Enjoy them. Tell me if you tried them, or if you have any suggestions. I want feedback!