We Like Making Our Own Stuff

Since we have dipped our toes into raising and butchering our own chickens, there has been an abundance of leftover cooked chicken at our disposal.  And not wanting to literally dispose of the leftover chicken,  I have had to come up with some recipes to use it in. I have always loved the comforting taste of a rice casserole, so I checked the pantry to see what I had available to use with my leftover chicken, and the result was this casserole. I used my big cast iron pan to cook it in, since I can also use that pan in the oven--it saves on dishes.  Also, we had a handful of Cheez-Its sitting in the pantry, so that is what we opted to use for the topping. Chicken, Rice, and Broccoli Casserole 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup uncooked brown rice 2 cups chicken stock 2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, chopped 2 cups fresh broccoli, chopped 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 cup plain yogurt or sour cream 1 10.5 ounce can condensed cream of mushroom soup (about 1 1/4 cups) 1 1...

In 1853, a customer in an elegant resort in New York complained that his potatoes were too thick and soggy.  The chef, who was reportedly miffed by having his potatoes sent back, decided to cut the potato slices as thin as he possibly could.  This was in attempt to annoy the customer, but the chef got an unexpected reaction:  they were a big hit.  The fried, thin slices of potatoes went down in history as being one of America's favorite snack foods. Nowadays, you can buy potato chips of all varieties in bags at your grocery store, but the taste of freshly made potato chips far surpasses anything you could pick up in the chip aisle.  And not only do fresh, homemade potato chips taste better, you can also customize your chip flavors and invent new combinations. If you are growing your own potatoes, you will save a lot of money by making your own chips, and you will also know that aren't any pesticides or other chemicals on your potatoes.  In fact...

Last night, I made my own homemade pita chips for the first time.  As I was chewing my first bite of crispy heaven, I thought to myself, "Why have I never made these before?"  They were absolutely delicious!  They are so easy to make, I think I'll be making a batch every week now. Homemade Pita Chips Ingredients: 6 whole pita rounds 4 Tablespoons butter 4 Tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Cut each pita round into 4 wedges, and separate the layers into individual wedges.  You will have 8 chips per pita round.  Arrange the pita chips in a single layer onto large baking sheets, with the rough side up. Melt the butter in a small sauce pan, then add the olive oil, garlic powder, and sea salt.  Brush the butter mixture onto the pita wedges.  Bake pita wedges for approximately one hour, or until the chips are crispy and just starting to turn a golden color. Serve with salsa,...