25 Kitchen Challenges While I'm 25

I heard from another girl who was making a list for 30 things she wanted to make while she was 30. With my 25th birthday right around the corner, I thought I could do something similar. Here’s my list for 25 things I want to try to make while I’m 25. These are things I haven’t made before but I want to try this year!

1. Pan Seared Scallops
2. California Sushi Rolls
3. Croissants
4. Homemade Cherry Pie
5. Homemade Ice Cream
6. Biscotti
7. Homemade Rolls
8. Homemade Sandwich Bread
9. Zucchini Bread
10. Banana Bread
11. Black Forest Cake
12. Perfect Roast Chicken
13. Baked Beans
14. Crepes
15. Egg Rolls
16. Fruit Salsa
17. Gingerbread
18. Recreate some restaurant dish
19. Tilapia
20. Cheese ball
21. Perfect chocolate chip cookies
22. Frittata
23. Homemade Pasta
24. Create a creative finger food
25. Bruschetta with tomato and basil

Chicken Skillet Over Multi Colored Spiral Noodles

Awhile ago Mom and I stumbled across a recipe for Chicken Noodle Soup without the soup. It was really good and I loved it whenever she made it. A few years back I found a recipe that was sort of along the same lines but it added a can of tomatoes to make it more of a pasta dish but used the same egg noodles. I loved this recipe and used it a lot and each time I would do something different with it whether it was changing the pasta or vegetables. It’s just like a traditional pasta dish and there isn’t anything phenomenal about this dish, except that it tastes great and is simple to make! I served it over multicolored spiral noodles this time because it looked so pretty and colorful!

Chicken Skillet Over Multi-Colored Spiral Noodles
Source: Adapted from DWLZ

Thin Chicken Tenders, cut into bite sized pieces
2 stalks of Celery, diced
2 Carrots, diced
1 Yellow Onion, diced
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1 small can Tomato Paste
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 bag of Multi Colored Spiral Noodles

Prepare noodles as directed on package.
Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a skillet. Once heated, add the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
Add in the vegetables (not the canned tomatoes) and sauté until they become slightly soft (about five minutes).
Add in the diced tomatoes and tomato paste and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
Once it begins to boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer until noodles are cooked through and you are ready to eat!

Caramel Corn

I adore my new Whirley Pop. I have used it so many times and I love coming up with new ideas to flavor my popcorn. Husband has been wanting me to try caramel corn so I found a recipe on Annie’s Eats that seemed simple enough and I gave it a try. It turned out really great!! We ate the entire bowl and both decided that homemade caramel corn is MUCH better than store bought. Since it was just the two of us I cut the recipe in half.

Caramel Corn
Source: Annie’s Eats
1/2 cup Popcorn Kernels, unpopped
1 stick of Butter
¼ cup Karo Syrup
1 cup Lightly Packed Brown Sugar
½ tsp Kosher Salt
 ¼ tsp Baking Soda
½ tsp Vanilla Extract

Pop the kernels using your usual method. Put popped popcorn in a large bowl.
Preheat oven to 250 degrees.
While it’s preheating, melt the butter in a saucepan on top of the stove.
Once melted, mix in the Karo Syrup, brown sugar, and salt. Increase the heat and bring to a boil, frequently stirring.
Once it boils, let boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
Remove from heat and add the baking soda and vanilla.
Pour the mixture over the popcorn and toss to coat (Annie recommends using salad tongs to assist, and I agree, GREAT help!)
Spread the popcorn in an even layer on parchment lined baking sheets (I had to use two).
Bake 20-25 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. After 20 minutes, check to see if popcorn is crispy. If not, allow 5 more minutes. This shouldn’t be soggy, or soft.
Allow popcorn to cool and then break apart.

Red Wine Chicken Topped With Spinach Leaves

I had plans of making something different for dinner. I had the recipe and Husband and I were both excited about eating dinner that night. Then it came time to cook and I realized that I bought nothing for it. I had two of the six ingredients. I honestly don’t know how that happened. So I had to wing it. I rummaged through my pantry and vegetable drawer and came up with Red Wine Chicken Topped with Spinach Leaves. It turned out great so I can’t complain about the recipe switch! Plus, this allowed me to create a new recipe for us! I served it with Lemon Pepper Broccoli and White Rice cooked in chicken broth.

Red Wine Chicken Topped with Spinach Leaves
Source: Me

4 Chicken Breasts
Flour for dredging
3 tbsp Olive Oil
3/4 cup Red Cooking Wine
½ cup Spinach Leaves, washed and torn
Salt and Pepper

Season each chicken breast with a little salt and pepper and coat each side in flour.
Heat oil in a skillet.
When heated, add each piece of chicken, cooking until browned on each side (2-3 minutes each)
Pour in red wine and continue cooking until cooked through.
Remove chicken and add in spinach leaves and cook for about one minute.
Scrape the pan and pour sauce over chicken, be sure to get a few pieces of spinach on top of each chicken breast.

Weekly Menu

This week our work schedules are really different so there will be a lot of frozen meals ahead for us...

Monday: Blueberry Pancakes
Tuesday: Frozen Pizza
Wednesday: Out
Thursday: Frozen Chinese
Friday: Chicken Skillet
Saturday: Frozen Meal

Weekly Menu

Monday: Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken, Potato Bundles, Roasted Zucchini
Tuesday: Out to Eat
Wednesday: Potato Soup
Thursday: Frozen Pizza
Friday: Tangerine Chicken, Roasted Lemon Pepper Broccoli, Rice Pilaf
Saturday: Undecided still...

Sweet Chicken Stir-Fry

I love chicken and rice together and I knew I wanted to make something more than just baked chicken and a side of white rice. So I went through my condiments and realized I had a few things I could use, dug through my vegetable drawer, pulled out some miscellaneous veggies and got to work. It turned out to be a sweet chicken stir fry over white rice and was really tasty! Plus, it was a great way to use some of those condiments that just don’t get used enough.

Sweet Chicken Stir Fry
Source: Me

5-6 Chicken Drumsticks, meat pulled off of the bone and diced
White Rice, cooked (the amount is your preference)
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tbsp White Sugar
2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
3 tbsp Sesame Oil
½ cup Shredded Carrots
¼ cup Green Onions, diced
2 cloves of Garlic, diced
½ White Onion, diced

Prepare white rice and set aside (I use a rice cooker)
In a bowl mix the rest of the ingredients together.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat with some sesame oil (there was no measurement, just a few turns around the pan).
Once the pan is hot, pour in the chicken, veggie, condiment mixture and cook until chicken is cooked through (this took about 10 minutes).
Serve hot over white rice.