Gift of Simplicity: March 2015

Chipotle-Apple BBQ Chicken Skewers

Disclaimer: this is a rather wordy, long-winded post. feel free to scroll down to the recipe and give-way at any time}---

Good Morning! and Hello March!

This month seems to be developing the same bad habits which January and February had: it is whizzing by simply too fast.

I've been spending most of my time sewing for Easter. And sewing, let me tell ya, is simply not my cup of Tea.

Yes, I can sew. Yes, I do sew. But I do not enjoy it.

I have a love/hate relationship with my machine: I love it when it's put away.

But Eldest Daughter wanted oh! so desperately a Navy-and-White-Polka-Dot dress for Easter. She saw this dress on my Pinterest board and wanted it:

vintage 1950s dress . navy blue chiffon . by millstreetvintage

A simple, classic Navy; no fancy fluff or frills.

Well.

It seems to be that Navy is not the manufacturing color of choice this year. The closest we could come to Navy was a Dark Royal Blue (thankfully, she was content with this!). My Grandma J. gave me an old pattern she had used for my Mom when she was a girl, so we went to work.

Sewing from a pattern designed in the 1950s is certainly a bit different from a modern pattern. It took quite a bit more head scratching and re-reading before things made sense. And working with boning for the cummerbund is something I've certainly never done before. But it is finished now, and she is pleased.

The only thing this dress needs now is a crinoline or can-can slip underneath. I tried making one, but, well, it looked quite silly. Let's just say that a double thickness of 5 yards of tulle sewn to the waistband of a half-slip does not work. At all. We were going for a 1950s look, not an 1850s look. Sigh.

But on the good side, I'm done sewing and can put my machine away, away, away! Hip-hip-hooray!

But that also means it really is time to knuckle down and get the deep cleaning done before Easter. Not quite so hip-hip-hooray.

And here is the perfect after-Easter meal: Chipotle-Apple BBQ Chicken Skewers.

Why is this perfect for after Easter? Because, my friend, the semi-home-made BBQ sauce has Apple Butter in it! And of coarse, because we have Apple Butter with our meals at Church on Easter weekend, there is *usually* some left over, and we *usually* get some to bring home, and because we are *usually* tired of boiled beef after Easter, this is the perfect after-Easter meal. Have I convinced you yet?

If that's not enough to convince you, maybe this will: the BBQ sauce has Chipotle Peppers in it!

And that alone is enough to convince me.

I am becoming very, very, very addicted to Chipotle Chile Peppers in Adobo.

Pass the smelling salts, Sally, I'm swooning.

Ok, so maybe that is a bit over-dramatic, but seriously, run--don't walk--to the grocery and get a can of Chipotle en Adobo (in the Mexican section at the grocery), bring it home, puree it, and freeze in tablespoon-size portions. Then you can add to any Mexican sauce you like and give it some of that wonderful smoky heat that our run-of-the-mill Anglo-Saxon cooking is seriously lacking.

And here is one more convincing, convicting reason why you'll want to make this ASAP: this recipe is simple enough your 12-year-old can make it.

For a busy Mom, this is the capstone achievement any recipe needs to crown it Queen of the Kitchen.

We had this Monday night for supper. J did all the prep and helped with the grilling. I had purchased a family-pack of Chicken and had him use thee breasts from the pack. We ~~ate~~ demolished everything at dinner, leaving me with nothing to photograph. On Tuesday I used the remaining two chicken breasts to make a few skewers for photos. Unfortunately I forgot that I needed those two pieces for our soup last night. They were sacrificed to a worthy cause. J suggests adding some pineapple pieces to the skewers, and I think that is a good idea, too.

Chipotle-Apple BBQ Chicken Skewers

1-1/2 to 2 pounds boneless skinless Chicken Breast, cut into bite-size chunks

8 slices thick-cut Bacon, also cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 Red Onion, cut into sections

Garlic Salt

Black Pepper

For the BBQ Sauce:

1 Cup Sweet BBQ Sauce (do be sure to use a sweet BBQ sauce as you will be spicing it up a bit. I like Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory & Brown Sugar)

2/3 Cup Apple Butter

2 whole canned Chipotle Peppers, in Adobo Sauce

2 Tablespoons Honey

1 to 1-1/2 teaspoons Liquid Smoke (use Applewood Smoke, if you have it)

1-2 Tablespoons Water

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Puree all BBQ Sauce ingredients in a blender. Taste and adjust to desired preference, adding more Honey or Adobo Sauce to sweeten or spice as desired.

Thread the Chicken, Bacon, and Red Onion onto skewers (soak wooden skewers in water for thirty minutes prior to using); sprinkle liberally with Garlic Salt and Black Pepper. Grill over Medium-Low heat until juices run clear, about 13-16 minutes, brushing with BBQ Sauce the last 6 minutes or so. It is important that you watch your heat (it should be about 350*) to prevent the Bacon grease from causing flaming flare-ups, which I am all too famous for. Serve with Steamed Broccoli and a Fruit Salad to a hungry family. Serves about 6.

"But now is Christ risen from the dead

and become the first fruits

of them that slept.

For since by man came death,

by Man came also

the Resurrection of the dead.

For as in Adam all die,

EVEN SO IN CHRIST SHALL ALL BE MADE ALIVE!"

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

----Give-Away is CLOSED----

And here, finally, is what you've been waiting for: The Give-Away! It might be a bit corny, but I thought that because it is Easter, and because Christ rose from the dead to bring us life with Him, if we but seek forgiveness of sins through His blood, I'd like to help make your morning rising a bit easier.

This Give-Away includes my favorite Coffee Mug, a pound of my favorite Coffee, a mini Milk Frother, and a dozen assorted Greeting Cards. Everything you might want for when you sit down at your morning devotions.

So, how do you enter? For each of the following that you complete you will earn one entry:

1. Leave me a comment here on this blog post with your favorite Scripture Verse. Don't forget to leave your name if you sign in anonymously!

2. 'Like' this blog page on Facebook: Gift of Simplicity on Facebook (don't forget to click the 'get notifications' tab when you 'like' the page).

3. Share this Give-Away by sharing the Facebook blog post.

4. Follow me on Pinterest: Carolyn {Gift of Simplicity}

5. Follow me on Google+: Carolyn M

If you currently follow me on FB, Pinterest, or Google+, let me know in your comment with your favorite Scripture Verse.

This Give-Away is open to all residents of the USA and ends at 9:00pm Pacific Time Wednesday, April 1, 2015.

----->>and the Winner is entry #47 Regina Rumble!
Congratulations, Regina! I'll get this to you!

Here is how we conducted our drawing:

As every entry came in, I input it into a Word document with a number. I fully intended to print this, cut each name into a strip and do the drawing, but my printer was out of ink. So, we hand wrote the numbers on notebook paper, folded them, and put them in a bowl: