Monday, October 25, 2010

High School Reunion by the Numbers

Three: Number of dresses I bought before I found this one. (It's from Modcloth.com, and I love it! Don't worry, I'm returning the others.)
Four: Number of hours I spent shopping for a dress for my reunion.
Five: Number of seconds Brent spent deciding what to wear to the reunion.
Sixteen: Number of years since I was in Girl Scouts with these ladies.
Three: Number of girl scout uniforms we had: Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scout.
At least one hundred: Number of fun times we had horseback riding, cooking on vagabond stoves, eating hobo lunches, getting our hair braided, and using port-a-potties in Wimberly.

Six: Number of years we were in choir together.
One: Number of people in pictured with a super cool job. (Amanda, center, is an archaeologist!)

Twenty: Number of years it's been since Cameron (center) and I made secret forts at the creek by her house.
Twenty one: Number of years it's been since Cameron had a reindeer birthday party that I still remember.
Ten: Number of black satin and sequin show choir costumes Meghan (left) and I wore.
Two: Number of high school boyfriends Meghan & I now regret.

One: Number of UT cheerleaders in this picture (hint: It's not me.)
Two: Number of dances we went to together in high school.

Forty: Number of times we ate Rumors for dinner our freshman year of college while watching Dawson's Creek.
Zero: Number of inches of blank wall space in our freshman dorm room.

Ten: Number of years it's been since the girls of the class of 2000 have been together.
Two: Number of moms or moms-to-be pictured below (hint: not me.)
Eight: Number of 80s songs we sang together with teased ponytails.
Nine: Number of times this sweet girl has said she likes my blog.
Twenty-Four: Number of years it's been since we started kindergarten together at Moss Haven Elementary School.
One: Number of puppies who were glad to have some play time with Grammy, but equally glad to have mom & dad home at midnight.
Ten: Number of years until we do it again.

Katie

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Christopher's Remix

Brent and I love Christopher's in College Station. It's basically the only nice restaurant in College Station, and it's actually really, really delicious. We look forward to going there once a year during opening weekend for football. They have an awesome menu, but we always get the house filet. I kind of want one right now. We took this year's trip in September, and they had a new appetizer on the menu. It was a "chile relleno" - basically a poblano pepper stuffed with beans, cheese, and shrimp and then deep fried. OMG it was good. Brent immediately started plotting how he could get me to make them at home, but I told him there was no way that was going to happen!

When we got home I was flipping through an old Everyday Food magazine, and I stumbled upon this just as delicious but WAY healthier version of a chile relleno: stuffed poblano peppers. I've made this dish twice now, and it is amazing. The Everyday Food recipe is completely vegetarian. That version was good - I made it according to the recipe the first time. But then we thought about Christopher's and how they had stuffed theirs with shrimp. So we decided that the next time we made them, we'd add shrimp.

I made the shrimp version tonight, and it did not disappoint. You get the rich tomato sauce, semi-cruncy pepper, beans, cheese, and spicy shrimp. And it's not fried! So you can have two! Here's how to make this super easy dish that will make you feel like you're at a Mexican restaurant.

Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Adapted from Everyday Food, April 2008

Sauce:
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 jalapeno chile, roughly chopped (seeds & ribs removed)
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves
Salt & pepper

Mix all sauce ingredients in a blender until pureed. Spread sauce on the bottom of a Pyrex dish.

Filling:
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 package fresh pre-cooked chipotle shrimp from Whole Foods (in the seafood section), chopped
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
Salt

Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl and stir to mix.

Halve four poblano peppers and remove seeds & ribs. Stuff each pepper with filling and place pepper halves filling side up in the tomato sauce.

Sprinkle the whole top with about 1 cup of shredded monterrey jack cheese. Cover with foil and back at 425 degrees for 40 minutes. Uncover and broil until cheese browns (2-4 minutes). Serve with Mexican rice. (Serves 4)

Katie

Friday, October 8, 2010

October Obsessions

In no particular order, here are 10 things I'm obsessed with this October:

1. Burt's Bees
I've never been one of those people who is addicted to chap-stick, but I'm starting to wonder... The weather turned cooler by two degrees and all of a sudden my lips were dying. I now crave Burt's Bees original lip balm. It's peppermint-y, tingly, and soothing, and I can't get enough. I'm now the proud owner of 5 tubes because if I'm out and about and I forgot it, I can't stand it. I have to pull into the nearest Walgreen's and buy one. I heard that bumble bees are in danger of extinction, so I sure hope old Burt is taking good care of his bees because I can't live wihout this stuff. 2. The Sweater Dress
Flattering, comfy, and trendy: what more could you ask for in a go-to dress? You better believe I snatched up this sweater dress at Ann Taylor Loft. With a low slung belt and boots... tell me you won't be the most stylish girl at work.

3. Honeycrisp Apples
These are the best apples ever, hands down. I've tried just about every apple there is, and this is what we can't get enough of. They are quite aptly named since they are indeed VERY light, crispy, juicy, and sweet. They also don't turn brown as quickly as other apples when cut: it's a miracle.
4. Essie Nail Polish
My good friend Abbie tipped me off to Essie nail polish on her blog. I've always been an OPI girl, but I am LOVING Essie now, especially this color: Island Hopping. I'm perplexed by the name because it doesn't look summery or island-y to me at all. It's perfect for fall. I hereby rename this color "warm plum crisp". It looks great on fingernails - subtle but polished.

5. Cream of Wheat
I haven't eaten cream of wheat in like 10 years. I'm not sure what came over me, but I was in the cereal aisle and I saw the box, and I was transported back in time. My mom used to make cream of wheat almost every morning in the winter. I was truly curious if I would still like it, so I bought a box of the instant packets. It is SO GOOD. I make it in the microwave at school every day and put in small pat of butter and some brown sugar. When people see me eating it they're like, "Oh my gosh, cream of wheat! I haven't thought about that stuff in ages!" You're welcome, Mr. Cream of Wheat Man, for the comeback I'm staging for you.

6. Anthony Bourdain
Anthony Bourdain's show "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel is one of my favorites. If you love food and/or travel, you will love this show. Anthony is a journalist and a chef by trade, so his show is very focused on these two aspects of travel. He HATES all things touristy and loudly proclaims his disdain for anything cookie-cutter. When he travels, he focuses on the food of a place and how it shapes the people and the culture. He eats in local places and even in homes. It's a fascinating and beautifully written show. You feel like you've been there when you watch their beautiful shots and listen to the inspiring narration by Bourdain. There's a new season going on now.
7. The White Watch
It might just be a Houston thing or a YES Prep thing, but the white watch is all the rage in my world. I'm not kidding you that EVERY female teacher at my school has one of these white watches. There are several different styles but they all have a white silicone band and most have some sort of rhinestones. I picked up mine at Charming Charlie for like $11. I'm relatively sure it will only work for about 6 months, but after that it will be out of style anyway, so we're good.

8. Seattle's Best Coffee
I like to try different coffees because I get sick of the same old thing, so lately I've been on a Seattle's Best kick. They claim that it is the "smoothest" coffee you can buy, and I tend to agree. I especially like the "cinnabon" flavor - add a little fat free half & half, a touch of splenda, and a dash of cinnamon and you're good to go!
9. Old Navy Workout Pants
I'm loving the super-affordable and super-comfy workout pants from Old Navy. They are cropped and have a rollover waistband that you can adjust to make the pants as high or low rise as you want. The super cute pink dot pattern doesn't hurt either. I also bought a pair of black cropped walking pants with two pockets perfect for a cell phone or iPod when you're walking.

10. Woodwick Candles in "Fireside"
Last but certainly not least, it's time to break out the Woodwick candles. The Fireside scent will transport you directly to fall. If you missed my last post on Woodwick candles, you can check it out here. This candle is an absolute MUST HAVE for fall and winter.
Katie

Friday, October 1, 2010

31 Workouts in 31 Days


Happy October! It's time to break out the fall wreath, buy some pumpkins, have a pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks, and... Workout!! That's right. Today I'm issuing a challenge for myself and all of my blogging friends:

31 Workouts in 31 Days!

There are several reasons why you should join me in this challenge:

  • Any extra exercise you do now will allow you to go into the holiday season at your best, so you can have that extra slice of pie or serving of mashed potatoes (or both. let's be honest.)

  • October is finally COOL, so you don't have to do every workout at the gym. You can vary your workouts with walks and runs and fun outside things and not die from a heatstroke while doing them, which is a bonus.

  • If you succeed in working out every day this month (and you will), going back to regular 3-5 day a week workouts will seem EASY!

  • Things always get busy in October, but if you take on this challenge, you have a ready-made excuse to leave work right on time - you have to go work out!

Here are my rules for the challenge, but you can make up your own rules if you'd like:

  1. Any kind of exercise counts - walking, running, gym, cardio, weights, yoga, pilates...

  2. You should aim for 45 minutes per workout, but 30 minutes will do in a pinch.

  3. All 30 or 45 minutes do not have to be done at once. You could do 15 minutes here and 15 minutes there.

  4. You don't have to work out EVERY day - you just need to get in 31 workouts in 31 days. So if you miss a day, all hope is not lost. You'll just have to find a day when you could double up - maybe a walk before work and gym in the evening? Or you could just kick your own butt for an hour-long workout, which could technically count as two 30 minute workouts - and you're back on track!
The main goal is for me to get back into a routine because let me tell you - September was no good... no good at all. However, I'm feeling optimistic about October!! We're going to make it happen!!

I've added a gadget to the right side of my blog where I'm going to update my daily workouts so you can keep me accountable and track along with me. You can see that I've already tracked my October 1st workout!

Will you commit to doing 31 workouts in 31 days with me? Why not post on your blog about your commitment? Leave a comment if you're with me!! (...And even if you're not with me, leave a comment because I still love you. Lots of you are having babies and having babies is a pretty good excuse, so all you mamas out there are off the hook for now.)

Time to load up the iPod...

Katie

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Little Luke

I am officially Aunt Katie! My little nephew is here! James Luke Patterson II was born early Tuesday morning at 1:20 am. He was 9 pounds 5 ounces and perfectly healthy. I'm a little biased, but I think Little Luke is the most perfect, precious, sweet baby EVER.

My sister in law, Wendy, did an amazing job. She has made pregnancy and labor look EASY. Luke was due on September 25th, which came and went, and we weren't sure if and when she was going to be induced. Though we wanted Luke to come on his own accord, we just couldn't wait any longer to meet him! Wendy was induced on Monday morning and was in labor all day and into the night. (Praise God for epidurals!) We were hoping to see him Monday, but he was still nice and cozy and not ready for the real world just yet. Luke finally decided to make his appearance in the middle of the night when Aunt Katie was fast asleep in bed, but we ran right over to the hospital as soon as I was done with work today to see the little man. Wendy is doing awesome. Seriously - she made it seem like it was no big deal - she is very strong and brave! Luke is ADORABLE. He did not cry the whole time we were there - he just slept and made the cutest noises. He is healthy and perfect. I'm so proud of my sister and brother in law and so happy for their newest addition! Yay babies!

Katie

Sunday, September 12, 2010

A Noble Workout Partner Who Can Find?

"A noble workout partner who can find? She is worth far more than rubies." ~Proverbs 31:10

OK.... so maybe I took a few liberties with that translation! But still... a good workout partner is a gem for sure!!

When we moved into our new house over a year ago, my next door neighbor Diana was the first person I met. She is super nice and wonderful in every way, and the only thing I have against her is that she's a Longhorn. But we have become friends despite that fact. She says "gig em" when she texts me, and I watch UT games when she comes over. She wears maroon to our supper club, and I turn a blind eye to the UT garden gnome in her front yard. Whatever works.

The best thing about Diana is that she is a GREAT workout partner! We both joined the gym in our neighborhood, and last March, we started going to boot camp once a week with a personal trainer there, Charissa. Y'all... you should have seen us at those first boot camps - it was pathetic. I'm pretty sure we couldn't do ten squats or ten push-ups in a row to save our lives.

But, we stuck with it, and we began to get better and better. The boot camps started out as groups of five to ten people, but it gradually dwindled down to .... just the two of us. I never thought I'd be referred to as "hard core" when it came to something like boot camp but wonders never cease. We enjoyed this personal training for quite some time until the gym was on to us, and they stopped the free boot camp :-( Sad. Luckily, our friend Charissa agreed to keep training us. Now that it was just us, she really turned it on and made it her personal mission to "kill us" every week.

Not long ago, Charissa got a new job at a gym closer to her house. I may or may not have cried. We're very happy for her but very sad for us! However, she taught us well, so we quickly decided that we would carry on. We got a super cute notebook, decided on Mondays and Thursdays, and got back to work. In our little notebook, Diana plans Monday workouts and I plan Thursdays. Between those days we do our own workouts, though we are excited for cooler weather when we can walk/run together.

Basically, it's our goal to outdo one another with the difficulty of our workouts. We have both vowed to do whatever the other plans. As we walk out to the car after our workouts, the conversation usually goes something like this:

Me: I'm so sorry if I hurt you!
Diana: No, it's totally OK! I want you to hurt me.
Me: Yeah, I guess I kind of meant to hurt you.
Diana: I'll get you back on Monday.

The next day we usually text each other:

Me: Sore?
Diana: Yep.

So you see, we're totally made for each other! haha! I'm proud to say that those girls who couldn't do ten squats in a row can now do 40 squats holding a 25 pound weight over our heads!!

We've invited our husbands multiple times to join us, but they have declined. I think that secretly they are scared we will kick their butts. ...and we probably would :-) Diana's husband says it makes him tired just to read what we write in our little notebook.

I better rest up now because Diana is planning tomorrow's workout and we may or may not have had a few margaritas while watching football on Saturday night (UT of course... A&M wasn't on TV, people!)

Katie

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Praying for MOH!

Update: THANK YOU for praying!!! God just proves again and again that he can do more than we can ask or imagine. Today I got a great update about MOH. He made it through the surgery perfectly and is resting and recovering wonderfully. He may even get to go home this weekend. But here's the BIG news: The pathology report came back, and the tumors they removed were NOT CANCEROUS!!! It is truly miraculous, and I am overwhelmed by God's goodness.
Today I want to tell you about a very special person. His name is Michael O'Hern, but to me he will always be MOH. MOH was my high school choir director and my teacher in 10th, 11th, and 12th grade at Lake Highlands High School. MOH is a teacher who has truly devoted his life to his students. I've been out of high school for ten years (yikes!), but he still knows me, keeps up with me, and asks about my family. Now that I'm a teacher, I realize how precious planning periods are, but MOH spent many of his planning periods with me, listening to me cry in his office about how hard calculus was or the boyfriend that just broke up with me. He has devoted over 20 years to teaching, and even recently won Teacher of the Year. His choirs consistently bring home top honors in competitions, and he is well known in the community. MOH stays at school until 10:00 many nights rehearsing with choir or Espree (show choir). He spent Saturdays judging competitions. He gives up a week of his Christmas break EVERY YEAR to take high school students on a ski trip. I can only hope that I will become a teacher as amazing as MOH. If I had to pick five people who have been most influential in my entire life, MOH would be one of them.

Two years ago, MOH was diagnosed with brain cancer. He had surgery and went through intense chemotherapy. He beat the cancer, went into remission, and continued teaching. A few weeks ago, at a routine doctor's visit, they discovered that the cancer had returned. Although this was discouraging news, I know that MOH can do this again. He is scheduled to go into surgery at 7:30 on Wednesday morning in Dallas, and the doctors are confident that they will be able to remove all of the cancer. I know our God can do BIG things, so I'm asking you to pray that MOH will be completely and miraculously healed and that the cancer will never come back. MOH has a website where he is asking for prayers. He is asking you to pray specifically:

1. For the wisdom of his surgeons
2. For his continued positive outlook
3. For peace for his family and friends
4. For his Lake Highlands HS students

If you would add MOH to your prayer list for this week, I know he and I would be very, very grateful! We love you MOH!!
Katie

Sunday, September 5, 2010

One Last Hurrah

Summer is almost officially over. And to be honest, I'm OK with that. I long for the day when I'm COLD. Also, I've been back to school for over a month now, so I'm pretty much ready for fall: spice candles, football, chili, and Christmas decorations. Yes, please. Still, today Brent was craving a summer treat that I have never made even though he has been asking me to make them for at least six months.

Brent has a few things he requests often for me to make. His favorite request is beef stroganoff. I've never posted about beef stroganoff, but maybe I will soon. It's possibly the best comfort food of all time. It's a winner. He also begs me to make these Fleur de sel brownies he saw on Food Network. I tried to make them once - EPIC FAIL. Have you ever tried to make homemade caramel? Mine turned into a solid coating of cement candy in my pan. I thought the pan was ruined, but after a few hours of work, we finally got it out. Last but not least, Brent has been begging me to make homemade ice cream cookie sandwiches. I always thought it would be too hard, but today he finally convinced me to try. Thankfully, there were no disasters involved. It was actually really easy, and they are SOOOOO good. Here's how I did it:

I made chocolate chip cookies using the Nestle Tollhouse recipe on the bag of chocolate chips. I made the cookies a little bigger than usual.

The cookies were crispy on the outside and still chewy on the inside. I let them cool completely on paper bags. (Does anyone else do that? My mom always used to do that.)

While the cookies were cooling, I let the ice cream sit out on the counter for about 10 minutes to soften up. I used Blue Bell Light Vanilla. I used a knife to spread ice cream on the cookie like you would spread cream cheese on a bagel. It was super easy.
Then I topped the ice cream with another cookie of similar size. I put them all in a parchment paper lined Pyrex dish and popped them into the freezer. One hour later, you've got homemade ice cream sandwiches! They just might make the perfect addition to your Labor Day festivities! Enjoy the last of your summer!

Katie

Monday, August 30, 2010

Psalm 139

I had a rough day today, and when I finally got home and into my comfy chair in the study, I flipped open my Bible and immediately turned to Psalm 139. It's my favorite Psalm these days. I've underlined the heck out of it and read it over and over, and it always has a fresh word for me no matter what I'm facing. When I feel conflicted and full of turmoil, this Psalm comforts me. For the sake of space, I'm going to focus on verses 1-18.

"O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord."
Sometimes I look back over my day and I replay every action, conversation, and email, and I beat myself up for not doing it as well as I could have. I try to think how I would have done it differently and how I failed at this and what people are going to think and how I'm going to do better next time. What a comfort and relief it is to know that God knows all that is within me - the good, bad, and very, very ugly - and he has not left me yet. My co-workers may look down on me if I drop the ball, and people in my life may think less of me when I mess up, but God knows everything I have done in a day - including every word and thought and movement, and he still loves me.

You hem me in - behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty to attain.
This is probably my favorite part. I'm someone who loves comfort, who used to be tucked into my bed each night by my parents. What a wonderful image of our God who goes behind us and before us and tucks us in-between since we can not be trusted to go off on our own. Thankfully, he will never leave us. He will always prepare a way for us and then follow behind to help us, comfort us, and clean up our messes. This part of the Psalm became very real for me last week when I went to Detroit, Michigan for four days to train a team of English teachers at a school there. How I got there is completely God's doing - he orchestrated connections and relationships in my life that have taken me places I never thought I'd go. As I looked out my hotel window in Detroit across the river to Canada, I marveled at how I had gotten there solely by God's doing. It became clear that God had gone before me even there in Michigan. The whole trip felt right, as if it were all planned out before I came to be, which I know is true. I loved the teachers and administration, and the training went smoothly. They are even opening a "YES" school there which I was unaware of - I visited and it was like walking into my school in Houston - exactly the same. How marvelous is our God. I would never think to ask or even imagine that God would put a YES school in Michigan and then send me there, but he did it all the same.

Where can I go from your spirit? Where can I flee from you presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.
Weather I wander physically all over the country or mentally when Satan makes me despair, God is with me. There is NO WHERE I can go where he will not be. What a wonderful thought to have every day of my life.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me", even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.
What seems like the darkest situation to me is light to God. There is NOTHING he can't handle - he's teaching me to go to him with the littlest requests for my job all the way to major life decisions. How comforting that even the evil of this world can be used for good because it it is all light to God.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; you works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.
If I feel guilty that I didn't workout or I ate an extra helping of dinner or realize I will NEVER look like the girl on the cover of Shape magazine, it doesn't matter. God has made me exactly how he wanted to make me, and nothing I can do (or NOT do) can change that.

All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
The beauty of this verse almost leaves me breathless. Nothing I can do will thwart God's plan for my life. God has planned works in advance for me to do. All I have to do is walk in his word.

How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.
This is the part of the psalm that fills my eyes with tears every time. The creator of the universe, the holy Lord of all the Earth thinks of ME more times than there are grains of sand. This brings a great satisfaction to my soul that I can hardly express. So maybe I got a negative comment on a survey about my work or maybe I'm not recognized for something I do, or maybe I feel lonely, or maybe I totally messed up and I want to hide. None of that matters because no matter what I've done, God thinks of me and he loves me. And when tomorrow comes, his mercies will be new and I will still be with him.

I praise you, Lord, for your wonderful, beautiful, and true word.

If you haven't checked out Psalm 139, I highly recommend it. It's a good one :-)

Katie

Sunday, August 22, 2010

No-Recipe Chicken Kebabs

As much as I'd like to, I can not take credit for this no-recipe favorite. I heard about these chicken kebabs by browsing the blog of a friend-of-a-friend, Annalee. You know how that works. I love reading about her cute kiddos and her busy mom strategies. I'm not a mom, but I'm busy, so I appreciate her tips and recipes. You should check out her blog here.

These chicken kebabs are slightly more labor intensive than the other no-recipe recipes I've posted due to the chopping and skewering. However, there is something strangely calming about putting these together. The last time I made them Brent said, "You're having fun, aren't you?" Well, yes, add a glass of wine and I'm having a blast! In all reality they are pretty quick. They also get you a good dose of veggies, are very versatile, and have a pop of decadent flavor with the addition of a little bacon. Everyone knows bacon makes anything better. Finally, the unique spice rub you sprinkle on top gives this dish a special touch. Annalee advertised it as a "no grill" meal that tastes like it's fresh off the grill. It's totally true. Love it!

Step 1: Chop up your ingredients of choice into small bites. Put each chopped ingredient in a separate bowl for easy skewering later. I use: whole mushrooms, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, and chicken breasts. You could also use pineapple, squash, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, pork, shrimp... I mean really anything.

Step 2: Cut a few pieces of bacon in half. Wrap half of your chicken pieces in bacon. I like to wrap only half of my chicken pieces so I have that bacon taste but I don't go overboard. The plain chicken pieces are delish, too.

Step 3: Get artistic and skewer your ingredients however you'd like. I'm a bit OCD so I like to follow a pattern: mushroom, bell pepper, jalapeno, chicken. Sometimes I get crazy and put two mushrooms in a row. You can use metal skewers like I have or you can buy wooden ones at the grocery store for like $2. Drizzle the completed skewers with a little olive oil and Kosher salt.

Step 4: As you finish the skewers, place them across a rimmed cookie sheet so that they are not touching the bottom of the sheet (see picture below). This is important because you want the veggies and chicken to get crispy and brown. They will get really juicy while cooking, so laying them across the cookie sheet lets you collect the liquid without letting your kebabs get soggy.
Step 4: In a small bowl, mix equal amounts of brown sugar and chili powder. Sprinkle liberally over all the kebabs. I like to spin mine around so the chili/sugar goodness gets all over. This spice mix gives the kebabs a great color and a spicy/sweet kick once they're cooked. You can't skip this step. It's pretty important.

Step 5: Cook in the oven at high heat (I think I use like 410). Watch it and cook just until chicken is opaque. Then, turn the broiler on high for five minutes or so to crisp up the bacon and finish roasting everything else.

Step 6: Remove from oven and serve! They are really good with a small baked potato. And, like all good no-recipe meals, they are FABULOUS left over.

Thanks, Annalee for this new Norwood family favorite! Happy cooking!

Katie

 
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