The summer is flying by and I don’t have a thing to show for my time. I didn’t plant a garden this year and all I have done is play with the puppy and mow grass. Momma Said, “I guess that is better than mowing the puppy and playing with the grass.”
The flowers we have at the office are spectacular this year and we did get the honor of “Yard of the Month” so I am happy about that. The butterfly bush is blooming and attracting a lot of butterflies and hummingbirds.
It won’t be long before school is starting back up and I am sure the kids are excited about that. NOT. I was always excited about the first days of school,seeing my friends and we always got some new clothes. I was so skinny that I didn’t get many hand-me-downs because they were all too big for me. When we were in grade school the building only had three rooms and during the summer the janitor would strip the wood floors and refinish them. I can still remember that smell when we would start the new school year. It smelled so clean and looked so nice.
It is funny how some things stick with you throughout your lifetime like the smell of those floors. I can remember the smell of Mom’s makeup and how Gran’s house smelled during Thanksgiving. She made the best turkey and her dressing was the best. Such small things that make up our memories, things that you can pull out of your mind and see flashbacks of things in your past. Every time I smell fresh cut hay, I think of the times I spent in the hay fields when I was younger. I loved the satisfaction of working hard knowing that my animals would be taken care of the the winter. Momma Said, “If you are going to have animals, then it is your responsibility to take care of them.”
Slow Cooker Sweet Fire Chicken
Ingredients
3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 can pineapple chunks, drained
Sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1-2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
⅔ cup sugar
1 cup water
2 tablespoons sweet red chili sauce
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch
Instructions
Add chicken, chopped red peppers, and pineapple to a greased slow cooker.
In a medium bowl whisk together sauce ingredients except for the 4 tablespoons cold water + 3 tablespoons corn starch. Pour sauce into the slow cooker and give everything a stir. Cover and cook on high 2-3 hours or on low 4-5 hours.
About 30 minutes before serving, take the lid off of the slow cooker. In a small bowl whisk together the remaining cold water and corn starch. Set the slow cooker on high (if it isn’t already) and pour the corn starch slurry into the pot, stir, cover and cook another 30 minutes or until ready to serve. Stir just before serving.
Serve with steamed rice or fried rice if desired.
