My REALLY good reason for not posting in a while....

Hi everyone!  I know it has been ages, and you have probably all forgotten about me (oh I hope not!)  But I really promise that there is a wonderful reason why I haven't been posting in a while....

On Sunday, November 14th we welcomed to the world our little Owen!  He was 7 lbs 12 oz, 21 inches long and the happiest, sweetest baby ever!  After an unexpected c-section making our stay in the hospital a bit longer then anticipated, we are finally home and having a wonderful time getting to know each other.

Jackson is absolutely loving being a big brother and is my ultimate helper.  It can be hard to share your mommy and daddies attention with someone else, but we have been so proud of how well he is doing.  He was so ready for this!

I can't be on my feet for long periods of time, at least for a little while.  But I am already getting the itch to be back in the kitchen!  So please stay tuned for life to resume here as before.  Soon- I promise!  But until then, Happy Thanksgiving from all of us here in My Retro Kitchen!  I hope you have as much to be thankful for as we do this year.

Yum Yum Brownie Muffins

I am sorry to all of you for deserting you for so long.  I have been one very naughty blogger!  But this pregnancy is coming to a close (only 5 days to go!!) And it has been hard to cook lately.  I hope you all forgive me!!

With the holidays approaching I thought I needed to share with you a completely delicious AND completely guilt free recipe.  These seriously have to be the easiest muffin recipe known to mankind, thanks again to Hungry Girl.  It takes only TWO ingredients, and make the moistest, fudgiest brownie muffins ever.  And to think they are even healthy- amazing!  They definitely don't taste it!  They are called muffins, but you could totally make them into cupcakes.  I made them as full sized muffins, but they would be awesome as mini-muffins- a perfect little grab-and-go snack. Now, the main ingredient is a can of pumpkin.  I know what you are thinking.  But you will NEVER know that there is pumpkin in these muffins.  You get all the health benefits of the pumpkin, but ALL the flavor of chocolate.

Print this Recipe

Yum Yum Brownie Muffins
1 box devil’s food cake mix (18 1/4 oz.)
1 can solid pack pumpkin (15 oz.)

Mix the two ingredients together. Don't add anything else that may be mentioned on the box, such as eggs, oil, or water. The mixture will be very thick and you will be tempted to add in other things to make the batter smoother. DO NOT DO THIS AS IT WILL RUIN EVERYTHING! Place batter into muffin tins (or mini muffin tins) lined with paper, or sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Makes 12 regular or 36 mini muffins.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken With Rice

This recipe is one of my all time favorite chicken dishes.  I came across this recipe in one of the many Nestle cookbooks I own.  It was sandwiched between cookies and brownies, and I almost missed it.  I am so glad I didn't!!!  It is a wonderful meal, that while using some very common ingredients you can make something that tastes quite different and even a little exotic.  There is a TON of flavor in this dish, but nothing is too spicy or overpowering- my 3 year old absolutely loves it!  Now I know the thought of putting raisins in the rice might seem odd, but please don't omit them.  They completely round out the dish.  The raisins plump up nicely and add just the perfect touch of sweetness to balance the flavors of cumin and paprika.  Oh and guess what, it is soooo simple!  It is a quick weeknight meal, but also special enough to serve while entertaining.

When I made this on Tuesday night I had to do a few alterations.  I found that I was fresh out of cumin, so I substituted 1 tablspoon of curry powder plus a few shakes of cinnamon and a few shakes of chili powder in place of it.  I also didn't have any canned diced tomatoes.  Instead, I replaced them with 4 fresh tomatoes I diced, but still incorporated the juices.  I also didn't have any almonds on hand, so I just omitted them.  The dish was just as amazing!  This just goes to show how important it is to get to know your spices and not to be afraid to play around with them a bit.

Moroccan-Spiced Chicken With Rice
6 cups cooked long or medium grain brown or white rice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons ground paprika
6 chicken thighs, skin removed**
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (12 fl. oz.) NESTLÉ Carnation evaporated milk
1 can (14.5 oz.) petite diced tomatoes, drained
2/3 cup raisins
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds (optional)

Preheat oven 375º F. Grease 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Combine cumin, salt, black pepper and paprika in small bowl; sprinkle 2 teaspoons spice blend on both sides of chicken thighs.

Heat olive oil and garlic in large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in skillet; cook for 4 minutes per side or until browned.

Meanwhile, combine cooked rice, evaporated milk, tomatoes, raisins, lemon juice and remaining spice blend in large bowl. Pour rice mixture into prepared baking dish. Place chicken thighs on top of rice mixture.

Bake for 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Sprinkle with almonds before serving.

**Boneless chicken thighs can also be used. Reduce bake time by 10 to 15 minutes.