Easy Date Night Chicken Recipe

I have always loved the flavors of dates and bacon.  My grandmother used to wrap bacon around dates and bake them during the holidays as an appetizer.  Try it.  It is really delicious.

This easy recipe is perfect for a Date Night, Well, it is made with dates and bacon and chicken.  Bacon… yes bacon.  It is a favorite at my house.

Date Night Chicken

Ingredients

10-12 pitted dates chopped

2 shallots

2 oz. deli goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

4 slices bacon (lean)

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into strips

garlic/herb seasoning (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 cup white wine or chicken broth

Instructions

Chop up the dates.  Slice your shallots into thin pieces. Crumble the goat cheese.  Cut your bacon slices into 1/2 inch pieces. Cut chicken breasts into thin strips.

1.  Preheat large saute pan on medium high for about 3 minutes.  Season the chicken with the herb seasoning and pepper. The amount of seasoning is up to you.  I lightly season my strips.

2. Pour oil in pan and add chicken.  Cook chicken strips until browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside for later.

3.  Reduce the heat to medium and add the bacon.  Cook the bacon until crisp. Add the shallots to pan and add the dates.  Cook for about 3 more minutes.

4.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Add wine or chicken broth and return the chicken to the pan.  Reduce the heat to low and cover.  Simmer for about 10-12 minutes.  Add more wine or broth to make more sauce if you like.

5.  Remove the chicken from the pan.  Spoon date/bacon mixture on top of the chicken.  Top with goat cheese if you like.  Serve!

I made roasted broccoli as a side.  I skipped the goat cheese.  It is an acquired taste I have yet to acquire.  But, be sure to add it if you like it.  It balances the sweet and savory flavors of this easy dish.

Enjoy!

Rose Wines – My New Favorites

I recently visited a wine shop here in Miami.  While I was overwhelmed with the choices of wines, I was on a mission for one particular wine.   ~Rose

I had just finished reading and reviewing A Sip of You (Book 2 in the Epicurean Series) by Sorcha Grace.  Her 5 star story inspired me to try new rose wines.

I bought three wines to sample.

The first wine is from France. Domaine Guy Mousset – Cotes du Rhone 2012.  ~Refreshing, fruity, hints of strawberry, and a great price!

The second wine is from Spain. Eguren Tempranillo 2012 ~Light, refreshing, raspberry and red berry flavors, great for tapas! Great price too!

The third wine is from Argentina. Aberdeen Angus Rose 2012   ~  Light bodied, crisp, cherry and strawberry flavors, fresh and fruity, great with light salads.

While all three were equally delicious, my favorite is the wine from Spain, the Eguren Tempranillo 2012.

Rose’s have quickly become my favorite anytime wines.  They are perfect when entertaining or just lounging around.

Try these wines and let me know what you think.

Do you like food, wine and romance?   Check out these books too!

A Taste of You  and  A Sip of You by Sorcha Grace

Happy Saturday!

~Susi

Susi’s Signature Red Velvet Cupcakes

Susi’s Signature Red Velvet Cupcakes

Everyone has that one recipe that all of their friends love.

This is my signature recipe for the best red velvet cupcakes around. I hope you enjoy it!  Feel free to share and comment. 🙂

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients Mix

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour (sifted)

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

Wet Ingredients

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk, room temperature

2 large eggs, room temperature

2 tablespoons red food coloring

1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Pure Mexican Vanilla from Blue Cattle Truck Trading Co.)www.mexicanvanilla.com  or Vanilla of your choice

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (Pure Mexican Vanilla from Blue Cattle Truck Trading Co.)www.mexicanvanilla.com
4 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together all of the dry ingredients. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined. (Hand mixing preferred)

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes.
Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy.

I like to pipe frosting using a big star tip.

Susi Reviews – Bound by Wish and Mistletoe by Kat Bastion

My first review is a 5 star holiday novella perfect for this Christmas Season!

The holiday novella, Book 1.5, following the award-winning debut of Forged in Dreams and Magick in the Highland Legends Series:

Desperate to honor a life-long promise, Susanna MacEalan escapes her abusive clan with the fierce determination of never falling under the power of a man. Ever.

Aggravated by shallow-hearted pursuing lasses, Robert Brodie, commander of his clan’s elite guard, has foresworn scheming women. Forever.

When magick transforms Brodie Castle into a Christmas wonderland, the two despondent souls find solace in a most unexpected place . . . each other’s arms.

Amid a whirlwind of escalating events, Susanna’s traumatic past threatens Robert’s ability to protect the one woman meant for him. In a harrowing moment, as her fears and demons coalesce, will hope, faith, and love be enough to save them?

Susi’s Review

I’d like to start my review by saying that I read Bound by Wish and Mistletoe by Kat Bastion when it first released and I loved it. Real life has been quite busy for me lately so I felt that I had to reread this book in order to write my personal review. Now, rereading a book is like watching a movie for the second time. You always catch things you may have missed the first time. I can honestly say that I am really glad that I reread it because my journey into the Highlands was so much better the second time around.

First of all,  I am a Susanna and have my very own Robert. Just like the characters in the book, I too ran into my Robert during a tough time in my life. While my Robert may not be a Scottish Highlander, he is quite similar to this warrior in the book. So yes, you could say he saved me too. Susanna and I share certain traits as well. I am strong willed and like to get my way.

I most enjoyed how the love story of these two characters unfolded and carried out throughout the book. Of course I cannot forget to mention my other favorites, Isobel, Iain, Brigid and Skorpius. Their presence in this book made the story complete. Besides the love story, the new found friendship between the ladies brought a smile to my face.

Christmas is a magical time of the year and the perfect setting for this magical story set in an enchanting place. The symbolism of Christmas, of hope, completes the story of Robert and Susanna. It also brings hope to the other characters that I cannot wait to read more of in the next book.

This review would not be complete if I didn’t mention that Kat’s writing is so eloquent.  I was most impressed with the love scenes in this story. Wow, Kat, I am visual and your scenes do stimulate the senses as they are beautifully and tastefully written.

There is a beautiful message embedded in this story. I hope everyone that reads it discovers it. For me, the personal connection completed and made this story so perfect.

I enjoyed this book immensely and highly recommend it!
I gave this book 5 brilliant stars!
Thank you Kat for writing such a beautiful story.

My favorite quotes 

“You needn’t be afraid of me, Susanna,” he murmered. “I give you my word, every action I make around you will be for your protection…or pleasure.”

“Anythin’ you want me to have, you’ll offer. If I have my way, you will beg me to take it.”

“On a occasion, a person comes into your life and you doona know how or why, but you know them. You feel connected in ways you canna explain. I never question the uncommon gifts of friendship and love—I embrace them.”

“Susanna, please. If you keep shakin’ your ass against me like that, I might die right here in this chair.”

“Tonight is one of countless nights in many years to come where we will celebrate hope, faith, and love at Christmastime.”

“I dinna know people could be so happy,” she confessed, her voice soft to her own ears.

”I had no idea happiness was possible for me, before you.”

“No woman ever gained my interest, because none of them were you.”

“Everything is possible. When we least expect it and have given up all hope of findin’ what we want, suddenly it appears in the most unlikely of places.”

“Lass, I’ve gone easy on you tonight. I’ll tease and worship your body ‘til you shake with need, then I’ll give you the pleasure you crave, over and over…and over again.”

“You are the wish I made. The verra thing I’d prayed for.”

“Wherever you are… I am found. You’re the one I wished for. I prayed for you long before I met you.”

“Susanna, I wished for us under that mistletoe.”

Follow Kat Bastion on Twitter.

Read Kat’s official website:  www.katbastion.com

Read Kat’s blog page: www.talktotheshoe.com