Amish Cold Slaw and Poppy Seed Chicken

Today's the day that I summon my courage and don a painter's mask to "bravely go" where everyone else is too smart to go-Blake's room to dust his "collectibles"! That's right it's a dusty job, but somebody's got to do it! My plan of action is to use a painter's ladder (most of the myriad of M&M figures and Sci-Fi movie memorabilia is displayed on a basket shelf that goes around the top half of his room) a box, my micro-cloth and my can of Pledge Clean and Dust. My dad sent me a list of useful tips on Bounce Dryer Sheets and one tip was to use it to dust wooden blinds because the trace of softener then repels the dust; I may finish off the basket shelf by wiping it with the Bounce Dryer Sheet.

The other dreaded part of this task is trying to reach behind a floor-to-ceiling display of Darth Vader that is three large sections that are connected by metal poles. It is my fault...er, uh, to my credit that he possesses this unique item; I might share that "true confession" story in a future post. I'm thinking that if I use the extenders on my vacuum hose maybe I can reach the space behind Luke's father ("space"..get it?!...sorry)

Enough about my cleaning woes. Today I have a recipe for chicken that my sister, Becky, made when we went to visit her and her husband in Ohio. This was years ago when they were brave newlyweds who invited "the relatives with two little boys" to come visit their first house. Justin and Blake were well-behaved during the visit, and it's a good thing, because Becky and Shawn had put a lot of work into the older home; wallpapering, painting and general fix-ups; it was beautiful.

Becky was a good cook, even then, but not used to cooking for six people at a time. She made this casserole, which was a smart choice! This chicken was delicious and we enjoyed our visit very much. On a funny note, Becky hadn't thought about the possibility of the poppy seeds in this dish having an ill-effect on Shawn's drug test and physical for his new job, which was scheduled for....the next day! He consulted a nurse they knew from their church, who didn't think that there would be a problem, but we were all still a little concerned until he found out that he passed his exam.


Becky's Poppy Seed Chicken

Boil and debone 8 chicken breasts
(save broth)
Mix together:
2 cans cream of chicken soup
one 16 oz. carton of sour cream
1 C chicken broth

Add cubed chicken. Put in 9x12 greased baking dish. Sprinkle with poppy seeds (1 to 2 TBSP)

Topping:
1 stick melted margarine
mixed with 1 sleeve of Ritz cracker crumbs

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 min.


Remember my friend, Ona Clendennin from our Park Avenue church family? (see previous post) Well, Ona made a coleslaw that she called "ice box slaw" that I thought was great. When she passed me the recipe, though, it was actually called Amish Cold Slaw. If you like mild, creamy coleslaw, this is not it! This version has more of a tangy sauerkraut taste.

Ona Clendennin's Amish Cold Slaw

1 large head cabbage
1/2 C chopped onion
1 C celery
1 C chopped green bell pepper
1 C chopped carrots

Mix:
2 C sugar
1 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp mustard seed
1 C white vinegar

Pour over shredded cabbage mixture. Stir and refrigerate for 24 hrs. before serving. Will keep in the ice box for 8 to 10 days.

I'm joining BlessedwithGrace for the recipe swap today!