Pollo & Patate (Chicken & Potatoes, Italian Style)

Andy and me at the Roadhouse, Rodeo 2013

On Saturday, January 26th, Andy, me, our friends, Paige & Kyle, and their friend Kenny adventured out to the rodeo grounds for the day.  We rode a few rides, checked out the chickens and goats, and walked around the exhibit halls.  The exhibit halls are, afterall, my favorite part of the rodeo.  After rodeo-ing all day, Andy and I met our friends Jason & Holly for dinner at Fireside Pies. 

Andy and me at Bulls Night Out 2013

Over the course of dinner, my voice started getting more and more hoarse, and I just figured it was from walking around in the cold all day, surrounded by dust and hay.  I woke up on Sunday morning, voice still hoarse, but with the most intense sinus headache I've ever had.  Keep in mind, I've had sinus surgery, so I know sinus pain, but this was like nothing else.  It felt like someone had cracked open my face, poured concrete in it, and was then jack-hammering the concrete out.  My body was aching and sore, and I was coughing and congested.


Brittney and me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

I googled my symptoms, and my symptoms kept coming up as symptoms of the flu.  No way... I got the flu shot. In October. We are required to get it at work.  But, nonetheless, I felt terrible.  I called in sick to work on Monday, and I hadn't called in sick in over a year and a half.  I went to the doctor who stuck a cotton swab up my nose and confirmed my Flu Type A. Ugh. 

Andy and me at the midway, Rodeo 2013

Prescription cough syrup and Tamiflu were called in to CVS, and I was sent to bed.  My doctor told me Type A Flu was "highly contagious" so I quickly texted Andy, and I suggested that he call his doctor for a Tamiflu prescription, too.  His doctor called him in the preventative little pack of pills, and he never did get sick.  I had been wanting to get into watching Downton Abbey, so Netflix and the humidifier were both turn on and into bed I went.  When I picked up my prescriptions, I grabbed a bottle of Pedialyte (which is my best friend when I am sick & dehydrated), and whipped out my neti pot. 

Katie & me at the Backstage Club, Rodeo 2013

Andy insisted on cooking dinner that night so my germy hands wouldn't get all over his food, but the next night I made this recipe.  I already have a recipe called Italian Chicken & Potatoes, so I wanted to come up with a clever twist to differentiate.  According to google, "chicken & potatoes" translates to "pollo & patate" in Italian, so that's where the name comes from.  I tried to use ingredients that I already had, and I found this recipe on Crock a Doodle Do, a cute blog with a lot of crockpot recipes.  Hopefully when you make it, you'll be flu-free, but it is a great dish if you're craving comfort food.

Me, Candice, Brittney, Jenny, and Kirsten at the Roadhouse for Josh Weathers and Brittney's birthday

Pollo & Patate
By Crock a Doodle Do
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 11

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 16 oz bottle non-fat Italian salad dressing
• 1/2 c reduced fat parmesan cheese
• Italian seasoning, to taste
• 4-6 potatoes scrubbed, sliced thin
• 1/2 lb mini carrots

1. Squirt a small amount of Italian dressing at bottom of crock-pot.
2. Place two chicken breasts in crock.
3. Pour some of the Italian dressing on the chicken.
4. Sprinkle half of cheese onto the chicken.
5. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken.
6. Place next two chicken breasts into crock-pot, if possible not directly on top of the first breasts.
7. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top of chicken.
8. Pour carrots on top
9. Pour more of the Italian dressing on top of chicken and carrots.
10. Sprinkle Italian seasoning onto the chicken and carrots.
11. Place potatoes on top.
12. Pour the remaining Italian dressing on the potatoes.Sprinkle Italian seasoning on the potatoes.Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

March 12, 2013: Throughout the years, I've been a generally healthy person. I eat well, exercise, take care of myself. The only real health problems that I had growing up were chronic sinus infections. In February of 2012, I had sinus surgery to help alleviate these infections, so I thought I was off scot-free. Well, as it turns out, 2012-2013 was not my time to be sick-free.

Pedialyte is my go-to when I'm sick

When I had my surgery, I knew it would be tough, but I had no idea what I was in for. I had a total of nine surgeries, including (but not limited to) a tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, septoplasty, and turbinate reduction. I woke up feeling like my throat had turned to sandpaper and didn't stop feeling like that for the next two months. The first two weeks were the worst. The rumors about constant ice cream eating are lies- all lies. I couldn't even swallow my own spit! My diet consisted of just water for the whole first week.

Andy pushed the couches together for me for a giant pallet after my sinus/throat surgeries

Oh, and I formed a blood clot in my throat that later burst.  I woke up one night coughing, and it tasted like I'd swallowed a handful of pennies. I ran to the bathroom to see I was coughing up blood. I frantically screamed for Andy, who woke to what looked like a murder scene in our bathroom. I filled up the whole sink with blood- gallons of it- and had moved on to a mixing bowl. (Don't worry, I threw it out the next day). I told Andy I thought I needed to go to the ER, and my sweet boyfriend said, "No! You'll get blood in my truck!!" Well, I convinced him we could take my car, and Andy took me to the emergency room at 1am that night.  After a series of fainting episodes and blacking out, the ER doc told me I was "right above the cut off line for a blood transfusion." I was severely dehydrated, too, so they poked and pricked me some more to revive my pathetic self. 

The beautiful flowers Andy's family sent me after my sinus/throat surgeries

After those seven days, I was finally able to choke down Boost shakes and Pedialyte. Good thing, too, seeing as I ended up losing a grand total of 16 pounds. Don't worry- I gained it all back as soon I started eating solid food again. Then, in January 2013, I caught the flu. The full-out, high fever, body aches, chills and sweating flu. I called into work that day for the first time in over two years. Since I'd had the flu shot and quickly started taking Tamiflu, my bout didn't last too long.

To make the 365 days complete, I got a stomach bug in March. I was at work, and my stomach was rumbling and gurgling. After profusely getting sick at work, I knew I was done for.  Let's just say that I was lucky I have great managers who sent a sick girl home.

Beautiful flowers from my dad after my sinus/throat surgeries

So what does all this have to do with Teriyaki Chicken? After my stomach bug, my friends wanted to go get sushi. Sushi was at the bottom of my "easy on my stomach, light food" list, so I opted for some basic Teriyaki Chicken at Sushi Q. After eating it, I decided that I was certain I, too, could somehow make this basic dish. So I found this recipe on my Pinterest page and whipped it up for Andy and me. It was super easy, and super yummy. Definitely a do-again'er, hopefully not after having been sick.

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken
Modified from www.askchefs.net
Servings: 2; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 6

Teriyaki Grilled Chicken

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 c teriyaki sauce (I use low-sodium)
• 1/4c lime juice
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp peanut oil

1. Thoroughly mix the sauce, lime juice, garlic, and oil in a bowl
2. Pour this marinade into a freezer bag
3. Add chicken
4. Shake the chicken around, fully coating it in marinade
5. Marinade chicken 30min+, overnight if desired
6. Turn bag/chicken every so often
7. Heat grill to high heat
8. Grill chicken 6-8 min on each side or until thoroughly cooked (no pink)
9. At the end, cut the chicken down the middle and sprinkle on a bit of extra teriyaki sauce to saturate the chicken through and through

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Side note: I came up with a new strategy to reduce dishes and increase efficiency. I found a bowl that fit with a large freezer bag inside of it, turned down. Then I added all of my ingredients in the bag. I mixed them with a spoon, so they could be mixed thoroughly.

Last, I added my chicken breasts. I simply lifted the edges of the baggie up, squished out the air, and zipped it closed. Then I just stuck the whole bag of chicken in the marinade in the fridge to marinate overnight! No mess to clean up- easy as pie! Well, easier, actually.