I’m obsessed with the olive bar at the grocery store. I almost always get a container, whether we need it at home or not. We used to do a snack dinner once a week and the olive bar was the main star. Now that my teenagers are eating way more than ever before, we can’t just do a snack dinner. The kids would end up eating an entire second dinner after snack dinner.

It’s still my favorite dinner so I’m finding new ways to integrate olive bar into as many meals as possible. This is my latest favorite. You cannot beat this Olive Bar Chicken! I’m obsessed for a few reasons:

• Olive Bar is the best part of grocery shopping

• A split fryer is a cheap and easy way to feed your teenagers

• You can’t over bake the chicken when the bone is in

• Swap out what ever is your favorite on the olive bar! Some people love those marinated mushrooms and that would be perfect here too.

One of the secrets to making this dish is to use something heavy to bake it in. I love my Le Creuset because it’s thick and holds the heat nicely. You can also use a cast iron pan with a well fitting lid or lots of aluminum foil.

Olive Bar Baked Chicken

serves 4

1 split fryer chicken (that’s all the pieces, but cut into parts)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 yellow onion, chopped

1 cup marinated artichoke hearts

1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil

1 cup kalamata olives (pitted)

1/4 cup olive tapenade

1 cup chicken stock

salt & pepper

STEP 1

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In the bottom of a large dutch oven, brown the chicken in the olive oil.

STEP 2

Turn off the heat and pour in the onion and all of the olive bar bits. Pour in the chicken stock and cover.

STEP 3

Pop the pan into the oven and bake 25-40 minutes until the chicken is done. Test it with a meat thermometer. How long it takes depends on how thick your chicken pieces are. Serve with bread and pasta!

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Classic Negroni

A classic Negroni is the perfect cocktail to go with this Italian flavored dinner!

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It’s my birthday week! And I can’t think of anything I would want more for my birthday (non-alcoholic) than a good cookie. And this is a good cookie. I read about a cookie that was made with pudding mix and it seemed mandatory that I give it a shot.

This cookie is basically a cheap sheet cake in cookie form. If you aren’t tempted by that then we are probably not friends. Or you need to try cheap birthday cake again. It’s delicious.

Let me know if you try these. And if you try them for a birthday, light a candle and sing!!

Birthday Cake Cookies

1 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

3.4 oz package of vanilla pudding mix

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 cup assorted sprinkles

12 oz white chocolate chips

STEP 1

In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat until combined.

STEP 2

Add the eggs, vanilla, and almond extract. Beat well until the mixture gets lighter in color and is fluffy.

STEP 3

In a small bowl, combine flour, pudding mix, baking soda, and baking powder. Add it to the stand mixer and blend until mostly combined.

STEP 4

Pour in the chips and turn the mixer back on. Let it run until the dough looks like a cookie dough. Stir in the sprinkler gently so they don’t run too much!

STEP 5

Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake 10 minutes. Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to continue to cool.

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Another drink that came from a marketing scheme? A Paloma is just such a drink - so it seems. When Squirt was invented in Texas in 1938 bartenders in Mexico created a classic that’s pretty great. Some bartenders call it Mexico’s answer to the G&T, it’s refreshingly delicious and simple as can be. Origianlly the drink is squirt, tequila and lime. But I find it classed up with grapefruit juice makes it more prime time. Equal parts and topped with soda. Make it in a pitcher and you’re ready to go-a!

Paloma

2 ounces repesado tequila

2 ounces grapefruit juice

grapefruit soda

lime wedge & grapefruit slice

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