Hey Pink Elephant Sisters....Where Are You?

It's been a little over 2 weeks since we have had an entry here on our blog.  We have been extremely busy and haven't had much time for crafting or cooking.  As you know, Kari had back surgery in July and is well on her way to recovery, however, she can't bend or lift anything so that limits her amount of movement.  She is extremely happy to be able to drive again so she will be crafting shortly.

We have also been really busy helping our Mom move out of her house.  I work full time and have been spending all of my weekends at my Mom's, about an hour north.  I am happy to report she is all moved out and getting settled into her new place.  We had a massive garage sale last weekend.  I forgot how much work a garage sale is.  Between cleaning the garage, getting everything out there, pricing it all and setting it all up, it was 3 days of intense work.

Cleaning out a parent's house brings up a lot of memories and we have been looking at old photos a lot. It also means bringing a lot of stuff home that you just can't seem to part with.  I have a Suburban and I brought 2 loads home.  My husband wasn't really excited but he has been supportive.  I still have one small load to get which includes a bookshelf and a cookie jar.

 Bear with us as we get back into the swing of things.  We both have some great projects coming up for fall and winter.

Smoky Bacon Wrapped Chicken

When I post a recipe on here, I have made it at least twice.  The first time I make it just to try it out.  The second time is usually when I take photos to share on here.  This recipe took 3 tries because the second time was not actually as successful as the first.  It's a super simple recipe and I promise to pass on my knowledge so you enjoy it every time.

Smoky Bacon Wrapped Chicken

6-8 pieces of chicken (I used boneless skinless thighs the first time but used chicken tenders the last 2 times)

1 package of bacon

1/2 cup Runyon Rub (follow the link to the recipe)

2 tbsp brown sugar

Preheat oven to 400.  Add the brown sugar to the Runyon Rub and combine.  Lay out your chicken and sprinkle with the mixture on both sides.  Take each piece of chicken and wrap in 1 or 2 slices of bacon.  You want the chicken completely covered.  Place the chicken in a casserole dish and again sprinkle the rub mixture over the top.  This will help the bacon caramelize.  Cook for 30-40 minutes.  After the chicken is completely cooked, if you want your bacon crisper, place it under the broiler for a few minutes but make sure you keep an eye on it.

The chicken comes out moist and delicious.  When I made it the first time, I skinned and de-boned some chicken thighs and they were the best.  The second time I used chicken tenders and used way too much of the rub.  It came out so salty that we couldn't eat it.  The last time, I used the tenders and added the brown sugar to the rub.  It came out so much better.  It gave the bacon a crispy, smoky, sweet flavor.