After being without power for 3 and 1/2 days, it has taken a while to get back in the groove with the blog and with life in general. We thought we should devote this post to fun! (Hey, why not?)

In this spirit, we offer our simple, make-in-a-bowl chicken tender recipe. Who doesn’t love chicken tenders? Plus, as seen above, the bears are trying to solve this week’s fun treasure hunt and, of course, we share our weekly garden update.

CRISPY CHICKEN TENDERS

These crispy chicken tenders are delicious and very easy to make. We simplified the breading process, so it all happens in one large bowl. How fun!!!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 lbs chicken tenders, pieces cut in half.

1 beaten egg, 3 tablespoons flour, 1 cup Panko breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup grated parmesan,             1 teaspoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash garlic herb mix.

How to prepare:

Place chicken pieces in a bowl, add flour and toss until coated. Add beaten egg to chicken and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, mix bread crumbs, parmesan and spices. Coat chicken pieces with bread crumb mixture.

Place chicken pieces on parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle any leftover bread crumb topping over chicken. Bake 15 minutes, turn chicken and bake an additional 15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with dipping sauces such as ketchup, honey mustard, barbecue sauce, cranberry sauce or whatever you like. This chicken comes out crispy – no frying involved!

TREASURE HUNT

We like to do fun, at-home scavenger hunts. This has evolved over the years, dating back to one of Kevin’s birthdays when Roy hid his gifts. On a whim, Roy wrote up clues for Kevin to find his presents. It was a lot of fun and we have been doing this sort of thing from time to time ever since. This idea is only limited by your imagination and your clue-making ability! Know your audience to keep the hunt fun!

Hide the “treasures”: Put the treasures (scratch tickets, gifts, etc.) in books, behind pictures, in drawers, wherever.

Write up the clues: Invent fun clues that aren’t too difficult, but be clever, if possible.

Number the clues: Each clue should be numbered in the order you want the recipient to find the treasures.

When time comes to guess the answers, don’t be too hard on the guesser. If they are having trouble, give them additional hints and help them find the items if necessary. This should be fun!!!

Here’s a recap of one of our recent scavenger hunts (the prize was scratch tickets):

Clue: “This silver friend treasures his reading material.”

Answer: The silver bear’s copy of Treasure Island. 

 

Clue: “You’re sure to fall in love with old …”  t-shirt (tough clue if not familiar with the song!)

Answer: Behind the framed Cape Cod T-Shirt

 

 Clue: “Bean Town Beanie “

Answer: Under the Red Sox hat (this one was hard because we have a lot of Red Sox hats!)

BUBBLES

What is more fun than bubbles? Here’s a link to show you some bubble how-to’s!

http://www.grandparents.com/grandkids/activities-games-and-crafts/sshow-fun-bubble-ideas-for-a-sunny-day

GARDEN UPDATE

We planted sea grass a couple of years ago. We didn’t plant it this year, but we are pleased to see a few sprouts of it pop up in our garden. We decided not to pull them but let them grow and add some character and height to our patio garden.

Our basil is abundant! This week, we made this delicious pesto with basil from our garden.

whttp://www.food.com/recipe/basil-walnut-pesto-45348

Bears are on the case: The bears are in disguise for this week’s treasure hunt and looking to Sherlock Holmes for inspiration.

 

Enjoy!

Roy and Kevin