Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs

There are a handful of go-to recipes that are classics in our family...the ones you always bring out when you know what you're gonna get and you know it's going to be scrumptious. My brother Jakob and my sister-in-law Jessica introduced us to Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs several years ago and we've never been the same since! Anything with rosemary is typically a hit with me, so combine ranch and juicy, tender chicken and we've got a winner.



This chicken is a summer essential for the grill and is absolutely delish, not to mention fool-proof. There's just something about it that always turns out right...I think the white vinegar tenderizes the chicken to perfection. I think it was originally from AllRecipes but we've adopted it as our own and I like to assume it will live on for generations of Ondreys to come. Here's the recipe for six.




Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
Ingredients
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup ranch dressing
3 TBSP Worcestershire sauce
1 TBSP minced fresh rosemary
2 tsp salt
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp white vinegar
1/4 tsp ground black pepper, or to taste
1 TBSP white sugar, or to taste (optional)
5 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions
1. In a medium bowl, stir together the olive oil, ranch dressing, Worcestershire sauce, rosemary, salt, lemon juice, white vinegar, pepper, and sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes. Place chicken in the bowl, and stir to coat with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers and discard marinade.
3. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 8 to 12 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and the juices run clear. Serve with roasted vegetables or other preferred sides. Enjoy!

Under the Chestnut Tree

Have you done a puzzle recently? I mean, like a good old-fashioned jigsaw puzzle? My sister-in-law spent her Christmas devouring them and reminded me of their joys and merits. And now I'm hooked.

As a general rule, I consider myself to be a formidable competitor when it comes to puzzles. Race me in a crossword or Sudoku and I'll probably make a bold statement and with confidence claim that I'll be able to win. Crosswords, cryptograms, Tetris, Mahjong, whatever...you name it, I'll solve it. Honestly, it's what I'm good at.

When Jessica told me about her puzzle-filled holiday weekend, I recalled the jigsaw puzzles I owned, but had never opened. I thought of them sitting alone and fragmented in my closet, wishing with all their might to be connected to their bona fide neighbors, asking someone who cared to solve them.

I broke out this good old country scene called "Under the Chestnut Tree." 1000 pieces is a nice challenge for someone who hasn't done a jigsaw puzzle since they were in high-school. The chestnut tree was a real doozie, since all the pieces practically looked the same.

At the risk of sounding like a total and complete loser, doing a jigsaw puzzle is a really good time. I love the patience it takes and the satisfaction I find in figuring out just the right place for each piece. I love being able to leave it and come back as I wish. I love that there was no technology involved and nothing plugged in while you work on it. I love knowing that it's just being solved for fun and that when you're done, it will just be taken apart and put away.

Onto my next puzzle which my husband got me last year. It's Da Vinci's "Last Supper" which has little contrast throughout and is broken into 2000 lovely pieces. This one might take a while.

Urban Amish | Part 2

"Slow and steady wins the race," that's what my mom always says. I'm not sure if that applies to my rather stagnant quilting hobby as of late, but I'll try not to be too hard on myself. The "Urban Amish" quilt I'm making for Jakob and Jessica is still en route to completion as is last summer's "Stack-N-Whack" (how embarrassing). 27 days until graduation and then I can quilt to my heart's content.

The New Mr. & Mrs.

At long last my little brother got married!!! I adore my new sister-in-law and am so excited for their life together. Throughout Jakob's service and deployment in the Army, Jessica has stood by him and they have stuck together through some tough times, often apart from each other, but living in hope of what the future could bring. That future day is now here!

I wasn't able to take many pictures, but here are some from their photographer which she's put out on her blog.

First Snow!

Over the Thanksgiving weekend, we had our first real snow! As a double bonus, we were able to experience it with all of my siblings in town and with Sawyer's cousin Cal...who we found out is a snow-lover, just like his Minnesotan mama. 

The boys spent some quality time in the yard sledding down a "hill" that to them was heavenly bliss. For some reason, when Sawyer would make a snowball and throw it toward anyone he'd yell, "Happy Birthday, (insert name)!!!" and threw it up in the air. This kid cracks me up!
My sister-in-laws are quite the photographers...this next one is from the one and only Rebecca Ondrey and the black and white close-up is from Jessica (Cal's mom).

Over the weekend I also got the lucky joy of spending time with my dear sister Hauna who was in town for the holiday from Scotland where she's currently getting her PhD at St. Andrews. She's ever the stylish girl and I miss her already!

Urban Amish | Part 1

I'm working on a quilt for Jakob and Jessica as a wedding present and I'm about ready to put together the squares I've pieced. It's from a pattern called "Urban Amish" that I bought from Quiltology. There aren't many things that beat quilting during the wintertime. Next winter - when I am an no longer in school - I plan on being a quiting madman!

I Love a Parade

Our fourth of July began with a trip to nearby Mayville, New York where we attended their annual Independence Day parade...us and every other fire truck in about a 100 mile radius. This parade, though humble in its presentation, is NOT lacking in fire engines of every kind and from every county! Seriously, if your child likes fire trucks you won't be disappointed.


Jessica and I painted some festive shirts for the kiddos who would be in attendance at the parade so that they could show their holiday spirit. A 5-pack of Hanes t-shirts and some paint can give you the American shirt you're looking for without paying much for it!
It's also not lacking in CANDY! Sawyer and cousin Calvin made out like bandits on the candy front, especially Calvin who is a man on the move! When Sawyer wasn't chilling in his camp chair or shielding his ears from the fire truck horns, I think he actually enjoyed himself. What can I say, he's never been a fan of loud noises.



The parade also had its disturbing fair share of displays espousing Tea Party politics as well as a healthy dose of church "floats" who inadvertently professed their inseparable and simultaneous allegiance to the US of A and God, but that's a blog post for another day so I won't go there.

After the parade we enjoyed some back yard relaxing Ondrey style and ended the day with sparklers and a few fireworks.

Aside from totally ruining my pulled pork that was planned for dinner, all in all it was a great day spent with family. My brother Taylor and his family arrived Friday night and we all spent the weekend enjoying the outdoors, watching the kids and babies do their thing, and taking it easy.

Blanket for Baby O

In my lack of consistent blogging I realize that I have yet to really discuss the up-and-coming arrival of Sawyer's first Ondrey cousin! My brother Jakob and his wife Jessica are expecting a bundle of joy around the first week of January and we're all so excited to meet the little guy!

Like I said, these days things between me and my sewing machine have been cold at best. However, I had to make something for the sweet child, so I put together this little blanket with two different fabrics on either side and some binding in a third. A nice simple boy blanket for a boy who is sure to be a class act!

Can't wait to meet you, Baby O!