UnRust Me

Feeling very domestic today-I did laundry, made dinner, and iced tea-before 2pm!  Maybe...that leaves a teensy bit of time for a nap? :)

I had to use up a cooked chicken.  (did you make an extra Engagement Lemon Chicken like I did?)  Here's what I made for dinner (served chilled):

Wild Rice and Chicken Salad
Ingredients:

• 1 (14 1/2-ounce) can low-sodium fat-free chicken broth (I make my own with bouillon)
• 1 (6-ounce) package instant long-grain and wild rice mix (used Uncle Ben's!)
• 2 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 small purple onion, chopped (only used half an onion)
• Lemon-Mustard Dressing (see below for recipe, I don't use it!)

Preparation:

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan; stir in rice mix and seasoning packet. Return to a boil; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let sit 5 minutes.  Cool.
• Stir together rice mixture, chicken, and remaining ingredients. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Add some fresh fruit and crusty bread, and you have dinner!  We like to eat outside in the spring/summer if it's not too hot, and this is perfect.  Cold, a little crunch, and light.  I've made this so many times, and taken it to other people, I promise it's good. : )  (I got this from a magazine a few years ago...maybe 10?  but I cut it out, so I don't know which mag or have the date, sorry!)
*For you friends with diabetes, it has 16 grams of carbs for a one cup serving.  (129g for total rice/8 cups salad in total recipe = 16g!)

Ok, here's the Lemon-Mustard Dressing if you think your family would like it!
Just whisk together these ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Wanna feel all refreshed, southern-style?  Try a new iced tea.  I mix it up, and try to avoid caffeine (I'm hyped enough as is is!)
Here's my latest fruity tea:

Add three Lipton Super Fruit Green Tea bags and one Celestial Seasonings fruit tea bag to a two-quart pitcher.  Fill pitcher to 32 oz mark, and microwave for 4 1/2 minutes.  Let steep for 10 minutes.  Remove tea bags.  Add 1 cup sugar, and stir to dissolve.  Add ice cubes to fill to top (I fill to the bottom of the spout, about 68 oz), and mix well.  Incredibly light, but not sugar free..but think about the antioxidants!!  (8 oz. = 22.5 grams of carbs) ; )

And I do anything to unrust me. (blueberries, beans, juices, tea, pecans, and antioxidant moisturizer!) (I try to reverse the oxidation process on my outsides too!)

And my favorite little girl has a new pen pal:

and a new letter-writing kit! : )

I would say writing is another great antioxidant-it totally unrusts our heart and draws us closer.  I feel better already! : )

Oil and perfume rejoice the heart; so does the sweetness of a friend's counsel that comes from the heart.  Proverbs 27: 9