Grilled Jalapeno Lime Chicken

Summer is almost over and it's you last chance to use that grill before the long Winter hits. You know, the longer a meat sits in marinade the more the flavors seep in. So why not make life even easier by freezing meats in marinades for future grilling? Here's a great recipe for a flavorful and zesty chicken which can thaw in the freezer the day before your bar-b-que and be ready to throw on the grill.

12 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 c. orange juice concentrate
2/3 c. chopped onion
1/2 c. lime juice
1/2 c. honey
1 jalapeno pepper (seeded and diced)
2 tsp. ground cumin
2 tsp. fresh lime peel
1/2 tsp. garlic salt
2 cloves (or 2 tsp.) minced garlic
1 gallon size or 12 sandwich size ziplock freezer bag

To Prepare
- combine all ingredients in gallon size freezer bag. Refrigerate for 4 hours.

To Freeze
- Do NOT cook. Freeze all breasts together or in individual portions.

To Serve
- thaw completely in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
- grill on bar-b-que, making sure the internal temperature of each breast reaches 165*.
- serve with spanish rice or over a fresh green salad with lime wedges.

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Happy Birthday to ME! Cake Freezing.

Today is my 32nd birthday.
{pause for applause}

And in honor of that I am going to share a fabulous tip for freezing baked cakes.
Yes, a lot of the bakeries do it and here's how to make it successful.



To Freeze
- Bake a cake as you normally would and cool completely (I always use cakemix, but you can bake from scratch if you prefer).
- Cut into layers if desired.
- Wrap each layer tightly in plastic wrap.
- Then stack layers together and wrap tightly into one cake with plastic wrap.
- Label and freeze for up to 4 months.

To Serve
When you're ready to serve simply remove cakes and allow to thaw slightly on kitchen counter. You have no idea how much easier it is to frost a slightly frozen cake! Add filling and frost and then store in refrigerator or on counter until ready to serve.

Another Tip
For an even easier and tasty alternative, before freezing fill layers with real whipping cream, put cake into layers, wrap and freeze. This is like a huge Whoopie Pie and can be eaten still slightly frozen, cool or completely thawed. You can eat it plain, frost it with regular frosting or you can also top with fresh berries or canned fruit pie filling.

This is such a useful trick for church potlucks, unexpected classroom parties and last minute visitors. So bake up a few cakes today and freeze them for later...you'll be glad that you did!

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