Dinner By The Fire #4 - Cajun "Fire" Chicken Salad

Photo by Dinner with the Shivers

I found and tried this amazing recipe from: Dinner with the Shivers

Cajun "Fire" Chicken Salad

1 lb boneless chicken breast
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 hearts romaine lettuce
1/3 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
1 Tbsp chili powder
2 Tbsp cayenne pepper
1 Tbsp parsley (dried)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp onion
1 Tbsp garlic
1Tbsp pepper
1 Tbsp salt


Cut chicken into tenderloins (or you can buy it pre-cut if your grocer carries it). In a small bowl, combine chili powder, cayenne, parsley, nutmeg, onion, garlic, pepper, and salt. Stir to mix, and sprinkle over chicken. Heat oil in a saute pan on medium high. Cook chicken 8-10 minutes until cooked through and crisped. Set aside to cool.

Roughly chop the romaine. Top with shaved Parmesan. Slice the chicken on the diagonal. Lay chicken on the salad. Add any other toppings you prefer, and serve. Simple but good. Enjoy!

Dinner by The Fire 3 - Healthier Frito Pie

By Matthew Thompson for Eating Well Magazine

As a native of New England, I had never heard of Frito Pie until a Texas-born co-worker offered me some. And then…wow! As a fan of both salty, crunchy Fritos and spicy chili (my parents are from LA, so I'm not a totalYankee!), I couldn't get over this delicious dish.

For those not in the know, Frito Pie is essentially super chili. Traditionally, it's made by pouring a delicious, spicy chili over a bed of Fritos and then topping with a slathering of cheese (or Cheese Whiz). Yum!

But, as you might imagine, Frito Pie isn't exactly the world's healthiest meal. Fritos, while delicious, are packed with sodium (510 mg in a 3-ounce serving!) and saturated fat (4.5 g in a 3-ounce bag). Add to that the salt and fat in a serving of beef chili and globs of cheese on top and you've got a recipe for heart disease.

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Keep The Dirt In The Garden And Out Of The Home

No homeowner wants dirt, dust, mud, leaves and other debris to be carried inside their home after a day out in the garden. Luckily, there is one item that can prevent just about all of that - a simple floor mat. One excellent way in order to achieve this is with the use of a dirt trapper runner strategically placed in areas where you will be walking before you go in the house. There are actually many different brands of doormats out there that can effectively do this job for you. Most dirt trapper runners are made out of 100% cotton pile. They are machine washable, highly absorbent, dries up pretty fast and, perhaps the most important feature of all is that, they are highly capable of removing stubborn dirt, dust and moisture. Most mat variants also have a non-skid, very flexible PVC underside which makes the

Maintaining them is pretty easy and perfect to be used as an entry mat to be placed along your main front door, porch, patio, changing room, bathroom, conservatories, and office. There are plenty of new doormat designs readily available online. They will help prolong the life of your flooring, regardless of what kind it is, and are extremely hard wearing. A true must is the non-skid underside since safety is most definitely your number one concern.

However, an also equally important factor of the runner is that if it can be machine washed or not. You may have a difficult time keeping the mat clean unless it is machine washable. Dirt trapper runners are great for all areas in your abode; however, they are most ideal as entrance mats and excellent to be used in utility rooms, kitchens, and caravans.

It is really amazing the quantity of extra dust and dirt particles that you can carry into your house whenever you avoid wiping your shoes after spending some time in your garden. With this in mind, you can just picture how filthy your runner can get, so it would surely be great if what you have is a machine washable mat.

Make it certain that your dirt trapper runner or doormat is more than capable of accomplishing its job. A lot of different options as well as sizes are readily accessible at your local home improvement stores. In case you are searching for something bigger then a slew of machine washable dirt trapper runners or mats can be seen online in an array of designs and colors.

So, if you want to prevent dirt, dust and other unwanted debris from entering your home, then start using dirt trapper runners or doormats now!

Bio - Ruth Rogers is an avid gardener and also a bit of a house cleaning fanatic as well. She recommends having dirt trapper runners at all entrances to your home.

Fireplaces through the Seasons - Guest Post

If there is only one fireplace in your house, it’s usually in the lounge, the sitting room, the family room; whatever you like to call the hub of your home. If you don’t have a fireplace at home yet, you probably feel like you would like one. The fireplace is a very practical centerpiece to any room in the house, and it is also the type of centerpiece that will evolve over the seasons.

The Fireplace in Winter

Winter is the time when a fireplace really comes into its own. It’s the season fireplaces were made for. There’s nothing better than curling up on the armchair in front of a warm roaring fire with loved ones, or watching the family pet doze on the rug by the hearth. A real log fire burning in the home is a treat for all the senses. Staring into the dancing flames is relaxing; smelling the roasting logs is soothing and feeling the glowing warmth keeps the winter blues away. And of course every fireplace places a vital role in the family home at Christmas – not only is it a place to leave cookies and milk for Santa and hang the stockings, but it’s also perfect for decorating with a holly garland or wreath.

The Fireplace in Spring

As spring time starts to get a little warmer, it’s likely that there won’t be the need to have the fire lit so often. But that’s okay because when it isn’t lit the logs still look decorative and the mantelpiece can be put to good use for displaying Easter and Mother’s day cards, and fresh flowers cut from the garden. Some families even like to have a small Easter tree and the mantelpiece is the perfect setting. When there aren’t flowers or celebrations, pictures and ornaments look stylish on the mantelpiece.  

The Fireplace in Summer

You almost certainly won’t need to light the fire if you have warm summers in your area.  At this time of year, the fireplace becomes an absolute centrepiece for any room. If you are one of the many house swapping USA residents that like to take part in home exchanges for your vacation, you may want to screen off the fire to prevent your house guests using it for safety reasons. There are a lot of different types of fire screens available and some antique ones are very beautiful. If you are creative you could make your own fire screen using wood decorated with decoupage. Another way to show that the fireplace is out of use for the summer is to use it for floral decorations. Instead of the smell of roasting wood, you will fill your home with the smell of fresh cut bouquets instead and brighten up your living room.

The Fireplace in Fall

As the temperature begins to drop again, you’ll probably be looking longingly at your fireplace in anticipation of the weather becoming cold enough for you to light the fire.  Fall is a time to dust off the hearth, cut some fresh fire wood and get ready for some cosy nights in. If you’re feeling extravagant the first time you light the fire putting some natural spices such as vanilla or cinnamon in to burn with the logs will throw beautiful scents around your home.

Guest Post by Katie

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5 HELPFUL TIPS FOR SPRING CLEANING

Spring is coming and you surely have a lot of cleaning up to do! In order to catch up with your cleaning task, here are five helpful tips you can try:

1.       Clean your window panes.  

Have you noticed how hard it is to remove dust and dirt on your windows during spring when you use an ordinary cloth or paper? Well, you have to use squeegees with rubber edges or any material with rubbery texture so that dirt and dust will be easily removed. To begin, simply dip a sponge in warm water and a few drops of soap. Wipe the dirt and dust on your window until these are partly removed. Next, wet the squeegee and then clean your window starting with the upper portion going down. Repeat the process and wipe the window sills with dry cloth thereafter.

2.       Clean your carpets, rugs, and mats.

Another spring cleaning tip is to clean your carpet, rugs and mats at home. For those made of cotton and other washable materials, you can simply wash them up using detergent and let them dry outdoors. For carpets made of wool, you can ask the help of a dry cleaner or professional cleaner so that the material won’t be easily destroyed. Those with carpets made of synthetic materials; you can use an extractor to clean the traces of soap and fiber.

3.       Clean up the blinds or curtains.  

You can remove dirt on your curtains by having them dry cleaned or vacuumed. Make sure that you clean those heavy curtains before keeping them in time for spring. Otherwise, the dirt and dust would stain your curtains. In the case of wooden blinds, you can apply some wood cleaner on them. Those who use blinds made of aluminum; you can just wash them with water and cleaner outdoors. Make sure you wipe them with dry cloth afterwards though.

4.       Remove stains on your household fabrics.  

During the cold months, you can’t avoid spilling some wine, candle wax and even hot chocolate on your household fabrics like tablecloths. As spring comes, wash those stains away using a mild detergent or bleach solution. Water soluble stains like wine and hot chocolate are easier to remove. For wax, you can apply a special cleaning solution to remove them.

5.       Change your bed linens.  

Finally, make sure that you are able to change your linens. Have those heavy and thick bed linens dry cleaned. You can have the other ones washed in the laundry, those made of cotton. Use lighter fabrics during spring since it will get a bit warmer.

These are just some of the things you can do when spring comes. Cleaning up would be easier if you follow these simple tips.

MyGetRidOfGuide.com, a website that can offer several solutions to your most unwanted problems.  Guest Post by Lauren T.

Hope Your Mother's Day Was Awesome!

Just wanted to drop a quick blog in today to wish all you amazing mother's a fine and Happy Mother's Day. This is a picture of my six year old James and I this morning. He took his mother and Nana and Aunt Tamie out for breakfast at Cracker Barrel. WOW did we have a long line to wait in and we got there super early! 

Yesterday my sister Tamie who is now down 40lbs in a little over 5 months and I ran the Swift Cantrell 5k Classic in Downtown Kennesaw, GA. She totally out did herself and finished in a record time for her of 46:22 and I beat her by barely 3 minutes. My little guy decided he wanted to run the 1 mile fun run so I registered him and boy did he keep mommy on her toes! That child ran a mile in under 11 minutes and never stopped once. I tried to keep up with him but sadly he stomped my booty as we started up the hill. The last leg of the 1 mile is up and down a hill about a quarter of a mile. Here he is and man was his mommy proud.  

I enjoyed having a nice weekend but I am so sore everywhere! I should have trained a little bit sooner then I actually did this time.  Be thankful for your mothers today and every day. May you all have a most wonderful week.  


Do a friend a favor a stop by and visit my sponsor's website. They have the market corned on all things fireplaces! Brick Anew

Staying Safe While Using Gel Fuel or Electric Fireplaces

Electric and gel fuel fireplaces have become popular because they do not require a chimney or vent pipe like wood and pellet burning heaters. This allows for a quick and affordable installation in nearly any room of the home. However, these appliances still produce heat. Intense heat can catch paper, fabric and wood on fire if it is too close to the fireplace. Gel fuels also produce real flames, just like a wood-burning open fireplace. Take care to use your electric or gel fuel fireplaces correctly and enjoy the heat without the risk of a house fire.

Gel Fuel Precautions

Gel fuel is alcohol that has been mixed with thickening agents. These additives are also flammable, allowing the gel to burn up completely with almost no fumes or smoke produced. You have a fireplace that is designed to burn this type of fuel in order to use it safely. Gel fuel fireplaces feature special slots or holders to prevent the canister from tipping over while it burns. Setting a container in your wood or electric fireplace can lead to intense and quick spreading fires if the fuel spills.

Use only the appropriate number of cans in your fireplace. Each fireplace will come with a specific number of fuel cans that it can support. Adding more in an attempt to create more heat leads to increased emissions. Each can is rated by the EPA for carbon monoxide emissions, and the EPA recommends burning three cans or less at the same time. Extra fuel also heats up the body of the fireplace. Gel fuel devices are usually portable, and require just a few inches of clearance between the device and flammable materials. Excess fuel heats up the device enough that these clearances are no longer sufficient to prevent fire. Add another gel fuel fireplace if you desire more heat output or additional lighting.

Electric Fireplace Safety

Since there is no combustion and no flame, electric fireplaces are also free of smoke and ash. These devices are about as safe as electric space heaters when properly installed. Most devices are mounted in a wall to save space. Hire a professional to handle the installation. Depending on the design of the fireplace, additional fire-proof boards may be necessary to prevent heat from charring the wall around it. Improper installation can start a hidden fire inside the wall that damages your home's structure before you realize it is occurring.

There is no risk of coals jumping out and landing on flammable materials, but it is still a good practice to keep paper and fabric away from the fireplace. Direct contact will start a fire. Look for models that come with glass doors for the best fire protection. Turn off of the electric fireplace when you are not home or before you go to sleep each night. If you want to use the fireplace for continual heating, you will need to install a thermostat and close the glass doors before leaving it unattended for any length of time. 

About the Author:  Maria focuses on fire safety and prevention, along with writing about the proper use of fire safety equipment for homes and businesses.

Guest Post: Fashionable & Modern Fireplaces

Without some kind of centrepiece, a living room can look a little bare. There’s a space that needs filling, but you can’t quite figure out what will work. Perhaps the best kinds of centrepiece any lounge can have are wood burning stoves found at Leeds stove centre. However, many people think of fireplaces and stoves as being both old fashioned and unnecessarily expensive, but that isn’t the case.

Many fireplaces today are either fashionable, contemporary or fall somewhere between the two. If you want your home to look up to date, then the addition of a modern fireplace could help with that. In the past, most fireplaces were constructed with wood or marble, and usually had an ornate, almost classical look about them. However, many gas fires from directfires-online.co.uk use different materials such as limestone and black granite, which, when placed in front of a light-coloured wall, really stand out.

While some fireplaces tend to predominantly one material, some use a combination of two or more. Some use a back panel made from black granite or marble, with a surround made of pine or oak to create a two-tone look which looks thoroughly modern. Many modern and fashionable fireplaces are also more energy efficient that you may have first thought. Electric fireplaces in particular need very little energy to run effectively, keeping you and everyone else in the room warm without harming the environment, while wood fireplaces trap any carbon dioxide released from the burning fuel, preventing it from entering the atmosphere.

by John Iliopoulos

Children need fireplace safety even in the warmer months

Recently I had the pleasure of going to the HPB Expo (Hearth, Patio BBQ). I came across some of the most incredible people with amazing ideas. 

My favorite were the great child safety gates, but all the ones that I saw cluttered the fireplace areas and were really quite and eyesore. Then, while out and about in the blogging world I met up with a young lady named Stacy. She has a wonderful product and  I wanted to take the time to show you one that I had not seen.  The reason this is so important to me is I have children and still continue to babysit young children.  

We all know that fireplaces are beautiful and some of them, majestic and just outright elaborate. Regardless of the key components that make your fireplace your centerpiece, fireplace safety is always a major concern and not just when the fire is lit.  Some fireplaces have stone or brick ledges that surround it's base and with a tumbly toddler whose balance is always wobbly, one little trip up and it could be an evening spent at the emergency room. That is why I focused in on this product. 

The business is family owned and operated and their product is recommended by baby proofers across the United States. Its called: Jack-Mat.  It has been featured on NBC's "Today Show" and rated top choice for fireplace safety by the Good Housekeeping Institute. 


Please take the time and check out my good friends over at Jack-Mat and childproof your fireplaces even in the warmer months of the year.


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FMI Fireplace Glass Doors for your Prefab or Masonry Fireplace

FMI Fireplaces have been around over a quarter of a century. A family run and owned business that manufactures of one of the most economical fireplace doors available today. This past March they have patent pended a system into their design structures called Eco-Air Technology. To put it plainly, instead of stale, stagnant air quality in your home already from all the household cleaning products, paint, etc. You  now add you burning fireplace and just like that, you have created an unfavorable air quality in your beautiful home.

The Eco-Air System takes the the fresh air from outside your house and heats it all around the outside portion of your fireplace as it works with the energy from your fireplace to lift the temperature inside. Who would have that clean air and fireplaces could ever have a relationship? Wow, I know I'm impressed.

FMI Fireplace Glass Doors are a sound investment for homeowners who have Masonry and Prefab Fireplaces. If you are looking for a top seller in your area, look no further then your computer. Brick Anew is available for you online and is one of the largest sellers of FMI Fireplace glass doors in the nation. Customer service for this company cannot be beat. When I placed a phone call to the numerous listings I found on the internet to ask my questions, they folks were knowledgeable, friendly and conscious of me.... you know.... me, the one purchasing their product? Give them a call today, you will be amazed at the service, product and quality.

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An Amazing Transformation!

It’s been almost a year since I used Brick Anew on my fireplace and have been busy with some additional remodeling, but wanted to show you the before and after photos.  I think it’s an amazing transformation!  Thanks for your great customer service and a wonderful product.

Sincerely,

Pat Billeter

What Exactly is Radiant Heat?

What exactly is radiant heat? 

Here are a few good examples of radiant heat. Have you ever gone barefoot along the beach on a sunny day and felt the warm sand under your feet or picked up a warm cup of coffee? That is radiant heat.

Radiant heat is a transfer of energy that searches out colder objects to warm. Instead of rising like warm air, radiant heat starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source. Objects absorb radiant heat until they are the same temperature as the heat source.

Like sunshine, radiant energy is efficiently distributed at light speed, converting to heat when it encounters people and objects in the room.

Radiant heating doesn’t warm air. Like the sun, it warms objects in its direct path. The heated objects, like people or walls can also give off radiant heat to cooler materials. Conventional fireplaces, for example, give off radiant heat, while central "forced-air" furnaces use convection heating.

Do you know which fireplaces are best for their heating efficiency? Did you know you can maximize your radiant heating capabilities whether you have a manufactured, masonry, wood burning , gas or electric fireplace? Learn more here Brick Anew

Fireplace Crime of the Century

Caught in the Act: Fireplace Vandal at Work

This morning I was thawing my ice cubes by a three-log crackler when I heard my laptop beep. A fellow fireplace enthusiast, my friend Richard, was contacting me via Instant Messenger to share an article he'd found in Monday's New York Times. "Did you see this?!?" he had typed above the link. "Outrageous! I'm still wiping the tears!"

As a matter of fact, I had not seen the article. Since shortly after New Year's I've been on a self-imposed sabbatical from the fireplace business and, yes, from this blog, so I could get some work done on my memoir-in-progress, Snap, Crackle, Pop: Confessions of a Lifelong Log-Burner.

When I opened the link, however, I realized just why Richard was so upset. Apparently, some couple in New York purchased a historic Harlem brownstone and ripped out not only all but one of the antique fireplaces but the claw foot tub, two enamel stoves, 12 sets of built-in cabinet shelving and enough molding, it seems, to outfit an entire bed-and-breakfast.

Yeah, the author was contrite about her fireplace faux pas -- she offered all kinds of excuses about lead paint and bank loans and yadda-yadda-yadda, as they say -- but that doesn't change the fact that what she and her husband did gives an old log burner like me the chills. My friend Richard, who works as a historic preservationist, was so livid he thought we should notify congress.

"No sense in that," I typed, which at least got a virtual chuckle.

The fact is, no matter what I may think about what this lady and her hubby did, it's her fireplace to do with as she pleases, and it's too late to do anything about it now anyway. The decorative mantels have been hauled off by a salvage team, and with them, more history than you'll find in the first five chapters of my book.

Oh well. What's done is done, and you can't cry over a demolished hearth, now can you?

Here's hoping, at the very least, the lady invests in a few quality replacement fireplaces to make up for what's lost, and maybe picks out some good-looking fireplace doors to match her new decor. You can't bring back the past once you sell it to the junk man, but at least you can dress up the future. And from what it sounds like reading the piece, the poor couple needs to make things more than right just to get forgiveness from their family and friends, never mind the fireplace enthusiast community.

Consider the Wood Stove

The Wood Stove Alternative

This one's for the wife:

While I'm partial to fireplaces (as you know), I have enjoyed more than a few winter evenings around a wood stove. Growing up, I used to spend the holidays at my Aunt Louisa's house in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina, and she warmed her entire house with two wood stoves -- one the living room, the other at the back of the house. In fact, gathering kindling and chopping wood for Aunt Louisa's stoves was a formative experience for me, and probably one of the biggest reasons I got into the fireplace business after college. It was also one of the first things my wife and I bonded over, as she grew up in a house that was also heated (at least in part) by one of these time-honored beauties.

Of course, now that I'm semi-retired -- despite what the wife says as I putter about the house, looking for new projects -- I'm not so much a businessman as I am an enthusiast. And being an enthusiast allows me the freedom to explore every manner of natural indoor heating...including wood stoves.

That's why when my wife showed me this story from the Charleston, WV Daily Mail I was more than a little interested. My wife is a fan of author Suzanne McMinn's blog, and I'll admit, the woman's an excellent writer and has a wonderful style. What I was most interested in, however, was the trip down memory lane provided by her recent article about wood stoves.

Just reading about the dos and don'ts of wood stove use, I was immediately transported back to my childhood, chopping ash behind Aunt Louisa's shed and gathering sticks along the creek. Indeed, I got so lost in my reverie, I think I might even have gotten a splinter.

Yeah, sure, when it comes down to it, I'm still a fireplace enthusiast at heart. Heck, my wife just got on me this morning for ordering two of these new hearth rugs. Even though we really do need them as the holiday season approaches, and it was her idea to change out the old ones, she thinks we could have made do with just one. I told her to relax and enjoy the fire, which this morning seemed especially cozy for some reason, perhaps because I spent an hour Sunday afternoon cleaning out the firebox in preparation for the wife's Christmas decorations, which will be going up some time this week.

I love this time of year, if for no other reason than that I like seeing the stockings hung by the chimney with such loving care. That's one thing you won't get from a wood stove.

Still, I can appreciate where Ms. McMinn is coming from in her article. Stockings aside, there's something about the simple, utilitarianism of a wood stove that just can't be beat if you're out there in the country, a thousand miles from anywhere. They transport you not only through time but through space. And let's face it, that's a big reason why we ever build a fire in the first place, regardless of the hearth.