Chicken and Cheddar Purses

I'm going to share something with you. Actually, 2 things. One, I LOVE to cook! Seriously, this is sorta hilarious. Being that when I moved out, on my own, my cooking was very limited. VERY!

My entire first year of college, consisted of me eating gas station sweet rolls for breakfast, a Wendy's bacon cheeseburger and small chili for lunch, and nothing for dinner. Some days, I'd mix it up, and have a small garden salad with an order of chicken nuggets. I know! Hold your horses!

About 2 days a week, my friends and I, would have a "Family Dinner." And this is when I started really cooking. Mostly because, I was the only one that was willing to cook. That first year, I mostly cooked spaghetti, tacos, or Hamburger Helper. If it wasn't ground beef...and it was meat...I didn't cook it. As simple as that.

But after that first year was under my belt, and I no longer had a roommate, I cooked. And cooked a lot. A LOT! Mostly, because I didn't have to hide my food anymore. Roommates can be a tough breed. But my second year, of living alone, really expanded my cooking.

I also began to collect cookbooks. I looked forward to visiting this guy, and these friends. So I could watch the Food Network. Oh, and I LOVED going home, to visit my parents. I'd spend entire nights, watching various cooking shows.

Before I knew it, I was attempting some seriously delicious dishes. Recreating things from my childhood. Attempting new things. I branched out. Tried a variety of recipes. And all of a sudden, I was the "Cooking Rock Star!" All my friends were coming over, so I could cook for them. :)

And now that I started this blog, I want to include something, that my friends have been begging me to do. Share some yummy recipes. Not my own. Nope. But things that I've tried. And loved. That brings us to the second big thing, I LOVE Gooseberry Patch! LOVE!!! So I'm going to share this week's Free Recipe of the Week from Gooseberry Patch. Hope you like it!



Chicken and Cheddar Purses

1-1/4 c. cooked chicken, diced
1 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
3-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
3 T. mayonnaise
1/4 c. celery, thinly sliced
1/4 c. green onion, sliced
1 T. pimento, chopped
1/2 t. garlic salt
1/8 t. pepper
17.3-oz. pkg. frozen puff pastry, thawed
1 egg
1 T. water

Mix together all ingredients except pastry, egg and water; set aside. Unfold thawed pastry on a lightly floured surface. Roll each sheet into a 12”x12” square. Cut six, 6”x6” squares, reserving remaining pastry for another use. Spoon 1/3 cup chicken mixture onto center of each square. Bring 4 corners of pastry to center; twist slightly and press edges to seal, forming a bundle shape. Arrange bundles on an ungreased baking sheet. Whisk together egg and water; brush over bundles. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 to 25 minutes, until golden. Makes 6 servings.



This is actually a super easy recipe! We had some friends over for dinner last night, and I whipped up 4 batches of these. In no time, they were gone! And every single lady there, asked me for the recipe! Ladies here it is!

Cooking isn't hard. I promise! If I could, essentially teach myself how to cook, anyone can learn. That doesn't mean, that from time to time, my creation is an all out DISASTER! But you learn from your mistakes. I'm serious!

And if you're scared about cooking, call up a few friends. Make a night of it. Many times, my friends have asked me, to show them a specific recipe. We call up a few friends, go grocery shopping together, and head to one person's home. Then we make a night out of cooking. It's a lot of fun!

And I hope, that I can inspire someone. Every week, I'll be posting a recipe on here. A variety of things. Helping you, to explore a new foods and recipes. :) If you have a recipe in mind, that you'd like me to try, e-mail me. My e-mail address is SweetNightingaleSing (at) gmail (dot) com. I'd LOVE to try some new recipes! ♥