Motiviation & Menu Monday

Motivation Monday

Well I'm officially on my 3rd week of a "new" lifestyle of being more active and improving my overall health.  I've somehow hurt my ankle (don't ask me how b/c I have no clue) but its impossible to run at the moment.  So, I've taken up cycling and really love it.  I think it reminds me of being a kid again.  I love riding my bike as a kid, so this bring back so many memories for me.  The best part is that I can hook up the bike trailer and take my kids with me...not to mention the added weight of pulling 2 kids and a trailer make for a nice workout!

But on this lovely week 3 I've had my first "friend" since getting pregnant, so the bloating and water-retention is unreal.  I've gone up, down and all-around on the scale, so I've decided that I shouldn't weigh myself until its all over.  As of last Friday, I was down 9.8lbs from when I began!  Almost 10 lbs in 2.5 weeks - I'LL TAKE IT!!! 

This week's workout schedule is pretty up-in-the-air since I'm hoping my heel will heal soon.  I need to keeping running and doing my C25K routine since I'm supposed to be running a 5K in September.  Although I love cycling, I still need to run.  So as of right now, I'm just going to cycle every day until I can get back on the running trail.  I've averaging about 10 miles per workout, and try to keep an average pace of 14-15 MPH, and on a mountain bike that is not the easiest thing to do. 

I'm super excited about Saturday morning.  The Lifetime fitness by our house has a cycling group and you do not have to be a member of the club to participate.  The second Saturday of every month they have a "newbie" ride for those just getting accustomed to cycling.  So I have it on my calendar to attend this weeks "newbie" ride.  I am so excited about it.  

Menu Monday

One thing I'm struggling with our menu on is keeping low-fat dinners on the table, but still introducing a nice variety of items.  If you have some good ideas or know of some tasty, but low-fat recipes, send them my way!!

Here's our menu this week:
Monday - Grilled chicken, roasted new potatoes & spinach & kale salad
Tuesday - Turkey taco salad
Wednesday - Seasoned short ribs in the slow-cooker with roasted broccoli  (I love this recipe...although I'll be deleting the BBQ sauce this time around and just flavoring with a spice rub)
Thursday - Baked chicken & veggies w/ a spinach & kale salad
Friday - Pizza night.  I think we'll make our own pizza instead of order out.  All of these veggies look delicious!

Baby Food in a Flash - Crockpot Version

Baby food making - something I never thought I would find myself doing.  I had it in my mind that it would be difficult and time consuming.  As a FT working mom, my time at home is precious so I didn't want to take up any of that valuable time making something that I could conveniently purchase at the store. 

But, a few friends I work with have babies about the same age as Madeline and convinced me that it was actually quite simple and really didn't take up much time at all.  So I decided to give it a whirl, and little did I know that I would soon be making up my own recipes and methods to make my own baby food.  The craziest part is that I am truly enjoying it and it actually does save money. 

So here is a quick guide to "Baby Food Making for Moms Always on the Go!"

 Today's specialty:  Carrots.

Here is a list of everything you'll need (prepare yourself, its lengthy, lol):
Sauce-sized crockpot
About 1 cup water
Bag of baby peeled carrots
pinch of salt
Immersion blender
Storage container.

To begin, I have my crockpot and 1 16 oz bag of organic baby carrots that I got for only $1.59.  

 

 Put your carrots in your crockpot with about 1 cup of water.  The water is simply to make your puree smooth and creamy.  If you prefer, you can exclude the water (or some of it) and add breast milk (if you're nursing)  in to end to make it smooth & thin.  I added a pinch of salt to mine, just to season and add some flavor.

Turn your crockpot on low for 5-6 hours, or you can cook on high for about 4 hours.

 Once the carrots are done (sliced of smushed easily with a fork), take your immersion blender (a hand-held mixer works just as good) and begin to puree until smooth and creamy.

Here we are - smooth & creamy.  

If you feel your puree is too thick, add more water or breast milk.  Also consider the age of your child. Madeline just started eating solids, so I want mine more thin so her little tummy can digest it easily.

 

 Just to give you a better idea of how much one bag of carrots can make, I poured my puree into this measuring cup.  It's a little over 2 cups, which I will make into 6 generous servings of food. 

STORAGE OPTIONS:

There are several different storage options.  You can use  the small glad containers, ziplock bags, breastmilk bags, or any other seal-able container you have.  I have given Madeline several serving of store-bought food, so I saved the containers and they are perfect for storage and freezing.

 Here's my new stash!  6 containers of freshly carrot puree, ready for the freezer or refrigerator.  I'll feed one serving to Madeline tonight, and save the rest of later.  I'll just put these in the freezer for now.  To thaw,  you can set them refrigerate, or sit the container in warm water for 5-10 minutes.  Very simple.

I was a complete skeptic on the whole "making your own baby food saves money" but I did the math and its actually true.  These Gerber foods are purchased at my local Kroger for $0.99.  Each item has 2 servings.  So $1 for 2 servings, roughly.  I just made 6 servings of carrots for $1.59!  That's roughly half the cost I would have spent buying 6 servings of Gerber foods.  

My serving sizes are the same as Gerber's because I am using the Gerber containers for storage.

That's it!  So simple and easy.  Total time actually "making" this was less than 10 minutes.  Since the cooking takes place in the crockpot, you can walk away and just let it be.  You can cook them while you're running errands, or at work, or playing with your kids.  It's a great time saver, but still allows me to savor the special time I have at home. 

Do you make your own baby food?  I'm intrigued to see who makes their own and what are some of your favorite recipes?  Do you get "creative" when your little ones are a bit older and exploring new foods? 

5 on Friday

Emmalee was incredibly laid back and only cried when she was hungry.  She was one of the easiest babies I have ever known.  Madeline is different.  Madeline is a momma's girl and loves to be held by her momma.  She fusses quite a bit in the evenings and loves nursing, so it can make life and mothering a little more different than it was when Emmalee, not to mention the fact that I'm still trying to be a "hands-on" mom to Emmalee.  Having 2 is completely different than having 1, that is for sure! 

So today my 5 on Friday is all about the things that is making my life a little easier and manageable.

{ONE}

The Swing

I have the Sung-A-Bug Craddle and Swing and I LOVE it.  One of my favorite things about this swing is that it has a power cord that allows you to plug it into the wall so if you use it for hours at a time (as i do) then you're not constantly worried about having to buy stock in Energizer!  The swing also has several speed settings and can swing side to side, or you can switch it to a backward/forward motion setting.  Emmalee and Madeline both are "swing-babies" so this is one of my ultimate must-haves for baby.  I can sit Madeline in her swing just to "play" and look at the birds, or she'll nap here, so for me, this is one way that allows me some hands-free time.

{TWO}

SwaddleMe Blanet

  The swaddle blanket is my new BFF, y'all.  Emmalee was an incredible sleeper and I just swaddled, or tightly wrapped, her in a receiving blanket.  But Madeline is a wild-hands sleeper - she flails, like many babies do.  So I tried the swaddle blanket.  At first, she hated it and would scream.  Well, come to find out I was doing it wrong.  Once I watched a few videos and learned to tuck her hands down under her bottom, things improved - literally over night!  Now, Madeline loves being swaddled and sleeps GREAT!  She has consistantly (for almost 2 weeks now) slept for one 6 hour stretch, wakes and eats, then goes back to bed for another 4-5 hours.  So, I love the SwaddleMe blanket and it has greatly improved our quality of sleep! 

{THREE}

Moby Wrap

My personal choice for an infant carrier is the Moby Wrap. I was given a Boppy (sling style) carrier before Emmalee was born and she hated it, so I got the Moby.  Emmalee and I both loved it, so I've continued using it with Madeline. Since Madeline loves being held, especially in the evenings, I've been able to put her in the Moby and make dinner, fold clothes, play with Emmalee, etc.  It is definitely on my Favorites List! 

{FOUR}

Although Madeline doesn't have colic, I love Gripe Water.  It seems like Madeline ALWAYS has the hiccups - she had them 3 or 4 times a day while I was pregnant with her and she still has then a few times a day.  So, I always have a small bottle with equal parts tap water & Gripe Water that help so much when she has the hiccups, and can be a life saver when she is gassy. 

{FIVE}

My Crockpot!!

I LOVE my Crockpot, and if you have ever read any of my recipes, then you know I will cook just about anything in it.  This thing has been incredibly helpful in getting meals on the table.  I can put dinner on to cook in the morning (when Madeline naps the best), but can still have a reasonable dinner on my table with little effort by 6ish during her fussy period.  Its great, and I've been discovering so many great new recipes while I've been at home!  

So, what are some of the tricks or things you have up your sleeve to keep your life manageable with a new baby at home? 

Menu Monday

Since my new kitchen is finally finished, I am so in the mood to just get in there and cook my heart out!  So, this week I'm going out and making some {hopefully} great new dishes!

Monday:  Greek Slow-Roasted Chicken with side salad and pasta tossed in a lemon butter caper sauce. (The greek chicken will be cooked in the crockpot the same way I made my Greek Chicken pasta salad...find out how I did it here.)

Tuesday: Grilled steak & Georgia peach kabobs (recipe from last week's post)

Wednesday:  Chicken alfredo pasta with green salad

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner!  Peach and Sausage Breakfast Casserole with fresh fruit salad. (Again, another peach recipe from last week's post!)

Friday: Steak dinner in a crockpot!  If you've never heard of this, then allow me ot enlighten you.  Get your crockpot out & spray it w/ a nonstick spray.  Put your steaks (seasoned) in the bottom, then add backed potatoes wrapped in foil, then add corn on the cob wrapped in foil on top of that.  Put the lid on & cook for 7 hours on low!  Everything comes out perfect & tender!!!

And be on the lookout this week for a post all about our kitchen facelift on a budget!  I am in love with the way things turned out! 

Greek Chicken Pasta Salad

I don't know how many of you are like me, but I LOVE a good salad.  You know, the kind where you put anything and everything on it, with your favorite dressing, and just indulge yourself in the goodness? 

Well last night I decided to create my own little version of goodness. It was AMAZING!  I call it Greek Chicken Pasta Salad!

How did I make it?  

To start with, I got out my crockpot & coated it w/ a non-stick spray.  Then I put in 2 VERY large chicken breasts, still frozen.  I poured my favorite store-bought green dressing over the chicken - I'd say approximately 1/4 cup.  Then I turned my crockpot on low for 6 hours and just the chicken cook in all of the flavors while I was at work. 

As soon as I got home, I took the chicken out to let it cool, and started my pasta.  I use tri-colored spiraled pasta.  Just cook it like normal.  While the chicken is cooling & pasta is cooking, go ahead and get all of your greek-goodness ready!  I used cucumber, tomato, black olive, green bell pepper.  Of course, clean your lettuce too. Toss everything into a bowl, or leave it on the side if your prefer

When your pasta is finished, drain it and let it sit in an ice bath for about 2-3 minutes.  I prefer my salads cool-room temp, so I try to cool my pasta before eating.  Then dice up your chicken.  My chicken was so tender from slow cooking all day long and it just shredded itself almost as soon as I started slicing it.  I LOVE that! 

Now, just assemble your salad, and don't forget the feta to top it off.  Dress it with your favorite greek dressing and I promise you don't be disappointed.  

I will say, that I love the flavor of this chicken so much, that it would be great just served on its own in its breast-form.  Pair it with a nice salad and some a side of rice and OMG I bet it would be great!  

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did!

Day 3 - Commenting Challenge

 

Today's Jenna's Commenting Challenge is all about Pintrest!  Let me be perfectly honest here: 
I like Pintrest.
I use it as a resource when I need ideas.
But I don't LOVE it like a lot of people do. 

Please don't hate me!

I think Pintrest is a fabulous place to get creative ideas, especially for holiday crafts, DIY stuff, parties and recipes, but I get one maybe once every few weeks and that's about it.  But I do love to get new recipes and treat ideas from it, and here are just a few of the items that I've made.

Like I said, I love that it has a lot of holiday ideas.  I made these items last Halloween for Emmalee.  She even got to help!

Fall Candy Kiss Acorn Treats - recipe here.

 

Graveyard Dirt Cake

 

Honey Apple Pork Loin - You can read the recipe and my review of it here. 

So again, don't hate me that I'm Pintrest-Rookie.  Show me how you use Pintrest - maybe you'll be the one of give me advise and make me a Pintrest-Pro!!!

 

Menu Monday

When I tell yall that I am trying to get out of my blog slump, I am super serious.  I've discovered that one of the best ways for me to do that is by participating in as many weekly posts as possible. Posts like Menu Monday, Wordless Wednesday, 5 on Friday, etc.  Its much easier to blog when you have "subject-help" that don't cause too-much thought, ha!

So I spent some time this afternoon, as I normally do on Sundays, and planned out our dinner menu for the week.  Here's our dining pleasures:

Monday:  Jalapeno Chicken quesadillas (adapted from the Pioneer Woman's Jalapeno Quesadillas, I'm just adding chicken to it)

Tuesday: Smoked Sausage and vegetable medley

Wednesday:  Roasted Chicken and Basalmic Peppers, sauteed green beans

I've posted about this recipe before - I LOVE it.  Its a Cooking Light recipe that can be found here.

Thursday:  "Poor Man's" Chicken Fried Steak with baked potatoes
(I found this recipe here, but I've never made it before.  Basically, its making a chicken fried steak with just ground beef instead of a cube steak.  I'll let you know what I think.)

Friday:  Crockpot BBQ chicken sandwiches

What's on your menu for the week?

White Wine & Tomato Braised Chicken

If you follow me on Twitter (awilliams0720) then you saw me post a picture of our dinner on Tuesday night.  I tried a new recipe that I found here for White Wine and Tomato Braised Chicken Thighs.  It was delicious...if you like white wine and tomatoes...which I DO!!!!!!

Great party of this dish - you do most of the cooking in the crockpot! SCORE!

You can, of course, follow the recipe as found in the link, or you can do it the way I did (because I love wine and didn't have fennel.)  But regardless of how you make it, TRY IT!  You WON'T regret it!

Ingredients:
6-8 skinned and trimmed chicken thighs (and yes, the meat will fall off the bone) TIP: mine were only partially thawed because I knew they would be in the crockpot over the cooking time and I didn't want them to be dry)
4 slices of bacon
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup dry white wine (I used chardonnay) 
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp Oregano
a few by leaves
2 cans stewed tomatoes, chopped
salt & pepper to taste

Directions:
In a skillet, either cook your bacon in slices then chop, or cut your bacon and then fry it up (I did the later).  Once your bacon is nice and crispy, drain off about 1/2 the fat, then add your onions.  Let your onions sautee in the grease for about 3-4 minutes.  Then add your  white wine.  Bring to a boil for just a minute to get all the bacon bits off the bottom.

To prepare your crockpot, spray with a non-stick spray, then add your chicken thighs to the bottom.

Add all of your spices to the bacon, wine, and onion mixture, then pour over the chicken in the crockpot.  Add your chopped tomatoes.

Let cook in your crockpot for 4-6 hours on low (or 3-4 hours on high).  I had mine "cook" for 5 hours on low, then it was on the "keep warm" feature for the rest of the day.  It was perfect!!!

 I served this over white rice, with green beans on the side and garlic bread on the side.  I loved it!!!  Try it out and let me know what you think!!!

CrockPot 4Qt. Programmable Slow Cooker (Google Affiliate Ad)

Tangy Sweet Pork Chops

On yesterday's Menu Monday post, I said that I was going to make a new recipe I found:  Tangy Sweet Pork Chops.  As promised, here is my review.

These were ok, not my favorite, but not bad either.  My crockpot does cook "well," so even at only cooking for 6 hours, the sauce along the edges burnt, and the sauce was more like a thick glaze. In order to thin the sauce out a bit, I got as much as I could into a saucepan and added some vegetable stock (I didn't have any chicken stock in my pantry).  I used maybe 1/4 cup and just let it simmer for a few minutes.  It definitely helped.

I served the pork chops over white rice (you could easily use brown) and I definitely recommend this.  The pork chops, to me, were very one-note:  SWEET.  I didn't get any "tangy" taste, just sweet.  So the rice helped cut some of the sweetness.

I also served this with some green beans, which was a great pairing.  Having a savory side to this helped to cute the sweetness, too.

Overall, I would rate it a 6 out of 10.  Again, it wasn't bad, it just wasn't my favorite either.  But how do you know if you like something until you try it?

Menu Monday

Well this week my in-laws are coming in town for a few days, so I decided to plan a menu that I cook in large portions.  Since I just have a family of 3, I usually try to only plan "smaller" meals.  I don't mind some leftovers, but my husband is not a huge "leftover fan". 

I'm also very excited because I'm trying several new recipes.  I will, of course, post links and recipes as soon as I've tried them. 

Monday:  Tangy Sweet {Crockpot} Porkchops (Super excited about these b/c of how crazy simple it is!) I plan on serving over rice, and green beans as a side.

Tuesday:  Good 'ole Homemade burritos.

Wednesday:  Baked Spaghetti and green salad from "Eat At Home" 

Thursday: Lemon Pepper Grilled Chicken with green salad and green bean/onion/red pepper saute

Friday:  Pizza Night!!!

Menu Monday

This week is going to be super crazy, so I wanted a fast easy menu this week, and that's exactly what we have!

Click Here to see all flavors

Monday - Crockpot Red Beans & Rice with Hickory Smoked Sausage

Tuesday - Baked Bacon, Cheddar breaded chicken and sauteed green beans.I make the chicken with these new Kraft helpers and I LOVE them!  They are so easy to use and I just back my chicken at 400 for about 30 minutes.  They have all sorts of different flavors, but the Cheddar Jack Bacon is my fav!!! They make dinner fast, and easy, and are usually around $3, but last my week my Kroger had BOGO FREE! So I got 2 for $3! Can't beat the price!
 
Wednesday - Tacos and nachos! One of life's easiest dinners!

Thursday - Leftovers!  Brant is actually working this night, so I'm sure I'll have left over beans & Rice, or something.

Friday - Pizza at the church

This weekend our church is hosting Disciple Now (DNow), and we have a group of 6 9th grade boys coming to our house.  So Friday night the church is serving everyone pizza, so that's where we'll be.  I have to share a special thanks to several of my tw'iends (Twitter friends) for diving me some good breakfast casserole recipes.  I needed something big but filling for these boys on Saturday morning, and I think I've got just the thing to hit the spot.  I'll let you know how it goes! 

Well I hope you all have wonderful weeks ahead of you - I know I do. 

Crockpot Chicken Enchilada Soup

I LOVE soups, and I LOVE easy recipes, and I LOVE my Crockpot, so this recipe is probably one of my favorites because its all three:  soup, easy, and Crockpot-perfect!

CHICKEN ENCHILADA SOUP

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 1 lb FROZEN chicken breasts
• 1 bag frozen corn
• 1 can black beans - rinsed
• 1 can crushed tomatoes
• 1 can of green chillies
•  1 medium onion chopped
• 1 can red enchilada sauce
• 1 can chicken broth
• 1 cup of water. 
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 2 TBSP chopped cilantro
• 1 TBSP cumin
• 1 tsp chili powder (add more or less to add more or less "kick")
• salt & pepper to taste.

Directions:
Place your  FROZEN chicken breasts on the bottom of your crockpot.  Toss in ALL of the ingredients.  Stir is up (but make sure the chicken remains on the bottom).  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Once its finished, shred the chicken with a fork.

I top mine with shredded cheese, sour cream, and some tortilla chips.  It delicious!

WARNING:  this does has a little kick to it, so taste before you give to your little ones.  I made Emmalee Caroline chicken soup instead of this because  I didn't want it to be too spicy for her.  

Hope you enjoy!

Crockpotalooza

 

Today is Crcockpotalooza Day on Kelly's Korner blog and I have to tell you that it is one of my favorite days simply because I am THAT in love with my crockpot!!!

Honey Apple Porkloin

A few nights ago I tried this recipe that I found on Pinterest.  It was sooo delicious!!!!  You can find the original recipe here because I changed mine up just a tad.

To get your pork loin ready, rub a little bit of olive oil on it to help keep it moist.  Make "apple-slits" in the pork loin - about every 1/4-1/2". Core and slice about 3 -4 large red delicious apples.  Cover the bottom of your crockpot with the apples, sprinkle some cinnamon and drizzle some honey over the top.  Put a thick apple slice into each slit. 

This picture is from the original recipe blog! I have no rights to this picture!

Put your porkloin in your crockpot. I sprinkled mine with just a quick shake of chili powder because I love sweet & spicy. Then, give it a GOOD drizzle of honey over the top.  Put the rest of your sliced apples on top and around the side of the pork.  Sprinkle with more cinnamon & honey.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

NOTE: I cooked mine for 8 hours, but I thought it was a little too dry at the top (although was incredibly tender, juicy & freakin' amazing at the bottom).  So next time I make this, and trust me there WILL be a next time, I will cook it for only 6 hours, then let my crockpot "keep warm" for another 2 hours until I get home from work.  Hopefully that will help the full loin stay juicy.

I served with mashed sweet potatoes.  Brant, Emmalee and I all three really liked this.  I gave Em some pieces from the bottom so she didn't get any spice from the chili powder. 

Hope y'all enjoy this as much as we did.  And head on over to Kelly's for more awesome crockpot recipes.

 And just FYI - this is the crockpot that I have, and I LOVE it.  It is programable and when the timer goes off, the cooker stays on "keep warm" until you turn it off.  Its perfect if you work outside the home (like I do) so your food doesn't cook too long, but it stays warm until you come home. 

 

Fall Favorite {Recipe}

 

Today's blogging event from the SITS Girls is you favorite fall craft or autumn recipe!  If you know me at all then you know that I'll post a recipe because I LOVE cooking. 

But for the recipe, one of my all time favorites that will fill your house with the most delicious smells and is perfect to hand out as a nice little gift...

Crockpot Apple Butter

Photo from marthatstewart.com

Y'all, this is probably one of my most favorite things to cook in my crockpot.  It is one of those recipes that I make the basic part of it, then you can add as much cinnamon, nutmeg, or whatever other spices you cant to add into it.  I love lots of cinnamon in mine!  Now, fair warning - this is an all-day or overnight "thing"! 

Also, I need to give credit where credit it due!  I got the original recipe from here, Stephanie O'Dea's original website where she used her crockpot every single day for an entire year!  She is probably one of my heros! 

Ingredients:

 --apples. 14 large apples fit in my 6.5 quart crockpot (you can use lots of different kinds - I used Granny Smith to add some 'tang', a few red delicious, and some fugi for a good sweet flavor.)
--2 tsp cinnamon 

--1 cup white sugar --1 cup brown sugar
--1/2 tsp cloves
--1 T vanilla

-- I also added 1 tsp of nutmeg 

The "How To":

1) Peel, core and slice your apples.  

2) Put all of your apples in your crockpot with 1 T vanilla. Cook on low for 8 hours (this is fantastic for overnight).  

3) Once its finished, your apples will be super mushy, so mash them up with a fork.  

4) Add in your sugars, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg.  Stir it all up. Cook it on low again for 4-6 more hours.

5) If you like your apple butter velvety smooth, then use a hand-mixer and smooth it all out.  This is so delicious. 

This will make approx. 3 large jars, or 4-5 medium sized jars.  

(NOTE:  as I said, I really like a lot of cinnamon in my apple butter, so I probably used closer to 2 TBSP when it was all said and done.  But you can add as much or as little as you would like. 

Delicious-ness!

If you're a frequent follower then you might have seen my menu for the week.  There were a few new recipes I was making, but I also promised to post my recipe for chicken noodle soup - I am keeping my promise!

But before I give you my recipe, I wanted to update on Monday's dinner - Green Chili Enchilada Bake a.k.a. "I Don't Feel Like Making Dinner" Dinner.  

Y'all,  this was so delicious!  I loved it, Brant love it and Emmalee loved it too!  For Brant and myself, I drizzled a little extra salsa verde over the top once it was on our plate, added a bit of sour cream and pico on the side and we dug in!  Since we're just a family of 3, I had left overs and brought them to work for lunch.  I think they left overs might have even been better than it was fresh out of the oven!

All this to say - GO TRY IT!  It was just divine!

Now, onto my recipe for CROCKPOT Chicken Noodle Soup.
If you are cooking for a larger family, just add more of the ingredients as you see fit.  I make this just for our family, so it is enough to easily feed 4 (maybe even 5).

You will need:  2-3 large chicken breasts (frozen); 1 lb bag of carrots (large or baby); 1 celery stalk, 1 medium onion, parsley, salt, pepper, garlic salt, basil, oregano, 2 cans chicken broth, 2 chicken bullion cubes (optional, but I add them), and noodles.  You can also add a few of your own spices if you'd like.

How to make it:  Peel & slice your carrots, chop your celery (save the leafy pieces!)., slice your onion.  In your crockpot, put your frozen chicken on the bottom, then add all of your veggies including the leafy celery pieces*, chicken bullion cubes, 2 cans broth & 2 cans water**, and your spices.  I add my spices to taste...approx. 2 TBSP salt, 1 TBSP parsley, 1 tsp garlic salt, 1 tsp basil & 1 tsp oregano and several "turns" of fresh ground pepper.  You can add more/less is  you like.  Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  DO NOT PUT YOUR NOODLE IN!

Once its ready, take your chicken out & shred it with a fork.  Add it back in.  Cook your noodles in a separate pot.  One those are ready, put some noodles in your bowl & ladle your soup on top!  I don't add my noodles to my crockpok b/c last time I did that the noodles got too soft and were almost like wet dough - yuck!  So, I cook them separately.  So delicious!

NOTES:
* I once heard on the Food Network that the leafy piece of celery have some of the most flavor.  Although you may not want to eat them, putting them in the broth really adds great flavor!
** The first time I made this I had actually left over chicken broth from cooking a whole chicken in my crockpot.  If you have "real" (aka NOT canned) chicken broth, use that! The flavors in that add more than any canned will!  But I have made this both ways & it is always delicious! 

Hope you enjoy as much as we do!!!

What do you do with...Leftovers?

Two of my favorite things in life are my crockpot and saving money.  I LOVE my crockpot, y'all.  I would cook in it every night if I could.  There is something great and fabulous about throwing everything in before I leave for the day, then opening that front door at 5:00 and my house being filled with the aroma of a hot meal ready to be devoured. 

And saving money - well that is just an art form.  And no, I have not mastered it yet, I am just a mere bystander watching in awe and dabbling in the creative money-saving when  I can.  But one place I find that I can save money is at the grocery store.  I love going to the meat section and finding the "Manager's Special" packages that need to be either cooked or frozen within a day or two - they are always super cheap.  The problem is that it is typically a huge hunk-o-meat that I have no idea what to do with, but I buy it anyway.

My typical solution to the problem is...my crockpot!  Its the perfect method for cooking my hunk-o-meat, but I always end up having tons of leftovers.  So, I have been using my culinary creativeness to discover new uses for my leftovers! So, here are 3 super quick and easy recipes you can make with your leftovers...make them with beef, pork, or even chicken!

Last night's leftover recipe:  Crockpot BBQ Baked Potatoes

 Y'all, these were so delicious!!!! I had cooked a huge porkloin in my crockpot a few nights ago and had so much left over.  So yesterday I put some big potatoes in my crockpot before I left for work.  When I came home, I put some of the pork in pan, threw in some barbeque sauce, and let the flavors marry by cooking on low for about 20 minutes.  Then open your potato, add some butter (if you desire), put in your bbq, shredded cheese, onion, then top with a dollop of sour cream - DELICIOUS!

(And yes, the crockpot is my preferred cooking method for baked potatoes!!!  How to do it, wash your potatoes, drizzle a little EVOO on the skin, sprinkle with salt and wrap with foil.  Put the potatoes in the crockpot, cover and bake on low for 6-7 hours.  They will be so soft and cooked all the way through  no matter if your cooking 10 or 2.  It really is fabulous!)

Next, make BBQ Sandwiches. 

So simple and so delicious!  Same as above, just put your left over meat in a pan and toss in your barbeque sauce.  Let the flavors marry by cooking on low for 20 minutes, then full your buns!  I like pickle and onion on my BBQ sandwiches, but you feel free to make it any way you like!  If you are feeding a lot of people, you can always put your meat in the crockpot with the sauce and let it cook on low for about 3-4 hours. 

Feeling some good ole' mexican food?  Make some "street" tacos or quesadilas.  All you need is tortillas, cheese, and your desired "fixin's".  Take your meat and toss in some fajita seasoning.  Let it simmer on low for 15 minutes, then add it to your tortillas.  Top it with your favorite fixin's. 

Super easy and I promise you that each one is super delicious!  What are your favorite leftover recipes?  I'm always looking for new ones!!!

Easy Crockpot Favorites

So my new job is going great and I love being home earlier every night.  I actually changed my hours from 8-5 to 7:30-4:30, so I get to pick up Em from her sitter, and am home by around 5:10 or 5:15.  Its AWESOME!  I thought I would go alot more "new" meals and try out some new recipes, and I might in the future, but right now I am loving my crockpot again because I love having extra time with Em.  Last night I did meatball subs, and all I have to do was slice the onion and toast the bread - everything else was ready when I got home.  So, I know so many of you love your crockpot just like I love mine, so I thought I'd share a few more recipes with you - and this are EASY breezy!

NOTE:  If you have not invested in crcokpot liner - YOU NEED TO!  They can be found in the grocery store next to the ziplock bags.  It is a box of 3-4 liners, but they are WONDERFUL because all you do is throw them away and simply rinse your crockpot! 

CROCKPOT MEATBALL SUBS

Just a tip about this recipe, you can also make lots of meatballs and add 2 cans/jars of sauce and then save your leftovers for spaghetti and meatballs. 

1) Line the crockpot w/ your crockpot liner!

2) Throw in your meatballs (frozen).  I just use the frozen meatballs you can find at the grocery store.  My Kroger has Italian style meatballs and that is what I use.  I cook about 6 meatballs for every sub I'm going to make. 

3) Add a jar of marinara sauce - I use a very inexpensive sauce then I add my own spices for flavor.  I use garlic, onion powder, oregano and basil.

4) Add about 1 cup of water

5) Cook on low for 6-8 hours

6) Toast your bread - I use hoagie rolls!

7) Fill up your rolls w/ meatballs and lots of sauc3, add slices onions and some cheese (either mozzarella or provolone - and I stick mine back int he oven for about 5 minutes to let the cheese melt)

8) ENJOY!!!!!

CROCKPOT BBQ RIBS



SOOOO simple and SOOOO delicious!!!!!

1) Make a spice rub for your ribs. I use equal parts salt, garlic, paprika and just a pinch of fresh ground pepper.

2) Rub - and I mean RUB - down your ribs.  Make sure they are good and covered with the spice rub. 

3) Broil on high for about 15 minutes to let them brown.

4) Slice 'em up and throw in your crockpot with a jar (I only used 1/2 the jar) of your favorite BBQ sauce.

5) Cook on low for 8 hours!

CROCKPOT (WHOLE) CHICKEN

This is an awesome recipe, especially if you are on a budget because you can get a whole chicken for around $5, but it will feed several people!  This is so good and the meat will just fall off the bone. 

1) Thaw out your chicken

2) Make a spice rub - I used equal parts of salt, garlic, onion powder, rosemary and basil.

3) Rub your spice rub on your chicken - make sure you get under the skin wherever you can.

4) Make four 3-4" foil balls and put them in the bottom of your crockpot.

5) Put your chicken on the foil balls and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 

Hope you enjoy these EASY crockpot favorites!!!

Another Full Meal

After things turned out well in my crockpot on Friday, I decided that I was going to experiment. I put some bone-in pork chops (frozen) in the bottom of my crockpot and seasoned them with salt and pepper. Then I poured about a cup of dry white wine in the crockpot. I washed and foiled two large sweet potatoes and put them on top of the pork chops. I cooked on low for 7 hours.

This was AWESOME! I can honestly say that I have never had pork chops that were so juicy...and so soft that they literally fell off the bone. The potatoes were perfect, especially when we added some cinnamon butter and marshmallows.

What kind of other full meals do you think I could try in the crockpot???

A Busy Holiday

I'm so sorry its been awhile since I posted...last week was busy and this weekend even busier!!! First of all, let me tell you about the wonderful dinner I made Friday night...a recipe from Crockpot365 of course! It was an entire meal in the crockpot. I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical from the beginning, but everything turned out very nicely. I used a sirloin steak and smothered it in a steak rub, then added potatoes and corn on the cob. Cooked on low for 7 hours...and VOILA! An entire steak dinner ready and cooked to perfection when I returned home. Go check out the recipe here.

On Saturday, I worked from home for several hours while Brant was working too...then I trimmed the hedges in our front yard and did some yard work...I actually have the blisters to prove it! We ordered fajitas for 2 from Chili's to go and had a nice, quiet dinner at home. Then we watched "Ghosts of Mississippi", a true story about the assassination of civil rights leader Medgar Evers in 1963. It was a good movie.

Sunday, Brant's parents came into town and went to church with us. Unfortunately, our Pastor threw his back out, so we had a guest speaking. I wish they could have heard Bro. David because he is so wonderful. Then we all went to Plano to have lunch with Kristie and Aeson, and then headed back to Kristie's house to make some delicious homemade ice cream. We really enjoyed getting to spend some time with everyone.

Yesterday, we were lazy and laid around the house all morning. Then we went to Home Depot for an office plant...I decided my desk needed a little greenery. After grocery shopping, I headed over to Sister's house to swim and play with the kiddos. We had so much fun. It was so nice to have a day just to play and hang out with them - they are growing up so darn fast. Can you believe that Ethan is about to be one?!?!?!?! I cannot fathom how quickly each of these babies has grown...I still remember the day Mason was born like it was yesterday.

Well I hope everyone had a fabulous Labor Day holiday...and just think...it means a short week!!! WooHoo!!!

Great new recipe!

So, like I said yesterday, I am back to using my beloved crockpot on a daily basis. And today, I discovered a tasty and simple new recipe. It is in my favorite crockpot cookbook...
This book is excellent and has a ton of great recipes...from simple "2-3 ingredient" stuff, to exquisite and challenging dishes...everything from drinks, to soups, to dips, to side dishes, entrees and desserts!

Today, I made Cheesy Crockpot Chicken. Now, so of you may remember my several attempts to make chicken in the crockpot and their terrible outcomes, but I finally found a trick (thanks to Crockpot 365)...I PUT THE CHICKEN IN COMPLETELY FROZEN!!!

Yes, this is the picture from the book...only because I didn't take pictures of mine and I wanted you to see how tasty it looks!

This is so simple to make. You need:
4-6 chicken breasts - FROZEN
2 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can Condensed Cheddar Cheese Soup
salt and pepper
Garlic powder

First mix your cream of chicken soup and cheddar cheese soup together in a bowl. Then place your chicken breasts in the bottom of your crockpot and sprinkle with salt and pepper and pinch of garlic powder. Then pour your mixed soups over the chicken. Let this cook for 8-9 hours on low ( I cooked it for 8 and the chicken was still nice and juicy...not dry). Then you serve over pasta or rice.

This was really, really good and so simple. Brant really liked this and he is actually quite picky with his chicken...he hates dry chicken! I will definitely make this again...and I hope you will too!!!