Memorial Day and Chicken Ranch Packets!

I hope everyone is enjoying their start to summer!  This is a whirlwind week for us with school ending, baseball playoffs going on and swim team practice starting!  Here are a few shots from the Memorial Day Picnic that we hosted -
Riley created a sign to greet guests:

 Refreshing Meadow Tea!

Food table centerpiece!

This recipe is so easy!  I found it on Pinterest and have finally gotten around to making it!  I imagine you could make these packets and take them camping - you could make them on a fire....maybe, I am not much of a camper - I like the concept of a campfire and smores and cool, crisp weather.  I do not like bugs, spiders and ticks.....all that said, I don't know if this would work for camping, but if you camp, try it and tell me if it worked!

You will need this ( I think it is funny that Weis markets the chicken by labeling it "skinny" chicken - I mean, what is a skinny chicken??) -

Here is what you will do with it -

Chicken Ranch Packets:

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts

4 Slices Bacon, cooked crisp

1 Cup Shredded Cheese

4 Cups Broccoli

1 Box Chicken Flavored Stuffing

1 1/4 Cup Water

4 Tbsp Ranch Dressing

4 Large Sheets of Foil

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix stuffing and water - set aside.  Spray sheets of foil with cooking spray and place 1/4 Cup stuffing mix in the center of each sheet of foil.  Top with a chicken breast.  Place 1 cup of broccoli on top of each chicken.  Next sprinkle each packet with 1/4 C. cheese and crumble one slice of bacon over the top.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp. of ranch dressing over each packet.  Bring sides of foil up and fold over - wrap up sides.  Make sure to not fold down tight against the chicken - you want to make sure air can circulate for even cooking.  Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to sit for 5 minutes.  Cut small slits in the foil so steam can escape.  Remove from foil and place on plate!

Sorry I don't have any "after" pictures!  The whole family loved it!  Jimmy even said it was really, really good - like "that hit the spot" good!  Guess I will keep it on the radar for meals in the future!!

HAPPY EATING!



3rd Grade Book Reports and a little PTO Appreciation!

I cannot believe this school year has gone by.....I feel like each year goes by a little quicker so I am trying to embrace the time that my kids still want me to participate in their school activities!  JD has had 4 book reports this year - I was thankful for them because he is not my reader and would rather be doing a multitude of different things before actually sitting still and reading.  These books have made him take the time to read!  The most recent one was a mystery and a "penguin pendant" went missing!  Sooooo, because we had to make a puppet (no, I don't sew - he made a finger puppet out of construction paper) - I figured it would be fun to provide a little treat to go along with his book report for the class!  All I did was bake the cupcakes - JD did the rest!  Here is how we did it:

Start by making sure you have clean hands!!

Set up your work area with your supplies:

Start working on your cupcakes: 

I used a basic vanilla cake mix (boxed) and a buttercream icing.  The head and wings were made out of the Keebler Mint Cookies (you know, the ones the copied off the Girls Scouts...), Mini Chocolate Chips and dried mango slices for the feet and beak! 

With the school year wrapping up - so is PTO!  The other officers and I took the opportunity last Thursday to thank some of the chair people and reliable volunteers that we have had the honor to work with!!  Here is a little of what we served:

A little "thank you" for them to take home~

So YUMMY!  A create your own fruit pizza!

 

Caprese Bites! (with a Sweet Balsamic Dipping Sauce)

Chicken Cesar Salad Sliders!

Hope everyone has a great end to their school year!!

HAPPY EATING! 

Seis de Mayo!

We celebrated Cinco de Mayo a day late!  Not because we are procrastinators or because we were running behind schedule - but because we had a sick girl!  Sick kids = postponing plans.  That's how it goes sometimes!  We still had an enjoyable evening on the porch with great friends and great food!

Jimmy grilled the best chicken that we used for our grilled chicken tacos!  Mmmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about it!

Grilled Chicken Tacos

1/2 C. Mayo (I used Hellman's Light)

3 Tbsp. Fresh Lime Juice

1 pkt. Taco Seasoning (I used Taco Bell)

6 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts - pounded flat

DIRECTIONS:  Combine mayo, lime juice and taco seasoning.  Heat grill to medium heat and place chicken on grill.  Cook approx. 6 minutes and turn - baste chicken once turned.  Cook another 6 minutes and flip again.  Baste other side of chicken.  Continue cooking and basting until chicken juices run clear and chicken is cooked.  Remove from heat, thinly slice and serve with taco sides.

HAPPY EATING!

Bubble Gum Cupcakes!

I found these here...cookiesandcups.com/blow-pop-cupcakes. (If this link doesn't work, you can access Cookie and Cups by clicking the link on the right side of my screen).  I made them for the Bingo/Bake Sale night at our school!  The icing tastes just like Bubble Gum!  Like the blogger at Cookies and Cups, I made my own Buttercream frosting!!  Here is the recipe I used:

Bubble Gum Buttercream
1/2 C. Crisco Vegetable Shortening
1/2 C. Butter, softened
3-4 C. Confectioners Sugar
1 Tbsp. Vanilla
3 Tbsp. Milk
1 Packet of Duncan Hines Bubble Gum Mix In Flavoring (for icing)
Combine Crisco and Butter until combined.  Add sugar - starting on low speed until combined and then to medium speed.  Add vanilla and milk and mix on high speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy.  Add flavor packet and mix on high speed for another minute or so; until well incorporated.

HAPPY EATING!

Chicken "Fried Rice"...

I have been overwhelmingly busy lately!  As we all are I am sure.  Tonight and tomorrow we have NOTHING on our schedules - it makes me feel like I am forgetting something.  So, if I am to be doing something with you ~ well, I will just apologize now, because I forgot. 

Who would have thought that chopped up cauliflower would taste like fried rice?  Really, I am not kidding, you have to believe me! I didn't believe it when I saw it, but I believe it now.    I found this recipe on Pinterest and made a few adaptions to use what I had on hand!


Process cauliflower until it resembles the size of rice...
















Who would have guessed...fried rice!

Go ahead, give it a try - it is easy!

CHICKEN FRIED RICE
1 lb. Ground Chicken
1 Large Head of Broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1/2 Bag of Frozen Peas and Carrots
1/4 Cup Chopped Onion
3 Eggs
Lite Asian Sesame Dressing (Ken's is my favorite choice)
DIRECTIONS:  Place chicken in a bowl and drizzle approx. 1/4 C. dressing.  Sit at room temp. for 30 minutes.  Place 1/2 of cauliflower in a food processor.  Pulse about 15 times; until cauliflower resembles size of rice (see picture above).  Process the other 1/2 of the cauliflower.  Heat large skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Coat with cooking spray and brown ground chicken.  Cook until no longer pink.  Remove from pan.  Add cauliflower and 1/2 C. dressing.  Toss in pan until coated with dressing and hot.  Make a well in center of cauliflower and add eggs-scramble and then toss with cauliflower.  Add peas, carrots and onion.  Cook until veggies are tender.  Add chicken and toss until dish is heated through.  Enjoy!!

HAPPY EATING!

Crock Pot Chicken Azteca!

This is Chicken Azteca!  Unbelievably, my kids wolfed it down and asked for more.  I realize that I really am blessed to have good eaters to begin with but when they both ask for more, I make a mental note that I should make this again!  I figure if they loved it that much it must be blog worthy.

I needed something quick and easy.  Wednesdays  are typically a busier day because of work and helping in Riley's class in the afternoon, I don't get home to start prepping a meal - that equals leftovers or crockpot cookery!


Crock pot cookery it was for us this week!  This recipe is so super easy you won't believe it!  Here goes...

Chicken Azteca - Serves 6
1 15oz. Can Black Beans - drained
2 Cups Frozen Corn
1 Garlic Clove, minced (I used 1 Tbsp. of Tastefully Simple's Garlic Garlic)
1/2 tsp. Cumin
1 Cup Salsa (Kirkland Brand Organic)
3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts (frozen)
1 8 oz. Pkg. Low Fat Cream Cheese
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
Black Olives
Cooked Rice
DIRECTIONS:  Place beans, garlic, corn cumin and 1/2 the salsa on the bottom of the crock pot.  Place frozen chicken breasts over the top.  Pour remaining salsa over the chicken.  Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.  (If your chicken is thawed - you only need to cook for 4-6 hours).  After cooking time is up, remove chicken and cut or shred into small pieces.  Return to the crock pot.  Stir in cream cheese.  Cook on high until the cream cheese melts (maybe 10 minutes).  Spoon your chicken mixture over the rice and tope with shredded cheese, black olives, sour cream - really any topping you would like!

HAPPY EATING!

Easter Sugar Cookies!

Sorry I have been missing!  My computer caught a virus and had to be sent to the repair shop, so for a whole week I have been without my computer!

So, these cookies are absolutely, hands down the best cookies!  They are a sour cream sugar cookie topped with a brown butter icing!  They may not be the healthiest for you, but when eating cookies - who is really concerned about being healthy? Not me!

Here is the recipe:


Sour Cream Sugar Cookies
1/2 C. Shortening (I used butter)
1 1/2 C. Sugar
2 Eggs
1 C. Sour Cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
2 3/4 C. Flour
1/2 tsp. Baking Soda
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
DIRECTIONS:  Cream shortening, eggs & sugar together.  Once combined, add sour cream and vanilla.  Mix.  Add dry ingredients.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight in the fridge.  Once chilled, preheat oven to 350.  Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheet and bake 10-12 minutes.  Keep remaining dough covered and in fridge while other cookies are baking.  When cool, spread with brown butter icing.

Brown Butter Icing
8 Tbsp. butter, browned (to brown butter, melt over low-medium heat; continue heating until the butter starts turning a light brown color)
4 C. Powdered Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
4 Tbsp. Milk
DIRECTIONS:  Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Mix until smooth.

HAPPY EATING!