Crockpot Cocoa!

 

Today was an unexpected snow day...well, not really unexpected - we knew it was going to snow, I just didn't realize it would be more than a dusting causing us to sit back and not go anywhere!

 

While the kids are off playing in the snow I made some hot chocolate, placed it in the crockpot and now all I have to do is wait until they come scrambling back in with rosy cheeks and cold hands.

 

Crockpot Hot Cocoa!

 

1 C. Hot Water

1/2 C. Sugar

1/2 C. Unsweetened Cocoa

5 Cups Milk

DIRECTIONS:  Mix hot water, cocoa and sugar in small saucepan.  Whisk and bring to a light boil.

Pour into crockpot and add milk.  Whisk to combine and place on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours.

 

HAPPY EATING!

Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu

I don't have any pictures to go along with the recipe because my family gobbled it all up before I had a chance to snap some photos.  I started working full-time again so I have been on the hunt for some quick, easy recipes and some crock pot recipes so that my family can eat a hot meal before running out the door to various sports, music or school activities.

I found this recipe on pinterest and it is courtesy of the website: crockpotladies.com.

Crockpot Chicken Cordon Bleu

4 Boneless, skinless chicken breast
1 Can 98% Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
1 Cup Milk
4 oz. Sliced ham
4 oz. Sliced swiss cheese
6 oz. Box of Chicken flavored stuffing mix
1/4 C. Butter, melted
1/4 C. Water
DIRECTIONS:  In a bowl mix together the soup and milk.  Pour 1/2 of the soup mix on the bottom of your crockpot.  Arrange chicken over the soup.  Layer slices of ham and then cheese over the chicken.  Pour remaining soup over the chicken, ham and cheese.  Sprinkle the dry stuffing mix over the top.  Pour melted butter and water over the stuffing.  Cover the crock pot and cook on low 6 hours.  (I used frozen chicken breasts and cooked on low for 8 hours).

HAPPY EATING!

Artichoke & Garlic Shrimp Pizza!

Alright, sorry for the crooked picture....I have just spent forever trying how to get it to turn.  I mean it is saved on my computer the right way and you won't get a crink in your neck looking at it until I download or upload or something-load to the blog.....hmmm, oh well!

I could spend hours in Williams Sonoma - the last time I was in the store we found all sorts of grilling accessories - I mean a quesadilla basket, who could pass that up, right?  I also spotted this Artichoke Garlic pizza sauce and because this time of year I like to grill my pizza I knew I had to have it!

The sauce did not disappoint.  Very flavorful and not to garlicky.  I found the Archer Farms ultra thin pizza crusts at Target.  Great healthy way to eat the pizza.

I topped mine with grilled shrimp and part skim, low moisture mozzarella cheese and voila!  Dinner!

Artichoke & Garlic Shrimp Pizza
1 Archer Farm Ultra Thin Crust Pizza
3/4 C. Williams Sonoma Artichoke Garlic Pizza Sauce
1/2 lb. Raw, deveined 7 uncooked shrimp
1 C. Low Moisture, part skim mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS:  Heat oven to 350.  While oven is heating up, prepare shrimp (either grill or sauté on the stove top in 2 tsp. olive oil).  Place crust on pizza sheet and top with pizza sauce.  Top with shrimp, cheese and sprinkle with parsley flakes.  Bake approx. 10-15 minutes - or until heated through and cheese is melted.  (If grilling, heat grill and turn to low - place pizza crust directly on lightly oiled grill grates.  Grill until cheese is melted.  Watch carefully - this will burn easily because it is a thin crust.)

HAPPY EATING!





Tri-Colored Tortellini Salad!

Looking for a quick, easy and delicious side dish to take to any picnic or summer BBQ that you are attending...look no further!  This dish is easy to prepare, tastes delicious and looks pretty in your dish!  I literally cooked, prepped and made the salad in under 30 minutes......

Tri Colored Tortellini Salad
1 pkg. frozen, tri colored cheese tortellini
1 Cup fresh Mozzarella, diced (I used Sargento's)
1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, quartered
1 Cup Pepperoni Slices, quartered
1/2 C. Fresh Basil, chopped
2/3 C. Ken's Lite Caesar Dressing (not the creamy)
DIRECTIONS:  Cook tortellini according to package directions.  Add remaining ingredients and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. Enjoy!

HAPPY EATING!
*Original recipe was found here...http://simpledelicioussouthernfood.blogspot.com/2012/08/here-is-delicious-and-refreshing-summer.html*

Crockpot Pepper Steak!

I made this recipe with a little apprehension because I am not typically a beef eater and my kids are not typically fond of peppers, however, we all LOVED this recipe.  It had great flavor and the beef just melted in your mouth.  Hope you get to try it soon!

Crockpot Pepper Steak

3 pounds of roundsteak but into ½ inch thick strips.

½ cup flour

1 tsp of salt

1 tsp pepper

1 large onion chopped

a few garlic cloves—Ilike to put 4-5 crushed into each bag

1 green pepper sliced

1 red pepper sliced

2  16oz cans of tomatoes—I prefer Italian style

2 tbsp beef bouillon granules

4 tsp of Worcestershire sauce

2 tbsp of steak seasoning (I used Tastefully Simple Everyday Grilling Seasoning)

2 tbsp of steak sauce

Directions:  Toss steak strips in mixture of flour, salt and pepper.  Mix together beef boullion,Worcestershire sauce, and steak sauce.  Combine all ingredients (except canned tomatoes) and refrig. several hours or overnight.  When ready to cook, place in crockpot and add tomatoes.  Cook on low 8 hours.  Serve with rice and a side salad.

HAPPY EATING!

Grilled Turkey Ranch Burgers!

If anyone has any ideas on how to keep turkey burger from falling apart while grilling, please leave your comments on this post.  While the burgers were delicious and ended up turning out okay, the initial grilling was a mess.  I may or may not have yelled at the grill, spatula and burgers as they were sticking to my greased grill grates.

Summer is so close I can almost taste it...I am a summer girl.  I was born in the summer - I think that has something to do with my love of summer.  With summer comes the opening of the pool, backyard BBQ's, swim meets, grillin' & chillin', homemade ice cream, bare feet, sunshine on your face and the list is endless. 

So to help at your backyard BBQ's and those who are trying to be a little healthier - here is a great recipe for Turkey Ranch Burgers.

Grilled Turkey Ranch Burgers
1 lb. Lean Ground Turkey Burger
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Green Onions, chopped
1 pkg of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 Tbsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
DIRECTIONS:  Combine all ingredients in a
mixing bowl.  Form into 4 patties and grill.

HAPPY EATING!

Egg White Tacos!

Well, who would have thought of having tacos for breakfast....that person is a GENIUS!  I did a little prep work the night before and literally threw this together in about 5 minutes this morning...so if you don't mind prepping a little this would be a quick, nutritious breakfast!  (This recipe is adapted from

http://www.skinnykitchen.com/recipes/skinny-breakfast-taco/).

 Egg White Breakfast Tacos
2 Egg Whites, whisked
1 Tbsp. 2% Shredded Colby Jack Cheese (Kraft Brand)
5 Grape Tomatoes, quartered
1 Green Onion, sliced
1 Tsp. Cilantro, chopped
1 Small Taco Shell (I used the brand that comes in the yellow box)
DIRECTIONS:  Whisk your egg whites and cook/scramble in a small fry pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.  Once your egg whites are cooked, top with cheese and continue to cook until cheese is melted.  Place scrambled egg whites into taco shell.  Top with diced tomatoes, green onion and cilantro.

*  Possibilities are endless with the toppings.  I used ingredients that I had on hand but you could also top with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, salsa, black beans...the list could go on.

HAPPY EATING!

Hot Corn Dip!

YUM is the only word I have for this dip!  Took it to a party and I didn't have to bring any leftovers home with me - nothing better than bringing an empty dish back home!  :)  I got the original recipe off of Pinterest (http://bakedbree.com/hot-corn-dip)!

Hot Corn Dip

1 pkg. 1/3 Less Fat Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. Diced Jalapeno (In order to reduce the spicy-ness of the dip, I removed the seeds and membranes from the pepper)
1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder
1/2 tsp. Chili Powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Pepper
2 C. Corn (I used frozen, sweet shoepeg corn that I thawed)
3 C. Mexican Blend Cheese
Chopped Tomatoes
Chopped Green Onions (I used 2 green onions)
Chopped Cilantro (I used about 1 tablespoon - please adjust according to your taste)
DIRECTIONS:  Combined the cream cheese, jalapeno, garlic powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.  Mix until well combined.  Stir in corn.  Mix in 2 cups of cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and top with remaining 1 cup of cheese.  Return to oven and bake an additional 5-10 minutes - until cheese is melty.  Remove from oven and top with diced tomatoes, green onions and cilantro.  Serve with tortilla chips (I had a black bean tortilla chip - Bachman's brand - that were great with the dip!).  Enjoy!

HAPPY EATING!!

No Bake Peanut Butter Energy Protein Balls!

I found these little morsels on Pinterest this winter and they are just as tasty as can be (and dare I say a wee bit healthy - but ssshhh, don't tell my kids that!)

No Bake Peanut Butter Balls

1 C. Oatmeal (I used old-fashioned)

2/3 C. Coconut

1/2 C. Ground Flaxseed

1/2 C. Peanut Butter

1/3 C. Honey (I am partial to Orange Blossom, but have used clover honey too)

1/2 C. Dark Chocolate Chips (I used Hershey Special Dark)

DIRECTIONS:  Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix until combined.  Chill for approx. 1 hour.  Roll into bite sized balls and keep in a container in the refrig. (flaxseed apparently goes bad if not refrig.).  Try not to eat the whole container in one sitting!  :)

HAPPY EATING!

Tex Mex Chicken Salad!

As the world comes alive again, I always feel encouraged to eat better!  Here is a recipe for that I found on the Weight Watchers (www.weightwatchers.com) site and it is so good, I did adapt it a little to what I had on hand so I did not include nutritional info!  (Sorry about the picture quality...hubby bought a new camera - it even has a food setting for pictures, except, I don't know how to use it - it frustrates me so I go back to my old, easy, comfortable camera!).

 Tex Mex Chicken Salad
1 1/4 lb. uncooked, boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 C. Low Fat Mayo (I prefer Hellmans Light)
1/4 C. Low Fat Sour Cream
1/2 tsp. Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Small Red Pepper - diced
1 Small Green Pepper - diced
2 Medium Scallions (I didn't have scallions, so I used 2 Tbsp. diced, red onion)
15 1/4 oz. Can of Corn (I used about 1 C. frozen, shoepeg corn kernels)
1 C. Black Beans, drained and rinsed
DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350.  Place chicken in a glass baking dish and bake until juices run clear - approx. 25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.  Chop into bite size pieces.  (You can save time by purchasing chicken that has already been cooked and diced, if you would like).
In a medium bowl, combine mayo, sour cream, cumin and chili powder.  Stir in chicken, peppers, onion and corn.  Mix well.  Gently fold in beans.  Cover and chill for atleast 2 hours.  This makes approx. 6, 1 Cup servings.

Serve over mixed greens or arugula and add some grape tomatoes!!

HAPPY EATING!

Chicken Enchilada Soup!

It's the Super Bowl!  I'll be honest, I watch the game for the commercials.  It is the best part.  While I love the excitement of sports, I don't always get the rules and penalties and what not. 

Prime example - JD had a basketball game the other night.  It was an exciting, nail-biting kind of game. (As nail biting as they can be for 3rd/4th graders).  I was cheering.  I yelled, "Go defense"!  Ummmm, let's just say we had the ball - we weren't defending it!  A teeny bit embarassing but good story on how I get caught up in the excitement of a game and don't really pay attention to the rules or positions.

Anyhow....here is what I made for the Super Bowl!

Chicken Enchilada Soup (Crockpot)
3 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Flour
1/2 C. Chicken Broth
1/2 C. Milk
2 C. Milk
1 Can (10 oz) Enchilada Sauce (I used mild)
1 Can (15 oz) Black Beans, rinsed and drained)
1 Can (14.5 oz) Rotel Diced Tomatoes w/ Green Chiles
1 Package (10 oz) Frozen Shoepeg Corn
1 Medium Onion, Diced
1 Green Pepper, Diced
2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
DIRECTIONS:  In a large skillet or saucepan, melt the butter.  Stir in the flour.  Remove from heat and whisk in the chicken broth and 1/2 C. milk.  Whisk to make sure no lumps.  Return to heat and bring to a slow boil, whisking until it thickens.  Add enchilada sauce.  Continue to whisk while you add the milk.  In a crockpot - combine beans, tomatoes, corn, onions and peppers.  Place chicken over the veggies.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and veggies.  Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Right before serving - shred the chicken.  Serve with shredded cheese, sour cream, salsa, onions, tortilla chips.....whatever toppings you desire.

HAPPY EATING!

Cookie Dough Yogurt.....

Hmmm, is what I thought when I saw this recipe!  I really try and like yogurt.  I think I have tried every kind of yogurt there is and well, unless it is frozen and you can put candy toppings on it - I just don't like it!  THEN, I saw this recipe and decided that I had to try it!  Yes, you do put peanut butter in it.  Yes, you do stir chocolate chips into it.  Yes, you do stir sugar into it.  I am sure that it defeats the purpose of eating yogurt - but, I like it!  Here is what you need:

The only thing I suggest is that you use PLAIN yogurt if you are going to add sugar to it.  I used a vanilla yogurt and whoa - it was sweet.

PB Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Yogurt

1 Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Tbsp. Peanut Butter

1 Tbsp. Sweetner

1 Tbsp. Mini Chocolate Chips

1/4 tsp. Vanilla

DIRECTIONS:  Mix all ingredients.  Eat! 

*Note:  You may substitute vanilla yogurt - however, omit the sugar and vanilla.

Here is where I found the original recipe http://myfridgefood.com/viewrecipe.php?recipe=20787

HAPPY EATING!

Cotton & Cashmere!

Back before Christmas I had the opportunity to attend a Christmas Open House at this lovely home - but schedules did not seem to work in my favor and I missed it!  I was DISAPPOINTED because let me tell ya, the things that Carey @ Cotton & Cashmere had been advertising were things I know that I would have loved!  Well imagine my surprise when I was contacted by Carey to say that I had won a random drawing for a prize!! WAHOO!!! Can I tell you that I never win anything! 

This package arrived at my house and I gleefully opened it to discover this hand soap and lotion!  Amazing!  Love the smell of the lotion, which is the same scent as the soap above!  So if you are looking for a little "romance" for your valentine's day - contact Carey @ Cotton & Cashmere for more information - I am not sure if you can still order this scent but I am sure she will know of other scents or products that you may love!!  Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cotton-Cashmere/278971382222526.

Enjoy!!

Cheesy Chicken & Tater Tot Casserole (Crock Pot Cooking)!

This crock pot casserole was a hit with the kids and hubby!  Some good ole' comfort food on a cold, cold day!  This recipe came to me via pinterest and while I don't think the photo of my casserole is the most appetizing - it did have good flavor!  I adjusted the recipe, just a little bit, from the original.  You can find the original recipe here http://www.thecountrycook.net/2012/07/cheesy-chicken-tater-tot-casserole-slow.html.  Here is my version:

Cheesy Chicken Crockpot Casserole

1 Bag Frozen Tater Tots

3 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast - cut into chunks

2 C. Shredded Cheese (I used 1 C. Cheddar and 1 C. Mozzarella)

Tastefully Simple Bacon! Bacon! (original recipe calls for regular, real bacon bits)

1 Can Evaporated 2% Milk

1 C. Frozen Peas (optional)

DIRECTIONS:  Spray crockpot with cooking spray.  Place 1/2 the frozen tater tots into bottom of crockpot.  Sprinkle with 1/2 the cheese.  Sprinkle with 1 T. Bacon! Bacon!  Top with chicken.  Add remaining tater tots on top of chicken.  Top with remainder of cheese and another tablespoon of Bacon! Bacon!  Pour 1 evaporated milk over the top (I used about 1 Cup of the milk).  Cover and cook on low for 6 hours.  Add peas (if desired) during last 1/2 hour of cooking. 

HAPPY EATING!



Thank You Kraft!

Yesterday JD had a birthday party to attend and in lieu of a gift we were to take canned goods to be donated to a local Mission!  Well, I mention this because as I was preparing to make tonights' dinner (chili and cornbread muffins) I quickly realized that I inadvertenly donated my kidney beans!! Whoops!

What is a mom to do when we have to be in Millersville @ 5 and LeTort by 6?????  Why, you visit
www.kraftrecipes.com and list what ingredients you have on hand and they list a multitude of recipes.  We choose the One-Pan Italian Pasta - you can go here: http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/one-pan-italian-pasta-65120.aspx to get the recipe!  The only change I made was to use Part Skim Mozzarella Cheese in place of the cheddar!!

So thank you to Kraft!!

HAPPY EATING!

Cinnamon Chip Baked Oatmeal!

This is my kids favorite breakfast!!  It makes for a nice hot breakfast to fill their tummies on cold mornings like today!  Maybe you are thinking - really, I don't have time to make this on a school morning - but really you do!  I promise!!  It is all mixed up in a bowl, dumped into your casserole dish and put in the oven for 30 minutes!!  A lot of times I will mix it up and then go get ready for work.  Waking the kids up right before it comes out of the oven!! 

Baked Oatmeal

1/3 C. Vegetable Oil

1/2 C. Sugar (I make mine with 1/4 White Sugar & 1/4 C. Brown Sugar)

1 Egg

2 C. Old Fashioned Oats

1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder

2/3 C. Milk

1 C. Cinnamon Chips

DIRECTIONS:  Preheat oven to 350.  Combine oil, sugar(s) and egg.  Add oats, baking powder and milk.  Stir in cinnamon chips.  Pour oatmeal mix into a greased 8x8 baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes.  Serve warm with milk. 

*If you did not want the cinnamon chips you could use fresh blueberries.

HAPPY EATING!

Parmesan Zucchini Cakes

I was looking to add something to dinner this evening!  I made sausage and didn't feel like pasta, we had pierogies last night, leaving in me in the dilemma of what to serve in addition to applesauce....BORING!  Well - I remembered that I had "pinned" these little morsels to my "weight watcher recipe" board the other night and decided to give them a whirl!  We all liked them - well, Jimmy and I loved them - the kids tolerated them.  I made the recipe with the ingredients that I had on hand...

Parmesan Zucchini Cakes

1 Large Zucchini, grated

1 Large Egg

1 Cup Bread Crumbs (the original recipe calls for panko)

1 Tbsp. Adobo Seasoning (I used Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb)

1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese

Cooking Spray

DIRECTIONS:  Grate zucchini into a bowl.  Add all ingredients (except cooking spray).  The mix will seem dry but they really do form into nice little patties.  Coat pan with cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Form zucchini mix into patties and place in hot pan.  Brown about 3-4 minutes per side.  Serve with light ranch dressing!

 

HAPPY EATING!

 

 



Slow Cooked BBQ Beef

The hustle and bustle of the Holiday season has come and gone!  It is always such a whirlwind of fun, food, family and friends - this season was no exception! Now we have gotten back to the routine of work, school, schedules...and I need to get back into the routine of planning out my meals.

This recipe is one that I tried awhile ago and it quickly became a family favorite.....seriously, the kids clean their plates and ask for seconds!  That is why I would not have a photo of the finished product - the kids cleaned their plates!

Ready??  Here you go!

3 lb. Beef Roast (I have used a bolar roast or london broil)
1 Bottle BBQ Sauce (I typically use a Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce - Kraft makes it - but you could use whatever your favorite sauce is)
1 C. Water
DIRECTIONS:  Place roast in slow cooker.  Pour sauce over roast.  Add water to BBQ Sauce bottle and shake - pour over roast.  Cover and cook on low for 8-9 hours.  Now, depending on what roast you use will depend on what to do - if using a london broil you will find that the roast shreds very nicely and you can serve on crusty rolls.  When using a bolar roast I typically cube the roast before cooking and then serve like tenderloin tips.  Tonight it was with pierogies and green beans.  This beef is great with macaroni and cheese.

If you are a beef eater - you must try this recipe!!

HAPPY EATING!