Category Archives: Recipes

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

Hey there! I have a new delicious recipe for you. And when I say delicious, I’m not just saying that to lure you into trying it out. It’s truly awesome. Nick even says so. πŸ™‚

Crockpot Chicken Enchiladas

IMG_3105Ingredients:

IMG_3096

  • 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles (keep the juice!)
  • 1 can seasoned black beans (drained)
  • 4-5 large chicken breasts (I used frozen)
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • Tortillas, shredded cheese, or whatever you want to serve it with!

IMG_3115For spices, you will need:

  • 1 tsp minced garlic
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper (for a kick!)
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tbsp parsley
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Ok, I know that sound like a lot of spices, but don’t worry. I did a mix-and-match with all of the above spices and didn’t measure a thing. I did a few hearty shakes of each (minus the garlic), and it turned out great. So it does not have to be perfect, nor does it have to include each one!

Begin by layering your fresh or frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of your Crockpot. On top of the chicken, pour in the entire can of tomatoes and the drained can of beans.

IMG_3097Add the 2 cups of chicken broth. I didn’t have a can of broth, so I used one of these with 2 cups of water and it worked great!

IMG_3117Last, sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour over the whole mixture.

IMG_3099It looks weird, I know. But the flour helps it thicken. Now mix it all up!

IMG_3100That’s better. Add in the spices and give it another good stir. Remember, alter the mix of spices to fit your family’s taste. We like it spicy, so I used lots of cayenne pepper.

Once it is well mixed and spread evenly in the crock, put the lid on and set the Crockpot on high.

IMG_3103Let this cook for 5-6 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low. Give it a stir halfway through to make sure the beans aren’t sticking to the bottom.

When it’s almost time to serve, turn the Crockpot heat down to low and shred the chicken with a knife and fork.

IMG_3111Yum! It should be smelling pretty darn good by now.

Nick and I ate this enchilada-style. We used a slotted spoon to get out the chunks of meat, beans, and tomatoes for the insides of our tortillas.

IMG_3112And then a regular spoon to get the juice only to pour over the tops of our tortillas.

IMG_3114And voila! Dinner ready in a flash. Just roll the meat mixture up in some tortillas and you are set!

IMG_3106Nick had cheese inside his enchiladas, but I obviously opted to have mine plain jane. They were amazing!

IMG_3109But not as pretty once you cut them all up to eat. Ha. Yummy in my tummy!

This recipe took me around 8 minutes to put together in the Crockpot, and then maybe an additional 5 to shred the meat and spoon it out into our tortillas. It was amazingly quick and painless.

Give these tasty enchiladas a try and let me know what you think! You could also use the meat inside some hard-shells to make chicken tacos. Whatever you have on hand will work with this recipe!

Have a great evening and happy cooking!

Ready for Thanksgiving, Round 2

Good morning, folks! Sorry I never checked in yesterday. It was a hectic day to say the least, and I taught my normal double-header last night. By the time I made it home at 8 pm, I had enough time to shower and clean up my kitchen (because who wants to leave for vacation with a sink full of dirty dishes?!) before I had to hit the sack. My body basically collapsed into a slight coma as soon as I laid down. But I slept hard, and woke up early to get in my normal Wednesday morning run.

Morning Run

I’ve said this before, and I’m hoping I won’t say it many more times, but this morning’s run was my coldest yet!

photo(2)My other weather app (KY3 weather app) told me it was also 16 degrees, but that the ‘Feels Like’ temp was 6 degrees. Umm BRRRRRR!! I bundled myself up in two bottom layers, a long sleeve cold-weather compression top, my running puffer vest, and my usual ear warmer and gloves. I’m pretty sure I looked about like the Michelin Man this morning running around my neighborhood.

michelin_manYup, that was me. When I stepped out of my front door, it definitely felt like 6 degrees, and it didn’t matter what I was wearing. I was going to be frozen no matter what! Or so I thought. About 3 miles down the road, I started getting too warm and had to take off my gloves. Yup, that is how warm I get when I run. It’s still crazy to me!

I tried to make it to 7 miles in an hour, but I just couldn’t make it today. My legs were too cold, and I made it to 6.93 at the hour mark. Oh well, I almost made it! And more than anything, I was thankful to get this run out of the way before we head off to St. Louis this evening.

And speaking of heading off to STL, my turkey hat is in my suitcase and ready to trot tomorrow morning!

image(10)That’s your sneak peek. πŸ™‚Β  I’ll have Nick take some wonderful pics of me tomorrow before the race. I’m hoping I can get it to stay on my head!

We’re heading out after work this evening and should be at Nick’s parents house around 8 tonight. Then I’m hoping to get a good night’s rest before our 5K. Sometimes Mac has some issues with getting a full 8 hours of sleep when we travel, but mommy is hoping he will cooperate and sleep in past 5:30!

Cauliflower Salad

And now for a quick and easy salad recipe! As requested by Dede, here is my mom’s cauliflower salad. Just be warned that for a salad, it is nowhere near healthy, and all the measurements aren’t exact. She doesn’t measure one thing when she makes this, so I’m mostly guessing!

photo(33)This is the salad she made for our Thanksgiving dinner last weekend. It’s always a hit around our dinner table, and it’s super convenient to take to parties/gatherings.

You’ll need:

  • 2 bags of romaine lettuce (or enough to almost fill a large serving bowl!)
  • 1 head of cauliflower,Β  cleaned & chopped into bitesize pieces
  • 1 cup Miracle Whip salad dressing (use Light if you prefer)
  • 1.5 cups of crispy cooked bacon, crumbled
  • 1/3 cup white sugar
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese

This salad is put together in the bowl you will serve it in. It’s also assembled in layers, and all you have to do is toss it right before serving!

Begin with the lettuce as your base, and layer the cauliflower evenly across the top of it. Next will be your Miracle Whip. Using a flat spatula, spoon the salad dressing over the top of the cauliflower and spread it out evenly to form a flat layer over the cauliflower. You may need more dressing to get a nice thick layer over the top depending on the size of the bowl you’re using. If you feel like you’re using too much, don’t worry. This salad can turn out too dry if you don’t use enough Miracle Whip!

Next, sprinkle on the bacon evenly, followed by the sugar, and lastly, the paremesan cheese. Since all the ingredient servings are approximate, feel free to use more or less to make it work for you! You can toss the salad immediately to serve, or you can cover it tightly and keep it in the fridge. My mom has kept this salad premade in the fridge for up to 2 days and it was fine. Beyond that, I’m not sure how it will hold up. πŸ™‚

Easy peasy! Enjoy your cooking/traveling/eating these next couple of days. I’ll be right there with you dealing with crazy traffic, stuffed bellies, and too much family time. But remember the real reason for the holiday and everything we have to be thankful for. And maybe, just maybe, these positive thoughts will help us deal with the stress of too many family members in one house. πŸ™‚

Have a great Thanksgiving! I’ll check in as soon as I can – see you then!

Candles & Cranberry Cookies

Good morning! How’s your Thursday going so far? It’s dark, cloudy, and raining here in Springfield. Do I wish I could just stay in bed all day with Mac in our pajamas? Yep, basically. But life must go on despite the dreary weather. πŸ™‚

Christmas Candles!

So you all probably think I’m crazy when I get excited over the smallest and silliest things. But when I got home from work yesterday and saw this pretty box on my doorstep, I was beyond excited!

photo(52)I completely forgot that I had ordered some large candles from Bath & Body Works last week on sale.

image(12)I love how they pack them up.Β  I order these babies each year and keep a few for myself and then give some away as Christmas gifts.

photo(50)Woohoo! My favorite of these four was the Cinnamon Caramel Swirl. It smells like the most heavenly bakery/coffee shop, and I will definitely be keeping this one for myself. My momma loves the Winter Candy Apple, so I’ll take that one to her this weekend as an early Christmas gift. Then I can use the other two as gifts as long as I can refrain from burning them in my own house before Christmas!

If you’re not signed up for the Bath & Body Works emails, you should sign up TODAY. Seriously. They send out the best coupons everyday, and I do tons of gift shopping on their site over the holidays. Plus they almost always offer free shipping deals, so it’ll save you a trip to the store!

Cranberry Cookies

And now onto the really fun stuff: cookies! I was crazy productive last night when I got home from work. I realized it was my last evening at home until Sunday night, so I got some things done! I did laundry, walked and bathed Mac, washed dishes, and then made some cookies with my fresh cranberries!

image(13)I loosely followed two different recipes from Pinterest, which kinda morphed into my own creation. But they turned out pretty well!

cranoatIngredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 3 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp All Spice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 stick butter/margarine (softened)
  • 3/4 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar or Splenda
  • 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 eggs

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees, and begin by creaming together the softened butter, brown sugar, and white sugar or Splenda (I used Splenda). Add in the eggs, applesauce and vanilla, and mix well. Next, mix in your remaining dry ingredients: flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon, and All Spice. Last, mix in your cranberries and chocolate chips.

image(11)Spoon the dough out onto a greased cookie sheet and bake for 13 minutes or until edges start to brown. These cookies don’t expand (or ‘grow’) too much while baking, so they may not be the prettiest, but they are pretty darn tasty! Plus, no oil (applesauce instead!) is always an added perk for those healthy eaters out there.

photo(51)The red cranberries make these cookies really pretty – perfect for the holidays! Try ’em out this weekend, and let me know your thoughts. Adding nuts or extra chocolate might be fun to try next time! Craisins would also work with this recipe I’m sure if you don’t have the fresh cranberries on hand. They would probably add lots of yummy sweetness!

Hope your Thursday turns out to be a great one. Mine started with a run (I got rained on again!), and it will end with Jazzercise tonight. Seems like an okay day to me!