crock pot chicken and gravy

Simply put, our afternoons are crazy so out of necessity I have been trying out more slow cooker recipes.   This recipe is insanely easy to make and the kids love it.

crock pot chicken and gravy (blog: Plain Chicken)
2 chicken breasts
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope of chicken gravy mix
hot steamed rice or mashed potatoes

Combine all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Before serving bread the chicken breasts into bite sized pieces.  Serve over hot steamed rice or mashed potatoes.

What I have to say- I put the soup and gravy mix in the crock pot with 2 large frozen chicken breasts (Foster Farms from Costco).  I started the temperature at high then when the chicken looked defrosted I turned it down to low for about 4 hours.

southwestern stuffed peppers

These stuffed peppers are delicious- the flavors are simple yet distinct.  Another great recipe from Real Simple Magazine.  If you aren't already a subscriber I highly recommend it.  It's a simple, classy magazine unlike so many others that are out there.  You get a bit of everything from fashion to finances to really delicious recipes.  Say goodbye to old fashioned Italian stuffed peppers (I've never liked them) and hello to these.

southwestern stuffed peppers (adapted slightly from Real Simple Magazine, February 2012)
1 cup brown rice, cooked
6 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup frozen corn
1 (4.5 ounce) can chopped green chilies
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 cup Cheddar cheese, grated
kosher salt and black pepper
4 large red bell peppers, halved lengthwise, ribs and seeds removed
1/2 cup light sour cream
salsa for serving (I used Tapatio sauce)

Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Cook the rice according to package directions.
In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the ground beef and scallions (white parts), breaking up the beef with a spoon until no longer pink.  Stir in the corn, chilies, cumin, cooked rice, 1/2 cup of the cheese, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.
Arrange the bell peppers, cut-side up in a 9x13-inch baking dish or pan.  Divide the beef mixture among the bell peppers, add 1/2 cup water to the dish, tightly cover the dish with foil, and bake until the bell peppers are soft, 30 to 40 minutes.  Uncover, sprinkle with the remaining cheese and bake until browned, 5 to 7 minutes more.
In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cram and 1/4 cup water.  Drizzle over the bell peppers and top with salsa and scallion greens.

baked club pinwheels

My kids and I loved these.  We took the original recipe and made it a little healthier by making homemade whole wheat bread dough.  My oldest asked why we have to make everything whole wheat as though I'm trying to make her life miserable but she ate the most pinwheels. :)

baked club pinwheels (idea from blog: Plain Chicken)
6 slices pre-cooked bacon, chopped
whole wheat bread dough or whole wheat pizza dough
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
5 slices thinly sliced deli turkey
5 slices thinly sliced deli ham
5 slices thinly sliced deli roast beef

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.  Roll out dough to an 11x7 rectangle.  Sprinkle cheese over dough.  Top with bacon first then turkey, ham and roast beef.  Starting with long side, roll up dough; press edges to seal.  Place on sprayed cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool 5 minutes.  Cut into 1-inch diagonal slices

whole wheat dough (or use Trader Joe's refrigerated whole wheat pizza dough)
1 tablespoon yeast
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
enough whole wheat flour to make a nice, soft dough

Pour yeast into a medium sized bowl.  Add water, salt and olive oil.  Let sit for 5 minutes.  Add enough whole wheat flour to make a nice, soft dough, kneading as you go along.  Place your ball of dough back in the bowl and cover with a piece of plastic wrap.  Let rise for 1 hour.

What I have to say- Next time I will add 1 cup Mozzarella cheese to the sandwich.

baked bacon

When I saw that you can cook bacon in the oven instead of frying it, only to create a big greasy mess, I was so excited!  I had to try it out on my baked club pinwheels.  Have you ever read the cooking directions for bacon on the package?  Apparently I'd never read my bacon package before but I should have because the baking instructions are right there and have probably been there for awhile.

baked bacon 
Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Place bacon side-by-side on a cookie sheet with a rim.  Bake for 15 minutes for perfect bacon.  How easy is that?!

pudding cookies

These cookies seemed to have a good reputation so I thought I'd give them a try.  They're great!  They make a great big batch (6 dozen) and were perfect to serve at my kid's movie matinee party today.  They invited a few friends to eat hot dogs, popcorn, M&M pudding cookies and drink soda and lemonade.  Spoiled kids...

pudding cookies (blog: Sunday Baker)
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup white sugar
2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding
4 eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 cups of add-ins (M&Ms, chocolate chips, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, candy bars, etc.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together flour and baking soda in a separate bowl and set aside; in a large bowl, cream butter, brown and white sugar.  Beat in pudding mix until well blended.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla.  When smooth, slowly add in the flour mixture.  Add the fillers.  Shape into 1" balls and  bake for 8-12 minutes until just right.

What I have to say- the pudding in the dough made the dough smell kind of funny, like if you've ever tried to make cookies from a vanilla cake mix.  Never fear, they will turn out nicely unlike when you try to make cookies from a vanilla cake mix.

vanilla ice cream in a bag

I took my kids to Mother Goose Asks Why at the library.  They always do an outstanding job.  This time my kids learned about solids and liquids and this very nice lady demonstrated how to make ice cream in a bag.  You don't need a fancy ice cream maker- just a ziplock bag!

vanilla ice cream in a bag (from the nice lady at the library and inside book Change It! Solids, Liquidfs, Gases and You by Adrienne Mason)
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small sealable plastic bag
1 large sealable plastic bag
12 ice cubes
2 tablespoons salt

Put the milk, vanilla and sugar into the small plastic bag.  Seal the bag.
Place the ice cubes in the large plastic bag.  Sprinkle the salt on the ice.
Place the small bag in the large bag.  Seal the large bag well.
Put on some music and shake the bag for 10 minutes.
Scoop your ice cream into a bowl and enjoy.

artichokes au gratin

I know it doesn't look like much, just a lot of cheesy cheese.  Underneath and surrounded by cheese you'll find big chunks of artichoke hearts and because I used pepper jack cheese there are also spicy peppers throughout.  Yum!  This dish was actually better the second day.  Next time I might throw in some pimientos for color and some sour cocktail onions for good measure.


artichokes au gratin (served at our church Christmas party)
2 cans (14 ounces each) water-packed artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup butter, divided (I used 2 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese, divided (I used jalapeno jack)
1 tablespoon dry bread crumbs
1/8 teaspoon paprika


In a small skillet, saute the artichokes and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter until tender (I did not use any butter or oil).  Transfer to a greased 1-quart baking dish.
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining butter.  Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth.  Gradually add milk.  Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.  Remove from the heat.  Stir a small amount of hot mixture into egg; return all to pan, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/4 cup cheese until melted.  Pour over artichokes; sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Combine crumbs and paprika; sprinkle over top.  Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until heated through.  Yield: 6 servings

What I have to say- this recipe was so popular it was sent out in the weekly RS update.

green chile tacos (or stew)

My husband wasn't in the mood for dinner until he tried a taco.  Then another.  He said it was sooo close to Hall of Fame that I'm going to go ahead and declare this dish Hall of Fame!  The pork was incredibly tender and the filling is extremely flavorful.  You can enjoy it as stew or in a taco.

green chili tacos (or stew) (idea from allrecipes.com)
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin, cubed
2 tablespoons peanut oil
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 (7 ounce) can fire roasted diced green chiles
4 cloves minced garlic
1 cup water
15 ounces green enchilada sauce (I recommend Las Palmas)

In a large pot over medium high heat, brown the pork in oil.  Add tomatoes, chile, garlic, water and enchilada sauce.  Cover and simmer until stew is thick and meat is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours.

peanutty chex mix treat with m&ms

My friend Kris shared this recipe with me.  Her son has celiac disease so she tries to cook and bake completely gluten free.  I watched as 12 kids attacked a giant platter of these little goodies.  They are a combination of caramel, peanut butter and chocolate with a little crunch. 

peanutty chex mix treat with m&ms (my friend Kris C.)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup peanut butter
8-9 cups chex mix cereal
m&ms

Over the stove, combine white sugar and corn syrup over medium heat.  When the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is almost to boiling, remove from the heat and add the peanut butter.  Stir until creamy.
Make sure you have a large bowl handy that contains the chex mix cereal.  Add the sugar/peanut butter mixture to the chex mix and stir to combine.  Add the m&ms.  Drop by blobs onto waxed paper and let set.

creamy lemon crumb squares

These creamy lemon crumb squares are delicious!  They were even better than I expected after having looked at the list of ingredients.  I found this recipe on my friend Annie's pinterest and she has good taste so I knew I was safe in trying them.  I love citrus and I love creamy so there you have it- a terrific treat.

creamy lemon crumb squares (The Girl Who Ate Everything)
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick butter, slightly softened
1 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1 cup oats
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cups lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix butter and brown sugar until well combined.  Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.  Add oats and flour to butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine. 
Press half of the oat crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x11-inch pan.
Mix together condensed milk, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Spread onto the bottom layer of the crumb mixture.  Crumble the other half of the crumb mixture on top of the lemon layer but don't press.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Allow pan to sit on the counter for 30 minutes after baking.  Cut into squares and refrigerate for a couple of hours or until cool.  Serve cool.

almond joy cookie bars

As luck would have it I woke up this morning, exercised then quickly checked my google dashboard and saw this recipe.  I knew I had all the ingredients on hand and I also knew I invited the women I visit teach over for lunch tomorrow kind of last minute and needed something for dessert.  This will be perfect.  These cookie bars are superb.

almond joy cookie bars (Your Cup of Cake)
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups crushed Oreos (for a 9x13 pan I think you'll need more like 2 cups)
2 cups chocolate chips
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Prepare a 9x13 pan (I prepared an 8x8 because my bottom layer wouldn't fill a 9x13).  If your almonds are raw and not toasted, toast the almonds on a pan in the oven for about 5 minutes. (I stuck them in the oven while the oven preheated).
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and crushed Oreos.  Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared pan and press firmly to create your crust.  Spread the chocolate chips and toasted almonds on top followed by the coconut.  Pour the sweetened condensed milk evenly over the coconut.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the top starts to brown.  Let it rest in the pan for at least 30 minutes then cut.

lemon sage chicken cutlets

I saw this recipe a while back in my Food Network Magazine but I didn't bookmark the recipe.  Lucky for me I saw this recipe again on a blog and was determined that I should go ahead and try it.  Glad I did.  These cutlets are very delicious.  The lemon and sage is very subtle yet very tasty.  The chicken was amazingly tender.

lemon sage chicken cutlets (blog: What's for Dinner? and Food Network Magazine)
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
all-purpose flour for dredging
2 large eggs
juice of 1 lemon plus lemon wedges for serving
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 sprigs sage, leaves only
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1-2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup white wine (omitted)

Slice each chicken breast in half horizontally to make 2 thin cutlets.  Sprinkle lightly with water, place between two sheets of plastic wrap and pond until  1/4-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour some flour into a shallow dish and season with salt.  Lightly beat the eggs with the lemon juice is another shallow dish.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Dredge the cutlets in the flour, shaking off any excess; dip in the lemon-sage leaves to the skillet, then turn the cutlets and cook until golden on the other side, about 2 more minutes.  Transfer the cutlets and sage to a paper towel-lined plate.
Pour out any remaining oil from the skillet.  Add the wine and chicken broth and cook over medium-high heat until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.  Add the butter and swirl until melted.
Transfer the chicken to a platter.  Top with the fried sage and drizzle with the pan sauce.  Serve with lemon wedges and these excellent potatoes on the side.

crispy garlic sage potatoes

Hall of Fame!  I made a beautiful dinner- lemon sage chicken cutlets, these garlic sage potatoes and artichokes au gratin.  Did my kids eat anything but the potatoes?  No.  They were in too in love with these potatoes to eat anything else.  By the time my husband got to the table (he was lying down because he didn't feel very well) he was lucky to get the last 5 potatoes that I swiped before my kids got to them.  Fantastic!

crispy garlic sage potatoes (blog: What's for Dinner?)
4 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges (I didn't peel mine)
1/2 cup olive oil
6 chopped sage leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
8 smashed garlic cloves (I used minced)

Put a baking sheet on the bottom oven rack and preheat to 375 degrees.  Toss potato wedges with olive oil, chopped sage leaves, springs of sage, garlic, salt and pepper.  Spread on the hot baking sheet and roast 30 minutes.  Stir them around.  Continue roasting until golden, about 30 minutes.  Increase the temperature to 400 degrees and cook until crisp, 15 more minutes.  Season with salt if necessary.

sun dried tomato and basil vinaigrette

I love friends who love food.  I really do.  My friend Kiana introduced me  to my new favorite homemade salad dressing.

sun dried tomato and basil vinaigrette (my friend Kiana)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed (Trader Joes)

1 shallot, peeled

1 small garlic clove, peeled

salt and ground black pepper

10 fresh basil leaves

3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 

Process vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, shallot, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in blender until shallot and garlic are finely chopped.  With blender running, add basil, then oil and continue to process until smooth and emulsified, about 15 seconds. 

What I have to say- Kiana served this dressing over greens, red cabbage, snap peas and sliced carrots. 

linguine pescadoro

My husband and I love chioppino.  It just so happens that to our surprise this recipe tastes a lot like chioppino except it's served over pasta.  I like the hint of spiciness and decided to throw in some capers for a little extra zing.  Super tasty!

linguine pescadoro (allrecipes.com)
1 (16 ounce) package linguini pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can black olives, drained and sliced
1 (10 ounce) can whole baby clams
1 (6.5 ounce) can minced clams, with juice
1/4 pound small salad shrimp
1/4 pound scallops
2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (oops, forgot!)
salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
couple tablespoons of capers

In a large pot of boiling salted water cook linguini until al dente.  Drain.
Meanwhile in a heavy saucepan over medium heat saute garlic in olive oil until garlic softens.  Add Italian seasoning, thyme, crushed red pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, black olives and the juice from both cans of clams.  Simmer for 15 minutes.  Mix in canned clams, shrimp, scallops, lemon zest, capers and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for an additional 15 minutes or until shrimp and clams are cooked.
toss cooked and drained linguine pasta over seafood sauce.  Serve warm.

What I have to say- if you like clams I highly recommend the double pack of clams from Costco.  Each can contains 51 ounces of freshly shucked sea clams ready to use.  The brand is Sea Watch.  The clams are nice-sized and very delicious!

italian goat cheese and pesto spread

Hall of Fame!  This spread doesn't look as good as it is.  Just trust me and go make yourself some.  Invite a few friends over or you'll be tempted to eat the entire spread yourself which may not be such a good idea.  Serve with the little melba toasts.  Delish!

italian goat cheese and pesto spread (The Sisters Cafe)
4 ounces goat cheese
8 ounces cream cheese
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons tomato paste
3/4 cup minced sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 cup pesto (thick)

Line a medium sized bowl with plastic wrap, edges hanging over.  Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray.  Combine goat cheese, cream cheese and salt and pepper with electric mixer until smooth.  Reserve 1/3 cup of the mixture.  To reserved 1/3 cup mixture add tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes and vinegar.  Mix with spatula until smooth.  Take half of the goat cheese mixture and spread on bottom of bowl.  This part can be tricky since the plastic wrap likes to stick to the cheese and not the bowl as you're trying to spread it.  Run a spoon under hot water until the spoon is warm then use the back side of the spoon to gently press the cheese mixture along the bottom of the bowl.  Next spread with pesto then with the sun-dried tomato mixture.  Smooth remainder of cheese mixture on top using the warmed-spoon trick.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour.  Before serving, invert onto a serving platter.  Serve with toasted baguette slices.

chicken cordon bleu

It sounds so fancy which is one of the things I love about this dish.  So easy to make and so good.  This time I spiced it up a bit by using jalapeno jack cheese instead of Swiss which I thought made it extra good this time.   A big hit with the entire family.

chicken cordon bleu (the way I make it)
6 small boneless skinless chicken breasts (or filet 3 giant breasts)
6-12 deli thin slices of smoked ham
6 rectangular shaped slices of Jalapeno Jack cheese or Swiss
1/3 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon paprika
1 jar of Alfredo sauce

Pound chicken breasts until thin.  On one end of each chicken breast, place 1-2 slices of smoked ham and 1 slice of cheese.  Roll up.
Place breadcrumbs mixed with paprika on a dinner plate.  Place a chicken "roll" on the plate and use your fingers to sprinkle the breadcrumbs from the plate over the chicken.  Do this with each chicken "roll" and place on a baking pan sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes.
Heat up the alfredo sauce and let each person pour their own on top.  Serve with pasta and a nice salad.

york miniature peppermint patties brownies

Chocolate+mint =a happy family.  This is an easy way to jazz up a pan of chocolate brownies, not that they ever need to be jazzed up, but sometimes it's fun to try something new.  When I saw this recipe in a magazine I could see the white mint layer from the York patties but I had thin mints on hand so I did not get the nice white layer as I had hoped.  Next time!  Either way, they are minty, chocolatey and delicious.

york miniature peppermint patties brownies (Real Simple Magazine, October 2010)
Prepare a 19-0unce box of brownie mix.  Spread half the batter in an oiled 8-inch square pan.  Top with 16 Hershey's York Miniatures Peppermint Patties, leaving even borders of batter.  Spread the remaining batter on top, bake according to directions.  Cool, cut into 16 squares.

P.S.  Hello Hershey friends- I thought of you when I made this recipe!

melted snowman s'mores

My friend Lindsy hosted preschool yesterday.  What a fun lesson.  She read Snowmen at Night, we had Snowman Races, Snowman Making (on paper of course), Snowman Painting (in a bag!), etc.  I love S'mores.  Making s'mores reminds me of when we lived in Hershey.  The Agarwal family would give us a call to walk down to their house where the kiddos would put marshmallows on skewers and roast them over a pit and assemble their S'mores with none other but Hershey's chocolate (Mr. Agarwal works for Hershey!).  Those were really fun times that we cherish.
When the kids had their Snowman Races, they were each given a ziplock bag to hold the ingredients for their take-home melted snowman s'mores. 


melted snowman s'mores (my friend Lindsy, also at Preschool Alphabet)


1.  Use a sandiwch-sized ziploc baggie for each kit.
2.  Place 4 graham cracker squares, 2 large marshmallows and 1 small chocolate bar.
3. Print, cut out and fold the "Melted Snowman S'mores" topper.  (go to Preschool Alphabet to download).
4.  Go home and follow the instructions to make a delicious s'more!

slow cooker beef and tomato stew

This stew is rich, hearty and satisfying.  Perfect for a wintry night.

slow cooker beef and tomato stew (Everyday Food Magazine, Jan/Feb 2012)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced small
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
3 celery stalks, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
2 pounds beef chuck, fat trimmed, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 garlic cloves, minced
coarse salt and ground pepper
4 cups cooked brown rice
6 tablespoons nonfat plain Greek yogurt (or light sour cream)
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium.  Add onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened, 10 minutes.  Transfer mixture to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker and add beef, tomatoes, broth, garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
Cover and cook on high, 6 hours, stirring occasionally.  To serve, divide brown rice and stew among six bowls and top with sour cream and parsley.  To store, refrigerate stew in an airtight container up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months.