Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

Our house gets ridiculously hot in the summer – it faces west, so it is burning up between 4-9 pm. I’ve decided to use the crockpot more because it emits much less heat than the oven or stove, and also because it’s so much easier to toss stuff into a crockpot!

I made this tonight and it turned out great! It made the house smell so good all day too. It is extremely filling, I could barely finish my bowl.

Slow-Cooker Tex-Mex Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips (I just used chicken breast tenders, since I hate touching raw chicken)

2 Tbsp. taco seasoning mix (I used the whole packet, which made it a little bit spicy!)

2 Tbsp. flour

1 each: green and red pepper, cut into strips

1 cup frozen corn

1 1/2 cups thick n chunky salsa (I actually used the whole 16 oz. jar)

1 cup Mexican blend cheese

Rice, cooked

Toss chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker. Stir in vegetables and salsa; cover.

Cook on LOW 6-8 hours or on HIGH 3-4 hours; stir. Top with cheese.

Serve over hot cooked rice topped with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro.

This would also be good with black beans or pinto beans added in – or good wrapped up in a flour tortilla!!

Honey-Mustard BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

We needed something quick and easy to eat (since I am having a root canal Wednesday, I can’t eat too many things). This was *very* good! We’ll probably make it again on our vacation next month.

Honey Mustard BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

3 lb. rotisserie chicken

1 1/2 cups bottle BBQ sauce – basically a whole bottle (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s)

1/4 cup honey

2 tsp. yellow mustard

1 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

8 hamburger buns

Remove and discard the skin from chicken; remove the meat from bones and shred it. Add the chicken to a nonstick saucepan or skillet along with the BBQ sauce, honey, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through.

Divide between the buns.
I ate one sandwich, Kevin ate 3. So I would go ahead and say the recipe serves 4! We had macaroni and cheese with it. Yummy meal! The chicken isn’t too bad for you since the skin is removed, but the mac n cheese is another story.

Chicken and Rotini Soup

This recipe came from a small cookbook I received in the mail from the American Heart Association called Love Your Heart.

Chicken & Rotini Soup

Vegetable Oil Spray

8 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 (14 or 14.5 oz) cans fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth

1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 2-inch strips

1 medium green bell pepper, thinly sliced and cut into 2-inch strips

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

4 oz. dried rotini

2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves, chopped

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

1/4 cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese

Lightly spray a large saucepan with vegetable oil spray. Heat over medium heat. Cook the chicken for 2 minutes, or until beginning to lightly brown, stirring frequently. (The chicken will still be slightly pink in the center). Stir in the broth, bell peppers, and pepper flakes. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Stir. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the bell peppers are tender-crisp.

Increase the heat to high and return to a boil. Stir in the rotini. Reduce the heat and simmer for 6 minutes, or until just tender. Stir in the basil, salt, and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan.

Serves 4 – 1 1/2 cups per serving

Cal 211, Fat 2.5g, Sat Fat 1.0g, Chol 37mg, Sodium 465mg, Carb 25g, Fiber 2g, Prot 21g.

Kraft Food & Family – for when I lose the magazine!

This free magazine has got to be one of the coolest things I get in the mail. If you don’t already get it, you definitely need to sign up for it! All of the recipes are available online too, but I like to have a copy in my hands. I’m old fashioned that way.

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups

1 each large green and red pepper, cut into strips

1 large onion, thinly sliced

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

1/3 cup BBQ sauce

4 whole wheat tortillas (10 inch), warmed

1 cup Cheddar cheese

1. Cook and stir vegetables in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 3 minutes. Add chicken; cook and stir 3-4 minutes or until no longer pink. Stir in barbecue sauce; cook on medium heat 3 minutes or until chicken is done, stirring occasionally.

2. Spoon chicken mixture down centers of tortillas; top with cheese. Roll up; cut in half.

Serves 4 – 2 halves each.

Cal 430, Fat 12g, Sat Fat 4.5g, Chol 85mg, Sodium 1050mg, Carb 45g, Fiber 7g, Prot 37g.

A little bit proud of myself today :)

We are tight on money the next couple of weeks (heck, longer than that, but especially the next few weeks) and we don’t need much in the way of groceries. There are *some* things we need, but not a lot
I cut coupons – did it faithfully a couple of years back, and just now got back into it. Now I realize how stupid I was for not using them all along. There are a lot that I don’t use, but there are some that are great.

Well, I did a little homework this morning and decided to go bargain shopping. Here’s what I found!!!

Target:

2 Johnson and Johnson lotions

4 cans of Pringles (good for PMS week and Kevin’s lunch)

2 bags of Dole Salad

4 (12 packs) of Dr. Pepper (Kevin is addicted, I won’t drink them)

1 Sobe water (I was thirsty and they were $1 – pomegranate cherry is the BEST)

2 packs of Schick Quattro razors (4 count)

Total amount: $50.41

Total PAID: $12.40

Kroger:

2 bags of Quaker Rice Cakes (kettle corn flavor!)

4 boxes of Barilla whole wheat pasta

2 pkgs. Grill Mates Marinade

1 bag Fritos (for taco salad)

2 boxes of Pillsbury brownie mix

6 pkgs. of Green Giant frozen veggies

2 pkgs. of Huggies Wipes (nice to keep in the car, since I don’t have kids and all)

2 pkgs. of Angel Soft toilet paper

Total amount: $22.93

Total PAID: $3.93

CVS:

2 Dove SkinVitalizers (on sale from $12.99 to $4.00)

Total amount: $8.66 (would have been $28.12)

Total PAID: $0.54

Total spent: $16.87

Yes. I am pleased.

* Disclaimer: I do not have kids. I have extra time on my hands, and don’t have a problem cutting coupons and organizing them. I will not deny that it DOES take a lot of time, but to me, it’s worth it.

My chicken salad experiment

Every once in a while, we will have potlucks at work. Mainly because all we do at work is talk about food and new recipes, etc. – and it’s always healthy stuff (ha). I signed up to make chicken salad, originally thinking I would just go to Costco and get the best chicken salad ever there – but then I discovered about 20 lbs. of frozen chicken in my freezer. I decided this would be a good way to get rid of one package of chicken

A lady I work with suggested the chicken salad recipe by Helen Corbitt. It looked easy enough, and I didn’t want to make one million changes like I did in all the other recipes I looked up – so the original recipe is here, along with my few changes

Chicken Salad Supreme (thanks Helen Corbitt!)

2 1/2 cups cooked and diced cold chicken (I shredded instead of diced, and OOOOOH, it was fresh outta the boiling water when I made this)

1 cup celery, chopped fine (I hate celery, but all the work peeps love it, so I kept it – eww)

1 cup seedless white grapes, halved (I used craisins instead – boss hates grapes and I decided to be nice. Plus, I hate halving grapes. That is work for suckas.)

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted (I toasted them, but I don’t think it really worked. And I used sliced, not slivered.)

2 Tbsp. minced parsley

1 tsp. salt (I only use kosher salt flakes, they are awesome)

1 cup mayonnaise (Hellman’s only!)

1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped (yummmmmmmmmmmmmm)

Combine all the ingredients and refrigerate!

I tasted it. It is awesome. Tastes a lot like the chicken salad salad at Potbelly

I bought little baby rolls to serve with it. Can’t wait!!

Healthy Recipes

Berry Lemon Muffins

(Makes 12 muffins)

For a healthy alternative to all-too-common oversized, high-fat muffins, try this favorite from the Green Mountain kitchens.

It’s made with a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour, which gives it a heartier texture and lots more nutrition!

Don’t forget the lemon zest for extra zip. If you like them sweeter, try sprinkling each one with a pinch of brown sugar,

which will add to the flavor and produce a beautiful crunchy golden top to enjoy.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
Zest of one large lemon
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup fat-free (skim) milk
1/3 cup canola oil
1 cup berries (blueberries, raspberries or combination)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil standard 12-cup muffin tin. Mix together dry ingredients and lemon zest

in a medium bowl. In another small bowl, combine egg, milk and oil. Add liquid ingredients to dry and stir until

just combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be lumpy, thick and moist, not smooth. Carefully fold in berries.

Fill muffin tins 2/3 full and bake 20-30 minutes or until browned.

Simply Pasta with Lemon & Basil

(Makes 4 side dish servings)

Adding a few fresh herbs transforms an ordinary dish into something special. This easy pasta side dish is a tasty

accompaniment to grilled chicken or fish. Combining the flavor of fresh lemon and fresh basil is quite delicious.

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Salt & pepper to taste
3 cups cooked spaghetti
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

In large bowl, whisk oil, cheese, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add spaghetti, zest and fresh basil and toss.

Garden Vegetable & Mozzarella Tart

(Makes 6-8 servings)

A favorite new dish from the chefs at Green Mountain, this delicious and colorful combination of fresh vegetables and

herbs makes a great main dish to serve at lunch, dinner or brunch. Pair it with a fresh melon salad.

1 ½ cups sliced zucchini
1 ½ cups sliced yellow squash
½ cup cubed red pepper
½ cup sliced sweet onion
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 ready-to-bake pie crust
2 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs such as basil, rosemary and thyme
12 ounces (3 cups) shredded mozzarella cheese
3 eggs, beaten
Salt
Pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, toss vegetables with the oil and vinegar; spread vegetables on a cookie sheet and bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven.

Heat oven to 350° F. Unroll pie crust dough into a 9-inch glass pie plate. Press crust gently against the sides and bottom.

Fold excess crust under and press firmly with a fork or flute the edge. Spread 1½ cups mozzarella cheese on the bottom of the crust and layer cooked vegetables on top of the cheese. Sprinkle on chopped herbs, salt and pepper to taste. Pour beaten eggs evenly over the vegetables and top with the remaining 1½ cups of cheese. Bake for 35 minutes. Let stand about 5 minutes before serving.

All recipes from fitwoman.com

New recipe ideas from the internets

I’m tired of making the same old things all the time.

Chicken Parmesan Sub – eatingwell.com

Baja Chicken Salad w/Taco Vinaigrette – Pillsbury

Parmesan Crusted Chicken in Cream Sauce – kraftfoods.com

Pasta Masquerade – kraftfoods.com

Chicken and Dumplings (Casserole) – realsimple.com

Chinese-Style Glazed Chicken Breasts – cookinglight.com

Skillet-Roasted Chicken – realsimple.com

Chicken with Cider and Bacon Sauce – cookinglight.com

Barbecued Chicken Pizza – sunset.com

Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas – cookinglight.com

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

No-Bake Chocolate Oat Bars

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups uncooked quick oats

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup crunchy or creamy peanut butter

Grease 9-inch square baking pan. Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add sugar and vanilla; mix well. Stir in oats. Cook over low heat 2-3 minutes or until ingredients are well blended. Press half of mixture into prepared pan. Use back of large spoon to spread mixture evenly.

Melt chocolate chips in double boiler, stirring occasionally. Stir in peanut butter. Pour chocolate mixture over oat mixture in pan; spread evenly with knife or back of spoon. Crumble remaining oat mixture over chocolate layer, pressing in gently. Cover and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight.

Bring to room temperature before cutting into bars. (Bars can be frozen; let thaw at least 10 minutes before serving.)

Makes 32 bars.

Fruit and Oat Squares

These are very similar to Pioneer Woman’s Apricot Bars, which I LOVED on Girl Trip ‘08

Fruit and Oat Squares

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup uncooked quick oats

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/3 cup margarine or butter, melted

3/4 cup apricot, cherry or other fruit flavor preserves (I like raspberry)

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray 9-inch square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

2. Combine flour, oats, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl; mix well. Add margarine; stir with fork until mixture is crumbly.

3. Reserve 3/4 cup crumb mixture for topping. Press remaining crumb mixture evenly onto bottom of prepared pan. Bake 5-7 minutes or until lightly browned.

4. Spread preserves onto crust; sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture.

5. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into 16 squares.

Makes 16 servings.