CHICKEN TACOS!!

Well hello my 7 followers.  It's Monday night which means D plays Vball and mama and RL have a girls night drinking smoothies and watching trash TV..ie..the bachelor.  Before you judge, I did provide RL with a well rounded complete meal, not just the smoothie.  Smoothies are one of her favorites though....we like to sit on the floor and practice with the spoon going in the bowl and then into her mouth.  Practicing this on the floor helps control the spoon slinging the smoothie across the room.  I learned from experience.

So lets catch up and discuss the lucky dinner that D so generously awarded the big TEN.  The variations are endless. I chose based on what I had available (and what I needed to use up).

 Frozen chicken in the crockpot with chicken broth.  I did high for 6 hours since they were frozen.  It only takes 4 if they are defrosted.

 Shred with a fork.  It should be super easy.

 Sautee some pepper and onions.  I used "I cant believe its not butter" (there is $1.25 coupon on coupons.com fyi) and Natures Own (obsessed much?)

 Add shredded chicken and black beans.  RL really likes beans so I try to add them in when I can.  My intention was to season with taco seasoning, but I didn't have any so I used Fajita seasoning and added a little water so that it would coat all of the chicken and give it a little sauce.  I also added a tablespoon of cumin.

 I then remembered that I had some velveeta cheese that I needed to use, so rotel sounded GREAT!!

 Just throw in the microwave and keep adding time until it is melted.  It took mine about 7 minutes.

Add some shredded cheese, because you simply can NEVER have enough.

 Now here is when it really gets tricky.  :) When we REALLY want to indulge ourselves, I make double tacos.  Soft taco....rotel......crunchy taco.  How can this NOT be unbelievable.  Really....how can it not?

Thats it!!! Make it your own and you will love it!  Totally a weeknight meal and can be cooked on low for as long as you are at work!

Results

1) D gives it a 10!! He wanted to make sure it was noted that 10s are not given lightly.  It is a serious achievement. There were no suggestions.

2) RL gives the chicken, tortilla, and black beans a 10.

3) It was soooo good.  I think I needed a little bit more of the fajita or taco seasoning.  I also think it would be great to make a double batch and freeze!!

Need a cute kid fix? RL is rockin an ear infection right now so today is not the day for her, but this weekend she got to visit her cousin!!

So much fun!!

BASIL PORK CHOPS!!

Okay...so I decided I will backtrack on some recipes at a later date.  Now, I just want to move forward.  Moving forward equals some FANTASTIC pork chops!  I found this recipe a while ago from allrecipes.com,  maybe? I am not a huge pork fan, but I absolutely adore this version of chops. 

Here are the ingredients:

I really tried hard to arrange things nicely.  I moved things around several times.  I still failed.

Pork chops (the thinner the better in my opinion)

3/4 cup brown sugar

6 shakes of garlic powder

6 shakes of salt/natures own

3 tablespoons basil

3 tablespoons chili powder

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil or whaterver you have)

Mix all the dry ingredients in a dish and then coat with a couple of pours of your EVOO.  This allows the seasons to stick to the meat.

  

 Once I coat them and place them on the plate, I will add a couple of shakes of chili powder and a couple of shakes of basil.  I really get excited at this point.  I canNOT tell you how much I love these pork chops.  Remember....I dont even like pork!!

Cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes on each side. They are also fantastic grilled, which was the original intention, however, the grill randomly has a hole in the bottom?  I don't know how it got there? Is that normal? I must look into this. Carrying on, either grilled or on a skillet it doesnt take long at all. (especially if they are thin)

I also wanted some grilled zuchinni.  Have you ever tried it? Soooo good!  Marinate in Italian dressing and season with salt/Natures Own.  Let sit as long as you can.

Since our grill took the night off I had to put the zuchinni in a skillet.  Never attempted this before, but it worked.  Not as good as the grill, but it works.  Place each piece in the skillet and pour in a little extra dressing.  Med heat for about 10 minutes. 

 Serve pork chops over rice, shredded parm over the zuchinni, steam some baby carrots and sprinkle a little brown sugar. 

Dinner is served....

RESULTS:

1) RL says the dinner strike is OVER! She ate everything off her high chair and then some more from mom and dads plates.  She is getting spectacular at using a big person fork, have a mentioned she is GENIUS!!

2) D gave it "right around a 9".  It has been a staple for a while.  Side note - He actually awarded a TEN this weekend.  Can't wait to post!

3) For me it is a ten for EVA!

This is super easy to accomplish within 30 minutes....20 really.  As mama was cooking it up, RL was getting her nails did.....

On to the next day....

PLAYING CATCH UP

I have three days to catch up on, so lets get rolling...

Sunday is splurge day which means D can eat mulitple helpings of dinner.  It is important to prepare a meal that deserves this special attention!

I won't spend alot of time on my spaghetti sauce creation since most people have their own way of making it and typically aren't looking for anything new.

I'll tell you what I throw in:

Hunts Spaghetti Sauce ($1)
Italian Seasoning
Natures Own
Minced Garlic
Garlic Powder
Crushed Red Pepper
Sugar
Onions
Butter

Overall, it's a sweet and spicy flavor which I love!

Monday night is D's volleyball night, so RL and I spent some quality time together.  We had a yellow/orange themed party night.  Don't give me too much credit. It was completely by accident.   Her ever changing choices of food continues as she would ONLY touch the corn on her highchair.  However, she was VERY interested in the smoothie I was drinking. 

 So, I put some in a bowl and gave her a spoon....

Who needs a spoon...

This kid cracks me up!!

***Bronchitis occupying RL's little chest has slowed the household down...I have a couple of more meals to share that I will post soon!**

FIRST FAMILY VACATION

Yay for a successful trip with a 13 month old!!  We had such a good time visiting friends and family in Dallas this weekend and returned home with no major malfunctions! 

I did however make some rookie mom mistakes:

 - like forgeting a jacket for my child in 30 degree weather - smooth move mom!!

-  forgetting to get a gift for the birthday party I was attending - luckily Dallas has an insane amount of shopping opportunities

-  not packing for the husband which means he forgets all important items (socks/underwear/ect) - thats not really a mistake....more of an example of dependency

......I'm sure there is more, but before I award myself with a big fat L on my forehead....I'll move on.

We got to celebrate Elise's 1st birthday! The party set up was ADORABLE!! My friend Jenn made most of the decor and she self-admitedly went a little overboard! However, this basically explains the origin of our friendship.  Overboard could be my middle name.....so well done, my friend Jenn!  I envy you, applaud you, and will probably copy most of your ideas in the future! :)

 We also got to visit the fish and shark infested Aquarium!!  In addition to RL's first trip, D and I had never been to a sea of wonder, therefore, amazement was shared among all.  RL has no fears so she explored everything and pranced all over the glass covered shark dwellings.

 She even touched a "Chocolate Chip Starfish".  Coolest named sea creature I have ever met (considering I have met so many)

All in all, a great little vacay.  I will leave you with this following EXTREMELY important  information...pins and needles?

Something I realized this weekend...

I have the ability to leave the house in a complete shambled state before going out of town (extremely important, right? Turn around now before it gets too heavy for you!).  I have always had a rule that the house must be pefectly straight before leaving for two or more days.  How good does it feel to come home to a clean house?  Its kind of like a little piece of extended vacation.

For this trip, it just didn't happen.  The last 28 minutes before hitting the road was spent trying to locate one itty bitty brown shoe.  Either the dog or the husband had hidden it under the couch cushion.  There just wasn't time to straighten the now even more destroyed living areas.  My heart pounded as I closed the door behind me and I battled a borderline panic attack for a good 2 hours of the trip.

Then I returned. Walked through the door frame and discovered that it was much messier than I even remembered.  And....I lived...

A FOLLOW UP TO PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

If you have been following my blog you may have read a post a few days ago about my new personal development challenge........ working toward the goal of shutting my mouth.  Well, here is the update: I really feel like I am actually improving!!! Now if you see me on a every day basis, you may beg to differ.  However, what you don't know is that there are declarations of new discoveries that I am burying inside my soul and not speaking aloud! Shocked aren't you?  Some may say that the level of intense talking that I share with others has not decreased......but I tell you.......there is MORE.  It's been tough, but I have listened alot and learned alot in the process.  It will continue to be a challenge that I will man up and take every day.

Tilapia!!

I heart this tilapia recipe. I'm not sure where it originated from, but I have been making it for years. It's an easy go to meal when I forget to plan or defrost. You have to be a fan of garlic in order to enjoy this little piece of perfection.



In addition to the tilapia, below are the ingredients. I use a large bag of frozen tilapia from Sams. They are individually wrapped so you can just pull out the amount of filets you want and defrost them in a bowl in the sink. Let them sit in cold water for about 5 minutes.



Not pictured is the minced garlic that I use because I have it. Garlic powder will work as well. Most of the ingredients are not completely necessary. As long as you use the butter and garlic, it should be plenty flavorful. Once the filets are defrosted, place them in a greased casserole dish (spray some pam). I like to do extra filets for leftover lunch. Season the fish. I used Natures Own, Pepper, Thyme, and Toni's. Put about 1/2 a cup of butter in a measuring cup and add minced/powdered garlic and some chives. Melt in the microwave and pour over fish.Broil on high for about 10 minutes. It will be brown on the side and tender and white when cut with a fork. Make some extra butter sauce and pour over fish. Add some shredded parmesan cheese if you have some. I served with angel hair pasta this time, but rice is also a good option.
Perfection I tell ya! It was easily completed within my 30 minute timeframe (including defrosting) and could have been done in 20.........except for my little cooking assistance that rides in my back pocket slows me down a bit.

Straight precious.

Results:

1) RL is making progress with her dinner strike. I tried out some mac and cheese before D and I ever sat down for dinner. Fail. Once again...only food from mom and dad's plates. She alternates perfectly to make everything fair. When her head is turned toward her father, I try to gulp down as much as I can before she returns. Mama has gotta eat! At one point she forgot about her strike and ate a piece of fish off her highchair!! Of course mom and dad clapped loudly to encourage this behavior.....when we clap she responds with JAZZ HANDS!!

Next, she insisted on using a big girl fork. She ate some Mac N Cheese with the big girl fork!!!! My child is a cordination GENIUS! I'm pretty sure that is the ONE trait she inherited from me. FINALLY something emerges.
Everybody together..........JAZZ HANDS!
2) D loved it (there isnt much he doesn't love) Human garbage disposal. He rated it close to a 9 because it didn't provide any surprises, but he hopes it will continue to be a staple.


3) I give it an 8. ONLY because I typically sautee squash which enhances the goodness of the perfection.

An additional note today: I once saw a quote on pinterest (obsessed much?) that stated


"Cleaning while the kids are home is like shoveling snow when it is snowing".


Exhibit A - my kitchen floor once dinner is done - Apparently she was cooking naked. :)

Chicken Burgers!

Okay...so I have never made chicken burgers before so this will be a total trial and error attempt. A while back I noticed this pack of ground chicken at Brookshires and decided to see what I could do with it. It has been in my freezer for a while and I finally decided to let it step out into the great world and shine. Well lets hope.

I cannot provide a picture of the ingredients because I honestly had no idea what I was going to use. As always, I started rummaging around to see what I could put together for the benefit of the ground chicken debut into the Emory household.

I used the following:

2/3 package of Fiesta Ranch dip mix (hidden valley)
Tablespoon of Sour Cream
Tablespoon of Salsa
1/4 of a White Onion Chopped
Handful of Chives
Natures Own
Pepper

I mixed together in a bowl with the meat. At this point only use 1/2 of the Fiesta Ranch seasoning.
Next, I formed them into patties. I sprayed cooking spray in my skillet and turned it on Med heat.

It took about 10 minutes total and a couple of flips in between. I also added some of the Fiesta Ranch seasoning packet on each side.

In the mean time, I smashed my left over potatoes from Sunday to serve with the burgers. They were only able to hibernate in the oven for about 10 minutes so they were not nearly as good, but we will live with it. I also served some kidney beans. I put my hamburger buns on the cookie sheet with the pots and melted some cheese. It only takes around a minute since the oven is so hot with the pots.

Dinner is served in 30 minutes!! I could have done it quicker if I wasnt fumbling around trying to figure out what to use......so next time I can wreck shop with this!!

Insert cute child at this point.......

Yes...I know. Her hair is Ah-mazing. So much body. Like a tornado.

Results:

1) RL is currently in the middle of a dinner strike. She will only consume bites that come from mom or dads plate. She liked the potatoes which is wierd b/c she also hates pots. She liked the chicken, but didnt get much.....it was good.....call us selfish parents. :)

2) D loooooooooooooooved it. Rated it a 9.99!! He requested chicken meat from now on (I'm not sure that is going to happen). He loved the flavor and the health option it provided.

3) Ditto.

I have additional information to post in todays entry. Sooooo.....about a week and a half ago I decided to attempt a notion on pinterest that green onions will grow back if placed in water. My husband evicted the project from the house and they were cast off to a garage window. You will never believe.........Its true!!

Is that not crazy!! Now granted, green onions are not expensive right now (I think I just saw them in a circular for 79 cents)...but how cool is that. Mama likes anything for free!

Weekend DIY

I HEART pinterest and I love what it has inspired me to do, to make, to think, to read, to embrace and to share. I am not sure if this is an unhealthy obsession or just my 30 something brain embracing the new age ways of the world. Whatever it is.......healthy or not.....wasteful or not........I love it!!!!

"I Love You Because" is all over pinterest and I wanted to make one for RL's room. I bought a picture frame at Goodwill for $.99. I got the scrapbook paper and the glitter letters (with a 40% coupon) from Michaels. I was super happy with the turnout and all for under $5!! I am not great (or good even) at taking pictures....so the flash is terrible!!




Michaels had alot of awesome scrapbook paper that I wanted to find a way to use. Scrapbooking is against my beliefs (no reason....just is) so this is how I used it.



I cut big hearts and little hearts and taped them together. I cut a hole in the top of the heart and threaded some twine through it and hung it up!! Super easy and super cheap. I think it looks so fun in her room! I cant take credit for the idea.......it originated from my super crafty friend Brandy. So thanks friend!

The "I Love You Because" looked so good in her room, I wanted a little more. So...the below was created. $1 frame from Michaels painted pink, taped the scrapbook paper on the frame and stick on the letters. Love it!


And a final note..........is anyone (of my four followers :) )watching the bachelor? Total disgust.

Smashed Potato

I feel like I have been checking alot of things off my mental list lately which is one of my favorite things to do in life!! (Insert nerd alert here). This weekend I tried out a pinterest recipe that I have been eyeing for a while. I had a bag of small russet potatoes that I got at a Buy One Get One for a Penny sale at Brookshires that I needed to use. I pretty much followed the recipe as stated.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/crash-hot-potatoes/




I added some green onions because I had some and Natures Own b/c I use it on everything.
I smashed with the bottom of a glass.........I have never even considered that I would actually need a potato masher? Who really has one of those?

Yum! Yum! Yum! Dont they look wonderful and crisp! I added some cheese when they came out of the oven. I thought they were absolutely delicious. Here are my tips: dont be afraid to season!! They NEED salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Important: They were not so great the next day.

Sooooo....I needed to find a way to incorporate these wonderful and fabulous potatoes into a meal. Shredded chicken is always a great go to for me as is anything I can throw into a crock pot. I covered the chicken breasts with BBQ sauce and placed in crock pot. Poured chicken broth in with about a 1/4 of the top of the chicken showing. And then threw in some chives....b/c I had some!

Layer - pots, chicken, shredded cheese, BBQ suace.

FANTASTIC!!!! I added some bell peppers that I sauteed in butter and worch.

Results:

1) RL only wanted leftover baked beans....lots of them.

2) The H absolutely LOVED it!! He gave it a 9 because he says he doesnt want to over use 10s. His only issue was that he wanted more of the crispy skins from the potatoes. I'm not sure how he wants me to perform that miracle.

3) My review is that it was soooooooooo good!