Honey Mustard Chicken

I have been so out of pocket lately!! Traveling, working, parenting, golf carting, enjoying the weather and accidently sleeping in here and there!! There has been little time to catch up on my blogging.  Even when I don't blog, I am always snapping pictures with the intention to blog and then of course totally forget!!!



Today I wanted to share this yummy chicken recipe I made up the other day.  It wasnt gound breaking and I am sure it is written into creation somewhere, but in the Emory household it was created based on ingredients I could find.



I sliced up a chicken breast and cooked it in a skillet seasoned with your typical go tos.  For me it is pepper, garlic, and natures own.  Once the chicken is cooked I coated it with honey and spicy mustard.  Probably about a 1/2 cup each.  I simmered for a few minutes until it started to turn a little brown and sear into the chicken.







Supper yummy and super easy!!!!

Stuffed Jalapenos

I have been blessed lately with co-workers and friends who have shared the benefits of their gardens with me.  I want a garden SOOOOO bad, but I kill things. Like kill them to a rotting state. I hate to water, I don't understand the hours of the sun, random critters weird me out and so on and so on.  But yet, I REALLY REALLY want a garden.  D says that I can try one next year. Once I pull the trigger I have to focus on success and erase my expectations of failure.  Right now, I'm not ready.  I kill things.

I received a ton of jalapenos from a co-worker that I wanted to use up in a creative way.  Of course, I thought of cream cheese, bacon, and a grill.  Unfortunately, I didn't have any cream cheese or bacon so that was out.  However, I had shredded BBQ (I had made in the crockpot the day before), mushrooms, and parmesan cheese.  I could totally make something from this!!!

I cleaned out the jalapenos and placed in a dish with the oven on 425.  I roasted for about 10 minutes.




While the peppers were roasting, I sautéed the mushrooms.


Next, I stuffed with the chicken, added the mushrooms, and topped with the cheese.  Place back in the oven until the cheese is melted.









Everyone gave it a 10!!!! It was awesome and pretty healthy!! Plus low carb!!! Except for the BBQ sauce.

Crock Pot Chicken Cacciatore

Do you cook meals at home?  If you are interested in cost savings, I hope the answer is yes!! When you look at the dinner table and break down each food item prepared, how much is your cost?

Sometimes our meals at home can get pretty pricey.  Unfortunately, the healthier the more costly.  Blah....I hate that, but we have to roll with it and embrace this mixed up world (on so many levels).

This is my game plan.  I like to stay between $5 and $7 per meal for a family of 4.  A splurge would be between $10 and $12.  How do you think you compare to this?  Think about it next time you are cooking your meal.

Here is an example of a quick and easy (and rated a 10 by my husband) meal.

CROCKPOT CHICKEN CACCIATORE

I used frozen chicken from Sams and one of my fav inexpensive buys (with sales and coupons) Kraft's Recipe.  Simply follow the directions.  It calls for bell peppers, but I didnt have any so I used onions instead.  Adding veggies is not completely necessary.  Since my chicken was frozen I cooked on low for about 6-7 hours.   

I paired it with squash that my co-worker was giving away for FREE at the office!!





I seasoned with salt and pepper and steamed with a bit of water and butter and my pampered chef steamer. BRILLIANT! No more steamer bags!





This meal was really really really good!! You can put it over pasta or low carb with no pasta. Adding squash or zuchinni takes care of the "filling" part of the pasta!!

Enjoy!

Brookshires Cooking

You know that I am a huge fan of Brookshires sales. I love everything about this store except for the everyday prices. They are steep!!! I'm talking an extra $1.50-$2.00 compared to Wal-Mart. This adds up quick. However the sales make me do a little happy dance. :)



Here are a few meals based off of the Brookshires sales.



Gumbo. Chicken BOGO and prepared in the crockpot for easy shredding. BearCreek gumbo mix BOGO. This is an easy easy weeknight meal. Only the chicken and mix required!

















Southwest salad with chicken and fresh veggies. Salad kit BOGO, chicken BOGO cooked on the skillet and seasoned with fajiti mix BOGO, fresh veggies precut on sale for 99 cents!! What was that? You can't eat healthy when couponing and shopping sales?? Well, yeah you can...















Chicken alfredo over pasta. Chicken, alfredo, and pasta all BOGO














This was delicious!!! I seasoned chicken with pepper, italian, and basil. Then added just 3 tablespoons of alfredo. Cook pasta as directed. 20 minutes start to finish!!

Chicken and Veggies

Today I want to give an example of a quick and healthy meal based on sales and coupons.  That is what this couponing life is all about - USING the items that can be purchased at a lower price.  There are basically 2 ways to coupon: 1) Save a little by clipping a few coupons here and there and trying to remember to use them (I do not disagree with this - saving a little is better than nothing) 2) Save a lot by changing your life style - stocked items in your household are based on best prices and always avoid full price!


Kraft Fresh Take is an inexpensive option to put an extra spin on chicken.  There is typically an available coupon at coupons.com so then will cost around $1 at Wal-mart (they also go on sale at Brookshires)



Chicken purchased BOGO at Brookshires




These veggies are one of my FAVORITE finds!! These are normally around $5 at Brookshires.  Please never purchase for this amount.  When they get close to expiration, they are marked down to 99 cents!! I LOVE this! They are already seasoned and soooo good.  There are several different varieties!




Meal for the entire family for around $5!! EASY. HEALTHY.CHEAP!!

Parmesan Chicken

Have you tried this?



It is located next to the cheese and comes in multiple flavors.  I highly recommend this product.  The cost is is around $2 at Wal-mart and coupons.com often holds a $1 off coupon.  You CAN.NOT. beat this for just one dollar!! Are you tired of trying to figure out a new way to cook weekly chicken breast?? This requires no thinking.........the spices are mixed for you and are impressive!
Just mix it up and bake at 375 for around 30-40 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.






 I added additional Mozz cheese b/c I had some!!



For sides I roasted sliced up potatoes and baby carrots.  I seasoned the potatoes with sea salt, pepper, italian seasoning, and garlic powder.  I used red pepper flakes on the carrots.  Bake on 425 until soft and brown on edges (the carrots will be done first).



Daniel is still embracing his "winter weight" so his chicken was served over rice.  I am starting to feel a little less than passionate regarding this holiday weight, so I skipped the rice and potatoes and chose spinach instead.






All together this could only be a weekend meal unless you have two ovens.  The chicken could be cooked on a weekday without the roasted veggies.  D scored this a 9.5 and stated that I have been impressive lately.  Well........thank you very much young man!!

Chicken Sliders

This is a quick and easy meal that your family will love!! They can even be frozen for quick lunches or meals on the go!!!

Place frozen or fresh chicken in the crockpot.  I throw these in before church on Sundays.  For frozen chicken, it takes 3-4 hours on high.  For 12 sliders, I used 2 chicken breasts (this is all my crockpot would fit).

Remove the chicken and place in a seperate dish.  Shred chicken with two forks and mix in bbq sauce to your liking.

Line out the bottoms of hawaiian bread rolls and spoon on chicken then top with cheese. Bake on 350 for about 10 minutes.

D scored this meal an 8. I scored it a 10 based on goodness and ease!!!

Salsa Chicken

Last week I saw a blog about salsa chicken with pasta shells (mix match mama). This looked pretty good plus I had enough ingredients in my random kitchen to make it work.

Here is what I did:

Placed 3 frozen chicken in the crock pot (I did this Sunday morning before heading to church). Add about 3/4 cup water or stock. Cook on low for about 4 to 5 hrs.

Once the chicken is done, shred with 2 forks ( i also season with pepper)

Boil the pasta. I didn't have any shells, so I used penne.

In a large boil, I mixed:

Shredded chicken
1 pack of taco seasoning
3 tbs of cumin
1 can or steam bag of corn
1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
1 jar of salsa
1 small chopped onion
2 cups of shredded cheese

Basically, I just mixed a bunch of random ingredients together that followed the mexican theme.

Move the ingredients to a casserole dish and top with more cheese.  Cook on 350 for about 20 minutes.  Remove from oven add french fried onions on top, then cook for a about 5 more minutes.  Yes, you heard me right.....those crunchy things you put on green bean casseroles.  I thought it was strange too when I read the recipe, but it was a pretty neat twist!

That's it!! This lasted us for 3 days!  It could easily be doubled for a freezer meal!




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday Meal Plan

Here is the plan for the week!!

Sunday - BBQ Shredded Chicken Sandwich with Roasted Bell Peppers

Monday - Leftovers

Tuesday - Ranch Chicken Salad Sandwiches (pending - May have guests that night to serve)

Wednesday - Garlic Shrimp

Thursday - Turkey Burgers (make extra)

Friday - leftovers

I have been obsessed with roasting veggies lately.  I am usually a sautee kind of girl, but I have been loving this new roasting option.  The Cons:  it takes a little while to get them truly done and it makes my kitchen smokey.  The Pros:  You can throw them in the oven and not have to do anything else until their done.  Plus, everything roasted is deliciousness!!

Roasted Bell Peppers:

I picked up Red Bell Peppers from the Brookshires BOGO sale this week.  I typically do not buy Red Peppers because of the price, but I thought I would try them out since they were on sale.  I also recently read a recommendation that roasted red peppers are a good table food option for babies. 

I sliced them up and spread them over a cookie sheet covered with wax paper and drizzled with EVOO.  I chose not to season them at this point since the baby would be eating some.

Cook in the oven set to 425 for 20 minutes.  They could have stayed in longer, but I had a pacing daddy and a clingy two year old that needed to be fed pronto!!

I removed a few peppers for baby R and then seasoned HEAVILY with Sea Salt, Garlic Powder, Pepper, Old Bay Season, and Tony's.  Season, taste, and add as needed.

You can season with anything you like.  We prefer a kick in the taste and are NOT fans of bland food.  It took quite a bit of seasoning to give these a good flavor.  However, they were quite yummy in the end.



Baby R was not ready for the pepper.  He had trouble controlling it in his mouth and almost gave me a panic attack!!

The Meal:

Chicken - BOGO Brookshires
Bread - BOGO Brookshires
BBQ Sauce - 25 Cents at Freds (memorial day sale)
Lettuce - BOGO Brookshires
Steamed Green Beans - BOGO Brookshires
Provolone Cheese - Sale at Target using target coupons
Red Bell Peppers - BOGO Brookshires

LEMON GRILLED CHICKEN

For the next couple of weeks, I intend to focus on grill cooking.  We don't get many days that won't entice you into a heat stroke, so enjoy while you can!

I marinated some very large Sam's chicken in a lemon pepper marinate, season with Nature's Own and Lemon and Pepper, and fresh lemon.

Served with sauteed squash and onions. 

Not my favorite chicken flavor, but it was still pretty good.

RL UPDATE:

On weekends, RL likes to play a little game with me.  It's called "find what doesn't belong". 

 Within minutes of waking up on Saturday morning, she got started with her game.  She had several challenges set up for me once I finished preparing her breakfast.  Lets all play along...

 Since I have already succeeded in these challenges, i will help you out.  A pile of diapers peppered with melatonin and nasal spray.  Summer Wieght Daniel needs to child proof additional cabinets.

Daddy's shoes.  She adores all shoes.

 The picture is not too clear, but yes that is a tampon amid the puzzle pieces.

 Milk, Ponds cold cream, lip balm, and a puzzle piece.

 I think she forgot to hide something here. This is just her typical mess.

A salad bowl.....in her closet?

Seriously, her breakfast was not a culinary work of art....

She is surely going to be some type of olympic athelete based on her swiftness in setting up these challenges!! Mama was not so swift getting it all cleaned up :)

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI!

There has been a major modification in the E household.  This is life-altering…..a truly significant event that will change the way I live for many days to come.

It is time for D to transition to his “summer weight” personality!! Dramatic, I know.  Summer weight D is extremely annoying.  He is tremendously judgemental of the food I prepare and to the same foods he once scored 9s and 10s.  How can he turn his back on such meals that left him so satisfied?? I don’t know…….I don’t understand.  I could never turn away.  However, I also carry my “winter weight” year round. 

He has requested that I clear all meals with him prior to preparation.  I promptly responded with a polite decline.  Maybe it wasn’t so polite or dignified but the results were still the same.  That is a big fat negative.  “Summer weight” D (SWD) is flying solo for a while!!  No more fully prepared meals, no more beautiful presentations, no more sit down and let me serve you.

Maybe SWD isn’t so annoying after all???

Here are a always in my back pocket recipe to share:

Chicken Spaghetti:

Boil Spaghetti Noodles – some of my “followerers” must have the obvious stated

Spread cooked noodles in a casserole dish.  Add drained sweet peas, undrained rotel, velveta cheese cut into cubes, and shredded chicken.

Depending on my timeframe , I will either put chicken breast in the crockpot to shred or I will use canned chicken….dont be scared it taste the same!

I spread salt, pepper, and tobacco sauce (lightly) across the top.  This is a personal preference and it is yummy!

Add lots and lots of shredded cheese on top and cook at 350 for about 30 minutes.

I have no pictures today due to posting on the fly.  :(

CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

I have two new challenges I have welcomed into my overstocked life.

1) One pinterest project a week (this includes recipes)

2) At least one directive play activity with RL a day.  I use the term directive play and activity very lightly.  Basically I want to hold myself accountable to take advantage of teachable moments and present her with a variety of learning experiences.  As a working mom, it is so so very easy to rush through all of the life essentials that must take place between 5:30 and 7:00 pm.  However, it IS possible to find time to do something fun and different every single day.  Some may say (Meredith) that I am setting my goals to high.  I say....go big or go home!

It doesn't have to be fancy, just something that simply has a teachable goal in mind.  Day 1 = coloring!  We did more of eating crayons than actually coloring with them, but we made a few beautiful and creative lines on a sheet.  Teachable moment = crayons are not for eating.  Wow...I feel like a better mom already!!

On to the food....from pinterest.  Weekly challenge = check!

Here is the recipe:

http://cleverlyinspired.blogspot.com/2011/02/angel-chickenslow-cooker.html

I followed the recipe with these ingredients + mushrooms and chicken:

I surprisingly had all but the cream cheese already stocked in my pantry!!  There are pros and cons to making this recipe on a work night. I had to make the sauce in the morning to get it ready for the crockpot.  I don't mind this at all and it took about 10 minutes. I am totally willing to give up 10 minutes of morning time when RL is asleep and have dinner ready for me when I get home!! However, if you have a packed morning it may be a little more difficult. 
I used one package of mushrooms and frozen chicken.  Set on low for 10 hours.

Once I got home, all I needed to do is make some rice and green beans!!  I shredded the chicken a bit over the rice.

Results:

1) D added some hot sauce and gave it a 7.  He liked the idea, but it was lacking flavor.

2) RL was not interested.

3)  It was definately lacking flavor.  I regretfully added nothing to the recipe and simply shredded and served.  I will make it again, but add seasoning and another package of mushrooms.  If you like mushrooms, it needs two packs.

Night two of chicken with mushroom sauce

I LOVE leftover night!  I need to do a better job of making sure to have more of these nights.  It's like having a night off and still getting paid!!

I cannot stand to have the exact same thing repeated (I'm like that with mine and RL's clothes as well), so I needed to make the meal look a little different.

I made some Pasta Roni Parm Cheese pasta.  This pasta is very good and I believe it is only around $1 at Walmart.

I combined the chicken, green beans, and leftover sausage from the breakfast burritos into one dish.  Added grated parm cheese and french fried onions.  Seasoned with Natures Own and pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce.  Warmed in the oven for about 10 munites.

Results:

1) D gave it close to a 9!! Isn't it amazing how much the right amount of seasoning and toppings can completely change a meal?!?

2) RL could not get enough in her mouth quick enough!!

3) Total change from the night before...loved it!

RL helped me cook in her new Learning Tower!!

So far she is really enjoying it and it is soooo much easier for me to cook without her on my hip or hanging from my leg.  Warning: All real ingredients need to be out of reach.  Because of this mistake, I have learned that my child LOVES to eat butter....from the tub.