Chicken Bacon & Avocado Chopped Salad

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts     
salt and pepper                                        
1 Tbsp. olive oil                                      
8 cups chopped Romaine lettuce            
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced          
4 ounces blue cheese, crumbled            
2 avocados, pitted and diced        
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped green onions

Garlic Herb Vinaigrette Ingredients:
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
pinch of salt and freshly-cracked black pepper
1 Tbsp. dried Italian seasonings
1 1/2 cups extra virgin olive oil

1. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.)
3. Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.
4. Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, blue cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.
To Make The Vinaigrette: Whisk all ingredients together until combined

I have only just begun to appreciate serving salads as a meal. This is one of the first I tried and we were pleasantly surprised. We used our own dressings.

"Fat-burning" Tilapia

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was noted that: cayenne, ginger, and mustard are 3 ingredients that help you burn fat just by eating them.

Sorry, no picture yet:(

•¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
 •2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
 •1 teaspoon paprika
 •1 teaspoon ginger
 •1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
 •1 teaspoon dried mustard
 •1 teaspoon chili powder
 •1 pinch cayenne pepper
 •4 tilapia filets, thawed

 1.Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line your baking sheet with parchment paper.
 2.In a medium-sized bowl combine olive oil, garlic and seasonings.
 3.Dip each filet into the seasoning and place it on the baking sheet.
 4.Pour any remaining seasoning over the filets on the sheet and place the baking sheet in the oven.
 5.Bake for 10 -12 minutes until fish flakes easily.
In my opinion, I loved this recipe! The seasonings were a bit much for my girls so be careful if you are making this for small children.

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps

1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I use a combination of Monterey jack and sharp cheddar)
Sour cream (optional)
6 burrito-sized flour tortillas

1.Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.
 2.Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.

Oh yeah! Another yummy meal. I'm starting to really like these wraps and melts! For more great wraps and melts click on the "wraps" label on the right.

Butterfinger Pie

This is not my picture. If it is yours, let me know and I will gladly give you credit.

6 (2 1/8 ounce) butterfinger candy bars, crushed (about 19 mini bars)
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (12 ounce) carton Cool Whip This is the BIG one.
1 graham cracker crust (I used a smaller one and it was perfect)

1 Mix first three ingredients together.
2 Put it in pie crust.
3 Chill.
Wow, this was just too delicious. It was super easy, too! Make sure you get it out of the freezer at least an hour before serving.

Julia's Powerballs

My friend, Julia, told me about these quick and easy after-school snacks. They were a huge hit with all 4 of my kids. I snuck several myself.

2 c oatmeal
1 c chocolate chips
1 c peanut butter
2/3 c honey
(flour if you need to firm them up a bit)

If you have an electric mixer, I recommend tossing all the ingredients in and letting the mixer do all the work. Otherwise, you'll have oatmeal under your nails and all over the place. The kids can roll them into balls. They are pretty mushy so I put ours into the fridge to firm up.

They were a fabulous treat in our house and the kids are dying to make more. If you have more than 4 kids, you may want to double the recipe or they'll be gone the first day.

Teacher Appreciation Gift

I thought it would be fun and unique to make cookie bouquets for the kids' teachers this year. I didn't get them done in time for Teacher Appreciation Week, but as a former teacher, I know that it doesn't matter when you receive a gift. I let my oldest help decorate some of the cookies.

Then the kids wanted to decorate the pots. I really had to let go of my OCD and let them decorate how they wanted to. The gifts were from them.

Here is one finished project. If you've never made a cookie bouquet before, be prepared to devote a LOT of time for completion. You can only fit half as many cookies on the baking sheets because they have sticks in them.

 

 

Then you have to make the frosting. AND mix each color. AND fill the icing bags. Then you have to do all the outlining first. Then you're ready to fill in the cookies with the frosting. This is a long, tedious process.

 

 

Next you have to let them dry. This takes up to 6 hours! You want to them to be firm before you put them in the bags and tie them. Meanwhile, you can spray paint the pots because those have to dry as well. Sometimes the pots need a second coat.

 

 

Assembly: I take some oasis (found in the floral department at craft stores) and force it into the pot. Next, I decide how many cookies will be in each row. Then I begin by placing the back row-middle cookie, and I work out from there. Finally, I fill in the space with some tissue paper, and they're ready to go.

 

 

Here are some of the other cookie bouquets I've made:



Sausage Breakfast Casserole for Crock Pot

by Jimmy Dean

This is in my Crock Pot right now so I can't tell you how good it is.

1 pkg. (26-32 ounces) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
1 pkg. Jimmy Dean® Hearty Original Sausage Crumbles
2 cup (8 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup julienne cut sun dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained
6 green onions, sliced
12 eggs
1/2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 tground black pep                                                                                                                                

1. Spray a 6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Layer 1/2 of the potatoes on the bottom of slow cooker.
2. Top with half of the sausage, mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, sun dried tomatoes and green onion. Repeat layering.
3. Beat eggs, milk salt and pepper in large bowl with a wire whisk until well blended.
4. Pour evenly over potato-sausage mixture.
5. Cook on low setting for 8 hours or on high setting for 4 hours or until eggs are set.
Cook’s Tip: Substitute 1 cup chopped fresh tomato for sun dried tomatoes, if desired.

This one was okay, not bad, but not great. That's all I can say about it.

Creamy Bacon Carbonara

This tastes even better than it sounds! If you love pasta, you must try this. Another great recipe found on Pinterest.

2 eggs
1/4 cup Cream or Heavy Cream  (Whipping Cream)
1/3 cup Parmesan
Fresh diced Parsley or dried flakes
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes
 *(I doubled the Sauce recipe, and it was perfect)
1/2 lb. bacon (8 slices)
1 small onion, chopped (opt)
3 mushrooms sliced (opt)
1/2 lb. Pasta (I used linguine)


1. Beat the eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and the red pepper together in a bowl.  I just used a fork. 
2. Fry the bacon until crisp, then crumble and set aside. 
3. With 1 -2 Tbsp. bacon grease, saute the onion and the mushrooms until the onions are translucent and golden. 
4. Drain the pasta and while still warm, add to the onions and mushrooms.  Pour cream mixture into the pasta, and stir over low heat for one to two minutes. (**I doubled the sauce recipe and I saved a bit of the pasta water, just in case my sauce got thicker than I liked – simply add a bit if you need it)   Don’t do this on high heat, or you will make scrambled eggs. 
5. Serve with additional Parmesan, and a loaf of Crusty French bread and a salad.

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos

Pinterest has been my go-to place for recipes lately. Here's another good one!

- 4 chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lbs)
- 1 packet of taco seasoning
- 1 packet of ranch dressing
- 14 ounces of chicken broth
-sour cream, lettuce, tomato, avocado, tortillas

1. Put chicken breasts, taco & ranch mixes and chicken broth in crock pot.
2. Set crock pot on low for 5 hours.
3. After 5 hours, shred chicken with 2 forks.
4. Serve!

These were pretty good, very versatile. I like this kind because it is dump and go.

Crispy French Onion Chicken

This was a great recipe! It's just so easy, I don't know why I don't make these coated chicken recipes more often.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp. honey mustard
1 c. crushed French's Fried Onions


1. Coat the chicken with honey mustard.
2. Roll in the crushed onions.
3. Place on a foil lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until done.

Spicy Roman Chicken Pasta

Here is another great recipe! Beware of the cayenne pepper, we like heat, but 2 teaspoons was too much! My poor kids couldn't eat it.

pint heavy cream
4 T butter
2 tsp  salt
1 – 2 tsp pepper
1/4 cup romano cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tsp cayenne pepper
10 ounce package of bowtie pasta cooked and drained according to package directions – al dente.
1 1/2 T melted butter
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small jar artichoke hearts, drained
1 7-8 ounce precooked sliced grilled chicken (we also add equal amounts of sausage to ours…although shrimp, beef, and crab would be great too!)
1/8 cup sundried tomatoes, chopped
1 oz heavy cream

Sauce:
 1. Melt butter in saute pan or skillet. Add cream, salt and pepper, heat to a boil. Remove from heat and fold in cheeses and cayenne pepper. Set aside.
 2. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter, then add mushrooms, and sundried tomatoes. Stir for one minute. Next add artichokes and chicken (and cooked sausage or other meat). Stir. Stir in 1 ounce heavy cream and 1/2 of the sauce. Add bowtie pasta followed by rest of the sauce. Stir gently. Serve.

Crock Pot Beef Carnitas Tacos

Oh yeah, these were good. I didn't care for the corn tortillas, I'll definitely use flour tortillas next time. Just imagine how wonderful your house is going to smell while this is cooking in your Crock Pot!

2 lbs flank steak
1 yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
for spice rub---
2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
corn tortillas, avocado slices, cilantro, your favorite salsa, limes
Mix together all spices in a small bowl. Rub the spices all over your flank steak---be generous here! Then, place your steak at the bottom of your crock pot.
Cover the steak with the chopped onions, bell peppers and jalapeno pepper. Turn heat on LOW and cook for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, remove meat from crock pot and shred with a fork. It should be incredibly easy to shred. You can either stick the shredded meat back in the pot for another hour or serve as is.
To serve, heat your corn tortillas in a skillet on the stove. Spoon some carnitas on a tortilla then top with salsa, avocado, cilantro and a squeeze of lime.
Enjoy with a margarita for best result.

Crock Pot Garlic Lime Chicken

This recipe was surprisingly good, especially considering I didn't buy the quick-cooking tapioca. You can serve the chicken with rice or potatoes, and your favorite veggies.

5 bone-in thighs (I bet you could use chicken breasts)
½ Soy Sauce
¼-1/3 lime juice, according to taste
1 TBLS Worchestershire
2 garlic cloves, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
½ tsp dry mustard
½ tsp pepper
1 TBLS quick-cooking tapioca

1. Place chicken in slow cooker
2. Combine remaining ingredients and pour over chicken
3. Cover and cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours

Baked Penne with Chicken and Sun-Dried Tomatoes (freezer meal)

Here's another recipe I found on Pinterest. I really liked this one, not just because of the flavor, but because you can make 3 pans: eat 1, freeze 2 for later! The sun-dried tomatoes add a yummy zing to the pasta, you definitely should give this one a try. I will warn you that there are a lot of steps, so if you have small kids, I'd save this one for a Saturday or Sunday when you have more time.

 

     6 tablespoons butter, plus more for baking dishes

Coarse salt and ground pepper

1 pound penne rigate

1 teaspoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each), halved horizontally

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)

4 garlic cloves, minced

6 cups whole milk

10 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced

1/2 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and thinly sliced

1 1/2 cups shredded provolone (6 ounces)  {NOTE: I used 2 1/2 c Italian Cheese Blend instead of provolone and Parmesan.

1 cup finely grated Parmesan (4 ounces)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400. Butter two shallow 2-quart baking dishes. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 3 minutes short of al dente; drain pasta, and return to pot.
2. In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Season chicken with salt and pepper; cook until opaque throughout, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Halve each piece lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise.
3. In a 5-quart Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Add flour and garlic; cook, whisking, 1 minute. While whisking, gradually add milk; bring to a simmer, whisking frequently. Add mushrooms and tomatoes; cook 1 minute. Off heat, gradually stir in provolone and 1/2 cup Parmesan.
4. Add chicken and pasta to pot; season with salt and pepper. Divide pasta mixture between baking dishes; sprinkle each with cup Parmesan.
5. Bake, uncovered, until top is golden and bubbling, about 25 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

 

To Freeze: Prepare through step 4; let cool. Cover tightly with foil, and freeze, up to 3 months.

To Bake From Frozen: Preheat oven to 400, and bake (still covered in foil) on a rimmed baking sheet until center is hot, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove foil; bake until golden, about 15 minutes more.

Buffalo Chicken Lasagna Crock Pot

This lasagna was pretty good, nothing spectacular. I originally found the recipe on Pinterest. I googled this recipe so I could just cut and paste it here, and I found another version that got great reviews. Here is Stephanie O'Dea's recipe, you've probably heard of her, she is the blogger A Year of Slow Cooking.

 -3 boneless chicken breasts (cooked and chopped – I chopped my very fine)
 - 1 Cup Frank’s Red Hot Buffalo Sauce
 - 828ml of pasta sauce
 - Uncooked lasagna noodles
 - Tub of Ricotta Cheese
 - 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
 - 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese
 - 1/4 cup of water

 Optional Ingredients:
 - add in 2 sweet bell peppers (not a fan of those in our house so we skipped it)
 - We used more cheese than we required to
 - In a bowl combine the chicken, buffalo sauce & pasta sauce – this will be called the sauce from here on
 - Spray your 5 qt slow cooker with non stick spray
 - Ladle a large spoonful of your sauce to cover the bottom of the crock pot
 - Add a layer of noodles – you will need to break them up. We like lots of noodles so we doubled up on this step
 - Spread a layer of ricotta cheese across the noodles
 - Add bell peppers
 - Top with cheese
 - Repeat the layers until you run out of ingredients.
 - On the final layer top with sauce and cheese
 - Pour 1/4 cup of water over your lasagna
 - Cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or on high for 2.5 to 3 hours.