Freezer meals

I am going to be doing a day of freezer meals. If anyone is interested in joining me I will be glad to send the ingredients list and we can meet in my kitchen one day to spend the day prepping our meals....followed of course by a wonderful meal that will have been cooking in the crockpot the entire time. On a side note....I have decided I need to add pictures of the recipes I had...so if I can just remember, I will start to add photos of the yummy things we eat. Let me know if you want a list!

Crockpot Sweet and Sour Chicken

Serves: 6
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook:6-7 hours (low)
Finish: 45-60 minues (high)

1 1/2 cups baby carrots
6 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, crushed
1 1/3 cups bottled sweet and sour sauce
1 can (20 oz) pineapple chunks in juice, drained
1 bag (1 lb) frozen stir-fry peppers and onions, thawed and drained
6 cups hot cooked rice

1. place carrots ion crockpot. Top with chicken, sprinkle with red pepper (we leave this out because the kids don't want the spice)
2. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when center of thickest pieces are cut.
3. remove chicken and carrots from cooker; drain and discard liquid from cooker. Return chicken and carrots to cooker. Cover with sweet and sour sauce, top with pineapple and stir-fry vegetables. Cover and cook on high 45-60 minutes, until carrots are tender. Serve with rice.

Per serving: 510 cal, 25 g. protein, 82 g. carbs. 4 grams fiber, 9 grams fat, 55 mg, chol, 270 sodium

I picked up a great magazine at a checkstand one day. Woman's day Special Interest Publication called "Slow Cooking" Love the recipes in this magazine!

Chile-Chicken Tacos

Makes: 12
Prep: 15 minues
Cook: 6-7 hours (low)
Finish: 15 minutes (low)

1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 pkg (1.25 oz) taco seasoning
1 Tbsp. brown sugar, packed
1 can (4.5oz) chopped green chiles, drained
1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1/4 cup medium scallions (about 4) sliced
1 pkg taco shells
3 cups shredded lettuce
1 medium tomato, chopped

1. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray; add chicken thighs. Sprinkle with taco seasoning and brown sugar; toss to coat. Mix in green chiles, corn and 1/2 cup enchilada sauce. Refrigerate remaining sauce.

2. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours, until chicken is cooked through.

3. Remove chicken from cooker, place on cutting board. Use two forks to pull chicken into shreds. Return chicken to cooker. Stir in scallions. Cover and cook on low 15 minutes.

4. Heat maining enchilada sauce. Serve chicken mixture in taco shells with lettuce, tomato and warm enchilada sauce

Per serving: 320 cal, 24 g. protein, 31 g. car, 5 g. fiber, 13 g. fat 60 mg chol, 900 mg sod.

Yummy. The kids all love it

Potato Leek Soup

Nothing is better on a cold day then a hot bowl of soup. This one is amazing. (I know it is far from cold today....but cleaning out my recipe cupboard!)

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes
Serves: 8

4 medium potatoes
3 Tbs. butter or margarine
3 medium leeks, chopped (about 3 cups)
4 cups chicken brother
2 cups water
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup skim milk
1/4 tsp. white pepper
choped fresh chives for garnish

1. Peel and dice potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
2. In a heavy 3-quart saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add leeks; saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and salt. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Cool slightly.
3. In a blender or food processor fitted with metal blade, process potato mixture until smooth. Return potato mixture to saucepan. Add milk and pepper. Cook over medium heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Ladle soupo into serving bowls. Garnish with chives. Serve immediately.

Leek Prep: first remove the dark green leaves and rinse well to remove any sand. Discard the bulb base and slice the remaining white portion.

For those on weight watchers: 3 points per serving
calories: 151 (31% from fat)
carbs: 21 g
Protein: 5 g
Sodium: 387 mg
Fat: 5g
Cholesterol: 1 mg

Tuxedo Brownie Cups

These brownies are adorable and make the perfect treat for a baby/bridal shower or any time you want to bring a dessert to impress.

1 package brownie mix plus ingredients to make cake like brownies
2 squares white chocolate for baking
2 tbs. milk
1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup thawed, frozen whipped topping
1 pint small strawberries, sliced

1. preheat oven to 325*. Spray cups of mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies. Fill cups 2/3 full. Bake 14 minutes or until edges are set (do not over bake).

2. remove pan to cooling rack. Immediately press tops of Brownies in (I use the pampered chef mini-tart shaper) to make indentions in brownie. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Loosen edges and gently remove brownies from pan. Cool completely. Wash pan, spray with cooking spray and repeat baking with remaining batter.

3. Microwave white chocolate and milk in microwave safe bowl on High for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Cool slightly. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix well. Gradually stir in white chocolate mixture until smooth. Fold in whipped topping.

4. Fill decorator icing bag, with a large star tip, with mixture. Pipe cream cheese mixture into cooled brownie cups. Arrange strawberry slices on top. Garnish as desired (with orange zest, mint leaves or melted semi-sweet chocolate). Place in airtight container and refrigerate 1-3 hours before serving.

Yield 4 dozen

Thanks to pampered chef for the great recipe

crockpot brownies

Hold on to your hats. This is one rich, satisfying, amazing dessert. And it took all of 5 minutes to prepare.
The Ingredients.
--1 16 oz package of brownie mix
--1/4 cup melted butter
--1 egg
--1/4 cup water
--1 can sweetened condensed milk
--1/4 cup walnuts
--1/4 cup coconut
--1/4 cup oats

The Directions.
I used my mini 1.5 quart crockpot for this dish
The proportions of the oats, coconut, and walnuts are for the mini crock. If you decide to use a larger size, use enough of the toppings to spread over the whole surface area.
--melt butter
--add 1/4 cup of water, the egg, and the brownie mix
--stir until none of the powder is left dry; batter will be quite thick
--pour can of sweetened condensed milk over the top.
--Shuffle children quickly out of the kitchen because you are "working" and lick out the inside of the can, being careful so you don't cut off your tongue.
--wash sweetened condensed milk off of your face
--cover milk with a layer of oats, then coconut, then walnuts.
--close up crockpot and cook on high, if using a little crock, low if using a bigger one. Test with a knife after two hours, if it comes out clean, cook for another 20-30 minutes with the lid off to get rid of the collected condensation and to help solidify the condensed milk. You will know this is done when the edges pull away from your stoneware.
Since I used my mini crockpot, this cooked for about 4 1/2 hours altogether.
The Verdict.
Well worth the wait.

Breakfast Tostada with Eggo Waffles

Breakfast Tostada with Eggo Waffles
Ingredients
12 Eggo waffles
12 Eggs
3 cups Sausage, cooked and crumbled
6 oz. Tomatoes, diced
6 oz. Cheddar cheese, shredded
6 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
Salsa
Pepper of choice, for garnish (optional)

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Toast waffles.
Scramble eggs, folding in prepared sausage while cooking eggs.
Top toasted waffles with scrambled eggs and sausage, diced tomatoes, shredded Cheddar cheese and shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
Bake in the oven until the cheese is melted.
Serve with a side dish of salsa and garnish with slices of jalapeno or other pepper.

Bacon Cheeseburger Crockpot Chicken

Funny name because there is no groundbeef!

The Ingredients.

--2 T olive oil
--4-6 chicken breast halves, or equivalent bird pieces (I used 8 breast tenders)
--12 pieces cooked and crumbled bacon
--1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (I used Tamari's wheat-free that I found at Whole Foods)
--1/2 cup Ranch salad dressing
--1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
The Directions.
Put the 2 tablespoons of olive oil into the bottom of your crock and spread it around. If you are using thighs or fattier cuts of meat, this step is probably optional.
Put the chicken in the crock on top of the oil.
In a small bowl, combine the teriyaki sauce and the ranch dressing. I kept tasting this---the flavor is so bizarre and tasty; I've never had anything like it.
Pour sauce over the top of the chicken. Add the shredded cheese and the crumbled bacon to the crock, getting between the chicken pieces, if you can.
Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4. The cooking time will depend on how thick your chicken pieces are, and if they are fresh or frozen.
Since I used the tiny breast tenders (frozen) our dinner cooked in only 3 hours on high.

Tip: I would add the shredded cheese at the end...it added a lot of grease that was unwanted. Put it on just at the end and let it melt!

I Hop Pancakes

1 1/4 cup flour
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup oil
pinch salt

Starbucks Hot Chocolate

1/4 cup water
2 tbs. cocoa
2 tbs. granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup milk
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Sunny D

6 cups water
1 cup corn syrup
1 1/3 cup frozen apple juice, thawed
2 tbs. frozen limeade thawed
4 tsp. frozen grapefruit juice thawed
1 tsp. kool aid lemonade mix

Mix and chill!

McDonalds Sweet and Sour Sauce

1/4 cup peach preserves
1/4 cup apricot preserves
2 TBS. light corn syrup
1 1/2 tsp. corn starch
1/2 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. yellow mustard
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. garlic powder
2 TBS. water

Enjoy or just grab extra when you go to McDonalds next time!

Tex Mex Chicken Tenders in Crockpot

With so much to do and so little time we are trying this new crockpot recipe for dinner tonight!

Ingredients
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 tablespoons taco seasoning mix(1/2 of 1-1/4-oz. pkg.)
2 tablespoons flour
1 green pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 red pepper, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
1 cup frozen corn
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded four-cheese Mexican blend cheese

Directions
1Spray crock pot with cooking spray.
2Place chicken with seasoning and flour in slow cooker.
3Stir in all remaining ingredients except the shredded cheese; cover with lid.
4Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5Stir well just before serving.
6Top with the shredded cheese and serve over rice.

Orange Jello Cool Whip Salad

Yummy salad for the summer!

1 large can pears
1 large can peaches
1 medium can crushed pineapple
bottle of marachino cherries
8 oz sour cream
large cool whip
large box orange jello

To drain fruit put in strainer, but in bite size pieces and drain . (drain for a long time, like an hour in the fridge)
Sprinkle powder from jello on fruit and put in fridge overnight
1 hour before eating, drain cherries, cut in half and add with sour cream. Fold in cool whip

Oriental Chicken Salad

I love this salad, but it makes a lot. So I usually make it to take to a pot luck. Enjoy!

2 c. cooked chicken cubed
3 T. sesame seeds (I omit this)
3 T. slivered almonds
2 T. sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup (or less) cooking oil
3 T. salad vinegar
1 tsp. salt
2 packages top ramen seasoning
2 green onions
2 pkgs. top ramen noodles (uncooked, broken)
5 cups chopped cabbage (or cole slaw mix)

Toast sesame seeds and almonds in cooking oil. Add sugar, vinegar, salt and seasoning. Add cooked chicken and toss. Place cabbage, onions and noodles in serving bowl. Add chicken mixture and toss.

Porcupine Meatballs

When we farmed we would get cows butchered....so I always had lots of ground beef. I had to be creative to find new ways to have plain old ground beef. This is one not only the kids love, but Neil also. You could always substitute ground turkey for the beef.

1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
3/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. parsley flakes
1 tbsp. minced onion
1/3 cup uncooked rice
1 can (8 oz) tomato sauce
1/2 tsp. hamburger seasoning salt
1 cup water

1. in a mixing bowl combine the ground beef, bread crumbs, egg, worcestershire sauce, salt, parsley flakes and minced onion.
2. mix together and then form beef into 8 meat balls
3. roll each meat ball in the rice so that the rice sticks to it
4. put the meat balls in a skillet
5. make the sauce by combining the tomato sauce and hamburger seasoning salt. Pour this sauce over each meat ball.
6. carefully pour the water into the skillet between the meat balls, not over them.
7. cover the skillet with a lid and simmer over medium heat for about 45 minutes.

hint: use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop out the meat for the meat balls so they will cook evenly.

Chili's Bayou Chicken with Pasta

got this off the internet, haven't had it at Chili's but Neil loves the dish. We omit the tomatoes because I am the only tomato eater in the house.

12 oz penne pasta
3 tbs. butter
1 1/2 cup half & half
1/2 parmesan
salt and pepper
1 lb. boneless chicken
cajun spice
2 tsp. oil
2 firm tomatoes

1. Bring pot of water to boil. Cook penne according to package.
2. melt butter over medium heat. Add flour, stir 1 minute. Add half & half; thicken about 6 minutes, add parmesan, salt and pepper. cover
3. place chicken between plastic wrap; pound to 1/2 inch thickness. Rub with cajun spice. Warm oil in skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken turning once until no longer pink (6-8 minutes) Slice chicken.
4. Toss pasta with sauce, top with chicken and tomatoes

Pork Chops

I love this recipe because the Pork Chops are still moist and the rice is amazing. The flavor is just fantastic. I tend to double everything but the chops because we enjoy the rice so much.

1 cup regular rice (not quick)
1 can Campbells beef comsumme soup
Pork chops (about 8, enough to fit your 9X13)

Butter casserole dish, put rice in and add soup and 1 can water. Cover with foil and place in 350* oven for at least 1 hour. As soon as you put rice in oven, brown pork chops in small amount of oil, then add them to the rice dish, recover and return to oven. Do not cook more then 1 1/2 hours, just cook until moisture is absorbed by the rice.

Cafe Rio

cafe rio pork3 lbs pork roast [ask your butcher where it is if you don't know.. one time i came home with ham instead of pork..]16 oz chunky salsa [or you can blend if you don't want chunky]1 can coke2 cup brown sugar
place pork in crock pot + fill half way up the side of the pork with water. cook on high for 4 hours. drain water. cut pork into thirds, then mix sauce [coke, brown sugar, + salsa] and pour on top. cook 4 more hours on low. shred pork. mix back in with sauce if you want it saucy or not.cafe rio chicken1 small bottle of kraft zesty italian dressing1 tbs chili powder1 tbs cumin3 cloves garlic-minced5 lbs chicken breastcook all together in a crockpot for 4 hours on high, shred, then cook for an additional 1 hour.
cafe rio rice
3 cups uncooked rice4 cups water4 tsp chicken bouillion2 cloves minced garlic1/2 cup chopped cilantro1 can green chili's diced3/4 tsp salt1 tsp zest of lime2 tbs lime juice2 tsp sugar1 tbs butter1/2 onion, chopped
saute onion, garlic + butter until the onion is soft. add water, rice, and remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. after it begins to boil rapidly, reduce the heat to low and cover with the lid + simmer for about 20 minutes.
cafe rio creamy cilantro tomatillo salad dressing
1 package dry hidden valley ranch salad dressing1 cup mayo1/2 bunch cilantro1 large clove garlic3 small-medium tomatillos, husk off [like tomatoes but green and has a husk on it]1/3 cup buttermilkjuice of 1 lime1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 small jalapeno) - optional
place all ingredients in a blender + blend until smooth. chill in fridge at least 1 hour before serving, then it will thicken.
black beans[i just used a can of black beans without anything else, but this recipe looks good too]1 can black beans, rinsed and drained1 1/3 cup tomato juice2 cloves garlic, minced1 tsp ground cumin2 tbs olive oil1 1/2 tsp salt2 tbs fresh chopped cilantro
in a nonstick skillet, cook garlic and cumin in olive oil over medium heat until you can smell it. add beans, tomato juice, and salt. continually stir until heated through. just before serving stir in the cilantro.
assembly
salad- order of assemblytortilla - i use the tortilla land brand of uncooked flour tortillas from costco or sams. they are awesome and taste like cafe rio's homemade tortillas,shredded colby +monterray jack cheese,rice,beans,pork,lettuce,pico de gallo - [or chopped tomatoes, diced onions, cilantro, lime juice]guacamole,feta cheese crumbles, cilantro, lime wedge [for lime juice]tortilla strips,cilantro tomatillo dressing
burrito, toritilla ,rice, beans, pork, shredded cheese,any other toppings wanted roll it up
ENJOY!

Orange Jello Cool Whip Salad

1 large can pears
1 large can peaches
1 medium can crushed pineapple
bottle of marachino cherries
8 oz sour cream
1 large cool whip
large box orange jello

Drain Fruit. Put in a strainer, cut into bite size pieces and drain for long time (about 1 hour)
Sprinkle jello on fruit and chill overnight.
One hour before serving, drain cherries and cut in half. Add to fruit. Mix with sour cream and then fold in cool whip.

Grandma Sandy's famous for making great jello salads!

Snickers Salad

This "salad" is a real crowd pleaser. It was even a special request for the young women at girls camp, and this is with very picky young women. I call it salad, you may call it heaven!

4 apples-chopped
4 bananas-sliced
1 lb. snickers-chopped (or any other favorite candy bar)
12 oz. cool whip

Mix and chill!

White bean chicken chili

This is one of the best chili recipes I have ever had. Super easy to make! Got this from my good friend Rhinda Crockett. She is actually Neils cousin (her grandpa Elmer and Neils grandpa Wayne are brothers) Gotta love this on a chilly day!

3 cans white navy beans or great northern beans
1/2 large onion
1 cube butter
1/4 cup flour
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 cups milk
2 tsp. tobassco
4 oz. diced green chili
3/4 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
4 1/2 cooked and shredded chicken breasts
1 1/2-2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese

In 2T. butter sautee onions. In large saucepan add butter and flour. Mix and add broth and milk. Bring to boil. Turn down heat add other ingredients. Heat through and serve.

Tomato Hamburger Casserole

This is a great casserole when you are low on time and don't have anything fresh in the fridge. I almost always have all these ingredients in the pantry/freezer. It doesn't sound like the most amazing recipe, but the kids love it and don't even realize I am throwing in extra veggies for them.

1 lb ground beef
1 can corn-drained
1 onion cut fine
2 cans tomato sauce (8oz)
tomato juice
1/2 lb. egg noodles cooked and drained
cheddar chesse-shredded

Brown onion add ground beef and cook until no longer pink. Add can corn and tomato sauce. Combine with egg noodles in casserole dish. Add enough tomato juice until you have a soupy consistency (some will cook off) Top with cheese. Bake 45 min 350*

Poppyseed Chicken (also known as Ritzy Chicken)

This chicken casserole is one of my sister's favorites! She omits the poppyseeds.

1 cube butter melted
1 1/2 tsp. poppyseeds
1 stack ritz crackers
1 cup sour cream
1 can cream of chicken soup
4-6 boiled chicken breasts (cubed)

Put chicken in casserole dish. Heat soup and sour cream until mixed. Pour over chicken. Mash ritz in zip lock bag. Mix butter and poppyseeds with crackers. Sprinkle over top of chicken. Bake 350* for 30 minutes.

Never met a kid that didn't love this recipe.

Why life is a cupcake

so here is the inspiration behind Life is Like A Cupcake. Found these great boxes at Michael's for $4. They are normally $13 or more. I think I talked about them on my other blog...but I absolutely love them. They inspire me to make beautiful cupcakes. Anyone have any great recipes?

BBQ Chicken

Although my first post should be some yummy cupcake recipe, I couldn't resist posting one of my favorite chicken recipes. I got it from a girl in my dorm at college,Jennie Lund, and still make it all the time. It is cheap, easy, fast and yummy! Enjoy!

3 Lb chicken (I use drum sticks)
1 T. Lemon juice
2 T. Vinegar
2 T. Butter
2 T. Worchetshire sauce (spelling?)
4 T. water
3 T. brown sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. mustard
1 t. chili powder
1 t. paprika
1/2 t. cayenne

Place all in a crock pot, cook for 4-6 hours. Chicken will be falling off the bone and delicious!