Recipe: Slow Cooker Creamy Chicken & Rice

Get ready...this is easy and delicious.  FOUR ingredients.  Yep, yep!

Ready?  Here goes: < This recipe serves two >

1 block of cream cheese - softened/thawed so it can be mixed with other ingredients
1 packet of dry Italian dressing seasoning
1 can of Cream of Chicken soup
2-3 Chicken breasts (I used what you see below since I don't like to handle the chicken raw)
2-4 servings of rice

Add everything except chicken.  Mix well.  If your cream cheese isn't sofe enough, put slow cooker on low for 15-20 minutes and then mix everything together.

Add chicken on top.  Cook high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours

Prepare rice just before serving.  We used white rice.  You can flavor your rice to your taste.

Summer (foil packet) recipes for the grill

It's suuuummmmmeeeerrr!  So exciting.  I am not tan yet but am well on my way.  I will be spending lots of weekends on the water and did some Pinterest browsing for some summer recipes and are sharing the best ones (so far).  Enjoy!

Foil packet green beans

Almost a meal in itself!  This cheesy chicken mixed with green beans looks simple and tasty.

Hello, cheat snack!  Bring on these cheese fries baby!

Grilled peaches are the essential summer treat and these look amazing!

Campfire cones...saving the best for last.  I just recently made these and the kids LOVED them.

Weekend Rewind: Easter

Dang, I hate to complain but I am sick of being sick.  I have been bogged down off and on the last few weeks feeling under the weather every four or five days.  After much denial, I am realizing that I may need to eat better, rest more and maybe even take vitamins.  Ahhhh.....so sad.  I am not in my 20s anymore. :(
Moving on to happier subjects....EASTER!  I conquered a little Pinterest project I saved.  Since our family is into racing, I created little go-kart racing Peeps with Twinkies and Swiss Cake Rolls.  I used crushed Oreos as the race track.  The kids loved them.

I also got a sad realization that my oldest nephew Shane is now taller than me, even with heels on.  He was the first born and we are very close.  He has been standing head to head with me for a year, telling me he would be taller soon and in the last few months he has sprouted up a couple inches.  

 I normally do baskets for the kids but this year I decided to do towels.  I caught them on sale with Pottery Barn {here}.  I got the full size towels and had their names added to them.  Our family spends all summer boating and these are sure to get tons of use.  They each also got a new pair of summer flip-flops.  They loved them and the embroidery came out so cute.
It wasn't long after lunch the kids slipped into swimsuits and although they were freezing, they had a great time.

Simon sighting! I was hoping for a nice photo with a pretty background but this is the best we got. My husband is as bad as a child, he hates pictures.  Add that to the kid's new favorite trick, hopping into pictures at the last second and it's nothing short of an adventure.  

 Hope y'all are off to a super week!

Recipe: Adults Only (Fireball) Cherries

Looking for a fun treat to bring to an adults only party?  This is it.  Fireball is everywhere.  I am a sissy and can barely take a shot of it.  These sweet treats make a great party app or even hostess gift.   

A friend of mine recently shared this little surprise and we tried it at a family BBQ recently. Everyone loved them and the best part is they are beyond easy to prepare.

Buy any size maraschino cherries.  Pour out half the cherry juice and refill with Fireball Whisky.  

That's it.  Stick it back in the fridge and let them sit overnight.  We served with skewers in a bowl.  

They could be moved to a plastic container for travel and would be great for tailgating.  

For your next event, you've got to try these babies!  Happy Tuesday, friends.    

8 Easy Super Bowl Party Recipes

I have a busy weekend planned and will be spending my last few hours with friends visiting our home for the Super Bowl.  I am planning my food and wanted to share some of my favorite pins.

Pasta salad is a go to.  Honestly, I usually do the box pasta and add some fresh ingredients.  Some of my favorites are green pepper, tomato and mozzarella cheese.  This mix calls for cucumbers too and I agree, they made a good pairing.

Cream cheese and sour cream are obvious choices for all things tasty.  This recipe has the bad stuff and some fresh stuff so you won't feel so bad enjoying it. 

I have made this spicy sausage dip many times and the guys love it.  The ritz crackers are a perfect addition to the spicy dip..

Seven layer dip is always a winner.  I have never gone the extra mile to prepare it like this but I think it'd be a great touch.  

I brought these to a friend's house last year and they were gone in an instant.  They are super easy to prepare and I totally under estimated how popular they'd be.

If this recipe doesn't say Super Bowl, nothing does.  It has all the tasty essentials and is a favorite go-to.  We will likely do some wings catered and this will go perfectly.

Hot & Spicy Taco pretzels would be great for bowls around the house.  We will have both TVs going and friends everywhere so a couple goodies that don't need heating would be great.  

These homemade pizzas look go easy.  Using the Texas Toast is a great idea.  I haven't tried this recipe yet but I think it'd be great.

What are your SuperBowl plans?  I will need to make everything Sunday morning before I leave for my soccer games and my husband will be handling house cleaning while I am gone.  It'll be the perfect way to finish off the weekend.  Cheers!

End of summer luau

We have a birthday party this weekend at our house.  I am doing my best to be upbeat but I am still feeling sad because my little dog Esea's health has declined again and we are likely enjoying our last days with him.  He is laying beside me now and is comfortable so I thought I'd hop online and distract myself for a few.  

With everything we have going on, we have decided to cater food for the party, so that part is done. We are doing side dishes, drinks, desserts and decor so there is still some work to do over the coming days.  Here is what we have planned so far:

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It's called Luau Punch.  It looks so refreshing and simple to make.

Do these look amazing or what?  I am thinking I may change this into a cake to cut down on the work of doing a lot of cupcakes.  

This would also make a good option instead of the cupcakes.  Looks so good.  I do like the look of cherries on top that the cupcakes have.

I found this a few weeks back and think it will be perfect.  It's pineapple coleslaw.  

Who doesn't love a themed drink?  This pink bikini is super simple and would be good for the ladies.

I can't wait to see all the cute kids come over and hangout and swim at the luau.  Their sweet little smiles take all my troubles away.  Hope you are off to a super week.  Cheers!

 

Favorite pins for the month

A few of my favorite pins from the last month:

I love vests during the fall.  I am especially excited that this year there is so much mixing and matching of prints and patterns.  This look is neutral but has the perfect pretty touches to keep it from being boring.

We have a luau coming up and this looks like a perfect recipe to try.  Have you heard of it? 

Pineapple coleslaw.  Looks perfect for these warmer temps.

I am not much of a drinker but love to play hostess.  I have hoped to find the perfect bar cart but haven't decided on one yet.  When I do, this blog article gives some great tips for the perfect bar cart.

I am still craving a new crib and have a board dedicated to all the newest ideas I see online.  We have pull out drawers in our kitchen and l-o-v-e them.  I like the idea of having them in linen closets as well to avoid slouchy stacks of towels. 

My nieces stayed with us last night and they are in this phase of wanting to sleep on the couch or somewhere "cool" other than beds.  I stuck them both in our guest rooms since it's a school night but would love to get them some cute sleeping bags.  Are these the cutest or what?!

What are your favorite pins right now?  I am soooo ready for cooler temps to start layering cute fall looks.  So far, all we are getting is lots of rain.  Hopefully over the next month we get a few days of brisk weather to really get fall going.  Hope you are off to a great week!

Recipe: 5 minute fruit salsa

I have the perfect, tasty treat for you.  This fruit salsa recipe is healthy, simple, quick to prepare and can be completely modified to your liking.  It's only called salsa because of it's texture.  There are no "salsa" ingredients in it at all.  

I was talked into attending a Tupperware party a few years back by a friend at work.  I really didn't want to go but you know how those hosting parties are.  It was interesting, the selling approach they take is very modern.  I was imagining a lady holding each product and trying to sell that way.  They take a DIY approach and show you a few simple recipes, meanwhile, demonstrating how to use the products.  

Well, I got sold!  

I bought this super handy (but a little pricey) food chopper.  It is well-made and is nearly in perfect condition so I guess it's hard to knock the price.  There may be other alternatives out there but this does the trick.  

We learned to make a tasty fruit salsa at the party I attended.  

It's all fresh fruit plus a touch of jelly for sweetness and is so delish!  

Here goes:

Buy whatever fruits you like.  I like pears, apples, kiwi, strawberries and nectarines.  I didn't have good luck with pineapple (shredded instead of chopped when I tried), grapes were a little runny and star fruit seemed to be loved or no love at all so I usually skip them too. 

This little chopper makes a lot of salsa so start with just one piece of each fruit.  The quantity really surprised me.  I found it is best to start with the hardest textures first.  Since there is a lot of chopping, you want to have the softest fruit in last.  I sliced in rectangle shapes holding the fruit up and skipping the seeds and stem.

I like to add a small amount of strawberry preserves as one of the last ingredients to give it a little sweetness.  

It is a beautiful presentation, especially in a glass bowl.  You will be tempted to eat this stuff by the spoonful but trust me, it's worth the extra step to scoop some up using cinnamon chips.  I learned how to make them homemade (also at the party) but it's very time consuming.  I love Stacy's brand cinnamon pita chips.  

Have any creative ways to serve this salsa?  Let's hear it!

  

Secret Family Recipe

Green Derby...have you ever heard of it?  My great aunt, Aunt June introduced us to this tasty mix at a young age.  Everyone that we make it for loves it.  I am not certain how it was introduced into the family but my aunt loved dining at fancy restaurants and loved a good steak so it is likely that she sweet-talked someone into sharing the recipe.

I will tell you how to make the mix (mix lasts months and months)...and my favorite ways to combine the mix with food.

First, the recipe for the mix:

1 small jar of Accent seasoning

1 small (.5 oz or so) jar of Oregano seasoning

1/2 cup salt

1/4 cup ground pepper

Put all ingredients in a sealed jar and mix well.  My aunt told me I should turn the jar everyday for a week.

Once you are ready to mix some up you will need:

1 tablespoon of rice vinegar

2 tablespoons of olive oil

One tablespoon of mix

For a quick mix you can simply add one diced tomato.  I also love to add cucumber and green onion if we have them on hand. Stick the mix in the fridge for 20 minutes or so and you are ready to serve.  If you like green peppers, they are a good addition as well. Really, any veggies that can soak up flavors would probably be great.

For a salad mix, which is SO DELISH, don't add the lettuce until you are ready to serve so it stays crisp.

This marinated magic dish can be served by themselves as a side dish.  They are also great as part of a fresh tomato bruschetta.

  

In the kitchen: My new fave food (on almost everything)

I have been such a dare devil lately.  I bought my first pair of black jeans last month, had (and loved) my first mojitos and have a new favorite food.  Food topping, actually.  French Fried Onions.

Yes, the same fried onions used in green bean casserole.  First, let me say I do not like onions.  At all. Somehow these tasty treats have made their way into our pantry and have been on lots of dinner plates lately.  

I first added them when we had friends over for a cook-out.  I had my best dishes out with toppings and took a peek in the pantry for anything to fancy them up.  This did the trick.  Our guests loved adding them to their burgers.

My second experience was with mashed potatoes.  H-e-l-l-o.  Delish.

Most recently I took a hint from Chick-fil-A (they add roasted red pepper strips to salads) and sprinkled some in my side salad.  Just as good.  

If you are like me, these onions only made it in my cart November and December.  Trust me, when walking down the canned veggie isle, grab a container of these and sprinkle away.  Bon appetit!

A few drink ideas for the non-drinker

I am back from my first summer getaway and brought back a few recipes to share.  I am not much of a drinker.  I am actually barely a drinker.  I was always playing soccer and never really tried enough drinks to find something I like.  What I don't like are the tastes of beer and liquor so my drinks are super fruity and sweet to mask the liquor taste.
If you have a friend like me, you are in luck....I have a few recipes to share.

Drink #1: Pineapple upside down cake -
I found this on Pinterest.  It's super simple with just three ingredients.  Equal parts either vanilla or cake flavored vodka and pineapple juice plus a splash of grenadine.  Serve it chilled.  This seriously tastes just like the name.

Drink #2:  Rumchata shot -
This was recommended by a friend at work.  When I looked online, this can be mixed with Bailey's, Fireball, Caramel Vodka, Goldschlager or Butterscotch Schnapps.  I don't know which of these mixtures I had but the RumChata was easy to drink when it was chilled (shot portion) but some of the guys thought it was too sweet.

Drink #3: Coconut Mojito -
Okay, I didn't make these but I did have a couple at a restaurant, Boshamps that we ate dinner at.  I don't know that this is the exact recipe and the bartender told me you really need some skills for a good Mojito but it's worth a shot.
Squeeze of half a lime 6 mint leaves, 1 oz. Ciroc Coconut Vodka, .5 oz. coconut rum, 1 oz. pineapple juice, .25 oz. cream of coconut, splash of soda, Sprig of mint and lime wedge for garnish.

What are your current faves for summer parties?

Veggie Salsa Recipe

Delish! Delish! Delish!  One of my favorite (and easiest to prepare) recipes for a large group of people.  This recipe is borrowed from my friend Tiffany, who first shared it with me a couple years ago.

It is actually called Black Bean Salsa but I don't like black beans so I call it Veggie Salsa.  

The secret to this dish is it is mostly canned.  Eek! Yes, canned, but that is a good thing.  It's a low maintenance dish.  You can prepare on the go like a weekend at the lake or even tailgating without needing to use space in the cooler to keep the ingredients cool before you make it.  

Note: this will last several days if kept refrigerated.  

Here is the super easy, tasty recipe:

1 can white shoepeg corn, drained

1 can Rotel brand diced tomatoes, drained

1 can regular diced tomoates, drained

I small can of chiles, drained - add as much as you'd like

1 small can of diced jalepenos, drained - add as much as you'd like

1 8 oz bottle of Italian dressing 

Fresh stuff:

1 green bell pepper, diced

A few green onions, diced

Dice and mix and add the dressing.  Let marinade for about 30 minutes.

Serve with scoops style tortilla chips.  What other ingredients would you add to this recipe?

Taste of fall with cookies & homemade frosting

Fall is officially here.  This weekend temps dropped into the 80's and I made my first cookies inspired by the cooler temps to come.  My first two batches were pumpkin spice and caramel apple cookies.  I don't often frost cookies but today's got cream cheese frosting and they were so tasty.  

I am really looking forward to some cooler weather so I can sip on on Chai Tea and wear my cute scarves.    

It had been so long since I baked that I was short on ingredients.  I had to send Simon up to CVS to pick-up some powdered sugar and we had just bought an extra cream cheese so I had just enough to make some icing.

Here is the recipe I used:

1 block or tub of 8 oz cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 tsp vanilla

1 box of 16 oz powdered sugar (about 4 cups)

Beat cream cheese, vanilla and butter until blended well 

Gradually add sugar and keep beating until blended

So simple and so tasty.  Happy fall y'all!

Dinner in a pinch: Grilled Cheese Slider

Have you ever met someone that can bake but not cook? Sad to say, I am one of those people.
My younger sisters seemed to have picked up cooking skills but somehow I missed out.  I started baking in my married life but have not yet found the confidence for a full on dinner.
My husband travels a good bit for work so I am often left to make my own dinner.  I am happy with a sandwich or a couple small side dishes and recently found a new spin on one of my favorites, the grilled cheese.
As it turns out I was out of sliced bread.  I recently started buying a package of slider rolls for dinner sandwiches so I decided to try them out for a grilled cheese.
Unlike some of my past experiments (attempting a grilled cheese with the toaster turned on it's side--total failure) this one worked.
I flipped the bread but other than that it was a grilled cheese as usual.

  

My favorite toppings with grilled cheese are ham or tomatoes.  The pictures shown above are with ham.

Bon Appetit!