{Pinned there, Done That} Crockpot White Bean Chicken Chili

I found this recipe from Baked in the South on a blog post about crockpot freezer meals... and I kept losing the recipe, so I'm going to share it as one of my {Pinned There, Done That} posts!

I threw in a can of red beans instead of only white beans this time

White Chicken Chili
src: Baked in the South
2 T. olive oil
1 T corn starch
1 medium onion chopped
1 can chopped green chilis, drained
2 cans white beans (drained)
2 t. cumin
2 t. chili powder
1 lb chicken tenders
2 cups chicken stock
1 t. salt
1 t. pepper
Place all ingredients except chicken stock in large freezer bag, toss to coat and freeze.
When ready, place ingredients in slow cooker, add chicken stock and cook on low for 4-5 hours.
Remove chicken, shred & return to crockpot.  Serve with warm cornbread.

The Verdict?
It is super simple, has great flavor, and my 3 children (and hubby) eat it.
We have it like every other week, I highly recommend it!

{Pinned there, Done That}

I came across this Lemon Chicken Thighs with Asparagus and red potatoes from damndelicious.net the other day and had to give it a shot. I mean why not? Thighs are relatively cheap and the family LOVES potatoes... AND it's a one pan meal (except of course in my case where I actually don't have a stove to oven pan... grr. I'll work on that).

This is a definite keeper; the chicken was flavorful and tender and cooked perfectly!

Here is the recipe in case it gets lost:

LEMON CHICKEN WITH ASPARAGUS AND POTATOESPrep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour, 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings
Crisp-tender chicken baked to absolute perfection. It's truly an entire meal in a single skillet!
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups baby red potatoes, halved
1 pound asparagus, trimmed

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine olive oil, Dijon, lemon juice, lemon zest and thyme; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Using your fingers or a brush, work the mixture onto both sides of the chicken.
Melt butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside.
Add potatoes to the skillet; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Place into oven and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the potatoes are easily pieced with a fork.* Add asparagus and chicken to the skillet.
Place into oven and roast until the chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes.
Serve immediately.

{Pinned there, Done that} Crash Hot Potatoes

I saw this pin from The Pioneer Woman the other day and decided to go out on a limb and try something new as a side. It did NOT disappoint. I was running short on time and did not boil them long enough, so be careful about that... but they were still yummy!

These were so yummy and crispy -- everyone loved them.

Crash Hot Potatoes
src: The Pioneer Woman
Ingredients
12 whole New Potatoes (or Other Small Round Potatoes)
3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
 Kosher Salt To Taste
 Black Pepper To Taste
 Rosemary (or Other Herbs Of Choice) To Taste

Preparation Instructions
1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add in as many potatoes as you wish to make and cook them until they are fork-tender.
2. On a sheet pan, generously drizzle olive oil. Place tender potatoes on the cookie sheet leaving plenty of room between each potato.
3. With a potato masher, gently press down each potato until it slightly mashes, rotate the potato masher 90 degrees and mash again. Brush the tops of each crushed potato generously with more olive oil.
4. Sprinkle potatoes with kosher salt, fresh ground black pepper and fresh chopped rosemary (or chives or thyme or whatever herb you have available.)
5. Bake in a 450 degree oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

January's Cookie Trial ::. New York Cheesecake Cookies

I have to confess something... while I bake a LOT around Christmas time and bake cookies, cakes, and/or cupcakes for my daughters birthdays... I don't bake much the rest of the year. AND when I do bake, my poor husband is never allowed to have any because it is "for someone/thing else". Poor guy, right? Also, I rarely try new things... I have my go-tos and stick to them.

So I have a kind of New Years Resolution in the kitchen. I am going to try a new cookie/dessert every month... and it is ALL for the hubby (ok, he may have to fight the girls if he doesn't share the monthly treats).

January's cookie trial was a pin that I found for New York Cheesecake Cookies (open that link... don't those cookies look ah-maz-ing!?). Perfect first cookie, right?

Well after I got all of my ingredients together and started my baking process, I came to realize that the picture for the above link... is a stock photo (oh the horror, lol) and the cookies that I was in the process of baking were NOT going to look like the oh-so-pretty picture from the recipe. It still got great reviews on the flavor so I forged ahead.

Mine never really got "lightly browned" on top, but they were pretty good. Different. Mine made 14 cookies.

Here is the recipe:

New York Cheesecake Cookies (src)

Ingredients Serves 121 1⁄4 cup graham crackers, finely crushed (1 sleeve)
1 cup flour
1 1⁄2 tsp baking powder
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1⁄2 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg, separated
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1⁄4 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp lemon zest
1⁄2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs, flour and baking powder. In a medium bowl, beat together the butter with the brown sugar using an electric hand mixer. Add the egg white and beat until well combined. Add to the graham cracker crumbs and blend until just combined.
3. In a separate medium bowl, beat together the softened cream cheese with the granulated sugar, egg yolk, lemon zest and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop out the cookie dough and place on a nonstick or parchment lined baking sheet. (If you do not have an ice scoop, then measure out the dough into scoops of about 2 tablespoons.) Flatten slightly, pressing your thumb in the center of the ball to create a small bowl shape. Repeat with the remaining dough. Spoon the cream cheese into the indents in the cookies.
4. Bake until the filling is barely set and the cookies are lightly golden, 12 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes on the baking sheets before removing them and cooling completely on a wire rack.

FINAL REVIEW:
The kids ate them, no problem... but they are kids and not picky when it comes to cookies.
The hubby originally said "yes!" but as the week went on and he thought about it more, he changed it to a no. They were pretty good, a nice change... but I probably won't go through the effort on these again.

{Pinned there, Done that} DIY Huge Black Spider

So I pinned this Huge Black Spider from Listotic's list of  16 Awesomely Homemade Halloween Decorations list a while ago. As I was wasting time and pursuing PInterest the other day, I found it again and in looking at the supplies require I did a little happy dance, because I just so happened to have:
1. Duct tape - I mean, everyone really should, right?
2. Empty Milk Carton - Just finish yesterday, check!
3. Pipe Insulation - surprisingly yes, I had exactly 4 (long enough for 2 legs each for our 8 legged friend) leftover from when I made pirate swords for Jillie's 4th birthday.

Awesome! So, supplies on hand, I gathered the girls up to help me make our spider. However, let me tell you, (a) it was not a "family project", it was a "mommy project" and (b) it's not as "easy" as the diagram showed. It wasn't hard, just kind of tricky.

From the pictures, it looks like the spider legs are bent around the handle. So that's what I attempted, but the legs didn't want to stay secured to the edge of the milk jug (circled in the picture below). When I turned it over, I could see the whiteish underside of the duct tape.

Next time, I may cut out a few more wedges to let the "legs" bend.

Also, my legs ended up being like all straight next to each other, not nicely spider-like bent as shown in the picture. I had to manually place my legs (and get them stuck) in the spider webbing to make them separate. Again, I would have cut a few more wedges out to make the legs more bendable to my liking.

But all in all, I think this turned out super fun! The hubby raved (ok, maybe "rave" is a big strong, he talked very highly) about our new buddy, Mr. Spider.

{Pinned there, Done that} Baked Pesto Chicken

This past week I was on a new recipe kick, so I went to my Recipes - Dinner board to find something new and fun to try. I decided on Baked Pesto Chicken from Kalyn's Kitchen.

It did not disappoint, and to be honest, I think my almost 2 year old ate it the best! We served it over egg noodles with steamed carrots and broccoli.

In case the recipe gets lost:
Baked Pesto Chicken
src: Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless cchickenbreasts
salt and fresh ground black pepper for seasoning chicken
1/2 cup basil pesto
2 oz. (1/2 cup) grated low-fat mozzarella cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F/190C. Trim all visible fat and tendons from chicken pieces, then cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 2 or 3 pieces.

Spray a 9" x 12" baking dish with non-stick spray, then spread 1/4 cup basil pesto over the bottom of the dish. Lay chicken strips over the pesto, then spread 1/4 cup more basil pesto over the chicken.

Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil (or use a baking dish with a tight-fitting lid) and bake the chicken for 25-30 minutes, just until chicken is barely firm and cooked through. (Don't cook too much at this point, or the chicken will be overcooked by the time the cheese is melted and browned.)

When chicken is barely cooked through, remove foil and sprinkle chicken with 1/2 cup grated mozzarella cheese. Put dish back into the oven without foil and cook 5 minutes more, just until cheese is melted. After melting the cheese for 5 minutes, switched oven to broil and broiled for 5 minutes more, just long enough to get the cheese lightly browned.

Serve hot. There will be some flavorful juice in the bottom of the dish when this is done, so you may want to serve with rice, couscous, or quinoa to soak up the juice.

{Pinned there, Done that} Avocado, Tomato, & Mozzarella Grilled Cheese

The other night while planning my meal plan, I was looking for something to go along with my Tuscan Sausage Soup and I stumbled across this Avocado, Tomato, and Mozzarella Grilled cheese from Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife. Since I'm on an avocado kick I decided I had to try it.

It was great!! A nice "grown up" version of the grilled cheese.

In case the recipe gets lost online, here you go (not that you couldn't probably figure it out):

Avocado, Mozzarella and Tomato Grilled Cheese
src: Kitchen Life of a Navy Wife

Ingredients
Bread
1 avocado, sliced
2 pieces of Mozzarella cheese slices (I goofed and only put one... clearly I misread the instructions)
1 tomato, sliced
olive oil
salt
butter

Directions
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat.
2. Butter one side of 2 slices of whatever bread you're using. Place one slice butter side down in the pan.
3. Top with sliced avocado, mozzarella cheese slices and a couple slices of tomato. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Top with remaining piece of bread, butter side up.
4. Cook until bread it golden brown (2-3 minutes), then flip and brown the other side. Serve.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

{Pinned there, Done That} Caprese Chicken

I pinned this recipe from The Novice Chef and decided to give it a shot. I'm glad I did because this recipe hit it out of the park! It had a wonderful flavor and I am adding this to the "yes" list.


Just in case this recipe goes missing on her blog, here it is...
Caprese Chicken
src: The Novice Chef
Yield: 4 servings
recipe note: Balsamic vinegar comes in many forms. I really recommend a higher quality one - it truly does make a difference. A low quality balsamic vinegar is very thin - like water. A higher quality one is slightly thicker (not as thick as balsamic glaze, but somewhere in the middle of the two).

ingredients:
4 skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 large garlic cloves, minced
2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
10 large basil leaves, finely chopped
8 oz fresh buffalo mozzarella, sliced in 1/2 inch thick slices
balsamic vinegar, to taste

directions:
Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken breasts and set aside.

In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chicken, cover pan, and cook for about 10 minutes. Flip chicken breasts and continue cooking until the chicken is cooked thoroughly (or has reached an internal temp of 165°F).

While chicken is cooking, in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, warm remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add tomatoes and continue sautéing until tomatoes skin starts to soften/wrinkle, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Set aside.

Once chicken has reached desired doneness, top the tops of each chicken breast with 2 slices of mozzarella. Pour tomato mixture on top. Cover pan with lid once more and let the mozzarella melt, about 1-2 minutes.

Lastly, drizzle with a splash of balsamic vinegar and serve immediately.

{Pinned there, Done that} Chorizo Queso Dip

A little while ago, for Taco Night, I decided to spice things up a bit and add in this Chorizo Queso Dip from Oh, Sweet Basil.

chorizo dip-queso fundido
prep time: 2 minutes
cook time: 5 minutes
yield: 1 small skillet of dip
serving size: a couple of chips dipped

Ingredients

1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup shredded queso quesadilla cheese or oaxaca (or if you can't find either, monterey jack cheese)
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces chorizo
tortilla chips for dipping

Instructions

• heat the oven to broil.
• in a medium skillet over medium heat, add the chorizo and garlic and cook through, about 5 minutes. drain and set aside.
• in a cast iron skillet (small) or ceramic dish, add the cheese and broil until melted. top with drained chorizo and serve immediately with chips.
• notes

So while the flavor of mine was AWESOME, I think I may have broiled it too long or something... it wasn't super creamy. Also, it hardened up quite quickly so the hubby and I didn't have a chance to eat it without a fork and knife. Still flavorful. I will definitely be trying this again if I find the oazaca cheese.

{Pinned there, Done that} Grilled Shrimp Tostadas

I went a little out of my comfort zone with these Grilled Shrimp Tostadas from Skinny Taste that I pinned. I tend to stay away from the seafood/mexican dishes; like fish tacos. I'm sure they're great... they are just out of my comfort zone. I think of taco and I think of ground beef (maybe shredded chicken) and spices.

Also, she said that one fills her up, but since my hubby likes to eat... a lot... I was afraid he would sit down and think this was an appetizer or something. But I decided to give it a shot anyway; to mix the meal plan up a bit.

This recipe was different. We liked it... for the most part. We eat "guacamole" all the time; the kids LOVE it. Notice I put it in quotations; see our guacamole is literally just smashed up avocado. So when we tried to feed the kids THIS guacamole with onion, tomato, lime juice, etc... it didn't go over too well. To be honest, we kind of like to stick to our smashed-avocado-guacamole instead of the fancy-stuff-added-to-it-guacamole.

Next time, we will probably just use plain old avocado-smashed-guacamole for our avocado layer -- but we will make this again!

Recipe in case it gets misplaced on the internet:
Grilled Shrimp Tostadas
src: Skinny Taste
Ingredients:

For the guacamole: 
1 medium hass avocados, halved
1/2 plum tomato, seeded and diced
1/2 lime, juiced
2 tbsp red onion, minced
1 small clove garlic, mashed
1/2 tbsp chopped cilantro
kosher salt and fresh pepper, to taste

For the tostada:
16 jumbo shrimp (3/4 lb), shelled and deveined
1 garlic crushed
2 tbsp prepared salsa verde (in the mexican section near taco stuff)
4 tostada shells
1 cup shredded romaine lettuce
1 cup canned fat free refried beans (love Trader Joe's)

Optional toppings:
extra salsa verde, for topping
2 tbsp crumbled queso blacno (optional)

Directions:
- If cooking outside on the grill, soak skewers at least 30 minutes.
- Place the pulp from the avocados in a medium bowl and slightly mash with a fork or a potato masher leaving some large chunks. Add tomato, lime juice, salt, pepper, cilantro, red onion, garlic and mix thoroughly.
- Season shrimp with salt, then mix in crushed garlic 2 tbsp salsa verde. Thread the shrimp onto 4 skewers.
- Light the grill or indoor grill pan on medium flame, when hot spray the grates with oil and grill the shrimp about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- Place a tostada on each plate, top each with 1/4 cup refried beans spread evenly, 1/4 cup lettuce and guacamole. Top each with a shrimp skewer on top and serve with extra salsa verde and cheese if using.

{Pinned there, Done that} Skinny Tuna Melt

I tried this recipe the other day for myself when hubby was going to be late from work and wasn't super hungry after a late lunch. I ate one myself and gave the hubby the second one. He then gave our 5 year old a quarter to try. Her exact words were, "Mommy! That was AMAZING! Can you make that for my snack?!" The hubby then chimed in that it was "good... really good!!" In fact, he asked if I could make it 2 days later for lunch, AND I made it for him 2 days after that when I was heading to a meeting.

This is highly recommended!

Here is the recipe in case the original goes missing.

Skinny Tuna Melt
src - Skinny Taste
Ingredients:  

• 1 4.5 oz can tuna (in water) drained
• 1/4 cup carrots, shredded
• 1/4 cup diced celery
• 1 tbsp red onion, minced
• 1 tbsp light mayonnaise
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper
• 2 slices light whole wheat bread 
• 2 slices 2% cheese (I used american)
• 2 slices tomato
• oil spray

Directions:

Combine tuna, celery, carrots, onion, mayonnaise, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Spray skillet with oil, and place two slices of bread on top. Top bread with cheese, then tuna salad and tomato. Cook on low heat until cheese melts and bread gets toasty. Serve immediately.

{Pinned there, Done That} Zucchini Pizza Bites

I served these Zucchini Pizza Bites that I found at The Comfort of Cooking the other day with a crockpot chicken recipe that I was trying. I LOVED them. Hubby was getting home later so I had to take 4 off the plate, to save for him, otherwise I would have eaten them all. My 3 year old is on an "I don't like pizza" kick (weird... I know), so she refused to eat them; My 5 year old wasn't a HUGE fan, but ate them when I bribed her with dessert. When the hubby finally got home and got to eat dinner, I warned him that the zucchini were probably better fresh out of the oven, but he liked them. Actually his exact words were, "wow... those zucchini things are really pretty good!". We will add these to our rotation and work on our kids to actually eat them!

Zucchini Pizza Bites
Original recipe
INGREDIENTS:
2 large zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch thick rounds
Nonstick cooking spray
Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper
1/4 cup marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
1/4 cup mini pepperoni pieces, optional
Italian seasoning, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:
Spray both sides of zucchini rounds lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil or grill the zucchini rounds for 2 minutes on each side.

Place cooked zucchini rounds on a large lined baking sheet. Top with small amounts of sauce, cheese and pepperoni pieces, if desired. Broil for an additional 1-3 minutes, or until cheese is melted, careful not to burn. Sprinkle with Italian seasoning and serve warm.

{Pinned there, Done That} Crockpot Corned Beef , Potatoes, and Cabbage

I have been making Corned Beef for quite a few years (mom's recipe) with RAVE reviews. No joke, it was my late father-in-laws favorite meal... and if my mother-in-law catches wind that I'm making it, she will show up unannounced. So I was hesitant to try a new recipe; but since I've been looking for some new crockpot recipes due to our busy schedule I figured I'd give it a shot.

What I normally do is boil the corned beef in the given seasoning packet, then remove and bake at 350* for 15min covered in a dry mustard, brown sugar, ginger, and soy sauce glaze. Then let it set for 15 minutes. The glaze, I say, totally makes the recipe! WHich is probably why we enjoyed this recipe.... I removed the corned beef and baked it for 15 minutes with my glaze on it.

 I wasn't a HUGE fan of the carrots; maybe it's because I didn't use low-sodium chicken broth, but I thought they were a bit salty. Hubby, on the other hand, LOVED everything about it. Though he wouldn't tell me which recipe was better.

Crockpot Corned Beef, Potatoes, and Cabbage

src

In case recipe gets lost online. My changes are in red.
INGREDIENTS
1 (4 - 5 pound) corned beef, rinsed
1 medium head of cabbage, cut into 2-inch wedges
6 red potatoes, halved
4 carrots, cut into ½-inch chunks
1 medium onion, cut into ½-inch chunks
2 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
8 ounces beer (any unflavored kind will do; you can substitute water here, as well)
3 large bay leaves
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon black pepper corns
3 T brown sugar
1.5T soy
1.5T dry mustard
1t dried ginger

• 
  

DIRECTIONS
Place onions, carrots, and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow cooker pot.

Rinse the corned beef and lay it over the vegetables. Add in bay leaves, pepper corns, and Dijon mustard.

Pour beer and stock over everything. Make sure liquid covers most of the corned beef; if not, add more water or stock. Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.

Add the cabbage to the slow cooker and cook until cabbage is just tender (about 30 minutes).

Remove Corned Beef and place on foil covered cookie sheet.

To make the glaze - Combine 3T brown sugar, 1.5 T soy, 1.5T dry mustard, 1t dried ginger.

Coat corned beef on all sides with the glaze mixture. Bake at 350* for 15 min. Let stand for 15 minutes

Plate beef and veggies.

Slice beef against the grain and serve with extra mustard.

1. 
   

Hope you enjoy it!

{Pinned there, Done That} Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper!
I'm on a roll with my new crockpot recipes; seriously.

This recipe for Crockpot Balsamic Chicken that I found on pinterest is great! I'm not entirely sure where the actual recipe is because the pin linked straight to healthychefonline.com... not the recipe.

Anyway, all my girls (nearly 5, 3, and 1) devoured the chicken. It was tender, fall off the bone, NOT DRY (like crockpot chicken recipes tend to be in my opinion).... very good. The hubby ate it with some hot sauce, but he eats most things with hot sauce, so that's normal.

In case this recipe gets lost online... here it is:

Crockpot Balsamic Chicken

Src

Ingredients
1t garlic powder
1t dried basil
1/2t salt
1/2t pepper
2t dried minced onion
4 cloves garlic, minced pre-minced, jarred garlic
1 T extra virgin olive oil * so we ran out of olive oil (ahem ahem hubby) without my knowledge; luckily I happened to have some high end olive oil/balsamic vinegar dipping oil mix -- so I drizzled that on the bottom of the crock pot.
1/2 c balsamic vinegar
8 boneless, skinless bone in; skin on chicken thighs
Fresh chopped parsley (which I forgot...)

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl and rub on both sides of chicken; set aside.
Pour Olive oil and garlic on bottom of crockpot.
Place chicken on top.
Pour balsamic vinegar over chicken.
Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. My schedule today was tough for me to be home to set it for 4 hours on high. So I did it on high for about 2 hours and then switched it to low for another 3 or so hours... then to warm while I waited for the hubby.
Sprinkle with fresh parsley (again, I forgot this)

Hope you like it; we did!

{Pinned there, Done that} Crockpot Flank Steak

I am on a roll with my new crockpot recipes. Like I said the other day, with sports starting up again my crockpot is going to be getting a serious workout. Crockpot recipe #2 was this Crockpot Flank Steak from Lifetime Moms (of course another pin). I decided to serve this over rice with a side of beans and some tortillas. The girls actually LOVED making their one burrito wraps and devoured this meal! The hubs added tons of hot sauce, but that's how he rolls.

This was another great "set it and forget it" recipe!
PS - I totally forgot to brown the flank steak before throwing it in the crockpot and it still turned out fine. Next I probably will brown it though.

Crockpot Flank Steak

source: Lifetime Moms

Ingredients:
1 Flank Steak -  1 3/4 lbs to albs (cut in half)
1 small can of green chiles
1 large red onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1/4 teaspoon of cumin
1/2 cup of water
1 tbsp of olive oil
1-2 cloves of garlic minced (depending on taste)

1. In a small pan, brown flank steak in olive oil on both sides.
2. Add all ingredients to slow cooker.
3. Cook on low for 4-5 hours if you prefer it sliced, cook 5-6 hours if you prefer it shredded.

Serve shredded over rice, in a tortilla or even plain.

Linking up: Creating my way to Success, CRAFT, Keeping it Simple , Our Delightful Home , Elizabeth & Co , Chef in Training , Bowl Full of Lemons , Homework , Blackberry Vine , Flavors by Four ,

{Pinned there, Done that} Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

I just signed the girls up for ballet, and to my dismay they are NOT in the same class; not even on the same day. I tried my hardest to avoid going to the same activity place twice in a week until they were older. I mean seriously, the girls are only 3 and 4, but oh well. They are enjoying ballet for now so I'll roll with it.

With one getting out at 5:30pm one day and the other getting out at 6:15pm (not to mention getting back to the car and driving home), dinners those nights were going to be late! So I started perusing pinterest for some new crockpot recipes. I use my crockpot, just not nearly as much as I ought to.

I struck gold with my first one; Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs from Picky Palate (pin). My normally picky 13 month old DEVOURED this chicken (as did the 3 and 4 year olds). It was tender  and flavorful! I highly recommend this recipe.

The recipe is below in case it gets lost in blogland...

Crock Pot Pesto Ranch Chicken Thighs

src: Picky Palate

Ingredients
8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
6 ounce jar of pesto
1 package Ranch Dressing Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup chicken broth
Directions
Turn crock pot to high setting. Place chicken thighs, pesto, ranch dressing and chicken broth into crock pot. Stir gently to combine all seasonings. Close with lid and cook on high for 3-4 hours or on low for 6-8 hours.
Serve with a side of mashed potatoes and a simple salad.
Makes 8 servings

{Pinned there, Done that} Balsamic Roast Beef

I've been looking for some new crockpot recipes as we keep getting busier and busier with after school activities. I stumbled upon this recipe for Balsamic Roast Beef from Add a Pinch by way of Pinterest (of course). We tried it and loved it! It was sweeter than my usual crockpot roast recipe but it was a hit.

In case the recipe gets lost online somewhere, here it is...
(original recipe)
Balsamic Roast Beef
Author: Robyn Stone | Add a Pinch

Ingredients
1 3-4 pound boneless roast beef (chuck or round roast)
1 cup beef broth
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Instructions
Place roast beef into the insert of your slow cooker. In a 2-cup measuring cup, mix together all remaining ingredients. Pour over roast beef and set the timer for your slow cooker. (4 hours on High or 6-8 hours on Low)
Once roast beef has cooked, remove from slow cooker with tongs into a serving dish. Break apart lightly with two forks and then ladle about ¼ – ½ cup of gravy over roast beef.

Store remaining gravy in an airtight container in the refrigerator for another use.

{Pinned there, Done that} Zucchini Chips

I was feeling quite inspired the other day, so while at the grocery store, after spying a zucchini -- I decided to come home and make Zucchini Chips that I had pinned a short while ago from Table for Two Blog.

My 4 year old wasn't so much a fan, however... the hubby AND my 2 year old loved them.

My mistake, however, was that I let them cool a bit too much; in other words, I left them out over night and they were a pile of soggy non-crispy zucchini chips by morning. SO BY ALL MEANS, store these in an airtight container As. Soon. As. They. Are. Cool. 

Actually, hubby had a few right before bed (thanks hunny for not reminding me to put them away) and he said they were already beginning to get a bit soft.

Anyway, incase this recipe gets lost somewhere online, here it is...

Zucchini Chips

Src: Table for Two Blog

INGREDIENTS:
1 large zucchini
2 tbsp. olive oil
Salt

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two large baking sheets (I used two 17" baking sheets) with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.
Slice your zucchini on a mandolin. Use middle thickness.
After you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of paper towels and take another paper towel and sandwich the zucchini slices and press on them. This helps draw out the liquid so it'll cook a bit faster.
Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.
In a small bowl, pour your olive oil in and take a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.
Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over-season, in fact, it's better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over-season, it'll be way too salty! You can always add more later.
Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren't soggy and are crisp.
Let cool before removing and serving.
Keep in an airtight container for no more than 3 days.

{Pinned there, Done that} Make ahead Breakfast Egg Muffins

Ok, TECHNICALLY it's a pinned there, Done that... but I can't find the original pin. I had one, but then when I tried to open it I got that "uh-oh this doesn't look safe" warning so I think I deleted the pin.

ANYWAY, these are super easy and I have made hubby 2 batches so far. He heats one up and has it on an english muffin on his way out the door to work.

Since I lost the pin, I just googled "breakfast egg muffin tin" and came up with this link from Taste of Home.
I made half sausage and half bacon. Here you are...

Breakfast Egg Muffins

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°. In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Add onion, green pepper, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Stir in sausage and cheese (or whatever).
3. Spoon by 1/3 cupfuls into muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Yield: 1 dozen

Clearly, I never use enough spray, because I have to use a knife to slide around the outside to release them

{Pinned there, Done that} Avocado Chicken Parm

This is DEFINITELY a keeper in our books!

Hubby loved it :D

I came across this recipe for Avocado Chicken Parm (pin) from Cuisine Paradise and decided it would be a fun change-up for typical Chicken Parm.

It did not disappoint. Unfortunately, our avocados were a touch hard.... but that was ok. Still tasted good.


Incase this recipe gets lost somewhere...

 Avocado Chicken Parm
source: Cuisine Paradise
Ingredients:
 2 Chicken Breast Fillets, halved lengthways
 1/2 Cup Plain Flour
 2 Tablespoons Fresh Milk
 2 Eggs
 1 1/2 Cups Dried Breadcrumbs
 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil/Cooking Spray
 1/2 Cup Tomato Pasta Sauce
 2 Avocado, Sliced
 1/2 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
 Salad Green, to serve

Directions
1. Place chicken breast in a clear plastic bag(alternatively between 2 sheets plastic wrap), using a rolling pin or meat mallet pound until 0.5cm thick.
 2. Place flour and breadcrumbs on two separate plate and lightly whisk milk and egg together in a shallow bowl.
 3. Coat 1 piece of chicken breast in flour(shaking off excess), dip in egg mixture then coat in breadcrumbs using your fingertips pressing on to secure.
 4. Place on prepared baking tray lay with foil or baking paper, repeat the same process with the remaining chicken breast with flour, egg and etc.
 5. Lightly spray or brush the prepared chicken with oil, bake for 8 minutes(turning after 4 minutes to have evenly colours on the breadcrumbs) in preheated 200 degree Celsius(392°Fahrenheit) fan-forced oven.
 6. Remove from oven and spread each chicken breast with 1 heaped tablespoon of pasta sauce. Arrange avocado slices over sauce and sprinkle with decent amount of mozzarella cheese.
 7. Return to oven and bake for another 5 - 7 minutes or until golden and chicken is cooked through.
 8. Serve with either garden salad or use it as a main topping on cooked pasta.