Just Pugh It!

9 Crock Pot Meals

2014-09-01T12:35:00.002-04:00

With another school year fast approaching...(as in tomorrow) and a request by a friend of mine I thought I would post all of the meals I prepared this year. Unfortunately, this was an after thought so I don't have any pictures to post. The suggested cook time is based off of my current crock pot. I have found I have to cook my meals for a shorter amount of time than the time typically suggested. I have had one too many dried out meals due to over cooking. All of these meals feed the two of us for dinner and most recipes have leftovers for lunch the next day.

I have collected these recipes over the years and have made changes every time I have made them. So, tweak where you need. Remember to use FREEZER gallon bags and have a black marker handy to write the names and cooking times on the bags (before putting the contents in) :)

Beef Burritos
1 top round roast (approx 2 lbs)

1 diced onion

4 minced garlic cloves

2 T. whole peppercorns

2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (1 only use 1 pepper)

1 1/2 t. chili powder

1. Add the above items into freezer bag.

2. When you are ready to cook, put the contents of the bag in the crock pot and cook on low for 5-7 hours.

3. When the meat is cooked, strain the juices and add the juice back to the crock pot. (by straining you get the peppercorns and onions out) Shred the meat and add the juice back to the crock pot and cook for additional 30 minutes on low.

Dijon Chicken

2 lbs. chicken breasts

1 cup chicken broth

1 onion, chopped

2 T. dijon mustard

3 cloves garlic

2 bay leaves

1 t. thyme (or less if you're not a big fan of thyme)

Cook for 4-6 hours on low.

Cilantro Lime Chicken

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breasts

juice of 2 limes

1 bunch of cilantro, chopped

1 bag frozen corn

1/2 chopped onion

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can black beans

1 cup water

1 tsp. cumin

salt/pepper

Cook for 4-6 hours on low.

Herbed Turkey Breast (haven't actually seen the outcome of this recipe)

1/4 c. butter

1/4 c. sage

1/4 c. terragon

1 T. thyme

4 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. salt

Turkey Breast (3 lbs)

Cook for 6-7 hours on low.

Sesame Chicken Sauce

1 c. reduced sodium soy sauce

2/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

2 T. ketchup

2 T. sesame seed

4 chicken breasts

Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with rice.

Easy Steak Marinade (this is for the grill/not the crock pot)

1/3 c. reduced sodium soy sauce

1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil

1/3 c. lemon juice

1/4 c. Worcestershire sauce

1 1/2 T. garlic powder

3 T. dried basil

1 1/2 T. dried parsley

1 t. pepper

1/4 teaspoon tabasco

1 t. minced garlic

Cover steak evenly with marinade. Toss and knead bags to coat steak with marinade.

Chili Maple Glaze Chicken

1-2 lbs chicken breast

1/2 t. salt

1/2 c. maple syrup

1 T. chili powder

Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Sweet Teriyaki Chicken

1 c. low sodium soy sauce

1 c. sugar

1 t. garlic salt

1/2 minced onion

1-2 lbs. chicken

Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with rice.

Crock Pot Cajun Chicken

2 lbs. chicken

1 t. cumin

1 t. chili powder

1/2 t onion powder

1 t. garlic

1/4 t pepper

1/2 t. salt

2 cups frozen corn

1/2 c. diced pepper

handful of cilantro

(I also threw in a cup of salsa)

Cook on low for 4-6 hours. Shred and use in tortillas.

Homemade Italian Salad Dressing

2014-07-03T15:05:00.003-04:00

We have so much lettuce! So much so, we ran out of salad dressing. I thought, why buy salad dressing when I have enough spices I could make my own? I scoured some recipes and then adapted them to make my own.

Super Quick Italian Salad Dressing

Mix the following together in a bowl:

1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder

1 T. onion powder

2 T. oregano

1 T. dried parsley flakes

1/2 T. sugar

1 T. salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon dried basil flakes

1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Next, measure out 2 Tablespoons and put into a jar.

Add 1/4 c. white wine vinegar and 1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil.

Continue until you are out of the dry ingredient mixture.

Refrigerate until you are ready to use.

Fish Tacos

2014-07-02T11:46:00.001-04:00

Fish tacos are probably...okay not probably...they ARE the winner of most favorite meal in this household. Last Sunday night we had a craving for some good Mexican fare. Unfortunately, we do not live in Florida anymore...so our craving wasn't met by the take out place down the street. Feeling extremely let down, I asked my husband what he wanted for dinner on Monday night and I am not sure if he read my mind, but he immediately said fish tacos.

I cannot replicate the amazing fish tacos we had in Tulum, Mexico, but we try. Their recipe had FRESH white fish, fresh tomatoes, jalapeno, lime juice, cilantro, avocado, and the best salsa ever. We ate them in the bus, off of our lap and, quite frankly, it was the best meal I have ever had.

Tulum, Mexico...oh I want to go back!

Usually, I will make fish tacos with the ingredients above, but I came across a wonderful find while I was shopping at Wegmans the other day.

Casa Mexicana

This stuff is the BEST! And, so easy. I was making 3 pieces of fish, so I used half of the package. Also, instead of using Vegetable Oil, I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Other than that, I followed the directions on the package. The fish marinaded for approximately 6 hours in the refrigerator.

Plus, we cooked the fish on the grill and warmed our soft tacos on the grill, too! (A definite MUST)

Aluminum foil "bag" prep: Instead of spraying the aluminum foil with nonstick spray, I spread a layer of coconut oil and put the fish on top. Top the fish with the "leftover" marinade. Then, fold the sides to make a "bag"

Do not put holes in the aluminum foil bag.

Grill to 500 degrees. Then turn down to low heat when you are ready to cook.

Cook for approximately 6-7 minutes. (Fish should flake easily)

When grilling the soft taco shells, spray the grill top with nonstick spray. Place the soft tacos directly on the grill top. Grill each side for about 1 minute.

Look at these heavenly photos:

YUM!!!

Topped with tomatoes, avocado and cheese

Last Night's Dinner...Bruschetta Pizza

2014-06-29T13:37:00.002-04:00

Fresh basil leaves from the garden...I cannot wait for fresh tomatoes from the garden...this is one of my favorites! (Bonus: I (as in ME) grilled it on the grill all by myself) :)

YUM!!!!

Blueberry Season means Blueberry Muffins!

2014-06-27T17:30:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite summertime memories is the smell of blueberry muffins baking in my great-grandmother's kitchen. They didn't have air conditioning, so the kitchen was incredibly warm which (to me) makes the memory even more intense. My great grandmother was an incredible baker, so that may also lend to my memory. My mom inherited the baking gene...I just dabble from time to time. And today, well I was craving some blueberry muffins.

I won't be able to recreate the incredible blueberry muffin experience from so many years back, but I will say right now with this recipe it is hard to stick to eating just one muffin. They are delicious!

(Again, terrible photographs, but the recipe is WORTH it. Trust me)

Oh, and I had a some help from my little fur baby...

Blueberry Muffins

Muffin Ingredients

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. white sugar

2 t. baking powder

1/3 c. vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 c. skim milk

1 cup quick oats

1 cup blueberries

Crumb Topping Ingredients

2 T. white sugar

2 T. brown sugar

3 T. flour

3 T. butter* (see below)

1 t. ground cinnamon

Step by Step Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin pan or line with muffin liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, salt, oats, and baking powder in mixing bowl.

3. Combine vegetable oil, skim milk, and egg in another bowl. Mix this with the flour mixture. Fold in blueberries.

4. Fill muffin cups to the top.

5. In another bowl, mix the crumb topping mixture together. Add the butter last. Use a fork to mix together.

Top each muffin with the mixture.

6. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

**Butter Note**

I tried something new. I used this as the "butter" for this recipe. I am loving this product. The crumb topping mixture was very greasy when I first mixed it together, but I was pleasantly surprised when the muffins were done baking. We have used this in place of our regular butter and have been very happy with the taste. I highly recommend it!

Earth Balance Central

Chicken, Lettuce, and Avocado...Now, what's for dinner?

2014-06-26T10:19:00.000-04:00

I took a quick inventory of what was in the kitchen and knew I needed to continue to include all of this lettuce somehow...I found a very ripe avocado, some frozen chicken and (of course) lettuce. What to do? What to do? Clearly, I needed some inspiration...came across this recipe from SteakNPotatoesKindaGurl.

It was delicious, but we grilled our chicken (and bacon...more about that in a bit) and I did a Creole rub for the chicken. The chicken ended up being too dry. Next time, I think I am going to soak it in a marinade....so this will be a recipe I "redo" in the coming weeks.

So, yes, we grilled our bacon!!!!! It was amazingly delicious!!! I didn't think any improvement was needed from our weekend morning bacon, but now that we made it on the grill...I might have my husband fire up the grill every weekend from now on. All I did was put the pieces of bacon on a piece of aluminum foil and my husband put it on the top shelf. Cooked 2 1/2 minutes on each side. It was a new type of crispy.

This picture doesn't do the bacon ANY justice.

(All of the pictures for this post were taken with my camera phone...apologies for the fuzzy pictures)

So, the recipe that I followed is below. I already am thinking of some changes based on my own preferred taste. It was a very easy recipe and still quite yummy.

Chicken Lettuce Wraps with Avocado Bacon Dressing

Avocado Bacon Dressing
1 ripe avocado (mashed)
approximately 1/4 t. cajun seasoning (I used a bit more)

1 1/2 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. hot sauce

1/4 t. Worcestershire sauce

3 pieces of bacon (crumbled)

salt/pepper to taste

Grill the chicken (We grilled at 450 degrees for 3 minutes on each side)

Lay the chicken on romaine lettuce leaves.

Top with the Avocado Bacon dressing.

Picture was taken with my camera phone...and terrible planning with the background. Ah well.

My husband actually ate it as a wrap. I cut everything up and made it into a salad. A few bites in we both topped it with our homemade salsa.

All in all...it was delicious. And, the grilled bacon...I still cannot say enough. YUM!

Warning: Cute Reflections

2014-06-25T18:22:00.001-04:00

Such an unusual post for me, but I want to keep a record of this for myself. Plus, I must remember to do this at the end of every school year.

This school year was my first full year as a 3rd grade teacher. (11th year overall...WHAT?!?!?) And, this is where I should "plug" my school and all of that, but I want to focus on this assignment and how fulfilling it was to do. I will save the "plug" for another day.

At the end of the school year, I hate to admit this, but A LOT of "busy work" gets assigned. I hate it because I do not like to waste time and "busy work" is wasting time. That being said, the end of a school year seems to be a very busy time for teachers and all of the odds and ends that need to be done "behind the scenes" as a teacher. So, the "busy work" gets assigned....as sparingly as possible. (I also love trees...so I hate wasting paper, too)

Anyway, I came across this assignment on Pinterest (of course) and thought it would be a great way to start off a morning. It was meant to fill some time, start the morning off quietly, no stress, or focus on sentence structure...basically a low key reflection. Little did I know the type of responses I would get. Nor did I realize how seriously this assignment would be taken. Some of the kids took many hours to complete their list of 10.

Here are a few of my favorites:

#1 - There are no words. Absolutely hysterical! :)

Everything from the first day to ice cream

#8 - It doesn't get any better than that!

#10 - it's the little things/events that mean the most to them!

#10 - the whole goal of his year and my goal for him!

#1 - Best teacher EVER (I feel like a rock star)

I really cannot put into words how much this class meant to me. They are some of the most creative and imaginative kids I have ever had. In addition, the discussions we had about all different types of subjects were incredible. We had deep discussions about anything and everything. I will truly miss this group of kids.

All in all, if you are a teacher and you are reading this post....I HIGHLY encourage you to use this as a reflective piece at the end of the year. AND, make sure you take the time to read them. Take pictures of the papers you love. Look at them on the bad days and remember, there is always time to be a little bit silly.

The most serious group of 3rd graders ever.

Yummy Cilantro Lime Steak Marinade

2014-06-25T11:34:00.001-04:00

Time to get back at this!

I was fortunate enough to get a full time teaching job this past school year, so the blog took a major backseat. As in, the way, way, WAY backseat. Most weeks, I was lucky to get food on the table at all. I will admit, this was the first "school year" that we had take out during the week. Thank goodness for Wawa and Sheetz!

Our garden is in full swing! Which means it is time to scour Pinterest and the internet to find recipes to take care of all of these veggies that seem to be producing at an overnight rapid rate. Right now, we are in the thick of lettuce season. Long story short, we started some lettuce from seed...took care of them indoors...transplanted them...and then we thought they all died. So, I bought some lettuce that had already started (bought TOO much), planted that and now we have SO MUCH LETTUCE. The lettuce we thought had died, didn't. And, the plants we bought are thriving.

Along with the lettuce, I have a cilantro plant that is also growing by the second. I love fresh cilantro. It has the best taste and smells so good!

I had a craving for steak, so I logged onto Pinterest and found this gem of a recipe from Simply Scratch. It is delicious and very easy to put together. After we grilled the meat, the smell of cilantro combined with the grilled meat smell was heavenly!

Cilantro Lime Steak Marinade

Ingredients

1-2 lbs. strip steak

Generous handful of cilantro
Juice from 1 lime

1/3 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 1/2 t. honey

1 garlic clove

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. red pepper chili flakes

1 t. red chili pepper

Step by Step Directions

1. In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, extra virgin olive oil and garlic clove together.

2. Add the rest of the ingredients. Pulse to combine.

3. Pour mixture over steak in a resealable bag. ("Smush it" around to cover the meat) Refrigerate until you are ready to grill.

Ready to grill?

*Heat to High heat (between 500-550 degrees)

*Grill 4 minutes on each side. (for medium well)

After you remove the meat, LET IT REST! I have heard this over and over, but it's true! The meat will retain the juices and the flavor will be overwhelming. So, let it sit. Eat a salad, set the table, grab another drink, but do not cut the meat for 10 minutes after taking it off of the grill.

We made our steak into Steak Tacos that Simply Scratch used with this recipe. Paired it with the fresh lettuce from the garden, homemade salsa, Monterrey jack cheese, all on a warm tortilla shell.

Cheesy Zucchini Bake

2013-07-08T12:32:00.001-04:00

This year we decided to see if we could grow some of our own vegetables, so we planted a tiny garden. Well, that tiny garden is thriving! I am very excited about it, but I can foresee us getting really tired of zucchini/yellow squash rather quickly. So, I resorted to finding "new" recipes online to battle the blah that is bound to hit our house.

This recipe is extremely easy and surprisingly tasty! I wasn't sure what to expect, but this was delicious! I'm sure you can change out the seasonings/cheese types to your liking (which also makes this a great versatile recipe).

Cheesy Zucchini/Squash Bake
Ingredients
2-4 zucchini/squash (sliced and cut in half)
2-4 T. chopped basil
2 T. green onion
1 t. Cuban or Cajun seasoning
1 t. garlic powder
1 c. Mexican cheese (divided)

Step by Step Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all of the above ingredients (reserve 1/2 c. of cheese for later)

Best part of this picture?? All of these ingredients came from my garden! Fresh is BEST!

Mix until all of the squash is covered with cheese/seasonings

2. Spray an 8x8 in baking dish with nonstick spray. Dump the veggies in. Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

3. Top with the remaining cheese and put back into the oven for 10 more minutes. (until the cheese has melted)

Another "fake" fried chicken...WHAT?!?!

2013-06-19T11:48:00.000-04:00

My husband LOVES fried chicken. But, neither one of us want to look as though we have consumed a lot of fried chicken. We work hard at the gym and we don't want all of those sweaty minutes to go to waste. So, I found a recipe that used buttermilk to coat the chicken and instead of using buttermilk I used greek yogurt. The results were mighty, mighty tasty...if I do say so myself.

Faux Fried Chicken
Marinade Ingredients
1 c. plain greek yogurt
1 T. mustard
2 cloves minced garlic
salt and pepper

Whisk the above ingredients together and top chicken with it. Marinade for 2-3 hours.

Resealable Bag Ingredients ("It's Shake N Bake and I helped!" ~couldn't help but add this in!)
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
1 1/2 t. paprika
1 t. baking powder
salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove chicken from marinade. Shake off excess marinade. Put chicken into bag and shake.

Cover baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place wire racks on baking sheet. Coat the wire racks with nonstick spray. Place chicken on wire racks.

Bake for 40 minutes. (half way through baking, flip chicken)

Easy Sunday Afternoon Steak Marinade

2013-06-19T10:53:00.001-04:00

It has been awhile since we made this marinade, but it will be on our menu again soon! I will note the pictures for this blog post are not exactly "pretty." Let's face it...I was taking pictures of a slab of meat. And, that is exactly what it looks like.

I threw this together and forgot about it when I made it, so our meat actually marinaded for a few days. It still tasted delicious. So, I would figure marinade the meat for at least a few hours would do.

Everything but the Kitchen Sink Steak Marinade
Ingredients
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/2 c. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 T. parsley
1 t. minced garlic
1/3 c. lemon juice
1/4 c. Worcestershire
1 1/2 T. garlic salt
3 T. basil
1 t. cayenne pepper
pepper
(beef cut of your choice)

Step by Step Directions
1. Mix all of your ingredients together. (easy clean up, mix them all in the resealable bag)
2. Pierce the meat a few times and put into bag.
3. Marinade for at least 3-4 hours.
*We grilled the meat to our liking of medium rare. Grill to your desired temperature.

Summer Pasta Salad

2013-06-14T11:18:00.000-04:00

This is a very versatile meal or side dish. It can be served hot or cold. The ingredients can be changed based on your own taste buds. All in all....it is the go to dish.

Summer Pasta Salad
Ingredients
4 c. spinach
5 oz. whole wheat/veggie pasta
1/3 c. roasted red pepper (sliced)
2 T. balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 extra virgin olive oil (divided)
2 c. sliced cherry tomatoes
2 T. mozzarella cheese
(optional: cooked chicken cubes)

Step by Step Directions
1. Drizzle half of the extra virgin olive oil in a pan on medium heat. Add the roasted red peppers. After a few minutes, add in the spinach. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

I love Trader Joe's!

2. Once the spinach wilts down, add in the chicken and the balsamic vinegar and the remaining extra virgin olive oil.

3. Drain the pasta. Pour the chicken and veggies over the pasta. Mix together.

4. Add in the sliced tomatoes. Top with mozzarella cheese.

Super Simple, Super Delicious Chicken

2013-06-14T10:42:00.001-04:00

This recipe was one that surprised me. I didn't expect something to be so delicious after being so simple! Even the most kitchen challenged will be able to make this one. We cooked the chicken on the grill, but you can definitely make this on the stove top or even bake it. But, any way you make it, it is a MUST do! (now, originally, I found this recipe on Pinterest, but I cannot find it after quite the search, so a BIG shoutout to whoever deserves "props" for this one!)

What We Had for Dinner:

Simply Delicious Chicken
Ingredients
1 t. sea salt
1/2 t. pepper
1 t. sweet paprika
1 T. sugar
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion salt
1 t. parsley
2 T. unsalted butter
juice from a lemon
chicken breasts (thawed)

Step by Step Directions
1. In a resealable bag, combine the dry ingredients together.
2. If you are using the grill, melt the butter in the microwave and then pour into the resealable bag. Combine with the dry ingredients.
3. Flatten your chicken. I put the chicken between two paper towels on a cutting board and pound the chicken out with a meat mallet.
4. Put the chicken into the resealable bag. Add the lemon juice. Mix.

5. Once the grill is heated, grill for 6 minutes on one side and 4 on the other.

Stove Top Variation:
Melt the butter in a pan on medium-high heat. Coat the bottom of the pan and then add the chicken. Cover the chicken between flipping. Flip the meat once.

Roasted Squash and Zucchini

2013-06-13T12:46:00.002-04:00

Roasted summer squash and zucchini...just another great side dish! However, I cannot wait to use my own homegrown veggies...but until then, store bought will have to do. Here is a picture of the complete dinner...chicken recipe can be found here

This recipe was originally found on Pinterest, but I made a few changes...

(Original Recipe)

Roasted Summer Squash and Zucchini

Ingredients

1 zucchini, sliced

1 yellow summer squash, sliced

garlic salt

sea salt

pepper

extra virgin olive oil

Step by Step Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees

2.Spray a cooking sheet with non stick spray.

3. Line up the slices of squash and zucchini. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Season with garlic salt, sea salt, and pepper.

4. Cook for 12-15 minutes.

5. Move the veggies under the broiler and heat on High for an additional 3-4 minutes (until the little ones get crispy) Just remember to keep an eye on them!

This pictures is prior to being put under the broiler.

Grilled Asparagus...Best SUMMER side dish!

2013-06-13T11:48:00.000-04:00

Asparagus...one of those icky green vegetables that a lot of people don't like...boy, are they missing out! Especially, if they don't try it on the grill!

Here is the super simple recipe for grilled asparagus.

Grilled Asparagus

Ingredients

asparagus

1 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 t. sea salt

1/2 t. pepper

garlic salt* (optional)

**All ingredients are to taste**

Step by Step Directions

1. Lay the asparagus on a piece of aluminum foil.

2. Drizzle the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil.

3. Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt.

4. Fold the foil around the asparagus making a packet. Stab the foil with a fork in a few places to help the steam to escape.

5. Once the grill is heated, place the packet on the shelf. Cook for 10-12 minutes.

Perfectly tender and nutritious asparagus!

Summertime means Grillin Time!

2013-06-13T11:34:00.000-04:00

First off, I must apologize. I fell off the face of the Earth or at least maybe it seemed like it. My time in the kitchen was replaced by my time spent in the CLASSROOM! I went from a day to day sub to a long term substitute to being a full time 3rd grade teacher! I cannot express how happy or relieved I am to be back in the classroom. That being said, my creativity was mainly used in the classroom rather than the kitchen. Now that school is out for summer, the creativity is in full swing in the kitchen.....or the GRILL as this post will prove.

So, I did a couple of things last night for dinner. The meal was set to be brown sugar marinade grilled salmon recipe, grilled asparagus and rice...but then I found another recipe originally used for chicken, but I knew I had some frozen shrimp, so I decided to throw in some shrimp too. Here is a picture of our feast last night:

Spicy Honey Lime Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
1/2 pound - 1 pound thawed shrimp
2 limes, juiced or store bought lime juice
1 1/2 T. honey
3 cloves minced garlic
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
1 t. red pepper flakes (I was generous)
1/2 sea salt
pepper

*Soak wooden skewers in water prior to grilling for approximately 1 hour*

Step by Step
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a resealable plastic bag. Mix it together by "smushing" the bag. (technical term, I know)

2. Add your shrimp. Smush some more.

3. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

4. Slide the shrimp on the skewers. Top with more red pepper flakes and/or pepper.

5. Place the skewers on the grill (top shelf) and grill for about 3 minutes on each side. Grill until the shrimp is pink on both sides. Keep an eye on the wooden skewers, my skewer did catch on fire even after soaking.

Shrimp on the top shelf (with the asparagus packet)

6. Remove and serve! YUM!

Brown Sugar Grilled Salmon
(Recipe tweaked from this recipe found on Pinterest)
Ingredients
salmon filets (skin on or off)
1/3 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. water
1/3 c. light brown sugar
1 T. vegetable oil/extra virgin olive oil

Step by Step Directions
1. Pour ingredients into resealable bag. Shake to mix.

2. Place salmon filets into bag.

Terrible picture, but salmon is in the bag!

3. Marinade for at least an hour.

4. When grill is heated, place salmon on grill. Grill 6-8 minutes per side.

*Our salmon had the skin on it, so we didn't flip it so we had extra crispy skin*

Make sure the meat is flaky before removing from the heat. Use a fork to lightly flake away the middle. If it flakes easily, it is done.

Chicken and Fettuccine in Tomato "Cream" Sauce

2013-04-08T14:35:00.001-04:00

I have a confession...I have made it a habit to shy away from any recipe that uses cream cheese or heavy cream unless it is some I HAVE TO try. I don't know what it is about cream...maybe the thought of using cream gives me an instant flashback to the Devil Wears Prada when Nigel says to Andy: "Corn chowder? That's an interesting choice. You do know that cellulite is one of the main ingredients in corn chowder." Since that movie moment, I try to stay away from anything that has a ton of empty calories when I'm cooking...

So now, I have a new love! I use Greek yogurt as a replacement to cream cheese and heavy cream!!! WOO HOO! Now, I cannot say this will serve as a true replacement to everything...but I will try it first to say the least.

Today's recipe is one that I have used this replacement. I already know that when I tried this recipe, I used too much "starchy" water, because my fettuccine noodles immediately sucked up too much of the sauce...so, I will have to watch next time I attempt this one. That being said, this recipe is FULL of flavor! And, of course it uses two of my kitchen loves...garlic and red pepper flakes! Serve this with garlic bread and it is a garlic lovers meal!

Chicken and Fettuccine with Tomato "Cream" Sauce
(adapted from Cooking Light, August 2012)
Ingredients
fresh chicken breasts (2-4 pieces), diced
8 oz. uncooked fettuccine noodles
1 T. extra virgin olive oil
4 T. chopped garlic
1 (28oz) can whole peeled tomatoes, drained and crushed (low sodium!)
3 oz. plain greek yogurt
1/2 t. red pepper flakes (or more)
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
salt and pepper

Step by Step Directions
1. Cook chicken breasts in either water or chicken stock (for extra flavor), set aside.
2. Cook pasta in 4 quarts of salty water according to box directions. Drain. Keep about 1/2 c. starchy water aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add extra virgin olive oil to pan. Coat the pan. Add garlic. Cook for a few minutes then stir in tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add in starchy water and bring to a boil. Add in the chicken.

4. Add in greek yogurt and stir until smooth. Add in red pepper flakes and basil. Pour over noodles. Toss to coat. Add in cheese. Toss again.

A quick tidbit about Chicken Stock

2013-04-05T11:04:00.001-04:00

Don't forget to save the chicken stock that is left behind after you Crock Pot a Whole Chicken! Remember to freeze it!!! This was a great find the other night when I didn't want to go to the store after being on vacation and we didn't want to order out. One peek into the freezer and I found a frozen chicken breast and homemade chicken stock!!! I thawed the stock and used it to cook the chicken!!! DELICIOUS! Best part?!?! The chicken stock was 3 months old, but still delicious!!!

(sorry no picture from this experience...we were too hungry! This is an old picture!)

I'm a PUBLISHED somebody!!!!

2013-04-05T10:41:00.001-04:00

I had to write a post regarding exciting personal news! Previously, I had written a post about my amazing grandmother. (You can read the post I previously wrote here.) Long story short, my grandmother has her own publishing company that she has tirelessly been dedicated to working at for the majority of my life. Prior to her passion for writing and publishing books for kids with special needs and their friends, she was a music teacher. So, it can be said, I wanted to grow up to be like her (and her mother, for that matter.) Now, I didn't become a music teacher, but a teacher nonetheless...so I have accomplished that goal.

Anyway, the reason for this post. My grandmother had asked me a few years ago to write the curriculum that would coincide with the "newer" books in the Turtle Book collection. I was honored that she asked me, but I really didn't know how much work it would take to put it together!!! But, here it is! The brand new edition of the Sensitivity and Awareness Guide!!

And look!!! There is my name!!!

For more information on Turtle Books, PLEASE check out the website

http://jasonandnordic.org/turtle-books/

"TURTLE BOOKS fill the missing gap in children’s literature. Now you have easy-to-read books that honestly talk about what it’s like to be a child with a disability. Warm, colorful illustrations and simple, beautiful stories offer insights in dealing with children who have physical and mental disabilities."

For those of you that don't know me, I do not consider myself the strongest "reading" teacher. I like to teach the reading curriculum, but I can't say it is my favorite. Science, of course, is my passion and is SO MUCH more fun. Anyway, when I said yes, I had to start absorbing as much reading curriculum knowledge as possible, so a HUGE thank you goes out to all of my former colleagues that had no idea how much I was spying on their teaching techniques...not to mention all of the spying I did in your own classrooms to see what types of reading activities you were doing. Especially, Tiecea Brown....without her voice in my head while I was writing the questions or thinking about the activities I don't know how I would have been able to make it through. She is the most talented reading teacher I have had the opportunity to work with!!!

Me, Tiecea, and her husband.

And, a thank you that I have to put out there is to all of my former students. The entire time I was writing, I was thinking of all of them...so over the course of 9 years of teaching...that was a lot of different personalities. Without them, I would not be the teacher I am today. A college professor can try to prepare you for them, but NO ONE can prepare you for the day to day classroom experience like a group of kids. I have been blessed to have had some of the best. I don't have any of my own children (yet <-- that is for my mother), but I have had roughly 600 kids I have called "mine" on a temporary basis that I am VERY proud to have known, to have taught, and to (hopefully) made an impact on. My greatest accomplishment in life is to say I am a teacher. To me, it is the best profession out there!!

Last, but not least, thank you to my grandmother!!! My "Nan," who is one of a kind. I am very proud to be her granddaughter and am very lucky she has had so many life experiences because I can call her with any type of question and most likely, she has lived through it, conquered it, and can tell me how to do it better. She is amazing, I cannot even put it into words.

We don't have a lot of pictures together, so she will hate this, but I had to post it!

Okay, this post wasn't intended to be a shout-out of thanks...but apparently, my mind wanted me to do it. So, thanks to those who read my open thank you letter!! And, thank you to those you check out the books! AND AN EVEN BIGGER THANKS, to those who use these books in your classrooms!!!!

Easy Chicken Nuggets

2013-03-27T11:21:00.002-04:00

We just came back from a quick trip to Florida and we are about to embark on another quick trip to South Carolina, so there was no way I was going to go to the grocery store...nor did I want to go out to eat...so I scoured the freezer in hopes that I would find something easy and HEALTHY to whip up!

Frozen chicken breasts, frozen veggies and rice! PERFECT-O!

This is a take on my mom's chicken nugget recipe...I couldn't tell you how she makes it exactly...but, this is a spinoff. It's important to flour the chicken, then to coat it in an egg wash and then cover in a bread crumb mixture. Now, I used to dip each piece of chicken in each and this ended up making a HUGE mess. This time, I made a GIGANTIC change that eliminated the mess and honestly, I think the chicken came out the best it ever has!

Easy Chicken Nuggets
Ingredients
chicken breast (I only used 1 for 2 of us)
1 c. flour (whole wheat works too)
1 egg white
3/4 c. Italian bread crumbs
1 t. minced garlic
1 t. tomato and garlic seasoning (really add in whatever spices you enjoy to the bread crumbs)
salt and pepper
1 or 2 resealable bags
1/4 c. water

Step By Step
1. Cut the chicken breasts into pieces. Dip into the flour. (Spray a pan with non stick spray and turn the pan on med-low...cover)
2. Put the chicken into the resealable bag. Pour in the egg white. Make sure the egg white covers the chicken. You can either keep this bag and pour the bread crumbs, garlic and seasonings in or use another bag. (depends on how much egg white is left over in the bag). Either way, make sure you shake the bag around so the chicken is covered).

3. Put the chicken in the pan and cover. Cook for a few minutes. Uncover, pour the water into the pan and then turn the chicken. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink.

All in all, this recipe can come together and cook within 20 minutes. We paired it with steamed veggies and 7 minute rice. One of my favs!

Spicy Hot Kale Chips

2013-03-19T19:30:00.000-04:00

I love kale chips, but this recipe may be a bit too much for me! It is literally burning my mouth with the spicy flavor right now! Kale chips are very easy to make, but it isn't a taste that everyone enjoys....Ryan HATES them...and I can't say any of my other friends have truly embraced the kale chip. But, I enjoy them.

The last time I made them, I was very simple...sea salt and Parmesan cheese...pretty simple. This time, I got too creative. I think if you are going to make kale chips, think about what type of potato chips you enjoy and make your kale chips with that in mind.

Spicy Hot Kale Chips
Ingredients
Kale (chopped into small pieces, no stems)
red pepper flakes
1 t. extra virgin olive oil
1/8c. mozzarella cheese
nonstick cooking spray

Step by Step
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Drizzle the olive oil over the kale. Mix the seasoning in and toss with your hands.

3. Spray a baking sheet and then arrange the kale on the sheet. Top with the cheese.

4. Bake for approximately 20 minutes. Feel free to change what rack the baking sheet is on halfway thru baking.

*I haven't found a way to keep them crispy unfortunately...so they are a bake and eat, unfortunately

Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade

2013-03-18T21:47:00.000-04:00

I have to be honest, I found this recipe and thought...well, TGI Friday's had a really good whiskey marinade, and the reviews were nothing less than great, so I figured to just go for...and then, I whisked it all together and it DID NOT smell very good...in fact, it made my stomach turn..needless to say...I didn't have high expectations...

Boy, was I wrong! It did smell awful, but we broiled the meat for a total of 7 minutes on high (flipping halfway through). The taste was fantastic!!! I will make this again, but I will probably hold my breath while mixing the ingredients :)

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here. The comments provide other ideas as well!
And here is a picture of our dinner...it looked pretty so I had to feature it!

Jack Daniel's Steak Marinade
Ingredients
1/4 c. Jack Daniel's whiskey
1/4 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/4 c. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. light brown sugar
1/2 diced onion
2-3 cloves minced garlic
1 t. oregano
a few shakes of black pepper
*meat of some sort....you could use beef, chicken, ribs, anything really....

Step by Step Directions
Whisk the ingredients together and marinade the meat for at least 10-12 hours.
Broil on high for 3 minutes...flip...continue for an additional 4 minutes. (or longer, we like medium rare meat)

Ugly pictures, but great taste!!!

Enjoy!

Pinterest Recipe! Roasted Ranch Red Potatoes

2013-03-18T10:08:00.001-04:00

Came across a "pin" for simple roasted red potatoes...I HATE making potatoes...I never seem to get it right...plus they take SO LONG...I have done microwaved potatoes as you can see here, but those are not the healthiest..so when I came across this Weight Watchers recipe..I couldn't wait to try it! And, not so spoil the outcome...these are DELICIOUS! They are quick...easy...and did I mention DELICIOUS!!!

Here is the original pin: Ranch Roasted Red Peppers

Ranch Roasted Red Peppers
Ingredients
12 oz. red potatoes (washed and diced)
1 packet Ranch dressing
PAM spray
I added a teaspoon of sundried tomato seasoning...the other recipe used salt

Step by Step Directions
1. Soak the potatoes in water for approximately 30 minutes or more. (makes them a bit more crispy)
2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
3. Dry the potatoes and put them into a large resealable bag and dump the dressing mix and other seasoning in. Shake the bag.
4. Spray the baking sheet with PAM...spread the potatoes evenly over the sheet.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Entire recipe makes 4 servings
Serving size is 1/4 of recipe, approx 1/2 cup
Each serving = 2 Points +

PER SERVING: 78 calories; 1g fat; 18g carbohydrates; 1.75g protein; 1.5g fiber

Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup

2013-03-18T09:47:00.001-04:00

It is Sunday afternoon....more specifically it is St. Patrick's Day...and where are we? We are home. We have finally found that we are in that "weird stage"...married...no kids...no longer in our 20's....AND all of our friends have kids...therefore...we would just be those weird old people trying to relive their 20's if we were to go out and celebrate the holiday...kinda depressing for us...the past 3 St. Patty Day's were the best days because they were spent at the Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training game...and that, my friends, is a GREAT time. So, sorry to vent, but it was on my mind...guess we are going to have to succumb to peer pressure soon and be like everyone else our age...oh how I don't want to grow up...

Anyway, felt like making another Crock Pot dish and wondered if I could do shrimp in the Crock Pot...so, I threw this stuff together...it is very easy...and it is nice for these cloudy (hopefully) last days of Winter...

Chicken and Shrimp Tortilla Soup
Ingredients
2 chicken breasts (fresh or frozen), cubed
2-3 cups chicken stock
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can corn (drained)
1 red pepper, sliced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno (seeded or unseeded)
3 t. chili powder
1 t. coriander powder (or fresh cilantro)
a few splashed of Tabasco or Frank's Red Hot
salt/pepper
1 lb. frozen shrimp
cheddar jack cheese
crushed tortilla chips

Step by Step Directions
1. Turn the crock pot to low and add the chicken, chicken stock, tomatoes, corn, pepper, onion, jalapeno, chili powder, cilantro and the Tabasco sauce. Stir. Cook on low for 3 hours.
2. Add the frozen shrimp. Continue to cook on low for 30-45 minutes.
3. Top with cheese and chips. Serve.

The "Melt in Your Mouth" Pinterest Chicken recipe

2013-03-11T12:05:00.001-04:00

I needed a quick recipe the other night and I did a quick Pinterest search to find something quick and simple. I had seen this recipe on many other boards. People repinned this particular recipe...A LOT! The thing that I didn't really like was the cup of mayo it used! Holy cow! That, to me, is a lot of mayo. So, I figured I would swap the mayo for some Greek yogurt.

If you are interested in the original recipe, you can find it here: food.com

But, if you are interested in a slightly more healthy version, you can continue to read on. Now, I will say, I didn't really think this recipe lived up to the name. It was good, but it wasn't earth shaking...however, Ryan thought it was excellent. I might try it again, it was very simple...a little bit messy...but it doesn't top my list. (Side note: the original recipe says to bake for 45 minutes at 375...that is WAY too long...I think that is why my chicken looks burnt...next time baking for a MUCH shorter time)

My take on Melt In Your Mouth Chicken
Ingredients
1/2 c. Parmesan or Italian shredded cheese
1 c. plain Greek yogurt
1 t. garlic salt
1 t. onion salt
1 t. Italian seasoning (I used pasta seasoning)
1 t. pepper
2 chicken breasts (not frozen)

Step by Step
1. Mix the dry ingredients. yogurt and cheese together. Put into a resealable bag.

2. Cover the chicken with the mixture. (I did this ahead of time and let the chicken "marinade" for a few hours in the refrigerator)

3. Spray baking sheet with PAM. Place the chicken on sheet.

4. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Baked for WAY TOO LONG!