Sweet and sour chicken

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Hello there! I haven't been around here much (well, at all) lately. I have not been cooking as much as I used to, and mostly old favorites when I do. That being said, I have tried several new great recipes, but didn't think to take a picture or keep a record of them, and now I'm kind of kicking myself!

One of my favorite things I made during the Christmas season was my Gram's homemade marshmallow recipe. I showed my students how to make them, too. One day, they made the marshmallows, then the next, they made homemade hot cocoa to go with their homemade marshmallows and we sat down with our cocoa and played a few games! It was a reward for finishing a huge restaurant business pitch project and they really enjoyed it. A lot of crazy flavors came out of that experiment!

We, like many other people, are trying to change a few things up with the new year. One of them is getting back to eating wholesome homecooked meals in the evenings. For a while, we were just in survival mode, which didn't include cooking. I finally feel like we're in enough of a routine that cooking will be easier to fit in the evenings now and that feels really good! As soon as I make that proclamation, everything will change. Babies are weird! Sweet, but weird!

This sweet and sour chicken fit the bill of something new to try (a different method than I've tried before) and something Norris would eat. Plus, it was really good! I thought the process was a little obnoxious with the stirring every fifteen minutes for an hour, but you really do have to do that to get the sauce baked on evenly.  I would agree with Stephanie that it's not a weeknight meal in my house...too long for that! Not difficult, just too long from start to finish. I'm thinking you could accomplish this with nearly the same results if you simmered the chicken in the sauce. Plus, it would be done faster. I'll definitely be making this again. Served with a little brown rice and some sauteed green beans and peppers, this hit the spot on a really cold winter night!

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Source: Stephanie Cooks

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup cornstarch
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup canola oil (or enough to cover bottom of pan)
¾ cup sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Preheat oven to 325 F. Heat oil in saute pan.
 Cut boneless chicken breasts into chunks. Season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken in cornstarch and then in egg. Shake off any excess, then fry in oil until lightly browned but not cooked through. Place in a single layer in a baking dish. Mix sugar, ketchup, vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic salt together and pour over chicken.
Bake for one hour at 325 degrees, uncovered, stirring chicken every fifteen minutes.

(Freezer) Mexican Chicken and Rice

We are within a few weeks of meeting our little man, so whenever I have enough energy and not too much swelling going on (so that combo doesn't happen too terribly often!), I am trying to get a meal stashed in the freezer. Norris keeps reminding me that he can cook for us, but I know we'll both appreciate having some things stored away to just pull out and heat that doesn't include frozen boxed pizza.

I can't attest to the flavor of this dish yet as it is in my freezer still, but I am already looking forward to eating it. I do know that the rice is awesome! I froze cooked rice for the first time recently and it reheated perfectly, so I am excited to have this (x2) in our freezer. I followed her freezer directions and this was really quick and easy to prep for the freezer. I think it would also be good in the crockpot if you don't have/don't want to use a grill.

Mexican Chicken and Rice (links to recipe)

from Once a Month Mom

Chicken Alfredo Rollups

Chicken Alfredo Roll-ups

9 lasagna noodles
2  cups alfredo sauce
2 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp garlic salt
2 cups shredded Mozzarella

Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick spray and pour in just enough alfredo sauce to cover the bottom of the pan.Cook noodles according to package directions to the al dente stage.

Drain noodles, rinse with cold water, and blot dry with paper towel. Line up the noodles side by side.

Combine all but 1/3 cup afredo sauce, chicken, oregano, garlic salt, and 1 1/2 cups Mozzarella.

Divide filling evenly among noodles. Roll up noodles and place seam side down in baking dish. Top with remaining sauce, then remaining cheese. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

This recipe has a little different flavor than your regular chicken breast, but is still very simple and yields great results. We both loved this and it was even great as leftovers! The only thing I changed was adding the brown sugar to the saute pan as the garlic was browning because it made more of a paste to spread over the chicken.

 

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

(link to recipe)

Spicy chicken tenders with honey mustard

It was time for dinner and I knew I was making chicken tenders, but hadn't decided how or what to do with them. I normally just throw some spices together, but was feeling like trying something new (but without thinking, so knew I'd need a recipe:). This recipe from Giada was excellent! I used half the amount of breading/egg ingredients and it was plenty for about 12 chicken tenders. I made half the honey mustard, too, and it was perfect with the chicken tenders! The amounts below reflect the changes I made.

Spicy Chicken Tenders with Honey Mustard

cooking spray

 

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup Dijon mustard

 

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt, plus extra for seasoning

2 eggs, beaten

2 tbsp hot sauce

1/2 cup cornmeal

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

 

1 1/2 pounds chicken tenders

 

Preheat oven to 425 F. Spray a baking sheet with cooking oil or line with Silpat.

Combine honey and mustard until smooth and set aside.

In a medium bowl, mix the flour and salt. In another medium bowl, whisk together eggs and hot sauce. In another medium bowl, mix together cornmeal, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture, then shake off excess. Dip in egg mixture, then shake off excess. Roll in cornmeal mixture and place on baking sheet with space between each chicken tender.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown, flipping halfway through.

Serve with honey mustard dipping sauce.

from Giada

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

Another Pinterest winner! Especially for Norris--he really liked this. He loves it when I make hot food (what I consider dinner food) for lunch, so over break I made this. I prepped it two days before I actually baked it, so I baked it for a little longer and covered it with foil for the first part so it wouldn't overbrown. It also made great leftovers!

 

Cheesy Chicken Ranch Pasta Bake

2 (12 oz) cans evaporated milk (I also saw other versions that used regular milk with good results)
1 (1 oz) pkg. dry ranch salad dressing mix (not the dip blend).....I accidentally used the dip blend and it was still good
3 C. cubed, cooked, chicken (about 2 large chicken breasts)
1/8 tsp pepper
2-3 C. uncooked penne pasta
1 C cheddar cheese, grated
1 C mozzarella cheese, grated (I saw another version that replaced these two with three cups of colby jack, and I'd say I used closer to 3 cups)

Spray a 9x13 baking dish.
Cook pasta until about 2 minutes under regular cook time. Drain and add to baking dish.
Combine evaporated milk, dressing mix, and pepper in a heavy saucepan. Heat just to a boil, thensSimmer, uncovered, 25 minutes, stirring frequently. Sauce will thicken slightly.
Layer chicken, sauce, and cheese into dish over pasta. Bake uncovered at 350' for 25 minutes or until hot and bubbly.
Let rest 10 minutes before serving if you want it to come out prettier, or just eat it in a big pile on your plate while it's still steaming, which is more my style!

from Mommy I'm Hungry

Cilantro Chicken Tacos

I have noticed lately that almost all of my grocery lists contain cilantro. If I could keep a plant alive, I'd grow it myself. That's why I like the "dormant" orchid Norris bought me. I can say it's still alive because it's "dormant". I don't actually know whether it is still alive...

I made these ahead of time and froze them, then served over garlic rice, so I guess I lie when I say they're tacos. I mixed the chicken and pesto in with garlic rice and topped it with jalapenos and salsa. This dish was amazing. I'm sure they'd be amazing tacos, too. Thanks to Joelen for a great make ahead recipe.

I followed her instructions, so you can check out the recipe at  What's Cookin' Chicago!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Why does my can of "chipotle" peppers say "chiLpotle"????

Made with chipotle or chilpotle peppers, this dressing is full of flavor and a great spicy balance with all of the other ingredients in this salad. As I was assembling it, I was thinking it would be really pretty in a glass bowl or trifle dish for a party or shower. You can adjust the ingredients to your liking. Norris and I both enjoyed this and it's really filling for a salad!

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Serves 4 entree salads
Dressing:
1/3 c chopped cilantro
6 oz sour cream (I used plain Greek yogurt)
1 chipotle pepper in adobo
1 t cumin
1 t chili powder
4 t lime juice
1/4 t salt

4 c shredded romaine
2 c cooked, cubed chicken breast
1 c cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 or 1 avocado, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
15 oz black beans, drained and rinsed
9 oz frozen corn, thawed (could also use no-salt-added canned corn)

Combine dressing ingredients in a food processor until well blended.
Assemble all other items and toss salad with dressing. Stores (dressed) well overnight in the fridge without getting soggy, which doesn't normally happen!!

from Cooking Light myrecipes

Norris' favorite chicken marinade

This title doesn't tell you much about the recipe except that it's chicken and Norris loved it. That's because the original recipe is called "Grilled 7up Chicken" and our propane tank was empty, so it was baked, and I used Sprite instead of 7up, so it's really "Baked Sprite Chicken"!
Anyway, Norris told me he would eat this every night of the week. At the end of the meal, he said "I really liked it. That means I'd like you to make it again. Like, soon....not in three months." :) He knows me too well...I like to try new things so often that our "regulars" aren't even that "regular" most of the time! I will be happy to oblige (if he's reading this, I wonder if he'll hold me to it...) because this was super easy and cheap, and I like cheap and easy!

Baked Sprite Chicken aka Norris' favorite :)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp horseradish
6 oz lemon lime soda (NOT diet. the sugars from the regular caramelize on the outside of the chicken when you grill it)
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 large chicken breasts (or three regular sized)

Combine all ingredients and let marinate for at least thirty minutes and up to overnight. Grill or bake until chicken tests done.

adapted from Six Sisters' Stuff (yup, found on pinterest)

Key West Grilled Chicken

Here is a simple, inexpensive summer dinner option. It requires very little active time and you can whip up a side while the chicken is marinating. You probably even have everything on hand already! If you don't have skewers (I have metal ones, you could use soaked wood skewers, too), you could just grill the breasts or even bake them or cook them on the stovetop. I served it with rice and chopped bell peppers. Squeezed some lime juice and sprinkled some crushed red pepper on top and called it a (very good) day!

my grill was a little hotter than I thought it was and I got a little charred right off the bat on accident!

Key West Grilled Chicken

3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I forgot this and they were fine)
juice of one lime
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (or 8 tenderloins)

Combine everything but the chicken in a small bowl. If you are going to skewer the chicken, cut it into cubes OR thread it on skewers. If you're using wooden skewers, soak them in water for ten minutes before threading the chicken on them so they don't catch on fire on the grill.
Pour marinade over chicken, cover, and marinate for at least thirty minutes. If it's going to be longer than that, put it in the fridge to marinate. I turned my chicken over to get the other side good after half of my marinating time (which was thirty minutes).
Preheat grill to medium high. Grill chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of the meat. It should test done and juices should run clear before serving.
Sprinkle with lime juice and crushed red pepper before serving.

from Grocerybudget101 (and, yes, I saw it first on Pinterest:)

Lighter Chicken Tetrazzini

This is another meal perfect for after practice this spring. I typically get home from soccer around 5:45-6. Norris starts school earlier than I do, so his track practice gets over earlier, putting him home before me. He doesn't mind cooking, but I know we both prefer that I do the cooking, so I made some dishes a couple weekends ago and stashed them in the freezer. This dish was excellent and I was really looking forward to it and excited to know that I had a good warm dinner to come home to. (it was a little chilly today!)
This freezes nicely, but you have to think ahead the night before so you pull it out to thaw overnight before baking. Whoever is home first can pop it in the oven and dinner will be ready as soon as everyone is home! I steamed some peas and called it done. We both really liked this and will definitely make it again!

Lighter Chicken Tetrazzini

1 tsp butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion (omitted..used some onion powder instead)
1/3 cup finely chopped celery (omitted..used some celery salt instead)

1/2 tsp ground black pepper
28 oz low sodium chicken broth, divided

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

12 oz sliced mushrooms

2 oz Neufchatel cheese(low fat cream cheese)

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti noodles, cooked

2 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 12 oz)

1 slice whole wheat bread

2 tsp Italian seasoning

If baking the same day, preheat oven to 350.

Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, salt, pepper, and mushrooms. Saute until mushrooms are tender, about five minutes. Add 1/2 cup chicken broth.

Add flour to pan and stir continuously for a few minutes. Whisk in the rest of the broth. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer five minutes, stirring often.

Remove from heat and add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and cream cheese. Stir until combined. Add the pasta and chicken. Pour mixture into 9x13 baking dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.

Place bread in food processor along with Italian seasoning. Pulse until fine crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and remaining Parmesan cheese and sprinkle over pasta dish.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes OR cool completely in the fridge, then wrap for the freezer and freeze. To bake the frozen casserole, thaw it out overnight, then bake at 350 for 40 minutes.
from Cooking Light

 

Hope you had a nice Easter! We certainly enjoyed our family, beautiful weather, and this beautiful view! 

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Prep time: 30 min Cook time: 1 hour
Serves 6

2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon cold water
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup lite soy sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
12 skinless chicken thighs

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).


3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn pieces over, and brush again.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear.

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

Oooooh, this stuff was good! I know I've said this before, but Norris said I should make this every week because he liked it so much. The funny part is that I put out the same extra sharp white cheddar cheese to snack on a couple weeks ago and he crinkled his nose and wouldn't eat it. I put it in this pasta and now he wants to eat it every third night! (that Salisbury steak with mushrooms from last week was on his rotation along with something else that I can't remember. I obviously didn't listen to the request to have this every third day..that wouldn't be any fun!!) This is creamy and almost tastes like alfredo, but with some tang from the cheese. I dropped the cheese to half of the original amount because I think part of the point of using really flavorful cheese is that you don't have to use as much. It really was plenty, even for my cheese loving husband. Give it a try when you're in the mood for a comfort food pasta dish!

White Cheddar Chicken Pasta

Serves 4 generous portions

Chicken:

1 lb chicken breasts, thinly sliced

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 1/2 tsp olive oil

Sauce:
1 1/2 tsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, finely diced (I used onion powder and some dried onion since Norris will eat those, but not real onion!)
1 tbsp flour (might need a little more)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 cup fat free half and half

4 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese, grated (start here and add more if you feel it needs it, but I didn't think it needed any more)

1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano

8 oz pasta of your choice, cooked according to package directions

Heat olive oil for chicken in large skillet. Add chicken to skillet, brown on both sides, and cook until cook through. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

In the same pan, heat the additional olive oil. Saute the garlic and onion for about three minutes, or until soft. Add flour and whisk to combine. Whisk in 1/4 cup of chicken stock, being sure to get the clumps of flour whisked in. Cook for about one minute, until bubbly, then add the remaining chicken stock, mustard, half and half, thyme, and oregano. Simmer until mixture thickens some, about 5 minutes. Stir in cheese and cook until melted. Add the chicken and pasta to the skillet, toss to coat, and serve.

adapted from Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Balsamic Chicken

This chicken will be making many reappearances in our house. Grilled, baked, on its own, with pasta, in a cold pasta salad, with sauteed onion and bell pepper, and any other way we can think of it. I had low expectations going in, but we both loved it.
Toss the chicken in the marinade in the morning and it will be ready for you to cook when you get home from work. If you forget, just give it a twenty minute bath in the marinade and you'll still be set. Throw on the pasta water, cook the pasta and chicken at the same time, and you have a (less than) thirty minute meal!
Tonight I doubled the marinade and served the chicken over whole wheat spaghetti and sprinkled it with feta. Flavor combination winner! I kept thinking how very good it would be with some sweet onion or a little cilantro over the top. Basically all those ways I listed above are all the ways I talked about how I would like it while I was eating it:) Enjoy it any way you want!

Balsamic Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tsp dried Italian seasoning

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp brown sugar

Combine vinegar, chicken broth, seasoning, garlic, and brown sugar and stir well. Marinate chicken in mixture for at least 20 minutes and up to 24 hours. Cook whatever way you prefer--if you want the sauce, reduce the marinade on the stovetop (make sure it boils for at least 90 seconds). If you are cooking the chicken on the stovetop, cook it for about four minutes on each side, then add sauce and reduce for about five minutes (leave chicken in pan).

**To serve it over pasta, I doubled the marinade and reduced all of it.

adapted from allrecipes.com

Happy New Year from our house to yours!!

Skillet Barbecue Chicken Pasta

I feel like I should lead off by saying that Norris loved this stuff! I really liked it too, so it's definitely a winner!
One skillet, quick prep, and loved by all = something that will be in our regular rotation.
 I added a little extra barbecue sauce and sprinkled a little extra cheese plus jalapenos on top because I like them on everything. I know I botched Prevention RD's nutrition facts by adding the extras, and it was good the way the recipe was written, but I just love jalapenos too much and was okay with a few extra calories from the bbq sauce and cheese!

Skillet BBQ Chicken Pasta

from Prevention RD

Skinny Crockpot Chicken & Wild Rice Soup

This recipe was another winner for Soup Sunday (and operation fill the lunchbox)! I loved the smell of it while I was cooking and the lemon zest gives it just a hit of something that makes you curious of the smell and the taste but is the perfect element of flavor in the soup! Even though the recipe calls for just 3/4 cup of wild rice, it seems like there is so much by the time this is done cooking and it's a great filling soup. Plus, it's "skinny"!! That really means it's from a Weight Watcher's blog, but it's really good and you'd never know it's a "skinny" version!

oops, I thought I had another ugly picture of soup to share with you, but I'll share this ugly one instead:) This is Norris doing his "we're taking a picture in the garage and this is embarrassing and someone is going to drive by and see us doing this" awkward laugh and me taking a self pic in the garage. Fun K-State season, even with this weekend's loss!

Skinny Crockpot Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

slightly adapted from Let's Get Cooking

1 cup finely diced carrots
1/2 onion, finely diced
3/4 cup uncooked wild rice (this is expensive to buy a box/bag of, so check out the bulk bins!)
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
zest of one lemon
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
50 oz chicken broth

Combine all ingredients in a 4 1/2 qt crockpot. Cook on low for 7 hours or high for 3 hours. Remove chicken, shred with fork, and return to crockpot. Remove bay leaves and serve.
Serves 6

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

If you like macaroni and cheese and buffalo wings, this one is for you. We both really enjoyed this and will like it even more next time when I use the mild wing sauce instead of the hot sauce. Despite the sweat beads forming from eating this with spicy sauce, we both went back for more and polished off the leftovers, which is a sign of something great in our house. You can prep this a day or two before and just bake when ready!

Baked Buffalo Chicken Pasta

very slightly adapted from Prevention RD
Serves 6 generous portions

13.25 oz whole wheat pasta (that's the box size they sell at my market)
1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cooked and chopped
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups skim milk
1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese
1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp buffalo wing sauce, divided
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup feta or Gorgonzola cheese
Nicole suggested topping with green onions and cilantro, which I think would be excellent!

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cook pasta according to package directions.
Heat butter in saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in flour to form a roux. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Whisk in milk and turn heat down to low. Simmer while stirring until milk thickens slightly. Stir in cheeses until smooth. Stir in 1/3 cup wing sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
Spray a 9x13 with nonstick cooking spray.
Combine pasta, sauce, and chicken, then pour into baking dish. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown, top with feta and bake another five minutes. Drizzle with remaining wing sauce and top with other garnishes if using.

Chicken Potato Chowder

This soup was very similar to a corn and bacon chowder I have made before, but more hearty and filling and enough to satisfy my husband for a meal. It rained all day here (thankfully! we needed it!) and it seemed like a perfect day for soup. I love soup and all the fall foods...I think I am on a mission to seek out every pumpkin flavored product on the market. There are so many new ones this year!
Served with garlic bread, this was a super filling comfort food meal that both of us really enjoyed. I hope you do, too!

Chicken Potato Chowder

adapted from Joelen's Culinary Adventures

6 slices bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
30 oz chicken broth
2 large potatoes, diced
4 cups frozen corn
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 1/2 tbsp dried thyme
2 cups fat free half and half
salt and pepper to taste
shredded cheese and green onions to garnish

Cook bacon until crispy in a large stock pot. Remove bacon to paper towel lined plate and remove all but 2 tbsp bacon fat from the pan.
Saute the garlic in the bacon fat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add potato and broth to the pot, cover, and simmer 10 minutes.
Add chicken and thyme, cover, and simmer about 20 minutes or until chicken and potatoes are cooked.
Stir in corn and half and half and simmer another 5 minutes or until half and half is heated. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper (don't forget you're adding bacon in so don't salt it too much!).
Garnish with cheese, bacon, and green onions.

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

Today I was telling my dogs (yes, I like to talk to them sometimes because then I’m not talking to myself at least, right??) that it feels like something has to drop in order to keep my life together. Exercise, school, class, volunteering, cooking, what will it be? I know they aren’t all essential to life, but they make me feel complete. After we talked it out (okay, they panted and waited for me to throw them a treat), I realized I can’t let anything go. I need to plan things out better, but I also need to learn to ask for help or say no sometimes. I am getting better about saying no, but asking for help isn’t exactly in my nature. I have said before that I definitely earned my nickname “mom” in college. I am a total nurturer and need to learn to be nurtured sometimes.




And hey, I must have a few minutes if I’m here writing. I should probably be doing something else, but I do what I want! Not really, but it’s fun to say!


Oh, and those pumpkin snickerdoodles? I liked them so much (and so did my husband and my students) that I went home and made a full batch the next night to another day of rave reviews. Seriously good stuff!


Anyway, back in the kitchen today. Well, I turned my crockpot on in the kitchen this morning anyway. We’ve been eating a lot of turkey tacos and other fallback foods and still haven’t resorted to eating out yet, so I’m proud of that! Meal variety is low, but we are still eating at home which I like.


A Year of Slow Cooking will probably be a great resource again for me this fall and winter. I have enjoyed many crockpot meals from this blog in the past, but may be relying on this awesome kitchen tool even more in the coming months. This honey garlic chicken turned out awesome and went perfectly with golden sweet cornbread and some veggies. Quick and easy dinner ready in the time it takes to throw things in a crockpot or as the author said, put everything in the freezer and just throw it in some morning and there is no think time in the morning! (especially helpful on days you realize at 6:30 AM that you have a meeting at 7:10…)

Crockpot Honey Garlic Chicken

from Crockpot 365

no picture....didn't even think about it in the rush I was in to get dinner on the table then get to FCA!


4 chicken thighs


3 garlic cloves, smashed and chopped


1 teaspoon dried basil


1/2 cup soy sauce (La Choy or Tamari wheat-free are gluten free)


1/2 cup ketchup


1/3 cup honey


Combine ingredients in 4 quart slow cooker. Cook on low for 10 hours.

Semi-Homemade Chicken Pot Pie

I kind of think of this as a cobbler because that's what it looks like and it has similar elements. A filling underneath a layer of dough and baked, but this is definitely not sweet!
This is more of an idea than a recipe. I made regular chicken and vegetable soup (potatoes, chicken, carrots, green beans, corn) but with about 1/3 of the liquid. I reduced the liquid way down and poured it into a 9x13, then put canned biscuits on top. I brushed the biscuits with melted butter, sprinkled with cracked pepper, and baked at 350 for about 20 minutes. Perfect quick comfort food!