Peace On Earth: Sloppy Chicken

Before the year ends, I wanted to give you one more of my Peace On Earth Recipes. This post could have easily been titled "The Easiest Recipe Ever" instead. It's  SO easy in fact, that there's really no recipe and I didn't take a photo of the ingredients to help you out.

Pull out your crock pot because you'll need it again for this one.

Here you go....

1 bag frozen chicken tenders (you know how much I love those!)

1 bottle of your favorite barbeque sauce

Put the chicken in the crockpot and pour the sauce over the top. Cook on high for 4 hours. Shred chicken with fork and return to sauce to warm. Serve on buns. 

BOOM! That's it!

Hopefully this recipe will help you out while the Christmas craziness winds down. It's simple food.....which I always feel is what we need after a big holiday of eating. It would be good too if you still have one more gathering to host. It also happens to be a great dinner in the Summer when you don't want to heat up your kitchen.

There you have it....Sloppy Chicken.

(You'll have to forgive this aweful photo. I was trying to get a picture in decent light. But in the process, I made the sandwich look like it was floating in mid-air. So if you decide to call this recipe "Floating Chicken Sandwiches" instead, I'll understand. I don't think I will ever be a food photographer!)

Enjoy!

Christmas Traditions At Our House: Almond Toffee

Good Monday morning everyone!

It's time for another one of our family's Christmas traditions. And this one just happened to take place over the weekend.

For about the last eight years, we've made Almond Toffee to give away to teachers, bus drivers, neighbors, friends, and family. (And we eat a little bit ourselves too!)

Saturday was the perfect day to stay home and make it because this is what it looked like outside.

 The recipe we use is from marilynmoll.com and you can find it HERE.

This "project" is really Hubster's thing. And it really is a project....seven batches were made this year. He did all the actual candy-making. I was in charge of the chocolate and almond coating. Then, he broke up all the toffee into peices and I packaged it all up. It definitely was a team effort.

Hubster's printout of the recipe is rather tattered, stained and scribbled upon. But after making it so many times, he doesn't even refer to the recipe any more.



Our house always smells heavenly when the toffee is being made.

After the  toffee cools a bit melted chocolate is spread on each side and ground almonds are spread on top.

And.....the finished product. It really is delicious and makes a nice hostess or teacher gift.

The kids love passing it out to all their teachers.

So if you're looking for something different to make this year, try some Almond Toffee!

You can read about our other Christmas Tradition too!

The Music

The Tree

The Decorations



Peace On Earth: Mama's Killer Pizza Pasta

'Tis the season for bloggers to be posting their favorite holiday and party recipes. But in the spirit of "Peace On Earth," I thought that this month I would share some of our family's favorite everyday dinner recipes.

We've already established that we have a couple picky eaters in our house and these are recipes that everyone will eat. Thus, peace on earth.....or at least at our house....because I don't have to hear things such as....

     Do I have to eat it?

     Can I just have jelly instead?

     But I like Grandma's better.

Also, I am all about SIMPLE, folks. The fewer ingredients and the less amount of prep time, the better. I don't know about you, but my December calendar is pretty full and my "to do" list keeps getting longer. Can't we all use a little bit more simple at this time of year for getting dinner on the table?

So first up, I present to you my own creation.....Mama's Killer Pizza Pasta! This is definitely a favorite around here. People have actually been known to cheer when they find out we're having this for dinner.

 

First, here are the ingredients you'll need. We have a thing for bowtie (Farfalle) pasta around here. The kids call them butterflies.

You can use whatever type of pizza sauce you like. I just get whatever is cheapest.

But please use real Parmesan cheese....not the powder. You'll thank me later. :D

 

You do need to pre-cook the pasta.

 

And cut up the pepperoni a little bit.

And then you just basically layer everything like you would for a lasagna. Since the pasta is cooked, you just have to let this bake to get it all hot and melty.

And....voila.....Pizza Pasta!

As Rachel would say....YUM-O!

Here's the recipe for you. I hope you enjoy this dish and that maybe it brings a little peace to your dinner table during this busy time of the year.





Four Things For Friday 11.22.13

Hello and Happy Friday!

Here are some little snippets for today.

1.) I confess that I've been leaving the closet doors open.

2.) I have a little sick one home with me today. She's feeling pretty stuffy. Tis the season, I guess. Time to break out the Airborn and zinc tablets. I don't want us all to be sick for Thanksgiving! Do you use any kind of remedies or supplements to ward off germs?

3.) Only three days of school for the kiddos next week and then a five day break. I think we all could use a little breather from school. I know I'm looking forward to it. My poor 8th grader will probably have homework though. That seems to be the way it is this year.

4.) Have you seen this Onion Casserole recipe floating around on Pinterest? I've decided to make this to take for Thanksgiving. I love French Onion Soup, so this sounds really good to me. I know it won't appeal to everyone, but I think there are enough onion lovers in the group. Are you trying any new recipes for your Thanksgiving meal this year?

Hope you have a happy weekend!


Today's Thankfulness.....

* That I can be a stay-at-home mom and be here when my kids are sick.

* That Hubster arrived home safely last night!!  (Woo hoo!)

* For laughter.

* For new friends.

A Thanksgiving Recipe: Sweet Potato Souffle

In my post about Thanksgiving traditions I mentioned my mother-in-law's sweet potato recipe and I thought I would share it with you today. It really is yummy!

First, a little bit about the name....

"Sweet Potato"....I realized when I grabbed what I usually use at the grocery store, it's actually YAMS that I've been using all these years. But Sweet Potato Souffle sounds much more charming than Yam Souffle, don't you think?

"Souffle"....If you're looking for something tall, light, and fluffy, this is not it. It's delicious, but is none of those things. Think more along the lines of pumpkin pie.

Okay, so here's a look at the ingredients. Please note that the recipe calls for THREE cans of...YAMS....even though only two are pictured. Also, if you get in the store and get confused about what kind of canned milk to buy (like me), it's the kind you use in pumpkin pie. It helps that my brand has a slice pictured on the can.

Let me tell you a little story about the topping for this recipe....

As you know, Hubster and I were married in November. Our first holiday together as a married couple was Thanksgiving. That year, we were headed to my new in-laws. I had asked what I could bring and my mother-in-law asked if I would make the sweet potatoes if she gave me the recipe. I agreed, although I was a little intimidated by the word "souffle."

We had received a beautiful, round, enameled baking dish as a wedding gift. It had a lovely fruit and leaf pattern on it that looked sort of "cornacopia-ish". I thought it would be perfect for Thanksgiving so I planned to make the sweet potatoes in it.

Thanksgiving morning arrived and I started making the recipe. I told Hubster that I was planning on using the new baking dish. "You ARE?" he asked.

"Yea, isn't it pretty?"

"You can't make the sweet potatoes in THAT!"

"Why not?"

"That dish doesn't have enough AREA to put all the crunchy topping on. That's everyone's favorite part! You need to use a bigger pan so everybody get's some!"

I was SO deflated! I wanted to use my pretty new baking dish. But I also wanted to make my new husband happy....and impress my new mother-in-law.

So I used the ugly metal 9x13.

But the topping was worth it. Here are the ingredients for that part. And you can always make a little more than what the recipe calls for, if you like.

And when it's done baking....YUM-O!!

If I can, I like to give it a few minutes out of the oven to set up a bit before serving.

And if there ARE any leftovers, it's actually good cold too. Not that I've ever eaten it straight out of the refrigerator or anything.

And here is the complete recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family does!

Today's Thankfulness....

* For good food to eat.

* For my computer.

* For clean laundry.

Four Things For Friday 11.8.13

Wow! We've made it to Friday already.

Here are my random thoughts for this week.....

1.) First off, check out this beautiful tree in our front yard. Glorious, isn't it?

2.) I realized yesterday that the upside to all the Christmas stuff being out in all the stores is that a lot of the Fall stuff is on clearance. WOO HOO! I snagged this acorn yesterday for half price. Because, I mean, who doesn't want a giant, golden acorn?



3.) We have a busy weekend coming up. A "Gotcha Day" celebration, a birthday, and oh yea, Second Sunday. Mom asked me to bring a salad this time. I decided to try this Romaine and Ramen Salad recipe that the lovely Kelly over at Talk Of The House posted this week. Talk Of The House is one of my favorite blogs. Stop over and check out the Fall lunch menu Kelly shared. She always has yummy-looking recipes and a beautifully set table. And her home always looks so inviting.

4.) Finally, Sal has invited us to a Thanksgiving linky party over at Drinking From My Saucer! Check out her post today and start thinking about what your family's Thanksgiving traditions are and then come back on Tuesday to share them. I'm sure it will be fun to hear other people's traditions and stories. And who knows, maybe you will come away with an idea for a new tradition to start in your family.

 

You can find all the details HERE.

Okay, I think that's it!

Remember....

Have a great weekend!

Today's Thankfulness....

* For the smell of Autumn in the air this morning.

* That my husband knows how to fix a lot of things and I don't have to worry about them.

* For the anticipation of gathering with family this weekend.

Pinterest Recipe Round-Up

I have a confession to make.

I don't really like to cook. THERE, I said it.

I used to like to cook. Back in the day when it was just Hubster and me, I would make wonderful meals that were waiting for him when he came home from a long day at work. We tried to eat healthy and tried new recipes. I even....wait for it....made homemade bread.

True story.

And then we had kids. I quickly found out that when I cook, I am "in the zone." I don't want to be interrupted. I don't want to have meaningful conversations, and...um....I don't want to hear about your day. When I cook, I don't want to be distracted. I have to focus. As I'm sure you all know....that's really hard when you have kids.

Secondly, when the kids entered our lives, we all of the sudden had picky eaters in our house. There are two of them. Let me introduce you....

First, there's "Little Picky." He doesn't like melted cheese on anything, but pizza. He's really not a big fan of dairy at all.  He also doesn't like casseroles because he doesn't like different foods to touch each other on his plate. Oddly enough though, he does like vegetables. Even raw vegetables. If we are having something he doesn't like for dinner, he will sometimes ask if he can have salad instead. He generally only drinks water. ( WAIT A MINUTE....I just realized he sounds like a healthy eater. Okay, so the rest of us like cheese. Don't judge.)

Then there's "Truly Picky." She has never met a vegetable she wanted to eat. She also doesn't like beans (black, kidney, etc.), pepperoni, or....<gasp>....potatoes! For a long time the girl lived on mostly yogurt....seriously.

As most moms know, it's no fun to make dinner for your family only to sit down and have 2/5 of them say, "I don't like this!"

When homework entered our lives, making dinner was even less appealing. I mean, who wants to make dinner after their brain is fried from helping with 9th grade Algebra?

SO....all of that to say we needed a little excitement in our dinner menu. Enter Pinterest. You all know how I feel about Pinterest....it's only a time-sucker if you don't use it, right?  I figured that since I had pinned so many recipes on my "Foodie Stuff" board that I better try some of them. Lately, I try to remember to look at that board before I do my grocery shopping and pick a couple new recipes to try.

Here are a couple that we've tried. Not all have been embraced by the "Picky's," but we've had a some success.

Beef-Stuffed Crescent Rolls from Six Sister's Stuff

We all loved these and they were gobbled up. Super easy to make and I mean, who doesn't like something wrapped in a crescent roll?


Philly Cheesesteak Stuffed Bell Peppers from Quick 'N Easy Recipes

(I'm not sharing the photo here because it's a whole bunch of photos strung together showing how to make these, but you can check it out.)

These were pretty yummy. Those of us who like vegetables and cheese enjoyed them.
I do have to admit that I'm a bit of a roast beef snob though. So I substituted Hormel's Italian Roast Beef, which we like, for the deli meat.

Baked Pierogi Casserole from Table For Seven

Everyone loved this one! I must say that every time we have this I tell myself it should probably be a side dish. But we like it and use it as a main dish. And I may add extra bacon. Just sayin'.

There you have it. Three new recipes we've tried.

And this week we will be trying these.

Oven-Baked Beef Tacos from Six Sister's Stuff

Chicken Roll-Ups from Jenna's Journey


* Just a little mudroom update....I'm making progress slowly but surely. I just haven't been able to have big blocks of time to work on it. So it's been a few minutes or an hour here and there. I have sorted, organized, washed, and vacuumed though. And yesterday I got a little inspired to add some "cute." So I'm hoping to work on that a little today.*


Today's Thankfulness....

* For food on our table.

* That Hubster is home from a long business trip.

A Fall Recipe: Easy Pie Filling Cobbler

Today,  I have a yummy and super simple dessert recipe for you. This is a great one for Fall. It's my go-to recipe to take somewhere because it's easy to throw together.

Easy Pie Filling Cobbler

1 stick butter or margarine

1 15-oz. can of your favorite pie filling (I've used apple, cherry, blueberry, and raspberry before and they've all been good.

1 box Jiffy white cake mix (or 1/2 box of regular cake mix. I've also used yellow cake.)

cinnamon

Butter 8x8 pan well. Melt remaining butter.

Spread pie filling in pan.

Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Spread DRY cake mix over fruit.

Drizzle melted butter over top.

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 45-60 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping of your choice.

A couple notes:

** This is an EASY recipe. Use cake mix DRY. My mom once shared this recipe with a good friend. She made up the cake mix per the box directions and spread on top of the fruit. Didn't work!

** You can double this recipe to make it in a 9x13 pan without a problem. I've even tripled it and made it in a roasting pan for a larger family get-together. You may not need 3 sticks of butter though. Your call.

This is one of our family's favorite dessert recipes. It's so easy and never disappoints.

Hope you enjoy it too!