Creamy Crock pot Chicken

This super yummy chicken was invented by yours truly this past weekend. I am so sure that there are many variations of this Crock pot meal, but I assure you that mine is the best! Ha!

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken

4 chicken breasts (bone in our out, your choice)

1 can cream of chicken

1-8oz. package of cream cheese

1/2 c. chicken broth (low sodium)

1 package ranch dressing packet 

1 tsp. turmeric

Place chicken breast in crock pot. Pour cream of chicken and chicken broth over the chicken. Sprinkle turmeric and ranch dressing packet over mixture. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or high for 2-3 hours. Once chicken is cooked through, remove to a plate and reserve. Cut up cream cheese into bite size pieces and place in the broth inside of the crock pot. Stir to combine all ingredients. Once combined, put chicken back in the mixture and cover. Set to low and let cook for another 30 minutes. Serve over rice or noodles. 

Enjoy!

French Toast Bake

 

This is insanely delicious. I used to believe that there should be a law that does not allow you to mess with cinnamon rolls in a can. They come already seasoned. You pop the can open with a spoon or smash it against the side of the counter, because let's be real you can never pull the paper off and it pops. Kind of like the macaroni and cheese box that tells you to push that triangle at the top of the box in and pull back. If you have ever been able to do that successfully without using a knife or scissors please comment below. I have NEVER been able to do that and I used to go hard core on some macaroni and cheese after school. Give me some spiral with butter and a splash of milk mixed with that yummy powder. Call me gross if you want..That stuff was great!

I Digress.....

Oh and Trader Joe's Cinnamon Rolls....Yeah I can eat 3 in one sitting. It's madness! If you haven't tried them yet you are missing out on life. They need to be eaten at night, in front of the TV, in your pajamas or yoga pants. And you cannot feel guilty about eating them. Because moderation people...mod-er-a-tion.

Luckily you can use this recipe and also eat them in the morning because you need to buy two packs..Why?? Because you will hate your life if you just buy one. My Trader Joes is far. Like get in the car and drive 20 minutes far. At least that's far to me. 

Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls knock my socks off too, don't get me wrong. I will go hard with those too. But to me those are breakfast only Rolls. They both work so pick your poison favorite.

This French Toast bake adds the richness of butter, eggs, and milk to the mix. Then topped with the yummy frosting right when it comes out of the oven. 

I've tried this recipe with Trader Joe's Cinnamon Rolls and Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. Trader Joe's are a bit bigger and have a more cinnamon taste. Either one will work. 

 French Toast Bake

1 can cinnamon rolls 

1/2 C. milk

1 egg

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

3 tbsp. butter (I used Land O Lakes) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and put in an 8x8 Pyrex dish or whatever dish (similar size) you have with sides. Mix milk, cinnamon, vanilla, and egg together. Open can of cinnamon rolls and slice each roll into 8 individual pieces. Place all the pieces in the egg and milk mixture and stir to combine. Put into the 8x8 dish and bake uncovered for 20 minutes or until brown on top and done in the middle. Heat frosting that came in the cinnamon roll pack for a few seconds in the microwave. Pour over the French Toast. Serve warm. 

You can top with roasted pecans or walnuts and/or add some hot maple syrup if you really feel naughty. 

Enjoy!

Best Brisket Ever!

I've been trying to meal plan lately. Life with a toddler means I don't have much time to cook during the week. Especially with an hour commute every morning to work/daycare....followed by another hour in the afternoon. YEP!!!

So I've been trying to plan meals early in the week, and then working with the homie at work (shout out AB!) to plan out easy meals that don't require me to be in front of the stove for 3 hours every night.
She told me about some really good and healthy nachos she made using skirt steak. I thought it might be good with brisket, so that Sunday I meal prepped my brisket in the crockpot. It was AMAZING!

I added a few liquids to a small brisket, cooked it in the oven on a low temp, and 7 hours later, it was perfect!

On Sunday we ate it with roasted herb potatoes and green beans. On Monday we ate leftovers, and then on Wednesday, I made nachos with what was left. I'll post that recipe later......but first......

Brisket

1/2 lb Brisket

1 c. of Red Wine ( I used Trader Joe's Brand)

3/4 c. Chicken Broth

1/4 c. Liquid Smoke Mesquite Flavor

3/4 c. Soy Sauce

1/4 c. Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp. Meat Tenderizer

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place Brisket in a large dutch oven, fat side up. Mix all liquid ingredients together. Sprinkle meat tenderizer over brisket (fat side). Pour all liquid ingredients over the brisket and cover with dutch oven lid. Place in oven and cook for 6-8 hours. I cooked mine for 7 and it was perfect. Once you take it out let it rest on top of the stove for 30 minutes. Remove fat layer and cut. Place back in the liquid to let the meat absorb more liquid. Enjoy.

* If you can't find the brisket in 1/2 lb, you can double the recipe, or have your butcher cut it for you.

Blue Apron Meals -2

I received my Blue Apron meal again a few weeks ago. This time it was Mexican-Style Tortas, Crispy Catfish, and Steaks and Roasted Potatoes. All of the food was super delicious and definitely something that I could make on my own if I was not the cook that I am! HA!!

I have to say that my favorite was the tortas. They were so delicious and paired with avocado made it even more yummy. The bread was super fresh and soft, I had to make a panini press using two pans.....note to self, get a panini maker......but it was still super good. 

The steaks and potatoes were very well seasoned. My husband loved the steaks. He even raved about them the next day to some friends. When he does this I know it had to be good. 

The catfish was good, but not my favorite. I am not a big fan of catfish. It tastes a little too fishy to me. I don't even really like fried catfish. I know I love my southern food and catfish it pretty high up there on the southern food list, but it's just not my favorite fish. The dish overall was pretty good. 

Will I keep doing Blue Apron? 

-Maybe. Maybe not. It's not a bad price for the amount of food you get. The ingredients are fresh and it keeps me from going to the grocery store and spending a fortune every week on fresh produce and meat. I like how everything is prepackaged and all I have to do is wash off a few veggies and chop. I might try doing this on a Sunday food prep day instead of after work. Then on the days I work, everything is done for me. We shall see. 

*not a sponsored post, just sharing what I love. 

Blue Apron Meals

I had a friend tell me about Blue Apron Meals. It is this awesome company that sends packaged ingredients straight to your door step with step by step instructions on how to put it all together and make a meal. The meals are super fresh and nutritious. P-diddy gave me a coupon for a few bucks off, so of course I had to try it.

 How it Works

Blue Apron sends you three meals in portions of two or four depending on your preference and family size. I picked 2 because I knew we could share with our little one. The meals are a little different depending on which portion you decide on. They ask you a few questions when you sign up, such as meat or vegetarian, and any allergies or special preferences you may have. Afterwards they give you a list of 5 different meals to choose from. You pick three, some of the meals cannot be added together, and then within a week, the meals are sent straight to your door. 

Here is What I Received

The first meal was Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp. This was absolutely delicious. The noodles and shrimp were super fresh and the basil on top was the "icing on the cake." We had squid ink pasta in New York, so we knew we would like this dish. No, the noodles do not taste like fish. They use the squid ink to dye the noodles that color. They taste just like regular, fresh, noodles. 

The next meal was Stuffed Poblano Peppers. People!!! This was my favorite meal. First you make the stuffing which consisted of pepitas, rice, hamburger, onions, currants, and some spices. You roast the peppers, then split them, de-seed them and then stuff with the mixture. It was delicious. 

Once it is done, the peppers are topped with a yummy cilantro cream sauce. Delicious! 

I really liked Blue Apron. The directions were super easy to follow and the food was really good. Throughout the directions they tell you to add salt and pepper and I would definitely taste each time I did this. I like seasonings so I wanted to make sure all of the food was seasoned enough to my family's liking. 

This isn't a sponsored post, I just really like Blue Apron and wanted to share my amazing meals I received from them! 

New York Eats

My Family and I recently went to New York. My main focus was to spend time with family, celebrate my little girl's first birthday, and EAT! 

New York did not really disappoint me. I have to say they didn't have a lot of places "right in your face" to eat like they do in the south. Things were pretty spaced out, but if you ask the locals and the concierge at the hotels, they will definitely lead you in the right direction. 

As soon as we checked in at the hotel, we were starving. We asked the front desk where a good pizza place was and she pointed us in the right direction. We went to Ray's Pizza and it did not disappoint. I ordered a pepperoni and mushroom slice and a vegetarian slice. It was super fresh and just what we needed to welcome us to New York. 

The next day Mom, GG, and I decided to get up early for breakfast. We walked to the local Pret A Manger for some organic coffee, burritos, and breakfast sandwiches. I had the burrito with a coffee and it was delicious. The burrito was filled with black beans, onions, red bell peppers and eggs. The coffee was divine and just what I needed to wake me up and start my first full day in NYC. 

On our way back we stopped at Magnolia Bakery (pic). Y'ALL!!! I want to take a bath in their icing. It is sooo good. It's a buttercream icing and it is to die for. I bought 2 red velvet cupcakes, a chocolate cupcake and a vanilla cupcake with pink icing and sprinkles. 

After walking the city a bit we decided to stop in to The Plaza Hotel and eat at the Todd English Food Hall. This place was recommended to me by a friend to try out. We ended up eating her for lunch and dinner....it was that good. For lunch I ordered a green monster juice with extra ginger, which I paired with a cupcake from Magnolia Bakery. I figured it equaled out.

They Hubby ordered the lobster roll. It was a little on the small side but it was really good. I had a bite and had to stop myself from asking for more and devouring his. He did let me have his pickle though. Ha! 

Lunch for me! 

After lunch at The Plaza we walked through Central Park and took GG to the Central Park Zoo. 

On our way out I saw a Wafles and Dinges and I had to try. This my friends is my Belgian Waffle with Nutella, fresh strawberries, and vanilla ice cream.....Life Changing. GG loved it. 

Later for dinner we went back to The Plaza and had dinner. I forgot to take pictures but we had salmon sandwiches and shared a bento box of chicken teriyaki with a seaweed salad. 

The next day we decided on something small for breakfast and some coffee. We knew we were headed to Little Italy for dinner and we didn't want to get too stuffed. We decided on Angelo's after reading a few great reviews. It was great! 

We ordered the Antipasto Italiano plate with sardines and endive. It was perfection. Mr. Lovely ordered the pasta with shrimp and crab. I opted for the Cannelloni filled with meat, spinach, and cheese. Mom had the chicken marsala. All of the dishes were delicious. 

Pasta with Shrimp and Crab

Cannelloni with Spinach, Beef, and Cheese

Chicken Marsala

We walked around Little Italy for a while and had dessert at one of the oldest restaurants there Ferrara. We ordered some classic Cannolis and ate them on a bench in front of a local deli. Perfect way to end the day. 

The next day we headed to Eataly to check out Mario Battali's wonderful Italian Market. 

We went to La Pizza and La Pasta and had a yummy lunch. I ordered the Tagliatelle with a short rib ragu. Mr. Lovely ordered the pizza with sausage and pepperoni, Mom ordered a pizza with sausage and mushroom. Best pizza we have ever had in our lives!!! Authentic.....or as close to Italian cuisine as I have heard it should taste. 

Yummy foccacia bread with different toppings.

This was quite a popular one!

The deli that has some of the best sausage I have ever tasted....even better,,,,,you can order any of the meats and have it shipped to you. 

They have a Nutella Bar......YES....A NUTELLA BAR!!! 

People!!!!! I was sooo full from lunch at the pizza and pasta restaurant, but I knew I could not leave this place without ordering something. I had the Fior Di Latte (sweet milk) gelato, in a waffle cone with nutella drizzled on top. Dying!! 

Our final night in NYC we ate outside at a quaint Italian restaurant. I had the salmon with spinach, tomatoes, and cauliflower. 

Mr. Lovely had the Pasta Diablo with shrimp. 

For dessert we walked to Junior's Cheesecake and I had the best strawberry cheesecake EVER!!!! 

We shared one slice, as it was so rich and delicious. 

I was so proud of GG. She ate all of the foods we had the whole time we were in NYC. She is turning into quite the foodie and I want her to try and taste everything. 

Obviously we ate more than this, but these are just some of the highlights. It was an amazing trip. I fell in love with this city, just like how I fell in love with NOLA. You can read about those adventures here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, 

I definitely plan to visit NYC in the near future. 

Lemon - Berry Rolls

Sometimes you have ingredients in your refrigerator and think....

"What should I do with all of this stuff?" 

Well you go to google, put in the ingredients that you have, and miraculously recipes appear.

I found this recipe from The Girl Who Ate Everything. 

It is a blueberry and lemon crescent ring. The recipe calls for a can of crescent rolls and delicious sweetened cream cheese with just the right amount of lemon juice for a kick. This is good friends. 

Here is the sweetened cream cheese. You have to mix it really good to give it a nice whipped and creamy look. 

Once you stretch out the dough, spread the cream cheese mixture all over and place the blueberries on top. I had to push the blueberries into the mixture a bit so they wouldn't slide when I rolled the dough up. 

Once the dough is rolled, slice using a serrated knife and place in a circle like above. 

Bake these puppies up at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. Once they come out spread the icing on top. 

Blueberry and Lemon Crescent Rings

adapted from The Girl Who Ate Everything

4 oz cream cheese, softened

1 tbsp. lemon juice (fresh is best)

1 tbsp. lemon zest

1 can Crescent rolls

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. fresh blueberries

Glaze

1/2 c. powdered sugar

2 tbsp. milk 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper. In small bowl, combine the cream cheese, lemon juice, lemon zest, and sugar. Mix until well blended. Unroll the pack of crescent rolls and pinch the separation areas to make the dough combine and lay flat in one rectangular piece. 

Spread cream cheese mixture all over dough and top with blueberries. Push the blueberries into the cream cheese mixture a bit to make sure they won't move when you roll up the dough. Starting with the long side, roll the dough up until if forms a roll. Using a serrated knife, cut the dough into slices. Place each slice on the parchment lined cookie tray, overlapping ever so slightly. Bake for 20-30 minutes. 

While this is cooking combine your powdered sugar and milk to make the glaze. 

Once the crescent rolls are done, remove from the oven and pour the glaze over them. 

Enjoy!