Shredded chicken with some spice!

This is a recipe I discovered shortly after our daughter Aidan was born and I went back to work full time.  It is also when I discovered my L-O-V-E for the crockpot.  I needed easy meals as I adjusted to being a working/career mom.  I'll let you know when that adjustment/acclimation has happened.  I am still waiting.  I have just gotten better at faking it.  This one is simple.  It takes ingredients most people have on-hand and makes yummy tacos!  We have made the chicken in a double batch, froze the left overs, and used it at a later date for enchiladas.  For those dieting, this one is pretty low-fat.  My husband uses Green Goddess dressing on the tacos in place of sour cream.  Ole!

Shredded Chicken Tacos
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1-14 oz can reduced sodium chicken broth

1-1 oz reduced sodium taco seasoning packet

Place the chicken breasts in a 3 qt slow cooker that has been coated in non-stick cooking spray. In a 2 Cup measuring cup (or a small bowl) whisk the chicken broth and taco seasoning together. Pour over the chicken. Cook on low for 8-9 hours. Before serving, place chicken breasts in a medium bowl. Shred using two forks. Serve on warm flour or corn tortillas with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Nostalgia, the song can always bring you back.

Something about this time of year and fall being in the air reminds me of this song and my freshman year at Montana Tech.  Good times.

Shhh...this recipe is Top Secret......

Do you remember when you could go to the 4B's resteraunt in Butte and get an awesome bowl of tomato soup?  Do you also remember when they didn't charge for the recipe?  I do.  This is the recipe I downloaded/orinted from the 4B's website over 10 years ago.  The last time we went to 4B's, it seemed they had changed the recipe and it was no where as good.  With the cold weather here, it is soup time.  This one pairs really well with sourdough bread or is even better with an ooey, gooey grill cheese sandwich!  Dig in!

4B’s Old Fashioned Tomato Soup

3 chicken bouillon cubes
1 C water
1 ounce butter
1 Tbsp chopped onion
2 Tbsp sugar
16 oz can diced tomatoes in puree
16 oz can crushed tomatoes
½ tsp baking soda
1 C heavy whipping cream
1 C liquid coffee creamer (non-dairy)

Combine bouillon cubes, water, butter, chopped onion, and sugar. Simmer until onions are clear. Add tomatoes and baking soda and stir well. Add cream and liquid creamer and heat to serve.

Cooking with soup! And chicken! And BACON!

So, I admit, I cam by this recipe through an ex.  It was the only good thing that I took from that relationship beside an overwhelming adversion to okra.  But, that is another story for another day.  Just know, you will not see okra recipes on this blog.  This one is also child approved and husband approved.  It is yummy, and easy to make.  For the boy child this has the chicken.  For the husband and the daughter it has (drumroll, please)...Bacon!!!!!!  The ex called this Chicken Marengo.  I have no idea if that is the real name.  However, the kids renamed it and request it as Chicken More-n-go (More and go).  It stuck.  Enjoy!

Chicken More-n-go

½ lb bacon, diced
½ onion, chopped
2- 10 ¾ oz can tomato soup
2- 10 ¾ oz can golden mushroom soup
1 lb chicken breast, diced
4-6 C cooked, hot rice

In a large sauté pan, cook bacon until thoroughly cooked, but not crisp. Remove cooked bacon from pan, leaving grease. Add onion and cook until tender. Add chicken and cook until chicken is cook all the way through. Add cooked bacon and cook a few minutes longer. Add the cans of soup. Stir well and cook until heated all the way through. Serve over rice.

Weekend Breakfast...You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar

Well, I will not be posting any recipes this weekend.  Sorry.  This looks to be a busy weekend with minimal computer time.  So, I thought that I would post a breakfast recipe for Saturday morning.  These muffins are very yummy- warm or cold.  I have made them for my family and for a continental breakfast at a training we had to facilitate.  They were a hit.  They are yummy.  They are simple!  They were kid approved!  (the crowd grows wild).  So, enjoy!

Honey Muffins

2 C all-purpose flour
½ C sugar
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 C milk
¼ C butter, melted
¼ C honey

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, whisk the egg, milk, butter, and honey. Stir into the dry into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400° for 15-18 minutes. Remove from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.

When fooling a carnivore, make sure it tastes good!

Tonight in the Norman household, there will be minimal cooking involved!  Woot woo!  I need to use up some of those pesky left overs.  I have ALOT of left over rice from this past week.  So, we will be having a husband requested meal.  I have to inform you, that the husband was a meat and potaotes man when we started dating.  He still is.  So, for him to request a meatless dish is amazing and you know it has to be good.  This one is a treasure I came across in one of the many Tast of Home cookbooks I have.  It is cheap, quick to fix, and very yummy!

Black Bean and Rice Burritos

1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
2 C. cooked rice
Flour/Corn tortillas

In a large sauce pan, combine the tomatoes, beans, cumin, and garlic powder. Heat to a boil and bean are heated thoroughly. Stir in rice. Heat until rice is hot. Serve on tortillas with sour cream and cheese.

 
 
If they are nice to me tonight, I may even make the homemade corn tortilla chips and guacamole - both of which are oh so easy to make!

The Best Sweet and Sour Beef...in a crockpot!

I received this recipe a few years ago from our dear friend Mie.  It is amazing!  It is easy!  Did I mention it is amazing and the best sweet and sour recipe using the crockpot I have tried.  This will be dinner tonight int he Norman household.  I am very excited.  I had to share this one with you all!  I have no funny quips int he title for this blog of in this write up, I am too busy dreaming of dinner.

Sweet and Sour Beef

2 lb beef steaks
½ C. flour
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
½ C ketchup
¼ C brown sugar
¼ C vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
¾ C water
1 tsp salt
4-6 carrots cut, cut into matchstick strips

Cut beef into 1-inch cubes. Mix together flour, salt, pepper, and dredge beef cubes in mixture. In a skillet, heat olive oil and brown beef cubes. Place browned beef in slow cooker and set on low heat. Add remaining ingredients, except the carrots. Cook for 4-5 hours. Add carrots and cook for 3-4 hours longer. Serve over hot rice.