{slow cooker} lion house sweet & sour chicken

Thank you Pinterest! I found this tasty morsel HERE.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce ingredients: 

2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 T. cornstarch

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup vinegar

1 cup chicken Broth

7 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoon soy sauce

Directions:

1. Spray your slow cooker liner with nonstick cooking spray. Layer raw chicken breasts on the bottom.  
2. Mix all sauce ingredients in bowl with wire wisk. Pour directly over chicken breasts.
3. Cook on low for 4+ hours. 
4. Serve this with rice or a baked potato, roll & a vegetable.

So Easy, and so good! This dish is great for company. Leftovers are wonderful.

The sauce will thicken & the color will darken greatly while cooked. It will be similar to thick barbeque sauce. 

This is also great warmed up the next night, and served on Soft Flour Taco shells, or on a bed of rice.

If you want the original version of this recipe in which the chicken is fried first, then baked with the sauce in the oven (instead of the crockpot), click here.

{slow cooker} cilantro lime chicken tacos

Check out this Tasty find I found on Pinterest. It's one of our newest GO-TO recipes! What a find! So easy and SO yummy!

Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos
(crockpot style)

Ingredients:

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
juice from 2 limes (approx. 1/4 c.)
1/2 cup of cilantro
1 packet of taco seasoning
1/4-1/2 t. onion powder
1/2 cup of water

Directions:

1. Add every single ingredient to the crockpot.  This could be cooked on low all day, or you could set the crockpot to high and cook for four(ish) hours.  Once the chicken is cooked, use a fork to shred it, and stir well.  
2. Spoon chicken into soft taco tortillas.  Top with cheese, sour cream, salsa, and tomatoes.  Squeeze a little fresh lime juice on and get ready for some tasty vittles!

valentine's day dinner

Our WHOLE family has been looking forward to Valentine's day this year.

Because it's been requested MULTIPLE times (since I made them last year) to make Oreo Truffles for valentine's day this year. Of course, those were for dessert, alongside our strawberries.

But the MAIN event, that I personally was excited for was: Penne Rustica!!!! This is one of my most favorite foods from one of my favorite restaurants and this recipe PULLS IT OFF FLAWLESSLY! Honestly! It's so amazing to me that I can make this amazing dish PERECTLY right in my own home. So write this recipe down because it's AMAZING!

This year I added {Macaroni Grill} Rosemary Olive Oil Bread to the line-up and was thoroughly pleased. Oh and don't forget to get a little bowl to pour olive oil, balsalmic vinegar & freshly ground pepper into so you can dip your bread in it. It's so very tasty!

Possibly one of the biggest highlights of the night, other than having Aunt Bekah with us :) was that we had candles on our dinner table. The kids thought it was so magical, especially Levi. He thought the "tandles" were so pretty and you could tell he knew they were special.

We had a great night enjoying great food and great family together. I love being with the ones I love, especially on Valentine's Day!

{macaroni grill} rosemary olive oil bread

Thank you Pinterest! I stumbled upon this tasty morsel and am glad I did! The flavor is JUST like the bread from Macaroni Grill, however the texture is not as hearty and "crusty" as at the restaurant, but until I find the PERFECT recipe, this one can fill in.

Rosemary Olive Oil Bread

INGREDIENTS
1 cup warm water (100-110 F)
1 Tbsp. organic cane sugar
2 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, chopped (or 2 tsp. dried)
1/4 tsp. Italian seasoning (or pinch of each ground garlic, dried oregano, and dried basil)
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup bread flour + extra for kneading
1 egg, whisked + 1 Tbsp. water, for egg wash
dried rosemary, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let sit 10 minutes to proof.

2. Stir in the salt, rosemary, seasonings, olive oil, and whole wheat flour. Add the bread flour and stir until the dough forms a ball. Knead on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes, adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth.

3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about1 hour.

4. Punch down the dough and form it into a round loaf. Place it on a cornmeal dusted pizza peel or parchment paper; cover; and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, preheat oven (and pizza stone) to 400 F. Once the dough has risen, gently brush the top with egg wash and sprinkle with dried rosemary.

6. Bake on preheated stone for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.

Makes 1 round loaf.

perfect pancake mix

This recipe was another happy Pinterest find. This site has a lot of recipes for mixes to use for other things such as biscuits, muffins, tortillas, the list goes on and on.

I really like having this mix on hand. It makes great fluffy pancakes, and I like having the whole wheat flour in there. BONUS: You can't even really taste the whole wheat flour! "Hidden" nutrition!
Perfect Pancake Mix

6 C. Unbleached flour
2 C. Whole wheat pastry flour
2 C. Nonfat dry milk powder (or buttermilk powder)
1/2 C. sugar
3 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking soda
2 tsp. salt

In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together.  Store in large airtight container.

-You can use all unbleached flour or combination of flours to get to 8 C.  (Original recipe states: I found it is best not to go over about 1/2 whole wheat flour with this recipe. However I didn't see this "note" until after I'd mixed in my 2 c. whole wheat flour.)

Pancakes:
2 C. perfect pancake mix
1 1/2 C. water (or to desired consistency)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. oil

In a medium bowl, combine egg, oil and water.  Whisk in pancake mix.  Let stand 2 minutes.  Add additional water, if desired.  Cook on preheated griddle or pan.

I haven't tried out these variations yet, but I'm sure I will and I'll be glad I did!
Easy Waffles
2 1/2 C. Perfect Pancake Mix
2 C. water
3 eggs, separated
1/4 C. veg. oil

Combine pancake mix, water, egg yolks and oil in large bowl.  In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until stiff.  Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Bake in preheated waffle iron.

Puff Oven Pancake

4 Tbsp. butter or margarine
4 eggs
1 C. milk
1 C. Perfect Pancake Mix

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Place 2 Tbsp. butter in each of 2-9" pie plates.  Place pie plates in oven to melt butter.  In a blender, combine eggs, pancake mix and milk.  Pour batter into prepared pie plates.
Bake for 18 minutes until puffy and browned. DO NOT open the oven while pancakes are cooking.
 Remove from oven and top with fruit or powdered sugar.

~These are an easy brunch dish for a crowd.

Topping Ideas:
~Fried apples and pecans
~Fresh peaches, blueberries or strawberries with a sprinkle of powdered sugar
~Sprinkle with powdered sugar and lemon zest and then  sprinkle the juice of a lemon over it (my fav!)
~Bananas, coconut, pineapple and drizzled with chocolate sauce.
~Any fresh fruit and fresh whipped cream

Perfect Batter

1 C. Perfect Pancake Mix
1 C. milk
2 eggs

Combine eggs and milk in shallow bowl, Add pancake mix and stir till combined.

Use this batter to make Monte Cristo Sandwiches, onion rings, or even fried fish.

~For Monte Cristo Sandwiches, make sandwiches using your favorite bread, meat and cheese combo (ham and cheddar, turkey and swiss, roast beef and provolone) and topping (mayo, mustard).  Dip sandwiches and cook on preheated griddle till browned on both sides and cheese starts to melt.  Monte Cristos are traditionally topped with a light sprinkle of powdered sugar and a dollop of jelly. 

lasagna soup

What's this? I've never heard of such a thing. Well you're in for a tasty treat! We've added it to our soup rotation!

My friend brought this to our soup night a few months ago. It was a BIG hit, so I made it for Levi's birthday dinner! And it was a big success for us too!

Picture source

for the soup:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. ground beef (original recipe calls for 1.5 lb sausage ONLY and no beef, but I think I prefer it this way)
• 1/2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 T. tomato paste
• 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 c. chicken stock
• 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta (any shape will do; these just look like “lasagna”)
• 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

• 8 oz. ricotta
• 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• pinch of freshly ground pepper
• 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

Preparation

1. Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ground beef, sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.
2. Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, salt, and pepper.
4. To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

{primal} chocolate earth bites

Here's another recipe I tried out as we watch our carbs. We were pretty happy with this recipe. Good to know there are healthy, tasty bites out there!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons carob powder or unsweetened organic cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, divided
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips (gluten-free, if desired)
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, etc.)

Directions:
1. Before measuring the peanut butter, stir it up well.
2. Mix the peanut butter, honey and carob or cocoa powder until well combined. Stir in the raisins and 2 tablespoons of the coconut. Stir in the chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Place the remaining coconut, sesame seeds and nuts into 3 separate bowls. Using a spoon, scoop small heaps of the peanut mixture from the bowl; roll into 1 1/4-inch balls.
4. I found its easiest to roll in only 2 of the coconut, sesame seeds, or nuts, and not all 3 (not all of it can stick). Arrange the balls on a plate, cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Nutritional Info: 

Per Serving:Serving size: 1 each, 110 calories (70 from fat), 8g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 40mg sodium, 10g carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 6g sugar), 3