Five on Friday {November 22, 2013}

It's the Friday before Thanksgiving!! How can this be?? November 2013 will be over before we know it! This is my favorite time of year, though, and I'm determined to not let it fly by without enjoying every bit of it! I'm planning to start working on a Christmas tradition to do list this weekend. Makes me giddy just thinking about it! :) Whatever you end up doing this weekend, I hope it's wonderful! Happy Friday!! :)

 

One.
After today, only *two* more school days until Thanksgiving break! I am so, so ready! I actually look forward to going to work on days right before holidays because we get to do so much more fun stuff!! I'm going to make these Oreo turkeys with my class on Tuesday. I know they'll probably be wild, but they'll love it!! {I don't know where the idea came from. A teacher friend shared it with me.}

Two.
I can't believe it, but it's time to pick out Christmas cards! I *love* Christmas cards, but honestly, I get so overwhelmed when I look at the pages and pages of choices on Shutterfly! Having that many choices is a problem for indecisive people like me. There are a ton of Christmas card deals out right now, too. My favorite savings website, Southern Savers, recently did a post with a list of coupon codes for different websites where you can get free or almost free Christmas cards. You can check out the post here. I noticed I was drawn to the ones that say "Joy" because that's how I feel this year! Of course, I feel joy every Christmas, but even more this year! :) I am just so excited and happy about all the fun things to come in the next few months! Picking out a Christmas card next year will be *so* much fun. We'll have pictures of our sweet baby girl to share!! :) Here are some of my favorites on Shutterfly.

Joy Stripes

Scribbly Greetings

Humble Birth

Peace Cut Out

Snowy Window

Three.
I made these Italian beef sandwiches for dinner a couple of weeks ago and they were so, so good. I sometimes shy away from slow cooker meals because I feel like it sometimes makes things mushy, but it was perfect for this meal. This recipe could not be any easier, either. Just a few ingredients {I skipped the Giardiniera}, shred the meat, and you're good to go. I thought about doing a blog post just for the recipe, but there's no way I could even come close to taking a picture as good as Kristen's. This is a must try, for sure!

{Photo via Iowa Girl Eats}

Four.
One of my favorite {commercial} things about Christmas is ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas. The countdown has already started! I just love snuggling up on the couch by the Christmas tree with Christmas candles burning, and watching a Christmas movie while drinking hot chocolate and eating Christmas treats. You can't get much cozier than that! My favorite one on the list? Without a doubt, Christmas Vacation. I guess we'll have to catch another favorite, Elf, on a different channel. "The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!"

Five.
So...Black Friday shopping. I'm just not sure I can get into it. It's just so confusing this year! All the stores are opening earlier and earlier, and some are doing pre-Black Friday sales before actual Black Friday, which pretty much starts on Thanksgiving Day this year, if not earlier! Maybe I'll get some energy this weekend and check out all the ads. I do love the excitement of it all and it definitely puts me in the Christmas shopping spirit! I'm dying to get some presents under our Christmas tree!!

Oh, and one more thing...I *can't wait* for Thanksgiving dinner! That is all.

Happy weekend, everyone!! :)

  

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili

One of my favorite things about fall is the food. I'm a fan of any kind of comfort food and fall seems to lend itself to so many of my favorites...two of which being soup and anything with pumpkin! I can hardly wait to make my first batch of pumpkin bread! But this post is about one of our new favorite soups.

I found this recipe last year {Pinterest, of course!} and made it several times throughout fall and winter. I've actually never even had a real jalapeno popper, but something about the recipe just made me want to make it! The flavors in this soup are just so warm and cozy. {Can flavors be cozy? I'm thinking yes.} The spiciness of the jalapeno peppers, the slight crunch of the corn, and the richness of the cream cheese are a delicious combination.

Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili
Makes 6 servings
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Olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 jalapeno peppers, diced, seeds removed (leave the seeds if you want more heat)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/4 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1 (14 oz.) can petite diced tomatoes with juices
1-1/2 cups chicken broth (reduce or omit if you want a thicker soup)
1 (19 oz.) can cannellini beans
1 (14 oz.) can corn
8 ounces cream cheese
Toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, tortilla chips (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat and saute onion, jalapeno peppers, and garlic until soft and tender.
2. Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan (if needed) with the chicken and lightly brown chicken on all sides. Season with chili powder, cumin, and oregano.
3. Add tomatoes, chicken broth, beans and corn. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes. Taste and season as needed.
4. Add cream cheese and stir until completely melted. Remove from heat.
5. Add toppings to soup as desired. Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from Cinnamon, Spice, and Everything Nice

  

Spicy Sausage Pasta {30 Minute Meal!}

As soon as I saw this spicy sausage pasta on Kevin & Amanda, I knew I had to try it. I'm not really even a big fan of smoked sausage {as in I never even bought it}, but her pictures were so fabulous that I put it on our menu right away.

The first time I made it, we both raved about how good it was after {almost} every single bite! There is just so much flavor in this meal. It's creamy, cheesy, a little spicy, and oh so yummy! And another win, it takes less than 30 minutes and only uses one pan! I love that I don't have to boil the pasta separately! So, even if you're not a fan of smoked sausage, give this one a try. It really is one of our very favorites!! :)

Spicy Sausage Pasta
Makes 4 servings
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1 T. olive oil
1 (13 oz.) package turkey smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1-3/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 (10 oz.) can mild Ro-Tel tomatoes {If you want more heat, use the whole can!}
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded {I've used Cheddar Jack and Mexican Blend, too!}
1/3 cup green onions, sliced

1. Add olive oil to a large, oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until very hot. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Barely adapted from Kevin & Amanda

  

Linking up with Chef In Training and Anyonita Nibbles.

The Best Lasagna + Why I Cried {Twice!} the First Time I Cooked for Daniel

The first meal I ever made for Daniel was lasagna. We had only been dating for a couple of weeks so I definitely had some pre-cooking jitters. I wanted it to be perfect. I planned an impressive menu: lasagna, garlic cheddar biscuits, Caesar salad, and a {frozen-you'll need to know that later} chocolate peanut butter dessert. When we first started dating, he came over every Monday night and we had dinner and watched The Bachelor together {don't tell him I told you that}. It was Jason and Melissa's Molly's season.

{Source}

I knew I wouldn't have time to assemble and bake the lasagna all on Monday night, so being the prepared person that I try to be, I assembled it on Sunday and just kept it in the fridge until I was ready to bake on Monday. So...Monday came, I got home from work, and I put the lasagna in the oven right away since it had to bake for an hour and a half or something ridiculous like that.

An hour and a half later, the cheese was melted, the lasagna was hot and bubbly, the biscuits were done, the salad was tossed, the dessert was in the freezer. I was ready! I was going to pull off this dinner without a hitch!

Finally, we were sitting at the table ready to eat and I took my first bite, anxiously awaiting the deliciousness of this lasagna that I had made several times before. My taste buds were assaulted by COLD lasagna. Yes, cold. Now, how something that has been hanging out in a 350 degree oven for 90 minutes can be cold in the middle, I'll never know. I know it had been in the refrigerator, but really? An hour and a half at 350 won't heat it up?

Well, I was mortified and asked Daniel if his was cold. He waffled around a bit telling me that it wasn't cold, but wasn't hot either {assuring me at the same time that he loved it}. I snatched his plate right out from in front of him and marched it over to the microwave in an attempt to get it to the appropriate piping hot temperature {I was crying, too. Yep.}. I got it to a hot temperature all right. When I returned his plate to him, it was so hot that he burned his mouth. Fail!

We got past the cold, then extremely hot lasagna and made it to dessert. As I mentioned, it was a frozen dessert. Of course, I wanted to get perfect slices of the dessert on the plate so all the yummy layers were displayed. And here's where the second round of tears came in. I couldn't even get my knife through the dessert! I'm not sure why I didn't just let it soften for a few minutes so it was easier to cut, but no. I distinctly remember standing at the counter fighting with the knife trying to get it to go through. All the while, Daniel is sitting at the table probably wondering how many other shades of crazy I had. Bless him, though. He saw past it. And I can happily say that I've chilled out since then. :)

Anyway, I'm sharing a recipe today not for that lasagna {I've never made it since}, but for our new favorite lasagna. If it were my own recipe, I would not be so bold as to declare it "the best," but this is Pioneer Woman's recipe. She can say something is the best, and I believe her.

Around Valentine's Day, we watched the episode of Pioneer Woman where she made this lasagna. We did homemade gifts for Valentine's Day this past year and my gift to Daniel was to make any meal he wanted - drinks, appetizer, entree, sides, dessert, everything. When we saw Pioneer Woman making this lasagna, his decision was made. I mean, what says love like layers of meat, cheese, and pasta?! Now, it's the only lasagna recipe I'll use. After all, I made it through this lasagna dinner without crying.

Hope you love it as much as we do!

The Best Lasagna
Makes 12 servings
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1-1/2 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground pork
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 T. dried parsley
2 T. dried basil
1 tsp. salt
3 cups cottage cheese (If you hate cottage cheese, don't worry! You can't tell it's cottage cheese!)
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Kraft canister)
2 T. dried parsley
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. sliced mozzarella cheese
1 package lasagna noodles

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 tsp. salt and 1 T. olive oil to pasta water.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet or saucepan, combine ground beef, ground pork, and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat until browned. Drain half the fat off. Add whole tomatoes, tomato paste, 2 tablespoons parsley, 2 tablespoons basil, and salt. Break up the whole tomatoes a bit. After adding the tomatoes, the sauce mixture should simmer for 45 minutes while you are working on the other steps. Stir occasionally and break up the tomatoes more each time. 
3. Cook the lasagna noodles according to package directions. Be careful not to over boil. Lay out on a piece of foil or wax paper to prevent sticking. Set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix cottage cheese, beaten eggs, grated Parmesan, 2 more tablespoons parsley, and 1 more teaspoon salt. Stir together until well combined. Set aside.

To assemble:

1. Arrange 4 cooked lasagna noodles in the bottom of a baking pan, overlapping if necessary. Spoon half the cottage cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread evenly. Cover cottage cheese with a layer of sliced mozzarella cheese. Spoon half the meat/sauce mixture over the top.
2. Repeat, ending with meat/sauce mixture. Sprinkle top generously with extra Parmesan.
3. Either freeze, refrigerate for up to two days, or bake immediately: 350-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until top is hot and bubbly.

Recipe slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman

  

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos {Only 3 ingredients!!}

Good Monday morning, everyone! I hope y'all had a great holiday weekend! It was rainy all weekend here so we saw a movie on Saturday afternoon, went to church on Sunday morning, and pretty much relaxed at home the rest of the time. Oh, and we made homemade ice cream this weekend and it was a fabulous success{and dangerously easy}! I can't wait to make another flavor! I plan on sharing the method we used soon! :)

But today, let me tell you, I've got a great recipe to share that has become an absolute staple in my meal planning. I found this recipe a little less than a year ago and have made it so many times since. I knew it would be a winner as soon as I saw it. I love tacos, I love easy recipes, and I love having food ready and waiting on me in the crock pot. I also love it because it's so easy I don't even have to pull out a recipe to make it! Oh, and did I mention that you only need three ingredients?

It's also a fairly budget friendly meal, especially if you can get everything on sale. It makes a large amount of chicken and we usually end up freezing half of it so we have dinner ready for another night. That's another thing I love about this recipe! I love having meals ready to go in the freezer! It really helps on those days we just don't feel like cooking!

Whenever I make a crock pot recipe, I always use these slow cooker liners. It makes clean up so much easier!

And here's a trick I love for filling the taco shells. It's so quick and easy, you can do several at a time, and then you can just slide the whole muffin tin in the oven when you heat them. Be careful, though. I've had tacos slide out and fall on the oven door before. :(

{Source}

These are our favorite taco shells. Usually, all 12 taco shells are unbroken {don't you hate when you get a box of taco shells and half of them are broken?!}, and they perfectly crisp and crunchy after they're warmed in the oven.

Okay, so have I sold you yet? :) You have to give this one a try. I know you'll love it!!

Crock Pot Chicken Tacos
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1.5-2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 packet of taco seasoning
1 (16 oz.) jar of your favorite salsa (My favorite is Tostitos Restaurant Style)

1. Arrange the chicken breasts so they cover the bottom of the crock pot. Sprinkle them evenly with taco seasoning and then spoon the salsa over the chicken so that the taco seasoning is covered. Do not stir.
2. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
3. Shred the chicken using two forks and stir so everything is evenly incorporated. You may want to drain some, but not all, of the juices.
4. Fill your tacos with chicken and top with cheese. Bake at 425 for 2-3 minutes to warm the taco shells and melt the cheese.
5. Top with sour cream, salsa, guacamole, green onions, tomatoes, etc... Enjoy!

Source: Iowa Girl Eats

Let me know what you think of these!! Have a great Monday!

Linking up with Anyonita Nibbles, Chef In Training, The Country Cook, Six Sisters' Stuff, and Lamberts Lately.

  

Hibachi Style Fried Rice - 15 Minute Meal!

We went through a phase when we were dating and newly married where we went to a Japanese steakhouse almost every week. You know what I mean, the soup, salad, meat, veggies, fried rice, onion volcano, tossing spatulas. We were hooked (on the food, not so much to the onion volcano and spatula show). I don't know if it was the dating/newlywed fog of bliss that made us not think anything much of this habit, but we finally realized, "Okay, we are spending a little too much way too much money on this!" Our favorite thing was easily the fried rice and we were craving it one night like crazy. So, I googled it...and found a really great {and easy!} recipe that we have made tons of times since.

The key to this recipe is using leftover, cold rice. Sometimes I make rice just for this meal and put it in the fridge for a few hours or up to a couple of days, and other times I just make a triple batch if we're eating rice with another meal and put what's left in the fridge. Then, it's ready to go whenever we're ready to make this fried rice.

Oh, and let me tell you about one of my favorite kitchen gadgets. It's my rice cooker.

I bought it after I knew this recipe was a keeper and it makes it so much easier. You just add rice and water (I add a few drops of vegetable oil and about a teaspoon of salt to add a little flavor), turn it on, and you'll get perfect, fluffy rice every single time. I love my rice cooker because it doesn't take up much storage space and it was not very expensive at all! You can totally make this recipe without a rice cooker by just following the directions on the package of rice. It's just a lot easier for me to use the rice cooker because I'm guaranteed perfect rice and I don't have to babysit it at all!

Enough rice cooker love! Let's get to the recipe!

Hibachi Style Fried Rice
Makes 2 servings (Recipe can easily be doubled or tripled)
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2 cups cooked, cold rice
1 T. olive oil
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/2 cup peas and carrots, frozen
1-2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 egg, optional (I usually leave this out and we like it just as well.)
2 T. butter
2 T. soy sauce (more or less to taste)
salt and pepper

1. Saute onions, peas, and carrots in olive oil over medium high heat until soft. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add the minced garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
2. Add the butter and cold rice and break apart the chunks of rice.* Add more salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to medium and saute for about five minutes.
3. Add soy sauce and saute for 1-2 minutes.

Variations: Make it chicken fried rice by dicing up a boneless, skinless chicken breast and sauteing it with a little soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the fully cooked chicken after you've sauteed the rice for a few minutes. You could also add a 1/2 cup of shredded cabbage with the onion, peas, and carrots. I don't usually have cabbage, but if I do, I add it and it's really good!

Recipe slightly adapted from Food.com

*I break up the rice with a plastic potato masher. I used to do it with just a metal serving spoon and rice would fly everywhere if I hit it at the wrong angle. Not good. My husband had a stroke of genius one day and suggested using our potato masher. It worked perfectly! No more flying rice!

{source}

So, not only have we saved a ton of money by making this rice at home, I've also saved myself the embarrassment of being hit in the face with a chunk of chicken or zucchini when they try to make you catch it in your mouth. {Daniel always gets it. I never catch it. NEVER!}

Let me know if you try this one! :)

I'm linking up with Lamberts Lately and The Country Cook!

Baked Ravioli - EASY Weeknight Meal!

Linking up today with 4 Little Fergusons for Weekend Potluck Party. :)

Oh, easy weeknight meals with only a few ingredients, how I love you! I tried this baked ravioli a couple of months ago for the first time and we loved it! Not only did it taste really good, it only has 4 ingredients! It's also super fast to assemble. I believe the pin description on Pinterest promised an assembly time of 3 minutes. It wasn't quite so fast for me...but that could be because I had to make sure every centimeter of the ravioli were covered with marinara sauce. Who wants to bite into an unevenly sauced section of baked ravioli? Not me. NOT me. Three minutes or not, the assembly time was still very fast for such a good result.

The original recipe only calls for marinara sauce, frozen ravioli, mozzarella cheese, and parmesan cheese. I made it exactly as written the first time and it was delicious. When I made it the other night, I had half a jar of alfredo sauce and some pesto in the fridge, so I decided to mix them together and add another layer. It was the right thing to do. :) It made it creamier, cheesier, and added another layer of flavor. I'm sure I'll make the original recipe again, but if I've got alfredo sauce and pesto on hand, I'll definitely make it that way!

Baked Pesto Alfredo Ravioli
Makes 6-8 servings
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1 (25 oz.) bag of frozen ravioli
1 (26 oz.) jar of marinara sauce (The better sauce you use, the better it will taste!)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (I used six cheese Italian.)
1/2 (15 oz.) jar of alfredo sauce
3 T. pesto
Parmesan cheese, for sprinkling
Dried parsley, for sprinkling (I just think it makes it prettier!) :)

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray bottom and sides of a 9×13 rectangular baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Mix the alfredo sauce and pesto together.
3. Spread 3/4 cup of the pasta sauce in baking dish. Arrange half of the frozen ravioli in a single layer over the sauce; top with half of the remaining pasta sauce, half of the alfredo sauce and pesto, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers once: ravioli, remaining pasta sauce, remaining alfredo sauce and pesto, and remaining mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and dried parsley.
4. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil; bake uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until bubbly and hot in the center.* Let stand for 10 minutes before serving.

 *I like to turn the oven on broil for the last 2-3 minutes to make the cheese nice and bubbly and a little bit crispy. Just remember to chant "broiler, broiler, broiler" to yourself while it's in there so you don't forget about it. (Wait? Am I the only one who tends to forget when I put something in to broil and then burn the heck out of it? Surely not...)

Recipe slightly adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Let me know if you try it and what you think!! :)

  

Linking up with Chef In Training.