Homemade Chicken and Kale Soup

This past weekend we had Scott's sister, dad, and our baby nieces in town. We got to show them the venue (they loved it!!), did lots of movie watching, smores making by the fire, and music playin/singing in the garage. I also attended my girlfriend Nicole's baby shower, can't wait for Baby Anthony to be here!! The family left yesterday and we are always sad to see them go, but we are pooped! Looking forward to a weekend filled with relaxation and good food at our Friendsgiving on Sunday.

Rylee is gettin' some teeth!! // Nicole's Baby Shower

It has been pretty chilly in Austin the past week and a half, but I am loving it. Winter is my favorite... I love the winter clothes,fires at home, I love any excuse to cuddle up super close to Scottie and Huxley (and Bailey now) and then of course all the Holidays where I get to see my family who lives 8 hours away and Scottie's family that lives 5 hours away...

Last night we were excited to get home and start a fire imediately, and I knew I wanted to make a soup! I already had most of these ingredients on hand, so I literally just had to stop and get a bunch of kale for $1, and I was ready to go! This recipe is SO easy and while we're on this Yeast Free diet right now trying to trim down for the wedding, it was able to fill us up perfectly and we even had tons extra to bring to work today. 

Homemade Chicken and Kale Soup

servings, 8

time, 15 min prep, 45 minutes

Ingredients:
2-3 Large Chicken Breasts
32 oz Organic Chicken Stock 

1 Bunch Kale
6 Organic Carrots
1 Bunch Celery
1 Onion
Sea Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Prep: chop kale, celery, carrots, and onion, and set aside for the soup.

2. Using a stockpot, bring 32oz organic chicken stock to a boil, and refill the 32oz. container with water and add to the pot. Bring to a boil and add chicken and all other ingredients except for the kale. Lower heat to medium and cook for 45 minutes. Chicken will be fully cooked - you can hold the chicken with a spoon against the pot and should be firm.

3. Shred Chicken (easy as removing chicken from pot to shred with 2 forks, and putting back in).

4. Stir in the kale.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve piping hot.

Enjoy!

original recipe here

Easy Super Bowl Appetizers

Hosting a Super Bowl party at your house can be quite exhausting if you don't have a plan! We wanted to keep this year's Super Bowl on a budget and make some simple appetizers to fill everyone up while we down our beers, shots, play beer pong, and watch the Broncos lose Bruno Mars' amazing half time show and funny super bowl commercials...  :)

We kept it simple. We had 5 people total, so I made three appetizers, and we still had plenty left over for later!

Recipes are below. Enjoy and pin for next year's Super Bowl party!

Hot Spinach Queso: Crockpot Recipe

Ingredients: 

-10oz Frozen spinach, thawed and drained

-1lb Velveeta cheese (2% reduced fat)

-8oz Cream cheese (lite)

-1 Jar salsa (I used medium salsa for a kick, about 3/4 of a 18oz jar)

-Handful of chopped cilantro (optional, but so good!)

Directions:

-Cube the Velveeta cheese and place all ingredients in crockpot and heat until cheese has melted. You will want to continue to stir occasionally to combine the ingredients. Keep on low setting, it should take around an hour to be melted (but some crockpots may vary). This method is great so you can keep the dip warm for a few hours during the game.

If you are not doing Crockpot:

If you prefer, you can always place all ingredients in an oven safe dish, and bake until the dip is heated through. Set oven to 350 degrees and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or until hot and bubbly! 

Buffalo Chicken Taquitos

These are a staple in my household. I'm a HUGE wing lover and these are always a huge hit. They can be pretty spicy, so I always have bleu cheese and ranch dressing on the side for dipping. 

Ingredients: 

-3 or 4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

-3/4 jar of Louisiana Hot Wing Sauce (Or Red's if you prefer)

-8 Wheat Tortillas

-Bleu Cheese Crumbles

-Dry Ranch Seasoning Packet

Directions:

-Place frozen chicken breasts in boiling pot of water for about 20-30 minutes until cooked

-Place cooked chicken in a bowl and let sit for about 5 minutes to cool

-Shred chicken, set oven to 400 degrees 

-Mix chicken with the buffalo sauce and ranch seasoning packet

-Roll into tortillas and top with bleu cheese crumbles

-Place in oven for 15 minutes

-Cut taquitos in half once taken out of oven.

-Enjoy!

Burger Sliders

These are pretty much a no-brainer. They are just so delicious, though! And so easy. 

Ingredients:

-1pkg King Hawaiian Wheat Rolls (12)

-2lb Lean Ground Beef

-3 Slices American Cheese, cut into fours

-Burger fixings (1 tomato sliced, few pickles, 1 small white onion sliced, small pieces of lettuce)

Directions:

-Divide ground beef into small slider sized patties and season to your liking. We used a small bit of Tony's seasoning and McCormick Steak Seasoning. 

-Set skillet to Medium-High heat. Cook burgers about 2-3 minutes per side. 

-Place cheese on burgers while on skillet to melt

-Slice buns in half and place cooked burgers on the slider buns

-Top with whatever you like

-Enjoy!

What are your favorite appetizers to make for the big day?!

Chipotle Pepper Pork Tenderloin

This weekend, Scott and I were in the grilling mood and made quite possibly the BEST pork tenderloin I've had in my life. SO incredibly juicy and perfectly cooked in 1 hour on the grill. Easy easy recipe.

Chipotle Pepper Pork Tenderloin

Servings: 2-4

Ingredients:

1 non-seasoned pork tenderloin (ours I believe was right at 2lbs, $7)

1 packet of Chipotle Pepper Seasoning from McCormicks ($.89)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Foil 

Directions:

1. Season pork tenderloin in chipotle pepper seasoning and marinate anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour while you heat up the grill.

2. Wrap tightly in foil to make sure juices stay with the tenderloin and cook covered for 1 hour.

3. Use meat thermometer to ensure pork is cooked to 175 degrees, and take off the grill.

4. Let sit for about 5 minutes to soak the juices in, then serve and enjoy!

I made some veggie kabobs to grill for the side and used Raspberry Chipotle Sauce for dipping - this is a must y'all! You can get this at your local grocery store for about $3-5. Raspberry Chipotle sauce goes THE best with Pork and Salmon. You won't be disappointed.

For those wanting to know what were on the kabobs:

Zuccini, Squash, Cherry Tomatoes, Green Bell Pepper, Red Bell Pepper, Medium Sized Red Onion 

Insanely delicious!

Enjoy!

Four Bean Hearty Chili

To have the perfect recipe in time for fall and football season, I have been looking around to find a chili recipe that is not only flavorful, but hearty and easy to make. I had pinned a few recipes here and there on Pinterest but what really caught my eye was Katie's 4 Bean Chili on her blog. I tweaked it a little as we had guests (bunch of guys for football) so I took out the carrots and added some beef, but WOW was this chili amazing and so flavorful.

Four Bean Hearty Chili

Servings: 4-6

Ingredients:

5 Cloves Garlic

1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped

1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped

3 Celery Sticks, Chopped

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 15oz can Diced Tomatoes (No Salt Added)

1 15oz can Diced Tomatoes with Green Chilis 

1 15oz can Kidney Beans

1 15oz can Pinto Beans

1 15oz can Black Beans

1 15oz can Chili Beans

1 Tbsp Cumin Powder

2 Tbsp Chili Powder

1 Tsp Garlic Salt (to taste)

3 Cups Veggie Broth

Directions:

1. Sautee the garlic, the "holy trinity" (celery, bell peppers, and onions), and let simmer for a few minutes in the olive oil.

2. Add in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for about 15 minutes.

3. If the chili is at the consistency you want, it is ready to serve. For me, I like mine thicker and heartier, so I brought down to "low" setting and continued to simmer uncovered for another 30 minutes or so, and it was PERFECT.

Top with anything from sour cream to cheese to chives or fritos, this chili is delicious, and was a huge hit at our football party!

Enjoy!

Onion Baked Chicken Alfredo with Capers

At the end of this week, I will be drafting into my annual fantasy football league with my family, and then later with some Dell friends, and this morning all I've been doing is trying to come up with a fun name for my team! Ever since high school but mostly when I became a bartender, football has been my absolute favorite sport. Every Sunday after Church you could find me posted up at a local pub with a beer in my hand and a jersey on, ready for game day. I am SO excited for this upcoming year!

While looking at names I thought it would be so fun if a group of bloggers did their own little free fantasy football league... what do y'all think? Either way.. these are my top favorite names:

1. ABC, Easy as RGIII
2. The Big Tebowski
3. A Partridge in a Crabtree
4. Colt Forte-Five, 2 Zig Zags
5. Brady Gaga
6. Rice, Rice Baby
7. Forgetting Brandon Marshall

Haha, and I just got these off a "Top Fantasy 2012 Names" site... What's y'alls fav? I can't even decide, I love all the football players above. Speaking of sports... how crazy is it that I was watching Sports Center while filling up my tank yesterday hahah... someone has got the RIGHT idea instead of those annoying commercials!

Anyway, I cannot wait to share this recipe I made last night with y'all. I was in HEB last week getting some necessities here and there, and while I was getting some pickles, I saw these capers in a jar, and it took me back to CPK (California Pizza Kitchen) where Scott and I used to go on little dates while he worked at Barton Creek Mall - and CPK was inside. I used to order the Lemon Shrimp Alfredo quite frequently... My favorite thing about this meal was the flavor the capers added to it, so as soon as I saw them at HEB, I had to get them!

These little babies are amazing! So I threw this recipe together on my own last night, and you will not be sorry if you make it!!


Ingredients:

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1 Jar Alfredo (Any type is fine, I used Roasted Garlic Alfredo)
1/2 Box Whole Grain Rotini Pasta (I portioned for only 2, still had leftovers)
1 Can French Onions (Optional coating of chicken) & 1 tablespoon wheat flour
1/2 bag Broccoli and Cauliflower
2 Tablespoons Capers
Spray Can Olive/Veg Oil
Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• After thawing chicken, dice into bite sized pieces (we serve our pastas in bowls so this works out great for us, you can leave them as full chicken breasts and bake for 40 minutes)
• Spray Chicken with Olive/Veg Oil and place in a ziploc bag filled with French Onions and 1 tablespoon wheat flour. (If you don't do onion baked, you can sprinkle your own seasonings or even blacken your chicken at this point.)
• Shake until chicken is fully coated. Place on a foiled pan lightly sprayed with olive oil, and place in oven for 20 minutes, flipping half way through.
• Place Veggies on a separate baking sheet sprayed with olive oil and your desired spices, and bake for the same 20 minutes.
• In a medium pot of boiling water, empty half a box of rotini and boil for 10-12 minutes, then drain in a collander. Placing back in pot, empty alfredo sauce and capers into the pot with the pasta, and simmer over low-med heat.
• Once Chicken and Veggies are finished, put all together and sprinkle parmesan cheese for topping, and enjoy!

This entree was SO good! We don't eat pasta too often because we are trying to lose weight, but this was surprisingly on the lighter side, the veggies and capers were excellent additions to the flavor, and the Onion Baked Chicken was incredible! I highly recommend you make this stat! :)

The rest of last night we relaxed, talked about our day.. and I may or may not have spent a few hours catching up on DVR in bed... It was awesome! Huxley apparently enjoyed sleeping on my neck...

We also went and checked out the house I mentioned yesterday on Huxley St. before it got too dark outside... y'all it was in a cul de sac and all the houses around it were gorgeous as well! Ahh wish I could just throw down a payment and move in already! heheh wish it were that easy. Hey, it's a great way to figure out exactly what we want, where we want it, so by the time we're ready to purchase it'll be that much easier in the end.

Hope everyone is having a fabulous Tuesday so far!

Ideas for Cupcakes

Alright, I need your creativity and brains, friends! As much as I love to cook and it is almost like therapy for me, I am not really the best baker. Then again, I've never really got into trying it out or usually have had the best utensils to make baking easy and decorating look at least somewhat decent.

My 90 day mark is coming up at work, and I wanted to show my appreciation by making some insanely delicious cupcakes or even another dessert if y'all have a great idea to share. I'm willing to try anything!

So.... here are some ideas I saw on Cooking Light via Pinterest, and then I want you to comment and tell me if you like one of the ones below to do, or if you have a better recipe or link that you want me to check out!

So here we go! (Recipes are in the "via" links)

Amaretto Apple Streusel Cupcakes

via

Peanut Butter Chococolate Chip Cupcakes

via

Chocolate Velvet Cupcakes

via

Strawberry Filled Lemon Cupcakes

via

or more of a dessert like:

Gluten-Free Chewy Gooey Marshmallow Cookies with Mini Chips

via

Healthy Zuccini Brownies

via

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

via

Sooooo what do y'all think!? I am linking up with Michelle for Pinterest Wednesday, cheating because it is Thursday, hehe, but these are all pins and I need y'alls opinion! I'm ready to try something new in the kitchen... cause who knows? I could be a good baker??? :-)





Southwestern Egg Rolls with Spicy Avocado Ranch

Morning, friends! Today I have a special treat of a recipe for you! Not only is this an incredibly easy appetizer that feeds 25-30 people, but it was under $6 to make ALL of it (including the dip!)! I kid you not - I am so glad I made this, and will be making again... and again and again.

Servings: 25-30 rolls

Ingredients:

For the egg rolls:
2 cups frozen corn, thawed
1-15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1-9 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry with paper towel
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese
1-7oz can diced green chiles, drained
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 package of egg roll or wonton wrappers

For the Spicy Avocado Ranch Dip:
1 Avocado
1 cup Mayo
1/2 cup Milk
Spicy Ranch Packet (Dry Seasoning)
Chives or Cilantro for Garnish :-)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil, and spray lightly with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl mix together corn, beans, spinach, cheese, chiles, onions, cumin, chili powder, salt and cayenne pepper. Using a small spoon, scoop a small amount of filling onto the wrapper.
3. Starting at a corner, carefully start to roll the wrapper. When it’s slightly rolled, tuck in the two side and continue rolling to the last point. Wet your finger with water and dab a bit on the corner to seal the egg roll.
4. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling, placing them slightly apart on the baking sheet.
5. Lightly spray the tops of the egg rolls with cooking spray and bake for 15 minutes, flipping them at least once during baking.

Spicy Avocado Ranch Dip:
1. Mash Avocado in a small-med sized bowl, leaving as chunky or smooth to your liking.
2. Empty dry seasoning packet and add in milk and mayo, and whip into a dip. If you have a blender or food processor, this would be a perfect dip to blend. I wanted my avocado to be a little chunkier, so I did it by hand.
3. Top with chives or cilantro for garnish, and dip those egg rolls! So good!

You can find these egg roll wrappers in the grocery store in the refridgerated section by the Asian influenced foods like tofu and sushi. A pack of 16 is only $1.20, friends! SO inexpensive. All of the vegetables were in the frozen isle for around a $1 for over 16oz which is more than double what the recipe calls for. Like I said, incredibly delicious, meatless, brilliant appetizer to make for a party. Our friends loved them!

Another thing I definitely wanted to mention is that you can add shredded chicken to these for more protein and it would probably be even better!!

I had so many leftover egg roll wraps, and plan to make these Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls next week! Will definitely post how they turn out!

This recipe is Pinspired by Cake & Ally.

Happy Hump day! Make it a great one!

Homemade(ish) Sloppy Joes

How is everyone doing this morning? I have been better. I got a rough wake up call at 3am from the back of my left calf muscle in a charlie horse - OWW :-( I know people say you need to eat more bananas or something, but anyone have recommendations? - it's so sore! I have been working out a LOT lately doing a twice-a-day almost every weekday, could that be the reason?

Anyway, I go to check my inbox of my email last night and this is what I see....

Ughhhh... wth!? If anyone knows how to avoid this ^^, please let me know. Just been moving them to the spam folder.

I finally got to go grocery shopping yesterday after clipping some coupons from our mail, and ended up scoring HUGE with spending only $100 and getting at least 2 full weeks of food! No joke! We are usually spending close to $200 per 2 weeks, so I am super pleased.

Scott had a craving for Sloppy Joes, and I have never really made those before, and also haven't had them since I was really young, but after this past weekend, I had to make the man happy :-). Good thing he told me BEFORE I left for the store.

I would say they're completely homemade, but then I'd be lying. After a 9 hour day downtown and being in traffic, going to fedex in time for a pickup, I didn't want to go too crazy in the kitchen, so I got a little sloppy joe seasoning packet.... BUT I halfed the recipe so it'd only be for two, and I spruced it up with lots of veggies. So I'd like to say homemade(ish).

Servings: 2

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. Ground Beef or Ground Turkey
1 Packet Sloppy Joe Seasoning
1/2 Cup Chopped Celery
1/2 Cup Chopped Chives
1/2 Cup Chopped White Onion
3 oz. Can Tomato Paste
3/4 Cup Water
2 Slices of Meunster Cheese
2 Wheat Buns

Directions:
1. Brown Meat in Skillet over Medium High Heat
2. While meat is cooking, chop up the vegetables and place to the side
3. Once meat is cooked, add in the water, vegetables, tomato paste, and seasoning and bring to a boil while stirring occasionally.
4. Reduce to low and simmer for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Preheat oven to BROIL.
5. Put two bottom buns on a pan and your serving of the meat on each bun. Place the other two tops of bread on the pan for toasting. Top with a slice of meunster cheese, and put in oven for 2-3 minutes.
6. Let cool for a minute, then serve with a side of vegetables, chips, etc. Enjoy!

It was a huge win for my first experience cooking it! Next time, I want to try without the seasoning packet. But it really just replaces the ketchup/brownsugar/redwinevinegar/etc. so we will see - this was really good! Super easy 30 mintute or less meal! Great man-meal!!

Happy Tuesday!

Crock Pot Roast Rice & Gravy

When I was a kid, my mom made Roast Rice and Gravy every Thursday for dinner. It was my favorite meal growing up, and every so often I'll make it myself crockpot style!

This is super easy prepped recipe (took me about 5-7 minutes before I left for work yesterday morning). I urge you to make this crock pot recipe as it is so easy, clean up is easy, food is damn good - will leave your mouth watering for more! If you think I'm joking, before bed last night Scott was begging to have a second helping in a tortilla it was so good! You can also use the leftovers in sandwiches, tacos, etc., the meat stays tender for a good couple of days!

Ingredients:
1 Rump Roast (I'd say it was about 1.5 lb, but we had tons of leftovers)
1 Tblsp Minced Garlic
1 Tblsp Seasoning (Your Choice, I used a little of Tony's and Salt/Pepper)
1 Small bag of baby carrots
1 Medium Onion
1 Small bag of Red Potatoes (about 5-6 is good, we ended up with tons, so you can do 3-4)
1 Box Beef Broth
1 Bag Brown Gravy Mix
2 Servings Whole Grain Brown Rice (Depends on how many your serving!, I use Boil-in-a-Bag)

Prep:
1. Take Rump Roast and rub with Minced Garlic, and other seasonings - you can let it sit overnight if you're throwing in the crockpot the next morning, or you can place straight into Crockpot
2. Chop Onions and Potatoes, put in a bowl with the baby carrots

Directions:
1. Pour Beef Broth into Crockpot with all other ingredients
2. Set on Low for 8-10 hours (If cooking quickly, High for 4-5 hours)
3. When ready to start getting dinner ready, boil Rice for 8-10 minutes
4. Take 1 Cup of the Juices from the Crockpot and put in a small saucepan, and empty brown gravy mix in. Bring to boil, then simmer for 1 minute on reduced heat. Stir occasionally to develop a gravy.
5. Serve Meat and Vegetables over Rice and Gravy and Enjoy!

So tender and delicious flavor! Great for families as this was my favorite "healthy" meal as a kid!

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday! Don't forget to enter the big Group Giveaway going on over at Ruthie's blog! I am giving away a Starbucks giftcard! There is also Nordstroms, Target, and Sephora giftcards up for grabs too and some fabulous bloggers to meet!!