BBQ Chicken in the crockpot

This is one of those recipes that will leave everyone wondering how you scurried around all day in the hot kitchen and still look beautiful! Us women folk gotta have some secret tricks, right?!  Well here is this one...throw all your ingredients in the crockpot and head off to do what ever make you happy!
~Like having a cup of tea and reading recipe books with your mama...that's exactly what I did this past week when we made this for our fourth of July supper!

There are quite a few recipes similar to this one out there on the internet, I even noticed a sweet friend of mine came up with one just about the same. ~great minds thinks alike, they always say!~ She is always sharing some yummy recipes too so when you can go check out her blog too.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts 4-6 pieces
• 1 bottle of BBQ sauce of choice ( I love sweet baby rays vidalia onion flavor)
• 1/4 c White or cider vinegar ( I normally just splash it in)
• 1/4 c Light brown sugar
• 1/4 Chicken broth or stock *optional
• Seasonings: Mesquite chicken seasoning, garlic powder, nature's seasoning, mrs. dash garlic or the onion variety, and course ground pepper. I normally sprinkle the garlic powder heavier than all the other seasonings. But if you do not have these on hand simply use garlic powder and pepper.

Directions

 Toss chicken into CP, add liquids, brown sugar crumbled over all of chicken, seasonings of choice and then top with bbq sauce, reserve a little for after shredding. Cook on low for 4-5 hours. 

When you are about to serve, take chicken out and shred with forks. Before returning to CP remove some of the broth and set aside. Now return shredded chicken to CP and top with remaining bbq sauce and stir. Should the meat look too dry slowly spoon in some of the reserved broth until moist. Keep in CP on warm setting until ready to serve.

I serve this on soft buns with slaw or chunky pickle relish and some sweet potato fries or steamed corn on the cob. But it is also super yummy on top of baked potatoes.

Since it also freezes well I will sometimes freeze some to pull out later and make a quick brunswick stew during the colder months.

Salsa Chicken...Clean Eating, Gluten Free

I got this FABULOUS recipe from a sweet friend I went to nursing school with. She introduced me into the world of clean eating and I love it. Its so easy and makes such great sense! (she has a great site online that you can find here) I also have a gluten sensitivity so some of my recipes are gluten free or gluten reduced. I always chose the GF alternative when I can.

Ingredients

• Chicken breasts 3-4 pieces
• 1 Jar of simple truth organic corn and black bean salsa (found at Kroger) If you don't have a kroger just choose a salsa with very minimal ingredients and little to no sugars, and free of preservatives and additives. A good rule is 5 ingredients or less. 

Directions

Simply toss chicken fresh or frozen into crockpot, pour salsa over the top and cook on LOW for 4 to 6 hours. Shred with a fork and enjoy!

They also sell a salsa verde version. While I don't bake with this one I love it for a topper over your salsa chicken creations!

The possibilities are endless with this one...here are a few options we have come up with.

1. Chicken tacos
2. Taco salad
3. Enchilada with salsa verde topper
4. Chicken quesadillas 
5. Over Rice
6. On a baked potato, add black beans and cheese.
7. On a plate with side items like black beans and salad
8. Spooned over a slice of cornbread with melted cheese and sour cream
9.  ...Now it's your turn...
10.  Don't forget to share your ideas too!

Monterey Chicken and catchin up!

Hey Everybody! Long time no see huh? Well I will start my catch up posts with this yummy recipe I had mentioned a while back. I have found a few recipes like this on pinterest and you know me I always use part of one recipe with another and make it my own!
It's super yummy and a great spin on the grilled chicken breast. -Sorry the pictures are missing...I'm working on tracking them down. I think they are on my old cell phone. Ooh the world of everything digital! I will add them as soon as I find them. But in the meantime, Ya'll can be enjoying this for supper.

Ingredients

• Boneless skinless chicken breasts
• Moores sauce (steak marinade, worcestersire will do just fine too)
• BBQ sauce of choice (my is always sweet baby rays...hickory or vidalia)
• Bacon cooked cooled and crumbled
• Shredded cheese ( I like to use sharp cheddar, or a colby jack blend) 
• Diced red onion
• 1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes- drained.
• Pepper *optional additional seasonings: ( I also use my fav's: natures seasoning and a mrs. dash or two, and sometimes some garlic powder) 

Directions

1. Pound out the chicken breasts and poke with a fork to tenderize. (this also makes lil holes for the marinade to get into)
2. Place into a shallow dish or container and pour a little marinade over them and season with pepper and optional addition seasonings. Let soak for at least 15-20 minutes, but you can marinate longer in the fridge if you like.
3. Fire up the grill! Place chicken on grill and cook until done. Don't forget to preheat the oven at 400º
4. Once chicken is done top with bbq sauce, bacon crumbles, cheese, onions and tomatoes.
5. Bake for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

As always I like to offer options on all my recipes...or maybe it's the fact that anytime I write a recipe down I automatically start thinking of other things...dang ADD! Anywhoo.  This recipe can also be made into a more southwest version by using rotel for the tomatoes and by seasoning the chicken with: garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, and pepper. Ok now my lil hamster is just a spinnin in his wheel 90 to nothing! I keep thinking of more and more recipes for you guys! I better get to posting before he gets pooped and all is lost! LOL Stay tuned...

Bassinet Diaper Cake

Today I set out to conquer the world of diaper cake sculptures! And here is my first attempt creation. It is a bassinet made from diapers, a baby wipe box and a bib. I had my first order for one today and I was super excited at the possibility of finally getting to make money by crafting. Long story short...order was cancelled. But I was still excited at the opportunity. So now this lil jewel is for sale on craigslist! 

Now I'm off to make monterey chicken for supper! It's a new recipe I discovered on pinterest...I will post it later.

Mini popcorn thank-you's

Mini Popcorn thank you's

These lil jewels were part of the great 30th birthday surprise of 2012! They are really easy to make. Just some mini popcorn bags wrapped in scrapbook paper and topped with a stamped thank you on top.

I will end this post with a few cute pics from my sweet hubby's party! 

Mess free glitter ornaments

I told ya'll I am wayyy behind on posts so now I'm gonna take you all the way back to Christmas...which is one of my most favorite times of year soo let's reminisce. Grab a hot chocolate and your comfy flannel jammies. It's craft time!

 The reason these are "mess free" are because the glitter is all on the inside. Now I say mess free...but while you are making them you are inevitably going to look like a disco ball! But once complete no more glitter all over the house when it comes time to decorate the tree each year! I love glitter but hate to wear it so once I discovered these on pinterest I was sold!

They are super easy to make: First there are a few key pieces that you must not skrimp on...yea I just said skrimp and all my fellow southerners will read this with out skipping a beat. But for everyone else that are just as confused as my spell checker is right now that just means...not to go cheap or improvise! ( ok thanks google...I stand corrected it could also be scrimp. But whatever I like skrimp!) These are what you must have: micro glitter or ultra fine strip glitter and the floor cleaner. It must be a pledge floor cleaner style solution, because that is the trick to getting a good glitter coat on the inside of your ornament!

You need to make sure you have everything all laid out for each step because time is of the essence!
First: Go ahead and make a little funnel for your glitter with a index card. Second: pick your glitter. Third: Pour a little pledge cleaner into the ornament and roll it around so that it coats the whole inside. DO NOT shake...it will make bubbles! Roll until coated and pour excess back into the bottle. Next: Pour your glitter of choice into the ornament and pour more than you would think you will need. Now this is where you must work quickly! Roll the ornament just like before to coat the inside with glitter. Then tap out the excess. After this just let your ornament sit on a cup to dry a little. All that is left to do now is to replace the metal cap and decorate the outside!

Tah-dahh pretty mess free glitter ornaments!

I must admit this is clearly a pinterest knock-off...but for a few readers who aren't as obsessed with pinterest as yours truly, here ya go!

I would like to thank....Pinterest...my cousin-n-law Alicia...hobby lobby....(que music)...oh and my momma and sissy for these fun memories and crafts! 

Door Hangers & Diaper Cakes

It's been over a year since I made these for a friend that was having twins, but I'm in catch up mode. So I'll share them now! These sweet babes just turned ONE!!! Goodness time flies. So bear with me while I post a bunch from the past. 

These crafts where so fun to make! The first being the FABULOUS fluffy tulle wreath with birth stats charts and name canvas in the middle. There are a lot of reasons I love this....1. You will be the talk of the mother baby floor at the hospital, 2. You can hang it on the front door when you bring your sweet lil bundle home, 3. The canvases are detachable for use in decorating the nursery later! 

Second is the 3 tier diaper cake...my first ever attempt at it and I was so excited about it if I do say so myself! It was all assembled so that the mommy could use it from the top down. With the larger size diapers on the bottom tier. The topper was made from wash clothes and greeting cards ( found @ biglots), the tiers were decorated with small toiletries and on the back I attached a diaper wipe case for the diaper bag. The interior of the cake can be made of bottles...but this one was assembled around a paper towel cardboard roll attached to a cake plate. Oh and how could I forget that the green polka dot ribbon can later be used for hair bows! 

There are so many ways that you can customize these crafts...from keepsakes to themes --Anything goes! 

I would love to make you one or some one you know... If you do please let me know.  *Note: These were my very first attempt for these crafts...I have since researched and found even better ideas and materials. 

Well off to nurse a sick hubby and cook some supper.  Tonight is Spaghetti night!!

Spoonful of Love ~B

Fiesta Fish Packs

Looking for an easy foil pack dinner that can go from frozen to done in less than an hour?

This is a super easy and very *customizable dinner option.

Supplies and Ingreds

• Foil- torn into packet sized sheets
• Talapia filets
• Butter
• Favorite Ms. dash seasonings or Natures seasoning. ( If your new...these are my staples. Salt free and yummy!)
• Birds Eye steam in the bag chefs favorites lightly seasoned southwestern corn
• 1 can black beans, undrained

Directions for layering

1. Steam corn for half of recommended cook time.
2. Spoon into foil sheet a bed of corn.
3. Place one to two fillets of fish on top.
4. Season fish and top with a pat or two of butter....ha ha I just can't say butter without thinking of the SNL paula deen skit where she says buttah an awwl yall...buttah an awwl! LOL...just can't do it! So go on now and put yall on some buttah or a drizzle of olive awwl, yall.
5. Spoon black beans over fish.
6. Now fold up the foil pack and bake at 375-400 degrees on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes depending on amount and thickness of fish. Once white and flaky it's done.

Enjoy!

*** I noted these are very customizable...using the same fish(talapia), you can change out the corn mixture and beans for rice and other veggies. Whether fresh from the garden like onions with some zucchini and squash or from the freezer these can be made into many different versions! Check out the birds eye steam fresh varieties (*here*) and see what you come up with! I just did and found an asian blend that I would layer with talapia and drizzle with teriyaki sauce, Mmm!