Crockpot Chicken Taco Bowls

I LOVE me a crockpot!!!! If you are working all day or busy with errands and don't have time to chef it up in the kitchen for a big ole' meal then your  new best friend is the crockpot. I cook approx. 2 dinners a week in this thing simply because its easy and I love the way my meals turn out! Chicken taco bowls are a  yummy Mexican and low carb bowl to make starting with:

four boneless skinless chicken breasts
two cans of black beans
1/2  cup of frozen corn
one jar of salsa-I use pace medium
cumin
chili powder
cayenne pepper
salt/pep
one clove of minced garlic
cilantro for garnish
shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Directions:
Simply place the chicken on the bottom of the crock pot-it doesn't matter if they are frozen or not
then add the beans and corn and pour over the chicken
pour the jar of salsa over
add the spices ( I typically add about two tspns of each however you can always add more)
add the garlic

place on low ( if not frozen)
place on high( if frozen)

for about 6-8 hours

once its done the chicken will easily shred with a fork and you will have a yummy delicious taco bowl!!!

garnish with my fave CILANTRO, some monterray jack cheddar, and hot sauce :)

* I apologize for my not -so -pretty- food picture.. I forgot to snap a picture and I had already begun eating my food!

25 things

1. I am obsessed beyond obsessed with candles. There is always one burning in my house and they are ALWAYS seasonal. Never will a pumpkin candle be burnin' in April!

 

2. I may or may not have eaten a pint of ice cream today..the chocolate peanut butter kind..

 



3. Cooking soothes my soul. I live and love to be in my kitchen:)

 

4. I thought I had it all figured out before I got married

 

5. I don't and I like it better that way

 

6. My husband is the most patient and loving man in the world. HE has truly taught me what it means to be faithful and that is why god blessed me with him. Not a lot of people see that side of him.. he reserves it for me :)

 

7. I want a boy and a girl and I have the CUTEST names for them ever..and hopefully they have Brandon's precious baby curls.

 

8. I am a mama's girl

 

9. I started this blog so that I could quit annoying people with my food posts on Instagram

 

10. I don't have any followers but that's okay this is my secret little outlet to boast about all of the delectable recipes I make!!!!!

 

11. I could be a professional shopper. Hire me. Please.

 

12. I was blessed with an amazing neighbor who has become one of my best friends. She is also Cuban. And spicy. watch out ;)

 

13. The beach is my happy place. A book and my toes in the sand is just about the best medicine ever!

 

14. I met Brandy In spin class xoxo

 

15. He hates that I call him brandy... but it stuck..and now my family refers to him as brandy too! Sorry Brandy!

 

16. I love to workout!

 

17. I suffer from anxiety. God, my husband, and my family have helped me through so many anxious times. I have grown so much stronger and more faithful in the process of dealing with this. I am thankful in a way because it has drawn me so much closer to my savior.

 

18. Mine and Brandon's next really big trip is Californiaaaaaa Napa, Disneyland, and the Orange County:) ..wont be for another two years though.

 

19. I pick my clothes out every night. Even if I have nowhere to go the next day it makes me feel better knowing I know what I am wearing. I know. OCD.

 

20. I am writing this blog while simultaneously writing an essay while simultaneously replying to an email about another preschool job.

 

21. I had a rustic princess wedding. My mom and dad are pretty much the best ever!

 

22. I have a feeling this summer is gonna be one of the most amazing summers yet!

 

23. I really want a clarisonic..really bad..

 

24. We are having Mexican chicken taco bowls tonight

 

25. I think my mom will be the only one to read this post. I love you mom thanks for supporting my foodie blog!!!!

 

 

Skinny Baked Brie Bites

If you are anything like me you absolutely positively LOVE AND ADORE a girls night:)
Girl talk, wine, food, more girl talk, more wine, and more food... what isn't fun about that? I feel like a girls night is a much needed social event in every girls life. I recently started our monthly girls night with all of my favorite girls that I met at church! Each girls night is themed and every member contributes in some way. For example.. last girls night theme was pinterest pot luck supper and it was at my house :) we all brought one dish that we homemade from a recipe from pinterest. The fellowship and food was so wonderful! My skinny brie bites were such a hit! and very easy to make for any occasion

Ingredients:

phyllo shells
one wedge of brie
craisin cranberries
chopped pecans or walnuts
honey

Directions:

In a small bowl mix together the cranberries, chopped nuts, and two tspns of honey

Cut your wedge of brie into thumb size bites and place inside the shell

spoon a small amount of the mixture onto each brie bite

bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes

serve immediately

ENJOY!

Spicy Buffalo Turkey Burgers

When I say turkey burger I guess that could be defined as a rather loose term. These are more like Buffalo turkey sloppy Joe's but somehow the title sloppy Joe has never sounded yummy or appealing to me. So turkey burgers they are! My husband loves all things spicy and buffalo related and to be quite honest I do too! These were found off of a cute little bloggy recipe website. I just did a quick spin on them to make them a little more healthy. For those of you who GAG at bleu cheese ( AHEM ELEIN) you don't have to use it. I however LOVE that delicious bleu mold so my recipe will contain lots of it!

Ingredients you will need:

one pound of lean turkey meat ( I buy 85/15)
one five oz can of FRANKS hot sauce <<<<------- If you have never heard of this stuff I just became your new best friend.
mold, I mean bleu cheese
one chopped celery stalk for garnish
one can of tomato sauce
salt/pepper
Onion-optional
whole grain hamburger buns

Directions:
sauté  your ground turkey with 1/2 cup of an onion in a  skillet over medium
once its browned and the onion is clear pour an entire 5 oz bottle of franks and mix well
then add the tomato sauce
DONE.
yep its that easy.
Top onto a whole grain burger bun and garnish with chopped celery and BLEU cheese if you must :)

I added quinoa instead of a bun because we were out that's why my picture looks different.
YUM.
kinda spicy ;)

Happy Love Day!

Happy Valentine's Day to everybody!! Or not...to those who don't celebrate it.. I am technically a non-celebrator since Brandon and I always just stay in and watch movies in our PJ's instead of going out on actual valentine's day but we always go to dinner the night before...and I always wear red :) This year we went to Myron's Steakhouse. UN.BE.LI.EVE.ABLE. Pretty much hands down just the best steak I have ever eaten...The jalapeno Mac' N Cheese was pretty mouth watering too. It was nice and I totally loved the fact that it wasn't crowded. I HATE CROWDS! Good luck to all those people tonight trying to get a table. I will be happily snuggled on the couch with my man in my cute heart PJ's watching a romantic comedy of some sort. YAY!

Dress: Loft

Shoes: INC

BBQ Pulled Pork Sweet Potato

Trust me when I say this is by far the easiest pulled pork recipe you will ever find! I had my neighbor and husband be my guinea pigs on this new little recipe and they devoured it.. seriously not even a scrap of pulled pork was left. That's when I know it's amazinggggggg!! I used to do pulled pork sandwiches in the little sweet hawaiian rolls however the Frankhouser's are on a health kick right now and those little buns will not be so cute for our little buns so sweet potato it is!

you will need:

A crockpot
salt/pepper
large pork shoulder
one can Dr. Pepper
one jug of BBQ sauce ( I love head country )
two sweet potatoes

THATS IT!

now for the cookin' part

Place your pork shoulder in the crock pot and season it with salt and pepper
pour one can of DP in the crock pot
add 1 1/2 cup BBQ sauce to the top of the pulled pork
place on low for about 8 hours until  pork slides off the bone

Sweet potato
drizzle with EVOO
salt and pepper it
place in the oven for 45 minutes

when the pulled pork is done cut open the sweet potato and stuff it in! Its seriously so good!!
Some of you probably think I am nuts for this Dr. Pepper tid bit as a part of this fabulous recipe but I promise its worth it. The enzymes in the Dr. P break down the meat until it is so moist that it just slides right on off that magnificent shoulder bone! 

Fredricksburg with the Frankhousers

Last weekend we decided to meet our good friends the Lonon's down in Fredericksburg for a weekend at a bed and breakfast. I was so ready for some German food, good wine, and shopping..it could not have been a prettier weekend and we enjoyed each other's company so much. I haven't been this relaxed in a LONG time. We got there Friday evening and had some wine on the porch before heading off to a German restaurant. I was completely against eating German food because it sounds disgusting to me..(the smell of Sauerkraut is enough to gag a village. ) However.. I was surprised. I got something that sounded appealing to me and actually enjoyed it. On Saturday we woke up to Coffee and breakfast and headed downtown for some shopping.. I am in love with all of the cute shops down town. Each shop is unique and houses the most adorable home décor, clothing, antiques. It's just fun! Then for the best part.. and my particular favorite.. we went to the winery! Yay! First stop was Grape Creek and next was William Chris. The scenery was to die and the wine wasn't bad either :) This was my first time to do a real wine tasting and the lady at the counter told me that I had an experienced wine palette....well duh!! ;)