Sweet 'n Sour Chicken (in a slow-cooker!)

 

Friends! It's been a while since I've posted something delicious. And we all know that food is the most important thing in life...so here I am.

I'm obsessed with Asian food. I think it all stemmed from my time teaching English in Southern China a few years back...because I had some awesome Chinese food there. (I also had some not-so-awesome food there... such as chicken feet and shark fin... but let's not talk about that. Mmmkay?)

One of my very faves is sweet 'n sour chicken, but it takes FOREVER to make. Breading the chicken, frying it, baking it... ain't nobody got time fo' dat. Especially busy moms! Plus, sometimes it's nice to skip the frying and opt for something a bit healthier! (hellooooo swimsuit season. Yikes.)

I came up with this 'healthier' (not-fried), but more importantly--QUICKER-- version of my favorite sweet 'n sour chicken recipe, and you guys. IT WAS THE BOMB. Jordan raved about it. I demolished it. Boston ate every morsel on his plate. And Camden threw it all at the wall (but what else it new?). But seriously, it was AMAZING.

You should probably make this tomorrow. Or today. Or both. (See recipe below!)

 

Slow-cooker Sweet 'n Sour Chicken
(adapted from this recipe!)

4 large frozen chicken breasts
2/3 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon garlic salt

Place frozen chicken breasts in bottom of a crock pot. Mix all other ingredients well, and pour over chicken. (If you like your chicken SAUCY... double the sauce recipe! I usually do.) Cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 4 hours. (The longer and lower you cook it for, the more tender it will be!) When chicken is finished cooking, shred with two forks and let sit in the sauce for 10-15 minutes.

We love this stuff over white rice, with a big pile of green beans & slivered almonds on the side!

YUM.

Father's Day gift idea {with Tiny Prints}!

I don't know about you guys, but Father's Day gifts always stump me. I mean, yeah. You could just probably go with the generic tie/ golf ball set/ dress socks option, but guys. Don't you think dads around the globe get sick of that same stuff, year after year? I submit that they do. Because who needs one hundred ties anyways?

This year, I wanted to get something for Jord that would be more heartfelt. You know, something that he would cherish for years to come... and that wouldn't just end up stuffed in the back of his drawer. So when I was introduced to Tiny Prints , I just could not get over their awesome personalized gift options. I mean, hi. So many cute choices, people!!

I chose a personalized mug for Jordan, and I think he's going to be as obsessed with it as I am. We are kind of in love with with making "desserts in a mug" when the kids are in bed, so I thought this would be perfect for his late night snack! In the mug I included a recipe for our favorite chocolate chip mug cookie, along with some chocolate chips and a spoon. He looooves this dessert... and could probably eat it every night!

The pictures I chose turned out sooo darling on the mug. I think Boston might want to steal it when he sees his face plastered on the front! And I don't blame him. He's pretty cute.

^^We even sneaked in a Father's Day message!^^

I'm SO excited to give this to Jord for Father's Day! It makes it so much more fun when the gift is personalized just for him. I think he's going to LOVE it. Plus, any reason to whip up a chocolate chip mug cookie is great. Because CHOCOLATE, of course. (recipe for chocolate chip mug cookie, below!)

Go check out Tiny Prints for more darling gift options! I had such a hard time picking. Seriously, there are so many cute ones. I just wanted to order them all!!

Chocolate  Chip  Mug  Cookie

1 tbsp butter, melted

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp brown sugar            

3 drops vanilla

pinch of salt

1 egg yolk

¼ cup flour

2 tbsp chocolate chips

Mix ingredients in a ceramic mug, and microwave on high for 40-60 seconds. Let sit for one minute, then top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Easy, creamy cinnamon butter.

Yes. Before I go any further, I need to address a #firstworldprob: these pictures are the worst ever.

YOU GUYS. I need a new camera. But it's not happening any time soon. So you'll have to just bear with my beautiful, off-colored iPhone pics for now.  Maybe if you squint a little, they won't look so terrible?

(Nope. Just tried it. Still looks pretty sub-par. Opa!)

But alas! The crappiness of the photo doesn't detract from the wonderfulness of this cinnamon butter. So, shall I continue with the recipe?

EASY CREAMY CINNAMON BUTTER:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, beat butter with a hand mixer until its niiiiiiice and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar, little by little (so it doesn't all come poofing up into your face), until well mixed. Add cinnamon to mixture and blend well. Serve immediately!!!

We ate this with some hot cornbread, but we've also had it on hot rolls, fresh bread, or when we're feeling crazy, on a baked sweet potato. AMAZING.

Ok now, does this photo look any better?

Didn't think so. Oh well.

Just make the butter, and everything will feel a lot better in your life. 

Mmmkay pumpkin?

The BEST breakfast burritos (for the freezer!)

I don't know about you guys, but I'm definitely a breakfast person. The problem is, it's usually too much of a hassle! If I could just effortlessly wake up to the smells of bacon and biscuits and gravy and eggs....ahhhh. What a glorious thing that would be.

But usually, I wake up to my husband's kiss as he runs out the door in the wee morning hours, and then two hungry tummies shortly after. I have the cutest babies ever, but they are kind of cub bears when they wake up. They have perfected the whole "I WANT FOOD AND I WANT IT NOW MOM" thing in the mornings, and I'm usually scrambling to get them fed and happy. So by the time I get to eat, I usually just throw down some raisin bran and call it good.

But then suddenly, one day I thought: I'm sick this cereal business. Let's spice it up!

And alas, the freezer breakfast burrito was born.

These babies are so perfect for Jordan in the mornings to eat on the go, and I love them too! Heat them up, slap on a little fresh pico... and bam. So much better than cold cereal every day.

Okay, first of all. This recipe makes A TON. We came out of this round with 60  burritos. 60. So just be aware that it's going to take a little bit of time to cook the ingredients, put all of the burritos together, and throw them in Ziploc baggies...but it will be SO worth it, because these things will last you at least a couple of months! I had Jordan help me with the assembly part, so it went fairly quickly!

SUPPLIES:

• Gallon sized Ziploc FREEZER bags (they are sturdier and come with a double zipper to prevent freezer burn)
• Tin foil, cut into 12" by 12" squares
•  Paper towels
• Sharpie

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 dozen eggs
• 2 T butter
• 6 large red potatoes, diced
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella...whateva'!)
• 1/2 lb bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 lb breakfast sausage, cooked and crumbled
• Salt + pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Melt butter in a (giant) skillet over medium heat. Add diced potatoes and diced onions, adding salt and pepper to taste. Cook for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender. Meanwhile, scramble eggs in a (giant) pan on low heat until fluffy. Now all of your ingredients should be ready!

To assemble the burrito, lay the tortilla on a paper towel. Add about 2 T eggs, 2 T potatoes, and 1 T sausage or bacon. Sprinkle with cheese. Now, tuck both ends and roll, forming a pouch (see handy diagram below!).

(image source)

  Once you have the burrito rolled, roll it up in the paper towel, and then in a square of tin foil. Then when you want to eat it, you simply take the tin foil off, warm up the burrito (with the paper towel still on it) in the microwave for about a minute-thirty, and you're golden!

Once you have them all rolled and ready, throw them into some large Ziploc bags and label them with the date. We fit 5 or 6 into a bag, depending on their size!

And whallah! There you have it. 2 hours or less of your time just set you up for a couple months of stress-free breakfast.Your husbands will love these, and so will you!

Enjoy!

Soft cinnamon cream cookies, with a strawberry on top.

I have a major sweet tooth. Like, a MAJOR SWEET TOOTH, you guys. I had to say it twice so you get the seriousness of this issue. It's kind of a problem. I need to be better.

But actually, it's probably not that bad. (See? Denial is what I've come to already.) Sometimes I just have to make cookies or brownies or something, OR ELSE I WILL DIE, and I think hey, this is quite okay. I'm doing just fine. You know? Hopefully you know. That was confusing.

But anyways. A recipe! For the easiest cookies you will ever make! (But really. These cookies basically make themselves.)
  

SOFT CINNAMON CREAM COOKIES WITH STRAWBERRIES

for the cookies:
1 box white cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 t cinnamon
1 t vanilla

for the frosting:
1/2 can cream cheese frosting (told you this was easy)
1/2 t cinnamon
a handful of strawberries, sliced
 
Preheat your oven to 350. Mix all ingredients for the cookies, and drop in rounded tablespoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 minutes. Then, mix the cream cheese frosting and cinnamon until blended, and throw it into a zip loc baggie. Seal it shut, snip off a corner, and whallah. You have a fancy pipette frosting bag! Amazing. I know. Then wait until the cookies have cooled, frost them up, and garnish with a big strawberry slice. YUM.

(NOTE: These cookies are best if eaten the day you make them. Those strawberries just don't handle life a top a cookie very well, yo! But also, you could always just add the strawberries later, too. That would work. Thumbs up emoji!)

Coconut Snowballs.

So, here's something: I bought a bag of chocolate coconut Easter M&M's yesterday, and the bag is almost gone today. Boston had like three, Jord isn't a huge coconut fan... so yeah. You do the math. Basically when I buy slash make chocolate coconutty things, I end up eating them all by myself. Which on the one hand, is great. Because hey! No sharing. But on the other hand, love handles! Come on, Kelsey. Let's practice some self control.

Anyways.

I've made these coconut snowballs more than once, because they're like the easiest thing to whip up in ten minutes. And not to mention they are insanely good. So you'll probably want to make them like tomorrow. But first! Find a friend or neighbor or random person on the street to share them with. Then you won't feel guilty slash have a sugar hangover for three days like I did.  And also, love handles, people! I need to work out.

And on that note! The recipe!

COCONUT SNOWBALLS

(adapted from original recipe, here)

3 cups sweetened flaked coconut
2 cups powdered sugar (the recipe recommends sifting. We skipped this step and no one complained)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon shortening

Throw the first three ingredients in a bowl and mix it all up with your hands (it's messy. But also a good stress reliever?). Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Then throw your chocolate chips in a bowl with the shortening, and microwave for thirty seconds at a time until the chocolate is smooth like buttah. Then you can either dip the coconut balls in the chocolate mixture one by one, or dip the end of a spoon in the chocolate and drizzle it across the tops. Either way, it's going to be good. So don't stress. 

Now eat at least three. 

I know.
SO GOOD.

Spicy Dr. Pepper Pork Nachos.

I won't lie to you. These nachos are freaking amazing. You should probably make them like tomorrow. Or tonight. Or this morning? (I don't know what time it is there... sheesh! Take it easy!)

Anyways, I probably ate these for ten days straight for lunch. As in, I would run out of chips or avocado and have to run to the store for that sole item, just so I could have them for lunch again. Because sometimes you've just gotta.

Also, here's a quick note about the pork: be sure that you buy the cut of meat that she specifies in her recipe. It makes all of the difference!! I cooked mine in my crock pot on low overnight, and it was literally falling apart the next morning. And also, it makes a TON of meat. Like, four bags in your freezer and two to your neighbors and one in your fridge. I was finding all kinds of ways to use it up! Hence, the nachos.  

And now, the recipe!

1/2 cup shredded spicy Dr. Pepper Pork (Find the bomb recipe HERE)
2 cups tortilla chips, or maybe more, if your feeling crazy
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 an avocado
1 T lime juice
1 T salsa
Trader Joes cilantro vinagerette dressing (If you don't have this, it's not a big deal. But actually, it is. IT IS THE BEST)

Dice (or slice) your avocado and mix with lime juice and salsa. Then layer your chips on a small plate, and top with pork and cheese. Nuke for 45 seconds ish.  When the meat is heated and the cheese is melted, top nachos with avocado & salsa mixture. Then drizzle the cilantro lime dressing on top of the whole pile of goodness.

Drool.

Enjoy!

(we also loved this meat in carnitas & sliders!)

Let's pretend it's the summertime, + a recipe.

Just close your eyes for a quick second. Now take a big "Ooooommmmmee"-like breath. Do you smell that fresh-cut-lawn-blue-sky-sticky-summer? Do you smell it? And feel the warm sun on your arms and legs and hear the birds chirping (and in my case...the giant disgusting cicada bugs. Yep. They're nast.), and hear the kids playing outside and the ice cream man music in the background?

Ahhhh. Summer. How I miss thee. Especially when it is suddenly hitting record-breaking low temperatures in my neck of the woods right now. Like, it gets colder when the sun comes up. How is that even possible? I don't even.

But friends! Good people of the internet! I made up a recipe the other night when I was reeeeaaallly missing summer, and I think you should make it, too. It's a good one. Husband and toddler approved, even!

One-pan Summertime Chicken

3-4 chicken breasts

1 large zucchini squash

1 large yellow summer squash

1/2 red onion

1/4 cup fat free zesty italian dressing

Greek seasoning

Lemon pepper

Pam spray

Preheat oven to 350. Spray the bottom of a 9x13 pan with Pam. Wash squash and slice them into rounds, then place them in the bottom of the pan. Coat with lemon pepper and Greek seasoning (probably 1-2 tsp of each, or more if yo feelin' crazy!), and toss until coated. Cut chicken breasts into strips, & put them on the squash mixture. Season with Greek Seasoning. Thinly slice the red onion, and place over the chicken, and then top everything with the Zesty Italian. Cover with foil and bake for 20-25 min, or until chicken is cooked through and squash is tender. Enjoy! 

Oh, and if you want to REALLY get into the whole summer thing, make a couple of these to go with it! Because they're kind of the bomb diggity.

A lotta chocolate and a little cookie.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes & Cookie Butter Frosting.

...need I say more?

CUPCAKES

1 box devils food cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup veg. oil

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

FROSTING

1 stick butter, softened

1/2 cup Trader Joe's cookie butter**

(I used creamy)

2 cups powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tbsp. milk

 

For the cuppy cakes: Mix all ingredients and pour into cupcake liners in pan until 3/4 full. (This makes a whole ton of cupcakes. Like 24, you guys.) Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Or if your oven is 100 years old and posessed like mine, a good 8 minutes will do the trick. Then let those puppies cool down completely.

For the frosting: Cream together the cookie butter and regular butter until smooth. Alternate adding milk and powdered sugar. Add vanilla. (You can add more powdered sugar if needed!)

For a super-easy frosting job, glop all of your frosting into a giant zip-loc baggie, seal the top, and squeeze the frosting to the bottom. Then snip off a corner...and whallah! You have a make-shift-white-trash piping bag. 

Frost 'em up, and enjoy!! (...and try to refrain from eating them all yourself. You think I'm kidding.)

**If there's not a Trader Joe's near you, don't cry. You can use the speculous spread that can normally be found at Wal Mart. By the nutella. YUM.

Easy Margherita pizza.

I don't know about you guys,

but I kind of hate cooking in the summer.

(No air conditioning + slaving over a hot stove = unhappy & sweaty people)

I am always looking for super easy and yummy recipes

 that don't require a lot of effort for the hot months.

I found this recipe on pinterest, 

and it was suuuuper yummy and easy!

You will need these things:

olive oil

pillsbury pizza crust

pizza sauce

fresh basil

fresh mozzarella cheese

minced garlic

(minus the mushrooms...I didn't end up using them due to the husband's mushroom aversion)

Ummmm I don't really have precise amounts of ingredients that I used, 

so just roll with it.

I promise it will turn out! 

First, roll out your dough on a cookie sheet (or pizza pan).

Then spread it with some minced garlic,

and throw on your pizza sauce.

Then spread it all around, like so.

( I know...these technical instructions are killing you.)

After the sauce is evenly spread, 

add some sliced up mozzerella (YUM)

and a few fresh basil leaves.

Drizzle the whole thing with olive oil, and pop it in the oven at 400 degrees 

until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

After about 15-20 minutes, 

you will have a yummy pizza that looks like this.

(or better than this)

Slice it on up, and enjoy!

Summer in a cupcake.

There is a theme going here... 

every time I post a recipe, 

its something sugary, chocolatey, gooey, or fattening.

(Or all of the above!)

But I made these cupcakes the other day,

and wow.

They are so good!

I just had to share the recipe.

They are

 light, 

creamy,

summery,

strawberryish,

and DELICIOUS.

Okay now,

go make them!

You will love them.

Strawberry Summer Cupcakes

Cupcakes:

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together all ingredients. Pour batter into paper liners and fill 3/4 full.

Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes or until cupcakes are lightly golden.

Remove and cool completely before frosting.

Fresh Strawberry Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups (may need more or less) powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup finely chopped fresh strawberries
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar on medium speed for 1 minute.
Add vanilla and strawberries and beat for 1 minute.
Adding 1 cup at a time, add the remaining powdered sugar. 

Whip until frosting forms peaks.

Frost cooled cupcakes, and enjoy!

 

Chocolatey Cinnamonny goodness.

I did a bad thing.

I made an entire batch of chocolate cupcakes-

for no reason other than I wanted chocolate cupcakes.

Hello.Bad idea!!

I said that I would give a bunch to friends

so that I wouldn't feel as bad...

but I still ended up eating 

waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay

to many cupcakes.

 They were SO good.

I figured I would spread the evil, 

and share the recipe with you!

Get ready for some deliciousness, people.

-------------------------

Step 1:  Get these ingredients together, and fast.

Step 2:  Make sure your chubby baby has enough cheerios to keep

him occupied for a few quick minutes.

Step 3:  Whip up the cupcake batter and eat a spoonful.

Step 4:  Bake the cupcakes and let them cool completely.

Step 5:  Frost the cupcakes and eat the remaining frosting 

straight out of the bowl without shame.

Step 6:  Eat at least three cupcakes in 30 seconds flat. 

See?  

That was fun.

And delicious.  

For the cupcake and frosting recipes, see below.

-----------------------------

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcake Batter

1 box dark chocolate cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Mix together all ingredients.  Pour into paper liners and fill 3/4 full.  

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes.  Remove from oven and cool completely, then frost.

Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

1 cup butter, room temperature

3 3/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted

3-4 Tbs. milk

2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp cinnamon

Beat butter on low speed until fluffy (about 30 seconds).  

Add all other ingredients and increase spead, beating until fluffy.  

Frost cupcakes.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Orange Roll deliciousness.

The other day, Jord and I 

were discussing our top 5 breakfast foods.

(Deep discussion topic, I know.)

Lets just say that these raspberry orange rolls 

are on the top of my breakfast list!!

These are the most delicious things

that you will ever eat...

for reals people! 

Every time I make them I just want to eat

half of the pan.

Without further delay, here is the recipe!

So go and make them, 

I'm talking TODAY.

Yum!!

------------------------------

Raspberry Orange Rolls

(Recipe from: RhodesBread.com)

8 frozen Rhodes Orange Rolls or use homemade ( if using the Rhodes brand, use the regular frozen Orange Rolls,  NOT the 'Anytime' version)

1 cup Raspberry Pie filling ( I used Duncan Hines canned pie filling)

1 Tablespoon Orange Zest

1 Cream Cheese packet ( included with rolls)

DIRECTIONS:  Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray. Place 8 frozen orange rolls inside.

In a small bowl mix together the raspberry pie filling and orange zest. Spread evenly over the frozen rolls.

Cover with a piece of plastic wrap that's been sprayed with cooking spray (so rolls wont stick when they rise)  Let frozen rolls rise according to package directions.

Remove plastic wrap and bake rolls at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then drizzle with cream cheese frosting. Serve immediately.

 

-------------------------------------

Orange Julius Recipe

After I posted about our Orange Julius adventure (on the porch) here,

I had some requests for the recipe.

Let me just say that this recipe is SO much better than the watery 

Orange Julius that you get from the nasty mall food court.  

You will see what I mean when you make it!!

It is seriously delicious. 

There may or may not have been a time in my pregancy when we made

this Orange Julius recipe every night.

[image source]

What you need:

1/2 can frozen Orange Juice (6 oz)

1 cup milk

1 cup water

2 tsp vanilla

1/3 cup of sugar

12-15 icecubes 

What you do:

Throw all ingredients in blender until smooth.  Pretty stinkin easy!

You will probably make these at least every night for a week until you get sick of them...

not kidding!  

Enjoy!

(*This recipe makes two large servings.)

yum.

I don't really know how I stumbled upon this picture, but I do know that I want this chocolaty goodness in my mouth right now. YUM. If you want to eat these brownies as much as I do, here is the recipe.

Caramel Brownies

Ingredients

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• pinch salt
• 1/4 cup Chocolate Syrup
• Thick Caramel Syrup (Mrs. Richardson's)
  

Preheat oven to 325F.

Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined

Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well.

In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake.