Love in a blanket

Does your family know about Nutella yet? It is so delicious. ON many things! I have seen lots of Nutella inspired recipes on Pinterest lately too.

Here Is one I make a lot and its so simple and delicious.

You get these

and smear Nutella on the inside

then follow the croissant directions

and end up with this.

Yum!

 Simple and the kids will love you for it

-Nat

Confetti Chicken Pasta

I actually enjoy cooking. You would not know that though since I tend to make the same thing over and over. It's just that I either lack the ideas or time. For that reason I'm glad there is pinterest! I've gotten SO many ideas for dinner on there. Like this dish for example.

First I'll give you the recipe:
In a dash of extra virgin olive oil cook 2 chicken breasts that are cubed.

Add in chopped yellow, orange, and red bell peppers. Cook until soft. Add in 3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine. I used the garlic paste that can be found in the veggie section of the store.

Add in chopped up broccoli. I chopped it small to "fool" the kids.

In another pot, cook a box of pasta according to the directions.

Set cooked pasta and cooked meat mixture aside to make sauce.

Melt 2 tbsp butter in the same pan you used to cook the chicken mixture. Add 2 tbsp flour, mix constantly for 1-2 minutes to cook. You are making a rue.

Slowly add 1 pint half and half while stirring. Heat to a simmer and add 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese. Add chicken mixture and noodles, stirring to combine. Enjoy!

Okay now for the critics review:

As I was making dinner, little E came running into the kitchen yelling "I smell something!!!!" I told her it was dinner and she got very excited. When it came time to eat however she took one bite, said "ewwww!" and spit it out. I guess it was not her favorite.

Big T took one look at it and told me it looked disgusting. I encouraged him to try it. He took one bite that had a noodle and chicken and he lost it! He can't stand two different textures in his mouth at one time. Sometimes I can trick him into thinking it is just one thing but not tonight. His dinner was a no go as well.

Big E, who is usually my picky eater, loved it! She ate almost her whole serving....until she asked daddy what the green stuff was. (Now keep in mind that she ate a bunch of this already!) He told her it was broccoli and she spit that bite out, saying "I DON'T LIKE BROCCOLI!" Let's just say that was the end of her dinner.

My husband and I really liked this dish so maybe we can try it again in a few months. They say that a kid needs to try something 6-7 times before they like it.....hmmmmm!

Until next time....happy cooking!

Please don't judge....

WOW! It has been a really long time since either one of us posted our dinner trials and victories. I am going to try to be better....I promise!

It is one of those nights....I feel icky because I had a tonsillectomy about 3 weeks ago and now have a cold....kids are cranky....and my husband is out of town for work. BLAH! Please do not judge but THIS is what we are having for dinner.

At least the kids devoured it and I could add a little broccoli without them noticing. Here's to a better recipe tomorrow!

My version of the Double Down Chicken Sandwich

KFC came out with a new chicken sandwich a few weeks ago.

Doesnt it just LOOK fattening?

The concept was pretty cool, especially for chicken sandwich lovers like my husband.

NO bread, its bacon and cheese smashed between two pieces of their fried chicken.

we tried one and ever since the hubs has been wanting to return for another. I however am trying very hard to stay healthy so I kept vetoing the idea. Then I got a BETTER idea....why not make them myself?

You need

Chicken Breasts

american cheese

tomato

and lettuce.

I grilled the chicken breasts outside until they were fully cooked, then I cut them in Half so the breast split open like a sandwich. Then i put it back on the grill to melt the cheese, added the tomato and lettuce and voila!

I may be biased....but mine was SO much better than KFC's

Please excuse the crappy cell phone picture :)

Grilled Chicken Breasts with Queso Verde Sauce

WOW! This one was very tastey! First the ingredients and how to make it:

4 Chicken Breasts

Olive Oil

Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime Seasoning Blend

6 Slices WHITE American Cheese

1/3 cup Salsa Verde

Rub light layer of olive oil on chicken breasts. Sprinkle seasoning blend on both sides of chicken. Cook on grill for 6 minutes on each side or until cooked through. While chicken is cooking, place salsa in microvave safe bowl. Shred cheese slices and place in bowl. Microwave in 30 second incraments until cheese is melted, stiring in between. When chicken is cooked, spoon sauce over chicken and serve. We had Uncle Ben's Spanish Rice that is in a pouch and only takes 90 seconds to cook along with the chicken.

Now for the review: I served the kids each some cut up chicken with a little sauce and some rice. T took one bite of the chicken and promptly said "Uck!" and spit it out. (Yes, he is becoming a picky eater now! The boy who would once eat anything and everything....SIGH!) He did eat almost all his rice though. E however, made faces and expressed that she did not like it and would not eat it. She ended up suffering through her courtesy bite but that was all she would eat. Mom and dad however really liked it and will have it again. Maybe next time the kids will like it, who knows!

Now on to Little E...she is 6 months old and eating solid foods. Her favorites are peas, sweet potatos, bananas, oatmeal, and pears. Heres hoping she is not picky like the other 2!

Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

Another one for the Dinner Spinner app on iPhone!

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cups cooked white rice, cold
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 cup cooked, chopped chicken meat

Directions

1. In a small bowl, beat egg with water. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add egg and leave flat for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from skillet and cut into shreds.
2. Heat oil in same skillet; add onion and saute until soft. Then add rice, soy sauce, pepper and chicken. Stir fry together for about 5 minutes, then stir in egg. Serve hot.

Easy does it! This was kind of fun to make, it kept my busy....it was also really simple.

The kids liked it and the parents liked it even more. Another one for the books!!

This one definitely needs some veggies added to it...don't you think?

Broccoli Chicken Divan

I'm seeing a trend with me and cut up skillet chicken with Broccoli....what can I say, its yummy!

I got this recipe on Allrecipes using my iPhone app, the dinner spinner!

Ingredients:

1 pound chopped fresh broccoli

1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken meat

1 can condensed cream of broccoli soup

1/3 cup of milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tablespoon butter, melted

2 Tablespoons dried bread crumbs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees

2. Place the broccoli in a saucepan with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes, or until tender. Drain

3. Place the cooked broccoli in a 9'pie plate. Top with the chicken. IN a bowl, mix the soup and milk, pour over the chicken. Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese. Mix the melted butter with the bread crumbs and sprinkle over the cheese.

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes or until bubbly and lightly brown

A few notes....the 9" pie plate was not big enough....perhaps I had too much broccoli? Is that possible? we love broccoli!

I used a 9x9 pyrex dish instead.

The ONLY complaint we had at dinner this night was that there was not enough food. We all wanted seconds and there wasn't any left over after the first serving.

Its a yummy and super easy dish to make, I give it 5 stars!

Heres my picture 

mmmmmmm.