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.

My chicken,broccoli,noodle concoction

Theres no real recipe for this one....because I threw it all together. I will do my best to relive it so you can live it too :)

Ingredients.

4 chicken breasts

3 "trees" of Broccoli

one package of FRESH Alfredo noodles.

Paremesan cheese

Cook chicken in a pan with olive oil. 

Boil Broccoli.

Boil Noodles.

cut up cooked chicken.

Mix all cooked ingredients together.

Add parmesan cheese.

Easy right?

SO GOOD! My kiddos loved it...we didnt even have any leftovers, they were gobbled up!

I love that my kids love broccoli.

Until next time!

PIzza Casserole

Here is another shared recipe I got from a Mommy friend. Gotta love those other moms!

This one probably isn't the healthiest thing in the world but man is it yummy!

Ingredients:

1lb Hamburger meat

1/2 onion diced

1 jar of Ragu Pizza quick sauce

1/2 package pepperoni

1/2 box bow tie noodles

1/2 package shredded cheese ( I use cheddar or mozzarella)

You can also add veggies or other pizza toppings.

Directions:

Cook hamburger meat and onion.

Boil the pasta.

Combine all in casserole dish, mix 1/2 cheese and top with remaining cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

How easy are those directions? Love it! I bet your kiddos will too.

YUM!

Home made Mac&Cheese

There are TONS of different versions of this out there in food land, but I think this one is the greatest and my children just so happen to agree with me.

I got it from another mommy friend about a year ago and it has become a staple in this house.

I made it the other night and thought I better share!

Ingredients:

8oz elbow macaroni

one 10oz Alfredo style pasta sauce (I get bertolli, yum)

one 12oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

one tbs olive oil

one cup coarse bread crumbs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Spray 11x7 dish with cooking spray

Bring Large pot of water to boil add salt.

Boil elbow macaroni for about 8-10 minutes (whatever box says)

Drain the macaroni BUT reserve one cup of water.

Transfer the macaroni to the baking dish.

Add Pasta sauce.

2 cups of cheese

and reserved cooking water.

Stir until well combined.

Scatter remaining one cup of cheese over top.

In small bowl toss olive oil and breadcrumbs, scatter over top.

Bake until the mac and cheese is bubbly and bread crumbs are browned.

usually 20-25 minutes

Sometimes I skip on the breadcrumbs step...its just as good without it. However sometimes its fun to have a little bit of extra with the meal.

Marisas amazing burrito recipe...by Nat.

My buddy Marisa emailed me this recipe, I made it last night and though the kids didnt eat it. (Penelope is sick and E Bunny wont touch anything that could be spicy) IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!


2 chicken breasts, boiled (I did 3, I like leftovers and boiled for 15-20 minutes)
1 can rotel (I used 1 1/2)
2 tbsp taco seasoning
1 can pinto beans, heated through
Cheese
Sour cream
Salsa
Tortillas


Heres the super easy instructions-


Shred chicken using 2 forks. Mix chicken, rotel, and taco seasoning in pot and heat through. Heat tortillas so they are soft and plyable. Pile on chicken mixture, beans, cheese, sour cream, and salsa. Fold up into burrito and eat.

Voila! Delicious.

Homemade Mac and Cheese

First of all...sorry I have been MIA! Life gets a little busy sometimes. We went to spend some time with my brother and his family for almost a week in there too.

Okay, as for the mac and cheese...it was SO yummy! T loved it and ate his whole plate. E, however, did not appreciate it as much. She was talking about watching the movie "Princess and the Frog" and I told her that she could watch it after dinner. She stuck her fork in the macaroni, pulled out a noodle, and took a bite. She started crying and carrying on. She kept gagging and hollering. I asked what the problem was, if she bit her tounge and she said "I no like it!" She swallowed that bite and pushed her plate away. UGH!

Here is the recipe:

2 cups uncooked multigrain macaroni

cooking spray

1 1/2 cups fat free milk

3 tbsp flour

3 ounces light processed cheese (such as Velveeta Light), cubed

1 cup reduced fat shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, divided

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Cook macaroni in boiling water 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

Spray baking dish with cooking spray.

Preheat broiler.

While pasta cooks, combine milk and flour in a large saucepan, stirring with whisk until blended. Cook over medium-high heat 10 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove pan from heat; add processed cheese, 3/4 cup cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper, stirring until cheese melts. Stir in macaroni.

Spoon macaroni into baking dish; sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheddar cheese. Place under broiler 3 minutes or until cheese melts.

I think the only thing I would do different next time is to either use all velveeta cheese and top with some cheddar or use mild cheddar instead of sharp cheddar. I may also throw in some broccoli or other veggies.

A Sea of Fish and Octopus

I found this fantastic lunch idea on another blog, http://mamasides.blogspot.com/ the owner of blog is on one of my mommy boards.

As soon as I saw it I knew I had to do it, it is TOO cute!

You will need

Kraft mac and cheese
Goldfish
and Hotdogs

3 things which can always be found in my home.

Cook everything as usual (the Macaroni that is)

but the hot dog gets the special treatment.

Step 1. Cut the hot dog in half but NOT all the way through.

Step 2. Cut the half you just cut in half...does that make sense? 

Step 3. If you want, cut that half into another half....this gets a bit difficult unless you have super thick hotdogs.

Step 4. Throw el Octopus into boiling water and cook him for 4 minutes.

Meanwhile prepare the Macaroni and cheese.

When all is ready  make the plate look Oceanful!

Seriously, how cute is that?

Chicken and Broccoli Alfredo

Being that I am in a energy rut, Ive been cooking simple and easy for the past week or so.

This is another Campbells Recipe that I tried and it was SO simple to make.

Ingredients-

1/2 of a 16 ounce package linguine

1 cup fresh or frozen broccoli florets

2 tablespoons butter

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves  (about 1 pound), cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces

1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  (Regular, 98% Fat Free or Healthy Request®)

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions-

• Prepare the linguine according to the package directions in a 3-quart saucepan. Add the broccoli during the last 4 minutes of the cooking time. Drain the linguine mixture well in a colander.
• Heat the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until well browned and cooked through, stirring often.
• Stir the soup, milk, cheese, black pepper and linguine mixture in the skillet and cook until the mixture is hot and bubbling, stirring occasionally.  Serve with additional Parmesan cheese.

We all really enjoyed this meal. Even Lil Princess Penlope gobbled up her plate!

I think my kids are a big fan of Campbells, and for that I am a big fan of the red and white label can.

Hiatus

So sometimes I like to fall off the wagon, That was this last 7 days. We did a lot of eating out and only tried a couple new recipes which I plan on posting tomorrow.

Sometimes business overwhelms a family. We had the rodeo, a birthday party, a baseball game, and a unexpected trip to labor and delivery.

Please keep coming back and looking for new recipes :)

Slow Cooker Red Bean, Sausage and Rice Soup

Slow Cooker Red Bean, Sausage and Rice Soup

1 medium garlic clove(s), minced

1 medium red onion(s), chopped

1 large celery, rib, chopped

1 medium green pepper(s), chopped

15 oz canned kidney beans, dark-variety, rinsed and drained

14 1/2 oz canned diced tomatoes, undrained

9 oz cooked chicken sausage, andouille-style, cut into bite-size pieces

1/4 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp black pepper

6 cup(s) fat-free chicken broth

1 cup(s) uncooked white rice, converted-variety recommended

Place garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, beans, tomatoes with their juices and sausage in a 5-quart slow cooker. Add thyme and pepper; stir well.

Pour in broth and rice; stir again. Cover slow cooker and set on high power; cook for 4 hours. Yields about 1 1/2 cups per serving.

We recommend converted rice because regular long-grain rice can become mushy in slow cooker recipes.

This is a weight watchers recipe. I was so good! We substituted sweet italian turkey sausage since we couldn't find chicken sausage and it tasted great. Mom and dad loved it...what about the tough critics? The 3 year old took her one courtesy bite and devoured her toast that we has with it. The 1 1/2 year old liked it. He ate about half of his serving and most of his toast. We will make this again because it warms a person up on a cold day and overall it was a success.

Shepherds Pie

This is a really easy and fast recipie.

1 pound ground beef

1 can tomatoes with oregano, garlic, and basil

8 oz canned tomato sauce

1 1/2 cups mixed vegetables

2 cups prepared mashed potatoes

Turn broiler on to preheat. Brown ground beef in skillet. Mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetables. Heat through. Spray 8 oz ramakins with no stick cooking spray. Divide mixture between 4 ramakins.

Top each with 1/2 cup mashed potatoes.

Place under broiler for 5 minutes or until potatoes are golden.

This was a success! The 1 1/2 year old ate all his serving of potatoes and then had a second helping of them. He also ate up about half his serving of the mixture. The 3 year old even ate about half of her servings. (This is HUGE for her!) Mom loved it too. Dad liked it but it was not his favorite. He doesn't do mashed potatoes very often anymore. We will definatly have this one again though!

Quesadilla night

So the chicken was still frozen when it was time to cook dinner a few nights ago so I had to think of something else. We had the fixings for quesadillas so we tried that. The kid's quesadillas just had cheese in them and mom and dad's quesadillas had canned chicken, black beans, and tomatoes with green chilies. It was a huge SUCCESS! The 3 year old ate her half and actually asked for more! What a shocker! She ended up eating another half. The 1 1/2 year old ate his whole half as well. Mom and dad even liked theirs. We also had chips and salsa with our meal. YAY for something the 3 year old will eat! :)

Campbells Chicken nooodle, possibilities.....

While searching for new recipes... a Campbells commercial with this catchy tune came on. I decided to check out their recipes. They had just what I love, "Quick and easy!"

I found this http://www.campbellkitchen.com/RecipeDetail.aspx?recipeId=25085&categoryId=1&ref=%2fRecipeCategory.aspx%3fcategoryid%3d1

and thought it looked delicious.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 boneless pork chops, 3/4-inch thick (about 1 pound)
1 can (10 3/4 ounces) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup  (Regular or 98% Fat Free)
3/4 cup milk
1 package (1 ounce) ranch salad dressing mix

• Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on both sides.
• Stir the soup, milk and 1/2 package salad dressing mix in the skillet and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes or until the pork is cooked through. Sprinkle with the paprika.

 

Mid cook. Yummy!

 
 

The rice a roni 

SO incredibly easy, and it was delicious too!

I really enjoyed this meal. The energizer Bunny didnt try a bite of anything, he aid he was full and didnt want to eat...I bet he wouldve enjoyed it though.

Princess Penelope LOVED the pork chops, she didnt however like the rice I made along with it. I chose a Rice a Roni Brocolli something.

So all In all, I thought it was yummy and I will be making this again. As easy as it was you cant pass it up!!

Ham and Cheese Bowtie.

I got this recipe from http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Ham--n--Cheese-Bow-Ties

It was SUPER easy to make. My kids are big fans of bowtie noodles with butter and parmesan cheese so i thought this one would be worth trying.

Ingredients

• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 teaspoon prepared mustard
• 2-1/2 cups (10 ounces) shredded Colby cheese
• 2 cups uncooked bow tie pasta, cooked and drained
• 6 to 8 ounces fully cooked ham, julienned
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

• In a large saucepan, saute garlic in butter. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until blended. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Stir in the mustard and Colby cheese; cook and stir until cheese is melted. Add pasta and ham; stir until coated.
• Transfer to a greased 2-qt. baking dish. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until heated through. Yield: 4-6 servings.

I didnt think my kids would eat the Ham, because they like to turn their nose at different looking things in meals. Shockingly, they loved it! They both ate their whole plate full.

I however, did not like this, haha. The cheese tasted real funny to me, could be because of baby in utero but I had trouble finishing my plate.

and Sorry, no picture of this one. Theres a picture following the link up top though.

Happy Cooking!