1/29/12

Hi everyone!
Hope you had a great weekend! We had a busy and fun weekend! So, Friday my son and I had a play date with Sara and her son! We had a great time and enjoyed the Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing for lunch! My review is on the original post... don't miss this one!!! Yummy!!!!

Friday night, our son stayed with Grandma and Grandpa while my husband and I had a few friends over. We served pretzel bites, crescent pepperoni roll-ups, cucumber boats, summer guacamole with chili garlic sauce, and homemade salsa. I posted all of the recipes with our reviews. These are some great treats for upcoming Superbowl parties! Oh, I also made my well known turkey meatballs... I'll post that recipe tomorrow. To drink, the boys enjoyed beer while Thai and I tried a new yummy drink! We had chardonnay, ginger ale, sliced strawberries, and sliced peaches mixed together. It was refreshing and great! I'll post that recipe tomorrow, too. Running out of steam for the night!

Last night we got together with our good friends Greg and Mar and their kids. Mar served slow cooker lasagna and garlic cheese bread. If you haven't tried this, you should. We love it! Again, I can post this recipe tomorrow... there are a few variations. I'll try to post a couple so you have a choice. They're all good and easy, really.

Tonight we just threw together some turkey burgers. Nothing too special, but I can give you our recipe tomorrow with the others. I put leftover provolone cheese, lettuce, and avocado dressing on my and our son's burgers! YUM!!!! My husband put lettuce and leftover Hoisin Dressing on his. He said it was really great, too!

I'll be making this week's menu tomorrow. I didn't get a chance this weekend. I posted quite a few recipes today, but looks like I owe you a few more tomorrow.

Thanks for joining us for dinner. See you tomorrow.
~ Jen

Pretzel Bites

Credit: Get Off Your Butt & Bake

Recipe: http://www.justgetoffyourbuttandbake.com/?p=932

Cochran Review: We made the Garlic Parmesan Pretzel Bites for a party recently. They were a big hit! We enjoyed them without the cheddar dip, but I'm sure that would be delightful, too. These were pretty easy to make. They seemed to take 30 mins to bake in our oven rather than the 15 mins the recipe references. Also, I didn't melt butter for the bites. I just rubbed a little stick butter over the top as they were fresh out of the oven, sprinkled garlic powder, cracked sea salt, sprinkled fresh grated Parmesan over the top, tossed, and served. One guest referred to them as being "legit". :) Enjoy!

2/6/12 Update: We tried the cinnamon sugar w/ icing dipping sauce on Super Bowl Sunday. Oh. My. Goodness. So, so , so good!!!! The garlic Parmesan were a hit once again, but the cinnamon sugar bites were the shinning star! Also, garlic Parmesan bites were very tasty dipped in the queso dip! Yum! Enjoy!

Crescent Pepperoni Roll-ups

Credit: Plain Chicken
Recipe: http://www.plainchicken.com/2011/12/crescent-pepperoni-roll-ups.html

Cochran Review: These were very easy to make and very tasty! The recipe calls for warm pizza sauce to dip them in, but we ended up not dipping them. We didn't feel like it needed the sauce. Our party guests enjoyed these quite a bit! Enjoy!

Summer Guacamole with Lee Kum Kee Chili Garlic Sauce

Credit: Lee Kum Kee
Recipe: http://us.lkk.com/en/Kitchen/Recipe/Weekly%20Recipe%20Archive/summer-guacamole-lee-kum-kee-chili-garlic-sauce-3174

Cochran Review: This was OK. I think I personally prefer just guacamole without the chili garlic sauce, though. The recipe calls for 4 Tbsps of the chili garlic sauce, and the picture shows the dip still being green. However, after only adding 3 Tbsps, our dip was already red. The flavor was more chili garlic than guacamole. So, if I were to try this again, I think I'd add 1 Tbsp and taste it.

Cucumber Boats

Credit: Susie Freaking Homemaker
Recipe: http://www.susiefreakinghomemaker.com/2012/01/cucumber-boats.html

Cochran Review: These are very refreshing and tasty! I cut the cucumbers and put the cheese mixture in a bowl as a dip. Our party guests enjoyed them and it mixed together very quickly and easily. Enjoy!

Quick & Easy Salsa

Credit: Mountain Mamma Cooks
Recipe: http://www.mountainmamacooks.com/2012/01/quick-and-easy-salsa/

Cochran Review: Deee-lish!!! Just as it states, quick and easy! It was a party favorite tonight! Enjoy!

Low-Fat Potato Soup

No picture, sorry. I'll take one next time I make it.

Credit: +50 Friends Group
Recipe: http://www.sangotn.com/cookbook/crockpot/loftpotsp.html

Cochran Review: This recipe is so easy and so flavorful! It makes a lot, but freezes easy. I thought we would be freezing some, but we gobbled it all up! Enjoy!

1/25/12

Hi everyone!
Well, we had a bust tonight! My husband tried to make the Best Burger recipe and we think the hamburger meat was bad. I walked through the kitchen, smelled something, and checked our son's diaper. It is never a good start if your meat smells like a dirty diaper! My husband continued to cook it, and it continued to smell. He tried a small bite, and said it was awful. So, we had leftovers tonight.

I think I saved the night by making the 2 Minute Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake, tho! Yummy!!!!! Served it with vanilla ice cream... it is really the only way to have it!

Also, I made the Mixed Greens & Fruit Salad with Hoisin Dressing today for lunch. It was great! Check out our review on the original recipe post.

Tomorrow is Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce and Grilled Asparagus & Squash.

Thanks for joining us for dinner! See you tomorrow!
~ Jen

2 min Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Credit: Babble
Recipe: http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2011/08/16/two-minutechocolate-peanut-butter-cake/

Cochran Review: My friend Sara found this recipe a few months ago, & our families instantly fell in love! My husband couldn't believe I made it so quickly! He asked, "Where did this come from?" I said I made it, and he said, "Just now?!" I said yeah! Ha ha! Give it a try! It is a great way to satisfy your cake craving and not have a whole cake laying around to tempt you again and again! Your lips and hips will thank you! We highly recommend serving this with natural vanilla ice cream! Enjoy!

1/24/10

Hi everyone. My son and I are a little under the weather today. So, I'm going to keep this short. We had Pepperoni Penne Carbonara and Zesty Broccoli last night. It was a great meal! We really enjoyed it! Our reviews are on the original recipe posts. Enjoy!

Tonight we had slow cooker French Dip. It tasted as great as it smelled all day! I committed one of my own sins... I didn't make a vegetable. I planned to make Mixed Greens & Fruit Salad w/ Hoisin Dressing, but I ran out of steam this afternoon from being sick all day. Another change due to my illness is our Wednesday play date is moved to Friday. Maybe I'll try the salad I planned to have tonight with the Avocado Chicken Salad for Friday's lunch. We'll let you know how it is.

Thanks for joining us for dinner! See you tomorrow.
~ Jen

Chicken Salad with Avocado Dressing

Credit: Noble Pig
Recipe: http://noblepig.com/  (scroll to almost the bottom of the page for the recipe)

Cochran Review: This recipe was really great! It didn't give instructions on how to cook the chicken. So, this is how I did it:

Ingredients:
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
Ground Thyme
1 Tbsp Parsley (chopped fresh or fresh in tube)
2 Bay Leaves
1 large garlic clove (cut in quarters)
1 tsp of whole black peppercorns
16 oz of chicken broth

Put chicken in slow cooker (mine were frozen and it turned out fine). Top with chicken broth. Sprinkle ground thyme over top of chicken. Put parsley, bay leaves, cut garlic, and peppercorns in slow cooker. Cook for 4-5 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.

You could also buy a rotisserie chicken from your grocer and shred the meat. When making the meat mixture, I followed the recipe. However, I think the avocado and the avocado sauce make the chicken creamy enough. In an effort to make this healthier, I will omit the mayo next time. There will be a next time! this was great! Enjoy!

1/23/12 This week's meal plan

Well, it is a new week and time for a new meal plan! Here's what we are having:

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce and Snow Pea Medley

Pepperoni Penne Carbonara and Zesty Broccoli (tonight)

Best Burger Ever and Grilled Asparagus & Squash with Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce

Slow Cooker French Dip and Mixed Greens and Fruit Salad with Hoisin Dressing

We are possibly going out Friday night. So, I have only planned four meals at this point. However, Wednesday my friend Sara and I have a play date with our little guys and we are trying Avocado Chicken Salad that we found on Pinterest! Yum! I'm so excited, because my grocery list consisted of a need for 5 avocados this week!!! I seriously <3 all things avocado!!!

Hope you had a great weekend, and you're enjoying the posted recipes! I'll post a review about tonight's dinner soon!

~ Jen

Slow Cooker French Dip

Credit: Picture Perfect Cooking
Recipe: http://pictureperfectcooking.wordpress.com/2011/07/09/slow-cooker-french-dip-sandwiches/

Cochran Review: Easy to make and very tasty. It satisfies all of your French dip cravings. Make it and enjoy it!

Mixed Greens & Fruit Salad with Hoisin Dressing

Credit: Lee Kum Kee
Recipe: http://us.lkk.com/en/Kitchen/Recipe/Occasions/mixed-greens-and-fruit-salad-hoisin-dressing-3135

Cochran Review: This salad really made up quick and it is sweet, tangy, light, filling, and delicious!! You definitely want to give this one a try!!! I used the Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce from my prize basket, and I really enjoyed it! I used sesame oil I had on hand, since I didn't have LKK's. Also, I used Rice Vinegar. Enjoy!!!!

Grilled Asparagus & Squash w/ Lee Kum Kee Premium Soy Sauce

Credit: Lee Kum Kee
Recipe: http://us.lkk.com/en/Kitchen/Recipe/Occasions/grilled-asparagus-amp-squash-lee-kum-kee-premium-soy-sauce-855

Cochran Review: This was very easy to make and very tasty. It was supposed to be nice weather when I made this, but a cold front came through. So, I cooked it up in the wok instead of on the grill. It turned out great! So, there's a nice alternative for you if you don't have a grill or don't want to cook outside. I served this with Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce, and we really enjoyed the meal! Enjoy!

Best Burger Ever

Credit: Little Miss Mamma
Recipe: http://www.littlemissmomma.com/2011/10/best-burger-ever-recipe-with-secret-sauce.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FvlrRO+%28Little+Miss+Momma%29

Cochran Review: Well, this one is a bit tricky to review as we did not actually have it for dinner. My husband was cooking tonight, that's right, my husband... be jealous ladies! He opened the meat. I didn't know he opened it, smelled something, and instantly checked our son's diaper. It's not a good start if your meat smells like a dirty diaper. He continued to make the burgers, but the smell never went away. He tried a bite and said it was awful. So, we are thinking we started with bad meat.

A little about the blog the recipe is on... The blogger doesn't give how much meat to use. Several blog followers commented on the blog that their burgers fell apart. So, we were going to try adding a couple of eggs. Our burgers didn't fall apart, but they were stinkers! If you're gonna give this recipe a try, be prepared to play with it a bit. It seems a few details are missing or it needs a few adjustments.

Zesty Broccoli

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Zesty-Broccoli-2

Cochran Review: Stis was so easy and tasty. Not too much spice or garlic, and the broccoli was perfectly cooked. The recipe calls for only a 1/4 cup of water. That wasn't enough to boil the broccoli I put in so I added a cup or so. Enjoy!

Pepperoni Penne Carbonara

Credit: Tast of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Pepperoni-Penne-Carbonara

Cochran Review: This was FAN-freakin-tastic!!! So much flavor! Yum! And this was so easy and quick to make! I paired it with the Zesty Broccoli, and it went very well together. I prepped and cooked both meals in 30 mins! Perfect for a quick, yummy meal on a busy night! The turkey pepperoni has a little spice to it. So be aware of that if you serving to kids who aren't used to it.

Snow Pea Medley

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Snow-Pea-Medley

Chicken with Rosemary Butter Sauce

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chicken-with-Rosemary-Butter-Sauce

1/20/12

Well, today is my sixth day blogging! What are your thoughts so far? I'm really enjoying it! Plus, it is like an easy online meal planner for me! It seems several of you have interest in last night's meal, Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken & Cheddar Quesadillas. It got 16 views so far, and rightfully so! We really enjoyed it! I posted our detail review on the original recipe post last night. Hope you enjoy!

I didn't have leftover Chicken Milano yesterday. So, I haven't posted a pic. I found leftover Cranberry Sweet-and-Sour Pork in the fridge that I needed to eat. It was from a pre-blogging meal and oh so yummy! I posted the recipe if you're interested.

Taste of Home Simple & Delicious... So, I'm sure you've noticed several recipes on my blog are from this magazine. There's a reason for that. About mid-December I received an issue in the mail and a note that my Aunt Sherry signed me up for a subscription! So, many yummy looking recipes in one issue! I just had to start trying them! We haven't been disappointed! I love the 30 minute meals that are truly 30 mins! Love that! Before blogging I tried a few recipes we really enjoyed. So, I posted them today for you. Enjoy!

Herbs - So, I've always wanted to try herbs in a tube. I've seen them on TV shows and at the grocery. I've been a little hesitant, because they seemed a little pricey if I didn't like them and I love fresh produce. Well, lately, herbs have been less than desireable at the grocery and my produce stand isn't carrying much more than fire wood due to the winter months. I decided to give them a go, and they are AH-mazing! Love them! So easy, time efficient, claim to be as close to fresh without being fresh, taste fresh, and keep so much longer! Now maybe when Cinco de Mayo comes around I might crave the smell of fresh cut cilantro again, but for now I'm loving my herbs in a tube!!!

Tonight, I'm kinda taking the night off. We have leftover premade pizza crusts, basil pesto sauce, chicken from last night, mozzarella cheese, garlic, and bell peppers. So, we'll be having leftover pizza while we watch the Mizzou and Blues games! Go Tigers and Blues!

Thanks for joining us for dinner! See you tomorrow!

Pasta with Shrimp & Basil

Sorry, no image available online. I will take a pic next time I make it.

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: I didn't find it online. Here is the recipe from my magazine:

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup butter, cubed
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 lb peeled & deveined cooked medium shrimp
1 cup fresh baby spinach
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted (I don't like these. So, I omitted this.)
1/4 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 Tbsp minced fresh basil
1/8 tsp pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions in a large saucepan. Saute mushrooms in butter in a skillet until tender. Stir in cream. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook for 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Drain pasta; add to shrimp mixture and toss to coat.

Cochran Review: Total time for this meal is about 25 minutes. Very simple, very delicious, and a light pasta dish. We enjoyed it!  Hope you enjoy it, too!

Apple-Balsamic Pork Chops

No picture available online, sorry. I'll take a pic next time I make it.

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Apple-Balsamic-Pork-Chops

Cochran Review: This was really juicy and good. We enjoyed these! I followed the recipe as is. Then I also sliced some apples and put them in a small pan to the side as the pork chops cooked. I served the warm apples on top and we really enjoyed the extra touch. Another true 20 min meal! Enjoy!

Bourbon-Glazed Ham

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Bourbon-Glazed-Ham?cpi=1&sort=0&Login=login

Cochran Review: This was the first ham I've ever made. It was really yummy and huge!! We ate dinner, had leftovers, and froze two portions! So nice to know I have to premade dinners in the freezer if I need them. This was very flavorful and juicy! I even diced some up and cooked it in our eggs that week! Don't you just love meals with multiple purposes? Enjoy!

Asian Turkey Lettuce Wraps

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Asian-Turkey-Lettuce-Wraps

Cochran Review: Oh my goodness! I will make these again, and again, and again! AH-mazing! So simple, too! I chopped the stir-fry veggies by hand, because my son was napping. However, next time I will chop them in the food processor (another one of my fav kitchen toys) to save time! Also, I used natural peanut butter, because that's what we like and keep in the house. When we were at the grocery that day the Boston lettuce wasn't looking so fresh. So, we used iceberg lettuce. I'd like to try Boston lettuce with it next time! We had Boston lettuce with the slow cooker brisket and it was delish! Enjoy!

Cranberry Sweet-and-Sour Pork

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Cranberry-Sweet-and-Sour-Pork

Cochran Review: This meal was literally simple and delicious! I made it in about 20 mins! It is really full of flavor! We served it with Jasmine rice that I made in the rice cooker (another one of my fav kitchen toys)! I cooked it as the recipe calls for except I used olive oil instead of canola oil. Enjoy!

1/19/12

Good morning... almost afternoon!
I'm guessing I won't be posting Tuesday/Thursday nights since I'm now doing cardio those nights at the gym. Sorry if this delay is inconvenient for you, but it is all in the name of being healthy and heart strong!

Big day yesterday! I submitted a picture to Wholly Guacamole's Facebook contest of the inside of my fridge and won a prize pack! Talk about big winnings!!! Check it out!!

I'm so excited about this! The products are actually Asian inspired by Lee Kum Kee. So, I will be making lettuce wraps again next week or finding a new recipe! So fun!! Stay tuned to see what I decide on! I know, I know... you can't sleep due to the anticipation!  :)

For those of you who don't know about Wholly Guacamole, get on board, people! It is, in my opinion, the best pre-packaged guacamole around! Natural ingredients and healthy! Love it! I also enjoy the individual 100 calorie packs they make! We all know how fast guac turns brown, and this really helps me get some life out of it! I find it in the produce section at my grocer... yes, so fresh it is with the produce!

Last night's dinner, Chicken Milano & Garlic Brussels Sprouts, was easy, tasty, and light! We all really enjoyed it! Lots of garlic! Yum! We won't have an issue with vampires any time soon! :) See our detail review on the original recipe posts.

Tonight's dinner is Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken Quesadillas. I chose the high temp for 4 hours to cook the chicken, but this recipe says low for 8 hours is good, too. That's nice for those of you working the 9-5 shifts! It smells so good already! I skipped a few steps. I'll update you on how it goes after we try it.

Thanks for joining us for dinner! See you tonight!

1/18/12

Good evening!
Tonight we enjoyed Pasta & Broccoli Sausage Simmer from Taste of Home. It was very good and can feed an army! Hope you're hungry! See our review on the original recipe post.

One thing I'm loving about Taste of Home recipes is when it says 30 mins it legitimately takes me 30 mins! I don't find that to be true when I'm following a Rachael Ray 30 min meal. Maybe I'm a slow chopper, but often preparing the food for "30 min meals" takes me 30 mins, much less cooking it. Tonight I started at 5:03pm, had my one year old between my legs most of the time because my husband got caught at work and in traffic, prepped the food, cooked it, cleaned up, switched laundry, and our meal was ready at 5:33pm! I kid you not! Impressive!

We also had the Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Crescents tonight! Talk about yummy and easy! Two of my favorite things! See our review on the original recipe post.

Tomorrow is Chicken Strips Milano and Garlic Brussels Sprouts. I forgot the brisket last night included a garnish salad. So, I decided to switch my original plan and make the sprouts tomorrow night.

Thanks for joining us for dinner tonight. See you tomorrow!
Jen

1/17/12

Good morning!

I started back at the gym... can't use the excuse I just had a baby anymore.  :)  Tuesdays and Thursdays I do cardio at the gym with my mom after she gets off work. It is so fun to do together! Dad comes over to hang with my husband and son and then we eat dinner all together. It is really a great night! That being said, after working out, eating, cleaning up, showering, visiting, and doing our son's night time routine, I was just too worn out to blog. Don't let that be an indication of last night's dinner, however! Slow Cooker BLT Brisket was Dee-lish!!! Check out my review on the original recipe post! You won't be sorry!

Tonight we will be having the Pasta & Broccoli Sausage Simmer. Stay tuned for our review!

Thanks for joining us for dinner! See you tonight!
Jen

Food Substitutions

This morning I was throwing my ingredients in my slow cooker for the BLT Brisket. It calls for 2 Tbsps of honey, but my son is not supposed to have honey until he turns 2. So, I went to a site I use often to search for a honey substitution: http://www.joyofbaking.com/IngredientSubstitution.html

Substituting ingredients is an easy way to make a meal healthier or meet your family's dietary needs. For example, I always swap regular flour for whole wheat flour, or I often swap butter out for olive oil.

I hope you find this site useful, too.
Jen

Oatmeal Bars with Strawberries, Bananas, & Chocolate Chips

Last Week's Treat

Credit: Inspired Taste
Recipe: http://www.inspiredtaste.net/9928/baked-oatmeal-with-strawberries-banana-and-chocolate-recipe/

Cochran Review: This is AH-MAZING!!!! I made this as a treat instead of breakfast. We warmed it and served it w/ natural vanilla ice cream! Yum! I used Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate Chips and pecan bits instead, because I had them already. Try this one for sure!!!!

1/16/12

Tonight was Turkey Scallopini & Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter... both new recipes to us. Quite tasty, but a lot of butter (6 tablespoons for both recipes)! You will find our family's detail review of each on the original recipe post. I didn't make our treat of the week tonight... we still had leftover oatmeal bars from last week! Yum! I'll post that recipe shortly.

Tomorrow is Slow Cooker BLT (Bacon, Leeks, Tomato) Brisket from Rachael Ray. I did the prep work tonight. When using my slow cooker I like to cut up my produce the night before and throw it in a zip lock bag. Also, I like to do any precooking the night before. I'm not much of a morning person. I barely have it together to make a cup of coffee, much less cook. This way all I have to do tomorrow is dump the contents of the zip lock in the slow cooker, add the broth, put the brisket I caramelized in and press start on low for 7 hours! So much easier! This meal makes A LOT of food, so we have invited my parents over, too!

Thanks for joining us for dinner tonight! See you tomorrow!
Jen

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter

I'm planning to serve this with the Turkey Scallopini this week.

Credit: Steamy Kitchen
Recipe: http://steamykitchen.com/1559-roasted-asparagus.html

Cochran Review: Wow! This is SO easy, and SO yummy!! Watch out when you add the soy sauce and balsamic vinegar to the hot butter! It hisses and spits! Startled me and I ended up spilling some. We will have this again for sure!

Turkey Scallopini

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Turkey-Scallopini

Cochran Review: This was quite tasty, but won't be a staple for us. I have never used so much butter to cook before... 4 tablespoons! My husband thinks it is very good and enjoys the breading didn't completely fall apart. I think this is a nice substitute when he has a hankering for fried chicken (Yuck! LOL!). I paired it with Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Soy Browned Butter. My husband enjoyed the asparagus sauce on the turkey, too!

Chicken Strips Milano

No pic was available online, sorry. I'll take one when I make it this week. -- Oh no! Completely gobbled this up and forgot I needed a pic! I'll reheat for lunch and take a pic. Sorry!

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/Chicken-Strips-Milano

Cochran Review: Light, easy, and yum! I served this with the Garlic Brussels Spouts and it was a great pairing! Mom and Dad were over for dinner again since it was our cardio night, and they both enjoyed it! Eating fresh and healthy is new for Dad, but he seemed to really enjoy everything... well, except the brussels sprouts. He doesn't like brussels sprouts, but they looked and smelled so good he gave one a go without persuasion! Impressive! Mom says, "Oh, I'd definitely make this again!" Ha ha! It was really nice to have a pasta dish that didn't feel heavy and weighted down with sauce. My husband said at first he thought it needed a little more sauce next time. However, I added Parmesan cheese on top (not in the recipe), and he said that made a difference... no extra sauce needed. So, if you are swearing off cheese, add a little more olive oil is our recommendation. Also, boneless skinless chicken strips are the same price as breasts at our grocer. So, I saved myself a step by getting these and not having to cut breasts. Enjoy!

Pasta & Broccoli Sausage Simmer

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious

Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Pasta---Broccoli-Sausage-Simmer

Cochran Review: Wow! So easy and very good! True to it's claim, this meal literally took me 30 mins, and that included kicking an occasional soccer ball with my son, cleaning up as I cooked and changing laundry! This meal makes SO much! Seriously! I will make this again, but I will cut the recipe in half. I guarantee even cooking a half recipe we will have leftovers!

Like I've mentioned before, my husband doesn't care for the texture of tomatoes and I'm allergic (can only handle in small doses). So, I opted out of the canned tomatoes. Instead, I used a 12 ounce can of tomato sauce & filled it with water and added a can of water. I think this was a great substitute for our family!

A note about this meal for leftovers: It is a little dry and appears to have less flavor. You might need to add some olive oil and salt and pepper.

Although this was good, I think I prefer the Pepperoni Penne Carbonara. It has a lot more flavor! Enjoy!

I will make this again. It is inexpensive, fast, easy, and we liked it. However, I will be making a half recipe unless I'm feeding an army! Enjoy!

Garlic Brussels Sprouts

Credit: Taste of Home Simple & Delicious
Recipe: http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/DUP-Garlic-Brussels-Sprouts

Cochran Review: Yummmmmmy!!! We really enjoyed these! Loaded with garlic, but not overbearing at all! I'm a fan of smaller brussels sprouts. My grocer only had large in the produce section. So, I bought 2 one pound bags of the petites in the freezer section. The first step in the recipe is to trim the sprouts and cut an "x" in them. This was a lot of work since I chose the petites... a lot more of them. Luckily, my husband stepped in and helped. Mom suggested this may have been recommended in the case of having large sprouts to be sure they cooked all the way through. So, next time I will try the petites without cutting and see how it goes. Overall, easy and tasty! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken & Cheddar Quesadillas

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens
Recipe: http://www.bhg.com/recipe/chicken/barbecue-chicken-and-cheddar-quesadillas/

Cochran Review: These were great! We really enjoyed them. I was concerned they would be messy and too much BBQ, but it wasn't at all. The slow cooker instructions for the chicken seemed a bit cumbersome. So, I switched it up to make it a little easier, and we were not disappointed. Here is how I made the chicken:
Put 4-5 Boneless, skinless chicken breasts in your slow cooker. Mine were frozen and that didn't seem to matter. (Thawing step saved!) Gently sprinkle the chicken with Thyme from your spice rack. A tablespoon of Parsley. I bought a tube of fresh parsley in the produce section. Tastes fresh and great and saves on cutting time. Throw in 2 bay leaves. Press 3 garlic cloves and throw it in. 1/2 tsp of whole black peppercorns. Don't have whole peppercorns? No problem. I'd just put 3/4 tsp of black pepper in. Pour 16 ounces of chicken broth over everything. Put the lid on it and let it cook 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. When you take the chicken out to cool, leave the bay leaves and whole peppercorns behind. I like to separate/shred the chicken with my hands. It is faster for me than using a fork and I can feel any fatty or tough areas of the chicken so I can throw it out before serving.

4-5 chicken breasts was about double the meat needed for this recipe, but I'm planning to make chicken pizza tomorrow for the games and thought I would just do this all at once. I like to cook two meals at once when possible! So you can cut back if you want to.
We ended up using two cups of shredded cheese rather than one cup, and the quesadillas were not overly cheesy. So, I suggest having extra ready just in case.
We used green salsa and substituted Wholly Guacamole for sour cream. These are just personal choices. Overall, eliminating the cheese cloth step during slow cooking and assembling the quesadillas was very easy and the the meal was very tasty. The chicken really has a lot of flavor and came out very juicy. We hope you enjoy!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cresents

Our Treat for the Week!

Credit: For the Love of Cooking
Recipe: http://d1307624.t196.myhsphere.cc/2009/10/chocolate-and-peanut-butter-filled-crescent-rolls.html

Cochran Review: Wow! These little guys are AH-mazing!!! Cheap, easy, and melt in your mouth good! Yum! Yum! Yum! I thought spreading the peanut butter on raw dough might be tough (splitting, stretching, etc), but I had no issues. I used natural peanut butter and Ghiradelli dark chocolate chips. My mouth is watering for them as I type this! We will have these again, and again, and again! Ha ha! Enjoy!

Slow Cooker BLT (Bacon, Leek, Tomato) Brisket

Credit: Rachael Ray Show
Recipe: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4438

12.19.12 Update: RR changed their site. New link attached above, but doesn't include the crouton recipe. Here is her garlic crouton recipe I found that we can just add parmesan to: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4895

Cochran Review: OH EM GEE!!!! This dish... AH-mazing!!!! That says a lot coming from me, because I will choose turkey or chicken over red meat 95% of the time. Definitely don't skip making the easy salad and croutons! It was so easy and adds so much! Mom mentioned she loved the different textures: soft falling apart brisket, crisp salad, and crunchy croutons! Mom & Dad loved the stewed cherry tomatoes. My husband & I enjoyed the flavor the tomatoes gave, but didn't eat them. Donnie has an issue with tomato texture and I'm allergic (can only handle small doses). I can really understand why Rachael recommends caramelizing the meat before slow cooking it! It really added flavor!

Our salad was actually made with Boston Lettuce instead of Watercress or Arugula. My husband doesn't care for Arugula. So, I was going to use Watercress. However, Watercress doesn't hold up well and isn't widely sold in our area. So, the groceries only order upon request. If you want Watercress, make sure you check with your grocery or produce stand a few days in advance. That being said, Boston Lettuce was recommended by my grocery produce manager and we enjoyed it very much!

Also, the recipe calls for 2 Tbsps of honey. Our pediatrician recommends not giving our son honey until after he is 2. So, I substituted 2 Tbsps of honey with 1&1/2 Tbsps of maple syrup and 1 Tbsp of white sugar. See my article about Food Substitutions for more detail. I think our son thought it was worth it, because he gobbled this meal up!

This recipe has a few steps. So, I did some of them the night before. I cut the leeks, and put the veggies in a zip lock so I could just dump them into the slow cooker in the morning. Also, I cooked the bacon and caramelized the brisket the night before and put it in a zip lock. I made the croutons before serving, but I certainly think this step could be done the night before, too.

Hope you give this a try and enjoy! We will be making this again!