Crock Pot Rotisserie-Style Chicken

Here is another awesome recipe to add to the rotation.  I found this recipe here. My husband loved this recipe, which is a huge plus.  And it was SO easy.  Seriously prep time less than 10 minutes. 

Crock Pot Rotisserie-Style Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 (3.5-4.5lb) chicken
• 2 stalks celery, cut into 2″ pieces
• 1 onion, cut into 1-2″ pieces
• 2½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp garlic powder

Instructions

1. Place onion and celery on the bottom of your slow cooker. Remove and discard any giblets or neck from your chicken. In a small bowl, combine salt, paprika, pepper, thyme, and garlic powder. Rub spice mixture over chicken. Place chicken on top of the onion and celery.
2. Cover and cook chicken on high 5-6 hours or until very tender.

Notes

*You can prepare the chicken the night before and store it in the refrigerator. Then, all you need to do is turn on the slow-cooker the next day.

Honey Lime Chicken

It's only been like a year and a half since I've updated this blog.  But, we recently moved to a different state, so when doing this I quit my job and am now a stay at home mom.  Because of this, I'm trying really hard to cook more dinners and finally get to some of the recipes I've pinned on pinterest.  This is a recipe that I found through pinterest.  The name intrigued me, so I made it with a few changes.  The recipe came from here. (I marked my changes in RED).

Honey Lime Tilapia (Chicken)

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the fish (chicken) and marinade:

• 4 (4-5oz) tilapia fillets (thawed if frozen) (chicken obviously)
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1½ Tbsp honey
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ¼ tsp garlic powder

For dredging and cooking: (I didn't dredge, we grilled on the bbq)

• ½c flour (I tried both white flour and whole wheat pastry flour with good results)
• ¼ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp pepper
• 1-2 Tbsp olive oil

Instructions

1. Assemble marinade by combining lime zest, lime juice, olive oil, honey, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a gallon-sized zip-top bag or shallow container with a lid. Add fish (chicken) and marinate in the refrigerator anywhere from 1 hour up to 24 hours*.
2. When ready to cook, combine flour with salt and pepper on a plate. Remove each fish fillet from the marinade and dredge lightly with the flour on both sides (just a light, light coating).
3. Heat 1-2 Tbsp olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Cook fillets 2 at a time for 3-4 minutes per side or until opaque and browned (this works best if you don’t disturb the fish much while letting it cook).
4. Serve with lime wedges or peach salsa.

Notes

*If you want to plan this meal in advance, you can prepare the fish and marinade in a large freezer bag and keep it in the freezer. Move frozen fish and marinade to the refrigerator the morning you plan to serve the fish and allow it to thaw in the refrigerator. It will marinate while it thaws! 

No-Cook Grape Freezer Jam and Jelly

I think it is time for an update, don't you?

I have been up to my elbows in fresh, seedless concord grapes from our backyard vine.  If you have never had one - you have never tasted a real grape.  The flavor is incredible, and here in Utah, they grow really well!

I love grape jam and jelly - but have never had much luck with canning it.  And when you can it, it gives it more of a "cooked" taste, then fresh - so I almost always make freezer jam (out of any fruit).

And this recipe calls for much less sugar than most pectins - so you can taste the tartness of the yummy fruit.

This year I have made about 6 batches.  I have tried out all kinds of pectin brands and styles.  I scoured the internet and couldn't find much about making grape freezer jam/jelly, so I thought I would write this post to help someone else out!

I took NO pictures.  Sorry.  When you are up to your purple stained elbows in grapes, it is best not to grab your fancy camera!

My steps:

1.  Pick grapes, take the stems off, and wash them.
2.  Put them in a large pot - add a bit of water - one cup is plenty.
3.  Cook them for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  This will make them burst and release the juice and awesome grape flavor/color.
4.  Run them through a juicer or grinder.  One that gets rid of skins/seeds - but it is okay to have bits of the pulp (or not, your call).  If you don't have one, you can hand juice them or run them through a cheesecloth, but it will take a lot longer.  Mine looks like this:

5.  Take the juice and follow the directions on the package of this type of mix (it comes in a pouch, not a box):

I have tried the Mrs. Wages and Ball brand, both work well.

This calls for 4 cups fruit, 1.5 cups sugar or Splenda, and the pectin.  The directions do not list grapes or grape juice, but it still works!  Just use 4 cups of your grape juice instead of the listed crushed fruit.  
Grape juice is really concentrated - so if you find you don't have quite 4 cups - you can add some water to make it 4 cups.  I wouldn't add more than 1/2 cup of water and in my trials, if I am a little short on the fruit amount, it hasn't goofed with the consistency.

The instructions say to mix the sugar and pectin, then add the fruit and stir for 3 minutes.  Then pour into jars (plastic or glass) and sit on the counter for 30 minutes before you put them in the freezer.  It sets up really well, and if yours is a bit too runny, just keep it in the freezer and when you want to put it on toast, just take out a scoop.

It is the fastest way to make homemade jam and it is great!  I have tried many other kinds of fruit with it and never had a bad batch.

Enjoy!

Oreo Cookie Cupcakes & Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes

On Wednesday, my daughter turned 2 years old. I thought it would be fun to do cupcakes for her birthday instead of a cake. I had tasted some cupcakes with oreo's hidden inside so I decided to make those. I found a recipe in my "101 Gourmet Cupcakes in 10 Minutes" cookbook. These cupcakes were a HUGE hit with everyone that tried one. And they were SOOOOO easy. Here are the recipes:

Oreo Cookie Cupcake
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 c milk
24 Oreo cookies

Mix cake mix, eggs, and milk. Pour batter into paper liners and fill 1/2 full. Place a whole Oreo cookie on top and push down slightly to submerge. Cover with remaining batter and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
8 T (1 stick) butter, room temperature
1/3 c cocoa
3 3/4 c powdered sugar
3-4 T milk or cream
2 t vanilla extract

Beat butter in a large mixing bowl until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer before adding cocoa to avoid a large mess. Add cocoa, sugar, 3 T milk or cream, and vanilla extract. Beat frosting starting on slow speed and add up to 1 more T milk if frosting is too thick.

I also made some Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1 box chocolate cake mix
3 eggs
1 c milk
1 bag chocolate peant butter cups

Mix together cake mix, eggs, and milk. Pour 2 T batter into paper liners and place a peanut butter cup on top. Fill paper liners 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minute or until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 c peanut butter
1/2 c butter, room temperature
2 c powdered sugar
3-4 T milk or cream
1 t vanilla extract

Combine PB and butter in large bowl, mixing together until light and fluffy. Stop mixer before adding sugar. Add sugar, 3 T milk or cream, and vanilla. Start slow and mix together gradually increasing the speed. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add 1 T milk or cream if frosting is too thick.

Taco Bake

I got this recipe from my friend at work. It was super easy and really good. A good fast meal, that leaves tons of leftovers. The husband mentioned that it would be a really good meal to make if you need to take someone dinner that just had a baby, surgery, etc.

1 lb hamburger
1/2 c onion
1 envelope dry taco seasoning (I have a big container from Costco, so I did 1 T)
15 oz. tomato sauce (I only had 2 mall 8 oz. cans, so I actually did 16 oz.)
15 1/4 oz. can whole corn, drained
2 c. shredded cheese (I didn't even notice this in the meal, so you could cut it out to lose some calories)
2 c Bisquick
1 c milk
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350. Brown hamburger and chopped onion; drain. Spoon into ungreased 9x13 pan. Stir in taco seasoning, tomato sauce, and drained corn. Sprinkle with cheese. Stir Bisquick, milk, and eggs til blended. Pour over beef mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until light golden brown. You can serve with sour cream, chopped tomatoes, and shredded lettuce. (We just ate it alone, and it was awesome!)

Uh. Maze. Zing.

One of my all time favorite cooking blogs, bakerella.com had these brownies. Or are they cookies. Or maybe blondies. She called them Congo Bars.

Either way, they were delicious!

Here is her recipe:

Congo Bars

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened (room temp NOT melted!)
1 lb. light brown sugar (Oh my and thank you!)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package milk chocolate chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

By mixer:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Combine butter and sugar using a mixer until blended.
Add eggs, one at a time to sugar mixture, mixing on low in between each addition.
Add vanilla and mix.
Add flour and mix until combined.
Stir in chips and then pecans.

By hand:

Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. Set aside.
Stir brown sugar into softened (not melted) butter in another large bowl until butter disappears. You can use the back of your spoon to help incorporate the two together.
Add eggs one at a time to butter mixture and stir well after each egg.
Add vanilla, chocolate chips and nuts. Mix well.
Add dry flour mixture and stir until well combined.

Coat a 13 X 9 pan with non-stick spray and spread batter evenly into dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is golden brown. Make sure you don’t over bake.

She recommended to make them by hand - so make them by hand I did. It was tough to mix brown sugar and butter with a spoon - so I dove right in, hands first. A bit messy, but quick.

I cooked mine for about 35 minutes.

Then I ate them for the rest of the night.

Uh. Maze. Zing.

Cheddar and Herb Biscuits

I made these the other day with some soup. They were super yummy. Reminded me of the ones from Red Lobster.

2 c all-purpose flour
1 T baking powder
1/4 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
2 T shortening
3 T butter, cold
1 c buttermilk
1 1/4 c grated sharp cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt. Cut in shortening and butter until coarse crumbs are formed. Lightly mix in grated cheese. Mix in buttermilk just until moist (dry spots here and there are ok - the biscuits will be tough if they are overmixed). Drop the biscuits onto a greased or lined baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, until browned and golden. While the biscuits are baking, in a small bowl combine three tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 t dried parsley flakes, 3/4 t garlic powder and a pinch of salt. Right when the biscuits come out of the oven, brush the butter/herb mixure over the biscuits evenly (alternately, you can dip the top of the biscuit into the butter mixture). Serve immediately.