New Pictures for Everyone to See

We had some pictures taken back in October and so here they are. Enjoy!!!

Marine Corps Ball 2010

Sunday night, Robbie and I went to his Marine Corps Ball again.  Below are a few of the pictures from that night!! Enjoy!!!

Day Two, Three, and etc.

I know...I have slacked.  We have been slammed with gymnastics, cheerleading, Marine Corps Ball, and you name it.  However, we still have been eating.  Here are the recipes that we have been trying ...

Tex Mex Pot Roast
serves 8


The Ingredients.
2 pounds boneless beef chuck roast
1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder
1 (15-ounce) can chili beans, undrained
1 (11-ounce) can corn with peppers, undrained
1 (10-ounce) can Rotel (tomatoes and chiles), undrained

The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. This is a super simple dump and go recipe--my favorite kind! The meat was frozen solid when I put it into the cooker. The rule of thumb is that if your main ingredient is frozen, the other items should be room temperature or warmed slightly. This is according to Crock-Pot's website. If you have a different manufacturer, follow instructions and use your best judgment. :-) After your meat is in, add the chipotle chile powder and all the canned ingredients. Cover and cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or on high for 4 to 6. I like to cook it long enough that the meat falls apart--but you may take it out whenever it reaches your preferred desired tenderness. I served this with a baked potato

The Verdict
Robbie LOVED it and so did his marines.  I thought it was okay.  Gabbie ate it.  Lulu did not.  We'll try it again!!


Big Easy Meatloaf

serves 4-6

The Ingredients

1 pound lean ground turkey or beef
1 small onion, chopped
2 fully cooked andouille sausage links (6-ounces, total) I used hot links sausage
1 teaspoon garlic powder 
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt I used 1/4 teaspoon idodized salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten

The Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. I put a metal loaf pan into the slow cooker and baked the meatloaf in it (no need to add water, just put the loaf pan into the crock), but if you'd prefer to not use a loaf pan, you can just make a blob with the meat and put it directly into the crock. Anyhow, take the casing off of the sausage, and chop it into pieces. Toss it in a mixing bowl with the ground meat, all the spices and the beaten egg. Mix well; I always use my hands. Shove the meat mixture into a 9 x 5 x 3 baking pan and put this pan into an oval crockpot (or plop the meat blob into the crock all alone). Cover, and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3 to 5 hours. You'll know the loaf is done when it's brown on the top and it starts to pull away from the sides. If you're not using the loaf pan, the meat will cook faster---check after 4 hours on low, 2 to 3 on high.
When thoroughly cooked, turn off and unplug the cooker and let the meat sit for about 15 minutes before removing from the pot.

The Verdict
Robbie says it tasted good but needed something like mashed potatoes with it.  I couldn't deal with the smell...maybe it was the preganancy or what but I couldn't stomach it.  So I didn't try it.
 
 
Pesto Chicken & Sweet Potatoes

serves 4.

The Ingredients.
for the pesto:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
4 garlic cloves
2 cups fresh basil
2 tablespoons pinenuts, or walnuts, or sunflower seeds
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt

4 chicken thighs, or breast halves
sliced mozzarella cheese
aluminum foil or parchment paper
4 small sweet potatoes, washed well, skin on

*I used a premade pesto sauce instead of above. I also used Japanese Sweet Potatoes instead of the normal sweet potatoes because we didn't have any here.
The Directions.
I used a 6 quart slow cooker. In a food processor or blender, combine the ingredients for your pesto. When liquidy, taste. If you need to add more citrus or salt or pepper, do so now. In the bottom of a large slow cooker, arrange your chicken pieces. Mine were still frozen. Layer on slices of mozzarella cheese. Pour pesto evenly on top. Cover with a layer of foil or parchment paper. Scrub sweet potatoes well, prick with a fork, and lay them on top of the paper or foil. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours, or on high for 4-5. If your chicken is frozen it will take a bit longer. If you're using fresh chicken, and your sweet potatoes are quite large, you may choose to swap layers, and put the sweet potatoes on the bottom. Newer slow cookers cook from the sides as well as from the bottom, but some people swear the stuff on the bottom cooks faster. Carefully remove the sweet potatoes with tongs, and remove foil or parchment. The steam that comes out will be quite hot, keep small children away.

The Verdict
It was SOOOO yummy!!! Definitely will be made again!!!  Everyone loved it!!!  I added some brocoli on the side and there were NO leftovers!! :)

**All of the recipes come from http://www.crockpot365.blogspot.com/

New Adventure - Day One

So I don't know if it's the baby making me nest, or the thought that now I am going to have 3 kids, or the fact that I know that soon we will be off to our next duty station and more than likely I am going to be working full time (in addition to being a housewife) that has made me into an organizational freak!!  I LOVE to cook but I hate deciding what we are going to have.  When we first got married, I would plan our meals out for the week and then take it from there. That lasted until Lulu came and then I was pretty much at home so I would make whatever I felt like.  Well, it's gotten old so I have completely gotten organized and decided to try something new. The month of November is completely planned for dinners and we are trying the crockpot.  I found a blog with a lady who took an entire and cooked in NOTHING but her crockpot.  Now I am not that daring - we have a few days, including Thanksgiving, where I am cooking other things but for the most part - I'm cooking in the crockpot.  So here it goes, I'll share what we had, whether we liked it and then at least I can look back and have an idea that it's something to do again.

Chicken Enchilada Chili
The Ingredients.

serves 6

1 1/2 pounds chicken (boneless & skinless, OR fish out the bones and skin after about 4 hours)
1 1/2 cups prepared enchilada sauce
2 chopped celery stalks
2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes with seasoning (your choice: I had basil, garlic and olive oil on hand)
2 (15 oz) cans pinto or kidney beans, undrained (or 1 cup dried pinto beans, soaked overnight)
1 onion, diced (or 1 tablespoon dried, minced onion flakes)
1-2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon cumin


The Directions
Pour enchilada sauce and canned tomatoes into the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker. Add beans, celery, onion and spices. Stir to combine. Place chicken on top. Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours, or until flavors have combined. If you are using dried beans, you may need to cook longer to fully soften the beans.  I shredded the chicken and then served with shredded cheddar cheese and a dollop of sour cream, if desired. We also had tortilla chips on the side (which Robbie crumbled into his chili)

The Results
We loved it!!  Well, Robbie, Gabbie and I enjoyed it.  Lulu didn't love it - she ended up with a grilled cheese but everyone else did.  We all agreed it was perfect for a cold night.  So try it and ENJOY!!!

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween Everyone!!!