Seasoned Tilapia and Coleslaw

Hello Readers!

You have made it to the middle of the week and only two more days to go of the work week. Tonight was definitely a fish night. My husband and I usually eat fish 2x a week or more and tonight we decided tilapia was a good choice. The fish was so buttery and flaky after it came out of the oven! You can also easily turn this recipe into fish tacos if you want to add a little extra carbs. Enjoy!

Seasoned Tilapia

2-4 fillets of tilapia (1 per person)
Olive oil
Lemon pepper seasoning
Fish seasoning

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Layer a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay out the fish in a row. Drizzle olive oil and seasonings on top of the fish to your liking. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flaky.



Coleslaw

I absolutely love making coleslaw my own recipe. I have been trying various recipes in conjunction with my own ideas to make something that is less on the mayo side and more vinegar based. This is probably the closest I have come to what I have been trying to get to for a while now. Enjoy!

1 head of red cabbage
1 bag of julienned carrots
1-2 stalks of celery, chopped thinly
1 cup mayo
1/4 cup dijon mustard
4 tablespoons of white vinegar
2 1/2 tablespoons of sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Julienne all veggies and combine in a bowl. In a separate smaller bowl, combine mayo, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Feel free to add more mayo or less vinegar depending on your taste preference. Whisk to combine. Once combine, add to veggie mixture and toss. On top of the coleslaw mixture, sprinkle about a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to add a little extra crunch. The extra sugar gives the most unique taste to the mixture that I love.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Hello Readers!

Happy Monday! This is the night of the week when my husband is at school for a couple of hours so I get to be more creative in the kitchen when it comes to time. Tonight, I wanted to try a recipe that I found on www.pioneerwoman.blogspot.com. She has amazing and hearty recipes that I could spend hours reading about and testing if I could. I am usually not a creme sauce person, but this pasta has amazing flavor and you can really 'make it your own' when it comes to the veggies and meat. Enjoy!

This recipe is courtesy of www.pioneerwoman.blogspot.com and can be found at http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2011/09/cajun-chicken-pasta/.

The coolest thing about this website is that she puts so many pictures with her cooking and makes it very 'fool proof'.

Chicken in the Skillet with Cajun Seasoning:



Veggies in the Skillet:



Veggies and Chicken in the Sauce:



All the 'goodness' combined in a bowl!



Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Portuguese-Style Fish Stew (Tuesday and Wednesday's meals)

Hello Readers!

I am really behind on blogging from last week, but I actually only have two nights to blog about since we have had a crazy busy week. We started back Bible Study on Thursday nights, which is a night that we generally do not cook something and this weekend has been full of running errands we have needed to do for a while and just relaxing. I am blogging about Tuesday night's meal, which was Italian Sausage Rigatoni and Wednesday night's meal, which consisted of Fish Stew. Both are amazing fall recipes and make plenty of leftovers. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage Rigatoni

1 package of mild italian sausage
Fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 jar of spaghetti sauce (I use a roasted red pepper)
1 box of rigatoni pasta
1 red or green pepper, chopped

Instructions:

Cook the sausage in a non-stick skillet until fully cooked through. Drain any extra grease from the skillet and put the sausage back in the skillet along with the pepper. In the meantime, cook the rigatoni in a separate pot until al dente; drain. Add the spaghetti sauce to the sausage and pepper mixture. Once the sauce is hot, add the pasta at the last minute with just enough time to combine. Sprinkle fresh parsley on the top of the mixture and serve.



*Normally, I serve this dish with a hunk of french bread or pumpernickel bread. It just goes so well together.


Fish Stew:

This dish has become one of our favorite meals. Peter and I love fish, but sometimes you just don't have time to grill or bake and want to make everything in one pot. This is the meal for you if you want something healthy, simple, and hearty.

1 large fillet of cod, cut in 6 chunks
1 small white onion, chopped
1 red or green pepper, chopped
1 14.5 oz jar of diced tomatoes with the juice (I was out of diced tomatoes and had to use stewed tomatoes, but they work just as well and actually add a little chunkiness to the soup)
2 bay leaves
Olive Oil
2 teaspoons of paprika
Cilantro
Salt and pepper
Pumpernickel bread to use as croutons

Instructions:

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and 2 tablespoons of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.

Add 1 cup water and reduce the heat to medium low. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then nestle the pieces among the vegetables in the pan. Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes.

Divide the stew among bowls. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro. Serve with the bread.

Veggies in the Dutch Oven:


Seasoned Cod:


Cod Nestled in the Mix:


Hot and Ready!
*For the croutons, I just cut pumpernickel bread in chunks, drizzled with olive oil and placed them in a 350 degree oven for about 5-10 minutes. Also, make sure that you get out your Tabasco sauce to drizzle over this stew; it gives it a wonderful kick!


*Portuguese-Style Fish Stew Recipe courtesy of www.foodnetwork.com
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/portuguese-style-fish-stew-recipe/index.html

Roasted Shrimp with Feta and Toasted Pumpernickel Bread

Hello Readers!

I cannot believe that it is already Monday! The weekend flew by so fast and I hope all of you had a great one. Every Monday night, my husband has a class that he goes to for school so I am usually on my own for making dinner. I usually whip up a salad or have a bowl of cereal, but tonight I was feeling like making an actual meal. One of my favorites, to be exact. This particular meal is one that is a 'regular' on our weekly menu and is simple and inexpensive to make. I hope all of you enjoy this one!

Roasted Shrimp with Feta:

4 Tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup water
1 (14.5 oz) can of diced tomatoes
1 (6 oz)can of tomato paste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 bag of frozen and peeled shrimp, thawed (I use salad size shrimp because it makes more and they are easier to eat)
Feta cheese, crumbled
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Fresh Italian Leaf or Regular Parsley
1 lemon (you will use the zest and the juice)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a oven-proof skillet over medium to low heat. Add water and bring to a boil. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until liquid is reduced by half. Add the tomatoes with the liquid, tomato paste, dried oregano, and salt and pepper to the skillet. Simmer over medium to low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10-15 minutes. After that, incorporate the shrimp in the dish and mix around enough so that the red sauce covers the shrimp. In a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, lemon zest, chopped parsley and the remainder of the olive oil. Sprinkle feta cheese crumbles over the top of the shrimp and then cover with the bread crumb mixture.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the shrimp are cooked and bread crumbs are golden brown. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon over the shrimp. Plate and enjoy!

*For the pumpernickel bread, cut into thick slices and drizzle with olive oil. Put in the oven with the shrimp when there is about 5 minutes remaining.

Red Sauce Mixture:



Shrimp Layer:



Feta Cheese and Bread Crumb Layer:



Fresh out of the oven and plated:

Saturday Afternoon Treat: Chili

Happy Weekend Readers!

Today was cold and overcast here in VA and I felt like a warm bowl of chili. I have made many varieties of chili in my lifetime, but I have to say the recipe that I made today is one the best. This particular chili recipe is courtesy of one of my mom's best friends and has a story to go along with it.

Last year, my mom and brother had the amazing opportunity to go out to Colorado to go skiing. My mom's good friend and her family met my mom and brother out there for the week. They rented a beautiful home and got to enjoy all of the grandeur of Colorado. After a day full of skiing, it was the perfect opportunity to make a big pot of chili to warm everyone up that evening. My mom's friend made the recipe below. This family is special to my family as they were one of the first families we met when we moved to North Carolina when I was a teenager. This family has a HUGE love for the Georgia Bulldogs and became one of the reasons why my family supports this amazing team! Go DAWGS! I hope all of you enjoy this recipe, but more importantly the great memories that go along with it.

Chili:

1 lb. ground beef or turkey (I did not have any ground beef or turkey in the house so I thinly sliced leftover turkey sausage that I had in the house)
2 onions, chopped (I use white)
1 cup celery, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chili powder (to taste)
1/2 tsp. basil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tbs. sugar
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 can of diced tomatoes with juice
1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
2 cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained

Instructions:

In a dutch oven or skillet, brown meat and drain. Add onion, celery, pepper, and saute for 10 minutes. Combine all into dutch oven or large pot. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours. Drain beans then add and cook to warm and soften beans. Enjoy!

Sauteing in a Non-Stick Skillet:



All Combined:



Ready to Eat:

Thursday Night Menu: Baked Salmon, Rice, and Lemon Pepper Asparagus. For Dessert: Pumpkin Cookies and Fuji Apple Cupcakes.

Hello Readers,

On Thursday night, my good friend came over to have dinner with my husband and I. We both had to make a dessert for a work function that next day so we decided to bake and decorate at our house. I made her favorite food, grilled salmon, and we had a blast decorating cupcakes and cookies on Thursday together!

Baked Salmon

3 fillets of salmon
Olive Oil
Lemon Pepper
Fish Seasoning of your choice
Panko Bread Crumbs

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Get out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Place the salmon on the baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on lemon pepper, fish seasoning of your choice, and top with panko bread crumbs. Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until the cooked through.

Lemon Pepper Asparagus

1 bunch of asparagus with ends chopped off
1 lemon
Pepper
Olive Oil

When you salmon is about 8 minutes from being done, get out another baking sheet and line with parchment paper. Place already cut asparagus on the parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil. Zest the entire lemon on the top of the asparagus and sprinkle cracked black pepper on the top. Bake for about 5-8 minutes or until asparagus is tender.



Pumpkin Cookies:

This recipe is my mother's and one that is an absolute 'must bake' for fall. These pumpkin cookies are soft and chewy when they come out of the oven and brings out all of the flavors and memories of fall.

1 cup shortening (or 2 sticks of unsalted butter, softened)
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned unseasoned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups of flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together shortening, sugar, and pumpkin. Add egg and mix well. Sift together flour, soda, cinnamon, and salt in a small bowl. Add slowly to the pumpkin mix until combined. Stir in raisins. Drop onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake about 10-15 minutes.

Frosting for the cookies:

*I ended up piping a cream cheese frosting that we had leftover from the cupcakes, but the below recipe is the original frosting that goes with these cookies.

3 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons milk
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
3/4 tsp. vanilla

In a sauce pan, cook butter, milk, and brown sugar until dissolved. Cool. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth. Spread on cookies.



Cupcakes that we frosted (I do not have the recipe for this, but can get it).



Both of these homemade desserts were a HUGE hit at our work picnic. We were one of the few that actually brought something homemade so naturally, they were completely gone within a short amount of time.

Wednesday Night Menu: Steak Fajitas and Rice

Hello Readers!

I am going to be catching up here since I am a couple of days behind on the blog! I apologize for not updating sooner. It definitely has turned into fall here in VA! On Wednesday night, my husband and I had a craving for some sort of steak dish so we decided upon steak fajitas with rice. Enjoy!

Steak Fajitas:

-I picked out a sirloin steak that ran about $7 and was plenty for my husband and I. I pan seared the steak in olive oil and seasoned with seasoning salt, pepper, and steak rub.
-Mexican Cheese
-1 lime
-1 can of black beans, cooked and drained
-Salsa
-Romaine lettuce, chopped
-Flour tortillas



Instructions:

Once the steak is cooked to your preference (we prefer medium rare), let steak sit for about 5 minutes in order for the juices to re-distribute within the meat. Slice at an angle and set aside. Plate your tortillas (warm in the microwave, if you desire) and layer with black beans, lettuce, steak, cheese, and salsa. Squeeze lime juice over the top. Wrap up and enjoy!



*I also cooked a pot of rice on the side, but definitely is not mandatory. These fajitas are incredibly versatile and you can easily make it your own.

Baked Pork Chops, Applesauce and Green Beans

Hello Readers!

After work, my husband and I went to the grocery store since I was pretty much completely out of food. We got home a little later than normal and decided to make something easy. When cooking, it is all about having fun in the kitchen and making meals that are simple.

Baked Pork Chops

1 package of thinly sliced pork chops
Olive Oil
Tuscan Seasoning *I actually found this amazing seasoning at TJ Maxx in their cooking aisle! I use it all the time on pork and chicken dishes.

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange pork chops in a glass baking pan. Put a small amount of water in the bottom of the pan so that the pork does not burn or stick. Drizzle olive oil on the pork chops and sprinkle on the seasoning. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until pork is cooked through.



Applesauce:

1 jar of original flavored applesauce

Instructions:

Place applesauce in a pot and cook on low-medium heat until hot. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon when plating or eat plain.



Green Beans:

1 bag of frozen or fresh green beans

Instructions:

Cook per instructions on the bag.

Chicken Sausage Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Spaghetti Sauce and Broccoli

Hello Readers!

Tonight I was trying to play with some of the leftover food that I had in the fridge instead of going to store to buy something new. My husband wanted a pasta dish so I decided to use some of the leftover chicken sausage that I used earlier this week, grabbed a pack of fettuccine that I had in my cupboard along with a jar of roasted red pepper spaghetti sauce. I had a bag of frozen broccoli that I brought up to a boil as well for a healthy side. Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage Fettuccine with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce:

3 links of chicken sausage, cut into slices
Olive oil
1 box of fettuccine
1 jar of roasted red pepper spaghetti sauce (I buy mine at Kroger for $1)
Fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, roughly-chopped

*I am going to put my own plug in here for fresh herbs. I used to use dried herbs because I did not think it made a big difference. Wow, was I wrong! I will not use anything else besides fresh herbs when I make a dish that calls for herbs. My go-to herbs that I keep in my fridge at all times are parsley (Italian flat-leaf and regular) and cilantro. It gives off an amazing aroma when you start to run your knife through it. The other thing about fresh herbs that I love is that they are SO cheap! When I go to Kroger I get a large hunk of cilantro for $0.65 and parsley from $0.65 to $0.90. How can you beat that? These are staple items to add to your weekly or bi-weekly grocery list.

Instructions:

In a non-stick skillet, drizzle olive oil into the bottom of the pan and put in the sliced sausage. Turn on high heat and cook until the sausage is browned. Drain in a strainer and put back in the skillet. Mix the entire jar of spaghetti sauce in the non-stick skillet with the sausage and cook on low heat until warm. In another pot, cook the fettuccine until al dente, drain and place in the non-stick skillet just long enough to toss with the sauce and sausage. Just before serving, sprinkle the chopped parsley on the top and serve.





Broccoli:

1 frozen bag of broccoli cooked per instructions on the bag.

Last Night's Menu: Baked Cod with Artichoke and Olive Caponata, Skillet Potatoes and Lemon Meringue Pie

Hello Readers!

I apologize for the delayed posting, but better late than never on this particular menu. I tend to sit in front of the TV on Saturday morning/afternoon and watch the Food Network. Generally, after at least one show there is a recipe that I have to make that night. Yesterday's all-time favorite was courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis. Please click the link below to www.foodnetwork.com to get the recipe for dinner.

Baked Cod with Artichoke and Olive Caponata:

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/halibut-with-artichoke-and-olive-caponata-recipe/index.html

*Please note: We used cod instead of halibut because halibut is not a cheap cut of fish. The cod was a perfect substitute!

Cod seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper before baking:



Artichoke and Olive Caponata:



Skillet Potatoes:

My husband loves potatoes, especially ones that can be put in a skillet with some olive oil and fried to perfection. We bought a bag of small purple and white potatoes, cut them into quarters and fried them in the skillet. They were absolutely wonderful! Great job to my hubby!



Lemon Meringue Pie:

This recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen. I have made this mouth-watering lemon meringue pie before from Paula Deen and it is a major hit every time. I used my new micro-torch to get the golden brown peaks on the meringue. It was so much fun to make!

Recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/lemon-meringue-pie-recipe/index.html

Middle Pie Filling:



The meringue before baking:



Meringue after baking:



The Whole Meal:





Enjoy Readers!

My Favorite Kitchen Tools

Hello Readers,

Many of you that know me personally, know how much I love kitchen gadgets. I love things that make cooking much easier and make the experience that much more fun. Cooking a meal every single night of the week is not an easy task so I like to locate kitchen gadgets that make the experience enjoyable and memorable. Here are some of my favorites.

1. Kitchen Aid Mixer: This mixer is absolutely amazing! If you do not have a stand mixer, put it on your Christmas or Birthday list. It is a must have. The best thing about the Kitchen Aid mixer is that you can buy separate parts to make pasta noodles, ravioli, ice cream and much more. I mainly use mine to make cookies, knead bread, or whip up a meringue (*watch for tonight's post to see what I will be doing with meringue!) This mixer is my lifesaver because it can just mix on its own without me touching it, which I think is meant for a multi-tasking like myself. One of my favorite styles of the Kitchen Aid mixer can be seen on http://thepioneerwoman.com, who is an amazing cook by the way, but I cannot get over the beautiful mustard yellow color and the bright flowers that cover the mixer. Way too cool!



2. Non-stick skillet: My mother bought me a non-stick skillet one year for Christmas and I have used it to death! This skillet is perfect for almost anything that I want to make on the stove and the best part is, it does not stick! It is a big skillet and holds a ton of food. I think I use this skillet at least 3x a week. Thanks, Mom!

3. My newly-purchased Food Micro-Torch. My husband and I went to Bed Bath & Beyond this weekend and purchased a torch that I can use to make that burnt topping on creme brulee, lemon meringue, etc. without having to use the broiler. I have always wanted one of these torches, but could not find the right size. This one is a hand held torch and is the perfect size to store in my kitchen.



4. Mortar and Pestle: I purchased a gray marble mortar and pestle from a small kitchen store near where we live and absolutely love having this around to crush large spices and bring out the amazing flavors of herbs. In addition, it is a great showpiece in your kitchen especially if you get a beautiful marble color.



5. Lemon Zester: Anyone of you that knows me well can vouch for the fact that I love lemons. I make a lot of recipes with either fresh lemon juice or lemon zest incorporated. I just cannot get enough lemons! In addition to lemons, I also use it for limes when I am making a more Mexican-flavored dish.

6. Keurig Coffeemaker: This coffeemaker is so amazing and simple to use. I love the simplicity of waking up on a Saturday morning and making a cup of perfectly brewed coffee. The aroma fills the house unlike anything else can and all at the push of a button. I have to say, we are blessed to be living in such a technologically-enhanced world because I do not know what I would do without half of this stuff in my house! Many of my co-workers know my addiction and love for coffee. I do not do it for the caffeine, but rather for the warm feeling and amazing smell it gives off when brewing.



7. My hot pink PureKomachi II knife: Yes, I said hot pink:) These knives come in amazing hot colors and are an incredible knife to work with. I use this for finely chopping herbs, dicing fresh veggies, cutting through a big slab of salmon and many more things. I use this knife every single day when I cook and it is probably about time for me to get another color:)



8. Williams-Sonoma Breadmaker: My husband and I received a beautiful Williams-Sonoma breadmaker for a wedding gift and I could not have been more excited. My mom makes the most amazing yeast rolls I have ever had in my life and I was thrilled that I would get the chance to make my own (even though mine are not half as good). This breadmaker is another time-saver because I can throw in the ingredients, push a button and within an hour or so I will have a freshly-baked loaf of bread. It does not get any better than that especially when you are a bread-lover like myself.

9. Crockpot: This was another wedding gift that my husband and I received several years ago and came with three different sizes of ceramic bowls that you can use depending on the size and type of the meal you are making. I use my crockpot a lot more in the winter months than during the summer because there is nothing like coming home to a warm meal on a breathtakingly cold day. If you do not own a crockpot, go get one ASAP! This will save your life especially if you work long hours and lead a busy lifestyle as my husband and I do.

10. Olive Oil dispenser: I recently found the coolest Rachael Ray olive oil dispenser at Kohl's. I had been looking for one that was a little out-of-the-ordinary and one that fit my personality and stands out in my kitchen.



I have a ton of other gadgets and fun utensils that I did not include on this list, but I thought I would start with my 'Top 10' for now. Enjoy!

Grilled Italian Sausage and Homemade Cabbage Slaw

Hello Readers!

It was a beautiful evening for grilling outside after all of this rain and dreary weather that we have had so I had to take the opportunity to grill something this week. My husband and I love sausage and usually have some sort of sausage meal once a week. I wanted to branch out today and grill the sausages instead of cooking them in a skillet. When we were at Sam's Club this past weekend, we picked up a pack of 15 sausages for about $12 that were an Italian Chicken Sausage with Red Peppers and Provolone Cheese. They had quite the variety of sausage flavors and I will buy these again for sure! Enjoy!

Italian Sausage

1 pack of Artisan Fresh All-Natural Italian Style Chicken Sausage with Provolone Cheese.

Grill to your preference.





Homemade Cabbage Slaw

*Let me preface this by saying I am in LOVE with coleslaw. I could eat this all day long. I have made several varieties of my own coleslaw and the recipe below is my own concoction.

1 head of red cabbage, chopped
1 bag of shredded carrots
1 large cluster of celery, thinly sliced (you can use a food processor, but I always slice mine by hand)
1/2 cup of white vinegar
2 tablespoons of honey
1/2 cup of Duke's mayonnaise
4 tablespoons of sugar

Instructions:

Chop cabbage and celery until all are thinly sliced. Combine in a bowl with the already shredded carrots. In a small bowl, whisk vinegar, honey, mayo and 2 tablespoons of the sugar (the rest will be used later) until smooth. Once combined, pour on top of the cabbage mixture and toss. Sprinkle the remaining sugar to your taste on top of the cabbage mixture and toss again.
*This extra sugar may sound interesting, however this gets rid of the sometimes bitter flavor of the cabbage and gives a little extra crunch.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken, Au Gratin Potatoes and Green Salad

Hello Readers!

I have to say that I feel like I have failed the 2nd day in to this cooking blog because my meal was not really 'inventive'. Nevertheless, it turned out to be just perfect for a semi-homemade meal.

Crockpot BBQ Chicken:

For those of you who have never used your crockpot before or do not use it often, you need to! I work long hours and it is very nice to have a meal that is already almost prepared when I walk in the door all thanks to my crockpot. I love the simplicity and ease of something cooking 'low and slow' as I believe meat should be cooked! Regardless, this recipe can be utilized many ways and you can be very creative with it.

4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (fresh or thawed, if frozen)
1 large bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce (I used KC Masterpiece Honey BBQ Sauce)
2 tablespoons of light brown sugar
1/4 cup of chicken broth

Instructions:

Turn your crockpot on high, combine all ingredients and stir. Keep your crockpot on high for 1 hour to allow the meat to start cooking before you turn it down to low (As a tip: I normally start this 1 hour before I need to leave the house in the morning while I am getting ready and then turn the crockpot to low when I am leaving for the day). Let cook in the crockpot 6-8 hours or until chicken is fully cooked. My sauce was a little runny when I came home so I added two heaping tablespoons of white flour to thicken it up and within 30 minutes, the sauce was nice and thick. When you are about 30 minutes from plating your meal, take the chunks of chicken out of the crockpot and shred like BBQ and place back in the crockpot for about 30 minutes. You can enjoy this BBQ chicken the way my husband likes it, on top of two slices of white bread or like me, who just eats it plain:) Enjoy this simple meal!

After shredding (I know this is not the best picture, but this was the best I could do taking a picture in a hot and steamy crockpot):



Au Gratin Potatoes:

1 box of Idaho Au Gratin Potatoes (yes, I was not very inventive here and actually used boxed potatoes tonight:) I promise that sometime soon I will make my Grandmother's sour cream potatoes that are out-of-this-world good to make up for these potatoes tonight.

Instructions:

Prepare per box directions

Green Salad:

1 head of romaine lettuce, chopped
Baby carrots, chopped
1 red onion, chopped
Kalamata olives, either whole or chopped
Croutons
Salt and Pepper
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

Instructions:

In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, carrots, onions, olives and croutons. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add dressing to your taste and toss.

Tonight's Complete Meal: