Slow Cooker Shredded Beef Sandwiches

If you thought Monday's suggestion was easy, this one is even better!  I typically make Italian beef sandwiches once a month during the fall and winter months.  I grew up on it and still love it as much each time I make it.  When I do the Italian beef I take a 3lb roast, add a bottle of Italian dressing and a can of beer.  Let it cook all day on low in the slow cooker and shred when I get home.  I thought to start off this season I would try a different spin. This new method is especially friendly to a low carb diet.  I think in the end it's a tie between which one I like better - give 'em both a try!

Pepperoncini Shredded Beef Sandwiches

3lb Roast of your choice - whatever is cheapest!

1 16oz jar of pepperoncini peppers

Provolone Cheese (or whatever cheese you & yours enjoy)

French rolls

Put the beef in a slow cooker, add the jar of peppers undrained, turn on low, go about your day, come back 8 hours later and it's done!  Shred with 2 forks and put on the rolls with the provolone.  Add a few of the peppers if ya like - that's how Hubs does it!

Cheers!

Slow Cooker Caesar Chicken Sandwiches

A great easy dinner to start off the work week.  I put 2 lbs of chicken breasts in the crock pot this morning with a cup of chicken stock and let it cook away on low while I was at work.  When I came home, I added a bottle of Caesar dressing, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese and a bit of black pepper.  Served on buns with lettuce - yum!

Here's the credit for the recipe.  I'd love to say that I come up with recipes, but sadly I'm not that creative.  Not sure what I would do without the Internet!!

Slow Cooker Chicken Caesar Sandwiches

adapted from Betty Crocker


2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle of your favorite Caesar Dressing (I used Kraft)

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley (I skipped this, just not a fan of fresh parsley)

1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

2 cups shredded romaine lettuce

12 french hamburger buns or buns of your choice (about 2 1/2 inch)

1. Place chicken in a 3-4 quart slow cooker, cover and cook on low heat for 6-7 hours.

2. Remove chicken from cooker using a slotted spoon. Place on a cutting board and pull chicken into shreds.

3. Place chicken back in the cooker and pour dressing, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and pepper over the top. I only used about 3/4 of the bottle of dressing. Stir until mixed evenly. Cover and cook on high heat for 30-35 minutes or until mixture is hot.

4. Spoon 1/4 cup mixture onto lettuce in each bun and serve!


Cheers!

Chicken Noodle Soup

Clearly my photography could be improved!  Regardless of the picture, this soup is a must try for the fall and winter.  This was my first attempt at homemade chicken noodle soup, all the way down to the stock.  I have to say everyone enjoyed it!  Give it a try and serve with a big loaf of french bread.  It made A LOT!  We had it for dinner, lunch and there is a big container leftover in the freezer.

4 bay leaves


3 chicken bouillon cubes

1 onion, peeled and diced

1 teaspoon Lemon Pepper Seasoning

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 2 1/2 to 3-pound fryer (chicken), cut up

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning

3 1/2 quart water

kosher salt and pepper to taste



For Step 2:

2 cups sliced carrots

2 cups sliced celery, with leafy green tops

2 1/2 cups uncooked egg noodles

3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

3/4 cup heavy cream (optional)

1/3 cup cooking sherry

1 cup sliced mushrooms

Fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

Seasoned Salt to taste

freshly ground black pepper to taste

crusty french bread, for serving



Directions

For the stock: add all ingredients to a soup pot. Cook until chicken is tender, about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot and set aside to cool. Remove and discard bay leaves and onion. You should have approximately 3 quarts of stock. When chicken is cool enough to touch, pick bones clean, discarding bones, skin, and cartilage. Set chicken aside.

For the soup: bring stock back to a boil, add carrots, and cook for 3 minutes. Add celery and continue to cook for 5 to 10 minutes. Add egg noodles and cook according to directions on package. When noodles are done, add chicken, mushrooms, parsley, sherry and rosemary. Add Parmesan and cream, if using. Cook for another 2 minutes. Adjust seasoning, if needed, by adding seasoning salt and pepper. Enjoy along with a nice hot crusty loaf of French bread.

Recipe courtesy of www.pauladeen.com


Cheers!

Shop 'til I Drop

www.annetaintor.com

Ha - this is the old me!  When I was in college and immediately after I shopped A LOT.  I would rather shop and buy great clothes & shoes as opposed to groceries.  Today the majority of our money is spent at Kroger.  I still, however, love to shop.  I love the mall, I love outlet malls, and I especially love online shopping.  My priorities though are different.   I now would much rather buy clothes and shoes for our 2 precious little girls.  There is nothing better than buying great clothes and swimsuits you don't have to try on yourself!

I've always been one that wants an item that is out of the ordinary.  I remember in high school I had my mom take me to a consignment store in Owensboro, KY to buy my prom dress.  I was terrified that I would walk into prom with the same dress as someone else.  I like the challenge of finding something unique, I like those pieces that are one of a kind, and I never want to match someone else in the room!

Since becoming a mom, there are days I feel like I've lost my fashion spunk.  I look down and I've worn the same pair of black pants 3 times in the same week.  I have shoes that I'm coloring in with sharpie marker while sitting at my desk (ala Pretty Woman style).  My closet and dresser have gotten "tired". 

So this weekend we were at the Penrod Art Fair and I came across a necklace that shouted my name.  I knew I had to have it, I knew that I would find just the right outfit for it, but I also knew that my priorities now are a bit different.  So I walked away, I said to Hubs "I'll keep looking."  As we were getting to leave I walked back by the area and said: "I don't think I'm going to get it, how often would I actually wear it?" As I was wallowing in my own lack of decision making, I didn't even notice that Hubs had wandered off.  He went and bought that great necklace, knowing I need my spunk back.

Thanks Hubs for helping me with my spunk! 

Cheers!

Football Recipes

I've been MIA - it's been a very long week!  We had a great Labor Day weekend followed by a week of the sickies, and honestly I'm still not 100%.  The stomach flu ravaged our house, my parent's house and my brother's house.  I've done more laundry than I can count and am still trying to get this place back to normal.

Before the sickness hit, we had our fantasy football draft.  I thought I would share with you a few recipes I tested out for the occassion.

Crescent Cocktail Dogs

These aren't original, but they are a staple on draft day around here.  I simply used a tube of crescent rolls and a package of cocktail dogs.  This year I discovered that Pillsbury now makes crescent rolls in a full sheet as opposed to the cut up triangles - this makes this recipe even easier!






Chocolate Chip Dip

1 package (8 ounces) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese (softened or cubed), softened


1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup (6 ounces) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

                                          Graham cracker sticks (I used Scooby Doo)
In a small bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugars and vanilla; beat until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips. Serve with graham cracker sticks.

Loaded Baked Potato Dip

1 (2.1-oz.) package fully cooked bacon slices
1 (16-oz.) container sour cream
2 cups (8 oz.) freshly shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1/3 cup sliced fresh chives
2 teaspoons hot sauce

Garnishes: cooked, crumbled bacon; sliced fresh chives; freshly cracked pepper


Microwave bacon according to package directions until crisp; drain on paper towels. Cool 10 minutes; crumble. Stir together bacon and next 4 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving. Garnish, if desired. Serve with crispy, warm waffle fries.

I'm going to try and make this an early night to hopefully start the next week refreshed.

Cheers!

Southwest Corn Salsa

It's Labor Day weekend!  How it is September 2 already I will never know.  Thought I would share a favorite recipe of mine for get-togethers.  Happy Labor Day weekend!

Southwest Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

4 cans Corn (15 Oz.), Drained


1 can Chopped Chilies (4 Oz), Drained

1 can Chopped Jalapenos (4 Oz), Drained

1 can Black Beans (15 Oz. Can), Drained And Rinsed

1 whole Red Bell Pepper, chopped

1 bunch Scallions, Chopped

1 cup Sour Cream

1 bag Finely Grated Mexican Cheese (8 Oz)

½ bunches of cilantro (I typically omit this)
 
Drain corn, chilies and jalapenos. Put in a large bowl with the beans and tilt the bowl on its side while you chop the other veggies. Add the rest of the veggies and drain – there will be liquid accumulated in the bowl. Stir in the sour cream and grated cheese. Add the cilantro last.


You must eat this dip with Fritos Scoops or lime Tostitos.

Courtesy of:

http://tastykitchen.com/recipes/appetizers-and-snacks/southwest-corn-dip/


Cheers!





 
 

Random Disney Thoughts

We're back!  Got home last night after 11:00pm and headed back to work and daycare today.  Needless to say I do not exactly feel "rested".  We had a terrific time - KK giggled from the time we got on the plane Friday morning until we landed last night.  She hardly napped and rarely slept past 7:00 am.  She had the time of her life, although if you asked her today about her favorite part of the trip she would most likely say "pizza".  To me the reason people go to Disney is to see the look on their kiddos faces at each turn - it is something that I cannot describe.  For me, however, I've had enough Disney for a few years.  My ideal vacation involves hot sunshine, oceans, sand, sparkling pools and frosty beverages.  It is not walking over 5 miles a day in 110 degree heat trying to find Belle or the Beast.  Over the course of the few days where we visited Disney Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom I came away with a few observations, tips, random thoughts, and stuff not blog appropriate!  I tried to hire this note taker so I wouldn't forget anything, but as you can imagine she became easily distracted.

1. Florida at the end of August is HOT!
2. The end of August, however, is a great time to go to Disney.  We rarely waited more than 10 minutes to ride a ride, see a show, or have a picture taken with a famous character.

3. They serve beer at Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios - not at Magic Kingdom.
4. They serve turkey legs at each park and I laughed each time I saw someone eating one - why because I'm not the most mature person around.
5. Disney is one of the most organized and cleanest places I have ever been.
6. We took our own cooler in each day with snacks, waters, diet cokes & capri suns and it was nothing short of brilliant.  We saved a fortune and had drinks readily available at all times.
7. There are many articles of clothing that should not be made in the size I saw them in.  I did not understand some of the outfits I saw - clearly many hotel rooms do not have mirrors.
8. We got stuck on "It's a Small World" due to a technical difficulty - thankfully it was only for about 5 minutes - but it seemed like 45.
9. KK sang "London Bridges" every single time we crossed a bridge.
10. We enjoyed every show and parade that we saw - to me the best part of each park.
11. It is true that you have to make reservations for meals with characters up to 180 days in advance.  If you call Disney to ask them if you can be the exception 3 days before you leave, they will laugh at you. 
12. We really enjoyed Downtown Disney - great shops, live music & cool restaurants.
13. Rainforest Cafe serves a margarita with a corona served upside down in it - it was amazing!!

14. Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios were sufficient at a 1/2 day.
15. We spent over 12 hours at Magic Kingdom.
16. We rode the carousel 4 times, it was the highlight for KK.

17. We stayed at the Omni at ChampionsGate which was a fantastic hotel (this is where Hubs conference was located), but if we were to do it just as a Disney trip I would stay at one of the Disney properties.  View from our room:

And this is how we felt about being back today:

Cheers!