crockpot BBQ chicken/cookie 'N cream oreo fudge brownies

I never ever ever thought I would be able to make BBQ chicken. Certainly not yummy BBQ chicken sandwiches (one of my favorite foods!!) but…miracles DO happen and I did!! The original recipe wasn't shredded, but we were having friends over and rather than buy more chicken, I shredded it and made sandwiches. And I'm so glad I did too!

I don't have pictures of the chicken but at least you can get the gist of what I did. Did I mention this was super easy?! Changes, as always, are in red.

Ingredients

4-6 pieces boneless/skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle BBQ sauce (18oz) I probably used 17 oz, but I doubt it matters too much

¼ cup vinegar I didn't use quite as much vinegar

1 tsp. red pepper flakes I couldn't find flakes so I got crushed red pepper and used about a 1/2 teaspoon

¼ cup brown sugar

½-1 tsp garlic powder I love garlic, so a full tsp. went in

mix BBQ sauce with all ingredients (minus the chicken)

Place chicken (frozen or thawed, I put it in frozen) in the crock pot. Pour sauce over it. Cook on LOW 4-6 hours. Done :). I took mine out about 4 1/2 hours, shredded it, and put it back in for another half an hour. It turned out great!! Serve on a bun with some french fries on the side and you have an yummy family dinner that feeds plenty :).

I also tried another new recipe last week for Memorial Day....Cookies 'N Cream Oreo Fudge Brownies. Yep, that's what I said. Sadly, I didn't get any good pics of this one either but I will still give you the how-to and then you can make your own ooey-gooey yummy goodness.

Ingredients 

Brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli because it had CHOCOLATE CHIPS in it!)

Eggs and oil (as called for by Brownie mix)

1 heaping 1/2 cup (6oz) of Cookies and Cream ice cream

1/4 cup Hot Fudge topping

Oreos

Preheat oven (according to brownie box) and generously spray 8x8 pan with cooking spray.

 Combine brownie mix, eggs, and oil as directed by box but DO NOT add water.

Add ice cream and hot fudge to batter and stir to combine.

Pour half the brownie batter into the baking dish, layer with Oreos, then top with remaining batter.

Mmmmm.....it turned out fabulous!!

And it was a good thing I made 2 batches because

there was nothing left when the picnic was over :).

Until next time....

Laundry Room redo-Project #1

So, who could of bet I would have started organizing my laundry room with a chart project? Well let me tell you, it was sooo super easy and basically free that I had to start with this! Now I have to admit, I got this idea from someone else and like usual, tweaked it to suit my needs. This is how 5ohwifey did it.....

She used it as a weekly to-do schedule. I wanted something to keep track of my laundry mess. Like I said in my last post, I want to complete a load of laundry everyday. Keeping a schedule will help me do that because I love to check things off, maybe some of you are like that too. Oh and making a schedule cute helps even more :)!

This is how mine turned out....

I basically had everything on hand. The frame, the scrapbook paper, and the Modge Podge. I found the letter stickers and glitter on clearance at Michaels. If you wanted to do it the simplest way, you would just use the frame and scrapbook paper. I had extra paper and since I liked it so much, I Modge Podged the frame. The original blogger just wrote the days of the week with a marker on the paper, but I can't STAND my handwriting...LOATHE would be a good way to describe the way I feel about. So I used stickers and glitter which turned out great. Below are pics of the project....

Materials

1-Frame

2-Paper

3-A cute helper :)

I simply cut the paper into 4x6 picture sizes

Then I put the paper in all the frames, ta da!

Some of the "extras" I did was Modge Podging the frame and using double-sided stickers with glitter for the days of the week.

I'm clearly not good at keeping things straight, but it is still a thousand times better than my handwriting.

I also already had a dry-erase marker, score! 

I just wrote down the laundry I wanted done on that day and put the date in the corner. When the load is complete I will wipe off the date and hopefully by Saturday, all the dates will be cleared and ready for next week :). Super, super excited about this!! Until next time.... 

a solution to my laundry woes

Now that blogging has motivated me to feed my family, I hope it can motivate me to get my house organized and under some kind of control. We have been in our home for a year and a half now and I still have a room of stuff that we haven't even gone through! I would also like to get a cleaning/chore plan together that will stick with our family. I plan on taking on one room at a time, to avoid any SQUIRRELS, but life could get in the way of that. I love lists, charts, and plans. I love making lists, charts, and plans more than I like keeping to them (I am working on that). I find that I change or update them because I am continually trying to make the daily tasks in my life more simplified (wouldn't we all just love for every job to be done quickly, efficiently, and well?). I especially want to keep my house clean and organized so I always can welcome friends and family over at a moments notice, without feeling stressed.

One task that I can't seem to get a hold of is laundry. Anyone else deal with that? I can't even invite people over during a laundry back up because several loads of clean clothes are piled high all over my living room sofas. With now 6 persons in our family, I demand a schedule that will work for me! I am not a color sorter (ahh!) but I do like to keep nice clothes separated from say, Marc's work clothes. I also always wash in cold and I hardly use the dryer. My make-shift clothes line in the laundry room is hideous, but it works.

This is what typically happens to me. I can throw a load into the wash, but it never makes it to the line/dryer, or if it does make it to the line, it doesn't come down (or if it's in the dryer, it doesn't come out). And if it does get from the line/dryer to my folding table, then it never leaves my table. If it makes it to the table to the correct basket (usually not folded, which is hilarious that I call it a "folding" table) it never makes it out of the room. When it finally gets out of the laundry room, it typically goes onto my actual folding table, the couch. Finally when it's folded and has made it to the right room, it never makes it out of the basket. Ridiculous, but those are my laundry woes.
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My folding table

So, the solution (that costs basically nothing)...A new plan, an organized space, and a stronger will power. Well, 2 out of 3 ain't bad. The plan. I do laundry everyday. Just a load. But a complete load. Wash, dry, fold, PUT AWAY. At least then, I stay on top of it. And truthfully, I really like doing laundry. So for me, that isn't daunting. I do laundry by person so I made a list of everyone and gave them a day. I don't want to be doing laundry on the weekend so I grouped Sky and Reese together and Eph and Sawyer together. They share rooms anyways so it's all going to the same place.


Great so, I have a plan! Now, an organized space. First, I would like to show you what I am working with...

FULL Disclosure

My laundry room is also our mud room, but it should just really be called, "the grimiest, dog hairiest place in the house" room. This is where our two 100 pound HAIRY dogs get dried off when it's raining and where the kids get stripped down to their undies when they come in from playing in the barn. If you check out my Laundry board on Pinterest you would find that, unless I get rid of my dogs, children, and clothes, I could have unrealistic dreams as to what a laundry room should look like. But is there anything wrong with wanting a cute, organized, dare-I-say dog hair FREE laundry room?? I say NAY!! Whoa, I felt a severe SQUIRREL coming on...but I'm back.

I will keep you updated as I work on different areas at a time. Hopefully soon, I will have a cute, organzied, dog hair free space. Until next time....

french toast bake

Friday's dinner was my third new recipe for the week....French Toast Bake. A perfect breakfast, brunch, or dinner meal. I will totally be making this for Christmas "Eve Eve" this year! It was so easy and absolutely delicious! I found this recipe on Rach's Blog and pretty much followed the directions completely. I also made a couple tweaks that she suggested. Those will be in red :).

This recipe requires up to 10 hours of sitting in the fridge before it can be baked, to allow the bread to soak up all the mix. You will need a 9x13 pan along with the following...

Ingredients

1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)

1 cup brown sugar

1 loaf Texas toast

4 eggs

1 1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

powdered sugar for sprinkling

Step-by-Step

 - Melt butter in microwave & add brown sugar....stir till mixed.

-Pour butter/sugar mix into bottom of 9 x 13 pan

Spread evenly to cover bottom of pan

-Beat eggs, milk, & vanilla

*I also added 1 tablespoon of powdered sugar during this step

-Lay single layer of Texas Toast on top of butter/sugar mixture in pan

-Spoon 1/2 of egg mixture on bread layer

*I also sprinkled brown sugar and powdered sugar before next layer. I MEANT to sprinkle cinnamon, rather than powdered sugar, but I had a brain fart.

-Add 2nd layer of Texas Toast

-Spoon on remaining egg mixture

-Cover & chill in fridge overnight
*Since we had it for dinner, I made it that morning and refrigerated during the day. I left it for 9 hours just to make sure the bread soaked up all the mixture.

 -Bake at 350 for 45 minutes

I covered it for 20 minutes and left it uncovered the rest of the time.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar

Serve with syrup (if so desired)

The top should be crusty, middle soft and moist, and bottom....

YUM!!!!!!

I ate mine upside down so all the yummy sticky bits didn't get stuck on the plate :).

This was so so good! Next time I will definitely add cinnamon but other than that, this tasted awesome!!

(and yes, that is Banner eating syrup covered French Toast while drinking a Dr. Pepper...yup, he had a great time at Sissy's house)

meatball sandwich casserole

Alright so, the next new dinner was suppose to be French Toast Bake however, I switched some things around and we will have that on Friday. Tonight's dish, Meatball Sandwich Casserole. Not quite as successful as last night's dinner, but still good. Sadly, this isn't a Skylar friendly food so she had to settle with a hotdog. But I covered it in sauce and mozzarella cheese for her :).

Meatball Sandwich Casserole

I got this recipe from Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour. There were a couple other recipes on that blog that I also hope to try.

I, like usual, changed something big with the original recipe. You will see it in red. And before people give me a hard time, I WOULD have given in to the onion/pepper mix but I didn't have it and I wanted to make it tonight. Next time I will use it, just to try it the "right" way.

The ingredients...

1 Baguette French Bread, cut into 18-24 slices, 1/4 inch thick {I could not find a Baguette, so I just used a loaf of French Bread. It turned out to be 16 or so slices about 1/4 inch thick}
Olive Oil
1 pkg. frozen Italian meatballs, bite sized, about 1 lb {I used 2 lbs because I used two baking dishes, and 1 lb just didn't seem like enough}
1 pkg. frozen onion & bell pepper mix, thawed & drained {Go ahead and yell. I didn't do this part. But I PROMISE to use it next time!}
1 1/2 cups spaghetti sauce {used Prego Tomato & Basil and I used 2 cups}
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded

What I used...

Preheat oven to 350. Meanwhile, slice your bread.

Brush each slice with olive oil on one side. I didn't have a brush so I just used a spoon to "brush" it on. Line the bottom and the side with the bread slices...oil side up...slightly overlapping the slices on the side. You will need a deep casserole dish. The lady I got this from used her 1 qt. Corningware. But because I was using a bigger loaf of bread, I didn't have a lot of room so I used two of my Coringware, a 1 1/2 qt. and a 2 1/2 qt. That's a big reason why I used more meatballs and more sauce too.

Bake bread for about 5-10 minutes or until the edges are golden brown.

In a separate bowl, mix meatballs, (bell pepper & onion mix), & spaghetti sauce to coat.

Remove the bread from the oven and spoon the meatball mixture into the dish on top of the bread. Return to oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until thoroughly heated through in the center. 

Here's where things didn't go so great for me....25-30 minutes didn't even warm the center. So after probably and hour, the middle was hot (ish) and then I put the cheese on for another 5 -10 min. The recipe never made it clear whether I should have thawed the meatballs first or not. So, next time, I will.

The result....a way too crunchy top and a way too soggy bottom. The middle was good though, and the family still liked it. I was of course bummed, but if I don't try I will never learn, right? Marc probably wonders who this women in the kitchen is and where in the world did Sutton go...but I don't think he is complaining :).

Until next time....

yes, you read that right

My brother, Banner, is here this week while my parents are in the Bahamas (the BAHAMAS). And in celebration of Banner spending the week with us, I am trying not 1, not 2, but 3 NEW recipes this week! Yes, you read that right and yes, you are still on Sutton's blog. I am so excited about this (a miracle in itself) and I can't wait to share with you each recipe and how it turned out.

Tuesday- Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili (this happens to be a Weight Watchers friendly recipe and wheat-free)

Here's the link to original recipe, skinnytaste. I actually got it from another blog which you can check out here. I changed the recipe just a bit, to suit our family. The changes I made are in red.

1 onion, chopped (didn't use, YUCK)

1 16 oz can black beans, drained

1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained

1 8 oz can tomato sauce (used 2 8 oz cans)

10 oz package frozen corn kernels

2 14.5 oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (one was with garlic/onion and one was plain)

1 packet taco seasoning

1 tbsp cumin

1 tbsp chili powder (used a teeny bit more)

24 oz. (3) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

chili pepper, chopped (optional) (clearly is stated OPTIONAL)

chopped fresh cilantro (what's cilantro?)

This is what I used...

Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker. Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Top with fresh cilantro.

I also got some shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips to go with it.

This is what mine looked like in the crock pot when it was almost done. Not quite as pretty as the other pics, but hopefully it will taste the same.

Satisfied customers!

So, I did it. I probably wouldn't have added the extra tomato sauce, only because it was a little runny, but other than that, it tasted great! Even Banner liked it, who is a very picky kid. And with each new recipe I try, I gain a teeny bit more cooking confidence.

Tomorrow's dinner, French Toast Bake. Until next time....

a day in the life part 2

The rest of yesterday...is over. I felt the need to post this just to let you know that I should have continued blogging during yesterday afternoon so it would all be fresh. But seeing as I can hardly remember anything that happened yesterday that is worth posting, I'm not. I might try a much more condensed and complete "day in the life of" post, another time. I also realized that blogging every day just isn't necessary. Unless something really great, interesting, funny, or creative happens, I won't feel pressured to post everyday. I also really appreciate those who are reading my silly blog.  

I took some pictures yesterday, assuming I would finish "part 2". They are cute, so I will still post them :).

Lunch Time



Nap Time

Until next time....