WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY #6 - Crock Pot ORANGE CHICKEN!

Happy Wednesday, All!

Is it just me, or do the days just seem to go faster and faster lately?!?  I can't believe we're already at the middle of the week!   I can't believe we're almost at the end of February!!! 

On today's WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY, I will be sharing an easy, YUMMY recipe for....

CROCK POT ORANGE CHICKEN!

I made this for our family for our last Sunday Family Dinner since our colors were ORANGE and Turquoise Blue...it just made sense to me....haha  (to see that tablescape, click HERE)!

This is a super simple recipe and very easy to make!

I modified this recipe from the original recipe, found here.

Here's what you will need:

• 1/2 package of breaded chicken nuggets (because I'm all about easy...the original recipe called for 6-8 boneless chicken breasts, chopped into small chunks and breaded in flour and cooked in olive oil.  I decided to "skip that step with all that prep" and just use already breaded chicken nuggets)
• 1 T salt
• 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar  (I actually used raspberry blush vinegar...yummy!)
• 6 T ketchup
• 1 12 oz. can of frozen orange juice concentrate (thaw or throw it in the microwave for 45 seconds)
• 8 T brown sugar
AND, my special added ingredient!  2 tsp ALLSPICE

 Mix everything but the chicken together in a bowl...

Then add the "PIECE DE RESISTANCE"....the Allspice!  This added such a great flavor to this dish! 

 

 

 

Place the chicken nuggets into the crock pot and pour the mixture over them.  Then cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours.  If you are putting this in before going to work for the day, I'd just keep it on warm, and it should be great when you get home!  =D 

 

When they were almost finished cooking, I cut the nuggets in half and mixed them around in the mixture.  I also added a little water close to the end to give it more sauce.  I started with about 1/2 cup and then as you like, you can thin it out even more.  Or if you prefer a thicker sauce, but less of it, you can leave it as is. 

 

Here is the finished product.

We served this over white rice and it was delicious!

 

 

 My husband, my son and I liked it a lot.  My daughter was not as thrilled with it, mostly because there was breading on the chicken nuggets, which she's not fond of.  If it would have been just plain skinless boneless chicken, she may have liked it a lot better....but then my son probably wouldn't have liked it as well..haha! 

 

But they are trying new things, and that's good

 

I had a "cheat day" from the low carbing, since this is not really a low-carb dish, so it gave me license to eat it...and it was delicious!   My husband gobbled up the leftovers fairly quickly the next day and said they were still yummy, even as leftovers!

 

I hope you enjoyed this recipe and let me know what you think if you try it.  Have a great week!

 

 

 

This post is being added to... 

 

Show and Share Wednesday 

Open House Party

Showcase Your Talent Party

Foodie Friday

Strut Your Stuff Saturday

On the Menu Monday

 

 

 

 

 

FIVE FABULOUS FINDS FRIDAY #6

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to another edition of FIVE FABULOUS FINDS FRIDAY!!!

Get ready!  I've got some great finds for you today!  Some SERIOUS eye candy, a super yummy-looking recipe, some fantastic organizational tips, and some inspiration that will bring a tear to your eye and a warmth to your heart.

And now...onto the fabulous finds!!! 

1.  This week I came across a wonderful post....that not only contained some BEAUTIFUL decor, but also a heartwarming story of a woman who moved into the country from the city and overcame the stereotypes to win over a community. 

 All photos in this segment courtesy of Thistlewood Farms.

KariAnne from Thistlewood Farms writes about her move to the country from the big city....and how people were about to dismiss her as something of a snobby city girl at first.   As they came to know her, though she showed them how she's just a girl who knows how to find some amazing bargains and put them together in the right way! 

Her story is as inspiring as her pictures!

Her whole blog is wonderful....she has a very eloquent writing style that is so engaging, and her pictures are very inspiring and just so fun to look at!  That's why my first FABULOUS FIND is...

No One Fancy Lives Here - By Thistlewood Farm
________________

2. The Style Sisters, a blog I just started following, set a gorgeous buffet and share some great tips to make it really wow your guests - This bird-cage inspired cloche with the flowers is so pretty!  I also love how they served their plates on top of an upside down pedestal bowl!   Such a cool idea!

All photos in this segment courtesy of The Style Sisters 

I loved all the ideas these girls had!  One of the neat ideas was to set your candleabra on top of one of your elevated serving plates...it saves table space and makes a beautiful display for some of your food!

 
I also loved their unique way of serving their veggies.  Who WOULDN'T want to eat their veggies after seeing them displayed like THIS?!?

They put it all together just beautifully!   The food, the presentation, everything!!!

That's why my 2nd FABULOUS FIND is....

The Style Sisters - Buffet Decor and tips.
____________________


3.  My third Fabulous find comes from a wonderful blog by Kelly - the "Semi Homemade Mom". 

She posted this recipe and picture on a link party earlier this week and I have to say...this looks SO yummy!  

Her recipe, along with other GREAT looking recipes, can be found on her blog!   I can't wait to make this.  I love a creamy tomato sauce with tortellini!  I am low-carbing, so I'll have to make it for a "cheat day" which I allow myself once in a while...but this is DEFINITELY on the list to make!

That's why my third FABULOUS FIND is....

Semi Homemade Mom - Creamy Tomato Tortellini Skillet

4.  I can't believe spring is almost here...and for many of us, that means SPRING CLEANING!   I'm planning to do a thorough spring cleaning to my house...and our house NEEDS it!   I am a "surface cleaner" most of the time, so this will be a must. 

Nikki Boyd of "At Home with Nikki" has devised a great system for doing a spring cleaning that gets the job done, but it is spaced out over a period of time, so as not to overwhelm! 

 

All photos in this segment courtesy of At Home With Nikki

I love the system she created!!! She didn't forget ONE detail! She did a nice video that shows her system and breaks it down for us so nicely! It's also fun to see her beautiful decor in the background! 



That's why my Fourth FABULOUS FIND is.....

At Home With Nikki - Spring Cleaning Prep!

5.  This week I saw a video on my mom's Facebook Page.  If you haven't seen it before, get ready to be inspired and moved!   Arthur Boorman was told he could never walk again.   His decided not to believe it and his story of persistance and getting up after the many falls really was amazing!  This is a 5 minute video that is DEFINITELY worth your time to watch if you haven't seen it before!    

That's why my 5th and final FABULOUS FIND is....

 Never Give up - Arthur Boorman's Story

____________________

Well, that wraps up this week's FIVE FABULOUS FINDS FRIDAY!

So, are you ready for a Friday Link Party????  I'm almost at that point where I'm gonna put it up there.  Probably in another week or two.  I would love to hear from you if this is something you would enjoy or participate in....I sure hope you will join me!  I'd love to be picking my "five fabulous finds" from YOUR posts!

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great weekend! 

Whadda We Eatin' Wednesday #5 - Crock Pot Ranch Potatoes!

Hi everyone!   Thanks so much for stopping by for today's

 

WHADDA WE EATIN' WEDNESDAY!

 

Today I'm showing you a new recipe we made for our last Sunday Family Dinner....

 

CREAMY CROCK POT RANCH POTATOES!

 

This was a very easy recipe to make!   I found it on Pinterest and thought I'd give it a try.  There were a few versions on there and this is the one I tried.

 

I only needed a few ingredients...

3-4 Red Potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks (skin on)

1 Packet of Ranch Seasoning mix

1 Can of cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup of Sour Cream

I just cut up the potatoes, threw them in the crock pot, added all the other ingredients...

 Mixed all the ingredients together...

And put it on low for 4-6 hours, or until potatoes are tender.

Here's how the finished product looks!

I wish I could say the whole family was raving about how absolutely delicious this was, because it was truly so easy to make, and I liked them. (even though I could only have a few bites because I'm low-carbing) 

Unfortunately that wasn't the case.   They found it "too creamy"  and didn't eat much of them.  And since I couldn't eat them either, they ended up getting thrown away.   =(

I would make this again, though...most likely for a party or something, because if you do like "creamy stuff"  these creamy potatoes are pretty yummy!   And they are really easy to make!  I bet this would make a yummy "potato salad" type dish once chilled, too! 

Thanks again for visiting!  If you're on Facebook, I'd love for you to come check out and "like" my Facebook Page, where I'll post even more content and some fun discussions!

Also, I'd love to have you follow my page if you enjoy the content you've read.  At 100 followers on my blog, I'm going to host a drawing for a great giveaway among all my followers.  I hope to get there soon, because I'd love to get this giveaway going!!! 

Thanks again for stopping by!  Have a great day!

This post is being added to...
Two Girls and a Party
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Link Party
Foodie Friday
Test Meal Monday
On the Menu Monday
A New Creation Link Party
Pinworthy Projects
 

Whadda We Eatin' Wednesday #4 - Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff!!!

Hi everyone!!!

Happy Wednesday!  I hope your week is going great!   For me, it's going by fast!

I can't believe that one month ago I started this blog!  It's already received over 5000 views.  Thank you so much all who have come to visit and read this blog!  I can't tell you how grateful I am that you have come by!    I'm so thankful to have encountered so many wonderful people through this blog!  =D

Well, It's already time for another "Whadda We Eatin' Wednesday"

Today I'm going to share a WONDERFUL Beef Stroganoff recipe in the crock pot.  If you like Beef Stroganoff, you will love this simple recipe!!!

I had never made beef stroganoff before, and since I'm always trying to make new things for our "Sunday Family Dinners"  I wanted to try it out. 

I found this recipe on Pinterest....pretty much my go-to place for ideas (along with some of the blogs I'm following).  It looked easy and yummy, so I thought it would be worth trying!

Here are the ingredients I used (pretty similar to the original recipe I found here)

*2 pounds cubed stew meat
*2 cans Campbell's Condensed "Golden Mushroom" Soup
*1 largish onion - diced
*4 TBSP of Worcestershire Sauce
*1/2  cup water  (this makes a thicker sauce...if you like a thinner sauce, you'll need to add more water)
*8 oz of cream cheese
*Garlic Powder, Onion Powder and Paprika to taste.  I probably put in about 1 tbsp each.
*Pasta of your choice  (traditionally, egg noodles are used...I'm low carbing so I used Dreamfields' Linguine noodles and they were pefect!)



I started by doing a quick sautee of the onion in butter and just searing the stew meat a bit...not too much, just a bit.   This is just an optional step I did that wasn't in the original recipe.   



Then I put the cans of soup, the 1/2 cup of water, worstershire  and the onions and meat into the crock pot...stirred it around and put it on low for 7 hours.  

At the 7 hour mark, I cut in the cream cheese and turned the crock pot on high...stirred and cooked for another 1/2 hour.   This makes a nice thick sauce to put over the pasta!


The kids didn't love it, but my husband and I were going crazy for it!   



And the leftovers are even better the next day!  So flavorful and delicious!!!  

The sauce is fairly thick so you can either add water or don't fully drain your pasta....leaving just a little water to thin the sauce as you stir it in.

If you try this, I'd love to hear what you think!  It couldn't be easier to make, that's for sure, and we grown-ups thought it was awesome!!

Thanks so much for joining me today!  

If you are a Facebook user, please come check out my Facebook page, where I will have fun discussions, updates, pictures, and much more. 

 

Also, if you are enjoying this blog, please follow it! I would love to follow you right back if you are a blogger yourself, so we can keep up with eachother!

I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week!  Thanks again for stopping by and I hope you enjoy!

This post is being added to...

Share Your Cup Thursday
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Your Great Idea
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Get Schooled Saturday
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Foodie Friday

Sunday Family Dinner #2 - "A Touch of Glamour and...TURKEY?"

Happy Sunday everyone!

Well, after our first "Sunday Family Dinner" was such a success, I'm going for a new look for this Sunday Family Dinner.

The theme of this family dinner is 

"A Touch of Glamour and....TURKEY??"

Yes I did say that correctly!!!  Turkey is a great food around the Holidays, but it is also a great meal for anytime!  It is one of the least expensive meats available to us...I stocked up on a few Turkeys right after Christmas because they were so cheap (88 cents per pound!) and I put them in our deep freezer in the garage.  They make a great meal, and the leftovers also make meals after that.   A great, economical food that is yummy and healthy!

I made my very first turkey at Christmas time when we had family and friends over.  The times before that, either we were at others' houses, or if we were at my house, my father in law would cook the turkey.  He's a good cook and he loves doing it!   He also had made many turkeys in his time, so I had NO trouble passing that job on to him!!!  

This Christmas, however, my parents in-law were not coming until about 2 hours before Christmas Dinner, so I could not wait for my father in law to make the turkey.  I had to tackle the job myself!  I turned to the amazing SANDRA LEE from the Food Network and made her "Butter Herb Roasted Turkey".   It turned out really good!

Here is the video on how to make it.  It was a really yummy turkey and fairly easy to make!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQMDKvwT4Jk

This time I changed the recipe up just a little.  I made the butter mixture with some poultry seasoning and a packet of Mediteranean Chicken seasoning.  I think it was Sun Dried Tomato, garlic flavor.  

Then I went ahead and coated the bird outside and under the skin in a mix of butter and that seasoning, as well as sprinkled some more of the seaoning over the top.  I stuffed the turkey with chopped carrots, chopped onion, a few slices of lemon and orange and some fresh rosemary.  Delish!

I also used the dripping packet with 1 1/2 cups of water and put it in the bottom of the pan.  They made great drippings mixed with the melted butter and seasonings.  Then I added some of the drippings to a half-jar of turkey gravy and it was so good!

Here's a picture of how it came out.

I also made a neat recipe that I found on Pinterest which turned out very tasty!   Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups!  They were easy to make too, and added a little something to our special dinner.

Source

Here is the recipe!   Baked Cheddar Broccoli Rice Cups.

Here's how they came out.  We made them in the larger muffin tins.  We also ended up using a stick blender and blending the ingredients, instead of just stirring them around.  It was something fun my "little home boy" could do while helping in the kitchen..he loved it!  They were still very good, but next time I would have just mixed them like in the recipe. 

I also would have added some more seasonings....they turned out just a little bland for me and needed salt.  The next day when we re-heated them, they tasted better...but I will definitely add maybe even some ranch seasoning or something to give a little more zest! 

I also made some Roasted chickpeas.  An easy recipe, but I added too much seasoning so they were a little too "seasoned".   I used steak seasoning, but I am thinking I probably shouldn't have used that.  The kids weren't as thrilled with these, but I think if I could figure out the right amount of seasoning, it would be better.  I did like them, but they weren't my favorite.

Here is a pic of them.

For drinks we had fruit infused water.  I cut up a small orange and half of a lemon, and added 2 to 3 slices each to a pitcher of water.  This went over well!

Here is the entire spread!  Note the lovely new Big Lots 75% off finds included in this buffet decor!   LOVE THEM!  =D

Here is our tablescape for the dinner as well!   I tried to add that "touch of glamour" with our turkey....so I made the theme black, white and silver!

I took these pictures before I added the silverware and the napkins...oops!   I ended up putting the napkins in the glasses and the silverware, just in the usual spots!  lol

These sparkly ornaments were from Christmas, but who says you can't use them to add a little "bling" to a glamorous table????   =)   I found this black short candle holder and put a pretty white petal bowl that I found at our church's local thrift store for 1 dollar!  I sure wish they had more of those white petal bowls, but that's the beauty of thrift store shopping...you never know WHAT great things you're going to find when you go! 

You might recognize the candleabra and plate from my new bathroom vanity decor!  That's the beauty of those "multi-functional accessories!"   I can take it back to the bathroom once the dinner is done and it has served two great purposes!

This floral was made with a candle holder,  a flower petal plate for just $.50, a $1 glass vase, two dollar store flower bouquets and some sparkly silver ornaments I got on clearance after Christmas.  I just basically strategically placed the ornaments in the bouquet!  I really like how it turned out!

The kids wanted to help me make dinner so my "little home girl" helped me prep the turkey by mixing the butter mixture and helping me make the roasted chickpeas.  My "little home boy" helped me make the broccoli cheese and rice cups.  We all got a little dressed up, lit the candles and had a nice formal dinner.  Unfortunately, my "Home Boy" is a little under the weather, so he didn't get to fully enjoy it...but it was still nice!

Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I have enjoyed sharing it!  Have a great week!


This post was added to:
DebbieDoo's Power of Pinterest,
Stone Gable's On the Menu Monday,  
Piggy in Polka Dots' Linky Party,
Between Naps on the Porch's TABLESCAPE THURSDAY,
Cuisine Kathleen's "Let's Dish",
Style Sisters' "Centerpiece Wednesday" 
The Rose Garden in Malevik
Rattlebridge Farm's Foodie Friday and 
"Under the Table and Dreaming's" Sunday Showcase!
Petite Hermine's Sunday Linky Party
Uncommon Designs Monday Funday
The Tablescaper's Seasonal Sundays