O.M.Y. {oh.my.yum} Featuring Joanna from Brock Paper Scissors!

Hey party people! I'm Joanna from over at Brock Paper Scissors. Today I'm filling in for Court, while she's down visiting fam in (my home state of) Texas. Cool, right? And, while she's out, she asked me to write about one of my very favorite topics: FOOD.

On my blog, I have a regular feature called "What's Cookin'?", where I pass on yummy recipes that I've recently made. Lots of em' tend to be Crock-Pot recipes because, well, they're easy, and I'm all about the easy. For my visit, Courtney's asked me to share one of these slow-cooker recipe with her peeps (you)! But, instead of just re-posting something I've already done, I took this opportunity to try out a new chili I've been dying to make: Crock-pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili (say that three times fast!).

Looks yummy, right? Trust me when I say, you'll be going back for seconds...and perhaps even thirds. It's that good.

Here's what you'll need/need to do...

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts (mine were frozen)
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 can corn, undrained 
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 package ranch dressing mix 
• 1 tsp cumin 
• 1 tbsp chili powder 
• 1 tsp onion powder 
• 1 8 oz package 1/3 less fat cream cheese

Directions:

1. Place chicken at bottom of crock-pot.
2. Top with diced tomatoes, black beans and corn (undrained). 
3. Add seasonings + ranch mix, then place cream cheese on top. 
4. Cover with lid and cook on low for 6 hours.
5. Once timer goes off, stir cream cheese into chili.
6. Shred the chicken using a fork, mix everything together and serve.

We ate it as is, but, it would also be good over rice or maybe with tortilla chips.

*Original recipe found here.

Enjoy! And feel free to pop on over to my neck of the woods to say hello! Later dudes!

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If you are like me and love using your slow cooker…you have to get over and check out the mouthwatering recipes Joanna has on her blog…mouthwatering good.  :)  Thanks Joanna for another delicious recipe to add to my collection!

O.M.Y. {oh.my.yum} A little Sugar for your Sweeties ~ Featuring Lish from Imprintalish!

Hello Baxtron {Life} readers! My name is Lish and I blog over at Imprintalish.You'll find crafts, photography, tales of my two little men and a little bit of everything else in my corner of the web.  We love baking around here and this recipe that I am sharing with you is so easy to do with the little people in your life. A bit messy, but fun! It's also the perfect recipe for Valentine's Day. Heads up though, probably not so good for your waistline!! HAHA!

Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup of butter

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Assorted Food Coloring (makes roughly 5 dozen)

In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar, until smooth. Beat in eggs and vanilla.

Stir in flour, baking powder and salt until dough forms.

Separate dough into sections for each color you want to do. Add a couple drops of food coloring to each  section until you reach the desired intensity. Stir to blend color evenly.

Under the command of my 2.5 year old, we did pink, purple, blue and green. Cover and chill for at least an hour in fridge (or overnight).

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Roll out dough on a well floured surface, 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes.

Place cookies 1 inch apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Or a pizza tray in my case, LOL, while the other tray was in the oven! Bake 6-8 minutes. Cool completely. These also freeze well too, just do so before adding the icing.

Icing

1 cup icing sugar

2 tsp milk

2 tsp corn syrup

1/4 tsp vanilla/almond extract

Assorted food coloring & sprinkles for topping

(this is enough icing for a dozen cookies-if more is needed, I would recommend doing one batch of icing at a time)

 In a small bowl, stir together icing sugar and milk until smooth. Beat in corn syrup and vanilla until icing is smooth and glossy. If icing is too thick, add more corn syrup. Divide into separate bowls, add food coloring to desired intensity.

Paint cookies with a brush or spatula. This icing is really forgiving to work with, the bumps and ridges just melt away into a smooth and glossy finish! Sprinkle with whatever pretty topping you have!

Well there you have it, the perfect little cookie to share with friends, teachers, family and of course to eat yourself!!!

Thanks so much for having me over to hang out Courtney! It was tons of fun and I hope to see some of you over at Imprintalish. I love meeting new people, so don't be shy-say hi!

Lish, what a fantastic Valentine's cookie recipe!  It looks super fun to make with the little ones as well…and currently Zion is on a big baking kick…what can I say, like mother, like daughter…so this is going to be put on our baking list pronto!

What's for Dinner? Menu 11/5-11/11

More recipes from blogs I love reading this week…with a focus on slow cooker recipes.  I just FINALLY got my first ever crockpot! I may be the happiest homemaker in all the world!

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sat.11/5	Muffincup Frittatas	LO Rosemary Chicken	Thai Curry Soup
Sun.11/6	Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon	LO Thai Curry Soup	Yogurt Chicken, Baked Potatoes & Corn
Mon.11/7	Granola w/Yogurt & Honey	LO Chicken	Crockpot Zucchini Ziti
Tues. 11/8	Cheese Omelets with Toast	LO Ziti	Tacos
Weds.11/9	French Toast	Taco Burritos	Crockpot Beef Stew
Thurs.11/10	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Stew	Santa Rosa Steak
Fri. 11/11	Steak & Eggs	LO Ziti	Crockpot Creamy Broccoli Chicken Soup

Let's Connect!

       

What's For Dinner? Menu 10/29-11/4

This week I plan on trying out a few recipes from blogs I read…you can visit the recipes by clicking any links below.  :)

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sat.10/29	Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit	Couscous w/Chickpeas	Spaghetti (My Recipe)
Sun.10/30	Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon	LO Spaghetti or Couscous	Lentil Soup w/Artisan Bread (My Recipe)
Mon.10/31	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Lentil Soup	Rosemary Lemon Chicken Bake
Tues. 11/1	Muffincup Frittata	LO Chicken Bake	Thai Curry Soup
Weds.11/2	French Toast	LO Thai Curry Soup	Yogurt Chicken Breasts, Rice & Veggies
Thurs.11/3	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Yogurt Chicken	Broccoli Cheese Soup
Fri. 11/4	Eggs, Sausage, Toast	LO Broccoli Soup	Cajun Chicken Pasta

Let's Connect!

       

Recipe of the Week: Mole Chili & Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins

One of the best recipes I have ever discovered…this flavorful aromatic chili is the perfect fall dish to make at home or make for friends.  When the secret ingredient is chocolate, how can you go wrong?  And you know how most chili dishes taste better a few days later?  This one tastes AMAZING and cooks in 20 minutes!  Don't be fooled by the daunting mention of jalapenos, baking them removes their heat!

Mole Chili Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 c. chopped onion (about 1 medium onion)

1 garlic clove, minced 

1 14.5oz can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 c. water

2 Tbsp. chili powder

1 oz. semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

Reduced fat sour cream (optional)

Fresh chopped cilantro (optional)

Directions:

1.  Cook beef in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble.  Drain, if necessary, and return beef to pan.

2.  Add onion and garlic to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender.  Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients; cover and simmer 7 minutes.

3.  Serve immediately.  Top with sour cream and cilantro, if desired.

Jalapeno Corn Mini Muffins Recipe:

Ingredients:

3/4 c. self-rising cornmeal mix

1/2 c. fat-free buttermilk

2 Tbsp. minced, seeded jalapeno peppers

1 1/2 Tbsp. canola oil

1 large egg

Cooking spray

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425.  

2.  Lightly spoon self-rising cornmeal mix into measuring cup; level with a knife, and place in a large bowl.

3.  Combine butttermilk, jalapeno peppers, oil and egg in a small bowl.  Pour buttermilk mixture into cornmeal mixture.  Stir just until combined.

4.  Coat 12 miniature muffin cups with cooking spray; spoon batter evenly into cups.  Bake at 425 for 17 minutes or until lightly browned.  Remove from pans immediately; serve warm.

Source: Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals, Oxmoor House 2010

Let's Connect! XO, Courtney

       

What's For Dinner? Menu 10/8-10/14

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sat. 10/8	Cinnamon Rolls, Fruit	On the Go	Meatball Lasagna w/Bread & Garlic Butter ((BHG p.48)
Sun. 10/9	Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon	LO Lasagna	Hubby's Cooking (Recipe undecided)
Mon. 10/10	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Dinner	Teriyaki Salmon w/Mushrooms, Orange Ginger Snap Peas (FFF p.199)
Tues. 10/11	Egg Scramble	LO Salmon	Lentil Soup w/Crackers (My Recipe)
Weds. 10/12	French Toast	LO Lentil Soup	Grilled Chicken & Veggie Arugula Salad (FFF pg.94)
Thurs. 10/13	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Chicken	Red Beans & Rice
Fri. 10/14	Cheese Omelets	LO Turkey	DATE NIGHT!

Key:  LO = Leftovers, FFF = Fresh Food, Fast Cookbook, GHK = Good Housekeeping Cookbook, SBD = South Beach Diet Cookbook, BHG = Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, MISC - Some random recipe I've collected, MOM = My Mom's Recipe, GMA = Grandma's Recipe


Let's Connect! XO, Courtney

       

Top 5: DIY Fancy Coffee Drinks (No espresso machine required!)

I LOVE COFFEE.  I'm obsessed with it.  Blame it on my Seattle roots, or the fact that I have a very energetic toddler who wakes up at 6am every morning, either way, it is one of two things that I will never part ways with.  (Ummm...the other is ice cream!)

Growing up in Seattle, the very LAST place you'd go to get coffee was a Starbucks.  There are just so many other quality breweries to choose from.  My favorite in the PNW (Pacific NorthWest) is Victor's Celtic Coffee.  Ahhh-mazing-ly delicious coffee---certified fair trade peeps.  I DARE you to try it.

One thing that Starbucks has going for them is that most coffee in NYC is, well...disgusting, I don't know how to put it nicer than that.  I call it "coffee water."  In order to avoid Starbucks, as much as possible, I prefer to make delicious fancy coffees at home.  I don't have the counter space for an espresso machine, so I've become quite creative at mimicking drinks I've had and liked or creating my own indulgences.

1.  Peppermint Mocha

8-12 oz fresh, hot, quality, brewed coffee

5 Andes Mints or if in season…2 Godiva Peppermint Truffles 

1 packet instant cocoa mix (Swiss Miss or Nestle are fine)

A tablespoon of creamer (optional)

Whipped cream (Reddiwhip or similar) if you like

Red sugar sprinkles 

Directions: In a big fancy mug…put contents of packet of cocoa mix, andes mints.  Pour in half of coffee, stir until mints are melted and cocoa is dissolved.  Add creamer.  Pour the rest of the coffee in.  Top with whipped cream & red sugar sprinkles if desired.  Enjoy.  

Is your mouth watering for more?

What's for dinner? Menu Plan 10/1-10/7

Day	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner
Sat. 10/1	LO Date Night Food	Turkey Sandwiches	Ginger Beef Stir-fry (BHG p. 68) w/Broccoli & Brown Rice
Sun. 10/2	Pancakes, Bacon	LO Stir-fry	Seasoned Tuna Sands/Warm Spinach Salad (BHG p.134/MISC)
Mon. 10/3	Granola w/Yogurt	Frozen Entrees	Spinach Pesto Tortellini w/Rosemary Bread (BHG p. 10)
Tues. 10/4	Egg Scramble	LO Pasta	Hawaiian Turkey Burgers (BHG p. 122)
Weds. 10/5	French Toast	LO Turkey Burger	Southern Camp Stew (FFF p. 29)
Thurs. 10/6	Granola w/Yogurt	LO Stew	Turkey Meatloaf, Caramelized Brussel Sprouts, Mashed Yukon Gold Potatoes (GHK p. 131) (BHG p. 176) (MISC)
Fri. 10/7	Cheese Omelets	LO Turkey	Nachos & Chicken Tortilla Soup, Homemade Guacomole (My Recipes)

Key:  LO = Leftovers, FFF = Fresh Food, Fast Cookbook, GHK = Good Housekeeping Cookbook, SBD = South Beach Diet Cookbook, BHG = Better Homes & Gardens Cookbook, MISC - Some random recipe I've collected, MOM = My Mom's Recipe, GMA = Grandma's Recipe

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From Mama B's Kitchen: Five Spice Salmon w/Orange Spinach

This is one of the easiest, and tastiest salmon recipes I have ever created.  Once you learn how to pan-sear salmon, it is the next best thing to grilling!  (Forgive me, these pictures DO NOT do this dish justice, better camera coming soon!)

Crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside with an amazing aromatic flavor from the spices - this dish is sure to be a hit (even with those who aren't die-hard salmon fans - like my husband!)

Pan-Seared Five Spice Salmon Recipe

Ingredients:
4 - 4oz Salmon Fillets, skins removed
2 Tbsp. Five Spice Rub
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil


Directions:

1.  With tweezers, remove any bones from salmon fillets.  On wax paper, rub salmon fillets until coated with rub mix.

2.  In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over MEDIUM heat until hot.  Add salmon; cook until just opaque throughout, about 4-5 minutes per side.  Makes 4 Servings.

If you ask my husband what my favorite foods are, there is a 1 in 4 chance he will say, "Spinach."  I don't know what it is about this leafy green vegetable that I love so much.  Perhaps too many Pop-eye cartoons when I was younger!  Whatever the reason, I love love love it.  In everything.  No lie.

I actually found this recipe attached to a fresh bunch of organic spinach from Lakeside Organic Gardens.  I was skeptical but willing to try it.  It can be tricky to incorporate it into a dish that the hubs will appreciate, but this one was a serious winner.  Even Zion enjoyed it!







Orange Spinach Recipe:

Ingredients:
2 bunches Spinach, washed thoroughly and stems removed
1 Tbsp. Orange zest
2 Oranges, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
1/3 cup Chicken broth
1 Tbsp. Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/2 tsp. Sugar

Directions:
1.  Place the spinach in a large saucepan.  Cook, covered, over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally until leaves are just wilted; drain well.  Set aside in bowl.
2.  Use the same saucepan and bring chicken broth, orange zest, soy sauce, sugar to a boil.
3.  Stir in Spinach and Orange pieces, heat until warm.  Makes 4 Servings.

DIY: Homemade Chinese 5 Spice Powder

Homemade Chinese 5 Spice Powder & Rub

Powder Ingredients*:
1 Tbsp Star Anise
1 Tbsp Fennel Seed
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper
1/2 Tbsp Ginger
*All ingredients need to be as finely ground as possible.

For my personal recipe, I ground the Star Anise and the Fennel Seed using my Mortar & Pestle.  I don't recommend this option if you don't have time or are suffering from any wrist/hand pain, it takes a lot of elbow grease!!

Directions:

1.  Combine all of the ingredients listed above in a small spice jar.

2.  Either shake or stir until well mixed.

3.  Use to season your favorite dishes.

Rub Ingredients:

2 Tsp Homemade 5 Spice Powder (From above recipe!)

1/2 Tsp Garlic Salt

1 Tsp All Purpose Flour

Directions:

1.  Combine all ingredients.

2.  Rub on your favorite meat, poultry or fish before grilling.

Stay tuned for my Five Spice Pan-Seared Salmon w/Orange Spinach recipe coming in this week's "From Mama B's Kitchen"! 

In the meantime, checkout these delicious, versatile recipes calling for Chinese 5 Spice Powder:

1.  Five Spice Glazed Salmon w/Sesame Green Beans

2.  Five Spice Turkey Cheeseburgers

3.  Five Spice Beef & Pepper Stir-fry

4.  Sweet Sesame Five Spice Popcorn

5.  Five Spice Seared Scallops & Shrimp

6.  Five Spice Pineapple Carrot Cupcakes

7.  Five Spice Chicken with Red Cabbage

8.  Five Spice Chicken Wings!

9.  Five Spice Ketchup

10.  Five Spice Beef in Oyster Sauce