Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders

Last night I made breakfast nachos for dinner.  Yep, it has been one of those kind of weeks...However, that means that you all will learn how to make amazing breakfast nachos in the near future!

This week have been really busy, but full of good things!  On Monday, I did not have school so, of course, I went for a 12 mile run.  It had snowed recently and so that 12 mile run left me feeling very sore.  This led to me not wanting to run indoors for the rest of the week.  Something about a treadmill just makes me so angry.  So, I decided to bundle up and run my 2 other runs outside.  I left early in the morning (5:30) and it was actually quite pleasant.  I sort of like being the only one out and about in Chicago.  It is peaceful and left me feeling calm and relaxed.

School has also been going pretty well this week.  We are graphing sine and cosine in the precalculus group and in AP Calc we are looking into applications of integration.  Volume is a tough one, but today one of the calc students took a quiz on it and killed it!!! I am so proud and excited for her.  Planning for both of these courses has been a lot of work, but the students are so great and I really love working with them.  It is totally worth the effort!

Otherwise, the condo stuff is still moving along.  We are signing a boat-load of forms, showing our apartment to potential subletters, and trying to work out and manage all of our funds.  It's stressful, but I am so excited to move towards closing on our place.  I LOVE it!

So, one thing that has helped me get through this week has been the fact that I had a mountain of leftovers from that time I made Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders.  This was one of the rare times that I made a non-vegetarian meal.  This means that I have a ton of leftovers and no one to help me eat them.  So, I have had some pretty delicious school lunches all this week.  The chicken came out great and super tasty.  Then, I mixed some Yogurt Blue Cheese Dressing into some Broccoli Slaw and I used that to put on top of my phenomenal chicken.  YUM!  I am obsessed with this recipe and I can't wait to make it again for some sort of sporting event!  March Madness is quickly approaching and it would be perfect!

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Blue Cheese Broccoli Slaw

Ingredients:
6 chicken breasts
2 bottles buffalo sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 1/2 packets of ranch seasoning
Broccoli Slaw, 1 bag
2-3 tbsp blue cheese dressing (I used a Yogurt/Light one)
whole wheat dinner rolls (24-36)

Directions:
1. Place chicken, buffalo sauce, and ranch seasoning in your crock pot.  Cook on low for 7-8 hours.  After chicken is done, shred the chicken using two forks and leave on warm until you are ready to serve.
2. Pour the broccoli slaw into a large bowl and toss with the blue cheese dressing.
3. Serve with your whole wheat dinner rolls!

Enjoy :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone!

Last night we had friends over to ring in the new year and it was a blast!

My little brother bartended (he even made his own menu!) and we had a potluck sort of dinner!  I made my Build Your Own Nachos with Crock Pot Salsa Chicken and my Lightened up Spinach Artichoke Dip.  Everything was a huge hit.  We also had Crock Pot Barbacoa, Baked Mac n Cheese, and, of course, tons of desserts.

We watched the ball drop, played funny charade games, and had an amazing time.

This morning, I made some french toast for my brother and his friend who stayed at our place and now, after some advil :), I am getting ready to hit the treadmill for a bit.

I'm not a huge fan of new year's resolutions, but I do think it is nice to reflect and refocus at the beginning of a new year.  2015 was great.  I ran my second marathon, got a new job that I love, and did a TON of wedding planning.  That being said, 2016 is going to be crazy epic.  First and foremost, I AM GETTING MARRIED!  I can't wait to say "I do" to my best friend and see all my hard work from wedding planning finally play out.  I am also planning on running marathons 3 and 4 and just generally staying fit and eating healthy.  Finally, tomorrow Bri and I have plans to talk with a mortgage broker about moving forward in the process of buying our own place!! I can't believe all this very grown up things are just around the corner and I could not be more excited.  So, here's to an amazing 2016!  Happy New Year!

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day! 

Every day is mother's day.  I mean, what would we do without mom's?  Literally, no one would exist!  My mom is pretty amazing and I just wanted to say, I love you!  Bri and I are planning on having brunch with my mommy today and then dinner with his mommy later.  It is going to be a really nice day!  

Here is a round-up of some of my mommy's favorite recipes that I have made in the past:

Oreo Coffee Ice Cream Cake

Skinny Mocha Cupcakes

Fish Tacos with Mango Salsa

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

Chocolate Chip Banana Cupcakes with Creamy Peanut Butter Frosting

Whole Wheat Zucchini Bread

I hope that all the mother's out there have a really great day!

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

It was my school mentor's birthday last weekend and therefore chicken wings are on my mind.  I know that sounds a little crazy, but both of us love chicken wings so there you go!  I got to see her on her birthday weekend since we both live in the city and she had a really nice dinner!  

We went to Piccolo Sogno, which is this amazing Italian place that I have heard all about, but I had never been.  I was pretty pumped about going and it did not let me down.  This place is in the heart of the West Loop in Chicago and has unbelievable food.  We tried things such as seafood pasta, kale salad, spaghetti bolognese, and of course, molten lava cake for dessert.  It is a great place to have a special event at and it was awesome for a birthday dinner.  

This Friday, in honor of the birthday festivities,  I wanted to share this recipe for real chicken wings.  I had never cooked with chicken wings before and they were really yummy.  After a dip in the crock pot, these wings were incredibly tasty and the chicken fell right off the bone.  This is a great recipe for an easy dinner option.  Just make sure you leave yourself enough time to let the chicken cook!  I was inspired by Creme de la Crumb who used homemade chicken bites instead of wings.  If that interest you head on over! 

Crock Pot Honey Chipotle Chicken Wings

Ingredients:2 lbs Chicken Wings (or really any chicken part!)

2/3 cup honey

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

4 heaping tsp of adobo sauce (Just the sauce that Chipotle peppers are in)

1 tbsp hot sauce (I used Frank's)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tbsp white vinegar

2/3 cup water with 4 tbsp of cornstarch 

Directions:

1. Wash and pat dry your chicken.

2. Whisk all the ingredients from honey to white vinegar in your crock pot.  

3. Place chicken in the sauce and cook on low for 6 hours.  Start checking the chicken around 5 hours to see if it is done.  

4. Once cooked, mix the water and cornstarch together and mix into your crock pot so that the sauce thickens.  

5. Serve with any dipping sauce that you want!

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Happy Marathon Monday! For the past few weeks, I have shared some of my fun running experiences.  Today, I don't really have much to share.  I did realize that I am officially a crazy person as I ran 9 miles in the rain on Saturday.  Now, I know I could have waited for it to stop raining, but I really wanted to get my run in before 9 in the morning, so I just decided at 7 am that a 9 mile run in the rain wouldn't be that bad.  As I was running, it hit me: I am a little crazy.  And you know what, I am okay with that!  In other running news, I find out TOMORROW about the 2015 Chicago Marathon, so I'm gonna get back to you with that when I find out....

I just love Sundays.  I know it's Monday now, but Monday's are typically not my favorite so I'm gonna focus on Sunday for a little bit longer.  Here is a list of why Sundays are great:

1. I can sleep in
2. I go to a kickboxing class that absolutely kicks my butt
3. I have time to cook
4. GOT (aka Game of Thrones!!!!! yes, I am a total geek)

Those four reasons make Sundays absolutely fabulous.  Plus, there is a fifth reason, but it only happens one Sunday a month and that is: Book Club.  I am in a wonderful book club with a bunch of 20-something girls from the Chicago area.  We take turns hosting and we chat about a book that we read.  Every meeting, we pick a new book and a new place/date.  It is always a really nice time and I look forward to these meetings when they come around.  This book club was about Cutting for Stone, which I highly recommend.  And, our next book is The Rosie Project.  This last book club was also extra special since it was one of our members birthdays! I, of course, baked her a Monster Cake! Yum!

Besides book club, game of thrones, and sleep.  Cooking is one of the activities that make the weekend special.  Bri and I try to find a recipe to make over the weekend that will lend us leftovers during the week.  Today's recipe is perfect for that!  I was inspired by a recipe on My Recipes and then I adapted it from there.

Crock Pot Vegetable Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
1 1/4 cups carrots, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
3/4 cup celery, chopped
16 oz mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
5 tbsp whole wheat flour
3 cups skim milk
1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
2 cups frozen peas
1 1/2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
16 oz package of frozen cauliflower
Topping:
1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh black pepper
4 1/2 tsp unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
3 tsp chopped fresh chives
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

Directions:
1. Heat about 1 tsp of olive oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add in the potatoes, carrots, onion, celery, and mushrooms.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  Then, add in the garlic and cook for an additional few minutes.  Pour vegetables into your crock pot.
2. Put 1 1/2 tbsp of olive oil into your skillet and heat over medium heat.  Add in the flour and whisk until it starts to brown.  Pour in the milk and vegetable broth and cook for about 5 minutes while whisking.  Pour sauce into the slow cooker and add in the frozen peas, cauliflower, and thyme.  Cover and cook on low for 4 hours.
3. To make the topping, whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Cut in the butter until your mixture looks like coarse sand.  Stir in the cheese and chives.  Finally, stir in the buttermilk until your mixture just starts to look damp.
4. Once the veggies are done cooking, drop spoonfuls of the biscuit mixture over the top.  Turn up the heat on your crock pot to high and cook for an additional 1 and a half hours or until you biscuits are done.

Enjoy :)

Slow Cooker Fudge

Well, it's time to go back to school and I don't know about you, but I needed a little something sweet to brighten my day.  The Monday after winter break is typically pretty rough, so whip up a batch of this yummy fudge so that you can shake off the blues a bit.  For high school, the Monday after Winter Break also marks the beginning of getting ready for finals.  Let me tell you, it is not pretty.  Student minds are still on break (and lets be honest, so are teacher minds) and we all have to get ready to start studying pretty intensively.  I try to make class as interactive and fun as possible so that students actually want to come to class....we will see how it goes!

This fudge was absolutely delish!  It was the perfect mixture of chocolate and with the sea salt sprinkled on top it became truly special.  I made this for my new years party and everyone was raving about it.  Plus, it is crazy easy to make! You don't need a candy thermometer or anything.  simply dump the ingredients into a crock pot, stir, and then pour into a pan to set and cool!  Done! When, I saw the recipe over at Creme de la Crumb, I was skeptical.  I thought this fudge was going to take forever, but then I saw that you only have to wait an hour and I was thrilled! I don't like waiting for dessert...

Slow Cooker Fudge

Ingredients:
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup honey
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
sea salt for topping (optional)

Directions:
1. Place milk chocolate, dark chocolate, honey and cream into your crock pot and cook on high for 1 hour.
2. Line an 8 by 8 baking dish (or a smaller pan for thicker fudge) with foil.
2. After 1 hour, stir in the milk chocolate chips until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.  Pour your chocolate mixture into your baking pan, sprinkle with salt if you are using it, and let the fudge set at room temperature.  Once set, cut into squares.

Enjoy :)

Healthy Vegetarian Soup

Oh my! It has been a while! I became super wrapped up with camp and running!

Today is the last day of camp! I could not have asked for a nicer summer.  Everyone I work with has been great and camp has run super smoothly.  All the kids are so much fun! Just yesterday, I played dodgeball so much that now my arm hurts! Today I am brining in Inception Cookies for all the staff members to thank them for one awesome summer!

My marathon training is also off to a great start.  This weekend I am running 13 miles (a half marathon) and I am officially entering week 9 of my 18 week program.  I have been running my long runs on weekends with a group called CARA.  This group has really helped me to have fun and run better because of it.  I am running with the 10:00 minute mile pace group.  Every Saturday, we meet at 6 a.m. and run as a pack.  It's great because we get to chat about our lives/running/whatever and it makes the runs go so much faster.  Plus, since we start early, we beat the heat and get home with our whole Saturday still in front of us.  I can't believe I'm already halfway through the training and I know it is going to get pretty intense here on out.  I will keep you posted!

Today I am sharing a really great healthy, vegetarian recipe.  I have been trying to shed a few pounds this summer and get in shape and this soup helped me to do that! Plus, it is great to make a huge batch of because the leftovers are awesome and I like having something planned out to take in for lunch.

Healthy Vegetarian Soup
(adapted from Favorite Family Recipes)

Ingredients:
2 containers of vegetable stock
3 cups low-sodium V-8 juice
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes
1 onion, copped
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 oz mushrooms, sliced
3 carrots, peeled and diced
1 zucchini, diced
1 yellow squash, diced
2 cups fresh green beans, chopped
1 15 oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
3-4 cups shredded cabbage (I used red)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. In a large frying pan, sprayed with olive oil spray, sauté the chopped onion with the garlic over medium heat.  After about 5 minutes, add in the carrots and mushrooms.  Continue cooking over medium heat until vegetables soften (about 5 minutes).
2. In a large crock-pot, pour in the vegetable stock and V-8 juice.  Add in the sautéed vegetables and the rest of the ingredients.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours or until the cabbage has softened.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

This morning I went for a run.  It started off great. I had planned out 9.5 miles and it was a beautiful morning.  Around mile 6, I totally wiped out because I tripped on the uneven pavement.  I proceeded to limp/run my way home and cut my run short by about 1 mile.  Now, I am sitting here with bandaids all over my knees, elbow, and palms and all I can think about is: "Only 17 more miles!"

I just signed up for the Chicago Marathon and I am very nervous and excited about it.  Right now, I'm in a little bit of pain due to my tripping injuries, but once I am better I am going to start training! I can't wait!

Today I am sharing with you one of my family's favorite chicken recipes.  In honor of Passover where we don't eat bread, this is a great dish! It is really yummy and the chicken comes out great in the crock pot!

Crock Pot Chicken Marsala

Ingredients

• 2  cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1  tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2  teaspoon salt
• 1/2  teaspoon pepper
• 2  jars (6 oz each) Green Giant® sliced mushrooms, drained
• 1  cup sweet Marsala wine or Progresso® chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
• 1/2  cup water
• 1/4  cup cornstarch

Directions

1. 1Spray 4- to 5-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. In cooker, place garlic and oil. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper; place in cooker over garlic. Place mushrooms over chicken; pour wine over all.
2. 2Cover; cook on Low heat setting 5 to 6 hours.
3. 3Remove chicken from cooker; place on plate and cover to keep warm. In small bowl, mix water and cornstarch until smooth; stir into liquid in cooker. Increase heat setting to High; cover and cook about 10 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
4. 4Return chicken to cooker. Cover; cook on High heat setting 5 minutes longer or until chicken is hot.
5. 5To serve, spoon mushroom mixture over chicken breasts; sprinkle with parsley.

Build Your Own Nachos with Crock Pot Salsa Chicken

Hi! I have so much to tell you all! I am on Spring Break and therefore I am able to seriously catch up on some of this blogging stuff :).  On Friday, I brought in lunch for Payday Friday for the math department, we had an early release, and then I was FREE! I have a week off from school to relax and finally catch up on sleep.  I am very excited about this.  My little brother ended up with the same Spring Break from college and so my whole family decided to go out to Arizona for the break.  We are staying in beautiful Scottsdale and having a great time.

Today I wanted to share some big news, as well as a "big" recipe.  My big news: I just registered to run the Chicago Marathon in October!!! It's something I've been dreaming of for a while and I am very nervous and very excited about running my first marathon.  I will be sharing my training experiences here and I am excited for the support and comments from all of you that helped me stay motivated when I was training for my half marathon.  I can't wait and I hope it goes well!

And now, my "big" recipe.  I had to cook lunch for a crowd this past Friday.  I went with a crock pot recipe and I doubled it so that I would have enough to feed at least 20.  This is half of the recipe and it will still make quite a lot of food, which is great because this is a recipe where you will want leftovers, its so good! I made a salsa chicken recipe in my crock pot, then shredded the chicken and served it on top of tortilla chips with all the toppings could could think of for nachos.  It was really yummy and a huge hit with my math department! In fact, it was all gone before I got any good photos! You will just have to use your imagination.

Build Your Own Nachos
(adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:
Salsa Chicken:
3 lbs. chicken breasts, thawed
2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 cans whole kernel corn, drained
2 jars salsa (use your favorite)
1 8 oz block low-fat cream cheese
2 packets taco seasoning
Toppings:
shredded sharp cheddar cheese
shredded lettuce
guacamole
sour cream
tortilla chips

Directions:
1. Place chicken in crock pot.  Pour salsa over chicken.  Top with the black beans, corn, cream cheese, and taco seasoning.
2. Cook on high for 5-6 hours, stir occasionally to mix in the cream cheese and taco seasoning.  After 5 hours, shred chicken and let cook for an additional 30 minutes or so.
3. Serve on top of tortilla chips with all your nacho toppings.

Enjoy :)

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers

Oh hey there! It's only been three weeks since my last post.  I just can't find enough time to get everything that I want to do done!  Teaching is crazy since it is so hard and exhausting, but I am also loving it.  This is definitely the profession for me because while I feel tired and overwhelmed, I also feel happy.  However, it also means very little time for anything else!  I'm pretty sure Bri is starting to feel similarly since he just started law school.  I'm pretty sure we are in for a really tough year, but we are also doing what we have always wanted to and that makes it exciting!

I have been cooking (a girl's gotta eat) I just haven't had time to share it all!  I seriously have about 15 "drafts" with recipes that I made that are just waiting to become a post.  Well, here's one!  I am a huge fan of stuffed peppers because I think they are super yummy and you can make them in crock pot!  This recipe took some of my favorite flavors and turned it into a really yummy dinner that did not take that much time or work!  This is wonderful since I don't have much time! I just threw this together on morning and then we had amazing peppers for the week!  They stay well if you keep them in the fridge and they are quite delicious.

Mediterranean Quinoa Stuffed Peppers 
(adapted fro Avocado Pesto)

Ingredients:
5 or 6 red peppers (good stuffing ones), tops removed and seeds taken out
1 cup quinoa
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 oz. portabella mushrooms (sliced)
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1/2 cup crumbled feta
handful of fresh basil
1-2 tbsp dry white wine
salt and pepper
shredded cheese (your favorite, I used cheddar)

Directions:
1. In a medium pot, warm 1 tbsb olive oil over medium heat.  Cook garlic until aromatic.  Add in quinoa and cook until toasted, about 2 minutes.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water and increase heat until boiling.  Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer for 20 minutes or until quinoa is cooked.
2. In a pan, heat the rest of the oil over medium heat, add in sliced peppers and cook until translucent and soft.  Place in a bowl.  To the same pan, add the mushrooms and cook until soft and fragrant.  Place into the same bowl with the peppers.
3.  When the quinoa is done, add to the mushroom and pepper bowl.  Combine with the feta, basil, wine and salt and pepper.  Toss to combined.
4. In your crock pot, place the peppers.  Stuff the peppers with your quinoa mixture.  Top with the shredded cheddar and let cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy :)

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

My first day back at school from my little trip through Illinois on interviews was a good one! I was so nervous, it felt like the first day all over again.  Well, maybe I wasn't THAT nervous.  However, it was pretty darn unsure of myself.  I felt so out of the loop and like I hadn't been in class for a long time.  I jumped right back in and I've gotta say I'm so thankful for my students.  They are just fantastic.  They clearly had missed me and were excited for me to be back.  Many of them asked me how my interviews went and they were really sweet! I am excited to be back and I can't wait to just get back into the swing of things.

While I was home, I made this awesome Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken.  It is super tasty and it was super easy to make.  This is what I'm bringing for lunch today! While I was home, I made little sandwiches for myself.  Then, I left a bunch at home for my mom and dad and took some leftovers back with me to Madison!  The chicken is juicy, tasty, and sweet! It is perfect as a sandwich or for dinner served with some sort of side!

Crock Pot Sesame Chicken (adapted from The Way to His Heart)

Ingredients:
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, smashed
3 tbsp canola oil
3/4 cup honey
3 tbsp tomato paste
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
pinch of red pepper flakes, to taste
salt and pepper
sesame seeds

Directions:
1. Mix the onion, garlic, canola oil, honey, tomato paste, vinegar, soy sauce, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl.  Place chicken in the crock pot, season with salt and pepper, and pour sauce over the chicken.  Cook on low for 4-5 hours.
2. Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken and while stil hot, pour sesame seeds (however many you want) over the shredded chicken and stir to combine.

Enjoy :)

Foodie Friends Friday: Crock Pot Party!

This week, Foodie Friends Friday is back!  This week is all about Crock Pot Recipes! Just follow the rules and link up your Slow-Cooker recipes! Also, host favorites will be featured on Daily Dish!  This week I'm linking up Crock Pot Veggie Lasagna, Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers, and Slow Cooker Apple BBQ Pulled Chicken.

Here are the winners from last week!

Top 3:

1. White Bean Roasted Garlic Hummus

2. Vandaloo Prawn Curry 

3. Creamy Garlic Salad Dressing

Most Clicks:

1. Garlic Parmesan Knots

2. White Bean & Garlic Dip

3. Garlic Chicken Pizza

And Host Favorites! 

Welcome to Foodie Friends Friday!

Please take a moment to read through the rules before getting started, Thank You!

*By linking up you agree that you read these rules and all photos/recipes are original and belong to you. You agree to allow Foodie Friends Friday and any of it's affiliated websites or publications (Social Girls Media, LLC) to use photos, links, and recipes for reprint and/or republishing and distribution without monetary compensation to you. If photos & recipes are used, proper link backs to you will be included.

Adding Links back to Foodie Friends Friday and our Button is our only form of advertising to bring in more people to see YOUR recipes.

Please remember to do this. It benefits you! To thank you, we will continue to feature those with links throughout the year on various outlets.

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Meet our Co-Hosts at Foodie Friends Friday:

  Now Let's meet our sponsor this week! *Giveaway Disclaimer: Facebook is in no way associated with this website or giveaway and holds no liability for this giveaway. "Liking" facebook pages is optional, not mandatory for entry. Sponsors will be responsible for shipping- if there is a delay or problem with prize, you must communicate directly with sponsor.

Foodie Friends Friday-Crockpot Party!

This week Foodie Friends Friday is hosting a Crockpot Party! I love cooking with my crockpot and it is one of the things I miss most while I am away at college (after my stand mixer and ice cream maker).  I just don't have the space for it in my room! It's very sad.  I love to get re-acquainted when I go home.  Some of my favorite recipes are Vegetarian Stuffed Peppers, Vegetarian Lasagna, BBQ Pulled Apple Chicken, and Vegetarian Chili.  I've linked them all up to celebrate this week's party!

Onto the business/fun stuff! Last week TWELVE lucky winners won awesome items from all the great sponsors!

And here are the winner's from last week's party!

Most Votes:

1. Caramel Apple Cupcakes

2. Peanut Butter Pumpkins

3. Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Most Clicked:

1. Pumpkin Bundt Cake

2. Peanut Butter Pumpkins

3. Loaded Potato Soup

This week is sponsored by Cotton Commotion and two randomly picked, lucky winners will win Crockpot Carry Bags!

But first, here are this week's co-hosts:

Foodie Friends Friday http://www.foodiefriendsfriday.com

Tracy at Busy Vegetarian Mom http://www.busyvegetarianmom.com

Robyn's View http://www.robynsviewathome.blogspot.com

Marlys at This and That  http://marlys-thisandthat.blogspot.com/

Lois at  Walking on Sunshine http://wifeofthecolonel.blogspot.com/

Lindsey at Family Food Finds  http://www.familyfoodfinds.com

Cindy at Cindys Recipes and Writings  http://www.cindysrecipesandwritings.com

Michelle at  From Calculus to Cupcakes http://www.fromcalculustocupcakes.com

Cynthia at Feeding Big  http://www.feedingbig.blogspot.com

Jodie at Binomial Baker http://www.binomialbaker.blogspot.com

R Dawn at Spatulas on Parade http://www.spatulasonparade.blogspot.com

Angie at A lil Country Sugar http://www.alilcountrysugar.blogspot.com

HungryLittleGirl http://www.hungrylittlegirl.com/

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Golden Birthday Part Two: Vegetarian Slow-Cooker Lasagna

Yesterday, Saturday, was my 21st birthday.  I turned 21 on the 21st and therefore it was my golden birthday as well! It was quite possibly one of the best days of my life.  I know that is dramatic, but it seriously was amazing.  Also, I totally remember all of it!

I just feel so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life.  I started off the day with a nice 9 mile run, not kidding.  As I was running, I was amazed at how happy I felt that this was such a special day, but that I still felt totally the same. It was an amazing run where I just felt so happy and comfortable with who I am.  I have changed a lot through the years, and now, I feel very comfortable and happy.  After my run, my amazing boyfriend took me to the DMV to get my new license.  Not only do I now have a real-person sideways license, but I also registered to vote! It was so exciting! Following that excursion, we met my parents, brother, and bestie, Tamara, at a restaurant for a little Brunch/Lunch.  I got my favorite omelet and just continued to enjoy my day.  Also, I hadn't seen Tamara in AGES and it was awesome to catch up with her.  Then, it was time to really get the party started.  Some of the most amazing ladies in the world, Caryn, Lauren, Anna, Katie, and Jilly, met up with me, Bri, and Tamara at my house and my brother, mom, and dad were awesome enough to drive us all downtown to our hotel for the night.   We got ready to go out in the hotel and then headed to Goose Island Brewery for a fantastic dinner and my first legal drink! Of course, the waiter asked for my ID and it was really funny and exciting.  I was all decked out in my goofy birthday trinkets and of course, my golden shoes for my golden birthday! Then, we headed to Lincoln Park for the bars.  Everything was so fun.  We drank, we danced, and then we ended the night with pizza! It was the best!  I felt so happy to be surrounded by such amazing friends and I can't thank them all enough for the awesome birthday night I had because of them.  Also, Brian was amazing and even danced the night away with me! I don't even know how to express my love for all of them, they are all unbelievable!

Now, it is Sunday, and it is definitely a Slow-Cooker kind of day.  Which is why I am sharing a fabulous recipe for a Slow-Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna.  It is the easiest comfort meal I have made in a while and it is perfect after yesterday's/early this morning's shenanigans.

Slow Cooker Vegetarian Lasagna (adapted from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:
1 box whole wheat, uncooked lasagna noodles
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
2 red peppers, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
3 roma tomatoes, chopped
4 cups, or more marinara sauce
2 cups shredded, light mozzarella cheese
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
15 oz low-fat, part skim ricotta cheese
salt and pepper

Directions:
1. Lightly grease your slow-cooker and prepare the vegetables.  Place the veggies, without the tomatoes, in a bowl and combine.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the ricotta with the mozzarella and parmesan.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Coat the bottom of the slow-cooker with some marinara sauce. Place lasagna noodles over the bottom.  Break noodles to make them fit. Spread some of the cheese mixture over the noodles to coat them.  Spread a few spoonfuls of the veggies over the cheese and then top with sauce and some chopped tomatoes.  Place lasagna noodles on top and then repeat with the other ingredients to create the layers.  Once you have 4 layers, top with the final lasagna noodles, coat with marinara/tomatoes, and then sprinkle on some extra parmesan.
4. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

Enjoy :)


This recipe is featured on Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party!

Easy Slow-Cooker BBQ Pulled Chicken

It's Monday again and so it's time for a little Half Marathon Monday update! I completed Week 5 of my 10 week training and so that means I'm halfway there! Woooaahh! I'm livin' on a prayer...great song right? This week I ran 4 runs: 3, 5, 3, and 10 miles.  I felt great after every single one.  And you know why? Because I wasn't afraid to run indoors! It was about 98 degrees on Wednesday and felt like it was 120.  So, I headed to the gym and ran on a treadmill.  It was great! I even got to watch TV while I ran for about 45 minutes (Food Network of course).  I also participated in Pilates and was going to do Zumba, but it was cancelled :(.  Instead, I did lots of walking on my days off with friends and family.  That is the best part of working out: when you get to hang with other people.  This week I have two 4 mile runs, a 5 mile run, and finally an 11 mile run.  Plus, hopefully Zumba won't be cancelled and I'm heading to Pilates tonight.  Hopefully the weather will be a little kinder this week and I will get to enjoy more of the outdoors!

Last night, my family gathered round for a lovely meal and I wanted to share it with you! We were pretty busy yesterday: My mom and I went for a walk (as Zumba was not happening), my brother had a baseball game, we needed to run some errands, and I saw Legally Blonde with my friend Michael.  Basically, no one was around to cook.  So, we threw some chicken in the slow cooker with this great BBQ sauce we purchased at one of the stands at Strawberry Fest, and in 8 hours (ta-da!) we had pulled bbq chicken.

BBQ Pulled Apple Chicken

Ingredients:
5-6 chicken breasts
1 granny smith apple, cored and chopped
2 cups bbq sauce (make your own or use your favorite)
1/3 cup water (optional-if you want a less thick sauce)

Directions:
1.Place all the ingredients in your slow-cooker and cook on low for 8 hours.
2. After 8 hours, using two forks, shred the chicken and then let sit on warm in the sauce until you are ready to eat!
Enjoy :)

This recipe is featured on Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party!

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal

Today I had to wake up at 5:45 in the morning to get ready for work.  Not only is that 15 minutes before my normal weekly wake-up time (6) for school, but it is SATURDAY.  Also, last night was Relay for Life.  That means, I tried to stay for as much relay as possible while still getting home and going to be to attain a reasonable amount of sleep...5 hours.  It also means that I was at relay for 5 hours and then woke up while it was still going on. 

Relay for Life was a ton of fun and a huge success.  I am always amazed to see the massive turn out and it is shocking to me to think of the amount of money that is raised at those events.  At the same time, it was very sad to see the sheer number of people so closely affected by cancer.  My heart goes out to everyone who has had to witness this terrible disease in any way.  I was proud to be a part of an event such as this one.  Nights like last night remind all of us of how much we can do to show we care.

All this waking up early and getting very little sleep has made me want to share a recipe with you for Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal.  I made this over spring break and it was fantastic.  I am already a huge oatmeal lover and this was the best oatmeal I had ever had! I can't wait to try different flavors and variations.

Also, this oatmeal is perfect for the life of a teacher, which is going to look very similar to my life nowadays.  The whole waking up before the sun and getting going is what my life is going to be all about.  I love how this recipe is so simple.  YOu throw it together the night before and in the morning you have hot, steamy, delicious oatmeal all ready to go!

Overnight Steel Cut Oatmeal (Inspired by Chocolate & Carrots)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup steel cut oats
1 cup skim milk
2 cups water

Directions:
1. Place all ingredients in a ceramic bowl that can hold at least 4 cups.  Place the ceramic bowl in your slow-cooker.  Fill the slow cooker with water so that the water comes almost to the top of the bowl.  Let cook on  low for 6-9 hours (I did 8).
2. Top with your favorite toppings! I used a little honey, dried cranberries, and fresh blueberries...yum!