Freezer Meals Teriyaki Chicken Review

So tonight we tried the Teriyaki Chicken but we decided not to do it in the crock pot my husband grilled the chicken instead. IT WAS GREAT. It only took about 15 minutes to grill which was perfect because that's how long it took the rice to cook also. I heated the sauce on the stove and added a little corn starch to it to thicken it up (only about 1/2 teaspoon). I added the sauce to the chicken when done. I also added some of the sauce to the rice (not on the kids rice though) The best part is that the kids ate it too! Now those of you who have been following know that I have very picky eaters. Since they liked it I say this is a winning dish. 

We ate our dinner with rice and stir fry veggies. The kids did not eat the stir fry veggies but they did have corn. This will be one of constant rotation. So as a review of the ingredients here is the recipe again. 

3-4 Chicken breasts
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce (I used Lawry's)
2/3 Cup Brown sugar 
3 cloves of Garlic 
3 slices fresh ginger 

Combine everything and freeze. Defrost the night before and Cook for 4-6 hours on low or grill. 

I hope that everybody likes this one as much as I did. Until next time!!! 

 

To Busy to Cook? Part 2 Freezer Meals (These are even Better)

Freezer Meals Part 2 

Here We GO!!!

 As promised I have made my second round of freezer meals. I also have pictures of the prep, I will include the recipes and some tips and tricks to make it easier. Like I said before this is a transition for me and my family but I am excited about how much time that they are going to save me. So in this post you will find 6 new recipes: 

Slow Cooker BBQ chicken
Peppered Steak 
Slow Cooker Chili 
Cilantro-Lime Chicken
Teriyaki Chicken
Cafe Rio Crock Pot chicken

Let's Start with BBQ chicken: 
2 lbs boneless chicken 
1/4 cup Heinz Ketchup 
1/4 cup Worshershire Sauce 
3 Tbls. Brown Sugar 
2 Tbls. Chili Powder
1 Tbls. Hot Sauce 
1 Tbls. Curry Powder 

Mix all ingredients first and then add chicken. Spray slow cooker with cooking spray and cook 10-11 hours. Good sides can be baked beans, salad, roasted asparagus or potato salad. 

Here is what it looks like all mixed up 











Peppered Steak 
1.5 lbs boneless beef round steak (I cheated and got fajita meat the less work the better for me) 
2 onions 
1 clove of garlic
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger 
2 medium green peppers
1 cup of water 
2 tablespoons beef bullion 
3 tablespoons soy sauce 
(2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 cup cold water) <---- Do Not put these in the bag

Mixed everything up and freeze. Cook 6-7 hours on low add cornstarch and water when beef is done. Serve over rice. 

 I decided to use the freezer storage after I labeled the bags so I taped them to the top containers.

 Slow Cooker Chili 
1 lb ground Beef 
1 Onion 
2 can diced tomatoes 
1 can tomato sauce 
1/4 Cup Ketchup 
1/4 water 
1 can dark red kidney beans 
1 packet chili mix 
3 stalks celery 
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce  
1 Tablespoon Sugar

First brown the ground beef. As it cooled I combined the other ingredients. I then mixed in the ground beef. Some sites say mix it in the bag it's easier in a bowl. You can split into two freezer bags but I decided to buy some freezer safe glad wear instead it's way easier to deal with for some of the recipes . If you are going to use plastic bags make sure that you label them before hang. Also Another quick tip is put your plastic bag into a pitcher this makes it easier to fill up. 

Defrost in fridge and cook for 5-6 hours on low. 

Cilantro Lime Chicken 


1.5 lbs Chicken Breasts
1/2 white onion 
1 red bell pepper 
1 Cup black beans drained 
1 cup frozen corn drained 
4 oz. can green chilies 
1 jalapeno
3 tablespoons Lime Juice 
3 cloves garlic 
1 cup Cilantro 
2 teaspoons Cumin 

Combine everything and freeze. Defrost the night before add 1-2 cups of water and cook on low for 7-8 hours. 

Teriyaki Chicken 

3-4 Chicken breasts
1 cup Teriyaki Sauce (I used Lawry's)
2/3 Cup Brown sugar 
3 cloves of Garlic 
3 slices fresh ginger 

Combine everything and freeze. Defrost the night before and Cook for 4-6 hours on low.  I've decided that I might cook stir fry veggies and either add to dish or serve on the side. I will probably serve over rice. I might even get steamed rice on my way home. From my local sushi place. 

Cafe Rio Crock Pot Chicken

So this one got tons of positive reviews. I am skeptical but you have to try it before you can say you don't like it. (At least this is what I tell my kids) 

4 Chicken breasts 
1/2 bottle zesty Italian 
1 Packet of dry ranch dressing 
1/2 Cup Water 
1/2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic 
1/2 Tablespoon Chili Powder 
1/2 Tablespoon Ground Cumin 

Mixed it all up and freeze. Defrost in fridge and cook 4-6 hours on Low. Not sure what I am going to eat with this one.  (My camera on my phone stopped working for a bit so I didn't get a picture of it before.)

 I am very excited and anxious to try these new meals I will do a post after I try each one. I am going to let my husband choose what he wants each night. 

1. Tips and Tricks 
2. Some of these say use 2 lbs of Chicken well that is a little excessive if you don't have a large family or you are just cooking for 2 people. I only used about 4 chicken breasts for each. Enough to ensure leftovers but not so much that I wouldn't want to eat it anymore.  The first time I did it I only used 2-3 chicken breast (But make the same amount of the seasoning) this way I can see what we liked and next time I will make more. 
3. Buy reusable freezer Tubs. This way you are not wasting so much plastic and you can wash and reuse them and save money. 
4. If you do use plastic bags don't forget the pitcher to hold everything for you. 
5. Make a shopping List by categories it will cut down on how much time you spend in the store. (Don't forget to look at sale ads before going)

Too Busy to Cook? Freezer Meals to the Rescue!!!!

So I said that I would do a review of the freezer meals that I have used and update you on how they are going. I must admit I am in LOVE with the freezer meals. The reason I am trying so many different meals is so that I can see if we like or don't like something. I plan on doubling these the next time and having them in my freezer.  These are going to come in handy especially during volleyball season which is also the beginning of the school year. I hope that you find these handy. So far we have tried 7 meals. Of those 7 there is one that my husband did not care for but the kids loved it so he is overruled on that one. 

First up Honey Rosemary Chicken

2 lbs chicken
1/3 c. balsamic vinegar 
1/3 c . honey
1/3 c. olive oil 
3 tbls. fresh rosemary 
1 tea. Salt 
Marinate before freezing 

Defrost in fridge and add one cup of water. Cook 6-8 hours on on low at one add 1 teaspoon cornstarch 10 minutes before serving. Serve over rice. 

This was a good first dish to start with the boys loved it. The directions said to cut into bite sized pieces I would say keep them a little larger because it cooked quite quickly and the chicken started to fall apart. 

Next up Newlywed Beef tips....this was the EASIEST

2 lbs beef tips 
23oz french onion soup 
1 bag frozen broccoli 

Put the beef tips and french onion soup in the bag a freeze. Defrost in fridge the night before add 2 cups of water and cook on low 6-7 hours. The last 30 minutes before serving add broccoli.  Serve over rice with fresh parmesean 

I like this because it was easy prep and still very yummy.  I would recommend this one to anybody who is a first timer to freezer meals. 

My Favorite So far was Sante Fe Chicken 

2lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 chopped red pepper 
1/2 onion 
1/2 teaspoon Cumin 
Cilantro (I added almost a whole bunch because I love it) I would say about 1 cup 
1 can black beans
1 can corn 
1 jar of salsa

I decided to mixed all of the ingredients and then add the chicken. Throw it into bags (2) and freeze. Defrost the night before. Put it into the crock pot and cook for 6-8 hours and serve over rice.  

This meal was amazing, easy to prep and yummmmy!!! 

Sausage and Peppers (Good for summer and occasionally)  

Sausage (I used chicken sausage not Italian)  
2 green peppers
1 red pepper 
1 red onion 
4 cloves of garlic 
2 cans Italian diced tomatoes 

Cook for about 6-7 hours. I served this on toasted subs and melted cheese (provolone/mozzarella mixed you can get already shredded at Target)  

Slow Cooked Fajitas (Great sub for fajitas and less cooking) 

2 lbs beef round steak (I used fajitas meat so I would not have to do extra cutting) 
2 - 8oz cans diced tomatoes with chilies 
1 large onion 
1 green pepper 
1 red pepper 
4 teaspoons of of cilantro ( I added more) 
1 cloves of garlic 
2 teaspoons chili powder 
2 teaspoons cumin 
salt and pepper 
1 jalapeno

Freeze all ingredients and it's ready. Deforest before cooking serve on tortillas. You can add whatever toppings that you want including cheese, sour cream, lettuce etc....I love fajitas and this was great to have after a long day of volleyball and being mommy.

Savory Chicken 

This one will be in the rotation for sure. It was good but I did overcook the broccoli a little bit. 
 
4 chicken breast
2 can stewed tomatoes
4 tbs white wine
1 onion 
4 cloves of garlic 
1 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste & 2 bay leaves
4 cups of broccoli 

Cook 6-7 hours and add broccoli the last 30 minutes I would actually say add the last 20 minutes.


Overall I would say freezer meals are going to allow me to eat better, save time and not worry about dinner each and every night. Next weeks meals are 

I will have prep pictures for next time as well as finished products. 
Cilantro Lime Chicken 
Slow Cooker Chili 
Teriyaki  Chicken 
Cafe Rio Crock Pot Chicken 
Peppered Steak 
Slow Cooked BBQ Chicken 

Until Next Time.....

Legoland Florida Review

So my mother came to visit from California and my boys LOVE legos (obviously you can tell that from the lego birthday party in one of my previous posts.

First off let's talk location.....OMG it's so far and in the middle of nowhere. I thought it was near all of the other attractions so when I googled where it was the morning of my husband was very upset that it was so far away.

We ARRIVED....a few hours later. So we hustle to the water park but it was located through the park on the other end....when we got there even though the sky was clear ALL off the water park was closed due to thunder and lightning....even though it was sunny. I am a Florida resident so I was a big agitated because the sky was clear I know what it looks like when there is rain. So sad crying upset little boys is what I had. So we though let's ride rides EVERYTHING was closed due to weather.

We went to guest services and they told us everything has to be closed to receive a refund. So 1 hour and 58 minutes later we are standing in line a guest services to get tickets to come back much earlier another day...right when we get up front they say sorry we opened a few rides so no tickets. So we try to make the best of it.

We finally start riding some rides and the boys are having a blast. Still no water park. We start to make our way through the lands and CHIMA was a blast for my kiddies.

Many of the rides are kid only but that was fine with us because it was all about the kids. So FINALLY the water park opened up and we were about to go in for a little bit. We were having fun and then the sky turned black...I was in shock that the park was not closing. It was getting chilly because it was super windy and I could see a storm coming in. We exited the water and tried to go and get on more rides of course not the park had CLOSED again.

My suggestions would be go in the spring, less stormy weather. Know where is is located (because it's nowhere near the other parks) Make sure to go early so you can get in the water before the afternoon rains. Go to the rides as soon as you get out of the water. Start with the popular rides first the other rides do not tend to have lines that are too long. Also try to get a cabana they look nice and have their own lockers, water and shelter from the rain.

Overall I wish that we had picked a different day. The boys did seem to have fun when we were able to do stuff. Next year we are going to go to Legoland California, which is located in San Diego. We also plan on renting a cabana so that we have a place to hang out. 

Freezer Meals

So as I try to save money and eat better I have come across a lot of people talking about freezer cooking. I'm trying to figure out if this will work for me and my family. So this week I started trying out these meals. Ont the menu we have 

1. Honey Rosemary Chicken
2. Newlywed Beef Tips 
3. Steak Fajitas 
4. Southwest Chicken
5. Sausage and Peppers (Chicken Sausage)
6. Savory Chicken 
7. Santa Fe Chicken

I made these all in one day in about an hour and a half. My mom was here visiting and she also works so very much so this could also be a solution for her and my dad. I will have a big write up of the successful recipes and a list of how they are prepared this weekend.

So my take on the first 3....

My kids absolutely love the Honey Rosemary Chicken, BUT my husband did not like it very much. It will be on the menu again because as I stated before my kids are the pickiest eaters EVER!!! And if they like something we will be eating it again.

The second night we had Newlywed Beef Tips which was great I served it over rice. My kids do not eat beef so no reviews on if they liked it. My mom and husband really like it a lot.

Tonight we had Steak Fajitas....now fajitas are usually a pain chopping and cooking all the food separately but this was great. We really enjoyed it. Again no kiddie reviews because they do not eat beef.

I am excited in the way that this is going because school starts soon and I am a teacher so having there ready before school starts is going to be great. Right now I am trying to see which ones work best for my family, play with the cook times and then I can make double the recipe and put them in my inside or deep freezer. During volleyball season this will be key to eating a good dinner and not just grabbing something fast food (I am trying to stay away from it). 

I will also start making my salads in a jar and oatmeal to help start me back on the right track for the new school year. 

Until Next time....

Panko Crusted Salmon (THE KIDS LOVED IT)

Once again lets remember that I am a mom of the pickiest yes I repeat the pickiest eaters on Earth. My parents tease all the time that my oldest only eats 5 things. We are trying to keep changing that this year and have been since his New Years Resolution to "try new things" So tonight I tried to make something else for him to try.

A little background. He does not eat Beef unless it's a hot dog, no pork either. He will eat chicken and fish and as I stated before lots of fruits and vegetables. I think it's kind of my fault when I was pregnant I was a pescatarian  (I only at fish and no other meat) I must admit I was super fit and healthy. So how did I prepare tonight's dinner well here we go.

Ingredients:
1. Salmon (4-6 filets)
2. Panko Pre-toasted (2 cups)
3. Parsley ( 2 tablespoons)
4. Lemon Juice ( 3 teaspoons)
5. Olive (2 tablespoons)
6. Salt and Pepper to taste
7. Dijon Mustard

To pre-toast Panko put it in a pan and stir until it turns a light brown.





This is Panko when you first put it in the pan.

Let it cool off a bit and then add parsley, Olive Oil and Lemon Juice. I added them one at a time to get the consistency that I was looking for and to make sure it was mixed thoroughly.Notice the color difference from above.












Now here is where the Dijon mustard comes into play now it depends on your taste buds and I know my kids, so on the pieces I knew were for them I only put a light amount of Dijon mustard. I would say taste the mustard if you like it add more if not lightly coat the Salmon in it. I let the boys do that part. It also helps that when they cook they take ownership of it and want to taste it more when it's done. I find that letting them help makes it easier for them to try (you know mommy psychology)!

Add the breadcrumb mixture to the top of the salmon (again I let the kids do this) then just bake for about 10-15 minutes. It was quick to prepare and the verdict......

The boys exacts words were "Mommy this is AMAZING" #winning #mommydoesitagain

Until Next time!!!

Let's Make Bird Feeders

Ingredients for the Birdseed Dough

I got this one from another mom you can follow the link to get to her blog  Bird Seed Dough I really like that this one did not use peanut butter. So many kids have allergies to it. And if we have friends over to play and they have allergies this is something that we could do with them.

What you will need:

1. 1/3 Cup of Flour
2. 1/4 Cup of Water
3. 1 packet of Gelatin
4. 1 1/2 Tablespoons of Corn Syrup
5. 2 Cups of Bird Seed

Supplies:

1. Drinking Straw
2. Cookie cutters
3. Mixing bowl and Spoon
4. Mat/ Foil or Wax Paper to put your seed on
5. Cookie sheet (optional)

How to make your own birdseed dough:

1. Put 2 cups of bird seed in a bowl
2. Add 1/3 Cup of flour
3. Next put in 1 1/2 Tablespoons of corn syrup
4. Then add 1 pouch of gelatin
5. Last add your 1/4 of water

I let the boys put in all of the ingredients and take turns mixing it up. Then we spread it out and let it dry for about 10 minutes. After that we used our cookie cutters to make out bird feeders. Use a straw to punch a hole in it and that is what you will use to hang it with srring from a tree. 

This was lots of fun and we have many birds near us. It was fun to sit on the patio in the morning and watch them eating from our birdseed dough. This will be fun to do again in the fall.

What the dough will look like before you use the cookie cutters.

Have Fun and Enjoy!!

Amazing, healthy and it only took 20 minutes!!!

So many of you are busy moms or some of you may just be busy!!!! I know that my schedule can get hectic. My calender for September is already overwhelming. So when it comes to dinner and trying to eat healthy without eating out I try lots of different things. My kids are picky but they will eat lots of fruits and vegetables. So I stumbled upon a recipe that I just had to try. 

It's a one pot meal that only took 20 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to prep. 

 So I made a few modifications to the original recipe. I used portbello mushrooms, and frozen peas. I decided that this would be easier for me on a busy work week and wanted to see if it would come out the same.

1 lb Spaghetti
3/4 cup Peas
3 Zucchini
1lb Portobello Mushrooms
Thyme (4 sprigs)
Garlic (It said two cloves I used my organic refrigerated garlic about a teaspoon)
4.5 cups of water
1/3 cup Heavy cream
1/4 cup Parmesan Cheese
Salt and Pepper to taste

Bring it all to a boil and then reduce heat for about 10 minutes. When you go back to your pot you will notice that there is barely any liquid left. Add the heavy cream and Parmesan Cheese mix it all up and you are DONE!!!

So I was so caught up in cooking and serving I forgot to take a picture of the final product but when I cook it again I will update with a picture. I hope that you enjoy this as much as I do. Until next time!!!

Exploding Kool-Aid

 
Now many of you drank Kool-Aid as a kid. I know that in my mom's house there was ALWAYS Kool-Aid around. So when I saw this project I thought let's give it a go. It ended up working so well we will do it again this summer. 

Materials:
Backing Soda
Kool Aid 
Water 
Cookie Sheets  (I used 2 of them so each kid could have their own)


There are so many cool things on pinterest and google and other blogs. My main complaint is that people list the ingredients but don't tell me how much of anything to put inside to do the project...so I made an educated guess but I did measure for my blog. 

I added 1/4 cup of baking soda to each of the small bowls 
**Note DO NOT USE VINEGAR....the ingredients in Kool-Aid react with the baking soda and water all alone.

I let the boys add the Kool-Aid...they each picked two colors at the store that they wanted to use. 

This one was lemonade and grape




This one below is tropical and pink lemonade

 The kids poured the water inside of the bowls themselves. We used old water bottles to do so. I let the kids add water until the bubbles began to start....My youngest stopped let the bubbles go down and then poured more water inside the bowl.

You can see they bubbled up quite nicely













This is what happened in the end they overflowed and gave off such a yummy smell!!! 

 This was fun, had very little clean up and not a lot of materials. We had fun watching them overflow and smelling the different scents.

Good project and we will definitely do this one again!!!!

ROCK CANDY!!!!

So this week I decided that we could have fun and make something. So we decided to make some rock candy!!! The recipe seemed easy enough but again I decided to adapt it to make it user friendly with things that I have around the house. So here is what you need:

 2.5 - 3 cups Sugar
1 cup Water
Foil
Skewers or Lollipop Sticks
Food Coloring (Optional)

So I started my combining sugar and water in a sauce pan and brought to a boil to make sure that the sugar was mixed. Then I put it into 3 seperate glass cups. The kids added food coloring and mixed it together.

Now other directions say use clothes pins and tape blah blah blah....how about we use what we already have....So this is why I chose foil.

Here is our sugar water all mixed up and ready to begin

Cover the top of your cup with foil 

I poked holes with a metal skewer so I could but my candy sticks right inside

 I made sure that they were spaced out and away from the sides of the cup so that they would not be "stuck" when we were ready to eat them.

Poke the candy sticks right through the holes and then I folded back the foil so that it could breath and allow for quicker crystallization. Also make sure that they are not totally touching the bottom...they will get stuck (TRUST ME)

We are making Red, Orange and Blue rock candy....It's our goal for them to be done by the time my mom gets here to visit from California. We started them on Saturday, July 5.

                                 Here they are today making great progress (July 7)