Chicken Tortilla Soup

I was in the search for a chicken tortilla soup because it's one of my favorites. I found a recipe and then I modified it to make it more to my liking. The first time I made it my best friends were coming in from California for a visit and it was a cold yucky day. They loved it and my hubby did too. 

The next time I made it, it was just for home but I modified it and it was even better. So the next time I needed to make something for Lent dinner at church. It's quick, easy and yummy so I thought it would be a good one since I had to work during the day before church. 

So I almost forgot to make it before I left to work so I quickly put it together....the first steps are to add the following ingredients to your crock pot.

About 4 large chicken breast 
1 -  carton of chicken stock
3 1/2 - cups of water
2 cans - Fire Roasted diced Tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic  (I use the jar kind)
3 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 medium sized finely chopped yellow onion

I added all of these to the crock pot and left for work. When I returned home I took out the chicken and started to chop it up with a fork. It was super tender and easy. to chop/shred with a fork. 

When that was done I added

1 can black beans 
1 can fire roasted corn 
1 large bunch of chopped cilantro

Add everything back to the pot including the chicken let it cook for about an hour and then it's all done! Serve it in a bowl and add some extras such as:

Sour cream, cheese and tortilla chips all optional of course  

Hope you enjoy!
~S. Cousins

Salad in a Jar (For the Busy Mom Of Course)

So I was trying to find a way to eat better at lunch and save time in the process.When looking for something that would not take too much time I stumbled upon salads in a jar. The selling point for me was that people had claimed that you could make them all one Sunday and they would be good all week. Now we all know that this is not always the case with salads or veggies. The second thing was that I could not find a recipe that worked for me (despite all of the other people that have this posted on blogs and Pinterest.) Now there are many different types of these but I needed something that I would like to eat all he time. Now I have many people asking me to make it for them. What is in my wonderful lunch well I am going to tell you what is in the salad and also how to make it step buy step.

It all starts with the salad dressing: Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (My own recipe)
This one was trial and error at first but now I have it down.

1. 1 Jalapeno
2. Cilantro (One bunch)
3. 1/2 cup Lime Juice (I get it already bottled) 
4. 1/2 cup organic rice vinegar
5. 1/2 cup olive oil 
6. Garlic
7. Salt and Pepper to taste 

Blend it all in the blender and you are done

This is also the first thing you add to your mason jars.

















You want to make sure that all of your veggies are chopped and ready to go this makes everything go a lot quicker.I drain the black beans before you start chopping so that they are ready to go when you start to put the salads together.

Next you are going to add the black beans this is a great source of protein and will definitely fill you up.and then all of your crunchy veggies. Radishes, sweet peppers, cucumbers. If there are other crunchy veggies such as carrots (which I despise).

Next you are going to add your lettuce then tomatoes I use cherry tomatoes.

Last I add green onion, then cilantro and cheese on top.
And a paper towel....this grabs the moisture from the lettuce and keeps everything crisp.

Lastly seal the jar and put them into the fridge you are ready for the week ahead.

ALL DONE!!! Just a note you might want to take a plate or I use a plastic pasta bowl to dump my salad into its a hefty and filling salad.

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.....

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!!!

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!!!