Crock Pot Shredded Caesar Chicken

This was by far the winning dish I made last week. Rachel Schultz, my blogging inspiration of all things worth being inspired by, posted her recipe Chicken Caesar Sandwiches and I lost it. It looked like the most perfect thing on the planet. But, we eat sandwiches for lunch all the time so I wanted to modify it to be atop salad. On a whim, I used some leftover sliced bread for a little "crouton" action. Get in on this. It's easy and will knock your husband's socks off.

And thanks to hubby for taking this fine photo! :)

// Ingredients //
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Olive Oil
1 cup Lite Caesar dressing
½ cup Parmesan, shredded
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons pepper
4 cups romaine lettuce, shredded

For optional croutons:
Two Slices White or Wheat Bread
Butter (to taste)
1 tsp of oregano

// Directions //
1. Marinate chicken in lemon and olive oil mixture over night or for 5 hours.
2. Arrange chicken breasts in a single layer in slow cooker along with remaining marinade juices.
3. Pour ½ cup water into basin and cook on low for 3-4 hours.
4. Remove chicken from slow cooker and shred with two forks.
5. Drain water from crock pot.
6. Return chicken to crock pot and stir in caesar dressing, parmesan, parsley, and pepper.
7. Cook on low for 30 minutes.
8. While cooking, slice each piece of bread into strips. Butter both sides and sprinkle with oregano. Toast to the "brown" of your liking.
9. Serve chicken over lettuce and top with croutons. Enjoy!

Linking Up With:

Tasteful Tuesdays || Brag About It Tuesday || Totally Tasty Tuesdays

5 On Friday (8.2.13)

It's Friday! It's August! It's my mom's birthday! Clearly, there's a lot to celebrate. :)

/ My Mama! /
She is a super hero. No, really. She's beautiful, kind, hilariously enthusiastic (especially when it comes to unexpected wildlife while driving), quirky, joyful, unwaveringly supportive, giving, vivacious, and she always knows what I'm thinking. Happy Birthday, Mama. You deserve all the pumpkin pie and daughter hugs in the world. I love you so much!

(That's Mom on the left. Isn't she cute? S'cute!)

/ Thrifting My Face Off /

I have been going thrift store crazy this week. Found some delectable cardigans (to be showcased later this week), a cute shelf, and some whimsical vases for a secret project I'm working on and can't wait to unveil! I even gave our bathroom a sweet little tidy-up. These bowls were 25 cents each. Why does anyone ever go to Pier 1 EVER these days when you can score awesome deals like this? :)

/ House Blend Cafe /

In the midst of my thrifty antics, I stumbled upon a happy accident of a café: the House Blend Cafe in Ocoee, FL. It's quite far from our neck of the woods but I'd be happy to make the trek again and bring the hubs along for an afternoon bite. I ordered their Egg White Spanish Frittata (sans onions) and it was just lovely! I'd like to head back to try the Curry Stew over Rice, their New Orleans Red Beans And Rice, and their Mexican Salad Mondays! To top it off, 100% of their net profit goes to the community. Their slogan is "Eat Good. Do good." Who doesn't love that? Any locals ever been to this little gem?

/ Krystal Burger /

Timothy and I raaaarely eat fast food these days. If we do, the furthest we will go to "fast food" is often a sub shop. However, when I drove past a sweet little Krystal burger joint yesterday, I just had to make a U-turn and surprise my husband with a bag o' burgers after work. To be quite frank, I'm not a big burger person. I enjoy them but hate the inevitable guilt that, without doubt, ensues every time I take that last bite. There's something so alluring about the miniature state in which these burger find themselves. They're like the Honey I Shrunk The Kids of burgers. I've never had a White Castle burger so, WC loyalists will have to let me know if I'm missing out on something better or if both of these burger joints are merely twins with different names.

/ Crayola Doesn't Make A Color For Your Eyes /

I forgot about this little tune by Kristin Andreassen. Before "Cups," there was this. Get some. Best Listening Conditions: Barefoot while driving with the windows down on a sunny day. You're welcome.

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday | High Five For Friday | Back That Azz Up

Crock Pot Chicken Philly Cheesesteak

After a long Friday overnight rehearsal from 10PM- 7AM, I came home to my empty bed just as the hubs left for work, collapsed into an overdue coma until noon and naturally wanted nothing to do with cooking. I did however manage to do two loads of laundry, empty the dishwasher, and vacuum the apartment, but I digress.

Timothy had stocked us up on meats from BJ's (that's what she said?), so I conveniently grabbed some chicken breast and made an executive decision: Crock Pot Chicken Cheese Steak. Oh yeah.

We used some Publix French bread. Get ready to have your mind blown. Did you know you can get day old Jimmy John's bread for FIFTY CENTS a loaf? True story. Do it. We got FOUR of them.

/ Ingredients /

1.5 Pounds of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast

1 Medium Green Pepper (sliced thin)

1 Medium Onion (sliced)

1 14 oz can of Beef Broth (you could opt to use chicken or vegetable as well)

1 Envelope of Italian Dressing

1 Loaf of French Bread (your preference)

Sliced Provolone Cheese (number of slices can be based on your preference)

/ Directions /

1. Spray crock pot with cooking spray

2. Cut meat into strips and place in slow cooker

3. Add green pepper, onion, broth, and dressing mix

4. Cover and cook on low 7-8 hours, or high 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally

5. OPTIONAL: Once cooked, top the mixture with cheese slices for an extra searing and quick, melted goodness in a frying pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

6. Spoon meat mixture onto bread.

(You could also toast bread in a 375 oven for 5-10 minutes, add meat, cover with cheese, then bake an additional 5 minutes to melt the cheese.)

7. Use leftover juices from crock pot as a dipping sauce.

Note: After trying this recipe, I would add Worcestershire sauce to the mix for added flavor.

Modified From Group Recipes By Modelmom

  

Five On Friday (7.26.13)

I'd love to use ye olde saying and proclaim, "Thank God it's Friday!" But, alas, when your Friday contains a work day that spans 10PM at night to 7AM on Saturday morning, you have to let go of your premature weekend excitement and resign yourself to forced day-sleeping. Do I work the graveyard shift? No. This is called: being an entertainer. While I shall forever scoff at the idea of business suit antics and cubicle dwellings, there are those days where the shining beacon of normalcy seems nice.

But, then I remember I get (PAID) to play pretend for a living and all's well (that ends well (YES- actor humor! YES- double parenthetical sequence!)).

That being said, it's so nice to reflect on the good in this past week and all of its crazy busy glory.

/ Dollar Tree /

Folks, I have an addiction and it's called the Dollar Tree. Do you want to know why? Because, EVERYTHING'S A DOLLAR. This is a dollar store in its purest form. No thinking. No second guessing. No searching for removed price tags. No price check. No questioning the cashier with furrowed brow, "Oooh... the sign said that was on sale."

The Dollar Tree made me a promise and that promise was that: everything is a dollar.

None of this Dollar General junk where "everything costs generally a dollar."

None of this Family Dollar junk where "everything costs a family of dollars."

None of this 99 Cents And Up junk where "everything is 99 cents and up- just like it is at any. other. store. in. America." A dress at Bloomingdale's is the "up" part of that equation.

NOW, keeping that in mind, there are just some times when the Dollar Tree doesn't quite get it right. 

So, Dollar Tree, I'm sorry but I will not be making my frugal purchase of warming jelly, pregnancy tests, at-home drug tests, or Halloween decor in July today. But, thank you for meeting my needs otherwise. :)

/ Hubby's Meals /

Separate from the norm, I've been the one working 9AM-6PM every day this week and per usual, my husband has made delicious food. Favorite meals on the list?

- We got the Perfect Tortilla Bowl! It's awesome. Whipped up some chili, put it in the bowl. Delicious.

- Balsamic Rosemary Chicken with warm Quinoa Asparagus Salad modified from this recipe. We used feta cheese instead of goat cheese. YUM.

- Cheeseburger Cauliflower Bake modified from this recipe. Timothy added breadcrumbs on top. C'est magnifique!

/ $5 Shorts From Wal-Mart? /

Yes, please. Why spend a dollar more? You say stingy; I say classy and frugal.

/ Sara Bareilles' New Album, "The Blessed Unrest" /

She is undoubtedly one of the best singer/ songwriters we have out there right now. I've loved her for years and there is no end in sight. She's incredible. Alongside Ingrid Michaelson, she sings my heart and inspires me in my songwriting every day. 

Her strings version of "King Of Anything" reminds me of my own 2010 Folgers jingle submission. A girl who likes strings is fine by me. Hey Sara, can we be besties? Ok thanks!

/ My Husband's Nightly Music Serenades /

If the chicken is marinating or the onions sauteing, then my husband is on the piano. Whether it's mindless jamming, a Billy Joel cover, or a song-request sing along, it's always beautiful. I sometimes forget how lucky I am to have such a musically gifted partner in life. :)

How was your week?

Linking Up With:

5 On Friday | High Five For Friday | Back That Azz Up

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken And Mini Peach Cobblers

This has been a week of Jersey Mike's lunches and "I feel guilty about that sandwich, let me undo it with a healthy night" dinners. And those healthy dinners have been awesome due in (large) part to my husband's brilliance in the kitchen. I do have to flip my hair over being the brains behind some of our meal ideas this week. But, Mr. Pappas gets execution props all day long and admittedly usually comes up with our nightly menus.

I cooked up two little Pinterest finds this week. Both were tasty, one more than the other.

Crock Pot Salsa Chicken
This recipe is what a lazy cook like me loves. Dump that mess in the crock pot and let. it. go. We served the chicken up on soft flour tortillas with chopped romaine, cheese, and light sour cream with a side of authentic yellow rice. Fresh, filling, delicious and lots of leftovers after a meal for two.

/ Ingredients / 
3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (We only used 2 since there are only two of us- it was packed with flavor because of this fact!)
1 Jar of Salsa
1 Pack of Taco Seasoning
Yes. Yes that's all you need.

/ Directions /
1. Layer half of the jar of salsa onto the bottom of the Crock Pot.
2. Place chicken breasts atop the layer of salsa.
3. Sprinkle the entire packet of taco seasoning evenly atop the chicken.
4. Layer the remainder of the salsa on top.
5. Cook on low for 3-4 hours or high for 6-8 hours.
6. Shred the chicken with two forks and serve with your favorite ingredients!
(Adapted from My Imperfect Kitchen)

Mini Peach Cobblers
I made these for myself on my birthday because I wanted to be selfish and indulgent. They were quite tasty but I probably could have put more batter in my very large muffin tin, as well as baked it a little longer. I also thought 1 teaspoon of butter per muffin cup was a bit much. I'd suggest omitting the butter and using an olive oil spray for a lighter option.

They tasted lovely but looked like little nondescript, deflated pillows of mush. Experiment yourself let me know how it goes for you!

/ Ingredients / 
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
Dash of salt
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
Brown sugar
Cinnamon
1 large can peaches, diced (I diced mine at home. You can usually find pre-diced peaches in the individual fruit cup section)

/ Directions /
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place 1 teaspoon of melted butter into each regular size muffin tin.
3. Stir together the sugar, flour, baking powder, salt and add in milk.
4. Put 2 (or more!) tablespoons of batter into each muffin tin.
5. Add 1 tablespoon diced peaches on top of the batter.
6. Sprinkle with brown sugar and then cinnamon.
7. Bake for 12 minutes or until done.
8. Let cool completely before taking out of pan. Use a butter knife to loosen the edges and remove them from tin.
(Adapted from Alli N Sons)

Happy cooking! Happy eating!

Link-Up:
- A Glimpse Inside -

Clean Eating Crock Pot Chicken With Black Beans And Corn

My husband is the cook in this relationship. Not only is he ridiculously good at it, but his passion for it is unmistakably strong. Even after a long day of work, he loves to come home and sweat over a stove. Where he finds the therapy in cooking, I find the trauma. From broken glassware to sliced fingers to tar-like burned casseroles to I-spilled-the-entire-pepper-canister-into-that-soup catastrophes, I am NOT your go-to housewife.

It's in our blood. He's Greek, he cooks. I'm Scottish, I destroy things.

But, through three years of off-the-cuff tutorials from my sweet, patient husband, I'm learning.

This is hands down the easiest (and one of the most delicious!) recipes I've ever tried.

/ Ingredients /

4 raw, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 oz. eac

1 (15 ounce) can black beans (rinsed and drained) or 1 1/3 cup home cooked beans

1 (15 ounce) can of corn (rinsed and drained) OR pound frozen and thawed organic corn

1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice, low sodium is best

1 (12 ounce) jar of your favorite salsa, no sugar added

1 (5 ounce) container of Greek Yogurt

1 packet of taco seasoning

(Modified from The Gracious Pantry)

/ Directions /

- Place the chicken breasts on the bottom of your slow cooker.

- Pour the tomatoes, salsa, and taco seasoning over that and then layer on the beans and corn.

- Cook on low for 5-7 hours stirring occasionally until the chicken easily falls apart when the pot is stirred. You should be able to easily shred the chicken with a fork

- Stir in Greek yogurt

The nice thing about this recipe is it's versatile and yields a large amount of food. We cooked for two and then were both able to munch on the leftovers for the next three days! For dinner, we spooned this over a fresh bed of lettuce, cucumbers and carrots and ate it as a taco salad. 

Other ideas: 

1. Eat as a chili with crumbled tortilla chips

2. Scrambled with egg whites for a fiesta of a breakfast!

3. Serve over rice, quinoa or couscous

What else might you do with this recipe? 

Yesterday's Chompings (6/15)

What I Ate Yesterday:

Breakfast
English Muffin with PB & Banana Slices- 350 cals

Snack
Crunchmaster's Multi-Grain Crackers with Sabra Classic Hummus Single- 330 cals

Dinner

Delicious meal made by my perfectly wonderful husband who is far superior to me in the kitchen. :)
Turkey kielbasa with feta quinoa and steamed green beans. We did the quinoa and green beans all in the rice cooker- fast, easy, and little clean-up! -446 cals

Snack
Gummy Bears!- 120 cals

Total
1146 cals

Exercise
Zumba Fitness- 60 minutes

What'd you eat? And can I have some? :)