Crockpot Chicken and Chicken Tacos

I get many recipe ideas off of my favorite blogs. Sometimes we like them. Sometimes we don't.

One recipe that I found and that has become a staple in our house is how to cook a whole chicken in a crockpot. The Happy Housewife gave me a SIMPLE, NO FUSS way of making a whole chicken in the crockpot.

Whole Chicken in Crockpot

Take your chicken out of the wrapper.

Remove the innards.

Rinse and dry the chicken.

Place in crockpot.

Add seasonings on top.

Put lid on.

Cook on low for 7-8 hours.

Enjoy.

Super Duper Easy.

I made one last week and used McCormicks grill mates seasoning on my chicken and it came out Delicious!

We ate it with mashed potatoes, and green beans. We had a TON leftover.

Since I have been trying not to waste food, I took the leftovers and made chicken tacos on another night. Another super EASY, QUICK recipe.

CHICKEN TACOS

pre-cooked chicken

package of taco seasoning

2/3 cup water

taco shells

favorite toppings for tacos

Heat up chicken in your skillet.

Add taco seasoning and water.

Cook until heated through (about 3 minutes or so)

Place meat mixture on taco shells.

Add toppings.

Enjoy.





Have you made anything quick, easy, and/or homemade this week? Tell me about it!

For more great cooking ideas, visit Keli at Feeding Four!

I love Goodwill

It has been kind of warm here the last few days. Yesterday it was 80, today it was 85 and humid. Definitely shorts and t-shirt/tank top weather.

I went to put shorts on Jacob yesterday and realized that all the shorts and short sleeved shirts that I had bought him 2 months ago were all TOO SMALL!!!!! (I bought him 2T shorts and shirts) He has had a major growth spurt! Thankfully I had gotten him 2 pairs of 3T shorts, so all was not lost. But 2 pairs of shorts won't cut it for a summer wardrobe.....

So off I went to day to my favorite store for kids clothes....GOODWILL!!!!

I love the Goodwill in our town. There are actually 2 of them here. One is smaller and doesn't have a lot of clothes. The other one is huge and I can usually find what I need there. Most of the clothes that I get there look brand new and are in great shape. Today my goal was to get Jacob at least 4 pairs of shorts and 4 shirts in size 3T to get his summer wardrobe in check. So off I went with that in my mind....

And I scored!

I got Jacob 5 pairs of shorts and 5 shirts that will fit him (until his next growth spurt that is! LOL).

I got Rebecca 2 pairs of shorts, 2 shirts and a dress.

(She really didn't need any summer clothes, but she loved the Hello Kitty shirt and the Kailan shirt)

I also picked up 3 shirts for me--2 tank tops and a short sleeve shirt for work.

So all in all it was a GREAT day at Goodwill! And I have decided that the other shorts and shirts that are too small for Jacob (which I had also bought at Goodwill) will be put in our yard sale this weekend so it isn't a great loss. And anything we don't sell is being donated to that same Goodwill! So it all works out!

Have you had any luck at Goodwill or your local thrift store recently?

My Mother's Day recap

I had a great Mother's Day! It was very low key and non-stressful and just wonderful.

It started with getting to sleep in. Bill got the kids up and got them breakfast, etc. Then he and Rebecca brought me up breakfast in bed--- eggs, turkey bacon (because Bill knows I am trying to be healthier), toast and orange juice. Rebecca gave me a card and a picture that she had colored. After eating breakfast, Bill, Jacob, Rebecca and I cuddled in our bed for a while and just talked and laughed and Bill and I tickled the kids. After we came downstairs I was met by a dozen roses, a card from Bill and a shirt from the kids for Mother's Day presents.

The only thing Bill asked is if I would watch the kids for half an hour while he went and ran. I said of course. While he ran, I watched the kiddos and did the dishes. Then showered and got dressed in my new t-shirt.

For lunch, we decided to get a quick bite to eat at McDonalds, as I have been loving their sweet tea lately!

We then headed out to my Mom's house for a cookout with my parents, brothers, sister, sister-in-law, niece and nephew. It was a nice day out and Rebecca and Jacob had a blast playing with their cousins.

Overall it was a great stress-free, delightful, low key Mother's Day. Just the way I like it! (Thanks honey, if you read this! I love you!)

Hiltons of Branson, Missouri

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

We are always on the lookout for great family friendly vacation sites to add to our list of places to visit during the spring and summer.

Scenic Branson Missouri is the perfect family friendly destination for our family.

The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing are the best places to stay while in Branson. They both are very family friendly and offer amenities that appeal to our family. The Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel has a pool and offer the use of cribs and a fitness room. Perfect for our family. The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is located within Branson Landing, which is a shopping, dining and entertainment district.  Branson Landing offers many activities for the entire family including concerts and a nightly fountain water show sure to wow even the youngest child.

The thing that I love the most about the Hiltons of Branson is that they offer family friendly packages that help us to save money. They are currently running a special for the whole family offering tickets to the nearby Silver Dollar City for 2 adults and 2 children ages 4-11, a $25 food and beverage voucher for Level 2 Steakhouse located in the hotel, and 2 nights, 3 day stays at the hotel starting at just $455 plus tax.

Another great package being offered is the  Branson Best Value package offered at the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing which offers deluxe accommodations, two adult and two children's tickets to the Legends of Kung Fu show at the White House Theater in Branson, MO, two adult and two children's two-day passes to Silver Dollar City^®, a $25 gift card for shopping, and a $25 food credit for Level 2 Steakhouse. On top of all that your third night is free! This package starts out from $300 a night plus tax. Sounds like a great time!

Going to Branson would be a great, fun, affordable family vacation for us. I would love to stay at either Hiltons of Branson, although I think my favorite one would have to be the Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing. I would love to be in the heart of the city. We would definitely spend 2 days at Silver Dollar City, spend some time browsing around Branson Landing taking in the fountain show and allowing Rebecca and Jacob the opportunity to play on the Adventure Cove playground that is part of Branson Landing. And we would take in great restaurants like the Level 2 Steakhouse and Fall Guys Burger Company.

There is definitely something for everyone in Branson and the Hiltons of Branson (the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing) are your premier family destinations to make your family spring and summer vacations ones to remember!
 

Menu Plan and Grocery Shopping (UPDATED)

On Mondays I share my grocery shopping from the weekend and my menu plan for the next week. I do this to keep an eye on my grocery spending ( I am trying to keep our grocery expenses to under $70 a week) and to have a plan for what to eat during this crazy thing called life. It is just one way that I can live better one day at a time.
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This weekend, I went to Aldi and to Kroger.

This weekend I bought:

Aldi: Spent $25.75

Kroger: Spent $ 70.55 all together, but some of that was household items like batteries, a rechargeable battery charger (which was $19.99) , toilet paper, etc. so our food total from Kroger was $ 30.60

Food total for the week: $25.75 + $30.60 = $56.35!!!! YAHOO!!!!!!

I am hoping to keep this up and not buy too much as we are probably going to be moving at the end of the month.

Now onto my menu plan:

Menu planning is one thing I can do to simplify our life and to help me live better one day at a time!

MONDAY: Chicken patties, corn on the cob(leftover from the weekend), salad, green beans
TUESDAY: Macaroni and cheese, salad, carrots
WEDNESDAY: pizza, salad, veggies from fridge
THURSDAY: salmon, grilled cheese (for Kiddos), rice and broccoli
FRIDAY: Frozen tv dinners (we have a variety in our freezer that we need to use up) and/or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
SATURDAY: Tex mex chicken in the crockpot and rice
SUNDAY: beer battered fish, veggies, salad

For more great menu ideas please visit... orgjunkie.com

Happy Mother's Day

In my mailbox....(new post theme for Saturdays)

I am hoping to start a new themed posts for my Saturdays.

I have titled it: In my mailbox.

In it I will share with you what I have received that week in my mailbox and ask you to share with me what you have received.

So....

I have a hobby.

I like to sign up for freebies and coupons that come in the mail because it adds some excitement to mailtime. I do not sign up for every freebie or coupon that I come across as I feel that is wasteful and I don't need things in my house if I am not going to use them. So I only sign up for ones that I feel would be of use to my family.

This week has been a great week for freebies in my mailbox!

--Tide Stain Release sample (included 10 pacs!)(facebook sample)

-- Tide detergent sample (facebook sample)

-- Popcorn pop up bowl (All You sample)

-- Coupon for free Suave Professionals product (facebook sample)

-- $1 off any coke purchase (from Recyclebank)

-- Venus Razors and Olay sample (from Pampers points)

--Free coupon for bag of Uncle Ben's Rice (can't remember???)

--Shout Color catcher sample (don't remember where I ordered this from, maybe facebook??)

--Coupon for Free Kraft with Philly shredded cheese and $1 off (Kraft First Taste)

--Tresseme shampoo and conditioner and coupons (BzzAgent.com *look for a review post soon)

 

What have you gotten good in your mailbox? Let me know!

Letters of Intent

Foursons has a great weekly feature that she runs, called Letters of Intent. In it, she invites readers to write their own letters of intent and to link them up to her post. This week I have decided to join in....

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Dear Mom,

Thank you for everything you have done for me. Life hasn't been easy for you. You had me when you were just a teenager. But you endured. You are my friend as well as my mother. I appreciate everything that you do for me and Bill. I love the fact that you are willing to watch Rebecca and Jacob while I work. I love that you care about our family and that you are able to give us help when we need it. Thank you for being there for us and for being a great mother and grandmother!

Love,
Your Daughter
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To read more letters of Intent please visit Foursons.

Quick, easy, cheap homemade Chocolate Pie!

For birthdays I usually try to make everyone a cake and decorate it by hand. I enjoy doing this and usually have been very creative. This past weekend we celebrated my Father-in-law's 75th birthday and he requested either an apple or a chocolate pie or chocolate cake. I know that my sister-in-law and niece are not fans of cake, so I decided to try my hand at making a homemade chocolate pie. (also since I used up my stock of cake mixes and frosting last month, I figured a chocolate pie would be cheaper!)

I have never made any type of homemade pie before...usually I just make a frozen pie that all I have to do is bake. So this was my challenge.

Ingredients:

2 cups cold milk

2 -3.9oz packages of instant chocolate pudding mix

1 prepared pie crust (I used a chocolate crust)

1- 8oz container of cool whip thawed (I used a low fat cool whip)

1/2 cup chocolate shavings (I used an Easter rabbit and my grater to shave it.)

First you mix both packages of pudding with the milk, using a whisk.

(It helps to have a 4 year old helper to help you whisk!)

Then you spoon 1.5 cups of the prepared pudding into your crust.

Then you mix 1/2 of the container of cool whip with the remaining pudding in your bowl.

Spread this on top of your pudding layer.

 Add Cool whip garnish around the edges.

(I used a piping bag and cake decorating tip for this)

Garnish with chocolate shavings.

Cover and refrigerate for 4 hours.

Enjoy!

The verdict was that the pie was a HUGE success! It was very light and was not too rich. There was only 1 small piece left when we were done. I will be adding this to my recipe files. It was quick, easy to make and cheap!

For my own reasons I did a price make up of this dessert. (Okay ,I did this to prove my mother-in-law wrong that it would be cheaper to buy a frozen pie....)

2 cups milk...$0.22
2 packs pudding...$.90
1 crust...$1.50
1 container cool whip....$0.90
Chocolate shavings...$0.10
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Total cost to make this: $3.62 or $0.45 per serving.

That is what I call a GREAT price for a GREAT pie!

Have you made anything homemade this week? Tell me about it!

For more great cooking ideas, visit Keli at Feeding Four!

I got a new kitchen table!

When Bill and I got married, we used most of the furniture that he had to make our household, as his was in better condition than mine and was nicer. We still have the couch, chair, end tables, lamps, bed, and many other of the pieces (after almost 6 years of marriage). Most of it still works for us.

However, there was one piece though that while I liked it, I really didn't like it. It wasn't what I wanted. And that was the kitchen table and chairs.

Here is a picture of our table and chairs. Once you had 4 people around it, it became crowded. The seats had light tan fabric--a no-no with a preschooler and a toddler. I just never really liked it and it doesn't fit with our family needs.

So...I have been pricing new larger table and chair sets. Bill and I decided that the 2 things that we were going to spend our tax refund money on was Rebecca's school tuition for next year and a new kitchen table and chairs. I budgeted $400 for a new table and chairs (although I hoped to spend less!).

I looked on Craigslist. Nothing.

I looked on Ebay and Ebay classifieds. Nothing.

I looked at some of the local furniture stores. Nothing.

I looked at some furniture places about 45 minutes away... and found set that I liked for $420 with tax. It was a long square table, 4 chairs and a bench. I love the look of the bench seat and thought that my kids would love to sit on it. Didn't necessarily want to spend $420 plus gas money to go get it. So I figured I would think about it. That was 2 months ago.

Last week, I was looking through the ads that we get in the mail (for the grocery stores, Rite Aid, and Kmart). I stopped myself when I saw that Kmart had a similar table, chairs and bench and it would be $300 total---$100 less than I thought I would have to spend! I decided to look online to see if I could order it online and maybe find a coupon code to help! I did! I wasn't sure if they would have it in stock at my store, so I ordered it with free shipping to the store and after the coupon code my total was $249!!! SCORE!!!!! I ordered it Easter Sunday, and my mom let me borrow her van on Monday to pick it up.

Needless to say, I am LOVING my new table and chairs! The quality is great. I love the colors and the bench is fabulous! Now we won't have to bring in our ugly outside chairs when we have guests over for dinner!

Have you made a recent purchase you were thrilled with? Tell me about it!

  

I won a giveaway!

I enter giveaways on other blogs if it is something useful that I think we could use for our family. I do not enter every giveaway that I see. That being said, I was so excited to find out that I had won the Yoplait Kids prize pack from Stacie at Staying Me! 

I recieved my prize pack the other day! We received a scavenger hunt game, a pack of letter silly bands, 4 ice cream spoons, a Yoplait reusable lunch bag, a bouncy, bouncy ball, a yoplait calender magnet and photo frame magnet, and a coupon for a free pack of Yoplait for kids.

Jacob LOVES the ball, and Rebecca LOVES the scavenger hunt game and the alphabet silly bands!  

Thank you so much Stacie and Yoplait for this awesome prize!!!

Menu Plan and Grocery Shopping

On Mondays I share my grocery shopping from the weekend and my menu plan for the next week. I do this to keep an eye on my grocery spending ( I am trying to keep our grocery expenses to under $70 a week) and to have a plan for what to eat during this crazy thing called life. It is just one way that I can live better one day at a time.
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This weekend, I went to Aldi and to Kroger. I have been able to cut our grocery bill in half by shopping primarily at Aldi!!!!!! YAHOO!!!!

This weekend I bought:



Aldi: Spent $41.36--- this included extras like the pudding mix and cool whip for father-in-laws b-day pie. .
This also included their fit and active yogurt smoothies to try (I tried them yesterday--they are YUMMY!) and their spaghetti sauce to try. 



Kroger trip: spent $31.49--- included pie crust for pie and strawberries for fruit salad for Father-in-laws b-day

Total spent: $41.36 + $31.49 = $72.85 (over budget by $2.85) That is okay. As I bought extra stuff for my Father-in-laws birthday party. So I am okay with that.

Now onto my menu plan:

The last couple weeks I have been HORRIBLE about following and making a plan. I have got to get back on track this week.....I so need to do this as we have a busy May ahead, between work schedules, trying to find a new rental, yard sale in 2 weeks, Mother's Day, physical therapist appt for Jacob, baseball games, and birthdays....It makes me crazy just to think about all the things we have to do. Menu planning is one thing I can do to simplify our life and to help me live better one day at a time!

MONDAY: Spaghetti with meat sauce (leftover from the weekend)

TUESDAY: Chicken tacos (made with leftover roasted chicken from last week)

WEDNESDAY: Chicken patties, mixed vegetables, salad (quick and easy!)

THURSDAY: Chili (from freezer), grilled cheese, carrots

FRIDAY: Macaroni and cheese and green beans

SATURDAY: grilled salmon, rice, mixed veggie blend

SUNDAY: not sure yet...but I know I am NOT cooking! ;-)

For more great menu ideas please visit... orgjunkie.com

What I learned from the A to Z challenge

the A to Z Blogging Challenge for April! is over! I am glad that I took part in it, however I am glad that it is over.

I am glad that I took part in the A to Z challenge. I learned several things from it.

1. It was hard to come up with a post for each letter of the alphabet. Some of the posts were easy and some were super hard.

2. I like the fact that I had a schedule, however I felt trapped in what I could write.

3. It showed me that I like the challenge, but I was self-critical if I couldn't come up with the perfect topic.

4. It showed me that I liked what I was doing with my blog before the challenge. I am looking forward to getting back on what I had been doing.

Thank you for sticking with me through the blogging challenge for April. It was an experience. Now back to regularly scheduled programming..... :-)