Crock Pot Beef Stroganoff

 I made this for dinner Wednesday it was good!

 

Thanks http://crockingirls.com/

 

1 & 1/4 pound cubed beef stew meat
2 can condensed cream of mushroom soup (98% fat free for a healthier choice)
1 chopped onion
2 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 c. water (or a little more if you want saucy).
I use beef broth or red wine or a mixture of both
Dash of garlic salt
8 oz cream cheese (cut up)
Egg noodles or Amish noodles  

Directions:

1. In slow cooker, combine uncooked meat and all ingredients EXCEPT cream cheese and noodles.
2. Cook on low setting for 8 hrs or high for about 5 hrs.
3. Approx. 15-20 min before serving, add the cream cheese; stir occasionally until melted.
4. Approx. 10 minutes before serving, add uncooked noodles, push down in sauce to get lightly coated; replace lid, but stir occasionally until noodles are soft and ready to eat.

*A small can of mushrooms or fresh mushrooms is a good addition.
**You can serve with sour cream or not if you wish.
Enjoy!!! -Candice-

Whatever your name is!

So my husband is playing softball again this yr he usually does a spring & fall league. As if we are not busy enough! This week he had 2 games one on Tuesday & one on Thursday, he playing for his work so he is on base b/c he's a Marine. Well we live a 1/2 from base so instead of him coming home driving back & coming back home he's been staying at work till his game & then comes home. Helping to save on gas $$ since it's almost $4.00 a gallon now UGH!

So this means preggo mommy has both the boy's from sun up to sun down! Let me tell you those boy's need their time with daddy to run around & such b/c this week has been insane! Their energy levels have been through the roof & I try to do as much as possible with them we take walks, go to the park. Go to the store and walk around I mean were pretty much going all the time Aiden also has his T-ball, gymnastics & preschool. So I am so worn out! I am tired & sore & having tons of painful braxton hicks contractions, sciatic pain, but I do my best to keep going with the boy's!

Yesterday they were little terrors! We had gymnastics from 9:30-10:30 we were half way to base so after I thought let me manage my time wisely & go get groceries after this way I didn't have to go today & waste more gas! Well backfire! Usually the boy's are so good out not yesterday! Aiden was climbing from the front to the back of cart hanging on then hes shaking the cart pulling it as I'm trying to push! Brycen was trying to climb out of the front so I figure ok I'll put him in the big part with the food! MISTAKE there went my groceries one by one as he threw them out! I was so flustered & when I get flustered I can't think! So I end up calling the wrong kid by wrong name eventually I end up saying Whatever Your Name Is! LOL!!

I was trying to be really good & really budget & use my coupons well I pretty much stuck to my budget but was hoping to spend less but I just could not think! I do believe I will go back to grocery shopping on the weekends by MYSELF!! The boy's will stay home with daddy so I can think! It can be my down time!

Today starts Aiden's spring break from preschool! Oh boy! He's already saying what are we doing today, where are we going?? Well I do have to go to Walmart not very exciting for them :( but I am thinking we will stop at the pet store so they can look at the animals they love that! May try to hit up the park it's really nice out again if I can find my darn sprinkler I may let them run around out front in that for a bit. We will see but we will be doing something b/c otherwise mommy will be losing her mind! Hope everyone has a nice Friday & great weekend :) -Candice-

Tuesday Tuesday!!

Well it's Tuesday supposed to be BUM day, BUT... Aiden has a dentist appointment, he's actually excited??? Craziness although I must say his dentist is pretty awesome & so is the place, plus the kid knows he gets a surprise after his cleaning!

2 years ago Aiden had to have a tooth pulled due to a collision with him & our 70lb Boxer they were running chasing each other & collided. Boy was that a scary time! So first Aiden asked mom are they going to pull a tooth? When I told him no your just getting your teeth cleaned is when the excitement started lol!! Glad he's to the point that he truly understands things!

 Aiden  is my easy child! He truly truly is I never realized how easy he was till Brycen came along! Lol that boy well he may be the death of me! He is a trouble maker & wants everything his way!  Middle child syndrome?? Could be maybe he know all along he was going to be a middle child! Oh well!

Later after Aiden's appointment we are off to a lunch date with some fabulous ladies & then we are going to an antique shop I guess you'd say, I really need a chair or 2 for my front porch!! I would love to sit on my porch in the am & drink my coffee :) I want something different so why I'm going to look at a shop. The amazing Liz Marie from  http://www.lizmarieblog.com/  is going with me I need her expertise on furniture! She is AMAZING to say the least!! Have you seen her amazing stuff?? If not please check out her blog she rocks!!! I wish I had her talent!

So anyways that is what we have in store for us today, hopefully Brycen cooperates through all of this we shall see!! Oh & I have to do a mommy brag real quick sorry.. Aiden had his first T-ball practice yesterday he LOVED it!! He did very well too he really was focused unlike last year at soccer haha he is older but I also think he is more of a baseball fan & may be also why it hold his attention better. Well that's it for now. Have a great day :) -Candice-

Blueberry/Cream Cheese Danish OK!!!

So since my hubby has been off of work due to his nose surgery, I was having fun  making nice breakfast's for us everyday! We love breakfast it is our favorite meal!!

So of course I was pinteresting & I saw some recipe's for danishes we love danish!! So i decided to make my own. & It's really easy!! Here's how:

Ingredients:
1 tube Pillsbury crescent rolls
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 cup fresh blueberries (or whichever fruit you would like)

To make the icing:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, flour and vanilla. Set aside.
Pop open crescent roll dough and unroll, leaving crescents in rectangles. On an ungreased baking sheet or  lay the crescent roll rectangles together, lining them up width wise. Dough should be almost the entire length of a half sheet pan.Press edges together to even out edges and seal any holes. Cut 1/2 inch diagonal strips up each side of the dough. Carefully spread cream cheese filling down the center of the dough to be about 2-3 inches wide. Top with fresh fruit. Fold 1/2 inch dough pieces up over filling alternating sides to get a braided pattern. You may have excess dough once you reach the end of the danish, so fold them in as best as you can. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until filling is set and crescent dough is golden in color. Cool before removing from baking sheet.
Once danish has cooled, remove to serving platter. In a small bowl, mix together powdered sugar, vanilla and cream to create icing. You may need to add more cream to get the desired consistency. Drizzle icing over danish. Cut into pieces and serve.
End result deliciousness :) Enjoy -Candice-

 

Homemade Gronola Bars!!

I made these Sunday night with Aiden so he could take them to preschool on Monday for his snack day!! He was super excited 1- b/c we made them together 2- They have chocolate chips in them & 3-he gets to be line leader today since he brought snack :) Oh the little things that make kids happy!!

I hope the kids & teachers enjoyed them. The hubby & I sure did they are super easy & super good! I think I will be making another batch today to have for snack for us. Thanks to:http://www.laurenslatest.com/ for sharing this recipie :) Hope you enjoy these -Candice-


Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 cups quick cooking oats {not rolled oats!}
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips
Directions:
In a large bowl, stir oats and rice cereal together. Set aside. In a small pot, melt butter, honey and brown sugar together over medium high heat until it comes to a bubble. Reduce the heat and cook 2 minutes. Pour in vanilla and stir. Pour over dry ingredients and mix well to moisten all ingredients. Pour into lightly greased small jelly roll pan {about 12x8x1} and press out to be about 3/4 inch in thickness. {If your pan isn’t small enough, pack the mixture into one side. You really want to press them down so they stick together.} Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips and press down lightly. Cool on a countertop to room temperature for two hours or until the chocolate chips are set before cutting into bars. Wrap in parchment or plastic wrap and store at room temperature.
Recipe Notes: If your granola bars don’t seem to be staying together when you cut them, you may have made them too thin or you didn’t pack them in tight enough. Stick them in the fridge for 20 minutes and that should help keep them together. {Be sure not to keep them in there too long or else they’ll become super hard!} The next time you make them, try reducing the butter to 3 tablespoons and really packing them down.

Monday Night's Crock Pot Dinner

So since my oven was broke & I didn't know how long it would take for part to come in I planned my meals to be in the crock pot or stove top! Monday night I made broccoli -cheese chicken & rice thanks to http://crockingirls.com/recipes.html

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast
2 (10 oz) cans broccoli-cheese soup
1/2 c. milk

Directions:

1. Add all of the ingredients to your crock pot that you have sprayed with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Salt and pepper to suit your taste.
3. Cook for about 4 hours on high. Stir occasionally

I decided to make some minute rice & throw it in a couple mins before I served it! Easy one dish dinner :)
-Candice-

Crock Pot Ravioli & Banana Cake

Last night I made Ravioli's in the Crock Pot they were really tender & yummy!! Thanks to http://crockingirls.com/ I love their website so far everything i have made from there has been delicious!!

Recipe:
1 bag frozen cheese ravioli
1 lb browned ground chuck seasoned to taste
1 large jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce, I use Ragu Traditional recipe
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Put first two ingredients in slow cooker then add sauce.
2. Empty sauce into slow cooker then fill jar half full with water, shake it up to get all the sauce left in jar.
3. Add this to slow cooker. This gives it the moisture you need for the ravioli.
4. I usually start my slow cooker off on High and after a couple of hours reduce it to Low. Can be done on low setting if you will be away all day.
5. It's done when raviolis are tender.
6. Cover with cheese and serve with salad and garlic bread.

My oven is working again YAY!!! So I baked a cake while my dinner was crockin away lol! It was a banana cake with cream cheese frosting & chocolate shavings on it. -Candice-

Want the recipe?? Here's the link:
http://www.bakeorbreak.com/recipes/2011/12/13/banana-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/

Crock Pot Chicken Cordon Blue

Wow is all I can say about this I am so happy I found this recipe!! Pinterest I love you even more this was AMAZING!!!! I made it Thursday night it was a hit! Thanks to: http://www.chef-in-training.com/2012/02/slow-cooker-chicken-cordon-bleu.html

• 6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (I only used 3 breasts b/c that's all my family eats & we have leftovers)
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sliced ham
• 4 ounces sliced Swiss cheese (I used provolone I don't like swiss)
• 1 (8 ounce) package herbed dry bread stuffing mix
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Mix together the cream of chicken soup and milk in a small bowl. Pour enough of the soup into a slow cooker to cover the bottom.

Layer chicken breasts over the sauce.

Cover with slices of ham and then Swiss cheese.

Pour the remaining soup over the layers, stirring a little to distribute between layers.

Sprinkle the stuffing on top, and drizzle butter over stuffing.

Cover, and cook on Low for 4 to 6 hours, or 2 to 3 hours on High.

Seriously you will not be sorry with this!! -Candice-

Happy St. Patricks Day!!!

Wanted to tell everyone Happy St. Patrick's Day!! I am Irish & I grew up celebrating this cute little Holiday every year we went to my Grandmas & she mad a special Irish cake that had been passed down from her mother! I need to get the recipe!

This year for the first time ever I am making Corned Beef & Cabbage for my family :) I have said for years I was going to & never did but I want to start a lil tradition with my family. I have great memories of dressing in green & going to grandmas so I want to pass on a little heritage to my boys.

This morning I also made some yummy pancakes with greek vanilla yogurt (I colored it green) & topped with fruit! We then spent the morning/afternoon downtown feeding ducks & visiting our farmers market we have had a great day! I thought I'd share my Corned Beef & Cabbage recipe with you so here it is... Enjoy -Candice- & It is a crock pot recipe :)

Ingredients

• 2 stalks celery, halved
• 4 carrots
• 1 medium onion, cut in 4 wedges
• 4 to 6 red potatoes, quartered
• 1 4-pound corned beef brisket
• 12-ounce bottle stout or dark ale
• 1 tablespoon corned beef spices or pickling spices (or spices that come with the brisket)
• 1 medium head cabbage, cut into 6 wedges

Directions:

Place celery, carrots, onion and potatoes in the bottom of a large slow-cooker or crock pot. Rinse the corned beef brisket and place over vegetables. Add the bottle of stout, spices and enough water to just cover the meat. Cover and cook on LOW for eight to nine hours.

Remove the meat and vegetables from the pot and cover with foil to keep warm. Increase heat to high and cook cabbage until softened but still crispy, 20 to 30 minutes.

Slice brisket across the grain, serve with vegetables Pass extra cooking liquid at the table.

Crock Pot Mac & Cheese

I made this tuesday night it is really creamy & yummy!! My oven was on the fritz so it was crock pot to the rescue :)

• 2 cups uncooked elbow macaroni
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 2 ½ cups grated sharp cheddar cheese
• 3 eggs (I omitted the eggs)
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 (10 ¾ ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup whole milk
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Boil the macaroni in water for six minutes. Drain.
2. In a medium saucepan, mix butter and cheese. Stir until the cheese melts.
3. In slow cooker, combine cheese mixture and add the eggs (I omitted the eggs), sour cream, soup, salt, milk, mustard and pepper. Add the drained macaroni and stir again.
4. Cook on low for 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally
5. Enjoy -Candice-

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/paula-deen-crock-pot-macaroni-and-cheese-257276#ixzz1pEcDY2U4

Oreo Bark!

I have had such a sweet tooth with Carsen! It is unbelievable & since my oven has been on the fritz I needed something I didnt have to bake. So why not some yummy Oreo bark!
All you need is:
 white chocolate chips
& 15 Oreo's (crush in a bag)

I melted the chocolate in microwave in 30 second incriments till melted stired in almost all the crushed Oreo's spread on wax paper sprinkled with the rest of the crushed Oreo's & threw in the fridge till harden then break into pieces & store in a container in fridge :) Enjoy -Candice-

Homemade Chick Fil-A

Ok so I have been trying to get on here all day to post this but have had gymnastics & errands to run & oh ya cable guy here from 12-8 (yes you read that right 8 hrs) Trying to install Tivo & fix my Internet gah!

Anyways I want to share a recipe from pinterest I found it sounded appealing b/c we love chick fil-a here in NC!  Thanks to http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2011/09/homemade-chik-fil-chicken-nuggets.html   I made these once hubby loved them & then I made them again last night with a little tweak & omg sooo much better!!!

Ready:
Ok so first time I made I did not have canola oil I used veg. oil (make sure you use canola it makes a difference)  Also this recipe calls for regular milk but I used buttermilk last night & WOW So much yummier :) Enjoy -Candice-

Ingredients:
1 lg egg
1 cup milk
1 lb. skinless and boneless chicken breasts
1-1/4 cup flour
2 Tbsp powdered sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
canola oil for frying

Preparation:
In a large bowl whisk milk and egg together
Place chicken on counter and cut into cubed bite size pieces; trim any fat that you may see
Put the chicken in the milk mixture and mix so that all is coated and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes
In another large bowl combine the dry ingredients listed above and stir
In cast iron pot or sauce pan pour in oil so that its at least an inch deep on med/high heat
Remove the chicken from refrigerator and place about 8 pieces in milk mixture and then into the flour mixture
Make sure all the chicken is coated with the flour and then place into the hot oil
Cook each side for at least 2-3 minutes or until golden brown (You want to make sure that chicken is no longer pink so you can cut one piece to test it out)
Place the chicken on some paper towels to soak up any oil
Repeat the same steps with the rest of the chicken and serve

Cake batter rice crispy treats!!

I know it has been a week since I last blogged :( I'm sorry!! My hubby had nose surgery he had a horrible deviated septum & that was last Wednesday, so since then I have had another person to tend to making smoothies, cutting food, washing his hair &  plus I've had to pick up the slack on what he normally does!

I never realize how lucky I am until the hubs is deployed or has had surgery & is not allowed to do anything. He truly is a huge help to me! Now I need him well again!

Oh did I mention my oven stoped working grr... so normal baking has had to subside for a lil we ordered the part hopefully it will be here Monday!

So anyways Tuesday it is supposed to be Bum day right?? Well not today I had to go grocery shopping with the kids BOO! Lol They were pretty good at the first store not so much the second. Well after we got all that done Aiden & I made cake batter rice crispy treats!! Yummy! Found this on pinterest compliments of:  http://gimmesomeoven.com/cake-batter-rice-crispy-treats/

They are good! & Aiden loved that they have sprinkles in them so they are more colorful & fun :) Hope you all have a great day!!

Were having Crock pot Mac & Cheese tonight I'll post tomorrow with that!! Look forward to lots of crock pot recipes this week since that is how dinner is being made this week lol! -Candice-

Smore's Cookies!

Smore's Cookies I think so! It's Tuesday our BUM day lol!! Today Aiden & I will be making these delicious little treats compliments of http://fahrenheit350.blogspot.com/2009/08/rain-or-shine.html this yummy looking treat I found on pinterest :)

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together butter and sugar until incorporated

Add:
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat thoroughly

Add:
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips, or one giant Hershey's bar, chopped
1 cup mini marshmallows
Stir to incorporate

The most fun part about these cookies is that you actually bake the cookie on top of a whole graham cracker.

Bake at F350°, for no more than 11 minutes (after 11 minutes, the graham cracker will burn).
Some of the marshmallow may toast off the cracker, but simply remove the cracker from your cookie sheet and quickly transfer to a wire rack.

My fav baking buddy :)

Proud baker of his cookies :)

Overnight French Toast Casserole

So yesterday as I was pinning away on Pinterest b/c I am addicted lol!! I came across some breakfast casserole recipes, my family is big on breakfast. I can say it is def our favorite meal, so on the weekends we usually always do a yummy big breakfast.

I was looking for something different with not much fuss so that I didn't have to be at the stove all morning, I came across this french toast casserole recipe I tweaked it a little. End result YUMMMY!!! Kids loved it Brandon enjoyed it. It was a success so I shall share it with you all. The original recipe was from Taste of Home.  Enjoy -Candice-

**** I added cinnamon & nutmeg & a little extra vanilla to the egg mixture it gave it great flavor so you may want to do that I think it may have been to bland if I fallowed the recipe exactly

• 1 loaf (1 pound) French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 8 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 cups 2% milk
• 4 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• TOPPING:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Maple syrup, optional

Directions

• Place bread cubes in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before baking. Dot with butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
• Cover and bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Let stand for 5 minutes. Serve with maple syrup if desired. Yield: 12 servings.
• It took an hour in my oven
•                                   Ya we were a little hungry this morning :)