#1,748: Paleo Coconut Pecan Breakfast Bars

You are supposed to use an 8x8 pan for this recipe, but both of mine were being used, so I used a 9x13 pan instead, so my bars came out super thin (as I expected).  I think I probably prefer them thin because they are less eggy that way.  Although I enjoyed this right out of the oven, I realized that the tops and edges were definitely more browned than the bottom....So I flipped it over and put it back in the oven to try to brown the bottom (which was now the top) as well.  I did work a little and dried it out some, so I enjoyed these even more.  

Coconut oil

2 eggs

1 banana

¼ cup honey

½ tsp vanilla

⅓ cup coconut flour (I used coconut flour and flaxseed meal)

1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

4 Tbsp coconut milk

½ cup chopped pecans (I used slivered almonds)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Use the coconut oil to grease an 8x8 pan.

Crack your eggs into a medium sized bowl and quickly whisk them up.  Mash your banana and add to the bowl with the eggs along with the honey and vanilla.

Add the coconut flour, making sure to combine everything well and ensuring there are no clumps.  Add the unsweetened shredded coconut and coconut milk and mix well.

Spoon the batter into your pan and smooth it out. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over top.

Bake your bars in the pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes. Keep an eye on them - when the edges are golden brown and the center is firm, they're done!

#1,747: Black Bean Sweet Potato Quinoa Turkey Chili

I was supposed to use my new pressure cooker with this recipe, as it seemed the least intimidating to try using it with, but I chickened out.  So I decided to throw it in my crockpot instead.  I LOVED this recipe.  It was healthy, and comforting and filling.  I will definitely be making this recipe again and is a great meal to make on the weekend and then have for lunches and/or dinners during the week.  I'm a big fan of this one!

1 tablespoon olive oil (I omitted)

1 sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

2 tablespoons chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (I used 1/2 jalapeno)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock

1 15-ounce cans black beans, rinsed

1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup quinoa

2 large boneless skinless chicken breast, uncooked and diced (I used cooked ground turkey)

1 tablespoon lime juice

avocado, cilantro, sour cream, cheese, optional (I omitted)

If using the pressure cooker, here are the instructions.  I however put the sweet potato, onion, garlic, chili powder, jalapeno, cumin, salt, broth, black beans, diced tomatoes and cooked (crumbled) ground turkey in a crockpot and cooked on high for about 3-4 hours (until the sweet potatoes were done).  Then I added the cooked quinoa and the lime juice. 

Saute and add oil to the pressure cooker pot. When oil is hot, add the sweet potato and onion and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.

Stir in chili powder, chipotle, cumin and salt. Add chicken broth, black beans, tomatoes, quinoa, and chicken and stir to combine.

Lock lid in place, select High Pressure and 4 minutes cook time and start. When timer beeps, turn off pressure cooker, wait 5 minutes, then do a quick pressure release.

Stir in the lime juice and add additional salt as needed. If necessary, let chili rest unplugged for several minutes uncovered and the quinoa will absorb additional liquid.

Garnish individual bowls with avocado, cilantro, sour cream or shredded cheese.

Pressure Cooker French Dip Sandwich

It's my first pressure cooker recipe and I'll admit, I was petrified to try it.  I got a pressure cooker for Christmas (it's probably the only kitchen gadget I don't/didn't have!), and have been putting off trying to make something in it for fear that I'm going to kill myself or destroy my kitchen.

I got a pressure cooker for Christmas from my husband (or maybe I bought it for myself and then told him to wrap it and put my name on it?!) and have been dying to use it since I got it in July off Amazon's (pitifully sad) Christmas in July sale. 

Dinner was really late this night as I apparently was supposed to test the pressure cooker first.  Whatever, I just gave the kids and hubby a snack...everyone was ok!  And thankfully the roast I used was less than 2 lbs, so it wasn't supposed to take as long to cook. 

This recipe was a total bust for us.  I don't know if it was operator error, the cut of meat I got, or not using the pressure cooker correctly but this recipe was AWFUL.  After 45 minutes in the pressure cooker the meat was still super tough.  As in inedible tough.  So we threw a pizza in the oven and I threw this into the crockpot to finish cooking and planned to eat it the next night for dinner.  This recipe did NOT taste good.  It was so bad, I had to pitch it (what a waste!).  I'm thinking it was the meat we got/used becasue even after cooking an additional FOURTEEN hours in the crockpot (on low) this should have been super tender but it was stringy and smelled weird (not rancid weird, just unappealing).  I'll probably give this recipe one more try but I'm certainly not in a rush to do so! 

Here's the original recipe if you want to try it (I know I'm making it sound so wonderful).  If you do try it, or have tips for how to use a pressure cooker please let me know!!  What did I do wrong?!?! 

6 pounds chuck roast (frozen or thawed)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

2 teaspoons onion powder

1 1/2 cups beef stock

1 loaf french bread

provolone cheese for topping

Place chuck roast, salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion powder and beef stock in a 4-6 quart pressure cooker.

Bring up to high pressure (15 pounds pressure), and  cook for 1 1/2 hours if roast is frozen, and 1 hour if roast is thawed.

Place a mesh strainer over a pot and pour contents of the pressure cooker into the strainer separating the meat and juices. Set meat in a bowl and shred with forks to desired consistency.

Bring juices to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer the juices until reduced by half, skimming off fat as it rises to the top. Do not boil as this will cause the au jus to become cloudy and lead to a greasy mouth feel.

Once the juices are reduced in half, season the Au Jus to taste with salt and pepper.

Cut your french bread loaf into desired sandwich sizes and split down the middle.

Place your shredded beef onto your bread, topping with a slice or two of provolone. Place on a cookie sheet and melt you cheese under a broiler until bubbly.

Serve with remaining au jus sauce if desired. 

#1,746: Taco Meatballs

This recipe was supposed to be used with ground pork, but I prefer ground turkey instead.  It also called for cheese cubes (which I had) but decided it would be easier and faster to use shredded cheese.  I would however try this again with the cheese cubes.  I personally enjoyed this.  I think the ground turkey made them a tad dry, but I thought they were good overall. I would make these again.  I ate this with roasted veggies (and once with a little quinoa too), but I think these would also be good as a meatball sub or chopped up in a taco shell.  

It's terrible quality, but this recipe also gave me a chance to try making a how-to video...link below.  :) 

1 1/2 lb lean ground pork (or beef) (I used ground turkey)

1 tsp minced garlic

4 tbsp chopped green onion

0.6 oz (17 g) taco seasoning mix 

2 eggs (lightly beaten)

36 pcs (1/2" cubes) cheddar cheese (I used Mexican blend shredded cheese)

Preheat oven to 425°F.  Combine all ingredients together (EXCEPT cheddar cheese) in a mixing bowl and mix well. (Since I used shredded cheese I DID mix it into the mixture). 

Wrap each cheese cube with 1 tablespoon of meat to form a meatball.

Arrange the meatballs on a non-stick cookie sheet (or spray with cooking spray) and bake in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes, or until meatballs are cooked.

#1,745: Taco Pasta Bake

Here is a simple casserole that my family loved for dinner recently!  It was super simple to make and it's a great recipe to use especially if you have some leftover taco meat, or if you just double the amount of taco meat you are preparing so you have it ready for a dish like this.  My family was a big fan of this recipe so we will definitely be making this one again. 

1 box of large noodle pasta such as ziti
1 lb of ground beef
1 envelope of taco seasoning
1 cup water
1/2 pkg of cream cheese (about 4oz)
1 1/2 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Boil pasta until just cooked (al dente), drain.  Set aside.

Meanwhile, brown ground beef and crumble.  Add taco seasoning and water with the ground beef and let simmer for about 5 minutes until the liquid has reduced. 

Add the cream cheese to the beef mixture, stir until melted and combined, remove from heat.  Mix in the pasta.   Place in a lightly sprayed/oiled 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle on the shredded cheese. 

Bake at 350 uncovered for approximately 30 minutes.    

#1,744: Shredded Crockpot Beef Sandwiches

I quickly made this roast one morning before heading to work and just shredded it when I got home.  My family loved this!  It is particularly good on some nice crusty bread toasted with some melted mozzarella or provolone cheese.  I also enjoyed eating the shredded meat on top of some salad mix too. 

6-8 lb Chuck Beef Roast

1/4 c of your favorite seasoning blend (I just sprinkled some seasoned salt on ours)

6 cloves of Garlic

2 tsp Ginger

2 tsp Onion powder

2 tsp White pepper

4 tbsp Coconut Aminos

1 tsp Sea salt

Coat all sides of your roast with whatever seasoning blend that you like.  

(I just rubbed minced garlic all over the roast) Peel the garlic cloves and smash them with the flat portion of a butcher knife till they open a bit.  Cut 1 inch deep into the roast for each garlic clove and push them in until you can’t see them anymore.  

In a bowl combine the remaining seasoning and coconut aminos, and rub on the roast.  

Place in crock pot and roast on low for 8 hours.  Remove the roast from the crock pot into a large shallow bowl to shred the beef with two forks. Return to the crockpot so it starts to soak up some of the juice.   

Eat as is or use for tacos, in egg scrambles, on salads, or whatever else sounds good!

#1,743: Happy New Year Pizza

I found a picture of this floating around pinterest and couldn't wait to make it for our New Years Day dinner.  The kids loved it, and it was so simple, this might become a yearly tradition for us.  

13.8 oz can of tube pizza dough
Pizza sauce
Mozzarella/Italian blend/or your favorite pizza cheese
Any desired pizza toppings (we just ate cheese pizza)

Unroll the pizza dough and cut into four strips (the long way).  Shape each piece into the number of the year.  I had extra dough for the "1" so I used it to finish off the "6."  

Bake according to the directions on the tube dough.  (I cooked ours at 425 degrees for 15 minutes). 

#1,742: Sautéed Green Beans and Cashews

Here is a very easy, quick side dish you can make to go with just about anything.  I am a huge cashew lover, so I was happy to add them to this dish, but if you don't like cashews or have another nut on hand, it would be just as good so feel free to substitute.  

1/3 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing, divided (I used zesty Italian b/c that’s what I had)

1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed

1 red pepper, chopped (I omitted)

1 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup cashews, chopped

Heat half the dressing in large skillet on medium heat. Add vegetables and garlic; cook 8 to 10 min. or until vegetables are crisp-tender, stirring frequently.

Add remaining dressing; cook 1 to 2 min. or until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Sprinkle with nuts. 

#1,741: Herbal Iced Tea

In an attempt to drink more water (for myself and the kids) and less sugary drinks (they are currently obsessed with no-cal lemonade) I decided to try and make this fruity herbal tea drink for us.  I added 4 packets of Stevia to ours to hopefully sweeten it up enough for the kids to like.  It doesn't make a whole lot (I'd definitely have to double this next time), but with the stevia I personally think it tastes like a less sweet Kool-aid.  Allison agrees, but Chloe and Matthew were not fans of this.  I think it just takes a matter of time to get used to this.  I however, enjoyed it and will definitely make this again (for myself AND the kids).

2 cups of boiling water
4 herbal tea bags

Add the 4 tea bags to the boiling water and allow to steep for at least 6 minutes.  Add another 2 cups of cold water and chill for 6 hours.  Add a little bit of sweetener if desired. 

#1,740: Cinnamon Roll Apple Scones

I wanted to make something easy and quick for the kids for our New Years breakfast so I decided to have Chloe help me make these scones for them.  I've made scones twice now for them and both times they've been big fans, so I thought this recipe might be one they liked as well.  Personally this is not my favorite version of scones I've ever made, and I think they are quite dry, but my kids enjoyed grabbing a bite for dessert for New Years and all claimed "this is good!" so that's a good sign for breakfast for them tomorrow.  :)

Hope you all have a wonderful 2016!!  Happy New Years! 

1/2 c. quick-cooking oats
1 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon, divided
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
3 tbsp plus 1 tsp butter, divided
2 large eggs, divided
1/2 c. buttermilk
1/4 c. plus 1 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 medium apple, cored and chopped
1/4 c. slivered almonds, toasted and finely chopped
1 tbsp packed brown sugar
1 c. powdered sugar
1 to 2 tsp milk

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

Place oats in blender or food processor. Cover and blend until finely ground. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in all-purpose and whole wheat flours, flaxseed, baking powder, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg.

Using a pastry blender, cut in 3 tablespoons butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center; set aside.

In a medium bowl, lightly beat 1 egg. Add buttermilk, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and vanilla. Stir in apple and almonds. Add all at once to flour mixture. Using a fork, stir just until moistened.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 strokes or just until dough holds together. Divide dough into 8 portions. Pat each portion into a 3-by-2-inch rectangle. Place scones 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheet.

In a small bowl, lightly beat remaining egg; brush onto scones. In another small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon sugar, brown sugar and remaining 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon; sprinkle on scones.

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden. Cool slightly on baking sheet.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, melt 1 teaspoon butter. Stir in powdered sugar and enough milk to make icing of drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over scones.

To store: Place iced scones in a single layer in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw at room temperature.

#1,739: Sloppy Joe Puffs

This recipe was crazy easy and my family loved it.  It actually made enough filling for my family to eat it for two meals (I'm hoping the leftover filling will be enough for a second tube of biscuits).  Normally I make homemade sloppy joes but the family did not object to the Manwich at all, so I'd use it again with this recipe for sure.  Huge hit with this crew! 

1 pound ground beef

1 (16 oz) can Manwich (any variety)

1 package (8 ct) canned biscuits

Shredded cheddar cheese

Prepare Manwich according to package directions.

Meanwhile, spray a muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray.  Flatten biscuits and place them in the muffin pan so that they form a cup shape.  Fill each biscuit cup with prepared Manwich.  Top with shredded cheese.

Bake in a 375 degree preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until biscuits are golden and cooked through. 

#1,738: Creamy Crockpot Hot Cocoa

So my weekend napping ritual with Matthew (age 3) is to watch youtube or facebook cooking vidoes.  You know the ones that go quickly (less than 2 minutes) and show you how to make a recipe.  We love it.  And I decided that I wanted to make a video like they do as well.  So Chloe (age 6) and I made one using this super simple hot chocolate recipe that we made for New Years.  This is by no means a great video (and I realized somehow we omitted the video clip with turning on the crockpot, and yes it's blurry at the end) but we are still excited that we made one.  Hoping we can make a few more of these in 2016...of much higher quality of course!!  :) 

As far as this recipe goes, it is super creamy and rich.  If you notice in the video we altered the amounts a little bit based on some of the ingredients we had on hand.  We only used 1 cup of mini chocolate chips and I think it was the perfect amount.  We loved this hot chocolate!
1.5 cups whipping cream

1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk

6 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups of chocolate chips 

Stir together the whipping cream, milk, vanilla, and chocolate chips in a crockpot.

Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until mixture is hot and chocolate chips are melted. Stir again before serving. Garnish as desired.

#1,737: Baked Pumpkin Squares

I had leftover pumpkin from the Breakfast Oatmeal Cupcakes, so I figured I'd make another pumpkin oatmeal breakfast to freeze for the next week or two when I go back to school.  These taste really similar to the Oatmeal Cups I made a few days ago since they both have pumpkin and nuts in it.  That's okay though, it still gives me more easy breakfasts ready to go in the freezer.  This recipe didn't make many squares, and I was supposed to use mini muffin tins for this but I used my Pampered Chef square brownie pan instead since there is literally no clean up or struggles to get the muffins out of the tin!  I've been known to throw muffin tins out before instead of trying to scrub them clean! 

1 banana

1 egg

1 cup oats

1/2 cup pumpkin

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup raisins

3/4 cup milk

1/2 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 375*.  Beat eggs and add all other ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together.

Grease a mini muffin tin well and pour batter in to the brim.  Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Allow to cool completely before removing or your oatmeal might stick. Use a knife to cut along the edges and twist to remove.

#1,736: Hershey kiss chocolate chip cookies

I pinned this recipe two years ago, and figured it was time to remove it from my Pinterest boards!  We had some leftover Hershey Kisses from a New Years Eve activity we did with the kids, so it was a great recipe to use them up on.  I made the cookie dough the day before and just left it in the fridge until the kids and I were ready to make the cookies.  That was a mistake.  I couldn't roll out the dough!  So I had to let it sit out again for a couple of hours so we could actually make these.  Lesson learned.  The kids helped me make these, but I had to flatten out some dough for them to use/wrap around the kiss.  We really enjoyed these and it was such a simple recipe.  It would be even easier if you use the pre-made cookie dough too.  AND it would be good with different flavors of Hershey's Kisses.   

48 Hershey's Kisses Brand Milk Chocolates

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup Mini Chips Semi-Sweet Chocolate

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Remove wrappers from chocolates.

Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large bowl until well blended. Add flour to butter mixture; blend until smooth. Stir in small chocolate chips. Mold scant tablespoon dough around each chocolate piece, covering completely. Shape into balls; place on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until set. Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely. 

#1,735: Baked pumpkin oatmeal cups

Oh my gosh, these were seriously so good, I'm still thinking about them in my freezer and thinking I will eat them for breakfast again tomorrow!  These are going to make a wonderful, healthy, and quick breakfast when winter break is over!  

5 cups rolled oats
2 1/2 cups over-ripe mashed banana (I used canned pumpkin)
1 tsp salt
5 stevia packets
optional: 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips (I omitted)
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp coconut or veg oil
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
optional add-ins: cinnamon, shredded coconut, chopped walnuts, ground flax or wheat germ, raisins or other dried fruit, etc. (I added some shredded coconut and some cranberry trail mix)

Preheat oven to 380 F, and line 24-25 cupcake tins.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients and stir very well.

In a separate bowl, combine and stir all wet ingredients (including banana (pumpkin)). Mix wet into dry, then pour into the cupcake liners and bake 21 minutes. (If you let them cool overnight, they’ll no longer stick to the liners.) These oatmeal cakes can be eaten right away, or they can be frozen and reheated. 

#1,734: Chocolate Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread

That does look good doesn't it!?  I made these for my kids this morning since it's Christmas break and they ate the entire pan, they didn't even leave any for their dad!!  At first he was upset that we didn't save him any, but then he realized that we had Nutella mixed into it and he didn't care anymore.  Even though I think he would have totally loved these if he was open minded enough to try them.  

Since my chocolate spread doesn't seem to spread easily (I swear I would have used the entire jar with this recipe), I decided to put a huge spoonful in the microwave to thin it out and make it easier to spread.  It worked well doing that and I definitely think I used less that way.  

This was another huge hit of a recipe in our house and I would definitely make these again.  The hardest (IMPOSSIBLE) part of this recipe it to try to cut each biscuit lengthwise in THIRDS.  NOT POSSIBLE.  I cut each one in half and that was hard enough not to smash them all. 

1 can Pillsbury Grands! Cinnamon Rolls (not flakey)
Chocolate spread (such as Nutella, Chocolate Peanut Butter, or any similar product)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x5 loaf pan with cooking spray.  

Unroll the tube of Cinnamon Rolls carefully. If they split, just press them back together. Separate the rolls. Slice each into three thin slices, lengthwise (like you'd cut a sandwich roll).  (I cut each one in half) 

Sandwich the slices together with chocolate spread, forming a loaf. Do not spread any chocolate on the outside of the two ends. Place the loaf in the pan. Bake for 24-28 minutes until golden brown. Place the frosting cup that comes with the rolls on the stove while the loaf is baking to melt it (or in the microwave for a few seconds), then pour it over the warm bread. Serve warm.

#1,733: Brownie Batter Overnight Protein Oatmeal

Oh my goodness, is this chocolaty goodness a wonderful way to start your day!  I made these at lunch time one day and then didn’t eat it until close to 24 hours later.  It was so good and this will be a wonderful, quick breakfast for me next week when we go back to school after winter break.  It would be a great dessert too since it’s so chocolaty. 

This is for 2 servings: 

1 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or low fat milk of choice)

1/2 cup Plain low fat Greek yogurt (or mashed banana, or pumpkin) (I used pumpkin)

2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder

1/8 tsp Salt

2 tbs sweetener (or to taste) (honey, stevia, sugar, etc.)

1 cup Old fashioned oats

1/4 cup Protein powder (or additional oats) (I used chocolate protein powder)

In a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients together. Divide between 2 small bowls, mugs, or mason jars. Cover and refrigerate overnight (or for at least an hour (or more) so the oats soften and absorb the liquid). Top with chopped nuts or topping of choice if desired! Enjoy cold, or microwave for 30-60 seconds to enjoy warm!

Update: I have been making this for months now, and have omitted the salt, cocoa powder, and extra sweetener. I pretty much just add the almond (I use cashew) milk, pumpkin (if I have it on hand), oats and a little protein powder.  I also add about 1-2 tbsp of trail mix (or chocolate chips) as well.  Mix it all together and let it sit in the fridge until you are ready to eat.  I usually make 2 servings at a time so I don't have to think about breakfast everyday.  Grab is go is the only way I can get breakfast in.  Plus, this is so filling.  I rarely need a snack if I eat this for breakfast! 

#1,732: Italian Chicken and Potatoes

So I completely intended to make this with the green beans as the recipe below suggests, but I needed to get this in the pan and get out the door fast so I didn't have time to trim them.  Instead I just omitted the green beans altogether and just did the chicken and the potatoes.  As you can see from above, I used fingerling potatoes instead of russet and just left them whole (time saver!).  I literally had this dinner in the oven in 5 minute!!

Overall my family thought this was ok.  Brian and I both enjoyed it but the kids weren't huge fans.  Don't take their opinion on this dish though as my kids aren't big meat eaters (they eat just a few pieces of what I make each night).  I will definitely make this again...it was so simple!

4 medium potatoes, cut (I used fingerling and left them whole)

2 c. fresh green beans, ends trimmed and cut (I omitted only b/c I made this last minute)

1 lb chicken breasts

1/2 c. butter (I used olive oil and coated each chicken breast and then drizzled over the potatoes)

1 package Italian dressing mix (I used about half the package since I didn't have the green beans to coat)

Cut green beans up. Line one side of the pan with green beans.  Cut potatoes up. Line opposite side of pan with the potatoes.  Line the chicken breasts down the middle of the baking dish.

Cut butter up and layer over the green beans, potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle Italian dressing over the entire pan. Cover with foil.  Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hr.

#1,731: Quinoa Salad with Apples, Almonds and Dried Cranberries

Now here is a quinoa recipe that I absolutely loved and had to stop myself from eating the entire bowl.  It was THAT good.  I loved the nuttiness of the almonds and quinoa, yet the sweetness from the fruits and the bitter/sourness from the dressing really balanced it out.  Delish!!  Definitely make this one. 

2 crisp apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch dice

2 tablespoons lemon juice (I omitted)

1 cup red or white quinoa, rinsed well

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup sliced almonds

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup dried cranberries

2 scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 350°F. Toss apples with lemon juice.
Mix quinoa, 1/4 tsp. salt and 2 cups cold water in a pan. Cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until most of water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then turn out onto a baking sheet to cool for at least 10 minutes.

Spread almonds on a baking sheet. Toast until golden, 7 to 10 minutes, shaking pan once. Transfer to a plate to cool. In a bowl, whisk vinegar and mustard. Gradually add olive oil, whisking, until emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.

Drain apples, if necessary, and add to bowl. Add quinoa, almonds, cranberries and scallions. Gently toss; season with additional salt and pepper, if desired. 

#1,730: Fall Apart Crockpot Pork Chops

It's a freezer cooking day here on this day off from school, so I figured I'd make something super simple for dinner for us tonight.  This recipe suggests cooking the pork chops covered with foil in the oven for 3 1/2 hours, but why do that when you can let your crockpot do it all instead?!?!  

This got mixed reviews from my crew...Brian and I both ate/enjoyed this, but neither of us wanted the leftovers (not a good sign with us).  The kids thought it was just ok or they didn't like it.  Would I make this again, yes.  Would my family be jumping up and down for it, no.  It was definitely easy though and a great last minute meal idea.  My family just wasn't thrilled, although like I said, it wasn't bad! 

6 bone-in pork chops (I used thin cut, boneless)
garlic salt to taste
black pepper to taste
1 bottle of your favorite BBQ sauce

Season the pork chops on both sides with the salt, pepper and garlic powder.  Place the pork chops in the crockpot.  Pour the sauce over the chops making sure all of them are covered in sauce.

Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours.