Sherry Chicken {Crockpot}

Love, love, love my crockpot! It is a busy Moms lifesaver. I work late 2 days a week and the crockpot allows me the ability to make a great dinner in typically under 15mins first thing in the morning. Hubs comes home to a wonderful smelling house (always earns me some brownie points!) This morning I had frozen boneless/skinless chicken breast that I tossed in the crockpot with onion and carrots. It smells yummy!!

Boneless/skinless chicken breast

1/2 lg onion, thinly sliced

2 carrots, sliced

1 T  21 Seasoning Salute (Trader Joe’s spice mix)

1 cup water

1 can cream of mushroom soup

1/4 to 1/2 cup sherry

4 oz cream cheese

Place everything EXCEPT cream cheese in slow cooker, set on low and cook all day. About a hour prior to eating stir in cream cheese. Serve over egg noodles or rice. 

xoxo, Mama Bird

Drunken Turkey Vegetable Lasagna

It is finally feeling a little like fall and pouring rain. I haven’t made lasagna in ages and thought today was the perfect weather for it. I had some veggies that needed to be used and thought that mixing them with some ground turkey would be great.

2 jars of your fav prepared pasta sauce

1 lb ground turkey

1 onion, chopped

2 carrots, chopped

1 yellow squash, diced

salt & pepper to taste

garlic, basil & oregano to taste

1/4 to 1/2 cup red wine

1/4 cup half & half

Brown turkey and add to pasta sauce, sauté onions, carrots & squash in olive oil; add to pasta sauce. Add red wine and 1/2 & 1/2.  Allow to simmer for 20-30 mins to allow flavors to incorporate. Meanwhile prepare cream cheese mixture.

1 1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup white wine

1 8 oz block cream cheese

salt, pepper & garlic to taste

Bring broth & wine to boil and reduce to medium; stir in cream cheese, allow to melt.

1 box (10 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, drained and all water removed

4 oz feta cheese

1 small bag of shredded Italian cheese

1 box lasagna noodles

Start by making pasta sauce mix, cheese mix, and thawing spinach. Layer lasagna with sauce, noodles, cheese mix, spinach, feta, repeat once. Then do 1 more layer of sauce, noodles and end with shredded cheese. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 for 1 1/2 hours. Allow to set and cool for 15 mins or more prior to cutting. Enjoy!

xoxo, Mama Bird

Weekly Planning

Ah, finally Fall is on the air! I am so ready. I mean who the heck enjoys watching football and going to all these great Fall activities in the sweltering heat? It was 93 yesterday! This week we are going to Apple Hill Orchard with j’s class (hope it doesn’t rain!!).

Monday~ Drunken Turkey Veggie Lasagna {new!}

Tuesday~ Asian Beef & Noodles {Jen Cooks NEW}

Wednesday~ Leftovers

Thursday~ Flank Steak (not sure what marinade?)

Friday~ Pizza Night

What’s on your menu this week?

xoxo, Mama Bird

cakes, cakes and more cakes!

I have been really busy baking cakes for lots of fun people this week.

Happy 1 year Anniversary!

Camo Guitar Birthday Cake

Baby Shower

xoxo, Mama Bird

Smirk! {I Heart Faces Week 38}

I am by no means a professional photographer, nor am I even an amateur! I am just a Mom trying to get a cute pic of my family and if this picture doesn’t scream the words “Look at that SMIRK” I don’t know what does.

 

xoxo, Mama Bird

Weekly Planning & Review

After a super fun night away in Blowing Rock, NC and a dinner at the much anticipated Bistro Roca. I have heard raves and raves about this place and was stocked to go, however, I can’t say that it is anywhere where I will have the desire to go back. I mean it was fine but it wasn’t special. The service was not good, the app, terrible, the highlight of my meal was the Wedge salad, great house made Blue Cheese, yummy. The pizza was good I had the Bistro Roca (manchego cheese, proscuitto, and carmelized onions. It was good, but not the oh my I gotta have it taste that everyone said. Maybe it was a bad night. Guess will see if I ever go back?

   I am trying to get back to reality and plan my week. When looking at my calendar it looks like it is going to be a busy one! Baby Shower cake for Friday, a Camo guitar Birthday cake for Saturday and a Firetruck Birthday cake for Sunday. Not to mention, Hubs is going hunting for the weekend. I am also planning on taking Jack to see Thomas the Train at the NC Transportation Museum. BUSY, BUSY, BEE!

On to the food! What will we be eating this week?

Monday~ Ranchero Pork Tacos {Crockpot}

Tuesday~ Spaghetti & Meat Sauce

Wednesday~ Boy’s Leftovers Night{Halloween Party planning Meeting}

Thursday~ Stuffed Shells

Friday~ BBQ {take-out from Paw-Paw’s favorite!!

xoxo, Mama Bird

Aa is for Apple {Sour Cream Apple Pie}

This week at Life As Mom the theme of the Recipe Swap is APPLE!! I am so excited, Apple Hill Orchard is picking one of my favorites, The Honey-Crisp and in mid-October The Pink Lady and The Granny Smith! YUM-YUM!!! Another favorite Fall stop for apples is Carrigan Farms, this is the spot I went to as a little girl to pick strawberries, apples, pumpkins and at Christmas time they have the most beautiful Poinsettias. If your in NC I highly suggest you check these places out!!
On to the food!! This is by far my most favorite Apple Pie, it is tart and tangy, this is adapted from The Upper Crust.
Filling:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 c flour
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
4 to 5 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1 deep dish shell, pre-baked
Topping:
1 cup walnut or pecan pieces
1/4 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 Tb cinnamon
1/3 cup butter pieces, chopped
Blend all ingredients for the filling except apples, until smooth. Add apples and pour in shell. Bake 45 mins at 400. Mix all ingredients for topping and sprinkle on the top and bake 15 mins more.
For more great APPLE recipes pop on over to Life As Mom Recipe Swap.

xoxo, Mama Bird

Miss Mag’s Fairy Cake

Miss Mag’s is turning 2 and having a Fairy Party. Her sweet Mommy wanted to use the invite as the inspiration for the chocolate cake. 

I just LOVE this girlie girl cake!! 

Don’t you?

xoxo, Mama Bird

Crispy {un-fried} Yogurt Chicken

This, I stumbled upon when I was doing a Food Blog Search trying to come up with new and different ( I mean there is like 1 million and 1 ways to prepare the stuff!) ideas to do with chicken. Thanks to the Pioneer Woman for this great/easy and healthy inspiration for Crispy (opposed to Fried) Yogurt Chicken.  I did switch up a little to make more convenient for me! Here goes:

1 (16 oz) plain yogurt

juice from 1 lemon

kosher salt, pepper & garlic powder to taste

fresh dill, to taste

Mix all ingredients together and placed boneless/skinless chicken in mix. Marinate for a few hours. Then, roll chicken and coat well in Panko bread crumbs(if you want a HEALTHIER version you could used crushed All-Bran cereal, I was out!). Place in sprayed casserole dish, cover and bake for 1 hr at 350, remove foil and cook additional 15 mins. ENJOY!

xoxo, Mama Bird

Menu Planning

I have been so slack this summer about my menu planning! Terrible actually!! In fact this is my 3rd attempt at this post! How sad. Since school starts started back this week I decided this is THE WEEK to get back to an organized cooking plan. I use the weekly circulars and what I have in my freezer/pantry/fridge to be my guide in planning my meals. It is a great way to save time and MONEY!

Monday~ Crispy {un-fried} Chicken (NEW recipe!)

Tuesday~ Stuffed Shells

Wednesday~ Chicken Burritos {crock-pot}

Thursday~ Mommy’s Night Out (leftovers for the Boys!)

Friday~ Pizza Night!

Saturday~ Anniversary Dinner/ Date Night!!!!

What’s on your Menu this week?

xoxo, Mama Bird

Lego Cake

Happy Birthday Joey!!

Joey is obsessed with Legos and so for his special day he and a few friends went down to the Lego Store (I didn’t even know they had one!) and had a blast taking a LEGO class. They even do Birthday Parties! How awesome!! I can not wait to do this for Jack when he gets a little older!!

xoxo, Mama Bird

Cream Cheese Spreads {Lunchbox Love}

Basic Mix~ (you can easily double if you are feeding more!)
4 oz cream cheese
2 tsp mayo
variations~ a few of my favs!
olive spread: add 1/4 c chopped salad olives
veggie: 1/4 to 1/2 c fresh veggies (zap leftover salad veggies in food processor) s & p
cucumber: 1/2 c peeled & seeded cucumbers, fresh dill, s & p to taste
Hawaiian: 1/4 c each pineapple, leftover chicken or ham & pecans or walnuts
Greek: 1/4 c feta cheese, 1 tsp fresh dill
Tutti Fruitie: 1/4 to 1/2 c of pureed fruit  (leave out mayo!) add a little orange, lemon or lime juice
Possibilities are again endless!
What is your favorite combination?
xoxo, Mama Bird

Lunchbox Love

I was inspired my some of the recent post/articles I have seen on lunchbox love and wanted to include some of the great ideas that I have come across. As well as a few ideas that I have.

Mom’s Tool Box has an awesome list. I have shared her kabob idea with my sis, who’s little girl, also 3, doesn’t eat very well.

I pack j’s  lunch 3 to 4 days a week and feel I get in a rut (who wouldn’t?) With school just starting back I have made The Lunchbox my newest obsession!!

I love the Kabobs: Meat & cheese with pickles, olives and veggies would be great . Sammies: I like to use a cookie cutter just to add something fun to the lunch box. Egg Salad, jelly (he hates peanut butter) chicken salad, cream cheese spreads (up next), nutella & banana, the possibilities are endless. Sides: I always put in fresh fruit, a yogurt stick, a veg and something salty.  Here are a few ideas, some not so new, some a little more creative. I use cupcake/muffin liners to put dips, dressing or anything I want to be separate. Hummus with carrot sticks & pretzel flats, crackers with meat & cheese (homemade lunchable!) It is totally amazing how by using a fifty cent cookie cutter you can transform a kids lunch. No kidding!! Try it and before you say, that takes too much time! I challenge you to spend 20 mins a week to prepare.  Or do lunch as your cleaning up from dinner. Use leftovers! Transform them!

What’s in your lunch box?

xoxo, Mama Bird