Crock Pot Shredded Chicken Ranchero

Hello, my name is Sarah, and I really could not care less about Mexican food.  I can take it or leave it.  My husband and kids love it.  Me?  Meh.
My favorite food at our Mexican joint is chicken nachos with NO jalapenos.  (I don't do jalapenos.  Shudder.)
Then I saw a pin that resembled the chicken in the aforementioned nachos.

http://www.chef-in-training.com/

• 2 lbs chicken breasts
• 1/2 a small bottle of zesty Italian dressing
• 1/2 Tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 pkt ranch dressing mix (mixed with 1/2 cup of water)
• 1/2 Tbsp. chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp. ground cumin

Put all of the ingredients in a crock pot on low for 7-8 hours.  Your house will smell amazing and you will thank me, and the folks at Chef In Training.   We made nachos, burritos, pizza and salad with the chicken.  My five year old has requested this for dinner every night since. 

And?

You're welcome.

Crock Pot French Dip

Hello, my name is Sarah... and I am addicted to sandwiches.

Tender beef?  Flavorful dipping au jus? Melted cheese?  Crusty bread?  I will take two, please.

This is a super simple recipe.  I didn't alter it at all, in anyway, and recommend you don't either.  My husband isn't a fan of French Dips (obviously there is something wrong with him), but he was a fan of this.  My older son ate the beef by the spoon full until we were concerned his stomach might explode.

If you are looking for a warm, comforting meal ready when you get home, try this recipe THIS WEEK.  I am drooling over the idea of eating this again.

Slow Cooker French Dip Sandwiches
approximately 3.5 pounds of beef chuck roast
16 ounce beef broth
10.5 can of condensed French onion soup
6 ounces of red wine (Keep the rest close to have with dinner!)
1 tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper, to taste
4-6 French Rolls
Sliced Provolone cheese, optional

Season the beef all over with salt and pepper.  In your slow cooker, add the beef broth, condensed French soup, wine, and garlic powder.  Place the beef into the liquid.  Cook for 6-8 hours, and it won't dry out as it cooks in liquid.
Serve on toasted French Rolls with provolone and a side of the liquid from the crock pot.  You might want to go ahead and make yourself two sandwiches.  Just sayin...

Drunken Gummy Bears

Hello, my names is Sarah... and I love to throw a party.  Due to the fact that I adore throwing parties, I am constantly on the look out for a fun drink for each occasion.  Enter DRUNKEN GUMMY BEARS.

http://mixthatdrink.com

We have done jello shots.  Who hasn't? (My friend Jenny, that's who!)  We have had fruit soaked in booze.  Whatever.
I saw this pin and fell head over heels.  Almost no work for me?  Fun drink for a party where we still act like college kids?  Hello, my name is Sarah.
I picked up a few bags of gummy bears, Hasbro brand, at the grocery store, and came home to experiment.
This is easy as all get out.
Put the gummy bears in a glass bowl, and pour alcohol of your choosing until it more than covers all the candy. Cover the bowl with Saran Wrap (the BANE of my existence) and refrigerate for at least 48 hours.
We preferred Malibu rum over other liquors, and these were a HUGE hit.  I am pretty sure that some people felt like they were hit by a HUGE truck the day after the party, but we will be making them again for sure.

Crock Pot Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

Hello, my name is Sarah... and I don't like spicy food. I try. I swear I try. This was a recipe that made me want to try harder. I mean, really? Cream Cheese, in a crockpot? Please, and thank you.
I made this today, and it was good. Really, REALLY good. Except it was a little spicy. I ate a decent amount of it before my taste buds started screaming, but then again, I am a wuss when it comes to pepper.

My husband loved it. My kids loved it. I just couldn't tough it out. Try it out yourself, and let me know what you thought.

Thanks to http://rita-may-recipes.blogspot.com/ for making this drool worthy recipe.

Better Than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree

Hello, my name is Sarah... and I am ALWAYS looking for a way to sneak vegetables into daily life. Not just for my kids, or my husband, but myself. I can eat a salad like you wouldn't believe, but struggle to COOK vegetables in a way I find appetizing.

Enter, stage right. Better Than Potatoes Cheesy Cauliflower Puree.

www.ibreatheimhungry.com

Potatoes. How I love potatoes. I am your average Irish(ish) girl, give me meat and potatoes and I will be a happy little girl. Cheese? Don't get me started on cheese. I have yet to meet one I didn't automatically fall in love with. So, you are telling me this is BETTER than potatoes AND has cheese? Pin away.

I made this last week. Sorta. It was all going so well until I couldn't find the lid to my food processor. No problem. I was just fine until I couldn't find the lid to my blender. I used my stand mixer on the highest, fastest speed possible. I ended up with shredded cauliflower with a cheesy sauce on it. Not exactly what I was going for, but delicious non the less.

I will be making this again whenever those two lids get back from their little rendezvous. Bonus? Husband LOVED it.

Hello, my name is Sarah...

Hello, my name is Sarah... and I have a pinterest problem.

Ooh, ooh. Look! A pin that has a recipe of snickerdoodle muffins. Heck yes! Sign me up!

http://www.eatmedelicious.com/

Ooh, ooh. Look! A pin that links you to a site full of photography tips. Now maybe my DSLR will make some sense.

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/

Ooh, ooh. Look! A pin with a free pattern to crochet baby booties. Who cares if I don't know how to crochet? It is still cute, right?

http://crochetdreamz.blogspot.com/

Ooh, ooh. Look! A simple pattern for a sundress. No, I don't have a sewing machine, but I pin away.

http://www.makethislook.com/

I will sit down and say to myself, "I have 10 minutes, let's look at Pinterest." 4 HOURS later, my eyes are red, my online shopping carts are full and I have a list a mile long of projects I SIMPLY must do. Recipes, decorating, hairstyles, tips for cleaning a sink drain. Wait a minute. Did I just say I wanted to clean my sink drain? Pretty sure that my pinning addiction got the best of me.

Perhaps you are wondering what Pinterest is. It is a website where people, creative people, can "pin" their creations. If you click on the pin, you can be redirected to the original pinner's site, or blog, or store page where you may be able to purchase the item, or find directions on how to recreate their masterpieces on your very own. In short, it is an addiction.

I am hoping that as I struggle with my addiction, I can share my successes and failures with you. I am not nearly as creative as these folks, and will give all credit where credit is due.

Hello, my name is Sarah...

Crockpot Beef Stroganoff

http://thecrockstar.blogspot.com

Hello, my name is Sarah... and you had me at crockpot. What's that you say? You only need these 6 ingredients, plus some egg noodles? I don't want to be forward or anything, but I think I am in love.

I added those few items to my grocery list, and made it on a gray, overcast Monday. I had some extra mushrooms and threw them in the mix as well. I was beating my kids and husband off with the wooden spoon all day.

My only advice on this recipe is to make the cubes of cream cheese really small. It melts way quicker that way, and quicker means in your belly faster.

2 pounds cubed steak meat

2 cans condensed Golden Mushroom Soup

1 large onion, diced

1/2 cup of water

4 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce

8 ounces of cream cheese, cubed

Add the first 6 ingredients to the crockpot, and cook on low for 6-8 hours. 20 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the cream cheese so it can melt in. While waiting for that to happen, boil egg noodles according to instructions and ENJOY!