Snappy Chicken Stir Fry

Ohhhh, so yummy!! I love recipes that I can throw together in no time and still taste like you have slaved forever on... It was one of those meals where I had to honestly stop myself from continuing to eat. I even had to send the leftovers with my mother in law and my husband so that I wouldn't finish them off the next day! It was so fabulous and the whole family agreed!

Snappy Chicken Stir Fry
(recipe found in Taste of Home Healthy)

3 tablespoon cornstarch
1 1/2 cups reduced sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoon reduced sodium soy sauce
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 package (16 ounces) frozen sugar snap stir fry vegetable blend
1 tablespoon sesame or canola oil
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2 cups hot cooked brown rice
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch, broth, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger and pepper flakes; set aside. In a large skillet or wok, stir fry vegetable blend in oil for 5-7 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir cornstarch mixture and add to the pan. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Add chicken; heat through. Serve with rice; sprinkle with almonds.

Serves: 4
Points: 7 points for 1 cup chicken, 1/2 cup rice, 1 tablespoon almonds

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken

My mom's favorite meals would include anything with chicken, so I decided that I had to have her over for supper when we tried this meal. She was not disappointed! :) This was super yummy over rice, but I think that next time I will try it in a wrap and I think it might be even more fabulous! :) Very filling and delicious...

Crock Pot Santa Fe Chicken
(recipe found at www.skinnytaste.com)

24 ounces (1 1/2 pounds) chicken breast
14.4 ounces can diced tomatoes with mild green chilies
15 ounces can black beans
8 ounces frozen corn
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
14.4 ounces can fat free chicken broth
3 scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt to taste

Combine chicken broth, beans, corn, tomatoes, cilantro, scallions, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt in the crock pot. Season chicken breast with salt and lay on top. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours. Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in. Adjust salt and seasoning. Serve over rice or in a tortilla.

Serves: 8
Points: 3 per 1 cup

California Chili

Once again, who has 1/2 pound anything at their house?? Double it up baby!! We had leftovers yet again, which is always a good thing at my house with daycare and taking food over to my grandparents as often as possible... This was super thick and savory and a snap to throw together. I love a soup like that!

California Chili
(recipe found on www.recipegirl.com)

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 pound ground lean turkey
1 medium onion, diced
1 medium green bell pepper, diced
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 (15 ounces) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 (15 ounces) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 ounces) can tomato sauce
1/2 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add turkey and cook until browned, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes. Stir in all remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, at least an hour.

Beef Enchiladas

First off, I doubled this recipe immediately... Who has 1/2 pound of meat laying around? Not this house! So, I doubled the recipe and then used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. Not a big fan of the corn tortillas. So, I am sure that this changed the points value, but it also made them delicious! :) We were good to go with 1 enchilada instead of the 2, so it all evened out in the end... Our family were big fans of this recipe and I will definitely be making them again. I like that I have lots of leftovers or another pan to throw in the freezer!

Beef Enchiladas
(recipe found on pinterest via yumm.com)

1/2 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup red peppers, chopped
1/2 cup green peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cups salsa
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
2 tablespoon italian dressing
8 corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 400. Brown meat and peppers in large pan. Stir in 1 cup salsa and simmer 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Spread 1/4 cup remaining salsa on bottom of 9x13 pan. Brush dressing over both sides of tortillas and then spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture onto tortilla and roll up. Place into pan seam side down. Top with remaining salsa and cover. Bake 20 minutes covered and then remove covering, add remaining cheese and bake for 2-3 minutes more or until cheese is melted.

Serves: 4
Points: 8 points + for 2 enchiladas

Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup

I had pinned a recipe for cheeseburger soup on pinterest and of course when I went to make it, couldn't find it anywhere! :( So, I did a quick google search and came up with this beauty! The kids and I enjoyed it - very thick and hearty even though you are using chicken broth. Easy to throw together and tasty at the same time...

Crockpot Cheeseburger Soup
(recipe found at www.crockpot365.blogspot.com)

4 cups chicken broth
1/2 onion, diced finely
1 pound lean ground beef, browned and drained
1 red pepper, chopped
4 red potatoes, cubed
2 small garlic cloves, minced
1 cup milk
24 ounces velveeta, cubed

Brown meat on stove top with onion. In crockpot add chicken broth, garlic, red pepper, potatoes, browned beef and onion. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on low 6 hours or until potatoes are tender. Stir in milk and velveeta 20-30 minutes before serving.

Roasted Broccoli

After I found this recipe I have made it a few different times. Of course none of them included taking a picture, but as much as I have been making it, I am sure that I will get one on here sooner or later! :) Definitely a fun take on roasted broccoli...

Roasted Broccoli
(recipe found in Parents)

1 pound broccoli, cut up
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, inced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup whole wheat panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup cheese

Preheat oven to 425. Mix broccoli, olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper and bread crumbs. Spread mixture in a shallow baking pan. Roast for 13-15 minutes or until broccoli is tender, stirring once. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle on cheese.

Pumpkin Muffins

You know me and pumpkin - especially this time of year! I always have a can on hand and am ready to use it as the need arises! I found this recipes while paging through my family fun magazine and had to try it. The kids really enjoy muffins for breakfast and I enjoy coming up with a healthier alternative to some of the boxed cereals that I usually have on hand! :)

Pumpkin Muffins
(recipe found in Family Fun)

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin
1/3 cup oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Heat the oven to 350 and grease the bottom only of 12 muffin cups. I a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, oil, eggs, vanilla and brown sugar. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and stir until just combined. Pour batter into muffin cups and bake until muffins are slightly puffed and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool in pan on wire rack.

15 Minute Pork Chops

This was a quick and easy meal to throw together... So simple that my husband even busted it out the other night. Love when we can get supper on the table quickly!

15 Minute Pork Chops
(recipe found at authenticsimplicity.net)

1 pound pork chops
salt and pepper
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 tablespoon olive oil

Rub salt and pepper to taste on both sides of the pork chops. In a bowl, stir together flour and seasonings and dredge the pork chops through mixture on both sides. Heat oil over medium high heat and add pork chops. Cook on both sides about 4 minutes, covered, or until done.

Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers

Josh loves stuffed peppers, so I thought that I would shake things up a bit and try a new stuffed pepper recipe. We both thought that these were delicious! The kids, not so excited about the peppers, but they loved the insides... With the exception of my two youngest they pretty much ate the peppers and nothing else. Oh well, at least that part was healthy! :)

We are bigger fans of red peppers then green, so I swapped out the two in this recipe and we put our ingredients in the red peppers and chopped half of a green pepper. Pick whatever your family likes best!

2 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 red bell pepper
1/4 cup parsley
5 bell peppers
14 ounces shredded cooked chicken
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt to taste
15 1/2 ounce can white beans
1/2 cup reduced fat shredded cheddar

In a medium pan, heat oil on medium. Add chopped onions, garlic, parsley and red pepper. Saute until soft, about a minute. Add chicken and season with cumin and salt. Add beans and 1=1 1/3 cups water and simmer for about 5-10 minutes, until it thickens and the liquid reduces. Adjust spices to taste. Preheat oven to 350. Cut peppers in half removing seeds and stem. Place peppers in an oven proof dish. Fill each pepper with 1/3 cup chicken and bean mixture. Pour about 1/3 cup water or chicken broth on the bottom of the dish. Cover tight with foil. Bake 30 minutes. Remove foil, top with cheese and bake uncovered another five minutes.

Serves: 5
Points: 6 per 2 pepper halves

Zucchini Mini Muffins

I try to send in a little something for the teachers that my kids have at each holiday... This year I found these cute little containers on the dollar rack at Target and couldn't resist! The trick was to then find something that went inside of them! :) Well, I had this recipe that I have been holding on to for a while and a big fat zucchini sitting on my counter, so the decision was made for me... They turned out delicious! I made one batch according to directions and they were good, but I wanted to kick it up a notch, so I made another batch and threw in some white chocolate chips. While this definitely affected the points value, it gave them a little extra goodness! Try it either way - they are pretty yummy!

Zucchini Mini Muffins
(recipe found at weightwatchers.com)

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 small zucchini, grated and squeezed of excess moisture
1 large egg white
1/3 cup lowfat milk
2 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons almond or walnut oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to 400. Pray mini muffin tin with cooking spray. In large bowl, whisk together both flours, sugar, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together zucchini, egg white, milk, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until sugar is mostly dissolved (might still be a little grainy). Pour wet ingredients into dry; stir with wooden spoon just until combined. Spoon into muffin tin, about 2 tablespoons per hole. Bake until browned, until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 12-14 minutes. Cool for a few minute before turning muffins out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Serving size: 1 muffin
Points Plus: 2 per serving

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies

I whipped these up for the boy scout Halloween party that we had at our house and seriously? They were gone before I finished getting the rest of the stuff out! The boys and their families chowed them down in 2.2 seconds! They were soft and delicious and perfect for our fall gathering...

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Blondies
(recipe found at authenticsimplicity.net)

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup pumpkin
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Beat together butter and sugar until fluffy. Add cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, salt, egg and pumpkin and mix until well combined. Stir in flour just until combined. Add chocolate chips and mix in. Pour into greased 8x8 pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until edges are golden and middle is set.

Corn Chowder

I love a good soup on a blustery, fall or winter day! Although the creamier and meater the better usually takes precedence with me, I have been trying to eat healthier and so when I saw that this was a weight watchers meal I thought that I would try it... It was so good that I went back for a little more and since it is so low in points - it was fine with me!! It had wonderful flavor and was definitely filling!

Corn Chowder
(recipe found at weightwatchers.com)

2 (15 ounces) cans reduced sodium chicken or vegetable broth
1 (1 pound) bag frozen corn
1 onion, finely chopped
1 large (10 ounces) baking potato, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
4 slices crisp cooked bacon, crumbled (can omit if no meat meal)
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
3/4 cup fat free sour cream
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine the broth, corn, onion, potato, celery, bacon and thyme in a slow cooker. Cook on low until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 6 hours; raise heat to high and cook until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes more. Stir in sour cream and pepper; heat through, 15 minutes more.

Serves: 8
Points: 2 per 1 cup

Sweet and Salty Fritos

Sweet and salty? You are talking my language now! I love the saltiness of corn chips and the though of something sweet covering them sounded like a little slice of heaven! This was another treat that I busted out for my kids during movie night and they thought that it was fantastic! They came back for more as soon as they were done and would have probably had 3rds if mom hadn't scarfed down the rest of the pan! :)

Sweet and Salty Fritos
(recipe found on pinterst via www.skiptomylou.org)

1 package corn chips
1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter

Spread corn chips on greased cookie sheet. In a saucepan, over medium heat combine corn syrup and sugar and bring to a boil. Stir frequently to dissolve sugar. Allow to boil 1 minute and remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter and continue stirring until smooth. Pour over corn chips. Cool and then break into pieces to chow down!

Mom's Chili

This is our go to chili at the Kiser house and when I decided that I wanted to whip up a batch the other day I sat down to my blog to find the recipe... I couldn't believe that it wasn't on here!! How could I not have blogged about my mom's chili?? Unheard of! :) So, I gave my mom a quick call and got the complete list of ingredients (for the 80th time!) and put it on the stove... Hope you enjoy as much as we do!

Mom's Chili
(recipe found at my mama's house!)

1 pound ground beef
salt, pepper and diced onion to taste
16 ounce dark red kidney bean
16 ounce diced tomatoes
16 ounce tomato sauce
1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
tabasco sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon chili powder

In a large saucepan brown beef with salt, pepper and diced onion until cooked through. Add remaining ingredients to pan and allow to come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for as long as you choose to allow flavors to come together.

Pumpkin Puppy Chow

What's got only 3 ingredients and is super addictive? This version of puppy chow, that's what!! I had to search for a while to find the pumpkin flavored kisses but when I found them I knew I was making this recipe for our next movie night... Once again, a hit at our house and so good that I had to force myself to put them away!

Pumpkin Puppy Chow
(recipe found on pinterest via creatingandteaching.blogspot.com)

9 cups chex rice cereal
1 bag pumpkin flavored kisses
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Place cereal in large bowl. Melt down kisses, using double boiler method, until smooth. Pour over cereal and stir gently until coated. Add powdered sugar and stir until covered.

Chicken Noodle Soup & SRC

It's that time again... Man, the months just are flying by! I can't believe that Christmas is just around the corner - who's started their shopping?? I just came back from our annual girls weekend where I usually get most of mine done... Hoping to finish the rest up soon so that I can concentrate on the goodie baking part of Christmas, which is also a favorite part! :)

SRC this month brought me to the blog authenticsimplicity.net. As I wandered through the pages and pages of recipes and other goodies that I found on Anne's blog, I found myself writing down more and more recipes that I wanted to try and share! I actually got a chance to try a few different recipes and I will definitely be sharing the rest down the road. Pumpkin chocolate chip blondies? Easy as pumpkin pie and gone before I finished bringing the rest of my stuff out for the potluck! Salted steak and 15 minute pork chops were a couple of the other recipes that I tried and enjoyed, but for today I decided to focus in on her Chicken Noodle Soup.

I was excited to make this chicken noodle soup - it was a windy fall day. We had spent a good part of the day outside chopping wood and getting the yard ready for winter and it was nice to walk into the house and have a warm supper ready and waiting for us... Seriously - I love a good, healthy crockpot meal! The only problem with this recipe is that I should have doubled it! :) The whole family enjoyed and it was hearty enough for my 1 year old to have with out any of the broth!

Chicken Noodle Soup
(recipe found at http://authenticsimplicity.net)

8 cups chicken broth
2 cups chopped chicken
4 medium carrots, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried parsley
4 cups uncooked pasta
salt and pepper to taste

Put broth, chicken, carrots, celery, onion and spices into your slow cooker and stir to combine. Cook on low 4-6 hours. Right before serving, cook pasta according to package directions, drain and add to soup. Stir to combine. Serve with crackers or your favorite bread...

Weekly Line Up - 11/2-11/9

Let me tell you - my weekends have been a little wild lately... I am heading out of town this morning for our girls shopping weekend, so that means no time for this weeks shopping. That means that last week I worked my butt off to plan for two weeks. Seriously - not so much fun! I don't know how people plan their meals for a month at a time... It was a little stressful trying to make sure that I had enough of everything for two weeks worth! Granted my hubs is stopping today with the kids to pick up more milk and a few things that got overlooked, but still - I did the bulk of it in one trip and it was crazy! I don't get to the store more then once a week usually and my cart looks insane, so you can imagine what it looked like for 2 weeks! :) Oh well, things will hopefully be slowing down now and I will be home for my weekly outing... Here's the menu for this week -

Friday/Saturday/Sunday - Mama is going shopping so the kids are on their own with Grandma and Daddy to fend for them.... The freezer is stalked with pizza, corn dogs, fish sticks and all that healthy kind of stuff! They will live, it's one weekend! :)
Monday - Baked Tilapia
Tuesday - Beef Stuffed Shells
Wednesday - Honey and Spice Baked Chicken
Thursday - Crockpot French Onion Soup
Friday - Cocoa and chili Rubbed Pork Chops

See - back on the eating healthy path for the rest of the week! :)

Have a great one!

Candy Corn Kix Mix Popcorn Balls

These were the treats that I handed out for my daycare kids yesterday... They turned out better then I could have imagined! Super yummy and soft instead of the tooth breaking popcorn balls that you buy in the store... I love that they have the orange color to them for Halloween - Seriously, so easy and good that I have been contemplating red and green ones for Christmas already! :) Never mind the fancy packaging - you know I am more cook then crafter! I doubled this recipe and had enough for 19 popcorn balls - they may or may not all be the same size! :)

Candy Corn Kix Mix Popcorn Balls
(recipe found at ohmysugarhigh.com)

2 cups Kix cereal
4 cups cooked popcorn
1 1/2 cups candy corn
4 tablespoons butter
10/5 ounces mini marshmallows
4 tablespoons orange flavored gelatin powder

In a large bowl, combine cereal, popcorn and candy corn. In a large pot over medium low heat, melt butter. Add marshmallows and stir until thoroughly coated in melted butter. Continue to stir until marshmallows are completely melted, add gelatin and mix well. Add one mixture to the other and combine. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Coating your hands with butter, form small balls with mixture and place on wax paper to cool.