Friday, June 21, 2013

Crockpot General Tso's Chicken


Hey everyone! I have missed you lately! The hubby and I are now semi-moved in.... well, we have the kitchen, dinning room, and master bedroom unpacked. Hey, those are the important things right? I just don't have time to unpack with summer school going on.... one more week left! WOO HOO!

Anyways, today I have an awesome little recipe for you. I love Chinese food and one of my favorite dishes is general tso's chicken! It's got an awesome flavor and just enough spicy-ness to be AMAZING! The only thing I hate about making it is having to bread the chicken. It takes foreverrrrrrrr and it's not exactly the easiest thing in the world so I had a thought, crockpot! This is one of those recipes that you throw everything in and then leave it to cook for 8 hours (no cooking things ahead) so its extra awesome!

Ingredients:
-General Tso's Chicken seasoning mix (you can get this in the Asian section of your grocery store for about 85 cents! See picture below)

-4 Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breast
-2-3 Tbsp. Soy sauce
-1/4 cup Sugar
-1/2 cup water (use less if you want a thicker sauce)
Optional:
-2-3 Tbsp. Chili Garlic sauce*


*This stuff is amazing! It's made by the same people that make sriracha and can be found right next to it. I use it in almost everything I cook and would definitely recommend it! It really takes this recipe over the edge!

Ok, to make this dish throw everything into the crockpot and mix together. Seriously, its that easy! Set your crockpot to cook for 6-8 hours and leave it be. I usually try and stir mine every couple hours to keep the chicken coated but this is optional.


When your chicken is done you can either eat the breast whole or cut it into smaller pieces. I wanted our to be more authentic so I cut it up. It ended up being more shredded because the chicken was so tender but that's ok!

I also let the chicken stay warm in the crockpot for 30 more minutes after I cut it up so it could soak up some more flavoring! Here is a picture of the final product served over rice!


 
Happy cooking!!
Thursday, June 6, 2013

7 Breakfast Recipes

 

Hey everyone! Sorry I have been MIA lately, the hubby & I moved so most of my cooking and craft stuff has been packed away in boxes. Don't worry, the new house has given me lots of ideas for new projects! I haven't had time to cook anything lately so today I thought I'd share my 7 favorite breakfast items with you. These are all delish and are perfect for a brunch or just everyday at home.

LET'S GET READY FOR SOME BREAKFASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSST!

Sorry, that football theme song popped in my head and it seemed to fit. Come on, you know what I'm talkin' 'bout! Ok, back to it. Here are my 7 favorites!

1. Breakfast Ring
This is one of the most requested breakfast items by the official taste tester. He LOVES it. AND it's great because there are so many possibilities for combinations!


2. Banana Oatmeal Muffins
Um, can you say yum? These muffins will not disappoint! Plus, these things are made with healthy-ish ingredients! :) I like to make them very un-healthy by spreading some butter on them.


3. Cinnamon Sugar Grapefruit
Say whaaaat? Cinnamon & Sugar on grapefruits? Yes, this is true. I don't know about you guys but the tart-ness (is that even a word? tart-ness?) of grapefruits makes them hard for me to eat. They are especially distasteful with your morning cup of coffee. This recipe solves those problems and gives them a hint of sweetness that is perfect!


4. Kolaches/Pigs in the Blanket
Who can forget an all time favorite/classic in their breakfast menu? Not me that's for sure. Now what these things are called depends on where you live. Up in my mom's home town (Dallas/Fort Worth area) these are called pigs in the blanket and here is the Houston area, these are called Kolaches. Don't you Houstonians know a kolache is a Czechoslovakian fruit pastry? Duuuuuuuh. No amount of blabbering by me has convinced anyone of this so if you live anywhere else in the world, please weigh in below in the comments.


5. Breakfast Quesadilla
This item is one of my personal favs. My mom always made this for my sisters and me when I was younger and having it always brings back good memories. This is also great because like the Breakfast Ring above, it has many options for combinations!


6. Sausage Balls
Unless you are a vegetarian, you CANNOT tell me you don't like sausage balls. They are SO GOOD. I love these at breakfast time but I, of course, could eat them at any time of the day. These are great to make the night before and then just heat up in the a.m. when you are in a hurry.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST...

7. Migas
I love Mexican food and can eat it at anytime, even the morning. Daniel complains because anytime we go out to eat I want Mexican. If you have not ever had Migas, you should try them. They are easy to make and taste great! Not to mention, these also have quite a few possibilities for combinations!

And there ya have it! These are some of my favorite breakfast items! Who would drive through Sonic for a breakfast burrito when they have these possibilities? Not me that's for sure! I hope you guys enjoyed!