Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumplings

Oh, Monday. Did you really have to throw in this freezing snowy weather to add to your sting? Going on my 8th year here in the Northeast and I still haven’t come to terms with the winter weather. About the only thing cold weather is good for is an excuse to stay indoors and eat warm, hardy, comforting food. And yes, chicken and dumplings fits just that bill. This is especially perfect for a weekday since it takes no time to throw everything into the slow cooker. I mean, how fabulous is it to hit 6 pm and realize that dinner will only take another few minutes of your time. Just the kind of end of day you need on a freezing Monday like today.

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Mint Chocolate Cookies

Mint Chocolate Cookies 1

I just can’t seem to get enough chocolate. I know it’s a super cliche woman thing, but seriously, chocolate is my indulgence of choice. And these cookies are right up my alley. Going to forewarn you – they are amazingly addictive. Like, I made this recipe, ran out of cookies a few days later, and preceded to then make a whole other batch. They are a delicious cross between a brownie and a thin mint girl scout cookie. Seriously to-die-for. I especially liked them slightly chilled in the fridge. These should definitely top your “to-bake” list. They are simple to mix up, bake in no time, and will fulfill any chocolate craving you throw at them.

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Low & Slow Oven Ribs

Low & Slow Oven Ribs

Please forgive me for the ugly picture. I just had to share these with you because they are awesomely delicious – bad picture be darned! I have a long going love for meat that can be thrown into the oven, forgotten about for a few hours, then popped out right at dinner time. I love the scrumptious smell that fills the house and gives off this impression that I’m working harder in the kitchen than I really am. Really, I’m cruising Gilt and ordering a bunch of cute shoes that I don’t really need, but don’t tell my husband that. These have a sort of sweet and sour Asian style thing going. A really unique, easy, and delicious rib recipe to add to your collection. These would be perfect for football watching!

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Let’s Get Organized: Tame those Recipes!

Let's Get Organized - Tame those Recipes

I love the start of a new year. It feels like everything is fresh and clean – a chance to renew and restart. Just looking at my empty and pretty planner makes me excited. I know that a lot of people make resolutions to get more organized this time of year, so I thought I would start a “Let’s Get Organized” series of posts dealing with how to do just that. Each month I will do a post on how to improve your life with a little advanced planning. I’m not talking about hours of cleaning out your closets, more like streamlining your daily tasks to make your life easier and more efficient. By no stretch of the imagination am I a neat freak, but I’ve found that having some semblance of order to my day and planning things out in advance have helped me be a better mom and wife.

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Chicken & Broccoli Casserole

Casseroles get a bad rap. It’s such a shame, because they are a great meal option for the whole family. Most are easy to prepare, freeze and reheat well, and are pretty  portable. This recipe is one of our all-time favorites. I’ve seriously made this more times than I can count. It’s so simple and yummy. The kind of meal that gets addicting and you end up craving on random Tuesday nights. If you made a resolution to cook more at home this year, I would definitely recommend adding this one to your repertoire.  It’s cheesy and homey without being too heavy. It’s also a one-stop-shop for veggie, protein, and carb. Win for mom and fam!

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Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup

Happy New Year friends! I hope you all got in some much deserved R&R over the holidays. We had a great time with our families, but are happy to be home and back in the swing of things. A good handful of my friends seemed to have come down with a cold in recent days (no doubt all that holiday travel and stress has left us all a little susceptible to the cold and germs), so I thought I would share my recipe for chicken noodle soup. I’m not the biggest fan of chicken broth, so my version combines vegetable and chicken stock to give it a slightly different flavor. It’s really delicious, and super easy. If you have an extra Parmesan rind lying around (I freeze mine) be sure to throw it in, it does amazing things flavor wise! I have a lot of fun new things to share with you all for 2013, so stay tuned!

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The Wifesaver

The Wifesaver

 Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

Need the perfect dish to serve Christmas morning? Look no further than the Wifesaver! This recipe is courtesy of my lovely mother-in-law, Terri. It is aptly named the Wifesaver because it can be conveniently prepared the night before, then baked up in the morning. It takes about an hour to bake – just enough time to open a few presents before you dig in. The casserole is hearty but not overly heavy. It has almost a quiche-like texture, combined with salty ham, sharp cheddar cheese and a crunchy cereal topping (the Special-K topping, though weird sounding, is awesome). Really delicious, and it makes Christmas morning a snap. Hope your family enjoys this as much as ours!

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Iced Molasses Cookies

Iced Molasses Cookies

Originally posted on Culinary Wannabe – this is one of my favorites!

I have felt totally overwhelmed by the amount of holiday goodies floating around this apartment in recent weeks. My sweet mother bakes like a fiend this time of year, and always sends us a huge care package (or 2) so that we get to sample everything before we arrive down south. This is one of her classic Christmas cookie recipes (although she tends to make them whenever the urge strikes, not just at Christmas). The cookie is moist and lightly spiced, with a delicious and pretty icing glaze on top. And they are super easy – no rolling or cutting required. Perfect to give away to your friends and spread some holiday cheer!

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