Cuban Ropa Vieja

Ropa Vieja

Week 4 - still crockpotting! I even have friends at work crockpotting now. You really should dust your crockpot off and throw some frozen meat in it! Only thing, even on low, my crockpot still boils. Do you think that is normal? I may need to get a new crockpot...hmmmm!

Here is the list of ingredients:
3 1/2 lb. beef or pot roast
S&P
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 green pepper, chopped
Can of tomato sauce
2 bay leaves
1/2 c. dry wine

S&P beef, brown in pan with olive oil. Pour tomato sauce in crockpot, add wine and 1/2 of diced onions and 2 cloves of crushed garlic. Top with beef. (I put some of the sauce on top of the beef). Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

Pull beef out, shred.

Saute remaining onions and garlic, just until clear. Add green peppers and saute a few minutes more. Add shredded beef and desired amount of juices from crockpot. Cover and simmer on low for 15 to 20 minutes.

Serve with yellow rice and black beans! If you try it, let me know what you think!

White Chicken Chili

3rd week -still crockpotting! I'm having fun, but for some reason I'm doing more dishes. Probably because we are eating out less and eating at home more, which is great for family time and for our budget.

Here is the White Chicken Chili recipe
Chicken
Salsa
White Beans
Monteray Jack Cheese

I dumped a jar of salsa in bottom of crockpot, added frozen chicken breast and cooked on low for 8 hours. When I got home I added another jar as salsa and 2 cans of white beans (including liquid). I bumped temperature up to high and when everything was heated through (about 20 mintues) I added shredded cheese. Serve when cheese melts.

Garlic Chicken

Dedicated to keep my Crockpot Resolution, but also dedicated to staying within my budget (thanks Dave Ramsey), last week I made Garlic Chicken. Michael's birthday dinner threw my grocery budget over the edge, but no fear....I have lots of things in my freezer, refrigerator and pantry. As a result of cooking from my pantry, I came up with a "keeper recipe" for my crockpot.

Here is a list of ingredients....sorry,no measurements.
Frozen chicken breasts
Soy Sauce
Water
Spicey Brown Mustard
Lime Juice
10 whole cloves of garlic

I cooked the above on low for 8 hours and served it over pasta the first night and shredded in quesadillas the second night.

Let me know if you try the recipe and if you like it.

The year of CROCKPOTS!

I visit my blog regularly to see if any of my sidebar friends have blogged. Today, on a whim, I read through my past blog posts. It was like looking through a scrapbook, only better because I have videos in several of my posts. So, in an attempt to start blogging again...here is my first post of 2011!

(Thanksgiving 2010)

Busyness has overtaken my life. The kids are busy, I'm busy, Michael's busy....we are all TOO busy. Eating together as a family, each night, is increasingly more difficult to do. Last year my New Year's resolution was to 1. have more fun and 2. eat kid's meals whenever possible. Last year was a fun year and I did eat more kid's meals....So, this year I think I'll keep 1 and 2 from last year, but add a 3rd - use my crockpot A LOT! I found this great website...she has all kinds of crockpot recipes. On Sunday I made Baked Potato Soup in the crockpot. It tasted great!

Do you have a great Crockpot recipe? If so, please share it with me. I'd love to try it out this year!

Free REDBOX Code - Expires 3/1

Do you love Redbox as much as our family does? We love it because we can rent movies for FREE! We used to rent at Blockbuster, then we had a subscription to Netflix. Now we rent movies from Redbox for FREE.
Here is a Redbox code that expires tomorrow (3/1), so rent one today or tomorrow before midnight!
RBXLUV4U

I've been away....

(photo completely unrelated, but hate to blog without a photo...Here is Hannah with her favorite mess maker, Emily)

I may have been silent, but have still been lurking on my friend's blogs. I love reading about your daily struggles, your funny stories and your adventures. I've been a little selfish - I've kept my stories, crafts and recipes to myself...Sorry!

I have a new obsession...Reading frugal and couponing blogs! I have even given in and have started couponing and bargain shopping! It's a challenge, a game...and it is highly addictive. I've purchased $2 laundry soaps (reg. $6), $.25 Lunchables (reg. $1.50), $5 Clean 'n Clear Acne (reg. $20) systems, FREE Body soaps, FREE Contact Solutions...you probably get the point. Are you a bargain shopper too? Do you print, clip and organize coupons too? Do you know that Publix accepts competive coupons? They even accept Register Rewards from Walgreens? Have you visited $5 Dinner Mom yet?

Here are a few websites I visit daily...
Deal Seeking Mom
My Frugal Adventures
Slick Deals

Merry, Merry

Happy Birthday Mom!

Hannah's first Leon High football game!

An afternoon hospital visit

Photo is totally unrelated photo, but hate to post without one.

Spent the afternoon in the ER yesterday. Lots of waiting and a few tests later resulted in an "I think" diagnosis. I'm never sick, with the exception of an occassional cold. Only times I've been in the hospital are as follows: my birth, Hannah's birth, Jacob's birth, and yesterday.

Rewind to 11:30am Wednesday morning...
I was at work and I started having severe, sharp pain in my lower abdomen. Sat there, no change. Walked around, no change. As I was walking back to my office, I had a wave of nausea and overwhelming feeling of passing out. Never felt like that before. I sat down in a co-worker's area and all I could think was...Please don't pass out at work, please don't pass out at work. I didn't. Co-worker put a cold cloth on my neck and forehead. Nausea went away slowly and I was able to walk back to my desk.
Meanwhile, I called Michael. Getting a phone call that starts out, "I need you to take me to the doctor or hospital" is never a good call. He jumped into action and called my doctor, which told him to call urgent care, which told him to take me to the ER.

Fast forward to 6pm Wednesday evening...
I felt fine, absolutely no pain at all. Doctor told me he thinks it was a ruptured ovarian cyst and that my body did the 'flight or fight' reaction.

So, this morning I am thankful for many things - some big, some small, some trivial. Here are a few, in no particular order. I'm thankful that Michael has a cell phone and that I could reach him immediately, even if it does quack or bark when I ring. I'm thankful that my co-worker jumped into action with cold cloths and the offering to complete the task I was doing. I'm thankful Michael has a job that allowed him to leave at a moments notice and also a job that has great health benefits so that the thought of having to pay for the hospital visit didn't have to be considered. I'm thankful that God chose for me to live in a time where there are so many modern technologies and conveniences that are available, most of which I take for granted each and every day. I'm thankful that I have a talented hairdresser because while washing my hands at one point in the day I looked at myself in the mirrror and thought, "Great hair day!" I'm thankful for friends that called to check on me. I'm thankful that my husband sat in a cold hard chair yesterday and only complained a few times. I'm thankful that my kids went on with their daily routine. And most importantly, I'm thankful that Jesus is my Savior and that I need not fear a thing because my Lord is in control, regardless of the circumstance, regardless of the outcome.

Couldn't resist sharing.....