Delicious Crockpot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients

  ·       32 oz. chicken broth

  ·       Approximately 7 oz. petite diced tomatoes

  ·       6 oz. La Victoria Salsa (or any red salsa you prefer)

  ·       1  15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed

  ·       Approximately 10 oz. canned corn, drained

  ·       1 cup chopped onion (white or yellow)

  ·       ¼ tsp. minced garlic

  ·       1 tbsp. mild taco seasoning

  ·       Approximately 3 cups Foster Farms frozen, shredded chicken

  ·       Salt and pepper to taste

Directions: 

   1.      Combine broth, tomatoes, salsa, beans and corn in the crockpot and stir, then put the lid on.

   2.      Sauté the onions in vegetable oil for about 7 minutes, until they start to get soft, add the garlic and sauté on low for 2 minutes or so. Add garlic and onion to crockpot.

   3.      Add the taco seasoning, salt, and pepper to the crockpot and mix well.

   4.      Cook on low for about 3 ½ hours. Then mix in the shredded chicken and let everything continue to cook on low for another half hour.

   5.      Serve with crushed tortilla chips/strips, shredded cheese, avocado or whatever you like. Enjoy!

Shrimp & Rigatoni with Tomato Cream Sauce

        So for the past maybe month or so, we have not had a working oven... 😢 The oven is super old as it is, and the coil on the heating element cracked and sparked so we immediately stopped using it. We ordered a new one at Home Depot buuuut it still won't be installed until March 14th. I MISS MY OVEN!!! I want to bake cookies and muffins and chicken and broil steak and garlic bread!!! My goodness the next 10 days better go by quickly. 
        Anyways, since the oven is in non-working condition, I've had to think up stove top or crock pot meals only almost every single night, For some, this may not be a tricky task- for me it is. My go to is broiled top sirloin, baked chicken, garlic bread, etc. Thankfully I have found a few new favorite (stove top) recipes! The latest one is shrimp and rigatoni pasta served with a delicious tomato cream sauce. We had it last night and it is soooo so good.
        Enjoy! 

Shrimp & Rigatoni with Tomato Cream Sauce
(Recipe adapted from Cafe Delites )
Ingredients:

• 1-2 Tbsp. butter
• About 1 tsp finely minced garlic
• 1/2 pound to 1 pound of frozen, pre-cooked shrimp, or fresh
• 1/4 cup white wine 
• 1/2 a can of petite diced tomatoes, with juices
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1/2-3/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan  cheese
• Spices: salt, pepper, a TINY pinch of Cayenne pepper, onion powder, Old Bay if desired

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large nonstick pan, turn heat to low and add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes.
2. Turn the heat back up to medium high and add the shrimp and season with desired spices, cook until no longer pink. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Pour the white wine into the pan and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes. Then add the diced tomatoes and juices and simmer for 3-5 minutes, covered.
4. Turn the heat down to low and slowly stir in the cream and the Parmesan cheese. Stir until combined & cheese is fully melted.
5. Add the shrimp back in and stir until all the shrimp is fully coated, let the shrimp get hot again. 
6. Serve over the pasta of your choosing and enjoy! (A green side salad or broccoli are great side dishes.)

DIY Hair Mask

        Hey all! I know I usually post recipes, but today I'm changing it up and sharing a how-to for a really nice DIY hair mask for oily hair. Unfortunately my hair is the oily kind (TMI, I know) and I hate it. I absolutely cannot go a day without a shower, and I can't even stand getting out of bed and doing anything before showering first. Lately I've been feeling like my hair is falling flat and has a little bit of build up.
        So I took to Pinterest and looked through tons of home-made hair masks, and read the recipes on some of the packaged kind too. There was so many I'd like to try, but I decided the first one I would try, the one that would work best for my situation. I chose to combine apple cider vinegar, lemon juice,and a little honey. I've only used it twice but my hair already feels fluffier and cleaner and smoother!
   
        Try it for yourself, here's my recipe!

        DIY Lemon Hair Mask

        Ingredients:

• about 1/8 cup apple cider vinegar(I went a little on the high end)
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1 tsp. honey 

       Directions:

1. Juice lemon into a small cup or bowl.
2. Pour the apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup, then add the lemon and stir.
3. Heat up the honey just until warm and liquid-y, then add to the mixture and mix well.
4. Apply the mixture to damp hair, and let it sit for 15-30 minutes.
5. Rinse well, then shampoo and condition like normal!          

                                       

                                  

       

Unsatisfactory Spanish Rice

As I'm sure you inferred from the title of my post, I recently mad some crappy Spanish rice. Last night, I wanted to try a baked salsa verde recipe and I thought Spanish rice and a green salad would accompany the dish well. To be completely honest, neither the chicken or the rice turned out that great. The chicken wasn't bad, and the boyfriend enjoyed it. The rice, on the other hand, turned out mushy and lacking flavor. This was only my second time making Spanish rice and I remember it turning out a lot better the last time. I don't know exactly what went wrong this time, at first i was a little shy on the chicken broth & tomato sauce so the rice was drying out before it was fully cooked. I added more broth and some more tomatoes and their juices and let it simmer, but then it turned out mushy.

All in all, the whole meal was a bust for me and I was bummed. I thought it would be a lot better and I was planning on sharing the recipes with y'all! If anyone has any tips or secrets to making delicious Spanish rice I'm open for suggestions! Feel free to comment or email me!

Delicious Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

Hey all! Sorry it's been awhile, I've been busy with life and school and all that jazz. But I have a new recipe to share! The other day my boyfriend (the sweetest guy ever) and I were running errands and he was practicing for his physical agility test. He passed, by the way, and is in the process of becoming a police officer! We couldn't be more excited. Anyways, since I knew we'd be running around for awhile I wanted to throw something in the crockpot that would be ready when we got home. I already had some fried rice in the fridge, so I figured teriyaki chicken would go great with that. I was right, the chicken turned out so tender and delicious! It's simple and only required a few ingredients and took about 4 hours. 

Crockpot Teriyaki Chicken

• 6 pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into strips)
• 1/2 cup of teriyaki sauce **see note below
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/8 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp of minced garlic
• ground pepper to taste

**I used half Very Teriyaki, a thicker sauce with sesame seeds and half teriyaki marinade which is a little thinner.

Directions

1. Cut the chicken thighs into several strips each, then season with ground pepper
2. Mix the teriyaki sauce, broth, and garlic together in a large bowl until combined
3. Toss the chicken in the crokpot and pour the teriyaki mixture over the chicken
4. Cook on high for about 4 hours. Enjoy!

   

DIY Bath Bombs

DIY Bath Bombs

It’s finally December! A busy, but wonderful time of the year. I think everyone can agree that gift giving can be tricky (and expensive) at times. Sometimes it’s nice to give someone a homemade gift- it’s meaningful, unique, and DIY’s are always fun to do! The other day my friend and I were Christmas shopping at Target (where else!?) and decided to get the supplies to make homemade fizzy bath bombs to give as Christmas gifts. It only takes a couple of ingredients and items, and a few of ‘em are probably sitting in your cabinets already! My friend and I had so much fun making them and they're so easy. Below is the recipe and process, and I'll also attach a link with the FREE printable recipe and process below (including a picture of the finished product!)  

Here's the link for the printable recipe and process:  
Bath Bombs Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

·       1 cup of citric acid

·       1 cup of baking soda

·       1 cup of Epsom salts

·       ½ a cup of melted coconut oil

·       10 drops of essential oils

·       Liquid food coloring (if desired)

  *We spent a long time searching for citric acid, which we finally found in the baking aisle at      Raley's!

Additional Supplies:

·       Silicon molds

·       2 medium/large bowls

Directions:

1.   Measure your Epsom salts into a bowl, then add 1-2 drops of food color and gently stir around. Let them sit and absorb the color.

2.   Now combine dry ingredients, baking soda and citric acid, in a large bowl. Gently whisk with a large spoon.

3.   Next, slowly add melted coconut oil to the dry ingredients and mix gently, don’t mix to fast or the liquid could create a reaction with the citric acid.

4.   Once all the coconut oil is added, add the essential oil and then finish combining everything by kneading it together with your hands. The mixture should feel like damp sand.

5.   Place your mixture into the silicon molds and pack it down tight.

6.   Let the bath bombs sit and dry for about 24 hours, then ENJOY!

  

Christmas Gift List

It's that time of the year again, the most wonderful time of the year! I don't know about y'all, but I love the holidays, especially Christmas. Yes, at times the holidays can be a little stressful (and cold!)... there's meals to make, goods to bake, families to visit, and gifts to buy. All of these tasks take time and money which just adds to the stress. I personally am trying to be better about planning, organizing, and budgeting. I created this cute little Christmas Gift List printable that will hopefully take a little stress away, and make one aspect of Christmas a little easier! All that's on there is a space for the name and gift ideas, but I usually pencil in prices as I go to help me stay on budget.  

        Here's the link for the FREE printable! 
Christmas Gift List FREE Printable