Monday Morning Musings

I have made two important discoveries recently.

1. Manicures don't last very long when you're a housewife.  Washing dishes does a number on your hands.
I have to take a few sentences to brag on my husband right now though. ;)  He took me to the nail salon on Saturday to get a mani/pedi.  While I was relaxing in that wonderful massage chair and getting pampered, he did all the grocery shopping and made the baked beans we were taking to my parents house that night for dinner.  What a wonderful man! :) I am so blessed! :)
Oh, right...my other discovery...

2. Slow cookers are awesome.
Seriously.  Throw in some ingredients in the morning, forget about it, and at dinner time you have a delicious meal?  I'm sold.  Up until recently, I have had a love-hate relationship with my slow cooker.  I own one but have only pulled it out maybe once or twice since we've been married.  See, my slow cooker is slightly temperamental.  It tends to be hotter and cook faster than it should.  Because of that, I was never able to use it when I was at school all day; there would be nothing edible to eat when we came home.  But, now that I'm home this summer, I can keep an eye on the monster and rescue dinner if necessary. :)
I've made it a goal of mine to build up my slow cooker recipe file.  Once a week, I am going to try new recipes to add, as well as share them with you. (If they are good) :)  How awesome to have those 30 - 45 minutes extra to work on making your house a home, while still having something delicious to eat at the end of a busy day?  I think these will come in handy.

Slow Cooker Recipe #1

Fiesta Chicken and Rice

from Southern Plate  

Note: Before I get started on the recipe, will you do me a favor?  Check out Christy Jordan's website at www.southernplate.com.  I love reading her posts about her home and family life, as well as trying out her delicious meals.  She's a true southern girl!    Now...let me share her recipe.  It was so easy (almost too easy for the amount of flavor you get), and delicious!  It was a winner at our house!

Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts (however many you want to use - It doesn't matter since the chicken will be shredded at the end)
• 1 can cream of chicken soup
• 1 can black beans
• 1 can corn, drained
• 1 cup salsa
• 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning
• Cooked Rice

Preparation

Place chicken breasts in the bottom of your slow cooker.  Pour in your cream of chicken soup, black beans, drained corn, salsa, and taco seasoning.  Stir to combine.  Cover with lid and cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.  The chicken will break up into shreds as it cooks.  Stir in cooked rice and serve!

My prep changes.  

I used split bone in chicken breasts because they were on sale and that's what I had.  Because of this, at the 3 hour mark I took the chicken out, deboned, and shredded it myself, then added it back to the dish.  

Also,I served the rice separately instead of adding it to the chicken mixture.  That way Lester could eat as much rice as he wanted :)

Lester loved it with the rice, but I thought there was something funny about the Mexican flavors mixed with rice.  Next time, I may serve it with tortillas or tortilla chips instead.  I'll have to think about it :)