Honey Mustard Chicken

Yesterday I made honey mustard chicken with mashed potatoes and carrots.  The chicken was super easy (are you noticing a trend with my meals?!) because all I had to do was throw a few ingredients together and toss it in the crockpot!


What you need

1. Chicken (2 breasts is perfect for my family)
2. 1/4 cup dijon mustard
3. 1/2 cup honey
4. Salt and pepper

You may need to add more or less mustard and honey depending on how much chicken you have.

Here's how to make it

1. Thaw chicken and put in crockpot.
2. Mix dijon mustard and honey in a bowl; add to crockpot.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
4. Let cook on high for 6-8 hours (depending how much chicken you have, how thawed it is, etc).

I had two main issues with this recipe: it was really dry, and it cooked way too fast (it almost burned because I wasn't paying attention).  I only had two pieces in a smaller crockpot so that may have been the issue (it cooked mostly thawed for 3 hours), but next time I will probably marinade it in the mustard/honey overnight and then bake it in the oven.  Other than that though, both my husband and I were pleased with how it tasted!

Recipe adapted from eatathomecooks.com

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

Crappy cell pic, I get it.  I never said this was a photography blog though!

This week I wanted something that I could portion however much I needed because my husband is gone, and it is just my little man and I (and my daughter, but she's a little young for this :) ).  My son loves bacon so I figured I could get him to eat something he's not crazy about if I wrapped it in bacon!


What you need

• Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies
• Bacon 
• Brown Sugar
• Toothpicks (optional)

Here's how to make them

1. Line a pan with foil
2. Cut the bacon in 3 pieces
3. Wrap each piece of bacon around a smokie
4. Sprinkle with brown sugar
5. Stick with a toothpick (I didn't have any and it worked out fine for us)
6. Pop the pan in the oven at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes; mine were in for 25 and some of the bacon started to burn
7. Be prepared to smell heaven when you take them out!

I only used about half the package of smokies and 5 pieces of bacon so this worked out great for my boy and I!  We added mac & cheese to make this a meal, but these would be great appetizers as well!

Recipe adapted from letsdishrecipes.com

Meatball Subs

Here is the first new recipe I am trying!  I intended to be on my second or third week of this little adventure, but a last minute trip to Indiana pushed everything back a few weeks.  I did not really do any real grocery shopping when I came back to Texas and wasn't in the mood to gather a bunch of ingredients so I chose a meal that didn't require much and was easy on the wallet too.  Enter meatball subs!

What you need

• Sub buns
• Frozen meatballs
• Spaghetti sauce
• Mozzarella cheese

Here's how to make them

1. Thaw the meatballs in the microwave for 1 minute.
2. Put them in a saucepan with some spaghetti sauce until heated through.
3. Split the buns and fill them with the meatballs and cheese.
4. Stick the subs in the oven on 425 degrees until the cheese is melted and/or buns are toasted to your liking.

And you're done!  The subs were really good, and both my husband and myself were full after just one!  These could also go in the crock pot too if you wanted to make it even easier!  Served with Pringles because we didn't have much else in the house.  I will be sure to grab some salad next time. :)

Sorry for no picture; I was attempting to take one, but it wasn't turning out how I wanted...and then my husband couldn't wait any longer. :) I will update this with a photo next time I make this!


Recipe adapted from eatathomecooks.com.

A New Quest

Hi, and thanks for taking the time to check out my brand spankin' new website.  It's pretty bare around here right now, but I hope to fatten things up during the coming months. :)

I have decided to document my quest in finding new and awesome recipes that my family enjoys.  I have been married to my husband for almost 5 years and very little has changed at our dinner table.  We have rotated tacos, spaghetti, pizza, fried chicken, and a few other dinners since we got married, and we are to our breaking point.

So why am I doing this?  I always thought it was pretty cheesy for people take photos of their food and post about their recipes because I always thought of it as a way for people to show off and brag about how advanced they are in the culinary arts.  We are that family that consists of picky eaters and plain janers.  It is really hard to find recipes for good, regular food.  I am determined to find new variations for the same food we have been eating for years.  Most importantly, I am looking for easy instructions, simple ingredients, and minimal time required.  I don't want to show off.  I don't want to brag.  I want other busy moms to see that it doesn't take a lot of effort to make your family happy at the dinner table.

I also should mention that I am one of those frugal mommas...coupons and all.  I try to plan our meals around what is on sale and what I can get for free or really cheap (which is still a learning process for me) so I may talk time to time about getting the most bang for your buck regarding recipes and ingredients because, let's face it, we all have better things to spend our money on than food!

So that's me, and that's what I'm fixin' to do!  Please join me once or twice a week as I try new recipes, give my honest feedback, and also share tried and trued family regulars.

And just for fun...my inspiration for this new journey: my family