CrockPot Garlic Baked Potatoes

Day 136.

Happy Slow Cooking Thursday! 

These potatoes are so easy, and are so wonderful. All it is is a big baked potato with garlic shoved in it. They are a snap to make, and if you can find fresh garlic already peeled in a bag, all the better.

The Ingredients.

--4 big brown potatoes

--2 tablespoons melted butter

--2 tablespoons olive oil

--salt and pepper

--8 or so garlic cloves

The Directions.

Peel the garlic and cut it into long slivers.

Wash your potatoes, and pat dry. Carefully cut slits into each potato about 1/2 inch thick almost do the very base. The potato should start to separate a bit like an accordion.

Shove as many garlic slices as you can in each slit of each potato.

Nestle the potatoes into your crockpot. I used an oval 6qt Smart Pot, and the potatoes didn't fit all the way down to the bottom, they kind of were halfway on each other. It doesn't seem to matter.

Liberally salt and pepper. Combine the melted butter with the olive oil and drizzle over the top of each potato, trying to get some in the garlic-filled slits, if you can.

Cover and cook on high for 2-4 hours or on low for about 6. They are done when the potatoes reach desired tenderness.

Top with sour cream.

The Verdict.

This is a beautiful side dish to any meat dish, or a wonderful lunch all on it's own. The potatoes were not too wet or slimy as I feared, and the garlic roasted perfectly in the slits.

The kids ate the sour cream off of theirs, and maybe tried the potato. I wasn't watching them too carefully.

All in all, I would definitely make these again.

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Recipe for Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Sage and Capers

These Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Sage and Capers are easy for a work-night dinner.

(Updated with improved and step-by-step photos, March 2012.)  I first posted this recipe for Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Save and Capers back in 2005, when I made it for a quick after-work dinner after a busy day teaching school.  I'd had it on my list of recipes needing updated photos for quite a while, so when I recently found myself with two chicken breasts thawed in the fridge and thinking about something for dinner, it was a win/win decision to cook it again.  I made this when it was nearly dark outside, so I used my Lowel Ego Lights to take the photos, and although I prefer natural light, I'm happy with the new photos compared to what I took in 2005 with the little point and shoot camera I had then.  Best of all, I liked the chicken as much as I did the first time, and this was a great dinner.

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CrockPot Mahi Mahi With Asparagus, Broccoli, and Spinach

Day 139.

It's been hot here. It's been hotter, but we are definitely having a mini heat-wave. The heat doesn't bother me too awful much at home, but it does when I'm out in the car or running errands.

Adam also just signed us up to run a half-marathon this summer. Which means I've got to go back to eating mostly light and lean foods for the next eight weeks or so.

Except for the days off.

Because I'm totally planning for those!

I had a long run planned last week, and I knew it was going to be hot. When it's hot, I'm not interested in eating too awful much, but knew I needed some protein.

After digging through the freezer, I found a neglected package of frozen mahi mahi with some sort of lemon-pepper marinade.

I had it for lunch with a bunch of fresh veggies; it hit the spot, it didn't heat or stink up the house, and I had enough good-for-me-food floating around inside to go for a proper run.

The Ingredients.

--16 of mahi mahi or other favorite fish

--> ours was seasoned already. If you have unflavored fish, rub with some olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, chili flakes, or other seasoning blend that you really enjoy.

--fresh somewhat-soft vegetables. I use broccoli, asparagus, and spinach.

--a touch of water, or lemon juice (about 2T)

The Directions.

Wash all your veggies, and put damp into the crockpot. Top with your fish. I squeezed the marinade out of the fish, because it seemed awfully oily.

I added 2T of water to the crockpot and cooked on LOW for approximately 2-3 hours. Mahi Mahi is pretty thick; if you are using thinner fish (such as tilapia) check after 90 minutes.

The Verdict.

I was very happy that I made this and ate it for lunch. I sort of forget about lunch a lot, and grab whatever is lying around, or pick at leftovers. I've also noticed the kids are more inclined to try new foods in the middle of the day, before the 4 o'clock crankies hit. My three-year-old ate this with me, and my six-year-old had it as an after school snack. The stars must have been in proper alignment or something, because there wasn't any fuss about having fish and vegetables as a snack.

I don't expect a repeat of that performance any time soon, but I am happy that it occurred!

Disney World Day 1

Well, well, well, we just came home from 8 wonderful days in Disney World :).  We thought it was about time for our kids to have an actual "kid" vacation.  Of course, we invited Papa Jay and Lovie to come along for the fun (and many, many laughs).  We had such a great time!  In my opinion, 2 and 3 are the perfect ages to take your kids to Disney.  They were so excited and believed that every single character was authentic.  I will always remember the looks on their little faces as they met their favorite people (Mickey, Belle, Buzz Lightyear...I could go on and on.)  My favorite part...staying at Disney's Yacht Club Resort.  It had the perfect location, awesome rooms, and the pools were fabulous.  Get ready...this is Day 1...

So excited to get on the airplane!  Mama was so excited it was only a 2 1/2 hour flight!

Mama and Daughter rainbow colored Toms :)

We arrived!  About to board the Magical Express Bus to our resort.

The kids loved that the resort was on the water.

The girls

The boys

We went to Downtown Disney for the evening.  Kensington had just a taste of Disney on Day 1 and was lovin' it!

Click here for Day 2.

CrockPot Apple Dumpling Recipe

Day 137.

This is why I need the free Wii.

Holy toledo, these puppies are yummy. I found the recipe eons ago on the Pioneer Woman Cooks website, and bookmarked them for some reason in my gluten-free folder. I have no idea why, except for maybe at the time I wanted to try and attempt them gluten-free.

I then promptly forgot all about trying to tweak the recipe.

It's been a hundred million degrees here the last few days, and sweating buckets makes me feel like a-little-something sweet. So I dug through the cubbards and fridge and found a way to make them. Gluten free. In the crockpot.

And they rock.

The Ingredients.

--2 cans refrigerated crescent rolls.

* Unless you are gluten free. If you are gluten free, use this recipe. I followed it to the letter except that I doubled it, used Pamela's, and used sour cream instead of cottage cheese. It is a delicious, moist, yummy dough that is perfect for so many things; I am positively giddy to have found it! (psst. chill your dough for at least 2 hours!) *

--2 granny smith apples

--1 stick of butter

--1 cup white sugar

--1 t vanilla

--1 t cinnamon

--1 cup Mountain Dew

The Directions.

Spray your crock insert with cooking spray.

If you are using the crescent rolls, roll out the little triangles and fill each one with an apple slice or two and roll it up.

If you are using the GF dough, do the same thing, but realize that it will be a bit lumpy and not quite as thin. It's okay. This dough recipe is beyond fantastic. Seriously.

Pile the crockpot high with all of your little dumpling guys.

Melt the stick of butter in the microwave, and stir in the cup of sugar, and the cinnamon and vanilla. Pour over the dumplings, making sure to get down in the nooks and crannies.

Then add 1 cup of Mountain Dew, the same way---pour it over the top. It will make a delightful bubbly sound!

Prop lid open with a wooden spoon or chopstick and cook on high for 4-5 hours, or until the dough is brown and cooked through.

The Verdict.

Delicious, moist, and gooey. They were very, very sweet. The kids (those nutty kids) couldn't eat their whole serving because of how sweet they were.

Adam and I didn't seem to have that problem.

I liked them even better the next morning cold.

Have I mentioned how beyond stoked I am to have this basic gluten-free dough recipe that I can fool around with? I'm thinking overnight pull-apart rolls, cinnamon buns, crescent rolls for Thanksgiving...

eek! I'm so excited!

OH! and I haven't had Mountain Dew in years. I couldn't waste the bottle, so I finished it. LOL, I was instant-messaging with Laura and was so hopped up on caffeine and sugar I could hardly type.

Waiting for the rain

Last night after dinner, I looked out the back door and saw this.  My three sweeties sittin' together, waiting for the rain to come in.  Love these three so much. 

XOXO

8 years

Back on March 13, Andrew and I celebrated our 8 year anniversary :).  We're not really ones to get all mushy about anniversaries and such and we're usually quite happy with dinner at home with the kiddos to celebrate, but this year, Andrew wanted to really celebrate...and I'm so glad he did!  He got us a babysitter (the best ever...Lovie!) and made us dinner reservations in Dallas at our favorite restaurant.  Then while we were at dinner, the waiter brought me over a fabulous anniversary present as a surprise.  I'm so blessed to have spent these last 8 years with Andrew Shull.  I hope we're as blessed as my grandparents who have been married almost 66 years and counting!



For grins, I thought I'd share with you a picture of how it all got started...

This is Andrew and I on our first date.  Didn't you date with both sets of your parents, your younger brother and both sets of your grandparents?  Well, we did!  We had met once before but we actually went out to dinner to get to know each other after the first K-State football game of the season...unfortunately, we had to bring along everyone else!  Here we are, getting to know each other at Applebees.  I remember Andrew thinking it was funny that I ordered dessert for dinner...he learned quickly that the way to my heart was through sugar :).  A year and a half later, we were married.  Happy Anniversary baby!

South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes Round-Up for March 2012 (Low-Glycemic Recipes)

Kalyn's favorite Phase One Recipe from March 2012 was definitely this Spicy Thai-Style Cabbage Slaw with Mint and Cilantro.

(I've finally finished this round-up, which was delayed by me being seriously under the weather.  Thanks again for all the get-well wishes everyone, and happy Cooking!)

I know, I say this every single month, but has another whole month really gone screaming by?  Not that I'm complaining about the arrival of April, the month when spring delicacies like asparagus start appearing in the stores.  Of course in Utah it can still snow in April or May, so I try not to get my hopes up too much for good weather.  Spring-like recipes have been appearing all during March, and I'm happy to be sharing some really fantastic South Beach Diet Phase One Recipes that I've posted on Kalyn's Kitchen or found on other blogs during the month, including my personal favorites that I'm now spotlighting every Friday for Phase One Fridays.

(You can use the label Low-Glycemic Recipe Round-Ups to see all the posts like this one.)

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CrockPot Pineapple Chicken Recipe

Day 140.

This is a very simple dish--and chances are you have all four ingredients already! The sweetness of the pineapple works great with the salt from the soy sauce and the touch of spice from red pepper flakes.

The Ingredients.

--enough chicken for 4

--20 oz can of pineapple chunks

--1/4 cup soy sauce (Tamari wheat free or La Choy are gluten free)

--1 t red pepper flakes

The Directions.

plop the chicken into the crockpot. I used frozen breast tenders. Drain the pineapple, and add the chunks with the soy sauce and the red pepper flakes.

cook on low for 4-6 hours, or on high for 3-4.

The cooking time will depend on how thick your pieces of chicken are, and if they are frozen or not.

My frozen breast tenders only needed to cook on low for 4 hours.

Serve over rice, quinoa, or on a bed of fresh spinach.

The Verdict.

We ate this over spinach and ate outside. It was a hot evening, and we were in swimsuits. The kids had a ball feeding the guinea pigs any spinach that fell to the ground. I liked the flavor a lot, and the kids ate the chicken and picked at the pineapple. I did open a fresh can for them, though. Eating hot pineapple weirded them out. I added more red pepper flakes to my dish, and I can't remember what Adam did.

Our chicken was dry. I'm always a touch disappointed when I use the frozen breast tenders after using thighs for a while. The breast pieces just don't retain moisture the way the thighs do. I don't seem to remember this while I'm at the store, though.

Hot Tea and Chicken Broth on the Menu (and this is not an April Fools Joke!)

Nothing but hot tea and chicken broth has been on the menu at my house!

It's April 1, and if I wasn't incredibly sick with a terrible cough, body aches, a fever, and chest congestion, I'd be posting the Phase One Recipes Round-Up for March 2012 today.  I actually worked on it yesterday for a couple of hours before I gave up, called my gorgeous niece Alyson to bring me cough medicine, and then retired to the chair.  And last night I finally gave in and went to First Med, so hopefully I will soon be on the mend.  I'll be back as soon as I can!

Our Weekend

We had a super fun, busy weekend!  

Saturday, we met Papa Jay and Lovie for lunch and a little shopping in Southlake.  My kiddos looooove to color (so it's especially handy when they can do so at a restaurant!).

Love him!

Love them!

Not quite sure what the look is about...but I know Smith loves his Papa Jay!!  He is so excited to be in Brooke's wedding with Papa Jay (he talks about it constantly!).  Smith is ring bearer and Papa Jay is officiating.  They get to stand next to each other.  Four words for you...Smith in a tux.  Just wait.

Oh look!  During lunch, we ran into some of our very besties, Kara (and Tim).  Love you guys!

Sittin' around with his giant sucker.

My girl!

Saturday night, we went to Grandmother's house to celebrate Aunt Pam's birthday.  Me and the bride to be :).

Kensington was in the yard trying to help her cousin Paisley get her head band back on.

I think she quickly realized that it's not easy dressing a one year old :).

Such a little man!

Then Sunday afternoon, we went to a bridal shower for Brooke.  Kensington is totally excited about being a flower girl!

Kensington and Grandmother

Me and my girl

Kensington and Lovie

Bride and Flower Girl

Last night, we had burgers in the backyard and then played in the front yard.  Here are my kids riding their "horse" (a.k.a. the broom).  They did this forever!

All clean and cuddly with Dad about to go to bed.

Wow!  Fun and busy weekend!

Recipe for Roasted Asparagus Wrapped in Ham

Roasted asparagus wrapped in slices of lean ham.

(For Phase One Fridays I highlight Phase One recipes from the past that have been my personal favorites.  This roasted asparagus wrapped in ham tastes perfect this time of year.)

It's a sure sign of Spring when recipes featuring asparagus start popping up on the food blogs. Both of the markets where I shop regularly are selling low-priced asparagus, so I've been having fun experimenting with it lately. I've seen recipes using asparagus paired with prosciutto or bacon, but to make it more South Beach Diet friendly I thought I'd try asparagus roasted with lean ham. The smoked and slightly browned ham paired wonderfully with the barely roasted asparagus, and this is something that would make a nice addition to a menu for Easter brunch or lunch.

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Randoms

Here are some random pictures from my camera...

The other night when Ebby and Nixon came over, after bath time, I found the girls doing this in the play room.  Matching Disney jammies, sharing a blanket, matching cups.  Two peas in a pod!

Sweet girls!

I don't know about you but I've never seen Nixon Slaughter look more handsome.  Hmmm...I really enjoyed finding a t-shirt for him to wear out of Smith's closet after his bath.  Oddly enough, when his Daddy came to pick him up, he wasn't fond of that shirt.  Oh well.  I was just trying to show Nixon what the shirt of a team capable of winning a World Series looks like (ouch!).

I went to wake Kensington up from her nap last Friday (please don't hate me but yes, I almost always have to wake my kids up from their naps because they sleep so long.).  She was apparently sharing her pillow with her princess friends.

Today, the kids asked to watch Spirit (a cartoon movie about a horse).  I went to check on them and noticed they weren't the only ones watching the movie.

Some of their horse friends were watching too :).