Crock Pot Stuffed Peppers (FAIL)

Today we are going to talk about something that food bloggers and chef's do not like talking about. Recipe failures. Oh they happen and they are horrible. This one was at least edible but it was bland. I mean the worst kind of bland where you have to go and bust out the sriracha to try to save the dish. It is funny because the moment I took them out of the crock pot and they started to disintegrate into a strange mushy shape I knew deep down this was a fail. I mean look at how the pepper is all mushy looking and the block.. Yes, let us call it a block of meat is still sitting there in a giant lump.

The first thing outside of talking about how crappy this dish is that I want to talk about is how it is okay to fail. Things in life are not perfect. Sometimes it takes years to perfect that cookie recipe you are working on. That is totally normal. You have to practice at things and fail sometimes. Is it sad when it happens? Hell yes it is and it will make you question why you even cook in the first place. I mean I know that sometimes Ryan is scared to tell me something is awful as I do not always handle failing well.

This is how life works though. You learn from those mistakes and down the road it makes you a better cook in the end. I now know that cooking peppers with ground beef in a crock pot for 8 hours is horrible. Just do not do it folks.

So in closing I want to say that you need to fail and it is okay. Go out in the world and fail at some things. Trust me it will be fine and you will be stronger in the end.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Crock Pot Fajitas

 

Some Sundays you want something easy to make while you are running errands and attempting to watch the Packers lose horribly. This is that easy dish. You cut everything up and throw it in the crock pot 4-6 hours later magical fajitas. I love it because not only is it easy but you have a ton of leftovers for lunches. I like to take mine and make fajita salads all week. Just a reminder it is okay to allow these to cook up to 8 hours in the liquid on low and I have totally done it before. You chicken maybe a little dry though.

What you will need-

4 chicken breasts (thawed)

2 cups of salsa 

1 sweet (yellow) onion

1  green pepper

1 poblano peppers

1 red pepper 

Cumin

Paprika

Cayenne pepper 

Onion powder

Garlic powder 

Salt & pepper

Tortillas

Cilantro 

Sour Cream 

Avocado 

Shredded cheese

Black olives

Hot sauce (sriracha)

Start by roughly cutting up your onions and peppers. Put 1 cup of the salsa in the bottom of the crock pot and a layer of onions and peppers. Add the chicken on top of the this layer. I cut my chicken breasts into strips if they are huge (which they totally were this time). Repeat this step again seasoning with the cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, pepper, onion and garlic powder as you go. The last layer should be whatever veggies you have left over. I managed to make two layers like this. Now all you have to do it put the top on it and in 4-6 hours it should be good to go on low. I put mine in at 12:30PM and it was done at 6PM.

This is what it looks like when it is done. I take the chicken out 15 minutes before eating and chop it or shred it depending on what I want to do. This allows the chicken to soak up some of the yummy juices you see in here.

This next step is important. You fajitas are going to be a little water logged so adding them to a frying pan and heating them up to evaporate some of the liquid off is a good idea. This was my husbands idea because he is smart. I would have forgot and they would have been a super mess.








This is when I cut up some avocado and get the sour cream, cilantro, black olives, hot sauce and shredded cheese out. You can put any toppings on you want or omit things as well.

 I want to make sure I am sharing quick easy meals with you all since I had some requests for these type of meals. The best part is I have another crock pot meal in the crock pot right now for dinner tonight. I will share that later this week. Life is busy and I love using my crock pot to make sure that I get healthy meals in that are super easy to make. I  hope  you try this out and share in the comments how it all turned out for you. 

Until next time~

XoXo Emily

Zucchini Noodle Pasta

Many people will tell you they do not like a certain ingredient in life. They are all liars. I am serious and take a moment to hear me out. I always thought I hated cauliflower. I never ate it when people put out veggie trays. Then I started eating healthy and thought maybe I should try it roasted and it is cheap to make so if I hate it I will throw it out. I love roasted cauliflower. It was not that I hated the ingredient it was that I hated the preparation method. This is what I am saying when I say people are liars. You hate tomatoes? It maybe because you do not like the way someone made them or you do not like them raw. I have proven this recently by using my husband as a guinea pig. These zucchini noddles are the perfect example. He does not like raw zucchini and he does not like it roasted. Do you know what he does like or rather love. These noodles!

Go out on a limb and try something new. Like this delicious dish. You never know what you thought you hated you may actually love.

What you will need-
 1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup of mushrooms
3/4 cup onions
3 garlic cloves
1 pound of ground half turkey/half beef mix
5 zucchinis
3/4 a jar of pasta sauce
1 cup of tomatoes
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Mrs. Dash to taste 
Sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

You want to start by cooking your mushrooms and onions for a few minutes to break them down. Stove should be on medium/high. Dice your onion and mushroom to bite size pieces and toss in the pan with the olive oil. While that is cooking down peel your garlic/chop it and throw that in the mix. Make sure you season with salt/pepper/Mrs. dash as you add each thing to the pan!

While everyone is getting happy in the pan start to use your zucchini or "zoodle" maker to make your noodles. I actually use my device right over the pan so they can start to cook down. The way this "noodle" maker works is you hold the zucchini like a pencil and use the device like a pencil sharpener. It is a ton of work but it is a great and healthy alternative to regular noodles. I cannot wait to get my food processor to see how that differs from this method. I cooked this down for about ten minutes and covered it with a pan lid for the last 5 minutes to really steam the mix.

I cannot stress this part anymore. The first time I made these "noodles" my sauce was insanely watery. When the zucchini cooks it gives off all of its water. You need to take your pan and dump the zucchini/mushroom/onion/garlic mixture into a colander to drain out all the liquid. Then take your pan and put it back on the stove to medium/high heat again.

Now it is time to cook that meat mixture until it is no longer pink. In this picture it is almost done. You can use your same pan you just used to cook the "noodle" mixture. I like to use a mix of turkey and beef as turkey can get too dry. I want the health benefits of the turkey though as it is leaner so a mix is the perfect answer. You can always use just turkey or beef. My local grocery has it pre-mixed which is fantastic. Another thing is that you can drain out the grease but I did not as it is not give off a lot to have to drain.Make sure you season your meat really well I used my salt/pepper/Mrs.dash.

Time to add your sauce to the meat mixture and let is simmer for about 3 minutes. This is when I add the fennel, parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes and tomatoes. 


The last step is to add your zucchini noodles/mushroom/onion and garlic mix back in the pan with the meat mix and sauce. We want to slowly mix everything together and let it heat back up on medium heat for about 3-4 minutes.

This is when you toss a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese on top and try not to burn your mouth as you eat this dish. It is so good and my husband who we thought used to not like zucchini proved the world wrong about not liking ingredients.

Until next time~

XoXo Emily 

Veterans

I live in a country where as a woman I take a ton of things for granted. I can do things in the United States that I would never ever be allowed to do in less developed countries. I can drive myself to work. Just think about that in some places a woman is not allowed to drive much less go to work unsupervised by a male relative. Even better I was able to marry someone outside of my religion that I personally picked all on my own.

I then was sitting in my car on my way to work thinking why do I have these freedoms still? These basic rights of equality that all women have in the United States. I have them because my grandfather fought in the military for my country. He went to Alaska and almost froze to death to give me basic rights. He worked his tail off to defend me and my country. I sit here and think how awesome is that? Someone goes out in the world and puts their life on the line so you can drive you MINI Cooper to work each morning. Something so basic that you do without batting an eye. Then there is my dad who was in the Marines. Someone who wears his Marines hat with pride and did the same thing my grandfather did protecting me. These brave men went out and did something I could never do.

I mean how do you thank someone for that? I do not even know how to go about posting something meaningful that would show the amount of gratitude I feel today and every day for these people. I mean yes I wore red, white and blue today and the a ton of places offer free food to veterans today. But is that really enough to show we care? Make sure that you support the veterans in your life every day not just on veterans day. When you see a vet in uniform or you see someone rocking a military hat thank them for their service. I do this ever time I get the chance because let's be real I love driving my car to work!

Here are my two personal vets on my wedding day. Are they not super handsome!?

Here is Jupe (Francis) Wesoloski my amazing grandfather and Mike (Michael) Fonder my fantastic father. I was blessed to be raised by such strong and amazing men.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Turkey Noodle Soup

Remember when we made that delicious turkey in the crock pot last week? When you have a giant turkey breast and two people you run out of things to do really quick. Therefore, you make your mom's chicken soup recipe but you sub in turkey. This recipe has ruff estimates for ingredients because as you know it is hard to get recipes out of our parents and grandparents. My mom is notorious for saying things like "add salt to taste." The good news is that you can make this soup in under an hour in a half really. Quick and oh so perfect for this cold fall weather that is finally creeping in. The best part of this recipe is that I have enough for Ryan and I to have lunches all week!

 Things you will need-

1 pound of carrots (an entire bag)

5 stalks of celery including the leaves

1 yellow/sweet onion

4 cups of turkey breast 

1 bag of frozen Reames noodles 

64 ounces of chicken broth

2 chicken broth cubes

1 Tablespoon of chicken better than bouillon  

96 ounces of water

2 bay leaves 

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley to taste 

Mrs. Dash to taste                                                                                

                                                                              

You want to start by cutting up all the carrots, celery and onion. Make sure that the celery has the leaves added to the soup. I know this sounds strange but they add such great flavor. Add to a giant stock pot and let simmer on low for about 2-5 minutes to soften the veggies. Add that cut up turkey meat to the party in the pot!

Now you have to add all the liquids. Start by adding the chicken broth to the pot. I like to use a mix of chicken broth already made, bouillon cubes and broth paste. You could use all of one type of you want. After I add the broth I add the water then the cubes and paste. Mix really well. Your stock pot should be pretty full at this point.



Let us take a moment to talk about seasoning things. You should season every step of the way. You added carrots. Then season with salt and pepper. You add the onions. Season! Seasoning as you go ensures that you built layers of flavor. I will say that my hubby mentioned that the soup was a tad too peppery this time so be mindful of others you are cooking for. I love pepper so I tend to go over board. I also like to limit my use of salt which is why Mrs. Dash was also used. I added the parsley right before I added the water. You only need to add that one time. I do not tend to season with parsley more than once unlike salt and pepper for example.

Does this not look fantastic?
Let the soup cook covered for about an hour to an hour and a half on the stove at a simmer. Make sure it is covered otherwise you will lose all that tasty broth as it will evaporate away. Then you will have stew and not soup.15-20 minutes before serving add your frozen noodles to the pot. Make sure at this step you remove the bay leaves. You cannot eat them they will make you really sick. They are only added for flavor and then removed at the end of cooking.

Good heavens is it delicious with some oyster crackers added. Make sure you let it cool before eating. I say this because I never do and I burn my mouth all the time.

I literally used almost all my Tupperware with the leftovers. As you can see we have enough for the entire week of lunches. It makes so much and since I already had the turkey it only cost me $11 at the grocery store. I  hope when you have leftover turkey or chicken that you make this recipe sometime. It is really tasty and so versatile.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily 

Flavored Water

Not all water is created equal in the world. I was raised on delicious well water straight from the ground (at my grandpa and grandmothers) and it was fantastic. I have never had a strong love for pure boring water. Even now when I have lost all my weight and I exercise regularly I do not get a thrill out of plain water. So what is a healthy girl to do?

Flavored water is the answer.

There are so many things you can do to pump up your water. Here are some of my favorite add in's-
Cucumbers- I once had this at a spa and thought I needed to make it at home. I will cut tiny pieces and throw it in a glass.
Lemons & Limes- These are so light and refreshing. A little goes a long way. I always ask for lemon in my water when I go out to eat. It is my restaurant go to to avoid that sugary soda.
Strawberries- I will admit that this is a rare treat for me. The strawberries are best muddled in the water. It gives a sweet taste to the water that I love. In the spring after picking the berries this is perfect.

Sometimes you are running around and do not have time to cut up fruit or whatever. That is okay too there are a ton of zero calorie flavors you can add. I always have at least 3 crystal light squeeze bottles at my work desk or in the pantry at home. Making herbal tea and letting it cool is another great way to add flavor. I like to make wild sweet orange and drink it cold all the time.

 All my favorites!

Ultimately cutting sugary soda and juices out of your life does not need to be boring. It was a rude awaking to me when I realized I was drinking upwards of 1,500 calories in drinks each day. Turning a new leaf and cutting those out has really changed my life for the better. I challenge you to try to supplement your life with some flavored water and make some healthy lifestyle changes. A little goes a long way.

Until next time~
XoXo Emily

Crock Pot Turkey

Not sure if everyone is catching on but I love my crock pot. Working 50 plus hours weeks and trying to fit in Zumba classes makes me a really creative person. I do not like to rely on fast food at all and I insist on still making quick or easy meals. This recipe is really based off of my really close friend Maggie's recipe. I went over to her house for a girls weekend or something or other and she made this for us. It is fantastic and so darn easy to do.

What you will need-
A small turkey breast (no more than 10 pounds)
A packet of onion soup mix
8 ounces of light beer
2-3 tablespoons of butter

Start by getting that turkey out of the package and into the crock pot. I let my turkey breast thaw overnight in the sink. Make sure you drain all of the juice out of the bag before placing turkey into the crock pot. If the turkey is too large do not freak out. I had this happen with a ham once you just have to cut some of the meat off and throw it back in the crock pot on the sides of the turkey.

Add the light beer. This gives the turkey breast an awesome flavor and keeps the meat from drying out.

Add the onion soup mix packet to the top and sides of the turkey breast. This looks fantastic already! The last thing you want to do is add the butter and put the lid on that bird. Thank goodness I have a snap down lid because I had to latch it down on top of the giant turkey breast. Cook on low for 8-10 hours and eat. 

Here is what it looks like after you add Frank's wing sauce and a little blue cheese chunks. Add it to a 100 calorie pita pocket and you have a fantastic lunch.

I really believe that turkey can be substituted for all kinds of meat if you do it right. These pita pocket sandwiches are to die for. You can also make things like enchiladas, curry with rice and turkey noodle soup with your leftovers.

 

I hope that when you are crazy busy you are able to really utilize your resources like I do and make some fantastic meals in your crock pot. 

Until next time~

XoXo Emily