A handy little tip...

So there is this pan, it is a square pan. I love my square pan, it is awesome for all kinds of cookng, however my square pan did NOT come with a lid. So if I was in need to "cover and simmer", I was in trouble.

So there was this cookie sheet.... It was a nice cookie sheet, never did anybody any harm, but was not useful because it did not hold enough....so the little cookie sheet was in the pile to go to Goodwill......

So there was this friend, her name is Jenifer. Jenifer is the genius of homemaking! Jenifer was visiting one day and I told her the story of the poor cookie sheet as I was cooking in my square pan. JENIFER told me HER story of how she used things like that as lids for odd pans like my square pan.

Jenifer just saved the cookie sheet from it's certain dimise of the Goodwill bag! And the pan and cookie sheet have been inseperatable ever since!!

 

***Disclosure: do not look closely to my stovetop, it was dirty, we do use it to cook on and it is not easy to get sparkly clean.....it would, however, pass a health inspection which is all that matters to me! :-)

Chicken Pot Pie...winging it!

So I LOVE the chicken potpies you get at the store, however, none of my family do. So I decided they just need a better version of it to fully appreciate the potpie experience. I was going through recipes on pintrest and had an idea, so when I went to the store, I bought a frozen pie crust (it was bottoms only) so then I also went to the refrigerator section and bought a premade rolled up pie crust. Now at this point you may be saying, "why not just make them, it's super easy". Well I would answer by saying,  right after I was married, I tried a "never fails" pie crust from scratch.....it failed, and not only did it fail, it failed EPICLY! I swore off making pie crusts forever! One day maybe, but not now while things are so crazy busy!
          Sooooo anyway! That morning I put 2-3 large frozen chicken breasts in the crockpot with a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of cream of chicken soup....it cooked all day. About an hour before Supper, I stuck the bottom pie crust in my wonderful new toaster oven,(those really are one of the best inventions, I use mine ALL the time and it does not heat up the entire kitchen! In fact I think my crockpot heats it up more than my toaster oven). Next, while it was cooking, I shredded the chicken in the crockpot. This does not take much effort as it is so tender from cooking. Then , I dumped a bag of frrozen mixed veggies into the crockpot along with some salt and pepper to taste. Once the pie crust is slightly browned, I took it out and poured in the chicken concoction. Filled it to the top! Layed one of the refrigerated pie crusts on top and cut a few slits in it and pinched around the edges. There is no science I have found to this, just do it as you can. Next I ALWAYS wrap foil around the edges of any pie I am baking, or the crusts WILL BURN!! Next I popped it in the toaster oven at 350 for about 45 minutes. When it was done.....oh soooo good! EVERYONE ate it! Although my son picked all the pie crust out, that is fine! I also had enough filling for another pie, which I was going to make and freeze, but my family went for seconds on the filling before I could do that! Simple, fairly cheap, and filling! **will post a picture next time I make it. Wasn't sure how it was going to turn out so I didn't take a pic! But I think we all know what a pie looks like!

Chicken, That's what's for dinner!!

 In my efforts to eat at home more and out at fast food less, I have been trying to come up with healthy...ier, meals but still quick and easy. Since we homeschool, I fix a lunch for the three of us daily and on the weekends, it's up to four with my husband home.

I saw these "chicken nuggets" at the store the other day and my mind automatically popped to the grilled nuggets at chick fil a!  While I had NO expectations they would taste like those heavenly tidbits, I hoped to atleast be able to make them palateable!

So today was the test. I was trying to decide HOW to cook them. I thought, I should have planned ahead and maybe marinaded them last night, but since I was not THAT organized (a process I am still working on) I had to come up with something else. My first thought, "where is that stinkin spray on salad dressing?" couldn't find it..... So to the spice rack I went. I ended up layering the (frozen)  chicken on a foil lined sheet, and sprinkled Famous Dave's Rub on them and then a little salt and pepper....real fancy, I know, don't you wish you were as creative as me....NOT!  Then I popped them in my new toaster oven (that you SHOULD be jealous of, I LOVE IT!!) and tried out the broil button. Halfway through, they were turning white as they should and tons of juice, which i promptly dumped down the drain! then turned them over and popped them back in until they basically looked appealing, brown and slightly, the tiniest bit crispy, but not really too much, but definetly brown!

The kids and I LOVED them! While still not as heavenly as CFA, definetly palatable! AND EASY, CHEAP and QUICK! The things I look for in a meal! haha!