I have a confession to make. When I was little (we’re talking two years old) I used to eat butter like it was candy. I would eat it by the stick dipped in sugar, or with a spoon out of the container. It is pretty gross to think about that as an adult. Anyway…I still love butter, but not as much as I did when I was a two year old. I know that eating it in moderation is just fine, and it also adds great flavor and texture to foods.

I like to make compound butter (softened butter+herbs/spices/flavorings) to use for steaks, sauteing vegetables, or melting over baked breads. I also like to put them into different shaped molds to take to holiday gatherings to accompany some fresh baked bread or delicious crackers. Amazon and Michael’s sells all kinds of different silicone sheet molds, so the ideas are really endless when it comes to shapes.

Below you will find a great recipe for compound butter that can be used in many different settings. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic Compound Butter

You will need:

• 2 sticks of softened butter (salted or unsalted is fine)
• 2 whole heads of garlic
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Silicone mold (I just used a cupcake mold for this one and put 2 Tbsp in each spot, but feel free to use parchment paper, plastic wrap, or a mold size of your choice)

Preheat your oven to 350*F. With a sharp knife, carefully slice the entire garlic heads in half cross-ways down the widest point (the ends should face left to right). Some cloves might fall off, and that is okay. Lay the heads open side up in a loaf pan or small baking dish and brush with olive oil. Top the pan with foil and roast for 1 hour until the garlic is golden brown.

Once the time is up, remove the pan from the oven and let the garlic cool down a bit before handling. Go ahead and put your softened butter into a bowl. Add in the cooled garlic by either squeezing the cloves out, or using a spoon to dig them out. With either a mixer or a spoon, give the butter and garlic a thorough stir making sure to press the garlic cloves into the butter as much as possible. Once you feel like it is mixed enough, go ahead and scoop it into your molds (or parchment/plastic wrap) and pop into the freezer. And that’s it! They should be solid in about an hour or two. To spread on bread, pop them out of the molds and let them hang out at room temp for an hour on whatever platter you plan on using.

The holidays are right around the corner. This is a great way to prepare for all of those family gatherings. You can make plenty of these ahead of time and volunteer for a butter/bread platter. Some other combinations I like are:

2 sticks of butter +1/4c chopped jalapeno + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 1/4c chopped fresh parsley + 2 Tbsp lemon zest

2 sticks of butter + 1/4c chopped fresh chives + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 2 Tbsp honey + 1 Tbsp red pepper flakes

2 sticks of butter + 1/2c Parmesan cheese + 1 head of roasted garlic

2 sticks of butter + 1/4 c sugar + 2 Tbsp honey + 1 Tbsp cinnamon

I hope you love this recipe idea. As always, thanks for your support!

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Stay awake!
For you do not know when the Son of Man will come.

Matthew 24:42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had a busy weekend, but it was a good kind of busy. Our son, Will, was baptized on Saturday and it was absolutely beautiful. It was such a surprise to see how many people showed up to celebrate his special day. Thanks be to God!

I’m sure you noticed that today is definitely not Sunday. I fell asleep last night and completely forgot to post the slow cooker week 5 recipe. Technically this is week 6, but last week’s recipe bit the dust pretty hard. I will explain that one later. This dish is also named after my sister’s boyfriend, Scott, who we hope goes from Mr. Scott to Uncle Scott very soon. No pressure there Scott. None at all.

Mr. Scott’s Honey Garlic Chicken

You will need:

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 3/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 c honey
• 2 Tbsp white vinegar
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp butter
• 2 Tsp minced ginger
• 2-3 Tbsp chopped scallions (green onions) for toppings

Put the chicken thighs in the bottom of the slow cooker. In a separate bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger. Pour half over the chicken, and reserve the rest in the refrigerator. Cook the chicken on low for 6 hours.

When the chicken is done, go ahead and shred it using a pair of tongs or a couple of forks. Once that is done, heat a skillet over med-high heat and add the butter and remaining 1/2 of the mixture from earlier. Let it bubble until it starts to thicken into a sauce. Add the shredded chicken to the skillet and toss around in the sauce until it is lightly coated.

Serve the chicken alongside steamed vegetables and top with chopped scallions. This makes for great leftovers, and it is also very kid friendly.

I hope you enjoy this dish. If you make it, please give me some feedback!

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Blessed are the poor in spirit;
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:3

Yep. You read that right…. cheddar cornbread waffles. I just earned some serious cool points with my kids. We usually have grilled cheese sandwiches with our tomato soup, but I did not feel like eating bread at dinner tonight. The look on their faces when I put the waffles in front of them was priceless.

I have made cornbread waffles before, but I did not put cheddar cheese in them. Let me tell you… the cheddar is where its at.  It is storming here from Hurricane Michael ( we are fine… just lots of rain) so it was definitely appropriate to have soup. Serve these with chili, soup, gumbo, beans, etc. There are plenty of possibilities! Let’s get to it.

Cheddar Cornbread Waffles

You will need:

• 2 boxes of Jiffy cornbread mix prepared as it is on the box (if you don’t like Jiffy, feel free to use your preferred brand)
• 1 cup of cheddar cheese
• non-stick spray

Set your waffle iron to a med-high setting. If your waffle iron doesn’t have changeable temperature settings, it’s not that big of a deal. I advise you not to stray too far from it while the waffles are cooking.

Spray the waffle iron with non-stick spray. Ladle on a generous scoop of the cornbread mix (about 1/2 cup). Don’t fill the waffle iron to the border or the mix will spill out of the sides once it starts to cook. Close the waffle iron and let it cook for 5 minutes. The waffle will be golden brown (slightly darker in the middle). Gently lift it off of the waffle iron and set it to the side. Repeat until all of the waffle mix is gone.

These are awesome. They are also freezer friendly and can be reheated in the toaster.

I hope you love this recipe! My kids enjoyed it and now think I am extra cool…. something us parents can appreciate at the end of the day.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee.

Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy Mary, mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death.

Amen

 

 

 

I have decided to start a new category under my recipe index titled “Snacks and Small Bites.” I have too many of these recipes floating around in my head, so I will be whipping them up here and there to add under that category. These are great ideas to keep in the house for a go-to snack or something you can prepare to take to a holiday gathering (plenty of those ahead in the coming months).

I don’t really discriminate when it comes to snacks. I like sweet, salty, spicy, crunchy, etc. This recipe is easy and always turns out delicious. I hope you love it!

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas

You will need:

• 2 15oz cans of chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans), drained and rinsed
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Preheat your oven to 375*F. Spread the chickpeas out onto a sheet pan lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Dry roast them for 30 minutes. It’s okay if they have some moisture on them when they go into the oven. The dry roasting will get rid of it. Half way through, give the pan a shake.

Once the time is up, transfer the hot chickpeas into a bowl and add in the olive oil, chili powder, sea salt, and garlic powder. Give it all a good stir, and move the chickpeas back to the sheet pan. Roast for another 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Let them cool for about 10 minutes before diving in. Be warned…. they are delicious.

I hope you love this recipe. If you try it out, give me some feedback! You can also make these with curry powder, cayenne, lime zest, etc. The seasoning combinations are endless.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Blessed are those who hear the word of God
and observe it.

Luke 11:28

 

My husband has tomorrow off of work, and my kids are out of school for the day. I am pretty excited to get all of this extra time together. Family time is valuable to me… it is something I never tire of, and even when my kids are having “a day” (you know what I mean) I still try to soak it up. They won’t be little forever!

This week’s meal is a crowd pleaser. Everyone in my family enjoyed it and asked for seconds and thirds. I hope you love it!

Green Chile Pulled Pork

You will need:

• ~4-5lb pork shoulder
• 8oz mild green chiles
• 2 packages of low sodium taco seasoning
• 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic

Add the onion slices and garlic to the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the pork on top of the onions and garlic. Cover the pork with the taco seasoning and green chiles. Cook on low for eight hours. Once it is finished cooking, shred it up and serve it inside some tacos, burritos, or by itself alongside some yummy side dishes.

As always, thank you for your support! I appreciate your feedback. If you make this dish, please comment and let me know what you think.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

If we love one another, God remains in us
and his love is brought to perfection in us.

1 John 4:12

I hope everyone enjoyed their September. Can you believe tomorrow is already October? It has cooled off here significantly, and I am enjoying the fall weather. Also, October is the month of the rosary. I am going to do my best to pray the rosary more this month. I have been listening to it in my car on the way to and from school drop-off with my kiddos and I have found it to set a peaceful tone for the rest of the day.

For this week’s slow cooker meal, I decided to make a fall dish that was meatless.  I hope you love it.

Black Bean, Quinoa, and Sweet Potato Chili

You will need:

• 1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained (You are welcome to use dry beans here. Just make sure they are either quick soaked or soaked overnight)
• 1 can of fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
• 1 cup of quinoa, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 quart of chicken stock or broth
• 1.5 cups of water
• 2 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 bay leaves

Add all of the ingredients to the slow cooker. Give it a good stir. Cook on high for 4 hours, or on low for 6. Once everything is cooked, serve the chili in bowls. You can definitely top this with chopped cilantro for some extra flavor.

If you give this a try, let me know what you think! It makes leftovers, so you can either freeze it and reheat it, or munch on it as leftovers throughout the week. It is satisfying and full of healthy ingredients.

As always, thank you for your support.

Lots of love and many blessings.

Chelsea

The law of the LORD is perfect,
refreshing the soul;
the decree of the LORD is trustworthy,
giving wisdom to the simple.

Psalms 19:8

I was fortunate enough to intern at a Catholic Charities food pantry in San Diego this past spring. It taught me more about humans than I could have ever imagined. That experience also set my brain ablaze with different ways to manipulate ingredients. I found myself sorting through stacks of cans, boxes of produce, and other random items while thinking to myself, “How would I cook this?”

I would converse with clients about different ways to dress up the canned items they received. It was a lot of fun, and it gave me great joy knowing I could have possibly helped someone out with dinner. Here are a few pointers:

• If you have the option, always buy low sodium and unseasoned beans.
• Rinse the beans until they are free of the juice they were packaged in.
• “The lighter the beans, the darker the greens!”
  • When you want to mix vegetables in with your beans- opt for darker veggies with lighter beans, and lighter veggies for the darker beans.
  • For example: cannellini beans go great with kale, spinach, bok choy, and escarole. Black and pinto beans go better with onions, bell peppers, and root vegetables.
• Stretch the can of beans by adding a lot of vegetables (frozen totally okay!) and some chopped meat, sausage, rotisserie chicken, etc.

And of course… I have a quick recipe for you. This took less than 15 minutes to put together. Enjoy!

Cannellini Beans, Sausage, and Kale Skillet

You will need:

• 1 can of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
• 2 cups of chopped kale, fresh or frozen
• 1 package of smoked sausage of your choice, sliced
• 1/4 cup of broth of your choice
• 2 tbsp olive oil

 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add in the olive oil. Toss in the sliced sausage and cook until sausage is starting to brown on both sides. Add in the broth and kale. Stir around until the kale has wilted (if using fresh) or softened and separated (if using frozen). Once the kale is how you want it, add in the beans and give it all a good stir. Let it cook for 5-7 minutes until everything is nice and hot. Serve in a bowl or on a plate.

This takes less than 15 minutes to put together and cook. Not to mention it is packed full of healthy ingredients. It is also versatile and makes great leftovers.

I hope you love this, and I hope you think twice before bypassing the canned section. There are a lot of gems there, and if you’re concerned about organic and non-GMO options- trust me, there are beans in those categories as well.

See you again on Sunday for Week 3 of Slow Cooker Sundays!

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.

Mark 1:15

 

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you went to Mass today and started your week off with peace and positivity. It is rainy and chilly here (not complaining at all) so I was thankful for a warm slow cooker meal to share with my family.

Today’s recipe is versatile, delicious, and most of all-easy! Let’s get started.

Savory Barbecue Chicken

You will need:

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
• 1 bottle of your favorite barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Spray your slow cooker with non-stick spray. Add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker, followed by the onions, apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 of the bottle of barbecue sauce. Mix around until it is all combined. Cook on low for 6 hours.

Once the time is up, shred the chicken with tongs or two forks. Serve on a warm bun slathered with some of the remaining barbecue sauce. This chicken is also great as a stand alone meat served with a salad or some vegetables. The fun part? You can also make this with buffalo sauce. Just follow the exact same instructions above and boom- you’ve got buffalo chicken!

If you want to prep this ahead of time and freeze it- just add everything to a gallon sized freezer bag, mix it up, rid the bag of air, and store it for up to six months. I make two freezer bags at a time and reserve an unopened bottle of barbecue sauce in the pantry. That way I am not letting half of a bottle of barbecue sauce sit in the fridge to spoil.

I prefer to use chicken thighs because they don’t dry out in the slow cooker. I have attempted to cook chicken breast meat in there several times and it always ends up dry and tasteless no matter what I do with it.

I received some amazing feedback from the beef roast I posted last Sunday! Thank you for everyone who tried it. I am happy you are enjoying this series so far.

As always, lots of  love and many blessings!

Chelsea

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good,
for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say,
“His mercy endures forever.”

Psalms 118:1-2

Between posting slow cooker meals, I wanted to share some helpful hints on how to maximize your dollar when it comes to fresh fruits and vegetables. I am a tight budgeted shopper when it comes to fresh produce. It can get pretty expensive depending on where a person lives, and especially with how many mouths they have to feed.

I’ll start with fruit.

• The number one piece of advice I can give you- lay the fruit out piece by piece on a parchment (or silicone baking mat) lined sheet pan and freeze them individually. After they have frozen, add them to freezer storage bags in smoothie portions, or larger quantities for baking and grab and go use. Fruits contain plenty of moisture, so if you throw them all in the same bag freshly cut- they will freeze together into a big rock. When you go to use them, whether it be in the blender or to bake, they will be an arduous task to break apart. By doing it this way, they will be easier to work with and stay longer in the freezer.

Moving on to veggies:

• For green vegetables (broccoli, kale, green beans, Brussels sprouts, etc) I am a huge proponent of blanching and shocking. To blanch green vegetables,  dunk them  into boiling water for about 1 minute, and then immediately transfer them into an ice water bath to shock them out of cooking any longer. This method helps the vegetables become a vibrant green, and it also preserves them longer.
• Once they have been blanched and shocked, lay them out to dry on paper towels. Put them into freezer storage bags and use them as needed for soups, stews, stir fry, etc.
• With kale and spinach, you can definitely freeze them fresh, but only do that if you planning on making smoothies out of them. If you freeze them fresh and thaw them out to use them in a salad, they will become pretty mushy and have a strange texture when eaten.
• Below are photos of broccoli that starts out fresh and goes through the blanching and shocking process. It looks so pretty at the end. Not to mention, green is my favorite color, so I might be a little biased.

• Root vegetables are the same. Potatoes cannot go straight into the freezer or they will turn black and also have a strange texture. Cut them up into the desired sizes, blanch them for 3-5 minutes, shock them until cold, and lay them out to dry. Place them into freezer bags and use them in soups, stews, baked dishes, stir fry meals, etc. I always do this when I am freezer prepping slow cooker meals. I’ll blanch several potatoes and other vegetables to add to my freezer bags with meat and other ingredients.
• This method also applies to carrots, turnips, sweet potatoes, yucca, rutabaga, so forth and so on. You can also do this with butternut squash. It works like a charm.

I hope this helps you stretch your dollar a bit more in the produce category. Most importantly, I hope this helps you to prepare meals in advance so you are able to spend meaningful time with your family. It doesn’t take long to prep a bunch of vegetables for the coming days and weeks.  I find that having vegetables in the freezer gives our meals a healthy boost when I haven’t been able to make it to the grocery store for something fresh. Also, freezing fruits and vegetables does not hinder their nutritional value, so go ahead and buy that extra bunch of kale, banana, or green beans and get them in the freezer. Taking care of our bodies, and making sure our families eat healthy is one small thing we can do to honor the life God gave us.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Matthew 11:28

Tis the season of preparation. I feel like September marks the time where everyone is super busy. We are inundated with sports, homework, dinner, to and from this and that, and the holidays fast approaching. I have decided to start a Slow Cooker Series for Sundays. I don’t know about you, but I really take the “day of rest” seriously. I am sure you understand what it feels like to be a busy mom, dad, sister, brother, aunt, uncle, caregiver…you get what I’m saying.

Over the next 8 weeks, I am going to introduce several recipes that require minimal work. The phrase “set it and forget it” will be your new best friend. The best part? These are also freezer friendly. That’s right. You can make these ahead of time and just pop them in the freezer for a later day. When you want to cook them, just empty them into the slow cooker and let the machine do its magic. I have tested these recipes on my family after trying many one-note slow cooker recipes. I guarantee these are full of flavor, and are sure to please the whole bunch.

Low & Slow Beef Roast with Vegetables

You will need:

• 1 2-3lb beef chuck roast
• 1 medium bag of baby carrots, or frozen carrot slices
• 10-12 baby creamer potatoes, or 2 large russet potatoes cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 packet of au jus seasoning mix
• 1 packet of ranch seasoning mix
• 6 pepperoncini peppers from the jar (trust me..don’t skip it)
• 2-3 tbsp of the pepperoncini pepper juice

Place the roast in the bottom of the slow cooker. Sprinkle the seasoning packets onto the roast. Pour the peppers and pepper juice on top of the seasoning. Place the potatoes and carrots on top of the seasoned roast. Put the slow cooker lid on top and cook on low heat for 8 hours. Shred the meat when it is done and let it hang out in the juice for a few minutes while you get the plates ready. Serve it up with the potatoes, carrots, and peppers on the side.

How easy is that? The roast is fall apart tender at the end of the cooking time. The potatoes and carrots are full of flavor from the juices of the meat and seasoning mixes. The pepperoncini peppers are a big hit…please don’t skip that part. They add so much flavor, and the peppers are delicious after they have cooked with everything else. If you’re wondering, no, they are not spicy.

I hope you love this recipe! Let me know if you try it out and what you think. This should give you more time with your family on days where you don’t feel like cooking, but you want a family meal to enjoy together around the table.

Lots of love and many blessings,

Chelsea

For he has freed my soul from death,
my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
I shall walk before the Lord
in the land of the living.

Psalms 116:8-9