left over turkey?! try this recipe for turkey chili!

I have to confess, this recipe has been staring at me for weeks, but I haven't tried it yet! I couldn't wait to use left over turkey in this chili, BUT...no turkey came home with me at Thanksgiving! (sad!) so, I bought one today (only $.97 per lb at Super Target!)...and once the huge, bird thaws...I will be trying it! So, if you try this recipe...let me know your thoughts! :) Sounds delish to me! ;o)

Chicken Enchilada Chili (crock pot)

This chili is another hit in our family! Here's the recipe:

1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast cut up
1 medium yellow pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced OR stewed tomatoes with garlic and onion, undrained
2 cans (15-16 oz each) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (10 oz) enchilada sauce
1 c. frozen corn
sour cream
cheddar cheese

mix all ingredients together in slow cooker (except for cheddar and sour cream)
cover and cook on low setting 7-8 hours
top with sour cream and cheddar cheese if desired...enjoy!
We love to serve this meal with corn bread muffins ( & honey butter), and a southwestern salad! YUM! :)

fun with melty beads!

I thought we'd do something different with melty beads today...making fun little gift tags/adornments! I loved doing these as a kid, and thought these would be fun to add to a kids' gift. We might be making some Christmas ones this year too! I bought this big container of beads and the sets of "discs" at Ikea!! (Love that place, and love their prices!!) Just leave a few beads off so you have space for a ribbon to go through! have fun getting creative!

Pumpkin seeds!

Every year we look forward to our neighbors pumpkin carving party!! This year I decided to roast some of the pumpkin seeds, as it had been years since I've had them! I tried 3 different recipes to see what the winner is in our family :)  (the kids of course love the sweet ones!) Such a yummy little snack....what's your fav?

 I soaked the seeds in salt water overnight, drained in a colander, patted them dry and then seasoned them these 3 ways (using 2 cups of seeds per batch) .....
Cinnamon and sugar:
One Tablespoon butter, and sprinkled with cinnamon and about 1 Tablespoon of sugar---stir and turn out on cookie sheet, stir occasionally
Bake 350 for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown
Seasoned:
1 1/2 Tablespoons of olive oil, 1/8 tsp garlice powder, 2 tsp low sodium soy sauce or worcestershire sauce---stir and turn out on cookie sheet, bake as above (and I also sprinkle some sea salt on top of these at the end)
Sea salt:
1 Tablespoon olive oil, stir and turn out onto baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt, bake as above.

enjoy this tasty little snack of fall! :)

crockpot chicken tostadas

I LOOOOOVE crockpot meals. I love how they fill the house with yummy aromas. I love how they are done when you walk in the door. I love how they make my crazy life a little less....crazy :) So, this winter I am going to try to do many more than my usual go-to healthy recipes.  This one was just so yummy I had to share! It's really just a little twist on the usual taco, but it was a hit. The kids love this too because they can build their own with their favorite toppings.

First of all, I cut up strips of chicken (about 5 or so breasts) and threw them in the crock pot with 2 low sodium taco seasoning packets, and sprinkled about a tablespoon of minced onion on them. (low setting for about 6 hours)
These flaxseed and blue corn tortillas are so yummy! (found them at Target. where else?) I baked them for 8-10 min at 350 degrees or until lightly browned.
Then I used a slotted spoon to top each tostada with the chicken.

Next, I layered it with our favorite toppings:
cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, black beans, light sour cream or plain greek yogurt and taco sauce. (great served with corn bread and honey butter!) Hope you enjoy! :) I even got a thumbs up on this one and was asked to make this one every night for dinner! ;o)

kids will eat this broccoli!

Broccoli isn't loved by all my kids, but this salad is a hit every time with every child! It's super easy too!
What you need:
Broccoli slaw salad
Broccoli slaw bag mix (has carrots and cabbage in it too!)
1 package ramen noodles
sunflower seeds (optional)
dressing
3T vinegar
2T sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp pepper
seasoning packet from ramen noodles
*Mix all dressing ingredients together, pour over slaw, then crumble the ramen noodles on top, sprinkle with sunflower seeds, and watch them eat their broccoli! :)

Brenna + James 10.7.11

Here are a few of the photos I took of Brenna and James' wedding this weekend in Duluth! The day was gorgeous, as are they! It was such an honor to be a part of their special, wonderful, colorful wdding day!!