Crockpot Strawberry Cinnamon Shredded Chicken (N' Waffles)

 I hope everyone had a wonderful Super Bowl. If the Chicago Bears had played.... it'd have been a lot better, but I'm not bias or anything ;) No, it was a really good game and the commercials were pretty excellent too! I'm a huge animal lover so of course the Budweiser commercial with the adorable lost puppy and gorgeous horses tugged at my ticker, as well as, the silly Sprint commercial with the screaming goats and donkey gave me a good giggle among others. Something about screaming goats always makes smile!?! I heard a 30 second commercial during the big game averaged around 4.5 million dollars! THAT'S JUST PLAIN CRAY CRAY lol! How are there hungry children or homeless people in the world, but these companies can fork over 4.5 million bucks for a 30 second ad during the Super Bowl? It is beyond absurd and horribly sad (in my opinion), really, but I'm not trying to get super heavy today. Let's keep it light, I suppose, and talk about my game day version of chicken n' waffles! This is a fun and SUPER SIMPLE twist on the classic fried chicken & waffles combo. As far as I'm concerned... these have to be a bit healthier than the fried version, I'm not labeling it diet friendly by any means, but it had to cut a few caloric corners by making them in the crock pot minus all the grease and extra breading! So yeah, we'll just pretend these are diet chicken n' waffles or at least less guilt inducing chicken n' waffles lol!

Whatcha' Need:

• 1.5-2 lbs Chicken Breasts
• 1/4-1/3 cup strawberry preserves (or jelly)
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 3 TBS brown sugar
• 2 TBS maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp of each red pepper flakes, lemon pepper, and minced garlic
• 1/4 tsp each Chili powder and Salt
• 2 TBS Lemon Juice
• 2 1/4 cups water 1 small yellow onion finely diced (opt)
• ~Maple Syrup, Crock pot, Waffle Iron, Butter~

Additional Materials: a boxed waffle/pancake mix and the ingredients listed to make the desired amount of waffles (IE eggs, oil, water~ I used Hungry Jack mix),  or make it even easier and use cooked frozen waffles or canned honey biscuits (I'll prob put it on some flaky biscuits next time cuz that sounds swell)! If you want to fancy it up even more make a homemade waffle recipe of your choice, I'll  find an easy one to include and place a link to it at the bottom for all my anti-boxed food folks out there. Either way, this chicken will taste great on just about any bread like vessel you choose ;) Such as... my jiffy corn and tater cakes, wink, wink here's a link to those beauts:  http://thriftytreehuggary.blogspot.com/2015/01/jiffy-corn-and-tater-cakes.html

Picture these lovelies topped some spicy sweet shredded chicken, OH YEAH ;)

I started by dicing my onion and layering it across the bottom of my crock pot. Then, I placed the chicken breasts on top of the onions and sprinkled it with all the dry spices.

In a small mixing bowl, I combined the preserves, water, brown sugar, lemon juice, and maple syrup to make a sauce or glaze of sorts. Then I poured it onto the chicken and onions in the crock pot, cover it with the lid, and cook it on high for 4 1/2 hours (you could also cook it on low for about 6 hours if you prefer, but I was hungry, so I cranked that baby up lol).

Not the prettiest pic ever but this was about 2. 5 hrs in and it smells devine!

When the chicken is fork tender, like so tender that when you attempt to poke it, it practically falls apart, remove it from the crock and place it in a large mixing bowl and shred it up with two forks. Mine was so tender by that time that I SERIOUSLY, barely had to apply any force to the ol' pulling process! The chicken didn't fight back at all, SCORE ~ Fall apart tender = WAY YUMMY :)

Once you have your chicken all nice and shredded, place it back into the crock pot with all those yummy juices and spices and cook for about 30 more minutes. While that is going down... start working on your waffles. I made a generous stack of waffles because this makes quite a bit of shredded chicken and I didn't want to bust out the waffle iron again later on (call it lazy ;) but I call it efficient, why work harder when we can work smarter right lol). I also cooked the waffles a bit darker and longer than usual because I didn't want a soggy situation on my hands.

When you have a nice stack of waffles ready and buttered, turn that crock off, and get ready to chow down. Place one large buttered waffle on a plate, and using a slotted spoon dish up a nice scoop of the chicken right on top of the waffle. Drizzle it with a little maple syrup and prepare for taste bud domination. This dish is crazy easy, fun, and super yummy &&& we can even claim it is a little healthier than it's fried friend! Winner, winner, Chicken n' Waffle Dinner.

Big Hugs and I hope you enjoy my funky twist on this classic dish!

My boyfriend topped his off with Shredded Mozz. Cheese and devoured it, despite him being a picky eater ;)

 


     Here's a link to an easy homemade waffle recipe for those feeling extra ambitious:
  http://www.melskitchencafe.com/classic-buttermilk-waffles-with-cheese/

Zesty Bacon Broccoli Bowtie Alfredo

 Bacon~ How do I love thee? Let me count thy ways! No, but, FOR REAL, I could seriously list a 100 reasons (or more) why and how I adore bacon. It may not be the healthiest meat on the planet, but it is definitely one of thee tastiest. You want to elevate a dish, just add bacon. It goes with just about anything and everything and is 99% likely to improve any dish it is in, on, or wrapped around! Just stating the facts here people. Cheeseburgers are good, but BACON cheeseburgers are great. Asparagus is good, but BACON wrapped asparagus is great. Eggs are good, but EGGS and BACON, you guessed it, GREATness! Bacon is the deliciously crisp wavy line between good and GREATNESS. No joke, one of my all time favorite comfort foods is the classic BLT. However, take away the bacon and you have just a lettuce, mayo and tomato sandwich. How lame is that??! Without the bacon... that sandwich would pretty much suck, the bacon makes it. Now that we've cleared that up, let's dish about the awesomeness of this easy bacon broccoli Alfredo dish! I should just call this dish BOMB DIGGITY BOW TIES PEEPS, cuz it is just that.

(I always save the napkins when I get fast food since they give you a bazillion every time, this comes in handy if you run  out of paper towels)  

I use this cheese in place of cream cheese ALL the time and it never lacks in flavor/no one ever knows it's a tad healthier ;)

• Whatcha' need: 
• 1 Box Bow Tie Pasta Noodles (uncooked)
• 1 lb Bacon cooked crisp (you could use turkey bacon if you prefer) 
• 2 cups frozen Broccoli
• 1 medium sized Onion (chopped)
• 2 cups Milk (I use 1%)
• 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese
• 1 8oz pack of Neufchatel or Low fat Cream Cheese (1/3 less fat than cream cheese, but they'll never know it)
• 1 &1/2 teaspoons Italian Blend Seasoning
• 1& 1/4 tsp each Red Pepper Flakes and Lemon Pepper (1/4 each for the bacon)
• 1 TBSP lemon Juice
• 2 &1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon each minced garlic, salt, and paprika 

Opt 2 teaspoons bacon grease/pan drippings

Start by cooking up your bacon either on the stove top or in the oven, however you prefer. I seasoned my bacon with a dash of paprika and a dash of lemon pepper and red pepper flakes. This will add a nice zing to the dish without it being super spicy. Also, the crispier the bacon, the better for this recipe, because when you add it to the gooey pasta it will maintain it's crunchy texture better (and because floppy bacon is just not too swell) I also find it much easier to save the bacon grease and drippings via stove top cooking method, and bacon grease is like cooking gold folks. A little bit of bacon grease packs a whole Lotta awesome flavor and can be used for gravies and all sorts of yummy dishes!

Thrifty Tip~ Always save excess napkins when you get fast food, they come in handy when you run out of paper towels  and they always give you much more than you need $

 Once the bacon is done, carefully remove it from the pan onto a paper towel lined plate, allow it to cool and set it aside. OF COURSE, taste test a piece or two, perks of being the cook a' ;) Carefully, poor all that lovely liquid bacon gold into a sturdy container with a lid (like an old, clean coffee container or glass Tupperware container of sorts, don't pour it into a flimsy plastic container because it will eat through it) to save for later uses. When the grease has cooled a few minutes, place 2 teaspoons plus the pan drippings into a large pot with the chopped onion. Heat on Medium for about 5-7 minutes or until onions are tender.

Bacon Gold my friends ^

Next, add the milk, Parmesan, lemon juice, water, broccoli and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a slight boil over medium low heat stirring occasionally.

Once the mixture starts to slightly bubble, add the noodles and cook about 10-15 minutes or until the noodles are tender and most of the liquid is absorbed. Stir frequently. 

While this is going down, coarsely chop or crumble the bacon.

When the noodles are done, quickly stir in the Neufchatel or low fat cream cheese until well-blended and then, fold in the crumbled bacon. Cook for about 5 more minutes stirring frequently.

Turn off the heat and allow that loveliness to cool slightly before sprinkling it with a little more Parmesan Cheese and devouring it! Serve up this Beaut with a small side salad, garlic bread or even solo, either way it is sure to be an easy, delicious dinner winner! Hugs and Chow for Now...

~BOMB DIGGITY BACON BROCCOLI BOW TIES~

Easy UPcycled Clock

Speaking honestly, I'm not a big fan of  the whole concept of "time." It seems like there is never enough of it in one day, you feel guilty if you waste it or don't get enough done in a certain amount of it. It forces us to rush around when we need to be somewhere, and it is seemingly a source of anxiety and panic more often than not. Heavy stuff, I know right :) I truly wish we never had to know the time! LIKE, NO JOKE, but we do. We all need to know the time and have some legitimate time telling object in our homes in this world (I suppose lol). Everything is intertwined with "time," in some silly way or another. You can't just show up to work any time you please or leave any time you want. Or if you favorite show comes on at 9 you'll miss it if you don't know the time. We are told from a young age to spend our time wisely, make thee most of our time, cherish the time we've shared with those near and dear to our hearts, that we can't go back in time, don't be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that time is precious among many other time related tidbits of life insight. I guess, time diminishes some confusion and chaos in this complicated world, yet, creates other kinds of chaos like rushing about to be on time or the frequent confusion felt by the unsureness of the time in which we are suppose to be somewhere important and if we don't know that specific time, we panic. I guess you could say, time is not my favorite concept lol. I'd much rather mosey places leisurely like when the sun peaks at a certain point in the sky (and ban the whole concept of working when the moon is out, no one should have to be up before the sun, just saying lol) than feel time induced panic when I know I'm suppose to be somewhere important by such and such specific designated times. Sorry for the rant, JUST GETTING THAT OFF MY CHEST :) I know, Ain't nobody got time for that and I shouldn't be wasting your valuable time with my jargon  ;) 

So let's talk about up-cycling, recycling, and repurposing. It's truly awesome (unlike time lol) and it can be super fun, rewarding, and rarely panic inducing. To transform something that might have ended up in the trash into a lovely little treasure is not only good for all Earth's inhabitants, it makes us feel a sense of pride when it goes from blahness to beautiful. It is an art in itself to see the weird potential of random, rundown, everyday items as something other than what easily meets the eye and further, transform those average objects into unique, thrifty lil' masterpieces of sorts. Not only is it good for the environment and good for the wallet, it's pretty sweet for the soul!

I've been feeling pretty blah about this basic, worn down time telling device on my wall for quite some TIME now. Yeah, it served its purpose, but it was cracked and a lot bit whack. I believe it was my Grandma's kitchen clock at some point (no offense G-Ma) but it was most definitely not my style. I wouldn't have paid 10 dollars for that plain Jane time contraption unless it was the only time telling device left on Earth; it truly had NO CHARACTER, and was the definition of true blah designs! It def didn't tie into my eccentric, funky, eclectic decor lol. So, I started thinking how could I revive this old beast without just chucking it into the trash or without spending any extra cash?!? I looked around at random objects in my domain and I scrolled Pinterest for some nifty ideas, and OF COURSE, there was no shortage of funky clock inspiration! I so love Pinterest, and all the lovely, creative concoctions people come up with! I especially adore, the Eco-friendly, Upcycled and Recycled masterpieces these glorious geniuses make out of everyday objects or things that would be laying in landfills if not otherwise repurposed. Anyhow, after brainstorming and scouring my house staring at random objects and snooping around the Internet, I decided to turn an old piece of funky, vibrant, wall art, gifted to me many moons ago from my older brother, into my new clock! It was perfecto' and a really fun way to revive both of these old pieces without spending a single penny. Thrifty and Nifty folks <3  It even makes checking the time a little bit funner and that's a mega plus in my book!

Poor ol' clock has had a rough time :)

I started by carefully taking apart the old plastic clock, removing the tiny screws in the back, and removing the membrane or mechanical mechanisms that hold the "time."

I then, measured the pictures width and length with a basic ruler, located the center, and marked it lightly with a dot (in pencil). There, I drilled a basic hole and put those mechanisms removed from the old clock into the hole drilled in the center, similarly, to the way they were in the basic old blah clock. (I believe the hour hand goes on the bottom, then minute hand, and then seconds hand lastly, just in case you get fumbled up when taking it apart ;) I applied 2 long pieces of clear masking tape to the back to secure the mechanism in place, but if you prefer, use super glue, or whatever works for you best! (It is completely secure with the tape and won't be visible when on the wall, and it will also be easier for me to remove if I want to in the future or if the ol' beast fizzles out on me and needs replacing)

Next, I thought of how I wanted to display the numbers. Honestly, lovely penmanship is not my forte and I don't own stencils to to make nice legible anythings lol, SO, I decided to go through a few old magazines and look for numbers or relevant words or symbols that I could decoupage onto my clocks surface for easier reference of time. (I didn't want to have to decipher the time for my dude every time he tried to read my clock, ain't nobody got time for that lol) Though... you could do a wide variety of things to represent the numbers that flows with your decor or personal taste. You could print some neat #'s off the internet, paint Roman Numerals on, use random objects like buttons or seashells or really, whatever your heart desires!

I cut a few numbers and phrases out of an old magazine, laid them out on the pictures surface and played around with location and such. Obviously, you want the time hands to fall fairly near the true time so your not panicking or creating chaos with your up-cycled clock lol! I also didn't want to completely clutter up the picture with numbers so I choose to leave a few off here and there, but you can still easily tell what time it is and it serves its' main purpose, while not being too cookie cutter blah :)

Mix a little water into some some basic white glue with a small, funky paint brush (you just made Mod Podge for half the price) and put a thin layer underneath where you want each number to be. Just make sure it is a nice and thin layer so you don't get that crusty effect (icks). Place the relevant number back on the glue in its predesignated area and cover it again with another thin layer or two of the watered down glue/MOD PODGE. Repeat until all the desired numbers are glued on and in the desired locations with a few thin layers of the Mod Podge on top of each #. THEN... allow the little beaut to air dry and put it back up on your wall so you won't run late for any important dates!

Shazam! You just totally up-cycled a blah clock that was destined for the trash in the near future into a fun whala wall clock, all while doing something nice for the planet and all your fellow creatures! Bravo, my fellow thrifty tree huggers and may time treat you kindly ;)

Sorry for the funky lighting, but I was working on this project in the evening, but hopefully, you still get the drift!

P.S. Here's a few more fun, crafty up-cycled inspirations to get your thrifty DIY juices flowing:

http://coolmaterial.com/home/palletart-clock/

http://refurbished-ideas.com/unique-diy-wall-clocks/

http://mydesiredhome.com/40-diy-driftwood-inspiration-ideas/

http://www.hometalk.com/5623161/how-to-make-a-t-shirt-pillowutm_source=original&utm_medium=pinterest&utm_campaign=featured&crlt.pid=camp.Jxltv5uihKYU

http://rooflab.blogspot.gr/2013/02/15-kitchen-ideas-with-vintage-touch.html

isn't that cute!