Cajun Chicken Pasta

Cajun Chicken Pasta: (from the book "101 more things to do with a slow cooker")



Ingredients:
1 lb. Chicken Tenders
1 can (15oz) crushed tomatoes, with liquid
1 can (6oz) tomatoe paste
1/2 C chopped red bell pepper
1/2 C chopped onion *
3 tsp minced garlic
1 1/2 tsp Cajun Seasoning
1/4 tsp crushed bay leaves
Pasta of your choice



Combine all ingredients in greased 3/12 to 5 quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Makes 6-8 servings.

Serve over hot pasta of your choice

*1/4 C dried minced onion can be substituted.



We rated this a 3... it tasted like spagehtti with chicken in it... LOL I won't make it again.

Notes from a Working Gal

This past week I went from helping out at my family's restaurant to working full time...from 3 hour days to 12 hour days...and let me tell you - 30 is not the new 20. I am exhausted. Thank goodness I am only working 3 days a week and will have awesome time off...think 7 days off in a row!!

I had originally thought that this would not affect my blogging schedule (back when I thought I was super woman) but let me tell you - it is!!

I have just enough energy left for these guys at this point:



On my 7 glorious days off IN A ROW - I am going to do a lot of cooking and baking and I will take a lot of pictures to share with you on Tuesday's - but since I just started with the double days - I thought that I would share an old to me recipe...these are usually made on lazy Saturday's when I've got nothing more to do than play with the kids and enter Giveaway's.

Originally posted on Getting all my Ducks in a Row:

The kids and I have been enjoying a new "tradition" on Saturdays...for the past 3 weeks I have made sweet rolls...The first two times were courtesy of Pillsbury and this last time...still from Pillsbury but made by me!!

They were so delicious...



I thought that I would include the recipe:

INGREDIENTS

Filling
2/3	cup finely chopped pecans
1/3	cup packed brown sugar
1/3	cup powdered sugar
1	teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4	cup butter or margarine, softened
Rolls
2	cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® refrigerated crescent dinner rolls or 2 cans (8 oz each) Pillsbury® Crescent Recipe Creations® refrigerated seamless dough sheet
Glaze
1	cup powdered sugar
1	tablespoon butter or margarine, softened
2	to 3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS

1.	Heat oven to 375°F. Grease 13x9-inch pan. In small bowl, mix filling ingredients.
2.	If using crescent rolls: Unroll 1 can of the dough into 1 large rectangle; press into 13x7-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. Spread filling over rectangle. If using dough sheets: Unroll 1 can of the dough; press into 13x7-inch rectangle. Spread filling over rectangle.
3.	If using crescent rolls: Unroll second can of dough; press into 13x7-inch rectangle, firmly pressing perforations to seal. If using dough sheets: Unroll second can of dough; press into 13x7-inch rectangle.
4.	Place over filling; press dough onto filling. Cut stacked dough into 8 (13-inch) strips. Twist each strip 5 or 6 times, pressing extra filling into rolls. Shape each into a coil; place in pan.
5.	Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from pan; place on cooling rack.
6.	In small bowl, stir glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired drizzling consistency; drizzle over warm rolls. Serve warm.

Rice Pudding

What do you do with all the leftover white rice you get with your Chinese takeout? You make rice pudding!

Old Fashioned Rice Pudding

Ingredients:

• 4 beaten eggs
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, cooled (leftover rice works well)
• 1/2 cup raisins ( Plump your raisins by simmering them in 2 tablespoons of dark rum or water for 1 minute. I had coconut flavored rum that tasted wonderful. Drain them and let them cool.)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1.) Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2.) In ungreased 2-quart casserole combine eggs, milk, sugar, vanilla, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Beat until combined but not foamy. Stir in cooked rice and raisins.

3.) Place casserole in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish on an oven rack. Pour boiling water into baking dish around the casserole to a depth of 1 inch.

4.) Bake in a 325 degree F oven for 30 minutes. Stir well; sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon. Bake for 30 - 40 minutes more or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean. Serve warm or cold. To serve cold, cover and chill pudding for up to 3 days.

I think this is dreamy and full of comfort served warm. Our boys prefer it cold. To each his own. This pudding has texture. It's not going to be like the Kozy Shack version sold in tubs at the grocery store. The bottom is thick with the rice and raisins, and the top has a layer of creamy custard.

This recipe gets a definate 4 spoon rating. Yummy and useful. Next Monday I'll share a second recipe that I used to finish up this left over take out rice.

Granola Bars

I'm a really snacky person.   As in, I always have snacks nearby, because if I don't eat regularly, I get really crabby/woozy/dopey/sad/younameit.  For the past couple of weeks, my snack drawer in my desk at work has been the slimmest of pickins.  So it got me to daydreaming about snacks that I could make from scratch.  (Any excuse to avoid a trip to the grocery store!!)  I've long been wanting to try out this granola bar recipe, so it was the perfect choice for this week's post.

I made two batches, so that I could try out two different flavor variations.  The first batch was with roasted pecans and chocolate chips.  The second was with roasted pecans and dried blueberries and cranberries.

All in all, I thought the granola bars were fine.  Not scrumptious, but certainly not bad tasting in any way.  I think it's partly to do with the amount of honey in the recipe; I like honey, but I don't like it to be a strong flavor in the finished result.  I rate this recipe a 3 Spoons, so I'll keep looking for something that suits my taste.  And my snack drawer.

Enjoy!

{  UPDATE!  }

I found my holy grail of chewy granola bar recipes!  I posted it with photos here:

Perfect, Chewy Granola Bars

Granola Bars

adapted from allrecipes.com

2 c. oatmeal

1/2 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. wheat germ

3/4 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. salt

3/4 c. roasted pecan pieces

1/2 c. chocolate chips

1 egg, beaten

1/2 c. vegetable oil

1/2 c. honey

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and lightly grease a baking sheet, 9x13 or larger.

In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.  Make a well in the center of the bowl, and pour in the egg, oil, honey, and vanilla.  Stir to combine with a mixing spoon.  Pat the mixture evenly into the prepared pan, into a rectangle 8x10" in size.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until edges are golden and crispy.  (The center will appear un-done.)  For crispy bars, bake for 30 minutes.  Cool for 5 minutes on the pan, and then invert onto a large cutting board and cut while still warm. 

Note:  For the dried berry variation, I used 1/2 c. pecans, 1/2 c. dried blueberries, 1/2 c. dried cranberries, and reduced the cinnamon to 1/2 tsp.

Dry Ingredients:

Add the wet ingredients to the center well:

Pat into an 8x10" rectangle:

Invert the bars and cut into them while still warm: