Reynolds Slow Cooker Bags

I have recently been given some slow cooker bags, by Reynolds, through CrowdTap.

Let's just say that I highly recommend these for any busy mom on the go, who loves her slow cooker (or dad for that matter).  Who couldn't use something to make their life easier, right?

I set out to make some yummy chicken tortilla soup.

Ingredients:

32 oz of Chicken Tortilla Broth
1 lb boneless chicken breasts
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can mild rotel chilis
1 can tomato paste
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/3 chopped, seeded jalapeno
2 cloves of garlic
cumin
salt
pepper
1 slow cooker liner

Toss everything into the slow cooker, put on low.  Walk away for 8 hours.  Try to shred the chicken WITHOUT tearing the bag.

Ladle into bowls, top with shredded pepper jack cheese, sour cream, a squeeze of lime and cilantro and enjoy.

Divvy up leftovers into freezable containers, throw the bag away.  Rinse the slow cooker and VIOLA! You are done.  Super easy.  Definitely time saving.


Who doesn't love a time saving adventure?

Be careful.  I did tear my bag while shredding the chicken.

Crunchies: Healthy Snacking and Mom Approved

I have recently received a sample of some Crunchies freeze dried fruit in the mail.  I actually had to email the company to request it, because I had seen someone else with them and I was super curious.

As a busy mom, I try to keep healthy snack options in my house.  I've raised my Monster to love and appreciate his fruits and vegetables.  I often times buy fruits in bulk and either freeze or dehydrate what's left of them.

Freeze drying would be PERFECT.  It makes an amazing snack.  But I'll leave that to the makers of the Crunchies.  They seem to have this art perfected.

I had received a package of Strawberry Banana crunchies.  My son and I ate them during our Pinewood Derby Race, for Cub Scouts.  They were gone in a matter of minutes.

These are a tasty snack.  They are literally just freeze dried fruits.  No added ingredients or artificial flavors.  I could come up with a lot of ways to use this stuff.  Once the fruit was all gone, there was some freeze dried powder in the bottom of the bag.  I seriously had to lick my finger and get every last bit of the powder out.  It was THAT tasty. I could see crunching the whole bag up and using it as a dusting powder on some baked goods like cakes and cookies.  I feel that with these crunchies the possibilities are endless for healthy snacking.

Here's the link to their website: https://www.crunchiesfood.com/

I've also posted the Amazon links below.

#Crunchies

This Post is copied from my http://randomlyham.blogspot.com Post.

Reynolds Cookie Baking Sheets

As a single Mom, who doesn't love items that make your life easier?

I've pretty much used parchment paper to bake on, for almost as long as I've been baking. I heard about it pretty early on in my baking career. They eliminate scrubbing cookie sheets and they eliminate having to grease the cookie sheets. Reynolds has taken the parchment paper a step further.



They have pre-cut, cookie baking sheets. Just grab a cookie sheet out of the box, throw it onto the baking sheet, bake your cookies. Throw the sheet away, wash/rinse the baking sheet and you're done. I have been able to get a box of these free for review, through Crowdtap. (The link for Crowdtap is posted in my blog).

I plan on baking more cookies tonight, but here's just a quick view of what went down, so that I could write my initial review.





From the picture, you can see that the cookies on the parchment paper cooked more evenly, whereas the ones not on the parchment paper are darker around the edges and look less cooked in the middle. I've lost a bunch of pictures on my phone. If I can locate them, I'll them to my blog as well.

I copied this from my http://randomlyham.blogspot.com blog.

The Luck of the Unlucky

I'm not sure what it is about me, but typically I can walk outside, look down and spot a four leaf clover.  Without trying.  If you ask me to do it.... I fail.  It's like that whole being put on the spot thing.

In an average year I can find anywhere between 20-56 (that was the most I've ever found in a single year) four leaf clovers.

You'd think that with all this luck, I'd be part Leprechaun and could score a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow.  Right?

It isn't necessarily that easy for me. I've noticed that the only type of luck I have is dumb luck and near miss/close calls (like that could have been so much worse) type of luck.  Whatever it is, I'll take my lucky clovers.  I enjoy being able to find them and maybe one day they might prove to be legitimately lucky for me.  I keep a few in my purse. One day, when I have more time, I'll elaborate on my dumb luck and near misses. 

Father's Day Cook-Offs: Chicken Wangs

Back in the day, while I was still married, I wanted to bring some fun to Father's Day.  I got the family together and said we should do a cook-off.  We decide on a food and the men have to cook it up and the ladies are the judges. The best one wins a trophy.

We've been doing this about 8 year now, I believe.

We've had everything from:

• Steak
• Chicken
• Burgers
• Ribs, 2011, Nathan (ex husband)
• Pork
• Fish, 2013, Billy
• Chili, 2014, Derek (The ex-boyfriend.  The waste of 3.5 years)
• Chicken Wings, 2015, Grandpa Jim

The Chicken Wing Entries (2015)

I'll go back through and post pictures as I find them.  I'll even update the list, by year, and tell who the winner was.

It's a fun family tradition now.  

Unfortunately, Grandpa passed away in September; we are all glad he was able to win before he was called away though.

Naptown Oreo Radio

There for a while I was trying to help out my good friend Oreo.  He's wanted to operate a Radio Station for as long as I have known him.  I was the Promotion Team lead there for about 8 months.

I absolutely love the crew.  They're a fun group to work with.

Naptown Oreo Radio is an internet based radio station. You can stream it a few different ways.

Here's their link:  Naptown Oreo Radio.  It's mostly alternative and rock. If you have some constructive criticism, feel free to post it here and I'll let them know.  They're always looking for ways to improve.  

I do miss them dearly; maybe I'll have time to get back into it soon and beg for my old job back.

#Nor #NaptownOreoRadio

Cupcake Gallery

Being a Baker doesn't mean you buy boxed cake mixes.  It means you get your ass in the kitchen and make your own batter from SCRATCH.   You find a basic recipe you like and adapt it from there.


I'm only a pseudo baker.  Most days I make cupcakes and icings from scratch; occasionally I feel lazy and use a boxed mix and then just tweek it from there.  (Grumbling thoughts about a specific "BAKER" are running through my head.  But I'm keeping my opinions to myself here.)


I'm just going to post all the random cupcake photos I've got on my phone to this blog.  I am in love with baking DRUNCAKES!  Drunken Cupcakes.  Boozy Cupcakes.  Not all of them are boozy; but yes, most of my creations are Booze Filled Goodness.  I even add the booze in so they're still Boozy and not kid friendly.  Mommy needs her own damn treats.

Limoncello

ANGRY ORCHARD FIRE BALL

Orange Blue Moon

Chocolate Whiskey Ganache

Right now my biggest issue in life is that I work too damn much. I don't have time to bake.  I really wish I did.  Maybe one day.  .... hopefully before I forget HOW to bake.

Chocolate Peanut Butter