Memorial Day weekend 2013 recap

This past weekend was Memorial Day weekend. I headed up to the lakehouse with  my Mom, Dad and   Bill and his 30 plus friends he invited. B went with his Dad and brother to the Indy 500 race. They all had a great time.

Bill had invited his 30 plus friends which included one extra dog. So we had a total of four dogs over the weekend. My Mom and I had a great time watching movies during the day as everyone went out on the lake. Then at night my Mom, Dad and I chose to go out to dinner as one night they had so many people they almost did not have a place for everyone to sit and eat. They had several late nights and all seemed to have a great time. By Monday morning most all of them had left to head back to Dallas.
All and all it was a good weekend.

Now on to summer school which starts Monday. Wish me luck.....

Chicken taco's

This recipe was given to me by my friend, deals on wheels. We have loved this recipe and other friends I have shared it with agree. This is a must try and will be a new family favorite for sure.

Ingredients

• 1 package of boneless, skinless chicken
• 1 16 ounce bottle of your favorite salsa. ( I used pace salsa)
• 1 packet of taco seasoning
• 1 tomato
• 1 package of shredded lettuce
• 1 package of shredded cheese
• 1 package of tortillia's

You will need a crockpot for this simple and yummy recipe for chicken tacos.

First, you will put chicken in crockpot. For two people I used one and a half chicken breast, but if you have more people feel free to use all three chicken breasts or two of them. Next, you will pour out the package of taco seasoning on top of the chicken. Then, you will pour out the bottle of your favorite salsa, we used pace. Once the chicken is covered in the sals you will cover the crockpot and set on low for 8 hours. Before serving you will need to take two forks and shred the chicken while in the crockpot. You can do this right before serving or before you plan to serve.

After the chicken has been shredded and cut then you will add a tortilla, chicken, shredded lettuce, tomatoes and cheese. You may also choose to serve with guacamole if you wish, which is what I had done.

This makes a lot and great for leftovers. Hope you enjoy these amazing chicken tacos.

BBQ dinner

I decided to make something new and fun for dinner. I decided to try to make BBQ sandwiches for dinner. The recipe I used was so easy. Here is the link for where I found the recipe click here.

Easy BBQ sandwiches

ingredients

• 1 package of roast or round rump meat
• 1 16 ounce bottle of BBQ sauce
• garlic salt

First, I covered the meat in garlic salt. You may also use other seasonings like salt and pepper. I cut the meat in half so it would fit in the crock pot. You might have to cut it more than twice depending on the size of the meat. I did not use the onion powder, but you may if you like. 

Next, I placed the seasoned meat in the crock pot and then poured in the whole bottle into the crock pot and turned the crock pot on low and cooked for 8 hours.

Before serving shred meat with two forks and serve with a bun to make a sandwich. I paired this with a wedge salad see that post here.

It was a great meal that we will have again. 

Wedge Salad

Last night, I heated up some chicken strips and decided to add something to it. So, while looking at my friend, Tessa's blog I found a great Wedge Salad recipe. I changed it up a little.

Wedge Salad

ingredients

• 1 head of iceberg lettuce
• ranch dressing packet
• 1 cup of mayo
• 1 cup of milk
• bacon bits
• walnuts

Take the iceberg lettuce and cut in half. I cut the lettuce in half and then halved the half. But, if you are only serving the salad you can cut a smaller or bigger piece.

In a bowl pour out the dry ranch mix, the cup of mayo and the cup of milk. You will stir. The directions are also on the back of the packet. I stirred for about 2 or 3 minutes. After the mixture is smooth with little to no clumps you will put it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You also can make this the day before and the mix is good for up to 2 or 3 weeks.

After you place the lettuce on the plate you will dribble the dressing on top and may add walnuts and bacon bits. I just guessed the amount I needed. After you add your toppings it is ready to serve. You also may use blue cheese, but I substituted the ranch dressing instead. This easy salad was a huge hit and will be in your home as well.

Ranch Chicken Strips

This is a fun and easy recipe and great for kids of all ages, especially the adult ones. I found a variation of this recipe online and added my own touch to the recipe.

What you will need

• Chicken breast strips or you can buy skinless boneless chicken breast and cut into strips
• dry ranch mix
• mayo
• shake and bake or something similar
• bake at 350 for 25-30 min.

First cut the chicken breast into strips if you need to or take the strips out of the package. Depending on how many people you are cooking for will depend on how many will be needed.

Next, dump out the dry ranch mix into a mixing bowl and add one cup of mayo to mix together. In another bowl add the shake and bake mix.

Dip the chicken into the ranch mix first and make sure the chicken is coated in the mix. Next, put the coated chicken into the shake and bake mix and put on the pan. I line the pan with foil first.

After all chicken has the ranch mix and shake and bake mix on it put it in the oven at 350 for 25 to 30 minutes. Then as you take it out it will be ready to serve. May serve with bananas, grapes, or any other side you would like to use.