salsa chicken: crockpot style

So if you haven't caught on yet, I pretty much only cook simple things.  Kevin will dabble in more elaborate culinary experiments but not me.  Cooking has never come naturally so I tend toward the "baby steps" approach (for all you What About Bob enthusiasts); some cooking is better than no cooking at all, right?

Luckily whether you are a novice, like me, or not, this meal is for you because it tastes that good.

Shortly after my brother married Alexis (almost 4 years ago exactly) we stayed with them and Alexis introduced me to this dish...and now it's a staple for our family.
(you can check out Alexis's mommy blog here.)

This dish is a particular favorite because you literally throw everything in the crock pot and that's it.

Ingredients: (this recipe allows for leftovers)
1-1.5 chicken breasts, I put them in frozen (per 2 people)
1/2 16 oz. bag of frozen corn (you can substitute canned corn)
1 can black beans 
1 can kidney beans 
1 bottle Pace salsa, regular size (we use medium spice)
*you can use whatever salsa you like, of course, but I have found the sauce to be a bit more runny than desired when I've used more pricey, fresh salsa types, go figure.

Everything in, just before I start cooking it.

Put the chicken in first and make sure the salsa is covering it.
Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for a length of time conducive to your schedule. (the 6 hour setting usually works great for me)

Once it has cooked use a fork and knife to shred the chicken. (it should fall apart easily) Stir everything together and serve.

Served as the topping for salad.

I serve it either on tortillas with whatever toppings suit my fancy or as a topping for salad for the lower calorie option. (delicious both ways)

*This time I had mine on salad with some cilantro, crumbled Doritos, diced green onions, and my favorite dressing (recipe here)

Enjoy!

don't blink.

I had one of those moments a few nights ago.

Lee had been in bed for a few hours.

Just as we were heading to bed ourselves he started crying.

I went into his bedroom to try and calm him and get him back to sleep.  He insisted on being held and not staying in bed. So I gathered him up into my arms and rocked back and forth while I walked and hummed in his ear. 

As I hummed and rocked he nuzzled his head into my shoulder and wrapped his tiny arms around me and held on with his little hands. And as I looked down at his arm wrapped across me I had one of those moments and, as cliché as it may sound, I could barely breathe.  Suddenly I felt, what must have been very nearly the full reality, of just how quickly life speeds along and how deeply I love my children. 

I could feel his childhood slipping out of my reach; how quickly he’d grow, physically and emotionally; more independent by the second it seemed.  In that moment I knew that before I could blink he’d be much “too big” to be held by his Momma or rocked to sleep. All too soon his hands would be far from tiny and his needs far from the simplicity that dominates them now.  Soon he’d be all but grown and it seemed like it was all going far too fast for my liking. So I looked down at his tiny hand and tried to soak it in and etch that moment into my memory.

You know I usually don’t put Lee to bed. 

As part of a conscious effort to have meaningful bonding for our children with their father we decided, before Lee was even born, that bedtime would be Kevin's special time with our children as much as possible. And it has been wonderful; he has a special relationship with them that we all treasure.

But I’m so glad I went in to soothe Lee that night.

Ironically I ended up staying up almost that entire night in his room with him and believe me, I was exhausted the next day. 

(Lest you think that I’m an invincible mom that a lack of sleep doesn’t affect.)

But I am sincerely grateful to be given a moment’s glance into how wonderful this time of babies and toddlers really is. For the reminder it provided to me of what is truly important; to set my phone with all its apps aside more often, to turn off the noise and listen to the chatter of my children, to be in the moment with them, to respond to their innocent desire to be noticed and loved, to find the joy in the moment because it is, in fact, slipping away. (no matter how long some days seem)

I love my boys.

 
Take my new advice and try not to blink too much.
 

We don’t want to miss anything.

baked acorn squash+orzo pasta=autumn heaven

Last year, when we were living near my sister, she'd often come to visit us and cook with Kevin. (the two of them are cooking enthusiasts, I'm an eating enthusiast...yep, my kitchen with the two of them is a pretty good place to be for a person like me.)

Well one day last autumn she shared a roommate's family recipe for a DELICIOUS and SIMPLE way to eat acorn squash. And now I'm sort of obsessed.
I decided to make it for us to eat before we headed out to take the boys trick-or-treating this year and it completely hit the spot.

 Ingredients:
1 acorn squash (per 2 people, this is generous depending on the size of the acorn squash but I like to have leftovers the next day)
1 cup uncooked Orzo pasta (again per 2 people)
butter
salt
pepper

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
*Cut the squash in half.
(this is BY FAR the hardest part, I had to have Kevin do it the night before and I Saran wrapped it and kept it in the fridge until I was ready for it...)
*Put about 1/4" of water in a 9x13 pan and place squash halves RIGHT side up in the pan. 
(use a bigger pan if you are cooking more and they won't fit)
*Poke the inside of the squash halves with a fork and put a little slice of butter into each squash half to keep it moist while baking.
*Place the pan in the oven and lightly cover with aluminum foil.
*Bake for 1.5 hours or until a fork glides through the squash.
(you want it to mash up without hardly any effort with a fork)

*Cook the pasta about 20 minutes before the squash is done.
(I just brought some unmeasured water to a boil and added the pasta, stirring occasionally until it was tender.)
*Drain all the water then butter, salt and pepper to taste.  

*Remove the baked squash from the outer shell with a spoon or mash it right in the shell and mix the pasta in. ENJOY!
(again add butter and salt and pepper to taste)