Still Cooking...

I'm determined to keep up with this so this past week I have cooked every night but Thursday (Mike had to go to dinner for work so I did not want to cook something just for me and the girls). Oh and I didn't cook on the weekend but that's usually when Mike cooks anyways. Thanks so much for all the comments, suggestions and recipes, I have used several of them this week and they were all delicious!

I just have to share

this awesome recipe

that Kelly from The Carpenter Chronicles


gave me {it's sooo good and great for fall}!! Thanks Kelly!

It's super easy and my new best friend...

the crockpot, was all I needed to make this yummy dinner.

Yes, I've used the crockpot before but for the most part, unless Mike has used it to cook barbeque, it's main home has been in the pantry. Poor thing has been neglected just dying to come out of the dark to help me:)
So here's the recipe: Salsa Chicken

• Put 3 or 4 frozen chicken breasts in the crock pot,
• cover with 1 can cream of mushroom soup ,
• sprinkle 1 package of taco seasoning
• top with 1 jar of salsa.
• Cook on high for approx. 4 hours and the chicken falls apart just by stirring it.
• You can put the chicken in tortillas with lettuce, tomato, cheese, etc for burritos or tacos.
• *To make the soup that is shown*
• add chicken broth,
• a little extra water,
• can of black beans,
• frozen or canned corn (drained) and cook to boiling.
• Pour over tortilla chips for the BEST tortilla soup ever.
• Top with cheese and sour cream if you prefer

Here's the girls giving it a try...

{Hmmm, not so sure about this mommy}

{I'll try it but I'm probably not going to like it}

This picture leads me to the big problem I'm having {this was not eaten}: the girls have turned their noses up to almost everything-even this soup and it really is good! They gave it a few bites but just didn't want any more and I know it looks kind of yucky but how can you not like cheese, chips, sour cream, corn (they normally love corn) and beans(they normally love beans) and chicken? We've had more fits thrown during dinner time this week than ever before and I know it's not because my cooking is so awful, really everything has tasted great. So I'm feeling quite discouraged and unappreciated (get used to it, right?) I'm trying so hard and cooking these good meals and all they want is chicken nuggets. Am I expecting too much? Will they just have to get used to it? I feel like if I give in and give them the usual toddler stuff they'll just continue to demand it and not to mention it's not very healthy. I'm excited that I know I can do this, cook meals every night so when they are all teenagers they won't be eating mac-n-cheese and nuggets for dinner but that's 10 years from now! Uggh!!

I guess I'll just keep at it and if they're hungry they'll eat and if not then no dessert! I'm such a mean mommy! Poor Ainsley, (it's really quite funny), she starts stressing as soon as she sees me start to concoct something in the kitchen. I think it's change, not our normal routine and kids don't like it too much when you change up the routine. ~Sigh~ Hopefully it will get better.

Here's another recipe I'd like to share. This may be familiar to some of you (I think I've made this before (probably for someone that just had a baby but not for my own family, until now;)) but it was very easy and very yummy! Tammy from Ma Maison gave this to me (thanks Tammy!):

• lay boneless chicken breasts in a baking pan,
• lay a slice of Swiss cheese over each breast
• Mix together pepper, a can of cream of chicken soup, 1/4 cup white wine or cooking wine.
• Pour that over the chicken/cheese and then follow with Pepperidge Farm seasoned stuffing mix.
• Pour some melted butter or margarine over it and bake at 350 for approximately 45 minutes (you may want to cover it as the stuffing sometimes gets too done).
  
  Anyways I've got some other recipes some of you suggested that I need to try but anyone else that wants to share recipes just send them my way! Dare I start a recipe blog?? Ha-Ha, totally kidding!! Again, this is sooo not my thing! So if you share go easy on me because I need something quick and something that doesn't take a whole lot of cooking skills:) Oh and I must get that Kraft recipe book some of you are talking about!