My CoChief

Sorry for the delay.. who knew homeownership involved so much work :) Now that the holidays are over we are attempting to finish unpacking, finish painting, organizing, etc, etc. Throw in the stomach bug and a few other things and we have been BUSY! We are currently painting closets, finishing the upstairs doors, redoing the pantry, and eventually the last room that needs painted- Jackson's room. Among about a million other projects I have in my head once we win the lottery. OK so back to cooking…..

My new year's resolution was to have Jackson do some more cooking and it has been so easy! I let him help with anything he's not allergic to or if it's on the stove duh. We started with pancakes.

The key is you have to give them their own bowl and several spoons or meltdowns happen. Also your house will be covered with dough just let it go. I do my cleaning on Sundays so we usually cook Saturdays. I encourage him to help with everything! Pouring, stirring, anything!

This day I was making something he couldn't help with so I just gave him empty containers, bowls, spoons and he loved it. I couldn't get him to quit cooking. And yes I let him stand on the chair, how else is he suppose to get up there like mommy?! He's really good about staying still and waiting to be let down. 

Checking out his recipe. 

I have goals to share the recipes we have been making…one day. This by far has been the easiest resolution! 

Jambalaya Recipe

Jambalaya Crook Pot Style

Last week I had a disappointing recipe adventure.. I tried Philly Cheese Steaks, Stir Fried Rice, and Hot Cocoa Cookies... ehhh not fantastic. Everything was good but not great. Not good enough to make again so I will not be sharing those recipes. I'm the guinea pig see! A few weeks ago I did make this Jambalaya recipe and it was great!! I know it's a winter recipe but whatever.

Slow Cooker Jambalaya
adapted from AllRecipes.com
(Printable Recipe)
approximately 5-6 servings

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cut into 1 inch cubes
1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced 
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 Tbsp dried minced onion flakes
1 cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 tsp minced garlic
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
white rice or instant rice (I used 2 packs of Uncle Ben's Ready Rice - Garlic & Butter flavor)

In a slow cooker, mix the chicken, sausage, tomatoes with juice, onion, garlic, celery, and broth. Season with oregano, parsley, Cajun seasoning, cayenne pepper, and thyme.  (I do this the night before and put it in the fridge.  I put it in the slow cooker before I leave in the morning.)

Cover, and cook 7 to 8 hours on Low, or 3 to 4 hours on High. Mix in cooked rice cook for about 15 minutes to warm through.

Homemade Coffee Creamer

It's coffee time!! Who doesn't love coffee? Freaks! Just kidding. I know a lot of people don't. In fact I used to never drink coffee, until I had to be at the hospital at 7am in grad school and study at night, I needed a caffeine boost. My mom's advice was to add a ton of creamer or sugar. She's always right!

On Pinterest I saw This website on how to make your homemade creamer so I thought I would give it a try. I did make a slight change to it the recipe but it's pretty fantastic!

Homemade Coffee Creamers

4- 8oz canning jars

Sweetened Condensed Milk

Half and Half

see below for flavor combos

Add equal parts sweetened condensed milk and half and half to each jar. (I used up the whole can of milk and left about an inch of room at the top of each jar for flavorings and shaking space.)

Flavors

Maple Almond - 1 tbsp maple syrup and 1 tsp pure almond extract

Cinnamon Vanilla - 1 tsp cinnamon extract and 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)

Mocha - 2 tbsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp espresso powder

Coffee - 1/2 tbsp espresso powder

Once the flavors are added, screw on the lids and shake them well before refrigerating. Label each jar lid with a sharpie!

Chill them for at least one hour, brew some coffee, and enjoy.

Note: If you're working with powders like cocoa and espresso, shaking won't be enough to get everything fully incorporated, so you'll want to use a blender or food processor, mix, and then pour the creamer into your jar. If you prefer a rich creamer, you can substitute heavy cream for half and half.

© Around My Family Table

I tried the maple almond one, however, I added sugar to mine and it was MUCH better. Enjoy :)

Pad Thai

I love eating out. Partially because I hate cooking on the weekends, going to the grocery store for the 15th time, thinking up something, etc. I also love to eat out because I get really sick of eating the same things over and over again. And I sure as heck don't want something healthy a.g.a.i.n. That's way too boring and not fun. Life is short people! Now that we have that adorable creature living with us, it makes going out to eat impossible. He wants to be on the move!! So I found this recipe on pinterest and thought, perfect! Thai at home! It is a super easy recipe and very good. A little spicy (which I love).

My finished product :)

better-than-takeout easy pad thai

 

Author: Rachel Schultz

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• 8 ounces pad Thai noodles
• 2 eggs
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 cooked chicken breasts, sliced
• 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
• 1 cup cilantro
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• ½ cup chopped peanuts

Instructions

1. Prepare noodles according to package instructions.
2. Meanwhile, scramble eggs for about 2 minutes and set aside. In a small bowl, whisk soy sauce, sriracha, lime juice, canola oil, and brown sugar together.
3. In a large skillet, combine noodles, chicken, and sauce.
4. Top with bean sprouts, cilantro, scallions, and peanuts.

Salsa Verde and Flautas

I have been quite the chef these days, making new recipes left and right. Jamie is in heaven. He gets so excited when I say crock pot or Mexican, it's a little ridiculous (also really makes me happy). I have learned not to say the recipe name before he eats something because he will immediately decide that it sounds "gross." But anyways one Friday night I decided to make my own Salsa Verde and Flautas. They turned out amazing! I got the recipes Here. If you are looking for some new recipes these are great!

Spicy Salsa Verde

Baked Flautas