Staying on Schedule.

We are definitely getting back into the groove of things.  One week into the new school year and we are back to being the average busy family.  Our oldest started middle school with lots of tears (mine), and with that we have gained an ever-increasing social calendar.  Our youngest is in 4th grade (the grade of homework), and is going full-force with her travel soccer team (Go Revolution!).  These in addition to Work, Homework, Our Farm, Extended Family (my new nephew), Church, and not to mention my husband and I; yep, it's busy.  I am now the proud owner of a Mom-Friendly Master Calendar that I have placed front and center on our refrigerator.  It is wonderful with stickers and enough space to put all of our schedules.  My husband no longer has any excuse of "not remembering".  What is even better about the calendar is that I can see in plenty of time, the days that I need to have dinner practically ready when we get home.  Often, we only have an hour or so before we have to leave again for activities.  For the average american family it calls for a night of fast food, for the food allergy family it calls for planning.  I am loving the make-ahead pasta dinners I blogged about before as well as my crock-pot.  My family only eats free-range, organic chicken either from our farm or the grocery.  It is a lot more expensive than the cheap stuff but it is so not worth the health risks.  A way of cutting the costs of chicken is by buying a whole chicken, it is cheaper because you gotta do the work.  An easy way for me is to cook the whole chicken, shred it, and use what I want when I want it.  I've included my recipe for an asian-style chicken.  I'll let it cook overnight, on a weekend, or whenever; the most tedious part is pulling all of the meat off (tip: let that baby cool down, don't burn those fingers).

Crock-Pot Asian Chicken

1 whole chicken; thawed and patted dry

8 cloves of garlic; crushed.

1 ½ - 2 inch fresh ginger crushed..

1 lemon

½ cup soy-free soy sauce

1 tbs crushed red pepper

1 ½ tbs sesame oil

½ cup water

Place chicken in crock-pot.  To bowl combine lemon juice, soy-free soy sauce, crushed red pepper, sesame oil, and water.  To crock pot add garlic, ginger, and lemon halves.  Pour bowl mixture over the top of chicken.  Turn on low and walk away.

 

Snow Day in Kentucky

It’s snowing in Kentucky!  We received a couple of inches all day Sunday, therefore school is out for Monday.  So silly, but too many side roads that school buses can’t visit; or so they claim.  Being snowed in on Sunday was a great day to veg out!  We laid around and watched movies and ate fun food.  We finally watched “Grown Ups”, it was cute.  The kids and my husband begged for buffalo chicken dip, so I made it.  Super easy with my little crock pot.  Put it in and walk-away.  Stir to combine it all, and add as much or as little hot sauce as you like.  Today the kids lasted a whole 20 minutes outside sledding.  The wind chill made it feel like -5 degrees; or so the news said.  I am suffering for veg-out day yesterday by having to clean house and do the laundry, Yay me!.  Anyway, here’s a great buffalo chicken dip recipe.  We use the Mission Tortilla Chips because they don’t have soy.  My daughter also loves the Garden of Eatin’ blue corn tortilla chips.  You can’t go wrong with a good warm dip.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 cans of chicken drained (8 oz, I think)

2pkgs 8 oz. cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing (our house Annie’s Cowgirl Ranch)

¼ cup hot sauce (we use Frank’s). or to taste because I usually add a little more.

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Combine all ingredients into a small crock-pot and melt.  Eat with tortilla chips or whatever you like.  We use this as appetizers for parties with celery.