Crockpot Chicken Parm

This was my creation for the day. Super easy dinner in a hurry with what you have in your pantry kind of day.

What You'll Need:
Boneless Skinless Chicken breast halves, about 4
2 cans petite diced tomatoes
2 cans tomato sauce
1 can tomato paste
1 T garlic, pressed
1 T Italian seasoning
1/3 C brown sugar
1 t garlic salt
1 t onion powder
Cheese, optional
1 box pasta of your choice

Place chicken in crockpot. Come back several hours later and add everything except cheese and pasta (you could probably just throw it all in besides the cheese and pasta, but this is how I did it). 15 minutes before you would like to serve it, top with cheese (I used mozzerella) and replace crockpot lid. Cook pasta. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta. I served this French Bread on the side.





Don't forget to check out my fabulous makeup from Younique and don't forget to frost your lashes with 3d fiber lash mascara!

Caramel Coconut Creme Pie

I came across this recipe for Freezer Caramel Drizzle Pie a few days ago and just knew I had to make it! You know, my way, like I make everything else. No one knows what my problem is. I just can't seem to bring to myself to follow a recipe exactly. It's ridiculous really, but I've just accepted it.

You'll Need:
2 - 9 inch graham cracker crusts
1 package cream cheese
1 can sweetened condensed milk
coconut extract
1/2 c powdered sugar
vanilla extract
1 c coconut
4 T butter
1 quart heavy cream
1/2 t salt
1 c packed brown sugar


I made homemade caramel first.
1 cup cream
1/2 tsp salt
1 c packed brown sugar

Heat cream and salt in a sauce pan over medium high heat. Add brown sugar and boil 7-10 minutes until it reaches desired consistency (remember it is still going to thicken up quite a bit after you remove it from the heat).  Set aside to cool.

In another sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat and add coconut. Stir frequently for 5-8 minutes until coconut is nicely toasted. Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl combine cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk. beat on medium-high speed until smooth.  Add coconut extract to taste. (I used about 1-2 t.)

In another bowl, whip the remaining cream, powdered sugar (to taste) and vanilla extract (to taste). Fold HALF of this into the cream cheese mixture. Save remaining half for topping pies.

Pour cream cheese mixture evenly between pie crusts. Next pour caramel evenly over both pies. Top with remaining whipped cream and toasted coconut. Freeze for 1 hour or overnight. It tasted divine either way.

French Bread

Sorry I have been MIA lately. Summer vacation got the best of me, but the kids are back in school and I am back in the kitchen. Today I came across this recipe for French Bread. Despite the confusing way it is written, the bread turned out fabulous! So I'm giving you the recipe the way I put it together and hopefully it is easier to follow than the original recipe.

What you'll need:

• 1 T dry active yeast
• 1 1/4 cup warm water
• 2 T sugar
• 3 3/4 cup flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 egg white 

In a large bowl (I used my kitchenaid stand mixer), combine water, sugar and yeast. Add salt. Stir in flour one cup at a time until you have a nice dough that isn't too soft or too sticky. Knead for 5 minutes. Let dough rest in bowl for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 300*. In the mean time start a small pan of water boiling. Roll dough out on counter into a rectangle. Roll up jelly roll style and tuck ends under. Place on greased cookie sheet. Make slits in the top of the loaf. Brush loaf with beaten egg white. Turn off oven. Place boiling water into a shallow baking dish on the bottom rack in the oven. Place the cookie sheet on the rack above the water. Let dough rise until double. Turn oven on to 425* and bake for 10 minutes. Turn oven down to 375* and bake for an additional 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and serve.

BYU Creamery Homemade Ranch Dry Mix

Ingredients:
1/4 c Black Pepper
1 1/2 c Parsley Flakes
1/2 c Garlic Salt
1/4 c Garlic Powder
3/4 c Onion Powder
2 T kosher salt
2 T Dill weed

1. Combine all ingredients, store in an airtight container. Makes about 3 ½ cups of dry mix (This refilled my 16oz ranch mix bottle perfectly!)
2. To Make Dressing, whisk together 2 T of mix with 2 Cups each of mayonnaise and buttermilk 1 ½ Cups sour cream, & 1 t Lemon Juice. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Makes 1 ¾ Quarts (I half this and put it in a ketchup bottle for easy access)