Taco-Spiced Grilled Chicken

I know that my interest in posting to this blog is waning; I post most of my recipes to Plan to Eat, so if you want to join me on there, just let me know!

I made these tonight. We just got an outside grill, and I decided we HAD to use it! So, I grilled while Jeff played with Mason in the grass. I slightly adapted this recipe from Real Mom Kitchen. 

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Bull's Eye BBQ Sauce
• 2 Tbsp chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp onion flakes
• 14 oz Bare Chicken Tenders (Usually there are 8 tenders in the package)
• 1 Tbsp olive oil 

Instructions: Combine the BBQ sauce and chili sauce and let meld. You will be microwaving this. Then, place the chicken tenders and olive oil in a plastic bag and knead until the tenders are covered in oil. Then, add the spices (cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and onion flakes). Knead again until all pieces are covered. Let marinate for at least 15 minutes. I think ours marinated for 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill during the marination. When hot, add the chicken and allow to sear before turning it down to medium (you don't have to do this, it's just what I do). Grill, turning once, until chicken is done.

Right before you take the chicken off the grill, heat the BBQ sauce and chili sauce in the microwave until hot (I went for 2 minutes, but that was probably too long!). After you take the chicken off the grill, immediately pour the sauce over the chicken and let sit for a few minutes.

Then, eat the VERY tender chicken tenders. This serves 4 people (2 tenders per person) for 5 PointsPlus.

VERDICT: We loved this...er, well, Jeff and I did. Mason still won't eat meat. I will DEFINITELY be making this again.

Cinnamon Crescents

I found the original recipe at one of my favorite sites, Tried-and-True Cooking with Heidi. However, when I saw the recipe, I decided to just "wing" it, and I made the recipe without the specified measurements. If you want the exact amounts, follow the above link to Heidi's site.

On a side note: sometimes I just want breakfast to come out of the oven without a lot of effort. I was going to make eggs and oatmeal this morning, but I was tired after we had a few non-severe storms last night, and I remembered I had seen a recipe like this before. So, I just went with it, and I was happy I did.

Ingredients
1 package crescent rolls
1-2 TBSP butter, melted
sugar
cinnamon
powdered sugar
milk
vanilla extract

So, here's what I did: Unroll the crescent rolls and place them on a baking pan with parchment paper. Spread the inside of the rolls with a little butter, then sprinkle on sugar and cinnamon. Roll the crescents from the wide end to the point. Next, brush the tops of the crescents with a little butter and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon (I don't know why I did this, but you don't have to). Bake at 425 until browned, about 11 minutes. Immediately frost with the glaze. To make the glaze, mix about 1 TBSP of milk with a drop or two of vanilla extract, and add powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.

Let the rolls sit for a moment to cool, then eat!

VERDICT: We devoured these!! To try and make breakfast a little healthy, we had milk (well, the guys did) and strawberries. I think it's safe to say we're having a very light lunch today to try and balance the calories. Even little Mason ate two!

Swiss Barbecue Chicken Sandwiches

I have fallen in love with a new barbecue sauce! I have never been to the Carolina states, but if this is what their barbecue is like, then sign me up. I took this barbecue sauce and morphed it into a sauce for a chicken sandwich that we all liked; even Mason ate it...reluctantly. 

Ingredients
3/4 cups Bull's Eye Carolina style barbecue sauce
1/4 cup Del Monte Ketchup (this ketchup has no HFCS in it!)
1 TBSP yellow mustard
8 Sara Lee Hamburger Buns (I can't remember which ones these are, but they are the 3-point ones)
2 cups chopped, cooked chicken (I boiled mine in water)
1/2 cup chicken water (reserve from boiling)
8 slices Swiss cheese

I boiled my chicken in a large stock pot, then drained it except for 1/2 cup. Shred the chicken and use 2 cups of it (if you have extras, you can freeze it--or use it. I am basing my Points+ on 2 cups, though). Add BBQ sauce, ketchup and mustard. Stir together and heat up to a simmer. Add in the chicken and simmer for at least 15 minutes. To plate, take one bun, split it and add cheese on the bottom, then top with the chicken and top of bun respectively.

VERDICT: I was pleasantly surprised at how good this was. I wanted to use an entire cup of BBQ sauce, but I only had 3/4 left, so I improvised with ketchup, and lo and behold, I really liked it! I would not change this at all. Well, I might add an onion, but other than that, this is great for us. The recipe yields 8 servings at 8 Points+ per serving.

Edible Easter Baskets

I made this a couple of years ago (2008 or 2009?!) while I was on Spring Break, but needed to transfer it to my recipe blog. I *think* I used peanut butter cookie dough and Rolo Caramels, but it really doesn't matter, because I just remember them as being good!

Ingredients
cookie dough (peanut butter or sugar)
Rolo Caramels or Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Miniatures
Peanut M&Ms

Lightly grease a mini-muffin tin. Then, roll the cookie dough into 24 equal pieces, flatten with the palm of your hand and then stuff into the mini-muffin pan, pushing dough down gently and up the sides. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 9 minutes. Take out of oven and with the back of a spoon, gently deflate the cookie dough, pushing it up against the sides--but DO NOT break the dough. Add in the Rolo or PB Cup, and place back in oven until the cookies are done--usually 1-2 minutes.

Take out of oven and let sit for about 1-2 minutes, then place three Peanut M&Ms on the top of the chocolate. (Which I just now realized that they represent the Trinity.) Let the cookies sit for five minutes before taking out of the pan.

NOTE: You can use any cookie dough that you want. I use homemade cookie dough sometimes, and other times I use store bought. I have a sugar cookie recipe in here, and I will try to get a peanut butter one up soon! 

VERDICT: We loved this...I need to make them again this year!

Morning Oatmeal

I have always loved oatmeal, so I am more than happy that Mason loves it, too. First, it's tasty; second, it packs a fiber punch; and third, it's easy to make. I know a lot of people don't care for quick oats, because they are pressed thin and quickly turn to mush, but that's how I like my oatmeal. Thus, this recipe is for quick cooking oats. 

Ingredients
1 cup dry quick cooking oats
2 cups warm-hot water
1/4 cup (or so) 2% milk
2 TBSP brown sugar
4 tsp powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Mix the oats and water together in a large microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave for two minutes. Let sit for one minute. Add sugar and stir, then add milk to the consistency that you want. Yield: 4 servings at 3 points each, 3 servings at 4 points each or 2 servings at 6 points each.

VERDICT:  We love this! I make oatmeal every weekend for Mason and myself, and whenever we're at home on weekday mornings, he gets it, too! He can really pack this away!!