Sugar, Spice & Everything "Nice"

I'm in love with my crockpot. Whoever invented it should be like...nominated for something spectacular. It's so easy for busy families to just put a meal into the pot and walk away and not have to worry about it until you put it on a plate and serve. Most recipes (like this one) are really easy with only a few ingredients to throw together. My favorite part though...the smell it gives off throughout the day. I wish you could somehow let people smell what your house smells like while it's cooking!  Crockpot Parmesan Chicken Ingredients:  -2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half - 1/2 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs -1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded) - 1/4 t black pepper - 1/4 t salt - 1 T olive oil - 1 egg, beaten - shredded mozzarella cheese - 1 jar of your favorite (store bought or homemade) marinara sauce Spread the 1 T of olive oil into the bottom of your crockpot. Beat the egg with a fork in a separate bowl. Mix the bread crum

I used to love making the apple muffins from the box, they tasted so good. Whenever I'm really craving something yummy, I go for a bread of some sort, or a muffin. That was the case for yesterday. Either the  Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread  or some kind of muffin. I've never made apple muffins from scratch before, and I have a bunch of apples left over from this year so I thought I would try it out! And man are they good! Super moist, chunks of apples and not too sweet. Sounds like the perfect treat to me!  Apple Cinnamon Muffins Ingredients: - 1 1/2 cup flour - 3/4 cup sugar - 1/2 t salt - 2 t baking powder - 1 t cinnamon - 1/3 cup vegetable oil - 1 egg - 1/3 cup milk - 2 apples - peeled, cored and chopped Topping Ingredients: - 1/2 cup sugar - 1/3 cup flour - 1/2 cup butter, cubed - 1 1/2 t cinnamon Preheat oven to 400. Grease muffin pan or line with liners. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, baking power and cinnamon. Mix in oil, eggs and milk. Fold in the a

Mmm, mmm, mmm. Just finished eating this scrumptious meal and had to share it immediately. I love super easy recipes. There is nothing better than putting some ingredients in a crock pot and being able to walk away and have dinner ready for you in a few hours. The smell this puts off makes you mouth water and once it's ready to eat, the dinner table is silent because everyone is too busy shoving their faces to talk. Slow Cooker Honey Sesame Chicken Ingredients: - 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - Salt and pepper - 1 cup honey - 1/2 cup yoshidas (or soy sauce) - 1/2 cup diced onion - 1/4 cup ketchup - 2 T vegetable oil (or canola) - 2 cloves garlic, minced - 1/4 t red pepper flakes (just to add a little flavor, doesn't add much heat) - 4 T cornstarch dissolved in 6 T water Season both sides of chicken lightly with salt and pepper and lay in crock pot. In a small bowl, combine honey, yoshidas, onion, ketchup, oil, garlic and pepper flakes. Pour mixture over t

If you like lemon bars, here is a nice little twist for you! It's not as tangy as a lemon bar, but it's still so yummy! My husband is a HUGE fan of lemon bars, and when he tried one of these, he says that these are ALMOST better than lemon bars...almost.  It has a nice creamy center, but a yummy oat crust on the top and bottom of it. With brown sugar mixed in, you really can't go wrong. The only problem is, it doesn't make enough to last 48 hours...so you'll just have to make more soon! Because I assure you these puppies will be gone PRONTO . Creamy Lemon Oat Bars Ingredients: - 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk - 2 t grated lemon zest - 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice - 1 1/4 cups flour - 1 cup old fashioned oats - 1/2 cup packed brown sugar - 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened) - 1/4 t baking soda - 1/4 t salt Heat oven to 375. Coat 8x8 pan with non-stick spray. Mix milk, lemon zest and lemon juice in bowl until thickened and set aside. Mix remaini

Need an easy, heart warming dinner? This is it! So simple to make and so tasty! I didn't think it was going to have much flavor, but with the sausage in it, BAM! Party in your mouth. Seriously. And so easy to make. I used the hot sausage in mine, but you can use just mild or regular, and substitute the sausage for turkey sausage if you want it to be healthier.  Italian Sausage Soup Ingredients: -12 oz hot (or regular) ground Italian sausage  -2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth - 1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic and oregano - 1/2 cup uncooked small pasta shells (1 cup uncooked medium pasta shells) - 2 cups bagged baby spinach leaves - Shredded Parmesan cheese Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add sausage to pan and cook until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain; return to pan.  Add broth, tomatoes, and pasta to pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes (or until pasta is done). Remove from heat and st

Nothing is better than homemade mashed potatoes! So much better than ones right out of the box. I have a recipe for you that is so easy to do, you'll be thanking me later. Some people think mashed potatoes take a lot of time, but with this recipe, you gather your ingredients, put them into a pot, and walk away! Garlic Mashed Potatoes Ingredients: - 6 medium red potatoes - 3-6 cloves of garlic (depending on how garlicy you like it) - milk - butter Fill a large pot up with water (enough to cover all your potatoes). Bring that to a boil. Meanwhile, wash and quarter your potatoes and peel the cloves of garlic. Once you have your water to a boil, sprinkle a little salt and put the potatoes and garlic in. Let them boil for 30 minutes. Once they are done, drain all the water out, use a potato masher (I use my mixer) to mash your potatoes and garlic. I just splash in some milk and put a tablespoon or two of butter in, but you can put in  as much or as little as you&

Let me tell you, this is the easiest dinner you will ever make. 3 ingredients, in a crock pot, and you walk away. AND it's super tasty! Easy Chicken Tacos Ingredients: - 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts - 1 package taco seasoning - 1 (16oz) jar salsa Place the chicken in the crock pot. Mix the taco seasoning and salsa together in a separate dish, then pour over the chicken. Make sure it's evenly spread over the top of the chicken. Cook on low for 5 hours. Once ready to eat, shred the chicken and put it on a soft or hard taco and top with your favorite toppings! *This recipe makes a TON of shredded chicken. But the leftovers are just as good! Use them on nachos, stuff them into enchiladas, or throw it in some soup! Yum! Such an easy dinner for everyone!