Crockpot Sesame Chicken

It's Recipe Review Thursday again...  I missed last week.  Actually, I CHOSE not to post last week.  I made this recipe with last week in mind but was so heavily disappointed I just could not bring myself to write about it. 

I had such HIGH HOPES for this recipe.  When I first pinned it on Pinterest, it garnered 6877 repins, 804 "likes", and 13 comments from friends and strangers alike.  It is by far, my most popular "pin".  With that many people interested in trying the same recipe I thought for sure this meal would be a huge hit!  I was expecting an "out of the park home run" and what I ended up with was a disappointing foul ball.   (Can you tell I'm ready for baseball play off season??  Go, Tigers!)

Here is the original link - and below are the recipe instructions.

Crockpot Sesame Chicken

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4. Serves 4 - 6.

 

Review:
Now that photo is from the orignal post... I am not going to post my photo, but please trust me that it does not look at all similar, except for the rice. In fact, the rice was the best part of this meal. I have recently purchased a rice machine and I will never go back to the typcial rice-in-a-minute box type of rice. The real stuff in the massive bag from Costco is amazing - fluffy, not sticky... tender, but not slimy... delish, delish, delish!! The chicken, sadly, ended up tasting like soy sauce - all salt, and zero flavor.  I saved the leftovers with hopes of slicing the chicken up and revamping for a stir fry mixed with fresh veggies, but sadly could not bring myself to serve that salty chicken again.  There was no saving it once it sat overnight in the fridge.

Kid Review:
O: How many bites do I have to actually eat?
E: May I have only rice please?

Next week will be something new, and hopefully much, MUCH better.  If anyone has a similar recipe that is supposed to turn out like the photo above, I'd be willing to try again.  :-)
 

Chocolate Cheesecake Pie

Okay - back to school means back to blogging.  Hopefully. Probably. At least a little more consistently.  We'll see...

Recipe Review Thursday is back...  and with something seriously decadent and super easy!

Back in July I hosted a BBQ with my ABF (Adult Bible Fellowship) friends and I had signed up to bring a dessert.  However, I'd forgotten that I'd commited to a dessert and was scrambling at the last minute trying to figure out something to make with what I already had on hand.  Google to the rescue!  I typed in a few "staple" ingredients I always had on hand and then scoured the options.  Then came Pinterest... and I searched there.  VOILA!  Discovery revealed the recipe for this Chocolate Cheesecake Pie, and because it was from "Taste of Home" I trusted it would be divine.  I was not disappointed!

Ingredients:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups milk chocolate chips, melted and cooled
1 carton (8 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 graham cracker crust (9 inches)
Chocolate dessert decorations, optional

Directions
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Beat in melted chocolate. Fold in whipped topping. Spoon into crust. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with chocolate decorations if desired. Yield: 6-8 servings.

 

Review:
This recipe is just as simple to make as it reads.  I didn't have a pie crust on hand, so I made my own.  It crumbled a bit, but it didn't distract from the deliciousness of this treat.  It was creamy, chocolaty, and cool - perfect for the hot summer day we devoured it.  I didn't have chocolate garnish, nor did I feel like making any, so I served fresh raspberries instead.  The berries were a beautiful contrast of tartness to the sweetness of the pie.  The flavors blended perfectly.  It also serves more than 6-8; it is so rich it easily serves 10, possibly 12.  (I used a standard 10" pie plate).

I will make this again... after all, I need a reason to perfect that crumbly crust!  

Kid Review:
O: Can I have another piece, please?
E:  I could eat that whole thing up, it's so GOOD!

So... I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, it!!! (Just like I thought I would!)

Guess what???   I LOVE BEING A HOME SCHOOL MOMMY!!! 

Okay.... so I know it's only the first day.  And I know that there are going to be days that I won't love it as much (if at all...).  But today was a GOOD day.

It began with morning snuggles.... at 8am!  In years past, when my kids attended a local school, morning snuggles were a privilege reserved only for snow days, sick days, and summer vacation days.  But today - the FIRST day of (home)school - we had morning snuggle time.  It didn't slip my consciousness that it was happening at the exact time the local school was beginning their day.  I silently thanked God that I was able to spend some quality time WITH my children in the morning instead of rushing them out of their beds before they were ready to rise.... instead of rushing them out the door with barely a breakfast inside them because they weren't up long enough to even BE hungry yet.... instead of a heart (mine) breaking in two.  Yes - that's right.  This is the FIRST first day of school this mommy has NOT had a broken heart. 

After our morning snuggles we took our traditional "first day of school" photos.  Then I decided we should begin a tradition of the "first day of school breakfast".  So we did - and I treated them out.  Yumm!  The kids toasted the beginning of their day with chocolate milk with their meal.  Not a bad start to the day.  I also was able to get the traditional "picture with their teacher" shot... only ONE of those this year!  And then I capped it off with some "learning in action" shots. 

*** (Disclaimer about the photos: for some reason my oldest child is in a stage where it is NOT at all "cool" to smile for any photo.  This is the best I could get out of him.  He will grow out of this, right??   RIGHT???)

**sigh** from one contented Momma.... AKA "Teacher".   Have I mentioned that I LOVE that?!?

Stress Cleaner turned... Stress Crafter??

I admit it, I am a "stress cleaner".   When I am stressed out, I have the ability to transform my home into a museum.  It would pass Mary Poppins' "white glove" test.   Since my home is currently on the market (any takers for a super cute, updated 3 bedroom ranch with finished basement?? Anyone??) it's in a state of perpetual cleanliness.  Just ask my kids - they'll tell you I'm not giving an inch where clutter is concerned.   I've been feeling a bit stressed out the past couple of days - nothing major, just dealing with a few of life's curve balls.  You know the kind I'm talking about... you think you're headed in one direction and WHAM!  Out of nowhere, you're hit with something you didn't put in your day planner.  It's not a comfortable situation for us "type-A" people, but with God's perfect grace and mercy, I'm learning to deal with it. 

Since the house is clean, what is a God-loving, stressed-out, type-A, girl supposed to do?   Movies don't distract - I often find my mind wanders too much and I discover I have no idea what's happening in the plot and all I've accomplished in my mind is borrowing trouble for things that haven't happened.  Yet.  ;-)   Books don't distract (I was shocked, too!) - and I find I'm re-reading the same paragraph over and over.  I trust that Isaiah 26:3 is true, and I have learned to keep myself busy so my mind doesn't wander where it shouldn't.   My house may revolt against me some day now that I have discovered that I am indeed a "stress crafter"... I can see the bathrooms getting less attention and scrapbooking receiving MORE.

After all my Excel planning for homeschooling this fall, it was nearly time to print schedules, attendance sheets, note pages, and curriculum plans.  But these ugly, old, wrinkled binder dividers from long-since-passed financial analysis days looked too sad to use for my super-fun homeschool planner!  All that time I'd spent at the computer deserved something PRETTY to organize it!!

 

But don't these scrapbook papers look super fresh and inviting??

 

 

 

Add some adhesive, and VOILA!!!   Pretty new binder dividers!!  (And all the while I was praying over my stress, praising over my stress - thanks to K-Love, and being productive).   Win-Win-Win!

 



 

If you haven't heard from me in a few days, check under the piles of scrapbook paper and adhesive.  Bring Diet Wild Cherry Pepsi and chocolate - I'll need some bribing to come out.