A Little Slow Cooker Goodness

Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE my slow cooker.  I try to make everything I can in it...it's quick, it's easy...and best of all?  Wait for it...wait for it...clean up is a breeze!!!!

Fall and Winter are by far my most favorite seasons to use my slow cooker, but that doesn't stop me from using it all year round.  I have 4, yes count them 4 slow cookers.  And yes, every single one of them is a MUST!  I have a small one that can be used for warm dips, a medium sized one that's perfect for about 2 chicken breast halves and some veggies.  Then I have 2 large ones.  One large one I use only for work and then my other one only for home use.

If you're in the market for a new slow cooker, may I suggest this one?  This thing ROCKS!  It's programmable...and worth the extra $$$ just for that feature.  You'll see why when I post the recipe.  But really, it truly is worth the money.  There are 2 different modes, manual and programmable.  One of the best features in my opinion is the keep warm one in the program mode.  After your food is done cooking in that mode, it automatically switches to keep warm.  Ahhh....it's the little things in life, isn't it?

Anywho, let's move on to the best part of this post....Dum Da Da Dummmmm (enter cheesy drum roll) Crock Pot Taco Chicken Chili!!!!!  I promise you, you're going to love this.  L.O.V.E. IT!

Mmmm...before the 10 hours!

Now, the first time I make a recipe, I like to TRY to follow it to a T.  So I did that...for the most part...Not really.  ;)  I'll let you know what I did to mine, which really wasn't much different than what it calls for. My changes are in the ( ) 's.  So, without further ado....here it is!

Crock Pot Chicken Taco Chili
Servings: 10

1 onion, chopped (I used minced, I'm not an onion fan)
1 16-oz can black beans (drained)
1 16-oz can kidney beans (drained)
1 8-oz can tomato sauce (I used 2 8-oz cans)
10 oz package frozen corn kernels (I used a 16oz bag of frozen corn)
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes w/chilies (Rotel...Love That Stuff)
1 packet taco seasoning
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
24 0z. (3) boneless skinless chicken breasts (I used frozen...I'm lazy!)
  Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese (For topping)

 
Combine beans, onion, chili peppers, corn, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder and taco seasoning in a slow cooker.  Place chicken on top and cover. Cook on low for 10 hours or on high for 6 hours (I opted for the 10 hours).  Half hour before serving, remove chicken and shred. Return chicken to slow cooker and stir in.  Top with shredded cheese.

Yummo!!!!!

Now I know, the recipe says to take the chicken out and shred it and then put it back in the slow cooker.  Umm, no, that sounds messy.  SOOOOOooooo....I used this handy little gadget from Pampered Chef

Now, that's my friend's site, so don't feel like you have to use her's, that's just where I go ;)  It is the best $11 I have spent!    I know as WLS post-ops we all have some "tools of the trade" and this has quickly become mine for recipes like this.  

Bet you can't guess what's in my medium slow cooker for dinner tonight?  That's right...leftovers!  Yummo!  Enjoy!!!!! 

P.S.  Check out this Gooseberry Patch Book for more slow cooker recipes.  I just purchased this and can't wait to try some of their recipes.  I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE their books.  They have recipes submitted by a bunch of different people.  There's something for everyone's taste buds in their books. 

What Does 2013 Hold For You?

So, I'm just a few days shy of wishing you all a Happy New Year!!!  And about 5 months short of blogging.  I admit...I have become a horrible blogger.  I NEED to change that!  It's not that I don't have the time, or the topics...it's just that I've become lazy. 

So, one of the things I'm re-committing myself to is my blog.  I've always enjoyed it, much like I've always enjoyed writing in my journal.  Not writing in my diary, my journal.  A lot of work goes into picking out the right journal for your next writing journey.  I have had my eye on this one, but just haven't broken down and bought it yet.  Usually I try not to spend more than $10 on a journal, but this one might just make its way into my writing hands.

There's a story behind my journaling.  Back when I was looking into having my gastric bypass surgery, they had a lot of ideas for us to take away from the many classes we had to take to learn about ourselves, our surgery and our future.  One of the things they suggested for us emotional eaters (me) was to journal daily.  More specifically, write down 3 really bad things that happened that day, 3 greats things that happened and our feelings in general.  By writing down those 3 bad things, we were getting the negative emotions out.  You know, the ones that usually take you to that bag of potato chips, or that Snickers bar.

So, I took them up on it.  What did I have to lose?  Not a thing!  And from that day on, I have written down 3 bad things and 3 good things daily.  When I write those bad things down, I'm done with them.  I don't bring them up again and I TRY not to think about them.  I know that last one is easier said than done, but it really has helped me a lot.

2012 was a roller coaster of a year for me.  There were many ups, some downs and a lot of in betweens.  For 2013, I want to eliminate the downs.  I'm over being angry at things I have no control over.  I'm over the hatred for people I feel have wronged me.  I'm over negative people.  No one needs any of this in their lives...especially those of us who have worked too hard to get where we are at.  I'm not going back to 2012...and I don't think you should either!  So, what does 2013 hold for you?

Bring It!!! Don't Sing It!!!

What's On Your Menu For Today?

Good morning!!!!!  Can you believe I'm going to blog twice in one week?  Me either...it's probably a fluke, or the planets are perfectly aligned with the rising of the moon and the setting of the sun.  Or?  Maybe I'm getting back on track.  Yep, let's go for that last one!


Anywho, last night for dinner I made Diet Cola Chicken, which is quickly becoming a staple in my house.  It's quick, easy and tastes WONDERFUL!  I make it with 4 chicken breast halves and have 3 meals left over, which is perfect for me.  I had a side of peas with it and it was an awesome, filling meal.  I use Diet Coke, but depending on your taste and how much you want to experiment, you could probably use just about any diet soda you wanted.  I've been kicking around the idea of using Diet Orange Sunkist...I'm thinking it would taste pretty good!

Diet Cola Chicken

Today, for lunch, I think I'm going to make Shelly's Broccoli Beef Bites, but instead of using beef, I'm going to use some deli sliced turkey and add some cheese.  Since having RNY, I've become pretty much anti-red meat.  I use ground beef occasionally to make my spaghetti sauce and I might have a hamburger when I eat out it I can't find anything else, but that's pretty rare. 

I don't have a picture of the egg bites, but if you head over to The World According To Eggface, you can find more recipes like the Broccoli Beef Bites AND a really Cool Summer Giveaway To Enter!  So, what are you waiting for?!  Go!!!!  Enter for the contest and find a new recipe to try tonight for dinner....there's a lot to pick from.  Which one are you going to try?

New Me?

Once again, I have failed to keep up on my blogging.  I know, I know, shocking, right?!  For some reason time just gets away from me and POOF!  Almost 5 months has gone by since the last time I've been here.

Not much has changed....except for my super cool new haircut!  I LOVE it!  I've noticed (and have been told) that the more weight I shed, the shorter my hair gets.  Good thing I only have about 20 more pounds left, huh?!  Cause there's not much hair left of the top of my head LOL  I like to call it my Ellen-do....it freaking ROCKS!

Me!  July, 2012

There it is....up there....that's me!  Can you believe it?!  Me either!  What a journey it has been.  There have been a lot of ups and downs, but I wouldn't have changed a thing.  In one word, it's been...Amazing.


Anywho, I really need to get back on track, get my head out of the clouds and buckle down.  I've come too far to not make this work.  I'm going to start planning ahead with my meals, shakes and exercise.  I think people call it being organized ;)

Talk About A Break!!!!

Well, well, well....Where in the heck have I been?!  I've been around, but man, have I been slacking in the blogging world.  I've been reading other blogs, just not paying any attention to my own.  I'm sorry for leaving you all in thin air, but I'm back!

I have a lot to say, but I'm pretty sure y'all don't want to hear it all, so I'll start with the highest point.  For starters, I have passed my 1 year RNY surgery anniversary.  Actually, I'm almost 18 months out!  I can't believe it!  I'm down 118 pounds total and have about 22 left to go.  Some days it's 22, other days it's 25, depending on my scale and my eating habits.  My scale and eating habits are a whole different post!  So, moving on.

For my 1 year mark, I had one of my friends do a 100 pound photo shoot...it was so much fun!  I'll post some of the pics below.  We have decided that when I hit goal, we're going to do another shoot, so I can hardly wait, Kristen did a wonderful job!  I highly recommend if you have the funds or the time to do one of these shoots.  It doesn't have to be fancy and it was a great visual motivation for me to be able to put the beginning, 6 month and 1 year pictures next to each other to see how far I have come.  So, without further ado...here are some pics!