Baked Oatmeal

Story:

Well, I'm totally just stealing this one right off of my good friend's (Sarah E.) blog. I think the picture on her blog made me want to try it:

I've only made it a couple of times and I've just used what fruit I had on hand at the time: frozen berries. It's been really good. Ben and I like it a lot; the kids are so-so. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

3 C rolled oats

2 eggs

1/2 C oil

1 C brown sugar

2 t baking powder

1 t vanilla

1 C pecans, chopped

1 t cinnamon

frozen or fresh fruit

Directions:

Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl.

Bake in a greased 9x13 baking dish at 350 for 20-30 minutes.

Chicken Soft Tacos

Story:

I really like using the crock pot whenever I can. Especially when the kids are in school and if I'm going to have a busy evening. So a few years ago, I picked up a "Fix-It and Forget-It (Lightly)" cookbook from Costco. I haven't used it a whole lot, but it sure has a lot of great ideas in it! One of the few things I tried was a recipe for Chicken Soft Tacos, but I have adapted it a bit and really made it "my own." I haven't made it in years... but I did today and the whole family loved 'em! (Kind of made me wonder why I haven't been making them more.) So, here's another "keeper" for y'all.

Ethan said this dish is now "tied in first" for his "favorite burrito." The other being our Cafe Rio recipe. These are a whole lot easier, so I'm glad I've found something less time-consuming that he likes just as much.

Ingredients:

2-3 frozen chicken breasts

1 can Ro-Tel (diced tomatoes with green chilies)

1/2 onion, diced

1/4 C taco seasoning (= 1 packet)

1 can black beans

1 can corn

Directions:

Stick the frozen chicken breasts in the bottom of the crockpot.

In a separate bowl, mix the RoTel, the taco seasoning, and the onions. Pour over the chicken.

Cook on low for about 6 hours.

Take out the chicken breasts and shred with two forks. Add the black beans and cook for about another hour or two.

Then add the can of corn a little before serving.

Serve on tortillas (burrito or soft-taco style) with shredded cheese, sour cream, and lettuce.

Note: I'm not a real stickler to times when using the crock pot... so all those cooking times above are estimates. As long as the chicken is cooked thoroughly, I'm good.