I am the first to admit, when it comes to cooking, I am a complete idiot. I am intimidated by the whole process... the list of ingredients, the utensils and that stove which always seems to mock me!! I grew up with one of those moms who did everything... the cooking, the cleaning, EVERYTHING! I'm sure she tried to teach me a few things about cooking, but I probably never showed any interest in learning. Well, I am now a wife and a mother, and cooking is one of my many duties. Unfortunately, I married a man who can't even boil water, so us together in the kitchen is like a double negative. Needless to say, we eat out A LOT! However, if you give me a recipe and detailed instructions, normally I can make it work. So once I discovered Pinterest, I was inspired to give this cooking thing another try. When it comes to pinning recipes I have certain rules: I will not pin a recipe if the list of ingredients is longer than my arm, or if there are more than 3 steps to the preparation, or if there are ingredients I have never heard of. So if you are looking for extravagant recipes, STOP reading here. I have discovered some great EASY recipes on Pinterest as well as a newfound love for my crockpot. This one kitchen appliance seemingly does all the hard work for me!! In the last 7 days I have used my crockpot three times. I figured I better share some of my successes online for my fellow non-cooking friends... So here they are:
Success #1: Easy Crockpot Chicken Tacos
Even my 7 year old son (and extremely picky eater) liked these!
You will need:
4-6 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (Fresh or Frozen)
1 jar Salsa (16 oz) (can substitute 1 can Rotel)
1 envelope Taco Seasoning
8-10 soft flour tortillas
Dump all three ingredients into the crockpot and stir to blend. Cook on high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours. When done, the chicken will shred easily. Serve with your choice of toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and/or sour cream. YUM!
This is the website where the recipe was pinned from:
http://mychocolatetherapy.blogspot.com/2012/01/crockpot-chicken-tacos.html
Success #2: Betty Crocker's Crockpot Chili
You will need:
2 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
1 can (16 oz) chili beans in sauce, undrained
1 can (15 oz) tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Cook beef and onion in skillet over medium heat until browned; drain. Mix beef, onion and remaining ingredients in crockpot. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours.
This is the website where the recipe was pinned from:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-family-favorite-chili/c6f4c4e2-8298-4d9d-8f21-d4ca19d35cb7
I won't share the third recipe I "crocked" this week, as it was not a success. Oh well... you win some and you lose some, right?! If you decide to give either of the above recipes a try, then I hope your family enjoys them as much as mine did. And I will try to remember to include photos next time I blog about recipes. Happy crocking!!
