Getting my black bean on ... WW Crockpot Chicken Chili

I posted how I made a BUNCH of black beans in the crockpot.  I did the hummus using them, and since my crockpot had the beans in them I decided to add them to a recipe that was already on my meal plan for the day.  I found this WW Crockpot Chicken Chili that worked perfect with my addition of black beans.  I actually think I liked it more with them in there, it probably through off the points on this so I can't give you an accurate point to go by but at least it's high in fiber and low fat.

Ingredients

Non-stick cooking spray
(12 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1 (1.5 oz) envelope chili seasoning
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with liquid
1 (15.25 oz) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (15.25 oz) can kidney or red beans, drained
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup salsa
1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a skillet cook chicken just until seared.
2. Spray crock pot with non-stick cooking spray.
Add chicken and all other ingredients to crock pot and mix well.
3. Cover and cook on LOW 6 to 8 hours.

Yield: 8 servings
Serving Size: 1-1/2 cups per serving.
Weight Watchers PointsPlus+ = 4 per serving.
Nutrition Information:
Calories 160.4, Carbs 23.6 g, Fat 1.9 g, Fiber 5.6 g, Protein 14.3 g

ALEXIS NOTES: I use a crockpot liner MOST times, I recommend them highly.  I added the back beans, skipped the water.  I put whole frozen Chicken in and when time to serve I put the cooked chicken into my mixer with the paddle and shredded the chicken (best pinterest tip ever!!).  You can see in picture me taking chicken out and what it looks like after I put in my mixer.

You can skip or add canned black beans if you don't have some cooked black beans on hand.

Thanks for Stopping by!

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE. 

Mickey Mouse Party ... Mickey Head Banner and Hot Diggity Dog Station

Now on to a fun Mickey Mouse Banner with Caden's face and the coolest Hot Diggity Dog Station.   Simple but fun things that makes the party theme worthy!

I started with this fun banner made with mickey mouse heads I cut out on my circuit using the Mickey Mouse & Friends Cartridge.  I saw a couple of ideas on Pinterest and kind of ran with it.  

What you Need:

Heavy Black Card Stock - Cut in Mickey Mouse Heads / One triangle

Heavy Red Card Stock - Cut in Mickey Mouse Head / One Triangle

Photos - I did black and white and blew up so it was a close up pic of his face

Circle Cutter

Ribbon

Glue

Using my circuit cartridge I cut out Black Mickey Heads and one Red Head to be my center.  I blew up 3 pictures of Caden and printed on my printer and used my circle cutter to cut out the head in a nice clean circle.  I then glued the picture of Caden onto a Mickey Mouse heads.  Hot glue is my friend but you can use whatever glue you like.  I then measured out ribbon for how long I wanted the banner to be.  I glued done Mickey Heads to the ribbon and tried to space them out evenly.  I made a triangle with one color on bottom and then cut some holes of the 2nd triangle and placed on top so you could have a peek a boo of the 2nd color.  I placed this on the red mickey head to be like a party hat.   When done I tied it up to my parents gazebo!

Next on the list was to do a fun Hot Diggity Dog Station I found this idea on Catch My Party.  This was so fun and everyone thought it was such a cute idea!

What You Need:

Hot Dogs

Ketchup

Mustard

Relish

Mayonnaise

Pickles

Cut up Red and/or White Onions

Cheese

Buns

Frito's (to top the chili dogs if they want also)

I found really cute hot dog size plates they look like the ones you get at a ball field.  I found them at Target in their $1 bins, SCORE!!  I set those out and I found also at Target in the clearance section a set that holds the Ketchup, Mustard and Relish.  The other sides I found these really cute little cups at the dollar store that were perfect fit for the other condiments.  I had my dad working the grill and we even toasted the buns for those who wanted it.  The perfect treat for all.  

 I even made Homemade Chili for those who wanted Chili Dogs!  I found this recipe for Chili Dogs on Simply Recipes, I added chili beans, Red Kidney Beans and Black Beans because chili is not chili with out beans to us!

And for those who love lil' Smokies I took a crescent roll cut it in half and wrapped the lil' Smokie like a mini pig in a blanket.  I made 72 of those suckers and they went like hot cakes!

Oh yes there is so much more to come!

Mickey Mouse Projects Done:

Mickey Mouse Invites
Mickey Mouse Invites #2

Mickey Mouse Head Treat Bags

Mickey Mouse Rice Crispy Heads

Mickey Mouse Crayons
Mickey Mouse Cupcakes
Mickey Mouse Cookies
Mickey Mouse Party Count Down Chain
Mickey Mouse Utensils
Mickey Mouse Ears
Mickey Mouse Cake
Mickey Mouse Hat's
Mickey Mouse Food Labels

Don't forget to see the parties I link up to HERE.

White Bean Chili Thrown into the crockpot!

It went from being a sunny day yesterday where I thought I would need the fans put into the house. Then today back came the rain and the cool weather.  Out came my crockpot and my crockpot liner because I refuse to soak another crockpot and dinner was made!

I found this amazing recipe on Eating Well for a White Bean Chili.  I threw mine in the crockpot because I’m lazy like that .. lol.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 2 4-ounce cans chopped green chilies
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 15-ounce cans great northern beans, rinsed
• 4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups diced cooked skinless turkey, or chicken
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar

PREPARATION

Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in chiles, oregano, cumin and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Stir in beans and broth; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Add turkey (or chicken) and vinegar; cook for 5 minutes more. Serve. My changes is throw it all into the crockpot and let it cook it , raw chicken and all.  I put the chicken in the kitchen aid with the paddle and shredded chicken came out (Thank you Pinterest for that tip). I also added an extra can of beans.

This was super easy to throw into the crockpot and 5 hours later, shred the chicken and it’s dinner time! 

Turkey & Black Bean Enchilada’s are on our Wednesday night dinner.  How about you what is your dinner plan?

Warm me up please …

It’s been so chilly lately around here and it’s effecting my mood … ugh.  Then I wake up this morning to see this ------>

YUP that’s SNOW!

Why not share some yummy tummy warming meals I made last week.  First off I want to share The Best Darn Chili Con Carne With Beans. This is from one of my favorite sites Skinny Kitchen.  This was easy to make and the boys loved it, Cole even took it to lunch.  I used a sausage instead of lean ground beef (because that is what I had on hand).

Last on our list was one I loved the boys and Rick just thought it was ok.  This Chicken and Broccoli Noodle Casserole is from my other favorite site Skinny Taste. I cut up my chicken to make it easy for me and steamed my broccoli so it wouldn’t be hard.

  I’m going to go visit my grandmother before we leave for Disney tomorrow so I’m not sure I’ll be making dinner … lol it maybe a cereal night … hehe.  Hope you’re all staying warm!

Keeping it Warm

It’s chili time around here again!  The boys LOVE chili, if Cole could have his way we’d eat it EVERY day!  I try to find a new recipe to make every few weeks.  I found this recipe on Nutmeg Notebook, which a great site with Weight Watcher points!

Enjoy, hope this warms your belly like it did ours .   On our meal plan for tonight is Crockpot Chicken Bake on my Pinterest Board (No More Fluffy Girl Meals).

What is on your menu tonight?

Let’s have a Healthy Day

As many of you know by now I’m really trying hard to make our meals better with calories and watch what I put in my mouth (and the amount I shovel in ).

Every morning I make Cole something warm to start him off, the other morning he asked for Blueberry Pancakes so I whipped these up.  They were very yummy and great with the applesauce and whole wheat.  The boys ate them right up.

Next for dinner I threw this 3 Bean Turkey Chili in the Crockpot.  Yes this is from my favorite site SkinnyTaste!  This was a very yummy chili that I paired with a low fat cornbread.  Cole loves chili and came back for 2 bowls .

And for dessert we found a skinny version of a favorite of the boys Cinnamon Apple Crisp another fan favorite from my favorite site SkinnyTaste!

Happy Monday everyone, it’s been a busy weekend of nothing … lol.  It was one of those weekends I just wasn’t motivated on Saturday, so Sunday it was a pack it all in kind of day … hehe!  Enjoy!

Manic Monday Meals ~ Pumpkin Chili & Cornbread

Well it really has been one heck of a weekend. I thought Sunday would be a relaxed day but then I looked at the date when I signed the kids into Sunday School and almost had a panic attack. I gave Racheal my amazing sewing wizard a call to help me put together a few quick projects. So needless to say I didn't get home until late then we had a special new visitor come to stay with us :). More to come on that!

Now for some yummy recipes for my favorite time of year! And of course my love of pumpkin! Ok hang in there with me it may sound a little weird but I promise it had a great flavor. Rick who doesn't like pumpkin didn't even complain, he did ask what the taste was but he kept eating :).

Pumpkin Chili

Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow bell pepper
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 cups pumpkin puree
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 dash salt
• 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat, and saute the onion, green bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and garlic until tender. Stir in the turkey, and cook until evenly brown. Drain, and mix in tomatoes and pumpkin. Season with chili powder, pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 20 minutes. Serve topped with Cheddar cheese and sour cream.

ALEXIS NOTES: I only had a green pepper on hand, I used lean ground beef and I also added in a can of chili beans. We like chili with beans.

And what do you serve with this yummy chili!

Pumpkin Cornbread

The Pursuit of Happiness Blog

Ingredients:
• non-stick cooking spray
• 1 cup flour
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9x9 baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour evenly into baking pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until cooked throughout.

ALEXIS NOTES: I used my handy dandy new cookie scoop and made these in muffin cups. I used sugar substitute and I didn't have applesauce so I used butter. I also only had white corn meal on hand.

Enjoy and happy Monday!!

Manic Monday Meals ~ Chili Topped Cornbread Bites

Well Good Monday morning everyone :). It has been one heck of a weekend I don't think we even had a moment to breath. We got home late from tricker treating so it's a quick meal for my Monday post. Comments have been down so hopefully I'm not boring you with my recipes and family stuff. Let me know if you would like to see something changed.

Today I went to a Food Network Fav Sandra Lee for a quick recipe. As you all know my love of chili and then you add in corn bread I'm all over it!!

Ingredients

For Chili:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, diced
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 2 tablespoons chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For Corn Muffins:

• Cooking spray
• 2 1/2 cups Baking Mix, recipe follows
• 1 1/2 cups cornmeal
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 3 eggs
• 6 tablespoons melted butter
• 1 teaspoon salt

ALEXIS NOTES: I used white corn meal since it's what I had on hand (this of course made Rick say that's not corn bread), OK don't fall off your chair I no LONGER by bisquick :) so I made up my own (flour, baking powder, salt, butter) and I used sugar substitute.

Have a wonderful day my friends, I want to thank you all for your time and stopping by it means the world to me! Much love =D.

MSM ~ Dinner & Some Yummy Desert!

First off I must apologize and thank you all for the beautiful comments and love I received. Today is our 7 year anniversary, as I said on Friday things have been rocky. We're working on things and I pray things will turn out, only time will tale. Life is funny it can send you some crazy curve balls that makes you do a recheck and make sure you do things differently. I can't say that we'll end with the rose color glasses but we'll figure it out as we go. Sorry if I haven't made it around to thank you, I've taken a little time off from the computer. Trying to be better on my end to spending more time sitting down with the fam :). HUGS, I'll be by soon.

Ok now onto why you come here on Mondays! FOOD yes I know you all are sitting on your edge of your seat waiting to see what new meal I've made. Well today I have to show a yummy dinner and of course some yummy desert or you could do like my neighbors husband and have the bread for dinner :).

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First off we show you a meal that at first I was a little unsure of. I've heard of waffles and chicken and thought it was odd but waffles and chili? I'm glad to say Paula Deans recipe is not a let down, you'll love it!!!

Cornmeal Waffles with Spicy Chili

Cornmeal Waffles and Spicy Chili

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups milk
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• Spicy chili, recipe follows
• Shredded Cheddar, for garnish
• Sour cream, for garnish
• Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

Directions

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar, and salt. Add milk, oil, and eggs; stirring until smooth. Pour batter onto hot waffle iron and bake in batches. Set aside and keep warm.

Serve with Spicy Chili. Garnish with shredded Cheddar, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Spicy Chili:

• 1 pound lean ground chuck
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons chili powder
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 (15-ounce) cans ranch-style beans
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 (15-ounce) can niblet corn, drained
• 1 (10-ounce) can diced tomatoes and green chiles

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown ground chuck, until beef is crumbly. Stir in onion, bell pepper, garlic, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper.

Stir in beans, tomato sauce, corn, diced tomatoes, and green chiles. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings

ALEXIS NOTES: I used half whole wheat flour and white flour it turned out great. I also used the ground beef I had in the freeze so it was more like under 2 lbs of ground beef. The boys like it a little meaty so it worked perfect. Also used light sour cream. Enjoy!

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Next I had some bananas that had to be used up and I wanted to make something new, yes I know I can never do the same recipe. I found this recipe and thought it was just perfect. I took a loaf over to the neighbors and let's just say my friend left and her husband ate the whole loaf for dinner .. hehe thankfully I had another loaf I brought over the next night so she could have a slice. On a sad note they are moving :( I may have to show up at their new house with baked goods.

Crumb Topped Cocoa Banana Bread by Thats My Home (click link)

Crumb Topped Cocoa Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash ground ginger
Dash ground mace
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup mashed banana (about 2 extra-ripe,
medium-size bananas)
Crumb Topping (recipe follows)

Heat oven to 350 degrees F . Grease bottom only of 9 x 5 x 3-inch loaf pan.

In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt, baking powder, ginger and mace. Add eggs, oil and banana; stir with spoon just until all ingredients are well blended.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle topping evenly over top.

Bake 55 to 60 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes.

Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove from pan to wire rack. Cool completely. (Loaf may be stored in refrigerator, well wrapped, for up to 1 week.) 1 loaf.

Crumb Topping
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In small bowl, blend all ingredients until fine crumbs form.

ALEXIS NOTES: I again switched out half whole wheat flour, I used 3 banana's and I didn't have mace so I skipped this part. I used my special pan that has 4 loafs and a special design on the bottom, gives a little special to the bread :). This is great with or with out butter. I think it was so moist you didn't even need to add the butter. You'll love this one, I will have to make it again.

I hope you enjoy and will try these out. Have a wonderful Monday I promise to stop by, I may be a little slower at coming around but I'll be there :).