NAS: Fave Recipe....for One

This topic is surprisingly a challenge for me.  Every time I think about it my mind goes blank.  You see last year I lived in a house with a kitchen and this year I moved back into the dorms with no kitchen and a full meal plan.  I think I have kind-of been blocking my love of cooking out of my mind.  As in it is kind-of hard for me to remember some of my favorite things to eat last year.  On top of that, I am not really a recipe follow kind-of gal, more like a let the recipe inspire me kind-of gal.  So my go to "mine" recipe doesn't really fall into the "for one" category but it does make great leftovers so that counts for something right.  I wouldn't even know how long it would last as leftovers because normally when I made this last year it was because enough people had begged me to.  Ok so now you just want to know the darn recipe.  My favorite recipe is.......Crock Pot Chicken Chili.  Yum, yum, yum.  You have got to try it.  Especially once the days start to get cooler it will be oh so yummy in your belly.  Please let me know if you try it and I can't wait to see all your recipes but please don't tease this dorm living girl too much.

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Crock Pot Chicken Chili

I get asked for this recipe often enough it was high time I post it.

This recipe originated from this recipe here.

This is probably one of the easiest recipes. It is my go-to I know everyone will like it recipe. And you probably already have most ingredients on hand.

Crock Pot Chicken Chili

1 onion, chopped
1 16-oz can black beans
1 16-oz can kidney beans
1 8-oz can tomato sauce
1-2 cans of corn
2 cans of diced tomatoes (with or without chilies, sometimes I do one of each)
1 packet taco seasoning (or about a 1/4 cup of homemade taco seasoning)
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp chili powder
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Now dump all these ingredients and put the chicken on top in the crock pot and turn it on low all day. I normally shred the chicken (by pushing it against the sides with a spoon) and let it sit for about another half hour.

It is so so easy to chop the onion and put the spices in the crock pot the night before and just open and dump all the cans in the morning.

The great thing about this recipe-nothing needs to be exact. Don't have a can of black beans but have two cans of kidney beans, fine. Frozen corn rather than canned, fine. Do I ever actually measure out the taco seasoning, cumin, or chili powder, nope.

In addition if you need to spread to a few more mouths on the cheap, just add another can of some of the canned stuff. Like another can of black beans, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and corn--voila you have just made more servings.

I enjoy this chili paired with Ritz crackers and chedder cheese but you could also do corn bread, saltines, plain yogurt, or sour cream.

P.S. I will add pictures next time I make it, I just wanted to get the recipe up here.

Live joy.

Terribly Terrific Toffee

So I wanted to make sure I shared this so that it had time to make it onto the Christmas cookie list.

You can find the original recipe here.

I made these when I desperately needed a study break and wanted some study snacks.

Without further ado..

This recipe is so easy. Really look these are the sum total of all the ingredients.

1 cup unsalted butter (no margarine allowed)
1 cup brown sugar, packed tightly
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
40 saltine crackers

Yes I do buy the Costco massive bag of chocolate chips. That way not only do I always have chocolate chips on hand for whenever I get the baking itch but also the Costco way is by far the cheapest route for chocolate chips.

Melt the butter and brown sugar together. Warning: Be careful not to get any hot sugar butter mixture on your hands. Not that I speak from experience or had a blister on my hand. That wouldn't be why I warn you.

While that is boiling you put the foil, cooking spray, and saltines on the cookie sheet.

Bake and let the mixture get ooie gooie yummy on the saltines.

Yeap it looks a little "wart-y" when it comes out of the oven but have no fear the finished product looks better.

Now dump the chocolate chips on crackers and toffee mixture so that it can melt and be spread.

Once the chocolate chips soften spread them around. In the name of omega 3s and brain food we put walnuts on half of it. You know, justification for eating more of it while studying.

And the finished product looks o so delicious. And it is!! That purple plate was just recently picked up at Ikea and I was so excited to use it.

But really add these to your Christmas cookies list, you won't regret it. Another great thing about this recipe is that it is easy to make quickly and you probably already have all the ingredients on hand. It is great for the "company is coming and I didn't realize how many of the cookies I have personally ate in the the past two days" moments.

Live joy.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Yeah, that title caught your attention didn't it.

These cookies have become my go to cookie recipe and they are so melt in your mouth delicious.

I found the recipe while clicking around on Pinterest here.

I didn't do the whole roll thing mainly because we didn't have any wax paper. These cookies are so easy. They are made with only a handful of ingredients and come together really quickly.

But really, please go make them now, you won't be sorry.

I am adding them to the Christmas cookie rotation so they will for be made many times in the next few weeks.

Live joy.