Shredded Chicken {Slow Cooker Version}

So, I have been on a journey to find...

the perfect shredded chicken. 

Yep, ya heard me! I feel like shredded chicken can be a bit intimidating compared to baked chicken or grilled chicken. 

I always worry about if the chicken will be cooked through enough, which ALWAYS results in me overcooking it. And then my poor hubby has to eat dry chicken. Yuck.

But this recipe. 

Oh this recipe. 

So simple. And the chicken was perfect. 

Shredded Chicken {Slow Cooker Version}

Shopping List

1. Chicken breasts {fresh or frozen. Frozen chicken breasts will not need the water}

2. 1/4 cup-1/2 cup of water

3. Salt and pepper to taste

Recipe

1. Set your slow cooker to low. Place your chicken breasts in there. {I like to wash and pat dry mine first if they are fresh}.

2. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.

3. Cook for 4 hours.

4. Get fancy! Enjoy!

I can't wait to hear what y'all use this simple recipe for! Tomorrow night, we are using it for Pesto Caprese Chicken Flatbreads {Don't worry, the recipe is coming!}.

I also use this for tacos/burritos/enchiladas, chicken salad, chicken bowls, and everything in between! 

Hooray for an easy dinner! 

Have a great dinner with your tribe :)

BBQ Pork Nachos

Sounds a bit different, huh? That's because it is! 

But you know what, y'all? Different is good sometimes. 

And in this case, it totally is!

Let me show you the way to an easy and delicious dinner for tonight!

BBQ Pork Nachos

Shopping List

1. Pulled pork in your favorite BBQ sauce. Check here for the best Carnitas recipe

2. Tortilla chips

3. Bell peppers {I used sweet mini ones that I had on hand}

4. 1 can of sweet corn, drained

5. Green onions, chopped

6. Mexican cheese

7. Sour cream, salsa, avocados, etc.

Recipe

1. Set your oven to broil on high.

2. Lay out your chips on a flat pan. Cover them in a thin layer of shredded mexican cheese.

3. Layer on your pulled pork in BBQ sauce {I recommend heating it up first if it's from leftovers}.

4. Layer on the rest of your ingredients that you want. I gave you some options in the shopping list!

5. Broil for about a minute and a half. KEEP AN EYE ON IT!

6. Top with whatever else you like.

7. Enjoy!

I put a extra drizzle of BBQ sauce on mine with some sour cream and avocado. Can you say YUMMMM??!

Let me know what y'all think!

Salads Galore!

I looooooove a good salad.

Like seriously. I have 1-2 salads every day! 

But you know what's weird? I never order them while we're out to eat. 

In fact, I never order anything that we can 'make at home'. But I just love the way that restaurants make salads. So many toppings, a ton of variety, and not just lettuce with dressing. 

So, I'm here to show you how I make restaurant quality salads at home. Who doesn't love that?! 

It's making my mouth water just thinking about them :)

Here's a couple of my favorite salads that we make on a weekly basis, along with the ingredients I like to keep on hand to make these salads convenient and quick!

Salads Galore!

Asian Sesame Chicken Salad

Mixed Greens

Grilled Chicken (grilled on stove in a bit of EVOO and sliced)

Mandarin Oranges (canned, and drained) 

Cherry Tomatoes

Chopped Red Onion

Wonton Strips/Chow Mein Noodles

Sesame Seeds 

Parmesan Shredded Cheese

Ken's Steakhouse Asian Sesame Dressing

Southwest Chipotle Chicken Salad

Mixed Greens

Grilled Chicken (can you tell I like grilled chicken?)

Corn (canned and drained)

Chopped Green Onion

Tortilla Strips (I like mine from target)

Sunflower Seeds

Mexican Shredded Cheese

Hidden Valley Southwest Chipotle Dressing

Taco Salad

Mixed Greens Butter Lettuce

Ground Beef (with taco seasoning)

Chopped Red Onion

Cherry Tomatoes

Corn (canned and drained)

Mexican Shredded Cheese

Crumbled Tortilla Chips

Hidden Valley Southwest Chipotle Dressing (I don't like salsa on my salad for taco salads)

If you are bringing these salads on the go, just add all the ingredients into your tupperware before you're ready to eat, close the lid and give it a really good shake. 

If you're saving these yummy recipes to eat at home, just make sure to mix them up really good! It just makes it better for some reason :)

If any of y'all have a favorite salad, this salad lover would like to know in the comments below! 

Cheesy Pasta and Veggies!

So, I'm not gonna lie. The title makes this dish sound a little bland, yeah?

Don't be fooled, guys! 

I was SERIOUSLY surprised that this has become one of our favorites, and one of our weekly staples! (That's when you know it's good!)

And, a bonus. This is super easy and my man approves!! 

It's a winner! And a totally easy Switch It Up Recipe! 

Feel free to add some chicken stock in this recipe. It tasted fine without, but I was going to add it in the beginning until I found out that I didn't have any!

Cheesy Pasta and Veggies

Shopping List

1. 1/2 box short cut noodles

2. 1-2 cloves of minced garlic

3. 2 tbs of butter

4. 1/4 bag of frozen peas

5. 1/2 cup of shredded italian cheese

6. 3-4 splashes of milk

7. Salt, pepper, basil, and oregano

*As soon as you get the hang of this recipe, feel free to eyeball all of your ingredients to make it to your liking!

Recipe

1. Boil your water for the noodles, make sure to add a pinch of salt in the water!

2. In a separate pan, throw in your 2 tbs of butter and your 1-2 cloves of garlic until they have cooked for about 2 minutes on med-high heat. 

3. Add in your frozen peas to the butter and garlic and stir them until they are not frozen and are a bit warmed through. 

4. Add in your cheese and stir until all melted. 

5. Add in your splashes of milk until you feel that it would be an okay consistency to pour over your noodles. 

6. Season to your liking! I used salt, pepper, basil, and oregano!

7. Drain your noodles and add to sauce in the pan. Stir until coated.

8. Enjoy!

Switch It Up

Use some different veggies to switch this recipe up! Add more than one if you're feelin' sassy ;) 

1. Red bell pepper, chopped

2. Broccoli florets

3. Corn

4. Spinach

5. Lima Beans

6. Carrots

Friday Favorites

I have a LOT of favorites this week. And for that, I am so excited!!!

Wait till you hear these! They're so fun. And you may get some ideas to try during this next week!

Friday Favorites!

One

This may sound like a silly favorite, but the post I wrote yesterday (it's a bit of a long one) has seriously improved my heart. 

Just being able to get the words out on 'paper' really is helping heal me. Please let me know if you have any questions on it (I will answer them!) or if you are going through a similar situation, let's help each other heal!

Healing is exhausting. But it is so worth it. 

So worth it.

If you haven't seen the post, you can find it here. 

Two

Just along with the whole post thing... I must say, we have some pretty interesting posts that went up this week over here at The Fashionista Housewife :)

Especially because I've started a new series. Called Makeup Mondays!

Makeup Mondays will be about anything and everything makeup! I have some detailed makeup looks coming your way, as well as some tips/tricks and how to's! I mean, come on. Who doesn't love makeup? And if you don't, I promise, you can still find something useful in these posts. 

Can't wait to hear what y'all think of these!

Here's the new posts of the week. 

I'll link them for you here. 

Monday: Makeup Monday: How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

Tuesday: Cookie Dough Hot Chocolate

Wednesday: Polar Express Night and Polar Express Hot Cocoa

Thursday: Dealing With Grief

Three:

Sweet Cole comes home tomorrow!! And can I express to you how excited I am?!!! 

No I cannot :)

He's such a little nugget! 

Cole is the smallest of the bunch by 3 pounds (that's a lot in puppy world!)

This pic was taken right after he decided to go swimming in his breakfast food! 

He can literally step into the bowl with all four paws and walk around. That's how tiny that little cutie is. 

I cannot wait to pick up our baby!

Four

These lipglosses!!! Hello!!!

Gorgeous! 

I will be doing an in depth Makeup Monday post on them this coming monday. Keep a look out for that fun post :)

Can I just say obsessed?! 

These are from a gift set by Anastasia Beverly Hills. It's 8 full size lip glosses that retail for $16 a piece. 

The gift set sells for $40 making each lipgloss only $5! You really can't even beat that! 

Just take my word for it. You need these!

You can find these at Macys in the Impulse makeup section, or on her website here.

I'm wearing the shade Weekend Barbie.

Five

My favorite songs for the week! I just love jammin' to these beats. Mainly what gets me to love a song is when the voices harmonize, a catchy beat, and when the artist gets really passionate about the song (about 3/4 of the way through a song).

Check out some of these fun songs :)

1. Forever Like That by Ben Rector

2. Break Up In a Small Town by Sam Hunt

3. Roses by Chainsmokers

4. My House by Flo Rida

5. God Blessed Texas by Little Texas

We used to line dance to that last one in college all the time. I still have my dancin' boots too. Not to toot my own horn or anything...

But I was good ;)

Six

I have some AH-MAZING recipes comin' your way this week!

Are you ready for 'em? 

Here's a sneak peek...

... and that's about all I can say. Because otherwise my mouth will start watering, and I won't be able to keep any surprises!

Just check back if you want the BEST dinner to make your family :)

Seven

Okay... Have Y'all been in Bath and Body Works lately?!!!

You must know that yo' girl loves candles. 

ESPECIALLY Bath and Body Works candles. 

But I have never seen these types... WITH THE ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS SPARKLY LIDS?!!!

This mama likes her some sparkles :)

I mean can these get any cuter?!!

Eight

Just wait. Until you see. This scarf. 

I scored. I really did. 

I found this full and voluminous cheetah print scarf at Ross. 

For $6.99.

And it's Vince Camuto!

#allthehearteyes

I'm showing you below the couple of ways that I like to tie it up. 

My jeans in the pic are SO comfy and soft. They are Rock and Revival jeans. Expensive, but worth it. They're stretchy, they're long, they're skinny. Can you get any better? These have already lasted me hundreds of wears throughout 3 years and still look just like new. They wash well too!

My shirt is from the So brand from Kohls from ages ago!

I just tie it in 2 knots. One of top of each other. 

 Just let it hang. No ties or anything. 

The famous wrap around. Just hold the scarf in front of your neck.

Cross the two ends behind your neck and bring them back to the front. Play with it until it looks just right!

Then you go from this...

To this! It's automatically an infinity scarf just by tucking the ends into the scarf. Easy peasy!

 I paired this outfit with my Sperry Rain Boots. They're sparkly up top on that quilted pattern!

It was raining buckets today! But these don't leak at all :)

Well, y'all... my goodness! Let's take a deep breath. Cause I feel like that was a lot...

But it was fun, right?! 

Let me know if you find any inspiration for you and your fam in the comments below! :)

Have a great week you guys!

Cookie Dough Hot Chocolate

I know what you're thinking. 

"What?!! COOKIE DOUGH. AND CHOCOLATE. AND A WARM DRINK TO CUDDLE UP WITH BY THE FIRE?!!"

Yes. That is exactly what this is :) 

Get excited, ladies!

Just a little back story before I share this awesomely (easy) recipe...

This recipe actually came from when I was in college and living in the dorms. During the winter, we all would drink the hot chocolate from the dining hall after dinner, but it was notorious for being so DANG hot, we all would leave with burned tongues. Until...

Ice cream. 

And hot chocolate. 

Yep. Into our scolding hot chocolate, we would all pour a little bit of vanilla ice cream (we had an ice cream machine in our dining hall). Thus, this AMAZING recipe was born. And it is as perfect as it sounds. 

Let's get started!

Cookie Dough Hot Chocolate

Here's what you need. Christmas decor not required, but strongly recommended :)

Shopping List

1. Hot chocolate mix 

2. 2% milk (or whatever we use. We just happen to use 2%)

3. Cookie dough ice cream

Recipe

1. Pour 8 oz. of milk into a microwave safe mug. (I just eyeball it. But too much milk can really take away from the flavor).

2. Microwave your milk until it is REALLY hot. I do it for 2 minutes. 

3. Mix in your hot chocolate mix until it's fully mixed in. 

4. Scoop in 1 spoonful of your Cookie Dough ice cream. 

5. Grab some spoons and eat your ice cream hot chocolate!

6. Enjoy!

Yep. That's a piece of cookie dough in hot chocolate. And yes. You're wildest dreams are coming true. 

Switch It Up

Use any type of different ice cream to switch up this easy-peasy recipe. 

1. Mint Chocolate Chip

2. Butter Pecan (this would be my mama's favorite)

3. Vanilla Bean

4. Brownie Chocolate Chunk

5. Strawberry Swirl

6. Moose Tracks

7. Caramel 

8. Peanut Butter Cup

9. Samoa's (The girl scout ice cream)

10. Chocolate Chip Cherry 

Seriously, friends! This recipe is going to change your lives!

No Fail Burgers

Hey, Y'all! Do you see that title up there? That's right. These burgers are NO fail. You know why? Because I never use exact measurements and it always comes out stunningly! Like, BAM. You'll never need to go out to get a burger again. Because these are so easy and nothin' can beat em! I'll also show you a few ways to Switch It Up! Join me below :)

No Fail Burgers

(I only used a half a pound of meat here because there's only 2 of us. But this would be what it all looks like before being mixed together)

Shopping List

1. 1 lb. of organic ground beef (yes, organic. Let me tell you. My father-in-law grew up on a farm and was around lots of meat. To put it short, he says it's completely worth it to buy organic)

2. 1 egg

2. 1 spoonful of brown sugar

3. 1 tbs of steak sauce

4. A couple big spoonfuls of italian breadcrumbs

5. A sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese

6. Whatever spices you want to use! We used some oregano, basil, garlic salt, and fresh ground pepper.

Recipe

1. Combine every ingredient in a big bowl (I try not to handle the meat too much or over mix it. Doing that can make your burgers tough)

2. Make patties with the burger that are about as big as the palm of your hand and not too thick. 

3. We cook our burgers on the stove over med-high heat in a skillet with pam coating the bottom. (We don't have a grill. But I would use the grill if we had one :)

4. I cook it until they are well done because we prefer no pink. Make sure to take a spoon and press it in the middle of each burger. Doing this keeps flavor in and helps them from drying out. 

5. Enjoy!

(Not a pretty pic, but I was cutting this one up to check the temp while cooking, and we ate the others before I could take a pic of them. Let  that be a testament to how good they are ;) 

Switch It Up

1. Hawaiian Burgers

Pick up some King Hawaiian Rolls from the store (they make them in burger size if you can find them. This brand is in the orange package).

Mix together some ketchup and mayonnaise, and spread on both sides of the bun.

Add some grilled pineapple slices if you prefer. (You can find these canned).

2. Tater Tot Burgers

You can use the same Hawaiian rolls for this one, or sesame seed buns. Whichever you prefer.

I use the same sauce as above (Equal parts ketchup and mayo).

Take a few tater tots and stick them in a waffle maker (or in a skillet on the stove if you don't have a waffle maker). Cook it until they are crispy. This will make your tater tots flat to put on the burger. 

Add lettuce and tomato.

3. Chili Burgers (My man's fave!)

We use regular sesame seed buns for this one. 

Spread the ketchup mixture on the bun. Or use sour cream if you like that on your chili regularly. 

I also melt cheese on the burger while they are cooking. Usually we use pepper jack, american or swiss cheese. 

Top burgers with chili (we make this before hand). 

4. Avocado Bacon Burgers

Use whatever buns you please for this one.

Spread ketchup mixture on bun.

Slice up avocado and crisp some thick bacon and place on the burger. 

Add some red onion and lettuce.

5. Sunny Side Up Burgers

Use a sesame bun for this burger. 

I personally use ketchup on everything, but this burger doesn't need a sauce.

Cook an egg over medium or sunny side up. Just make sure the egg's yolk is still runny.

Add lettuce, red onion, tomatoes and whatever else you please!

Can you say yum??! We have been loving switching up our burgers lately. Let me know if you try these :)

Chewy Fudge Brownies

I'm back! This time, with another switch it up recipe :) I love these. It really sparks my imagination and creativity. And I sincerely hope my readers love it too! So fun! 

I should mention... this recipe for brownies is... wait for it...

Store Bought.

Yes. I know. Those 2 words are forbidden in blogland. But you know what? I'm keeping it real with you guys. Every time I stray from my tried and true box mixes and try a "homemade from scratch" approach, it comes out horribly. 

Like, no one wants to even touch it horribly. I follow the directions to a T and it comes out dry, or it overflows the pan, or it's flavorless. 

So, that being said. I stick with my store bought peeps :) Feel free to use your own brownie recipe for this is if you choose! Let's get into this recipe!

Chewy Fudge Brownies

Shopping List
1. Brownie Mix. I use this one.

2. Whatever needs to go into the mix. Usually an egg or 2, vegetable oil, and water.

Recipe
1. Mix all of the ingredients together until all of the lumps are gone in the mix. *If you are using your own brownie recipe, keep in mind that the brownies I use have a chocolate sauce that is also mixed into the brownies before baking. That  is what makes them so fudgy and soft.
2. Bake the recipe (I used an 11x7 glass pan I believe).
3. Enjoy!



Easy enough, yeah? So here are some ways that I like to mix up our brownies in the Fashionista Housewife home :)

Caramel Praline Brownies


Sub the chocolate sauce inside the brownie mix for caramel sauce (found in aisle with chocolate syrup). *Opt*
Add in pecans before baking. Sprinkle some finely chopped pecans on top for decoration after baked.
Drizzle a little extra caramel sauce on top of fully baked and cooled brownies.


Mint Chocolate Chip Brownies

Add in 2 tsp of mint extract and 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into brownie mix if you do not wish to add any frosting.
For frosting, take a cream cheese or vanilla frosting and add in 2 tsp of mint extract. Also add in green food coloring to make a light green color. Add in 1/2 cup of mini milk chocolate chips and stir into frosting. Spread your custom *store bought* frosting on top of fully cooled brownies.


Oreo Surprise Brownies

Pour half of the brownie mix into the pan. Evenly space out about 9-12 oreo cookies (depending on how large your pan is. Space them apart enough to be able to cut a square brownie around the oreo). Pour the remaining half of brownie mix on top. Bake brownies according to package. Just eyeball it and make sure the bottom is done.
Drizzle cream cheese frosting on top of fully cooled brownies (or fully frost them if you prefer). Then take a handful of crushed oreos and sprinkle on top of fully cooled brownies for decoration.


Classic Pecan Brownies

This was my mama's personal favorite! 
Add in about a cup (just eyeball it) of whole or halved pecans to brownie mix before baking.
Frost fully cooled brownies with a fudge chocolate frosting *store bought* *Opt*
Chop up some of the leftover pecans and and sprinkle on top of brownies, whether or not you used icing.


Decadent Butterscotch Brownies

Add in a 1/2 cup of butterscotch chips into the brownie mix before baking.
Drizzle butterscotch sauce (found in chocolate sauce aisle or ice cream toppings aisle) on top of fully cooled brownies.


German Chocolate Brownies

Frost fully cooled brownies with Coconut Pecan frosting *store bought*.
If you want to make these more fancy schmancy, split brownie batter in half and bake in 2 pans of the same size (make sure to adjust cooking time down accordingly).
Cool the brownies. Remove one of the brownie halves and frost with a thin layer of coconut pecan frosting. Add in some halved pecans if desired. Layer the other brownie half on top and frost with a bit of a thicker layer of coconut pecan frosting. Add more pecans for decoration and lightly drizzle chocolate sauce on top if desired.


Candy Bar Brownies

Chop up any of your favorite candy bars, including butterfingers, m and m's, snickers, etc. Get creative!
Add in the candy bar to the brownie mix before baking.
Cool brownies fully before adding a bit more of the chopped candy of choice to the top for decoration. Feel free to mix and match the candy that you're adding if you want to go for a really fun approach!


Gorgeous Raspberry Brownies

Add in a can of fruit (juice and all. Find this on the canned fruit aisle) to the brownie mix before baking. I personally feel that raspberries just go great with chocolate! But feel free to switch up which fruit you use! When you stir it into your mix, carefully do so as to not mash up your fruit. Keep it in tact.
When brownies are fully cooled, you can choose to frost them or not. Frosting could either be a cream cheese frosting with raspberry puree stirred in, or a fudge chocolate frosting.
Decorate fully cooled brownies with whole raspberries.


Sweet and Salty Pretzel Brownies

Stir in chopped pretzels into the brownie mix before baking.
After the brownies are fully cooled, frost with a fudge chocolate frosting.
Top with some whole pretzels and some chopped pretzels for dimension.


Two Bite Fun Brownies

Use a muffin tin to bake these brownies! Fill the tins about 3/4 of the way full and only bake them for around 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them around 10 minutes.
Frost them individually if you please, or take any of the above recipes and just make them into individual brownies!
If you do not add anything in, consider putting a fun candy on top of these once fully cooled. Like a Hershey's Kiss. How sweet would that be??


I really hope you guys love these! I think these Switch It Up Recipes are so fun! Whatever brownies you make from above, make sure to stir some love into them and share them with your most favorite people! A little vanilla bean ice cream on the side wouldn't hurt either ;)