It's all about the food, baby!

The other weekend I was talking to my friend Lindsey, who reads my blog (whose husband is the guy that Ryan 'shares' custody of the mounted deer head with) and she was wondering what are some of the recipes that I make. She's loves to cook. And after I married Ryan, I've found that I love to cook.

So I thought I'd do a little special treat for you all peeps and start putting some of the recipes I make on here.  I *try* to cook as 'diet friendly' as possible all the times. However, sometimes you just need two gianormous, fat-loaded, juice running down my chin,

scrumdealeeumptious beer-bratwursts. But that's not what the below recipe is about.  God, now I want to cook out tonight.

Anyway, here's a great, quick, easy chicken taco recipe that takes NO effort and turns out freaking amazing every time. BTW-I like my food spicy, so for those of you that don't, you might want to tone it down a bit.

Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

(8 servings)

4 skinless chicken breasts

1 t  chili powder (more or less depending on how spicy you want it)

1 t  cumin

1 cup salsa (I use Pace)

1 16oz can diced tomatoes w/ juice (I don’t use Rotel, because the sodium is through the roof, I  just buy the generic diced tomatoes in the canned veggie aisle)

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped (for less spice, de-seed then chop)

Put chopped onions in bottom of the crock-pot, then lay whole chicken breasts on top. In bowl, combine chili powder, cumin, salsa, tomatoes, and jalapeno, and stir. Pour over chicken in crock-pot. Cook on low for high 4-6 hours or low 6-8 hours.  Once done, remove chicken breasts with tongs and using a fork, shred the meat. Replace back in crock-pot and that’s it!

I serve them with corn tortillas, cheese, and sour cream. Delicious!

TIPS:

*If you can use frozen chicken breasts, the meat comes out so much tender. Don’t thaw the breasts, just put them in the crock-pot frozen. I buy chicken breasts in bulk and individually package them and store them in the freezer, so I always have frozen chicken on hand.

*The end result comes out pretty juicy, so after shredding the chicken, I put it back in the pot and stir it around, then drain the whole thing in a colander.  Once drained, I put the chicken back in the crock-pot on low setting till we’re ready to eat.

Nutrition for chicken only

Calories: 156.2

Fat: 1.6g

Sodium: 333.5

Carbs: 5.6

Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 3.1g

Protein: 27.8

So there you go! Hope you enjoy!

On another note, I have a new workout buddy.  This 'buddy' is about 80lbs, yellow, and really furry. 

I got up to work out this morning (YES, I GOT UP! YEAH!) and here comes the spoiled canine, trotting down the stairs.  So I ask him (yes, I have full-blown conversations with my dog, it's ok), "you going to work out with me this morning Wyatt?" His answer was to lay on the floor next to me (btw, I'm on my back on the floor doing some stretching), he then proceeds to roll over on his back, spread eagle, tail a-waggin', tongue sticking out, with a big ol' smile on his face.  Nice. Really dog? Do you have to lay right next to me and do this at 5:30 in the morning? 

I couldn't help but laugh, give him a good belly rub and continued with my KenpoX (P90X). It really put me in a better mood.  And there he sat, in the corner of the room, watching my every move like some mute peppy cheerleader.

Sheesh, the things I have to go through when I exercise. :-)

I kinda had a bad weekend last weekend. We found out that one of our favorite restaurants, that recently closed for 6 months, is now back open! And only a measly 15 minutes from the house. Hallalujah!  That's actually not the bad part, this is: So we went out and I chowed down on a monster burger and fries.  I felt like total crap that night and next day, but oh well.

And I didn't exercise last weekend. Unless you count the 6 hour shopping marathon on Sat.  Oh my giddy aunt, that was awesome! And exactly what I needed. I got all the towels and floor mats and crap for the 'new' downstairs bathroom (pics coming soon). Then I got 8 new shirts and 2 new tank tops. LOVE IT!

Then to combat the 6 hour shopping marathon on Sat., I did a 6 hour CLEANING marathon on Sunday.  That really was no fun at all.  AT ALL. And I'm not even done yet.  Uggghhhh. 

So I gained a little weight, 2 lbs, but I have already worked half that off and it's only Wed.!  I don't know what energy burr is stuck up my pooper, but it's going to stay there all week, as far as I'm concerned. I already worked out for an hour this morning and am seriously contemplating working out again tonight.  WHAT? Did I really just say that? Someone check my pulse? Am I dead? Is this some surreal fitness heaven I'm living in? 

Wow, how things change.