Recipe: Honey chipotle chicken thighs

This is a recipe I recently made. I wanted chipotle chicken but with veggies and sauce.

I looked online for a recipe, however, there was nothing that fit the bill. I headed to the kitchen and started cooking.

This meal turned out AMAZING.

Chipotle Chicken Thighs

Ingredients:

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • Chipotle sauce from a small tin of adobo pepper in chipotle sauce
  • 1 cup salsa
  • 3T. Hot honey
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 2 large bell peppers or 3 medium bell peppers, cleaned and sliced into bite-sized pieces 
  • Dash cumin
  • Dash salt and pepper
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • 2T. Corn starch
  • 1/3 cup water

Directions:

  1. In a crockpot, combine all ingredients but corn starch and water.
  2. Cook on low for 5 hours, or high for 3 hours.
  3. Strain sauce into a saucepan, and heat over medium until boiling. While sauce is heating, mix water and corn starch and slowly pour into boiling sauce. Stir until thickened, add back into meat and veggies.

Serve with rice, beans, and tortillas. 

If you want extra smokiness, chop 1-2 chipotle peppers and add to the sauce while it thickens on the stovetop. 

This freezes well as well- If you have leftovers.

Spring Cleaning and Organization with Dollar Tree

Over Spring Break we had guests. While our house is clean, it was definitely disorganized. I had reorganized the pantry and kitchen drawers not long ago, so it was my mission to organize some of the other areas of our home including the kids’ rooms, the front bathroom, and the living room.

The wallpaper I chose.

I headed over to Dollar Tree to grab some organizational items. If you haven’t checked out Dollar Tree lately, they have a great selection of baskets, totes, and boxes with lids to help with organizing your space.

I also checked out their peel-and-stick wallpaper to do some DIY bathroom decor.

I picked up a few square frames, removed the artwork, covered it with the peel and stick, and placed it back into the frames. It took less than ten minutes and it was super easy. The best part: they look really cute.

To make our bathroom countertop look a little nicer, after scrubbing it, I put down an edged mirror (also from Dollar Tree) and placed 6 battery-powered faux candles in different sizes on the mirror. 

I also bought a small two-drawer container to corral all of my hair ties and for Qtips. I decorated the top with decals meant for a glass jar. I think it turned out great.

I placed a basket on top of the toilet tank and filled it with an extra roll of toilet paper, wipes, and new washcloths. I scrubbed out the shower, placed down a shower mat (from Ross), and restocked the front bathroom shower with shampoo, conditioner, 2 body washes, a new pouf, a new back scrub brush, exfoliating gloves, and my absolute favorite body scrub from Tree Hut: Moroccan Rose (which does not smell like roses). I also spent time organizing the HBA stockpile under the front bathroom sink, condensing boxes, and half-filled bottles, and removing unnecessary packaging to make storage easier. I also went through the first aid kit and discarded all of the old, expired meds, ointments, and bandages that are no longer adhesive.

The kids love to draw and there are pencils and pens all over the house. I picked up a three-pack of small baskets and placed 2 of them on the kitchen tables, filling one with pencils, and the second one with ballpoint pens. Hopefully that will solve the “MOOOOOOM, where are the pencils???” Quandary.

Heading into the kids’ rooms, I reorganized Margaret’s room with a few baskets and plastic boxes with lids. The headband/hairbow situation had gotten out of hand, but it was easily wrangled with a plastic box with a lid. Now everything is all in one place. Same with underwear and socks. Separated into two baskets and stored on top of her dresser, which has been upgraded and moved into her larger closet. Yes, her room has two closets- one is very small, and basically is only used to hold clothes that need to be hung up. 

Back in the living room, I needed better storage options for our fidget/stim basket and masks. I upgraded to black woven baskets. We still have masks at home (for use when we go to crowded places or when we are feeling under the weather and need to leave home- Target Drive up, anyone?). These weren’t from Dollar Tree, but Dollar Tree Plus and Family Dollar both sell them. And yes, that’s a plastic shoe box with a lid from Dollar Tree next to them- Full of crayons.

So that’s how I spent the 1st three days of my Spring Break. Getting my home organized- It has made finding things a lot easier.

5/7/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThis weekend was so busy. Birthday Party, clothing swap, meal prep, making cookies, laundry, house cleaning, and yes… meal planning.

The freezer and fridge is organized and the meals are planned for the upcoming week and beyond.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is usually delivered on Mondays, but we’re taking a break for the next month to eat up what we’ve got. I’ve been stashing the extra fruits and veggies in the freezer over the past 2 months. When I do veggie prep each week, I make up bags of vegetables to use at a later time.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day, and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. Now that I’m back in the gym and the kids are both in Martial Arts, we need to fuel our bodies properly.

  • Sunday: Chicken Strips, Mac and cheese, orange and apple slices
  • Monday: Breakfast sandwiches (eggs, cheese, onions and peppers, and sausage on ciabatta rolls), fruit salad
  • Tuesday:  Cauliflower & broccoli cheese soup and rolls

  • Wednesday: Split Pea and Ham Soup, fruit salad, cheese toast

  • Thursday: Protein shakes, fruit, cheese, and crackers

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftover night

Family Recipe: Wet Burrito Casserole

This recipe is 100% Midwestern hotdish and 0% South of the Border. It is, however, pretty good. My brother recently texted me and asked for this recipe. It was a favorite of my dad.

Ingredients:

  • 1lb ground beef
  • 1 can of refried beans
  • 1 envelope taco seasoning 
  • 2 cups Mexican cheese
  • 8-10 taco-sized flour tortillas
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup 
  • 1 small tub sour cream

Directions:

  1. Cook ground beef per taco package directions, once cooked and seasoned, add beans and combine.
  2. Spread 1/4-1/2 cup of beans/beef inside the tortilla, top with a sprinkle of cheese, roll up and place seam side down in greased baking dish.
  3. Once the dish is full, top with a soup and sour cream mixture. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top.
  4. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes.
  5. Serve with Spanish Rice and a Salad Kit (I like the Avocado Ranch chopped salad kit from Taylor Ranch)

May is National Salad Month!

May is National Salad Month and we are 100% here to celebrate.

Here are some of my family’s favorite salad recipes:

And if you are looking for an awesome salad bowl to take your creation to a potluck, this is my favorite bowl with a lid!

A few of my other salad must-haves are this lettuce knife, these salad tongs, and of course, this salad dressing bottle with recipes on the outside to help you stretch your creativity.

Free Formula Offer from Kabrita!

** This post also contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

When my littles were wee, they both had delicate tummies. It’s hard to know what kinds of formula to trust, so after lots of research, trying samples, and talking to other moms (really our pediatrician was ZERO help- she’s a nice lady, but formula wasn’t her wheelhouse), I stumbled upon Kabrita.

Our pediatrician is really big on making sure babies get prebiotics and probiotics, especially if they are formula fed. Kabrita has prebiotics, which is a natural digestive aid.

I like Kabrita because it doesn’t have any added white or processed sugar- just lactose, the sweetener from milk! Also, Kabrita formula smells like goat’s milk and tastes like goat’s milk. I will confess: after smelling some formulas I wouldn’t want to taste them, but I tried an ounce of Kabrita once just to see. It tastes like goat’s milk.

I’ve been telling moms about it for a few years now, and one thing I love is that they have a really great sample program.

Try Full-Sized $40 14oz Kabrita’s Gentle Goat Milk Formula FREE

All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own. I’ve used Kabrita for both of my kids. This post contains affiliate links and I may be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

4/30/2023 Weekly Meal Plan

0a5e9dab796cea8a07eabe4eb4795b9e.jpgThe first week of a new month and we are hitting the ground running.

I’m organizing the freezer today, and we’ve got tons of produce from last week’s jumbo CSA box we got last week.

Our Yasukochi Family Farms  CSA box is usually delivered on Mondays, but we’re taking a break for the next month to eat up what we’ve got. I’ve been stashing the extra fruits and veggies in the freezer over the past 2 months. When I do veggie prep each week, I make up bags of vegetables to use at a later time.

We’ve been trying a lot of new foods lately, thanks to the really great freebies from Social Nature lately too. It’s fun to try new foods.

For those of you that are new to meal planning, I’ve got an easy 101-style post here with super easy tips and steps. After you get that down, here is info about batch or freezer cooking.

I’ve gotten a pretty good inventory of the pantry, freezer, and fridge (I try to update it after every shopping trip), so I’m able to plan meals and use up what we’ve got with little waste.

I only post our dinner plans for the week, because our other meals are usually the same each day.

Breakfast: Coffee with 1/2 and 1/2  for me, and pancakes or something along those lines for the kids. They are also into fruit and bagels for breakfast. Lately, the big kid has been digging protein shakes in the morning. This is his favorite kind. 

Lunch: I have a plastic tote in the cupboard full of self-serve snacks. I buy treats and snacks in bulk and fill up snack-sized zip-top bags. The big kid brings his lunch every day, and the little one buys her lunch about half the time.

Dinner: I’m making sure to start our meals with lots of veggies. Now that I’m back in the gym and the kids are both in Martial Arts, we need to fuel our bodies properly.

  • Sunday: Meaty Pasta Bake, Garlic Bread
  • Monday: Chipotle Honey Chicken thighs (Recipe will be posted this week), Jasmine Rice, Spinach Salad
  • Tuesday:  Fritatta, Fruit Salad, toast

  • Wednesday: Veggie Tuscon Soup, Cheese Toast

  • Thursday:Nuggets, mac n’ cheese, fruit, cheese, and crackers

  • Friday: Takeout night!
  • Saturday:  Leftover night

Yasukochi Family Farms Mother’s Day Sale!

Mother’s Day is around the corner and if your mom is like mine, the gift of fresh fruit and veggies (and a bouquet of flowers) is the perfect way to say I love you!

Yasukochi Family Farms has two great options this Mother’s Day:

a 1-month (4 weeks) subscription of regular boxes of farm fresh fruits and veggies with 1 small bouquet of flowers (1st week only) for $108

OR

 A 1-month (4 weeks) subscription of jumbo boxes of farm fresh fruits and veggies with 1 small bouquet of flowers (1st week only) for $130.

The first delivery will occur between 5/8-5/12 (depending on which day your mom’s area receives deliveries). To order or learn more, click here.

Weekly Round-up of Research Studies from PRC!

PRC aka iOpinion is a nationwide research study company. They are always running studies and looking for more respondents. They send me an email once a week with online studies they are looking to fill. Here are just a few:

Ground Glass Opacities (GGO) Patients
*Proof of diagnosis will be required
Incentive: $125
Who: Males and Females Aged 18-75
Location: Web-based Telephone
Duration: 60 minutes
Date(s): May 8th-18th, 2023
Time(s): Various Times
*You will need to be at a computer with high-speed Internet access during the entire interview.
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/B8BY57W

Rural Residents
Incentive: $100 Digital Incentive
Who: Nationwide Residents
Location: Online webcam discussion via webcam
Duration: 60-90 minutes
Date(s): May 12th, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://forms.gle/YT7Ad2R71TZLchjSA

Home Products
Incentive: $150
Who: Adults, 21-70 years old
Location: Online via webcam
Duration: 60 minutes
Date: May 9, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZRKLQ2V

Personal Technology Devices
Incentive: $150
Who: Adults 18-25
Location: Online
Duration: 90 minutes
Date(s): May 17th & 18th, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PRCTech

Lifestyle & Financial Habits
Incentive: $200 for the OBB discussion, $125 for the follow-up Video Chat if chosen
Who: Adults 21+
Location: Online Bulletin Board with a potential follow-up interview if selected!
Duration: 2 hours total over 2 days (1 hr each day)
Date(s): May 23 – July 6, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/6MW765C

Entertainment Activities
Incentive: $150
Who: Adults, 18+ years old, living in California
Location: Online via webcam
Duration: 90 minutes
Date(s): May 24-25, 2023
This survey is to see if you qualify for an upcoming study.
Take Survey >> https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CM2YW67

LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising New on Netflix!

Lego Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (L to R) Deven Mack as Arin and Brian Drummond as Ras in Lego Ninjago: Dragons Rising. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2023

We love Legos in this house, and the big kid LOVES Ninjago!

Joining Netflix’s extensive offering of kids’ favorite characters, we are excited to announce the new series, LEGO Ninjago: Dragons Rising, based on the beloved LEGO Ninjago franchise, which will debut on June 1. In the series, many legendary realms have suddenly combined into one, but their union is unstable. A Spinjitzu Ninja Master must train a new generation of heroes to help find Elemental Dragons who can save the planet before the forces of evil use the same dragon energy to destroy this new world.

Lego Ninjago: Dragons Rising. (L to R) Sabrina Pitre as Sora, Brian Drummond as Riyu and Deven Mack as Arin in Lego Ninjago: Dragons Rising. Cr. COURTESY OF NETFLIX © 2023

If your kiddos love Lego Ninjago too, check out this new show on Netflix!

We’ll build some new sets (this one and this one) while we watch this new show.