Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Okay these were so yummy and filling!  When I think buffalo wings I think junk food.  This was a great low calorie variation!  Plus anything I can put bleu cheese on is always great in my book :)

 I wanted a crockpot recipe and couldn't find one so I decided to make my own my piecing together parts of other recipes I've seen. I got the lettuce wrap idea from ellaclaireinspired.com.  You can check out her original recipe by clicking on the link. If you're not into the whole lettuce wrap thing you can definitely put this on rolls too. This chicken is great and could be used any way you want.  The girls ate theirs mixed into homemade mac and cheese.  Click here for my baked macaroni recipe.

The lettuce wraps came together super fast so we will definitely be making them again.  Enjoy!

Crock pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps (Makes about 16 lettuce wraps)

For Chicken:
4 medium chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups Franks Buffalo wing sauce (divided)
1 tsp. celery seed
2 T. butter

For toppings:
reduced fat bleu cheese crumbles
ranch dressing
2 stalks celery (cut in half length wise then sliced)
1 head iceburg lettuce

Add chicken breasts, 1 cup of buffalo sauce and celery seed to crockpot. Cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is cooked through.  Drain any excess liquid and shred chicken.  Add last 1/2 cup of buffalo sauce and butter and continue cooking 15 minutes or until butter is completely melted and combined.

When chicken is cooked fill each leaf of lettuce with chicken and top with celery, bleu cheese and dressing as desired. 

Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust

Okay, honestly this recipe was one of those that turned out way better than I expected.  I have been wanting to try a cauliflower crust for a long time but after hearing so many recipe fail stories and imagining my families complaints about cauliflower I had put it off.  So this week I decided to finally try it and it was amazing!

I adapted this recipe from a cauliflower bread sticks recipe I found online. When my husband first saw it come out of the oven he said "that really looks like pizza!" so I'm calling that a win.  The crust isn't quite like bread (it's more moist) but it held together enough to pick it up and eat it.  We used forks and it was great that way too.  My older girls could tell a difference but my younger two just called it pizza and ate it like it was normal. Topped with your favorite toppings it is very satisfying and filling!  The garlic and cheese give it a nice flavor.  My family knew it wasn't bread but couldn't figure out what it was made of, so I think that means it wasn't overly cauliflower-y.

The only downside was that cauliflower doesn't smell quite as amazing as pizza dough while it's cooking but once you get all the garlic and toppings in there it smells enough like pizza to cover :) Give it a try...

Homemade Pizza with Cauliflower Crust
1 large head of cauliflower (enough to make 4 cups finely processed cauliflower "rice")
4 eggs
1 T. italian seasoning
2 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
3 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese (divided)
1 cup pizza sauce (I use Classico or homemade)
1/4 cup grated parmesan
your favorite toppings

Topping ideas:
chicken
ham
pepperoni
pineapple
green bell pepper
mushrooms
black olive
tomatoes
onion

Prepare one large baking sheet with sides (or two 9x13 pans) by lining the bottom with parchment paper or non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.

Chop up cauliflower and place in a food processor.  Process until it resembles course bread crumbs or rice".  The finer it's processed the better.  Place in a microwaveable container and cover with a lid.  Cook in microwave at normal power for 10-12 minutes.

In a large bowl mix softened cauliflower, eggs, italian seasoning, minced garlic and 2 cups mozzarella.  Stir until well combined.  Spread out on prepared cookie sheet.You can also split it between two 9x13 pans for a thinner crust.  It's okay if the mixture doesn't quite touch the sides of the pan they will still cook.

Bake crust (without toppings) at 425 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown.  You want it to be as crispy as you can without burning the bottom.  Don't be afraid to give it a few extra minutes to get nice and crispy.

Top with pizza sauce, remaining cheese and toppings.  Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for 10-15 more minutes or until cheese is melted and toppings are cooked.  Enjoy!

Taco Salad w/ mixed greens, ground turkey and yellow squash

I love taco salad and I love calabacitas so this recipe was born by mixing the two together.  This salad is so filling and the squash is a healthy replacement for chips. It great because you can have the squash ready for people who want that on their salads and still have tortilla chips for the kiddos! For the meat I cook ground turkey w/ tomatoes and green chilies. I also use mostly mixed greens but add a little shredded iceberg lettuce to add some crunch.  Then top with all your usual taco toppings!

Taco Salad w/ Ground Turkey and Yellow squash

For the meat:

1 lb. lean ground turkey

1 can rotel (diced tomatoes w/green chiles)

2 T. red chile powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

For the squash:

1 medium yellow squash

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 T. olive oil

Salad topping ideas:

mixed greens

shredded lettuce

avocado 

black olives

cheddar cheese

black beans

Annie's cowgirl ranch (or your favorite ranch)

fresh cilantro

salsa

sour cream

green chiles

Brown turkey in a medium frying pan.  Add rotel, chili powder, and garlic powder. Continue cooking until meat is cooked through.

While meat is cooking, thinly slice the squash and saute in olive oil.  When squash is softened (about 7 minutes) add garlic.  Continue to cook 1 min.  

Wash mixed greens and arrange on plate.  Top with meat and squash.  Top with desired toppings and dressing (I use avocados, olives, cheddar, black beans, salsa and ranch)

Chicken and Butternut Squash

So...when I read my husband the list of ingredients he was pretty skeptical but after he tried it he had to admit this recipe was super good!  It had the feeling of comfort food without all those "comforting" calories :) It has lots of yummy spices and uses coconut oil and coconut milk to make it super creamy. And it's super filling!

I found the recipe at heandsheeatclean.com.  I more or less left it alone except to change the spices a little based on what I had.  I also used a steamer pan for the squash instead of boiling it.  It's very easy to make and other than cooking the squash, only takes a few minutes to throw together.  Enjoy!

Chicken and Butternut Squash (4 servings)
1 small butternut squash (peeled and cubed)
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut cream (skimmed of the top of a can of coconut milk)
1 T. coconut oil
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. oregano
black pepper (to taste)
1 cup green peas (I used frozen)
2 cups cooked shredded chicken

Peel and cube a small butternut squash.  Place in steamer pan for about 30 minutes. (If you don't have a steamer pan you can boil it in a regular sauce pan for about 40 min. and drain)  When squash is cooked place in a medium sauce pan and mash with apple cider vinegar, coconut cream, and coconut oil.  Add spices and stir until well combined.  Add peas and continue to cook until heated through (about 5 minutes).

Serving suggestions: It's very filling by itself but could also be good with brown rice or egg noodles if you want it to go further.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things about Thanksgiving!  My recipe seems to evolve a little every year but I think I'm finally done changing it.  Marshmallows, pecan, sweet potatoes...what's not to like!

Sweet Potato Casserole
4 large sweet potatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup brown sugar (plus a little to sprinkle on top)
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 cup pecans (coarsely chopped)
1 cup mini marshmallows

Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1 in. cubes.  Boil cubed sweet potatoes until softened.  Mash sweet potatoes with butter.  Add brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

Place mashed sweet potatoes into a large baking dish.  Top with mini marshmallows and pecans. Sprinkle with a little more brown sugar for good measure.  Bake @350 for 15-20 minutes or until heated through and marshmallows are slightly toasted!  Dig in!

Sweet Cream Cheese Dip (And my favorite Pumpkin Chips)

 Before I get to the recipe I've got to tell you about the awesome chips my Mom introduced me to last year. They are pumpkin chips from the Food Should Taste Good brand. Last year she brought them from Washington but I was excited to find them in our Smith's this year! And if they sell them in my little town then you're sure to find them in yours. I found them in the Natural Food section at Smith's. They are a seasonal item so don't forget to stock up too ;) Here's a picture so you can find them for yourself:

While they are delicious by themselves, a sweet dip takes them to the next level of Fall treat perfection! Luckily my mom gave me a recipe for that too.  It's super quick and easy and my kids can eat a whole bag of chips and dip in one sitting if I don't keep my eye on them.

This is a great recipe to make for parties or just because.  It can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge too. I usually serve it with pumpkin chips but it's also great with apples, pears, or cinnamon sugar pita chips. Give it a try!

Sweet Cream Cheese Dip
4 oz. cream cheese (softened)
16 oz. Cool whip*
2 tsp. Cinnamon
Nutmeg (to taste)

Place softened cream cheese in a stand mixer.  Using the wire whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese until smooth.  Add the cool whip and cinnamon.  Keep mixing until smooth and creamy.  Place in serving bowl and garnish with nutmeg.  Serve with pumpkin chips, apples, pears, and/or cinnamon sugar pita chips.

*I really recommend making this with Cool whip or with homemade topping so that it stays thick! I made it with a generic brand the other day and it was way too thin even after adding extra cream cheese.  I don't always buy the name brand but this is one of those recipes where it really does make a difference!

The Thirty Minute Throw Pillow

Guests coming over in a half an hour and you need some new pillows to throw out fast? I've got you covered! ;) Okay, so probably no one is having throw pillow emergencies but I decided to call these 30 minute throw pillows because they are incredibly fast to make! I'm not the greatest seamstress so I have to do most of my sewing after my kids go to bed so they don't hear my colorful language. I'm kidding of course (kind of) but I do like to know if I can finish a project in one night and with these pillows the answer is yes!  It's a great way to spend an evening, especially if you're a baseball playoffs widow like I am.

A few weeks ago we got new couches and I needed some new pillows to go with them.  After looking for awhile and not finding what I wanted I decided to try making some!  I bought this fabric and several others from Hobby Lobby and got to work.  I was so excited with the results I decided to up my game for this blog post.  First I took step by step photos and second I added a cool font to my picture.  Both Neighbor Julia firsts! I'm finally catching up with the rest of you bloggers out there...so watch out! My readership is ready to shoot right up to 15 or 16!

But seriously, give these pillows a try! The possibilities are endless.  Different Fabrics, differenct sizes, different holidays, etc.  It's all straight lines and you flip right side out at the end so none of the seams are even visible. If I can do it, so can you! Have fun!

Thirty-Minute Throw Pillows
What you need (makes two 18" pillows):
1 yrd. thick durable fabric (I used patterned duck fabric from the home decor section)
1 large bag of pillow stuffing (I used ultra plush polyester fiber...pictured below)
thread to match your fabric (you'll use it in your machine but also to hand stitch the end closed)
fabric cutting mat and roller

How to do it:

Fold your fabric in half length wise with the printed side facing in.  Using a rotary cutter, cut a square that is 18 1/2 in. by 18 1/2 in. (So now you'll have two squares facing each other...a front and back of a pillow that are already perfectly lined up)

  

Pin fabric in place so that your corners all stay lined up.  

Begin sewing fabric together making sure to back stitch about one inch at the beginning to make sure the corners will hold together.  I actually back stitch two or three times at each corner just because I know my kids are going to be making forts out of these things and throwing them at each other. I made my seam about 1/4 in. from the edge of the fabric (so you'll end up with an 18 in. square pillow at the end). I tried to capture this in the photo...but when you come to a corner I usually stop while the needle is still through the fabric.  Then just lift the guider foot up and rotate your fabric to the next side while the needle holds it in place. Now you're ready to sew the next side.

Continue sewing until you get to the last side.  Finish sewing the last side leaving a 2 inch gap at the end of the pillow.  Make sure to back stitch to prevent the thread from pulling out in the next step.

Using the 2 inch hole that you left in the pillow turn the fabric right side out.  Gently push the fabric through the hole until it's totally right side out. Right now you may be cursing yourself for leaving such a small opening.  But trust me...when it comes time to hand stitch it closed you'll be thanking me. 

Lay the fabric out flat, making sure to fully extend the corners. Look it almost looks like a pillow now! You're so close!

Find your two inch gap again. and open it as wide as it will go.

Now it's time for stuffing the pillow! It's really easy but takes the most time of this whole process. This step can be best done while watching Call the Midwife or Gilmore Girls...just FYI. Above is a pic of what I used to fill my pillows. I highly recommend it!

Fill the pillow with the polyester fiber.  You'll want to fill it more than you think it needs because over time it will lose some of its plushness. I used half of the bag for each pillow.

Now just hand stitch the corner up really well and you've got yourself a pillow! Congratulations! You did it! Now use the rest of your fabric and repeat the steps to make a matching set.