I found this delightful recipe on one of my favorite cooking blogs – Once Upon a Plate.    The key to this chicken is cooking it in chicken broth and adding the homemade Taco Seasoning (so much better than the store-bought packages!).  Here’s her recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon chili powder*
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons garlic powder (not garlic salt)
1/2 to 3/4 teaspoons onion powder (not onion salt)
1/4 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (I only add a tiny pinch)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt*
1/4 to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container until ready to use.

Use about 2 Tablespoons mix to 1 pound of meat (more if you like it more flavorful)

If using to season ground beef: Brown beef in pan, drain/pour off fat. Sprinkle seasoning over meat and add 1/3 cup of water; stir. Simmer until water is absorbed, taste and adjust seasonings.

For the chicken:
Basic recipe:
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts*
3 Tablespoons dry Taco Seasoning (Homemade or Commercially made)
1 cup chicken broth (preferably low sodium)
—Stir taco seasoning into chicken broth.  Place chicken (and onion, bay leaves and oregano) in the slow cooker container, pour broth mix over.  Cover and cook on low-setting for 6 to 8 hours.
With 2 forks or your fingers, break apart or shred chicken meat into bite-size pieces.
Use as you wish, or  ~
To freeze: Place shredded chicken meat into freezer bags, dividing juice evenly among bags. Press out as much air as possible, seal and freeze.

I used this chicken to make enchiladas.  I made the chicken several days in advance and froze it.  It made meal preparation so easy and they were so delicious and flavorful!

Chicken Enchiladas

Sunday Chicken Enchiladas
On Saturday night, I took the chicken meat out of the freezer and thawed it.  I then placed some of the meat inside a soft tortilla and rolled it up then placed it seam side down in my baking dish.  I added the cooking juices from the meat into a can of mild enchilada sauce, then poured the sauce over the tortillas.  I then topped it with cheese, covered it with syran wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.

On Sunday:
Take the enchiladas out of the fridge and let them come to room temperature.  When returning home from church, pop them into a 350 oven and heat until bubbly – about 15 minutes.

Oops!  Alli got cut out of the picture!

Scalloped Pineapple is a delightful side dish.  I guess you could call it a salad, but it’s hot with a topping, so it’s like a casserole.  Best of all, it’s delicious!

Scalloped Pineapple
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups grated sharp cheddar
2 (20-ounce) cans pineapple chunks, drained, and 6 tablespoons pineapple juice reserved
1 cup cracker crumbs (recommended: Ritz) I used a sleeve of crackers.
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing pan – (I don’t use this much!)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease a medium-size casserole dish with butter.

In a large bowl, stir together the sugar and flour. Gradually stir in the cheese. Add the drained pineapple chunks, and stir until ingredients are well combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared casserole dish.

In another medium bowl, combine the cracker crumbs, melted butter, and reserved pineapple juice, stirring with a rubber spatula until evenly blended. Spread crumb mixture on top of pineapple mixture. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown.


For dessert I made a Pumpkin Roll; one of my old standby desserts in fall!  I’m not sure why people are afraid to make them, but this recipe from Southern Living is the best and doesn’t take that much hands-on time!

Pumpkin Roll

Ready for the oven!

If you are still looking for a “wow” dessert for Thanksgiving, look no further!  You can even make this early in the week and freeze it.

Stick around for two more recipes coming your way – tomorrow and Wednesday.  Both are breakfast items – perfect for the holiday!

With love from my country kitchen,

In my preparations for Thanksgiving Day, what a blessing to know that my family is helping out immensely by bringing dishes to accompany the turkey and dressing.  My only (frightful) thought is how I’m going to warm everyone’s dishes.  The oven will be baking the rolls after the turkey is done, so what do I do with the vegetable dishes that are being brought?  Then I had a thought…

Hallmark channel is playing Christmas movies 24/7 right now. Though most of them are a bit sappy and very predictable, they are wholesome and good, and it’s kind of fun to watch them and get myself ready for the upcoming holiday season. While watching one of the movies this week, I heard a line that grabbed me because it’s really true. In the movie, “The Christmas Ornament” the leading guy said,

I bought 1/2 yard of burlap and some Chevron fabric.  I couldn’t find a monogram stencil large enough, so this was how I improvised…

A bowl and a plate served as my guide to make my “C.”  The larger bowl served as the outside of the letter and the small plate took care of the inside of the C.  Here was the next part in the process…

I cut the burlap to 16 inches long and about 12 inches wide.  I raveled the edges about 1/2 ” in, then ran a straight stitch on my machine to keep it from raveling any further.  I turned down the top a couple of inches to make the pocket for the flag pole.

First I basted the letter onto the burlap so it would stay in place, then I did an applique stitch (a tiny zig zag) all the way around the C.

For the bottom edge, I simply made strips 2″ wide and sewed them on with the applique stitch.

The burlap bow I added is attached with a giant safety pin and attached underneath the opening of where the flag pole is inserted.  That way when Thanksgiving is over, I can simply replace the orange bow with a festive red.  I’ll attach some greenery to the flag pole, and it will be all dressed for Christmas without having to make another flag!

This was a really simple project that took about an hour to complete.  Are you inspired?  I hope you’ll make one!  Get creative!  You don’t have to do a monogram – trace patterns of holly leaves, a Christmas tree or stocking from simple coloring book pictures.You could also ruffle the bottom fabric.  These are so inexpensive.  I’ll hope you’ll try it!

From my country porch,

In this lovely autumn season, have you looked at the setting around you and wondered, “If this earth is this beautiful, how beautiful will heaven be?!”  In all its splendor, it is tainted with sin.  There is coming a Day, however, when its beauty will be diminished, in comparison to the glory we will witness in heaven.  One author put it this way,

“C.S. Lewis once observed that his life is only “shadow lands” compared with the glory to come.  Even life at its best is but a shadow of heaven…We experience the joy of marriage, knowing it is the foretaste of an even greater joy; the heavenly marriage feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).  We enjoy the beauty of God’s creation, knowing it is the foretaste of an even greater beauty; the beauty of glory of heaven (Revelation 21:23).  Take delight in the good things God gives you.  Don’t be too preoccupied to “smell the roses”!…Every one of His good gifts should remind us of the glory to come!”  The wonder of creation will be even better!

On the other hand, we should also remember that the difficulty and trials we face here are as bad as our future in eternity will be.  It will be gone forever, without even a remembrance of its pain.  This is as bad as it’s going to get for the believer!  Sickness, death, hurts, pain, disease, grief…it will be gone.  Forever.  In heaven all wrongs will be made right.  It will only get better.

The other good news is that Jesus could come TODAY.  At that moment, the good gets better and the bad is annihilated for those that have trusted Christ as their Savior.  With that assurance, you can face today!  Listen for the shout!

Does that news encourage you? 

With love,