5 Recipes - Reviewed by Me!

It's been a while since I've had the time to write up a new post. The boys have started WALKING. Before they even turned 10 months old. I am busier than I ever thought I would be now that they are getting into and onto everything imaginable... or unimaginable... I've also been super busy with work and work-related stuff as well as packing for our first move as a family of 4! I'm not really sure what we were thinking when we committed to moving with babies (toddlers?) 

In between all of those shenanigans, I also picked up reading again. Reading is an on again, off again habit for me. More of a luxury habit, I suppose you could call it because I treat myself to reading a good book. I'm currently working my way through the box set of John Green novels that I received for Christmas. I loved The Fault in Our Stars. Looking for Alaska was good, until the end. I am currently working my way through An Abundance of Katherines - so I'll have to let you know how that one goes.

To add even more fun to my already super busy days, I have been trying really hard to make a new recipe or two each week. For a while there it felt like I was stuck in a rut. Heck, even Andy pulled his cooking skills out of hibernation and cooked two really good meals the other weekend. Here's a couple of recently tried recipes --- reviewed by yours truly.

1.Sweet Potato Chicken Chili - Slow cooker recipe. This was easy (of course!) and delicious... and healthy! The only thing I'm doing differently next time is eliminating the garlic, just as a personal preference. I may double up on the beans and sweet potatoes, nix the chicken and call it a meatless Monday recipe. Andy and I eat entirely too much chicken so I'm trying to find a way to cut back - meats are expensive and there are plenty of less expensive proteins to work with - think beans. 9/10 - will definitely make again.

2. Chicken and Dumplings - Slow cooker recipe.  For those of you expecting "Mom-mom's Noodles" without all the work, you'll be sadly disappointed. However, this recipe was actually REALLY good although different from the noodles I know and love. I will be making it again. I didn't feel like cooking up any vegetables on the side, so I threw in half a bag of baby carrots, whole and some diced celery and called it a day. 8/10 - would make again.

3. Sriracha Lime Chicken Chopped Salad - this was fast, easy and healthy. It was light and filling. Homemade vinaigrette. Mmmm. If you make any of these recipes on this post, make this one for sure! 10/10 - drooling over it and want to make it again.

4. Honey Teriyaki Chicken - This recipe was a flop. A giant, soggy, mushy flop. I added a bag of broccoli to it --- that'd be good, right? Well, no. The sauce never came together. The broccoli got mushy. The chicken had a weird texture from being skillet cooked I think. Nope. Just didn't work. 2/10 - would not make again (but it was still edible.)

5. Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti  - This is a recipe Andy picked out and made, just for me! He doesn't like pasta or Italian food much at all but he knew that I would like it. I don't ask him to cook much because he gets home from work after 5 p.m. so I like to have food ready for him throughout the week. The weekends is a time for him to at least attempt relaxing so I don't ask him to cook then either... but sometimes I'll ask him to do a load of dishes. This was a really nice to treat to have Italian food cooked for me. The sauce tasted like an Olive Garden copy cat recipe - it was deluxe! It took him a while to make it; we're just going to say it was because he had to dust off his cooking skills. I have it on the menu for me to try this week. 9/10 - making again!

If you try any of these recipes, let me know what you think! If anyone attempts the Chinese food recipe and pulls it off successfully, send me your secrets!