Friday Favorites - Tastes Like Chicken.

Somebody, please. 

Help. Me.

It is APRIL19th and this was what it looked like outside yesterday. 

Over 10 shiny new inches of snow fell during this "winter storm" (last time I checked, April was not a winter month). I'm seriously considering moving. Although, the last time we wanted to move it was to Colorado and I'm pretty sure all this new snow we just got came from there so it's clear that somebody in the weather-making world hates me. 

celebritygoogly.com

Oh, I see you Al Gore, I see you.

When the weather finally does turn warm and the snow is gone and the leaves come back and I can plant flowers and sit out on my deck (I'm estimating late July), there's gonna be so much sunshine and rainbows spewing from my ass right onto this blog that you're gonna need highly reflective goggles. 

Consider yourselves warned. 

Anyway, I could go on and on about the weather (which everyone who lives here is doing), but if I continue I'll be in serious jeopardy of breaking things that are not usually breakable (like my spirit) so I need something to make me smile - quickly.  

Oh, that's better. One of my all time favorite magical moments from a movie. Seriously, when this happened the first (and next 50) times I watched this in the late 80's I died. Still do. Love you, Blaine!

My other favorite magical movie moments? 

The last minute of "Sleepless in Seattle" -

credit: aarp.org

and the very end of "While You Were Sleeping"-

credit: hwdyk.com

The depth of my cinematic appreciation is staggering, I know.

But I digress.

This week the favorites aren't movie moments (although judging from the above 6 or 7" it would appear otherwise), but instead come straight from here -

My Crock-Pot. 

I'm not a Crock-Pot cooker. Chef. Whatever. If you've followed along long enough you know I just simply do not like to cook. Anything. And if I do it usually has to have (say it all together, now) less than six ingredients. So while it's true that I'm always interested in Crock-Pot cooking, I rarely use it other than to make my famous spaghetti sauce a handful of times a year.

Until now.

Thanks to Pinterest (of course) and my friend Melissa (what up, Melissa!), I've discovered something that has revolutionized my view on cooking dinners. 

Chicken in the Crock-Pot.

You guys, it's the easiest and most delicious thing ever.  In the past two weeks I've made the most delicious and tender (gag - that is one of my all time most hated words, but necessary here) chicken dishes that are easy and fast (much like America's former Sweetheart, Taylor Swift).

Here's the basics -

Put 4 chicken breasts in a Crock-Pot and cover with sauce. 

Turn on LOW for 4 hours (thawed) or 8 hours (frozen).

Voila!

Dinner. Done.

And here's the ways I've cooked it, but because I'm not a food blogger, I totally forgot to take pictures of all but one of these - 

1.  Salsa Chicken -
Cover chicken breasts with a mixture of your favorite red and green salsas*. Shred* and put in heated corn tortillas with lettuce, cheese and black beans. (Thanks, Melissa!)

2.  Buffalo Chicken -
Cover with your favorite Buffalo Sauce* and half a package of dry Ranch Dressing mix. Shred* and put on mini buns. Serve with celery, ranch and tater-tots (of course).

3. Teriyaki Chicken -
Cover with Teriyaki sauce*. Add pineapple at the very end. Instead of shredding, "chunk" up and serve on steamed sushi rice.

*The amount of sauce is totally your call. You can always add more at the end, so I usually adhere to the "less is more" rule at the start. I also take the chicken OUT of the Crock-Pot to shred and then drain a bit of the juice before putting back in. I don't like soupy chicken. 

4. This last one I found on Pinterest, so I'm giving you the link to the recipe. 

Honey Sesame Crock-Pot Chicken

(While you're there, check out some of the Six Sisters' other recipes. Although they have way too many ingredients for me and I'll probably never make them, they look yummy.)

This is actually my result. Have I told you how addicted I am to Edamame?
FAVORITE ALERT!!
I eat a whole bag about four times a week.  I've apparently got a soy addiction. 

This one is a lot like the Teriyaki method, but a bit different. More ingredients, but still easy. I added pineapple and served over steamed sushi rice. It was fabulous warmed up the next day, too. 

So there ya go!

Next week I'll use BBQ sauce I think, and Husband and I have been brainstorming even more delicious things to use. It's so dang easy. Which, for me, is key.  

I'm sure I'm late to the party on this whole thing (as usual), so sound off in the comments - What are some ways YOU make Crock-Pot chicken? I'm always happy to get more ideas!

Oh! I almost forgot! The WINNERS of an e-copy of the newest Life Well Blogged book - Parenting Gag Reel!

Deb 
Jenn (2nd time winner!)
Becky
Kristie
Evil Joy

Congratulations! You five were chosen in a highly scientific method which included Thing 1 and Thing 2 reading your responses and cross-checking Facebook while I cleaned the kitchen. Email me your email addresses and I'll have the fabulous ladies who put the Life Well Blogged books together send you the e-books! youremyfavoritetoday@gmail.com
Thanks to all 9 of you for playing! Your odds were great, so if you didn't win, I'm sorry to say that if I were you I wouldn't waste my money on a Powerball ticket in the near future.

Have a great weekend, you guys! 

{I'll be staring at my flip flops and crying.}

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