mommy's bunkhouse chili

this is wonderful! it's so good and so easy. throw it all in the crock pot in the morning and forget about it until dinner.

Ingredients:
1 pound ground chicken
1 package frozen peppers and onions
2 cloves minced garlic
1 bottle bass pale ale
2 cans (16 ounce) crushed tomatoes
2 cups jack daniels original barbecue sauce
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons oregano
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cans red kidney beans

Directions:
brown chicken
mix all ingredients in a crock pot and cook on low for 8 hours

mommy's oats and wheat berry muffins

i know i'll be playing with this recipe. it's great like it is, but i'd like to experiment with whole grain mixes, other berries, and might try making cookies with this recipe as they would be much less messy for the girls to eat.

this recipe is great for road trips!

Ingredients:
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
2 small to medium bananas
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:
preheat oven to 375°F
microwave a jar of peanut butter until it becomes gooey and soft
line muffin cups with paper baking cups
process bananas in a blender until liquefied
add buttermilk and thoroughly blend until the mixture measures 1 1/4 cups
transfer mixture to a large bowl
add rolled oats to banana mixture and let stand for five minutes

in a second bowl, thoroughly mix baking soda, cinnamon, and salt
add flour and mix well

in the blender, combine maple syrup and egg; process until liquefied
add peanut butter and vanilla; Blend well
pour this mixture into the rolled oats; stir well
stir in the dry ingredients

lastly, fold in the blueberries

fill muffin cups about 3/4 full

bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

makes 12 muffins

gramlene's one dish chicken and rice bake

originally, this recipe called for the chicken breasts to be left whole and cooked on top of the rice. i pressure cook them to make them really tender and break them apart and mix them in. this makes it easier for the girls to eat (and i don't like baked chicken breasts, anyway).

Ingredients:
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 1/2 cups brown rice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
one bag frozen soup vegetables, thawed

Directions:
preheat oven to 375 degrees
prepare chicken in pressure cooker
prepare rice
mix soup, rice, paprika, chicken, and pepper
sprinkle with additional paprika and pepper
cover and bake for 45 minutes

mommy's tex mex bake

this will also probably change over time. i made the recipe once and have included my first round of improvements :)

Ingredients:
2 cups brown rice
2 cans (10 ounces) diced tomatoes
1 can green chilies
1 pound ground chicken, browned
4 - 6 cups tortilla chips, crushed
2 cans (15 ounces) seasoned black beans
2 pounds mexican cheese
guacamole
sour cream

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Spray a baking dish with cooking spray
prepare rice; set aside
combine cooked rice, tomatoes, chilies, and chicken; set aside
cover baking dish bottom with tortilla chips.
layer half of the cheese over the tortilla chips
top with beans and rice-tomato-chicken mixture
top with remaining cheese
bake, uncovered for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted
serve with guacamole and sour cream