Zesty Slow Cooker Chicken BBQ

I made this one day when Brian had gone back to work and it was just me and Mason at home. It was super easy. I love any recipe that involves the slow cooker aka crock pot.

Ingredients

6 frozen skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

1 (12 ounce) bottle barbecue sauce

1/2 cup Italian salad dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

 

Directions

Place chicken in a slow cooker. In a bowl, mix the barbecue sauce, Italian salad dressing, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Pour over the chicken.

Cover, and cook 3 to 4 hours on High or 6 to 8 hours on Low.
 
I shredded the chicken and made chicken BBQ sandwiches.

Wordless Wednesday: Bathtime

One Month Old

It's hard to believe that Mason is one month old today! Time surely has flown by. He has his doctors appointment tomorrow so we aren't sure exactly how big he is until tomorrow. He certainly is growing, that's for sure. As of his last appointment on the 14th, he was 6.65 lbs. Hopefully we have a 7 pounder on our hands now! Happy One Month, Mason. We love you. Thank you for bringing so much joy and love into our lives.

Update: Mason now weighs 7lbs 12 ozs. 20.5 inches longer with a 14 1/4 inch head.

Bunco Buns

These are simple and delicious. They are perfect for tailgating or just a quick afternoon snack. I could seriously eat all of them!!!

You will need:

1 pkg 24 party rolls (or I used 2 pkgs of 12 dinner rolls)

1/2 stick butter, melted
4 tablespoons poppy seeds
4 tablespoons mustard
4 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Sliced ham

Swiss cheese

In a bowl - mix together the butter, poppy seeds, mustard and Worcestershire sauce.

 

Spread sauce on both sides of rolls and put a piece of ham and cheese on each.

 

Cover and bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes or until cheese melts. Best if served warm!!!!

* I also put the sauce and poppy seeds on top, just to give it a little more flavor. *

Happy Birthday Mama P!

Happy Birthday Mama P!!!

(I promise I have a strapless dress on in this pic!)

Thank you for all you do for us! I would be lost without you. Thank you also for being a wonderful grammy to Mason!

We LOVE YOU!!

Are you ready for some football....

because Mason sure is!!! He has LSU, UT and ASU covered in terms of gear and cheering them on. If only him wearing his "make-shift" UT onesie would bring them good luck! Hopefully soon he will grow into this ASU onesie!

Now I'm off to find him a real UT onesie as well as a Wake Forest onesie! Which college team are you pulling for?

Happy 2 Months Reagan!

Happy 2 month birthday, Reagan!

We love you and hope to see you soon!

Thanks Zach and Taylor!!!

We can not thank Zach (Lynsey's brother) and Taylor enough for all they did for us the first week we were home. When we arrived home with Mason on Thursday evening, there was a hot meal waiting on our stove. They had gone over to Lynsey's grandmothers house and cooked one of her favorite meals to have waiting for us when we came home.

Since O'Malley can be a handful sometimes, he stayed at Lynsey's parents house the first week that Mason was home. Taylor came to the rescue and would walk O'Malley each day and play with him and make sure he wasn't left out. She brought him over to the house to meet his new brother for awhile.

They have truly been so helpful and love Mason so much. We are so grateful that Mason' has such loving Aunts and Uncles.

Thanks Z and T!!! We appreciate everything more than you know!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! Thank you for being such wonderful role models of what love and marriage are about. And most importantly, thank you for loving Mason with all your heart!  We love you!

Thanks Traci and Robert!

Traci (Brian's sister) and Robert (brother-in-law) came up over Labor day weekend to meet Mason and hang out for a few days. While they were here, they cooked us so many meals and cleaned up the house. We can't thank them enough for all they did. They made us so much food that we have eaten it for the past week.

The night they arrived was the LSU/UNC football game and being LSU alumni, they brought Mason the cutest little jersey shirt.

Even Izzy (their dog) had her own LSU shirt..

Mason with his Aunt Traci

Thank you Traci and Robert for everything you guys did for us while you were in town. Hope to see you again soon!

Dear Mommy and Daddy

This is a letter that one of my best friends, Jennifer, sent me. She found it on Baby Center and thought what a nice reminder it is to all the new moms and dads out there. It truly brought tears to my eyes the first time she read it to me. I asked her to re-send it to me as last night was a rough night with our little Mason. Seems he is still trying to figure out his days and nights. Hope you enjoy this little letter as much as I did.

Dear Mommy and Daddy,


Please keep this letter from me in a place where you can read it and re-read it when things are rough and you are feeling down.


1. Please don't expect too much from me as a newborn baby, or too much from yourselves as parents. Give us both six weeks as a birthday present, six weeks for me to grow, develop, mature, and become more stable and predictable - six weeks for you to rest and relax and allow your body to get back to normal.


2. Please feed me when I am hungry, I never knew hunger in your womb and clocks and time mean little to me.

3. Please hold, cuddle, kiss, touch, stroke, and croon to me. I was always held closely in your womb and have never been alone before.


4. Please forgive me if I cry a lot. I am not a tyrant who was sent to make your life miserable, the only way I can tell you I am not happy is with my cry, bear with me and in a short time, as I mature, I will spend less time crying and more time socializing.


5. Please take the time to find out who I am, how I differ from you and how much I can bring to you. Watch me carefully and I'll tell you things which sooth, console and please me.


6. Please remember that I am resilient and can withstand the many natural mistakes you'll make with me. As long as you make them with love, I cannot be harmed.


7. Please don't be disappointed when I am not the perfect baby you expected nor be disappointed with yourselves when you are not the perfect parents.


8. Please take care of yourself; eat a balanced diet, rest, and exercise so that when we are together, you have the patience and energy to take care of me. The cure for a fussy baby is more rest for Mom.


9. Please take care of your relationship with each other. What good is family bonding if there is no family left for me to bond with.


10. Keep the "big picture" in mind. I'll be like this for a very short time, though it seems like forever to you now. Although I may have turned your life upside down, please remind yourselves that things will be back to normal before long.

Enjoy me - I'll never be this little again!

Auntie Colleen

I have some of the most crafty women as friends. Auntie Colleen surprised Mason with this beautiful hand sewn quilt at the hospital.

Front:

Back

It's the Pledge of Allegiance on the back. Isn't it beautiful? Thanks Auntie Colleen, we love it.

Auntie Colleen and Mason

Wordless Wednesday: My "Ma Ma"

Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes

Another great one courtesy of Our Best Bites.  I never thought I liked Bleu cheese but you can't even taste it in these yummy potatoes.

Stuffed Bleu Cheese Potatoes


4 medium baking potatoes
½ Cup sour cream
1 oz (1/4 cup) crumbled bleu cheese
¼ Cup milk or buttermilk
4 Tbs real butter, cut into chunks
¾ tsp salt
Dash pepper
½ t garlic powder
8 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
Grated cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and dry potatoes. Rub them lightly with a bit of shortening or vegetable oil (helps crisp the skin) and place directly on oven rack, or a cookie sheet. Bake for one hour or until potatoes are done.

2. Remove potatoes and let cool just a bit. Cut an opening on the top and hollow out each potato, OR cut each potato in half (as shown in photos) to make 8 servings. You may want to hold them with a potholder as they will still be hot!

3. Scoop out the insides and place in a bowl. Mash, and add butter, sour cream, bleu cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic. Beat with a hand mixer until fluffy. Carefully spoon mixture back into potato shells. Place in a baking dish. Return to hot oven and bake for 12-15 minutes.


4. Remove and sprinkle bacon and cheddar cheese over each potato. Bake an additional 3-5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

5. Enjoy!

Happy Anniversary J & J!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY JEN AND JASON!

J & J are two of our best friends and we just love them to death. And how adorable is their little girl, Reagan?! We wish we lived closer so we could see them more often but Jen and I stay in touch as much as possible. We love you guys and hope you have a wonderful anniversary!!!

Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes

I am so thankful Leah introduced me to Our Best Bites. We have loved every single recipe we have tried from the site. Seriously, if you haven't checked it out yet, you don't know what you are missing!

Dressed-Up Sloppy Joes

1 lb. lean ground beef
Seasoning salt to taste
1 medium onion, minced
1/2 green pepper, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
3/4 c. ketchup
1 tsp. mustard
3 Tbsp. + 1 tsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. red wine vinegar
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/3-1/2 c. water to reach desired consistency
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
6 hamburger buns

Three different ways to cook them. I followed the Stove top Instructions.

Stove top Instructions:

Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Add in mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, red wine vinegar, and Worcestershire sauce. Combine tomato paste and water and add to hamburger mixture. Add more water if desired. Season with freshly ground black pepper to taste. Cover, turn heat to low, and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve on hamburger buns.

Crock pot Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to slow cooker. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Cook on low for 3-4 hours and serve on hamburger buns.

Freezer Instructions:
Brown ground beef with onion, green pepper, and garlic. Season to taste with seasoning salt. Transfer to a freezer-safe container. Add in remaining ingredients and combine well. Freeze. When ready to cook, transfer to a slow cooker and cook on low to 3-5 hours. Serve on hamburger buns.

All I can say is YUM YUM YUM!!! So much better than Manwich.

1 week Old

I meant to post this on Tuesday when Mason was 1 week old but time slipped away from me. He did so good at his 1 week appointment. Our little growing boy had already passed his birth weight and was up to a big 6 pounds!!! We are so proud of him. Hopefully he will continue to put on weight at that pace for awhile.

Halloween outfits

Yes, I realize Halloween is over a month away but I like to be prepared. I like to plan things ahead and be prepared when the day comes. So I thought I would whip up cute Halloween outfits for our family. Since our baby won't be ready for trick or treating and we will most likely just be visiting family, I thought it would be better to utilize some items we already have on hand for him.

His outfit:

We received this bib as a baby shower gift, the pants are from Old Navy and I can't tell you how many white onesies we have!

Brian's outfit

These are all items that Brian already owns.

My outfit

A slight variation of items that I already own.

So we will be one happy and matching family! I'm sure my boys will love me! Of course, we can't forget the pups! They will certainly get a Halloween treat... or two!

Do you like to plan ahead with your holiday attire?

Wordless Wednesday: A Dog's Life

Easy Livin'...

Mason meets Reagan

Jen and J surprised us with a visit over Labor Day! Mason finally got a chance to meet his girlfriend, Reagan. Needless to say, there is a little size difference but fear not, Big Mr. Mason has already surpassed his birth weight. Watch out, Reagan! Mason will be your size in no time. ;-)

Sweet girl, Reagan

Mason and Reagan

I am sure they will just love us for these pictures when they grow up!

Tackling the Closet

I am a huge fan of being organized and I am a huge fan of baskets. Luckily baskets help me stay organized. One of the many things I tackled during my third trimester aka nesting phase, was the tidy-up/reorganization of our linen closet. And thanks to my wonderful baskets, it was a breeze!

I am almost too embarrassed to show you the before but alas.. here they are!

Before

And here is what it looks like now...

After

The best part is we already owned the baskets and the white Ikea planters so this reorganization cost us nothing!

Now, if we can just manage to keep the linen closet looking this organized and neat, we will be doing good!

Are there areas of your house that you wish were more organized? Do you love baskets like I do?

Side Table Makeover

When Brian's sister moved into her new house, we inherited a set of side tables. Until recently they were living in the basement but we have now found a new home for them... the guest bedroom. They had good bones and we certainly didn't want to get rid of them. We were in need of a new side table or two in the guest bedroom since we moved the previous one to the nursery.

Considering I love all things white, it is only natural that Brian fixed them up for me and they now match the rest of the guest bedroom.

Before (please pardon the dust.. how embarrassing!)

After...

I couldn't be more pleased with the outcome! I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband that is always willing to paint things for me.

New Love

The new love of my life, Mason James..... along with Brian, O'Malley and Deacon...

Chicken Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls

I found out about Our Best Bites website through Leah's blog and have been hooked ever since. We have actually made these twice and loved them each time. Such a fun meal!

Chicken Bacon Stuffed Pizza Rolls

1 roll refrigerated pizza dough* (or make your own)

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1 T olive oil or melted butter
sharp cheddar cheese (I used 75% sharp cheddar and 25% mozzarella)
8 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
about 1 C shredded, cooked chicken.
3/4 C mayo
3/4 C milk

First take 1 teaspoon of your ranch dressing mix and combine it with 1 1/2 T Parmesan cheese. Set aside. Combine the remaining ranch mix with 3/4 C mayo and 3/4 C milk and place in the fridge to chill.

Preheat oven to heat specified on pizza dough package. Usually it's 400-425 degrees.

Unroll your pizza dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat or roll the dough so it's about 12" by 8". You're going to want to cut it into 24 squares, so just eyeball it if you need to. Use a pizza cutter to slice the dough into 24 squares.

Place cheese and desired toppings on each square.

When all of your dough squares have cheese and toppings on them, carefully lift up each square and wrap the dough around the toppings.

I grab the four corners first and then squeeze the seams shut. Then place them seam side down in a lightly sprayed pie pan (or similar sized dish). Brush with melted butter or olive oil and sprinkle with the Parmesan-ranch mixture.

Place your rolls in the oven. I've noticed baking time really depends on the type of dough I'm using. Whether it's different brands from the store, or homemade dough, they all take different amounts of time. Set your timer for 10 minutes and check on them after that. They may take up to 15 or 20 to be done. Take them out when they're lightly golden on top.

Serve them warm with a side of freshly made ranch dressing for dipping.

Beef Taco Bake

If you like simple and easy, you will love this recipe. And if you want to give it an extra kick, use hot salsa. Trust me, we did and it had a kick!

Beef Taco Bake


1 lb. ground beef
1 can (10 ¾ oz) Campbells Condensed Tomato Soup
1 cup Pace Thick & Chunky Sauce or Picante Sauce
½ cup milk
6 flour tortillas (8-inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6-inch), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese (4 ounces)

1. In medium skillet over medium-high heat, cook beef until browned, stirring to separate meat. Pour off fat.

2. Add soup, salsa, milk, tortillas and half the cheese. Spoon into 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover.

3. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Proudly Announcing.....

MASON JAMES MOORE!!!!

Brian and I are happy to announce the newest addition to our family. Our little man decided to be prompt and make his arrival on his due date. Mason James made his arrival at 4:16pm yesterday (8/31) weighing 5 lbs 13 ozs and 20 inches long. We are head over heels in love with our little man!!! We are all doing well and adjusting to life with our precious newborn. Stay tuned for his birth story.

Happy Birthday J!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!!!

We hope you have a wonderful birthday. We are so glad you are finally home and with Jen and Reagan! We hope to see you sometime soon! Have a great birthday!!!