I am not a gourmet cook. I don’t even try new recipes all that often. I experiment a little but tend to stick with recipes that my family likes and I can make quickly while I am working. This Chicken and Noodles recipe is one that I have been experimenting with for about a year and always get rave reviews over. I think it is finally ready to pass along!

Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles

Family Favorite Slow Cooker Chicken and Noodles

3 skinless chicken breast halves
4 cups chicken broth (2 cans)
2 cups water
16 oz. package Reamers frozen egg noodles (homestyle)
1 package frozen crinkle cut carrots
2 stalks of celery (optional)
onion
salt
pepper
poulty seasoning
2 T cornstarch

Directions:

1) Place the chicken, water, broth, salt (to taste), pepper (to taste), and celery (optional) in the crockpot on low for 4-6 hours until chicken is cooked the whole way through but not falling apart.

2) Remove the chicken and set aside. Put the noodles and carrots into the crockpot for 30-45 minutes depending on how soft you like your carrots.

3) Shred the chicken and sprinkle it with poultry seasoning to taste. Dissolve the cornstarch in a just enough water to liquify it.

4) When the noodles and carrots are done, return the chicken to the crockpot as well as the cornstarch mixture.

Cook for at least 30 minutes on high or leave it for up to a couple more hours on low, depending on how much you want the broth to turn to “gravy” as opposed to broth. You can even make it one day like this and refrigerate overnight and then return it to the crockpot to heat up briefly the next day if you like the gravy to be really thick or are making it ahead for company.

Chicken breasts are the easiest way to make it, but it will be more flavorful if you use other chicken parts. I always throw them in if I have them (like leftover rotisserie chicken). You just have to be very careful to strain your broth for bones before you put the noodles in. I also sometimes use frozen mirepoix (celery, onion, carrots) if I have it instead of the crinkle carrots. You can also cut everything up fresh, but the point of the recipe is to keep it as simple as possible!

With only a few weeks left before my kids go back to school, I’m pulling out all of my favorite summer recipes to make sure that we get through all of them at least one more. This is one that everyone asks me for each time that I make it. When I got it, it was called Celebration Cake, but I have heard other people call it Sunshine Cake, which I like better. It also helps clear up the confusion between this cake and the Celebration Cake that you can get on Disney cruises. It’s simple and low fat and great for summer!

Also, you can experiment with the cake flavors and pudding flavors. I like to use lemon in one or the other (but not both, it’s overkill–trust me). I also top with colored sprinkles.

Celebration Cake (Sunshine Cake)

Yellow Cake Mix — 1 box
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
4 eggs (I use eggbeaters instead)
11 ounces mandarin oranges — 1 can

“Frosting” Ingredients
8 ounces Cool Whip Lite® — 1 small container
1 ounce fat-free vanilla instant pudding mix — small box
15 1/2 ounces crushed pineapple in juice — 1 can

Preheat oven to 350*. Stir together all ingredients by hand for 2 minutes.
Spray 9×13″ pan w/ cooking spray. Pour batter into pan. Bake 30-40 minutes.

FOLD all frosting ingredients together when cake is cool. Spread icing on cake & refrigerate.

Per serving: 215 Calories (kcal); 5g Total Fat; (20% calories from fat); 3g Protein; 39g Carbohydrate; 47mg Cholesterol; 248mg Sodium Food Exchanges: 0 Grain (Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 1/2 Fruit; 1/2 Fat; 1/2 Other Carbohydrates

Serving Size: 16

This bread pudding recipe is very similar to the one that the restaurant in Lazarus used to serve. Every time I make it, I get requests for the recipe. It’s a pretty standard custard, but the sauce really makes it.

Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce

3/4 lb Bread, French or Sourdough
1/4 c Pecans
4 oz Butter, melted

Custard:
2 c Sugar
1 tsp Salt
8 Eggs, large
5 1/2 c Milk
1 tsp Vanilla

Whiskey Sauce:
8oz Butter, melted
2 c Powdered sugar, sifted
2 Eggs, large, beaten
1 oz Whiskey (hint: buy a “plane sized” one if you don’t usually drink it)

Custard:
Break bread into medium pieces. Add pecans and melted butter. Pour into 9×13 pan.

Blend eggs, salt and sugar with a wire whip. Add vanilla and milk. Blend and strain. Pour over bread and nuts mixture.

Bake at 350F in a pan of water (creating a double boiler effect) for 20-25 minutes. Do not put too much water in the bottom pan or the custard will take too long to bake. Test with knife.

Whiskey Sauce:
Melt butter. Whip in sifted powdered sugar. Fold in eggs. Add whiskey. Serve warm.

Makes approximately 8-10 servings. Terrific reheated the next day.

My family and I get tired of eating the same things week after week. Pizza night on Saturday is always a hit but it’s the weeknights where I need to get more creative. I tend to stay with basic dishes that can be made without buying and measuring a lot of different spices and ingredients. It’s hard enough to fit in time to cook between working and the kids’ activities. I need simpler solutions! The problem is that a lot of the pre-made and boxed kits do not fit into the health requirements that I set for my family meals.

I was excited to learn about the new Lawry’s Complete Meal Ideas. Each packet includes the spices needed for the recipe, the recipe itself, and what you should add to it. I say “should” add to it because you can always adjust it to your family’s likes and dislikes (we don’t eat mushrooms, so I just left them out of the chicken marsala). The recipes all take approximately 20 minutes to prepare and come in 4 new varieties: Asian Style Beef & Broccoli, Chimichurri Burrito Casserole, Mediterranean Sundried Tomato & Garlic Chicken, and Tuscan Style Chicken Marsala with Garlic & Basil. The key is that you are making the dinner FRESH but at the same time getting some crucial shortcuts that will help you get the meal on the table faster.

I was lucky enough to be sent a Lawry’s Complete Meal Ideas gift pack from MyBlogSpark and they are going to give away one to one of my readers as well! I was able to try out 4 different meals for my family. To my surprise, the Chimichurri Burrito Casserole was their favorite, followed closely by the Sundried Tomato and Garlic Chicken (with extra black olives and the feta cheese on the side). Would you like a chance to try them with your family for free?

To enter:

1) Leave a comment below telling which variety of Lawyr’s Complete Meal Ideas you are most interested in trying (one entry).

2) Post on Twitter about the contest and leave a comment below with your Tweet (one entry).

3) Sign up for our newsletter on the right and leave a comment below (e-mail will be verified) (one entry).

4) Blog about this contest or post the contest in your giveaway section and leave your link to the post below (two entries).

Drawing will take place November 15 at noon Eastern. Must be a US Resident, age 18 or older to enter. Winner will be notified via e-mail and have 24 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

I love to cook in my crockpot (I think we’re supposed to call them “slow cookers” now). The hard part is that not a lot of crockpot meals fit my Weight Watchers points. One of my favorite cookbooks, however, is nothing but healthy and low fat recipes that you can make in your crockpot. It’s called Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly. They have a whole line of slow cooker cookbooks, but this is the one with the great low fat recipes.

What I do is go through and pick out a handful of recipes and run them through the Weight Watchers point counter. Then I write the point totals into the book so that the next time I cook, I don’t have to look them up again. I also write in any alterations that I have made.

Tonight we are having Taco Soup. It’s a lot like chili except a little more soup-like in consistency and includes a ranch dressing packet, which gives it an extra kick. It’s 5 points a serving and everyone in my family loves it. We also make the Chicken Soft Tacos regularly as well as the Chicken and Dumplings. The key is just testing things out and then leaving notes in your margins so you know what to go back to later. With hundreds of recipes, you will be cooking new healthy and light recipes in your crockpot for your family for months to come!

You can pick up Fix-It and Forget-It Lightly at Amazon or most book sellers.

I received an interesting recipe from The Crab Place in my email over the weekend and thought that I would pass it along. It looks like a great little appetizer!

Easy Crab Roll-Up Recipe

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated crescent rolls (8)
1 pound lump crab meat
cheese of your choice
onion salt

Preparation Instructions:

Separate rolls from 1 pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls; sprinkle each with a little onion salt. Drain 1 can lump crab meat; fill each roll with crab meat and bits of cheese of your choice. Roll up starting from wide end. Place on baking sheet (point side down). Bake in moderate oven (375 degrees) for 12 to 15 minutes. Makes 8. Serve with green salad for lunch

» This recipe is credited to Miss Sue Lambden of Georgetown, DE and was the Junior Range Winner at the 1970 National Hard Crab Derby in Crisfield, MD.

Looking for the ultimate cooking contest for moms? Check out the French’s Cook-Off. They are looking for easy, original recipes that “smiles back to dinnertime.” The recipes must include at least one French’s product and have no more than 8 ingredients.

The process is a little bit complicated:

“During the Recipe Submission period (see below), 20 semi-finalists will be selected for advancement: 10 selected by a judging panel and 10 by popular online vote. The top 20 recipes will be featured on the FRENCH’S® website and advance to the Selection period (see below) for a chance to be named as one of the five finalists for the LIVE cook-off using your recipe. The finalists will consist of one “people’s choice” award winner selected by popular vote along with four other finalists chosen by the FRENCH’S® judging panel. These five finalists will advance to the final LIVE Cook-Off event in February or March 2010.”

The grand prize is $25,000! One of the other cool things is that you can browse through the site and read other recipes. If you submit yours, leave us a comment and we will go vote for you! Click here for the French’s Cook-Off 2009.

I’m reposting this recipe because summer is here and the Low Country Boil is one of our favorite things to do as a family. We originally had this at the Edmunds’ Family Low Country Boil at the Disney Vacation Club in Hilton Head a couple of years ago. These are not the exact recipes that we had at Disney, but they are really similar and delicious. We have started a new 4th of July tradition as a result of the Low Country Boil! We initially tried to cook it in a big outdoor pot, but it took too long. So we switched to a turkey fryer and it worked much better. (Click here to find Turkey Fryers at Amazon.com)

Low Country Shrimp Boil Recipe from Chef Rick

Ingredients:

1/2 lb. Keilbasa per person
1/2 lb. Raw shrimp in shell per person
3 Red bliss potatoes per person
1 Ear of corn per person
2 Lemons
Cayenne pepper
Cloves
Garlic
Bay leaves
Old Bay Seasoning
Black pepper
TabascoOptional:
2 Small onions per person
1 Carrot cut into 4ths per person
1-2 crabs per person

Boil water in a large kettle on stove or outdoor cooker. Season water with salt and your choice of above flavorings along with the juice of two lemons or 2 tablespoons of vinegar. Add potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add carrots, sausage and onions. Bring back to a boil. When potatoes and carrots are almost tender, add corn and crabs. Bring to a boil, then add shrimp. Cook a few minutes until shrimp are just done – they will be pink in color. Drain and pour into a basket or onto platters. Have cocktail sauce and Dijon mustard at hand. This is a crowd pleaser!

Low Country Boil Recipe from Group Recipes

Ingredients: 

Directions:

We have been on vacation for the last week and that meant lots of fast food and processed foods. I’m ready to get back into the grind and start making family meals again. I set out to find some quick and easy recipes to add to my collection. I like to plan all of my meals at the beginning of the week and go grocery shopping one time for everything. This helps keep my grocery costs down plus lessens the chance that we will eat out because I can’t find anything to fix.

A big hit at our house is Lasagna. If you find the right Lasagna Recipe, you can even make some minor modifications to it like using low fat cheeses. Or make the pan the night before and put it in the fridge. Then pop it in the oven to bake about an hour before dinner time. We always serve our lasagna with salad and a loaf of multigrain bread. That ensures we get some extra fiber with the meal.

Although cooking for the family does take a little time, you will be so satisfied when you sit down to the meal. And with a dinner like lasagna, you are almost sure to have some leftovers–a perfect lunch the next day!