What's for Dinner: Chicken Con Salsa (3-Ingredient Crock-Pot Recipe)

How many of you make time to sit around the dinner table in the evening as a family? It took us a while to get to the point where we were doing it every night. Here is one of our family meals that we enjoy together.

I honestly do not remember where I learned this recipe and I have not been able to find anything like it anywhere. The hubby and kids really enjoy it on those random occasions that I make it and I have no idea why I do not make it more often. It is such a simple recipe with only 3 ingredients and served over rice it is so yummy! Maybe because I am not a huge fan of touching raw chicken, let alone chicken with the bones still in them.

I call this Chicken Con Salsa, mostly because it is just chicken, salsa and corn. Serve over rice and it's complete! I've even frozen ahead and made later!

Chicken Con Salsa

(a 3-Ingredient Fix-it and Forget-it Recipe)

Ingredients:

1 package of bone-in chicken thighs (approx 1.5lbs or 9 thighs)

32oz Herdez Salsa, I use mild/medium but you can use whatever heat you prefer

1 lb frozen corn

Directions:

remove the skin from the thighs. I also prefer to remove most the fat as well. (don't forget to wash your hands after handling the raw chicken!)

place chicken bone side down at the bottom of your crockpot

cover with salsa

pour in corn

cover and cook on low for 4.5-5 hours or until chicken is cooked through (it is suggested that chicken reaches internal temperature 180°F) It will literally be falling off the bone!

Prepare rice according to package directions either on the stove or in a cooker when you have that amount of time left for the crockpot (i.e. I start the rice with 30 minutes left as that is how long it takes to cook 3 cups in the cooker) 

Serve over cooked rice and enjoy!

and then get seconds and not worry about presentation...

I use a 7qt crockpot. you can divide the recipe in half if you have a smaller one.

*update* here is a printable 5x7 recipe card so you can easily access this recipe whenever you need! Just click on the picture!

click here to download the card

Try it! What did you think?

Happy cooking!

Crafting Mystery Challenge: February Idea Swap: Black and White

Do you remember the mystery challenge that we had back in August? A group of bloggers got together and did an idea swap. It was great fun, and his towel is still his favorite! check it out here.

We are doing the Mystery Idea Swap again, and this time I have Black and White from Jonie Brooks of Knot Sew Normal. I gave Amy over at Friends Stitched Together Arabian Nights!

I had so many ideas running in my head. BlackTie wear for the kiddos, chess inspired garments for the kiddos, something formal. But then as I walked into my craft room I saw my chess quilt, unfinished, hanging on my design wall. I had to finish it and this was just the motivation I needed to complete this long running project! I till plan on making chess pieces to use with this!

I used the line Ebony Ginko in the Stonehenge Metallics line by Northcott. I have had a fat quarter bundle of these forever with this exact intention. I even have 1 fat quarter left over!

The binding was one of the fat quarters sewn together to make continuous bias binding. I literally had none left over! This was the tutorial that I used for making bias binding. I have always avoided it because it seemed hard, but it wasn't and I love how it turned out! I mean, Look at those awesome diagonal lines!

And, I even hand stitched the binding on! The final stage and it always kills my hands, but it looks so pretty!

I used a variegated silver and white thread for the quilting. Most of it was straight line quilting except for two little squares that have a queen and a king free-motion quilted. I had a little bit of difficulty with the king because I couldn't find any marking tools to use that I could see...

queen

 Sorry the king is hard to see....   Obviously though, not some of my greatest FMQ work.

king

But, I think it looks kind of cool on the back. A little funky king, but hey, it's modernized right? ;)

Speaking of the back, this is the reason I didn't quilt diagonal lines. It screamed for something else once I had it basted together.

I pieced this back! I am so excited! I almost love it more than the front! It gives me two quilts in one! The gray is Kona Coal and I used leftovers of the cutting from the squares and the border fabric.

Seriously, super excited about the turn out of it!

The quilting is just squares, simple but works.

Bonus, I have one UFO checked off my list for the FAL2015 too! I hope this counts for the challenge. What do you think, did it meet the challenge?

And, Check out the other participants in the series! These lovely blogging ladies are skillful and this fun challenge wouldn't be much without their participation!

Friends Stitched Together – Arabian Nights│Felt with Love Designs – Monochrome │Rebel & Malice – Rockabilly │Berry Bunch – Black & White
Mandy K Designs – Audrey Hepburn│Friends Stitched Together (Tasha) – Great Barrier Reef│Huisje Boompje Boefjes – Broadway│Knot Sew Normal – French Revolution
The Sewing Sparrow – Nature│Made by Sara – Under the Big Top│FABulous Home Sewn – Jane Austen│Lulu & Celeste – Woodstock ’69
Mae & K – 70’s Cartoons│Sew Starly – Mythical Creatures│Pen, Seb & Rox – Paper Airplanes│Create 3.5 – Nursery Rhymes

Round Up

Happy Sewing/crafting ... Creating!

Brown and Pink Jelly Bean Inspiration: Handmade Boy's Boys Can Wear Pink Series {and a Giveaway}

Thanks for coming by to my stop on Handmade Boy's Boys Can Wear Pink blog tour! How fun are these posts? What is your opinion on breaking those 'gender roles" and color association?

Hubby is not much for having boys wear pink. It's a girl's color. I can say it is far from one of my favorites! But, it has been one of little man's favorite colors since he started really paying attention to colors. It started when we were potty training almost 2 years ago and his reward for using the potty was jelly beans (it was shortly after Easter). His two favorite colors? Pink and Brown. Since then, his two favorite colors? Pink and Brown.

Hey, it's a great combination! Enter: Brown and Pink inspiration...

For the pants I used the Pier 49 Convertible Cargos by Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop (affiliate links). I used some hand me down old sheets that was used as fabric for the brown and had the stripes sitting in my stash that was *supposed* to have been turned into a quilt for baby girl. Much better as pockets for little man's pants! :)

For the shirt I used the Maui Muscle Tee by Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop (affiliate links). I used an old light-pink tank of mine for the body and binding and the same brown sheet for the side panel.

I pulled most of my browns and pinks for little man to pick and these are his decision. I love how it turned out and *bonus* so does the Hubby! I cannot even say how excited that I am to hear him say it looks good! It helps that little man goes running up to him showing off his new outfit! :D

One extra bonus with this push of social norm boundaries? A giveaway! Some great designers and shops have shown their support! Check out these awesome prizes!

Stenzo Pit Stop Poplin in pink from Mabel Madison
$25 gift certificate, plus a surprise fat quarter from Phat Quarter Shop
One yard of solid cotton/lycra & one yard of coordinating fabric from Purple Seamstress
One pattern of choice from Paisley Roots
$20 store credit from Peek-a-Boo Pattern Shop
One pattern of choice from Patterns for Pirates
One pattern of choice from Mouse House Creations
Bottoms Up Pants Pattern from If Only They Would Nap
One Pattern of choice from Titchy Threads

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top: Maui Muscle Tee by Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop

Pants: Pier 49 Convertible Cargos by Peek-A-Boo Pattern Shop (affiliate links)

Happy Sewing!

Tally Skirt AND GYCT Design's 1 Year Anniversary! {Pattern Test, Review and Grand Opening Sale!}

I've been super busy with sewing projects lately! But my favorites have been the Tally Skirt that I tested for GYCT Designs (affiliate)! Guess What, GYCT Designs is celebrating their 1 Year anniversary for selling patterns! Hard to believe! Opening up a shop on their website (with a fantastic sale) is a pretty cool way to celebrate!

But first, I must share with you the absolute cuteness of the Tally skirt! I tested the skirt (it also has a short option!) in the 6 month size because Baby Girl is so skinny!

Here was the first one I sewed up!

The side features knife pleats and a button tab for aesthetics. Love it!

Check out that reverse applique matching Tinley Tee shirt I made! I am super stoked at how awesome it turned out! I love it! Want to do some reverse applique on your own Tinley Tee (or pattern of choice) this was the tutorial I used as reference for my own, check them out here.

The pattern features options for skirts and shorts. Side knife (accordian) pleats and the button tab. The waistband has an overlap in the front with simple, easy to follow direction and buttons for aesthetics. 

I did not sew up the shorts, but I did sew up the skirt twice. The cool thing with the skirt is that you can adjust the length as you see necessary. The second skirt had 6 mos waist with 18 month length. My skinny little baby girl looks cute no matter what though (in my biased opinion)! :)

Here is the second skirt:

Want to see more skirts, and also take a look at the shorts option, Check out the release post over at GYCT Designs!

You can head straight to pick up your own copy for the skirt on Craftsy, Etsy, or on her own shop (affiliate)

Speaking of her own shop, she is having a sale! Every thing on the GYCT Designs website is discounted in celebration for these next few days! Head on over to GYCT Designs to check out what there is. That isn't a bad sale, it's awesome! (I am an affiliate, so by clicking on my link to her website shop and making a purchase I do receive a small amount in return)