Healthy & Easy Crock Pot Swiss Steak Stew

I know I've said it a million times but I'm a HUGE fan of Crock Pots. They just make life so much easier!

The other day we had my eight year old's third grade winter program. It was at 5:30pm which is a little before we normally eat dinner so I made this Crock Pot Swiss Steak Stew earlier in the morning so I wouldn't be stressed about dinner. It was so nice to be able to come home from a hectic night and have dinner sitting in the crock pot! I whipped up some easy Bisquick biscuits and we had a healthy, homecooked meal that only took a few minutes to prepare in the morning.

This stew is great because it's healthy, hearty and definitely warms you up. Plus it makes your house smell great! Another plus is that it's inexpensive because the cut of beef you need is always super cheap at the supermarket. Love that! Give it a try and let me know what you think! (Um, and obviously by looking at my pictures, I love a hearty stew with little broth, haha!)

Crock Pot Swiss Steak Stew:
Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 pounds boneless round steak, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can Italian-style diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup water
• 3 cups quartered red potatoes
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup sliced carrots
• Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 bay leaf

Directions:

1. In medium bowl combine flour and salt. Add beef chunks and coat well.
2. Coat a medium sized skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat. Add beef and cook until just browned.
3. In a crock pot, layer potatoes, carrots, beef and then onion. Season with salt and pepper as you layer. Mix the can of tomatoes, water and any remaining flour mixture and pour in the crock pot. Add in the bay leaf. Cover and cook on LOW for 7 to 8 hours or until beef is tender. ENJOY!

*Recipe adapted from Allrecipes

 If you're looking for more crock pot dinner ideas, check these out:

The BEST Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

Easy Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

Delicious Crock Pot Rotisserie Chicken 

NINE Yummy Crock Pot Dinner Recipes

Skinny Crock Pot Taco Stew

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Can't Resist Rolls (The BEST Crescent Rolls You'll Ever Eat!)

I'm scared of yeast. I admit that I have a total bread-phobia. Baking bread scares me.

I remember when I first got married, my mother-in-law bought me a bread maker. The first time I used it, the bread was as flat as a pancake and hard as a rock! I was mortified. I mean, who screws up bread FROM A BREAD MAKER?! I DO!!

Anyway, my sister Nicole is a great cook and she makes big yummy dinners for whatever holiday I'm in town for. She makes these awesome rolls. I devour them every. single. holiday. But three years ago, I found myself staying in California for Thanksgiving and I was SO bummed that I wouldn't be partaking of Nicole's amazing crescent rolls. So I did what any craving pregnant woman would do and busted out the cookbook she had given me that her church had put together. Lo and behold, there was her recipe for "Can't Resist Rolls".

I'm not gonna say I wasn't scared of screwing them up, because believe me I was! I had my parents driving over from Arizona to eat Thanksgiving dinner at my house and for the first time ever I was in charge of the whole turkey dinner. I definitely wanted the dinner to be nice. After reading the directions probably ten times through just to make sure I had it all down, I attempted to make rolls for the FIRST time ever! And guess what?? They were GOOD! And pretty darn easy!

Ever since that Thanksgiving, I make these awesome rolls for almost every holiday and sometimes just because. You better believe I'm making them for Christmas Eve dinner this year! You should too! They get prettier and prettier every time I do them. Practice makes perfect! :) So all of you awkward bread people, check it out! You can totally make these! And all you bread pros, check it out - these are awesome crescent rolls to make for whenever you have a roll craving. I've included pictures of most of the steps for those bread-challenged, like myself, ha!

Here's what you need:

Can't Resist (Crescent) Rolls:
Printable Recipe HERE
Yield 4 dozen rolls

Ingredients:

• 2 (1.4-oz) packages of yeast
• 1/2 c. warm water
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 c. milk (I use 2%)
• 1 c. oil (I use canola)
• 1 c. sugar
• 2 tsp. salt
• 8 c. all-purpose flour
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 c. butter (melted)

Directions:

1.  In a drinking glass, dissolve yeast in warm (but not hot) water with 1 tsp. sugar. In a microwavable large mixing bowl (I used my big Pampered Chef one) warm milk, sugar and oil for one minute. Add salt.

2.  Add 2 cups flour and mix with mixer. Add eggs and beat. Stir in yeast mixture. Add three cups flour, beat again. Add last 3 cups flour and mix with a spoon.

3.  Cover and let rise 2-3 hours, until size doubles...

4.  Once doubled, separate dough into 4 equal balls.

5.  Roll out each ball individually into a 1/4" thick circle.

6.  Brush with melted butter...

7.  Add cut like a pizza into 12 pieces.

8.  Roll into crescents...

 ...just like this...



9.  And place on buttered cookie sheets - 2 dozen per sheet.

10.  Once all dough is rolled out, cover with a dish towel and let rise for another hour.

See? All big and fluffy!

11. Now bake 'em for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees F. If you don't want to make 4 dozen dinner rolls, make 2 dozen and use the rest of the dough to make cinnamon rolls, orange rolls, etc.

Seriously, these rolls are amazing. Give them a try and let me know what you think!

If you're looking for more side dish ideas, check these out:

Brown Sugar Glazed Carrots

Homemade Soft Pretzels

Mom's Sunday Fruit Salad

Creamy Yogurt Fruit Dip

SO Good Mandarin Orange Salad

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10 Yummy Cookie Recipes!

 If you're looking for some great recipes to add to your holiday cookie list, look no farther! I give you...10 yummy cookie recipes!! All are tried and true and family approved! I hope you enjoy!

 I Want to Marry You Cookies

 Chocolate Waffle Cookies

 Chewy M&M Sugar Cookies

 {Low Fat} Cool Whip Cookies

 Marshmallow Cloud Cookies

 Chewy Peanut Butter & Chocolate Surprise Cookies

 Cinnamon Roll Cookies

 Delicious Low Fat Chocolate Cookies

 The Yummiest Snickerdoodle Cookies EVER

Healthier 3-Ingredient Fudgy Chocolate Cookies

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Maple-Mustard Chicken aka "World's Best Chicken"

I love Pinterest! I remember when it had just started and my sister-in-law was telling me about it. I was so confused. Virtual pin boards?? Whaaaa? And now, I can't stay off the dang site. It's so much fun to browse. I especially love the plethora of recipes. (Fancy word, eh? Learned it from Pinterest. Kidding!)

I pinned this recipe a while back because it sounded super easy and with a name like "World's Best Chicken", it had a lot to live up to. ;)

You mix together Dijon mustard, maple syrup and red wine vinegar and pour it over salt and peppered chicken. Pop it in the oven for about 30 minutes and when it comes out, throw some rosemary on the top.

There's this layer of yummy goodness on the top of the chicken that somehow makes the chicken underneath super moist! I honestly wasn't expecting this recipe to be "the best" but it was really delicious! One of the best baked chicken breast recipes out there! This is a great recipe to add to your rotation. I served it with a green salad and it was an easy and tasty weeknight meal. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Maple-Mustard Chicken aka "World's Best Chicken":
Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 5 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• salt & pepper
• rosemary (dried)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and add your chicken breasts. Season with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together Dijon mustard, maple syrup and red wine vinegar. Pour over chicken breasts.

3. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until chicken reads 165 degrees with a meat thermometer. Season with rosemary and VIOLA! Delicious, healthy, home cooked meal!

*Recipe adapted from Rachel Shultz

If you're looking for some more yummy dinner ideas, check these out:

Easy Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

It's Dinner Thyme Chicken

Mom's Chicken Squares

The Best Burger Recipe

Easy Vegetable Pad Thai

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Sunshine Muffins

Hi friends! I guest posted a little while back on a wonderful blog named Love & Laundry. I shared my sister's recipe for Sunshine Muffins, which are the bomb!! ;) I recently made them for my family and wanted to re-share the recipe!  

We go through a lot of cereal at my house. I try to buy the better-for-you cereals but they end up sitting in the cupboard, uneaten, for weeks. What my kids really like are the super sweet kinds that are void of real nutrition and full of artificial flavors and sweeteners. And they can eat bowl after bowl and be hungry again less than an hour later!

So I'll whip up a batch of these muffins for breakfast and my kids devour them! They taste so sinfully good. They're super moist from the grated carrots and apples and have a yummy, spicy flavor from the nutmeg and cinnamon. It's a sneaky way to get myself my kids to eat carrots and apples (without bribery) and keep them full longer. Plus it helps keep my cereal shelf full longer, too. Ha! And they are SO EASY to throw together for a quick breakfast. Whether you have kids or not, these muffins will be a hit at your breakfast table!

Sunshine Muffins:

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar (plus a little more for dusting on top)
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. nutmeg
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 2 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup apple, peeled and grated
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, optional
• 1/4 cup coconut, optional

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, eggs, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix well with wooden spoon.

2) Fold in remaining ingredients: carrots, apple, nuts and coconut. Scoop into 12 regular-sized greased muffin tins and sprinkle a little sugar on top of each muffin. Bake for 18-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. ENJOY!!

If you're looking for some more delicious breakfast ideas, check these out:

Lean, Green Breakfast Machine Smoothie

My Hubby's Authentic French Crepes

Light Raspberry Cream Cheese Muffins

Nicole's Homemade Granola

{Skinny} Oatmeal Pancakes

The BEST Homemade Waffles

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Healthier 3-Ingredient Fudgy Chocolate Cookies

After seeing what Cool Whip can do for cookies and diet soda can do for brownies and cake... why not try using Greek yogurt with cake mix and see what happens??

Oh, my friends. What a delightful low calorie treat! They are soft and fudgy and delicious! And by eliminating the oil and eggs and adding Greek yogurt instead - it cuts out 945 calories and 117 grams of fat from the entire recipe!!! Yikes!

Not sure about you, but my pants get tighter every holiday season because of all the treats I make and eat give out. So this recipe is great because it gives you a snack to satisfy the sweet tooth but won't add to your waistline. I love having some healthy alternatives for holiday snacking!!

Healthier 3-Ingredient Fudgy Chocolate Cookies:
(recipe from Kirbie's Cravings)

Printable Recipe HERE
Ingredients:

• 1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
• 1 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
• 1 cup chocolate chips (I used mini)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Pour cake mix and yogurt into a large glass mixing bowl and stir with a spoon. It may appear that there is too much dry batter to blend with the yogurt but if you continue to stir, it will come together into one uniform dough. A little more cake mix will stick to the yogurt with each stir. After the dough comes together, if it really does seem too dry, add in one more tablespoon of yogurt and mix until blended.Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Take rounded tablespoons of dough and place on cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press down gently on dough as it does not spread that much during baking. Bake for approximately 8-10 minutes. If you touch them, they will still be very soft. The cookies will firm up and set after finished cooling. Let cookies cool on the cookie sheet and firm up before removing them from the baking sheets. ENJOY!!

If you're looking for some more delicious dessert ideas, check these out:

Low Fat Diet Dr. Pepper Brownies

Chocolate Waffle Cookies

Marshmallow Cloud Cookies

Chocolate Lust Dessert

M&M Sugar Cookies

 Try these out and let me know what you think!

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Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Spotlight Saturday, Tuesday Talent Show, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Totally Tasty Tuesday, Wednesday Extravaganza, Cast Party Wednesday, Tasty Thursday, Full Plate Thursday, Saturday Show & Tell, Foodie Friends Friday,

The BEST Crock Pot Minestrone Soup

I'm a little bit of a soup snob. I love a good bowl of soup.

Not too brothy. Not too thick. Minestrone is one of my favorites. It's so filling but super healthy. I've tried SO many recipes for minestrone and this by far is my absolute favorite!

Why? It has the best flavor! It's super easy to throw in the crock pot and cooks while you're at work or taking care of the kids. It has tons of veggies and you can add in whatever pasta you want. It's really versatile. I've made it several ways and each time it turns out fabulous! Give it a try and let me know if you agree - is this really the best minestrone soup? ;) Oh, and don't let the amount of ingredients fool you, it's really simple!

Crock Pot Minestrone Soup: (adapted from here)

Printable Recipe HERE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1 cup carrots, chopped (about 3 carrots)
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28oz) can petitie-diced tomatoes
• 1 (15 oz) can white beans, drained & rinsed
• 3 cups fat free chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 1 oz chunk of good Parmesan cheese rind
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves (or 3/4 tsp. dried)
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen (defrosted) spinach
• 1-2 cups cooked small pasta like ditalini or elbows (al dente)
• extra Parmesan cheese for serving

Directions:

1. In a crock pot, combine broth, tomatoes, beans, carrots, celery, onion, garlic, herbs, parmesan cheese rind, salt and pepper. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours.
2. 30-40 minutes before the soup is done cooking, add zucchini and spinach. Cover and cook 30 more minutes.
3. Add cooked pasta, cook 10 minutes more.
4. Remove bay leaves, rosemary sprig, parmesan rind and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and top with extra parmesan cheese. ENJOY!!

If you're looking for some more crock pot dinner ideas, check these out:

Crock Pot Whole Rotisserie Chicken

9 Yummy Crock Pot Dinners

Healthy Crock Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

Crock Pot Skinny Chicken Jambalaya

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken

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Easy Penne Arrabiata

You guys ready for the ultimate comfort food dish?

I introduce you to... Penne Arrabiata. Sounds like a fancy name, no? Like a restaurant dish or something. Don't be fooled! This is an easy dish you can whip up for dinner in no time - that your family will love!

The name actually means "angry pasta" because of the use of chili peppers in the sauce. Get it? Angry?! ;) I made this version a little less spicy because of my wee ones, but feel free to add some more red pepper flakes to make it spicier!

Easy Penne Arrabiata: (Recipe adapted from Allrecipes)
Printable Recipe HERE 

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 (28-oz) can petite diced tomatoes, italian style
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 1 bunch fresh basil, chopped
• 1 (12-oz) package penne pasta (I used a healthier lower carb kind)
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups italian style bread crumbs
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1 pound thin chicken breast cutlets or tenderloins

Directions:

1. Heat 1/4 cup of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and saute for a few minutes. Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes, and saute for another minute. Pour in the diced tomatoes and tomato sauce, and add the basil. Simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add penne pasta, and cook for 8 minutes, or until tender. Drain.
3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs with a fork. Place bread crumbs in a separate bowl. Stir the garlic powder, salt and pepper into the bread crumbs. Dip chicken cutlets into the egg, then press into the bread crumbs until completely coated.
4. Heat remaining olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for about 5 minutes per side, or until the coating is a nice dark brown color.
5. Remove chicken, and cut into slices. Toss the chicken slices into the sauce, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir in the cooked penne, simmer for a few more minutes to soak up the flavor, then serve. ENJOY!!

If you're looking for some more delicious dinner ideas, check these out:

9 Yummy Crock Pot Dinners

Easy Crock Pot Beef Stew

Skinny Cheesy Pasta Bake

Baked Jerk Chicken

Skinny Chicken & Broccoli Alfredo

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Tuesday Talent Show, Totally Tasty Tuesdays, Tasty Tuesdays, Trick or Treat Tuesday, Cast Party Wednesday, Work it Wednesday, Tasty Thursday, Showcase your Talent Thursday, Show Off Your Stuff Party, Full Plate Thursday, Friday Link Party, Weekend Wonders, Fantabulous Friday, Foodie Friday, Strut Your Stuff Saturday, Spotlight Saturday,