• stay in for this favorite…fajitas

    The Hubby has started cross fit in the last couple of months…yes I said The Hubby is doing cross fit.  Now just to be clear, I am not doing cross fit The Hubby is doing cross fit and I am so, so proud of him.  He has been so committed and goes at 6:00 AM, 3 days a week and in turn I have been trying to feed him a little better (with a  few indulgences here and there). One of the things The Hubby has been really craving and needing is protein and I think he could eat grilled meat 6 times a day, and especially fajitas.  He has…

  • ham, ham, beans & more ham…

    Easter has come and gone, and if your refrigerator looks anything like mine it loaded with tons of leftovers.  I have some au gratin potatoes, green bean casserole, pistachio fluff and of course ham…tons & tons of ham…so why not add some beans to the mix?   It never fails, you think you buy a ham that is the perfect size for all the peeps you have coming, where most of it will be eaten and there won’t be half a ham in your fridge the next day…but it always seems to happen.  Every year I say I am going to buy a smaller ham (and I did this year)…

  • Chicken with some Mexican flair

    Spring break has started here in my part of the world and I know everyone’s calendar is booked solid wth super fun activities with the kids, & making a super delicious slow cooker meal is a perfect option for this week (or any week)…plus check back tomorrow for a 2nd round recipe using this slow cooker chicken. It is no secret that I love the slow cooker as I am sure many of you do as well, but this mexican chicken is a new favorite for sure.  It is loaded with tons of flavor but it has just a few ingredients, many of which you probably have on hand.   To…

  • get up & smell the bacon

    Spring Break is here and that means it is time to relax, have fun and EAT…& I say lets eat some bacon!! There is just something so indulgent about bacon that makes you feel like your doing something a little naughty…and trust me this sweet & spicy version is a keeper for sure!!   In my house plain bacon is special… but this version takes it to a whole new level. The trick to this bacon is baking it…do you normally bake it?  I started baking mine a while ago…not only does it make perfectly crisp, but still tender & it is so much LESS messy.  There is no bacon grease spattering…

  • kicky shrimp on the grill

    I love shrimp!  There I admit it…I L.O.V.E those cute little things!  Since I was a little kid I have always been a fan.  One of my earliest memories involves this favorite treat.  There was a restaurant in Houston that I loved, JoJo’s.  It was a family type of place that we ate at quite often and I would always get their fried shrimp.  To my 6 year old self this was without a doubt the BEST dinner ever…I didn’t care that they were frozen, rubbery or over cooked (really over fried, but I don’t think that is a legitimate cooking term)…none of that mattered to me … I loved my…

  • trust me you can have these fries…

    FRY TIME!  Trust me this is one of my favorite phrases…there is just something so great about FRIES!!  For me it doesn’t matter if I am having them with burgers, grilled chicken or on their own I just LOVE FRIES!!  The only problem with fries is they are just not good for you, as much as I love them I only get them every once in a while…unless I make my skinny fries! Yes you read that right…skinny fries.  Now potatoes by them selves are not terrible for you…they get bad when you fry them in oil or cover them in cream and cheese (oh man, au gratin potatoes sound…

  • fajita skewers please…

    Who is ready for grilling season…I AM!!  There is just something so great about getting outside and cooking over an open fire (or having The Hubby do it) and experiencing the great flavors that come with it.    It just seems to make everything taste better, even the stuff that isn’t cooked on the grill….and especially these fajita skewers. Living in SE Texas definitely has its perks and one of the big ones is almost year round grilling and these fajita skewers are a must make.  Fajita’s are a favorite when we go out to one of our favorite Tex-mex restaurants but they can be loaded with extra fat and…

  • bringing the sassy with salmon

    Is there ever a wrong time to add a little a sass to your dinner table.  Ok, now I am not talking about sassy back talk from your tween’s or teenagers, but how about a little sass on the table with a super delicious salmon dish? Now a sassy dish could be anything that you take to the next level and make it special but last week sassy was all about a new salmon dish that turned out super delicious.  The Hubby and I love salmon, and we normally have it once a week at least but I wanted to change it up a bit without adding a ton of…

  • taking chicken soup to the next level

    Chicken soup is a childhood memory that is one of my favorites for sure.  Growing up we had several versions that would show up every once in a while.  Sometimes it was chicken and rice, or chicken and noodles and when we went to my MeeMaws it was chicken n dumplings…and now we have Mexican chicken soup.   Don’t get me wrong I love all the traditional chicken soup’s out there but I wanted to change it up a bit, while adding in a little kick and some extra veggies along the way…plus it was all made in the slow cooker making it a perfect weeknight dinner without a lot…

  • never order a ham again

    Almost every Thanksgiving my brother-in-law will order a ham from that honey place, but this year I decided I wanted to tackle it on my own…I mean it surely couldn’t be that hard. First I had to decide if I wanted the it to be sweet, more spicy or fruity.  After discussing it with The Hubby we decided a combo of sweet and spicy would be the way to go so off we went.  Second we had to find the ham…off to the store we went.  After looking at several of the hams piled up we decided on a 9 pound bone-in hickory smoked one.  The name alone sounded yummy so anything…