Whole Chicken

I have always wanted to cook a "whole" chicken but just always found it easier to buy a rotisserie chicken already cooked from the grocery store...but now that I'm unemployed I've been trying to cook during the week. Last week when we were grocery shopping I saw the whole chickens were on sale...a 5lb chicken for like $5 bucks, I think. Being the tight wad frugal shopper that I am, I suggested we buy one! I searched the Internet yesterday afternoon for a recipe that sounded yummy - I found one and then changed it up a bit. I headed to the kitchen, gathered my spices, chopped my veggies, and then it happened...I saw all the "stuff" was still in the chicken. "ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! I HAVE TO TAKE THAT OUT MYSELF?!" is what I shrieked to the husband. He continued playing his video game while laughing and said, "uh yeah, what'd you think?" Um, I certainly didn't think I had to removed GIZZARDS (whatever that is) and livers and hearts and ugggh whatever else was in that nasty looking chicken. I threw up in my mouth, a lot. I gagged. I choked. I turned the chicken upside down and shook it. And I vowed to NEVER buy another whole chicken. Buuut, omg, after an hour and 45 minutes of cooking...that chicken was soooo good and juicy! See for yourself....



I think I'll make another one...IF the husband "cleans" it out first!

New Life

I'm still alive! Just living my life away from the computer. Hubs and I have been spending much needed quality time together. When I was working and going to school we were lucky to get an hour a day together...and most of the time I was doing homework during that time. Since he works 24 hours, 24 hours off, 24 hours on, and then off for 5 days we have PLENTY of time together! I love it! I've been cooking, can you believe it? I made Cheeseburger Meatloaf and Mashed Potatoes last night...thanks Rachel Ray! I've been cleaning, a lot! I even have bruises from scrubbing the baseboards on my hands and knees today!! Can you believe that?! I don't like to clean anymore then I did before but...it's a small price to pay to get to stay home everyday!!

We're taking the girls out of daycare!! WOOHOO! I haaaaaaaaaaaaate daycare so I'm glad we're able to get them out of there! I plan on making our summer pretty scheduled just for the simple fact that if I don't I know the girls will be bored and drive us insane! =) We are really blessed that between my summer school schedule and hubs work schedule there is only ONE day we'll need to get a babysitter for 3 hours while I'm at school. Our neighbor has graciously offered to watch them that day.

We're having a family crawfish boil Saturday since we didn't get to have one for Easter. My mom is in town so we're working on getting her to move back to Texas! ;) We miss our Mama and it's time for her to come home!

I've tweaked and crammed my school schedule and will be able to hopefully graduate a semester earlier then expected...I'll probably be cussing myself later for doing this but I really want to graduate and be done with school! And no, I will NOT go back for my Master's. The school district can keep their $1,000 a year for a Master's degree. =)

Well, I think this post is random enough. Just wanted to update my few readers! Hope everyone is doing as well as I am! I love this new life!

Paula Deen Is My New Hero

Photo Credit

Last week I was in charge of making desserts for the guys at the fire department after the funeral. I felt a lot of pressure! LOL I didn't want to embarrass my husband...I already do that enough by being the wife who doesn't cook dinner often, doesn't clean house often, and a list of other "not often" things! (Good thing he does all of those often, right?) In my defense...he has FIVE days off a week...I have NONE! Anyway, I'm a good wife. ;) I just don't cook...I bake. I even told one of his captain's wife that...ha. I didn't want to bake just plain ol' cookies or a plain ol' box cake...so Mama went all out....I turned to Paula Deen...I mean, this lady LOVES butter...firemen love butter...or anything fattening for that matter...so I knew she wouldn't let me down. I chose three different recipes from her but the Double Chocolate Gooey Butter Cake won the heart of my husband and his firemen brothers!!

Here's the recipe...oh and be ready to have a heart attack from the amount of butter in it!

Ingredients:

1 16-ounce) box powdered sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 egg, plus 2 eggs
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
2 STICKS (16 tablespoons) of butter, melted, plus butter to grease the pan.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts (I omitted this, hubs doesn't them but I read other people replaced them with choc. chips)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Lightly grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 egg, and 8 tablespoons (1 stick) melted butter, and stir until well blended. Pat mixture into prepared pan and set aside. In a stand mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining 2 eggs, and the cocoa powder. Lower the speed of the mixer, and add the powdered sugar. Continue beating until ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the remaining 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of melted butter, and the vanilla, continuing to beat the mixture until smooth. Stir in nuts with a rubber spatula. Spread filling over cake mixture in pan.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes. (I baked mine for 50 mins) Be careful not to overcook the cake; the center should still be a little gooey when finished baking. Let cake partially cool on a wire rack before cutting into pieces.

I did not take a picture of my final product because I thought it looked hideous but evidently it was very good.(I don't eat anything I bake usually, except that 6 layer cake)Mine was also not round like Paula Deen's...I just left it in the throw away 13x9 pan and sent it with the hubs!

Here are the recipes to the two other things I baked as well...

Buttery Fingers Mine were balls...not fingers...and get your head out the gutter! ;)

Banana Pudding (special request from the hubs) The bottom layer of cookies were butter cookies with chocolate covered tops...added some flavor...hubs didn't care too much for those but the other guys like the chocolate touch.

Torture That Smells So Sweet

Bath and Body Works just likes to torture me. Proof here.

I'm working on my Stride4Stroke and birthday post...I'll post it tonight. Too busy at work today, go figure.

And I cooked again last night...I think my family is highly confused.

I Cooked...Can you believe it?

No secret here...I hate to cook! But for my family's own good, I've been trying to cook a little more. Yesterday I decided to cook one of my mom's recipes...I mean really, she's Cajun...who doesn't love Cajun food? Now, don't make this if you're looking for a low fat dinner..Cajun food is not low fat! ;)

Crawfish Enchiladas


1/2 stick of butter
1/2 cup onions, chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
1 pound crawfish tails
1/2 cup half & half
1/2 cup Monterrey jack cheese shredded
1/2 cup Colby cheese shredded
1/4 block of Velveeta Mexican style cheese
Cajun Seasoning
10 flour tortillas


Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

In butter, saute onions and bell pepper until clear. Add crawfish, Velveeta, and half & half. Season to taste. On low, simmer for 15 minutes. Do not bring to boil.

Fill each tortilla with mixture; roll. Place seam side down in pan. When finished spoon remaining sauce over top and spread grated cheese on top. Bake for 10 minutes or until shredded cheese on top is melted.

Serve with green salad.

I only used 8 flour tortillas...because I kind of put too much mixture into the first few tortillas...this came out so delicious...and BOTH of my children ate theirs...and even asked for seconds. I was so shocked!! We love us some crawfish in our house and really can't wait to eat some hot and spicy boiled ones! Even though the whole family loved this recipe I probably won't make it too often because like I said before, it is by no means low in fat or sodium!! But it's ok to splurge sometimes, right?