Recipes on Parade

 My recent effort to be more consistent with meal-planning has motivated me to start trying out some of the many recipes I've pinned on my "Looks Delicious" board on Pinterest. (Is that enough links in one sentence for you? Buckle up - this is going to be a link-heavy post). There have been a few recipes that haven't made the cut for our household, but we've really enjoyed several of the dishes I've tried. I'm excited to share them, but I don't think I understand proper blogging etiquette/copyright law enough to trust myself to post the actual recipes (or versions of them) here, so instead I thought I'd just review a few we've liked and give you the links to the original blogs so you can give them a shot if you're interested! Here are some that have made the official move to my "Worth Eating Again" board:

No-Bake Energy Bites
 Oh heavens. I'm telling you about these first while I still have your attention because I'm crazy about them. They are basically a healthier version of a no-bake cookie: oats, flaxseed, chocolate chips, peanut butter, honey, toasted coconut ... how could you go wrong with that combo? I also love that, if you used steel-cut oats, this is a quick and easy gluten-free snack. My mom & sister both have to eat gluten-free, so I always get excited when I find something that I think is delicious that I can share with them. I've got a container of these little guys in my fridge right now, and they are so filling that you really wouldn't want to eat more than two at a time. Also, they always make me want to drink milk. You should make these.

Hawaiian Barbecue Pulled Chicken Sandwiches
  I don't think I've mentioned this recipe before, but I've made it several times over the past few months and it has become one of my favorite quick and easy meals. Well, it's quick and easy to assemble, but since it's a crockpot meal I guess it actually takes quite a while.All you need for this recipe is chicken, chopped onion, barbecue sauce, & pineapple; and all that is required of you is to toss it in a crockpot & then shred the chicken when it is nearly done (the shredding even being made a breeze by tossing it in the Kitchenaid mixer - a handy tip I learned from my friend, Carol). It's a great meal to freeze half of for later (or to share, if you're in the stage of life where it seems someone has a baby every other week).

Crockpot Brown Sugar Chicken
  I was both intrigued and a little nervous about this recipe, mostly due to the massive amount of brown sugar you dump in your crockpot. Then, in it's early cooking stages, I was sure we were going to end up with a huge pot of chicken we'd have to throw away, because the vinegar smell was a little stinky. However, by the time dinner rolled around and we topped our rice with the chicken, poured on a little of the broth, and mixed in the steamer bag of veggies that were fresh out of the microwave (because this is the only way I can get myself to consistently prepare vegetables without tons of waste - and I'm okay with that), we found it made quite a tasty dish. Since the recipe makes a TON of chicken, I ended up shredding all of the leftover chicken, freezing half, and keeping the other half in the fridge to eat on sandwiches, with rice, or over a salad.

7 Layer Mexican Bean Dip
 I tried out this 7 layer dip for a community group potluck last night. I liked the idea of a dip that is a little different than the traditional cold 7 layer dip I would normally think of. While I probably won't make this often (it's REALLY hearty & a little time-consuming), it's great for a crowd. It takes a little while because you have to factor in baking the spicy brown rice it calls for. I think I might prefer some of the flavors of the traditional cold dip (I'm a big fan of sour cream & guacamole), but it was fun to have something a little spicy and unexpected.

  There you have it - the latest & greatest, from my kitchen to yours.

  Also, if anyone knows of a great resource for understanding good blogging/linking etiquette that would help me make sure I'm not being a pirate or an intellectual property thief, please send me the link. I really try to avoid being a thieving pirate.