Air Fryer Everything Bagel Chicken Nuggets

This post is in partnership with GoWise USA. All opinions stated in this post are my own.

My nasturtium plant has finally bloomed and it makes me so happy!
I was a little late in the game getting it planted, but now it's finally producing some blooms
and I love adding these peppery tasting editable flowers to my salads. I'm not sure how long
it will last into the fall, but with these warm temperatures we've been having in Virginia,
I hope to get a few more weeks of blooms from it.

Disney Le Creuset and Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

This post is in partnership with Le Creuset. As always, all opinions are my own.

When I heard that Le Creuset was adding a Mickey Mouse Collection to their Disney line
of amazing products I almost screamed in delight! Two of my favorite brands all wrapped
up into one!! Best day ever!

Last week Le Creuset introduced the Mickey Mouse round Dutch oven, as well as a set of
two Mickey Mouse Ramekins. They are so adorable and perfect for Disney fans like me!

Easy BBQ Chicken Pizza

This super easy meal combines two family favorites, barbecue chicken and pizza!
BBQ chicken pizza is perfect as a weeknight meal or for Friday pizza night!

Chicken Pot Pie Pasta

I'm so happy that spring is officially here, but our weather has been crazy. Sixty degrees
one day and twenty degrees the next. Is it winter, is it spring? Who knows!

One thing I do know is that when it's cold and dreary outside, there's nothing like a warm
and comforting meal for dinner. Chicken Pot Pie Pasta is comfort food at it's best, and
the fact that it is a one-pot meal makes it even better!

Quick and Easy Chicken Noodle Soup

Dutch Oven Sprite Chicken and a Le Creuset Giveaway

Skillet Chicken Nachos

Chips and salsa are one of my favorite snacks.

Add some chicken, cheese, black beans and avocado and you've got dinner!

We love Mexican food.  

You can find my husband and I at Chipotle at least once a week, in line with a hundred

JMU college students.  Our location is always super busy!  We're easy to spot because 

we're usually the oldest ones in the place.  What is it about college students and Chipotle?

Quick & Easy Chicken Zucchini Noodle Soup

Over the past three weeks I have traveled to Philadelphia, Vero Beach, Orlando, back to

Philadelphia and then New Orleans.  That is a lot of travel, especially for me! 

Some of the travel was for fun (which I will tell you about soon) and we had a blast, but

it's so nice to be home again! 

Salsa Chicken Nacho Bites

The NFL Playoffs begin today and that means that Super Bowl 50 will be here soon!

My family loves football, especially the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we're super excited
about the game tonight! Go Steelers!

Happy New Year and Healthy Meal Prep

Happy 2016!
I love the start of a new year and a fresh perspective.

Our holiday decorations have been packed away and the house is back to normal.
I'm really excited to get back on track with healthy eating and exercise, like many
of you I over indulged over the holidays and now my body is paying the price.
To get back on track I have joined Liz from The Lemon Bowl and Dara from Cookin' Canuck
in their Healthy New Year Six-Week Challenge.  I would love for you to do it with me!

Winter Chicken Bake

I haven't posted many dinner ideas lately, so I thought I would share one of our favorites.
Winter Chicken Bake is an easy one dish meal that is perfect on a cold winter evening.
The flavor combination is delicious!
Sweet potatoes, onion, carrots, apples and chicken baked in a cranberry barbecue sauce.
I use fresh cranberries, but frozen would be fine too.
Not fond of sweet potatoes?  Use Russet or little red potatoes.
This dish has so many possibilities!

I usually serve Winter Chicken Bake with roasted green beans or broccoli.
Add it to your dinner rotation and let me know what you think!
Enjoy!

Bourbon Pecan Chicken

I served this Bourbon Pecan Chicken as an appetizer at a Christmas party we
hosted over the weekend and several people have requested the recipe, so here it is :)

I have made this dish many times over the years and Bourbon Pecan Chicken is always a hit with guests! I have used plain bread crumbs and panko bread crumbs, either works fine.
Panko breadcrumbs were in the pantry, so that is what I used when making it this weekend.

The crunchy pecan breading and the bourbon sauce are a perfect combination.
Bourbon Pecan Chicken is a tasty dish for any occasion!

Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas and a Giveaway

Now that the weather is cooler here in Virginia, there's nothing like coming home from
work to the smell of a nice, warm dinner ready and waiting in my Hamilton Beach Slow Cooker.

Like most families, our fall schedules are crazy busy.  My husband and I both work
outside of the home.  He also helps coach football at our local high school, so when
he finally gets home in the evening he's pretty hungry!
My slow cooker is a life saver!

The Hamilton Beach Set & Forget Programmable Slow Cooker has three choices for
easy, automatic cooking, program, probe and manual mode.

Chicken Florentine Pasta

I have been planning out our evening meals for the past few months and I can't believe how much time and money this has saved.
Not to mention my sanity!
Why have I not been doing this for years??

It is SO nice coming home from work and actually have a plan of what I am making and have all of the ingredients I need :)
It's about time I got my act together!!

This chicken and pasta dish comes together in no time and it is SO good and healthy too.
I usually cut the recipe in half since there are only two of us most of the time and I still have some leftover for lunch the next day.






















Chicken Florentine Pasta

1 lb. whole wheat pasta (I like Bow Ties)
4 boneless chicken breasts
2 T olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup dry white wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
3/4 cup chicken broth
1 bag baby spinach
2 cups grape tomatoes, halved

Cook pasta in lightly salted water; drain and set aside.
Cut chicken breasts into chunks and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil over high heat in a large skillet.  Add chicken, but do not stir for a couple of minutes, allowing it to brown on one side.  Turn the chicken and brown the other side.  Cook until done, then remove from skillet.

Turn heat to medium and add garlic; stirring quickly to avoid burning.  After about 30 seconds, pour in wine and broth, stirring to deglaze the pan.  Allow the liquid to bubble up, then continue cooking until reduced by half.
Turn off heat.  Add spinach, tomatoes, chicken and cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine; the spinach will wilt as you do this.  Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and toss again.

Recipe from Tasty Kitchen

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.  It's more fun if you're there too!

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas are one of our favorite weeknight dinners.
This dish is SO EASY to prepare and tastes delicious!

I throw all of the ingredients into a big bowl and toss to combine.
Spread the chicken and veggies out on a cookie sheet and in 30 - 35 minutes dinner is ready.
Got to love that!

Serve with a side of fiesta rice and whole wheat tortillas for a healthy meal any day of the week.

Oven Baked Chicken Fajitas

4 boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 small onion, sliced

2 T olive oil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
flour tortillas

Toppings:

shredded cheese

salsa

sour cream

lettuce

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

Grease a 9x13 bake dish or cookie sheet with non-stick spray. Place chicken in the bake dish.

In a small bowl mix together the olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano and garlic powder. Pour the mixture evenly over the chicken and stir to coat. Add the peppers and onions to the dish and stir to combine.

Bake uncovered for 30-35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are fork tender.

Serve with tortillas and your favorite toppings.

Serves 4.

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home

Litehouse Freeze-Dried Herbs and a Recipe

Happy mail arrived today :)

The nice people of Litehouse Foods sent me some of their Freeze-Dried Herbs to try.
It was perfect timing since my container herb garden has pretty much bit the dust now that the weather has got so cold here in Virginia.  I love using fresh herbs when possible, but hate the waste when I don't use them all.

Litehouse Freeze-Dried Herbs combine the convenience of dried herbs with the taste of fresh.
They harvest their herbs at the height of flavor and freeze-dry them immediately. When they come into contact with moisture they rehydrate instantly.  No more herbs dying in my crisper drawer!

Tonight I used the poulty herb blend, which consists of onions, thyme, sage, marjoram, spring onions, garlic and rosemary.  You use them just like fresh herbs.  If your recipe calls for 1 tsp. of fresh herbs, use 1 tsp. of freeze-dried as well. I also used the garlic.

I love wide mouth on the container.  My teaspoon fit in there nicely.

Overall I was very impressed with the quality and taste of Litehouse Freeze-Dried herbs.
I will definitely use them again and again in my recipes. 
Be sure to check out all of their other products as well. 
You can find them on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Click here to sign up and receive a .55 cent off coupon for a Litehouse product.






















Herb Chicken and Tomato Orzo

2 large boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin
1 tsp. Litehouse Freeze-Dried Poultry Herb Blend
2 T olive oil
1 tsp. Litehouse Freeze-Dried garlic
1/4 cup diced onion
1 can petite diced tomatoes
3/4 cup whole wheat orzo
1 1/4 cup chicken broth
salt and pepper

Pound chicken breasts thin and place them on a plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle poultry herb blend over the chicken breasts.

Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until tender, about 1-2 minutes.
Add garlic and saute for about 30 seconds, stirring frequently.  Place chicken breasts in the pan and cook for about 5-7 minutes on each side or until brown. 
Remove the chicken breasts from the pan.  Add the chicken broth, tomatoes and orzo.  Stir to combine.
Place the chicken breasts back into the pan and cover with lid.  Cook over medium low heat for about 20 minutes or until orzo is tender and chicken is cooked through.
Yield:  2-3 servings

The New and Improved Food Lion & A Giveaway!

I was recently invited to participate in a Food Lion ambassador program to check out the new and improved Food Lion stores and to let my readers know what I thought. 

This program sparked my interest because I normally do not do my family grocery shopping at Food Lion. 

I've had an MVP card for years, but I rarely ever use it.  

Our grocery shopping is divided between Martin's and Wal-mart. 

I purchase fruit and produce at Martin's because they have a really nice selection of organics
and Wal-Mart for our staple items.  They seem to be less expensive for those type of items.

I was excited to receive my program package, so I could make my Food Lion comparison.

I love fun mail days :)

This is what was inside the box.

A wooden recipe box with several recipes, Food Lion Reusable Shopping Bag, spatula, oven mitt, wood cutting board, a super cute lion cookie cutter and a $150 gift card.

Let's go shopping and check them out.

The produce section was very inviting. 

I just wish they carried more organic fruits and veggies.

The cart gives the store a little farmer's market feel. 

I liked it.

The store was very clean and inviting. 

I was pleasantly surprised.

Food Lion's "my essentials" program promises you their lowest prices on the items you buy most.

I found the pricing on these items to be very competitive.

I often buy whipped topping for desserts that I make.

The Food Lion price was LOWER than Wal-mart.

Love those buy one get one free deals too :)

I always keep a jar or two of sauce in my pantry for a quick dinner, such as Skinny Chicken Parmesan.

Skinny Chicken Parmesan

4 boneless chicken breasts, pounded thin

olive oil

salt and pepper

italian seasoning

4 slices provolone or mozzarella cheese

parmesan cheese, if desired

1 jar marinara sauce

whole wheat pasta

Place chicken breasts on a plate.  Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and italian seasoning.

In a large pan, over medium heat, saute chicken breasts until done.

While chicken is cooking, place pasta in boiling water and cook until al dente.

In a glass bake dish sprayed with cooking spray add 1 cup of marinara sauce.

Place cooked chicken breasts on top of marinara sauce and add a slice of provolone cheese onto

each chicken breast.  Place under oven broiler until cheese has melted.

Spoon pasta on each plate and top with chicken and cheese.

Add additional sauce and parmesan cheese if desired.

Overall I was very impressed with the changes that Food Lion has made and will probably shop there more often, especially when I don't want to deal with the craziness of Wally World!

How would you like to win a $50 Food Lion gift card so that you can make your own comparison?

Just leave a comment on this post telling me what you would purchase from the new and improved Food Lion.  The contest is open to U.S. readers over the age of 18 and ends May 15th at 12:00 p.m. EST

Extra entries (leave a comment for each extra entry)

Like Me and My Pink Mixer on Facebook.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Twitter.

Follow Me and My Pink Mixer on Google Friend Connect (sidebar)

Good luck!

This giveaway is now closed.

“I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central for Food Lion. I received a gift card and product kit to facilitate my review.”

Route 11 Potato Chip Review & a Recipe

Have you tried Route 11 Potato Chips?
Oh my gosh are they delish!
Believe it or not - this potato chip company is only a half an hour away from my house and the first time I had their chips was about two months ago!
How did I not know about this crunchy deliciousness all my life??????

Route 11 Potato Chips offer fabulous flavors like Dill Pickle, Yukon Gold, Chesapeake Crab, Sweet Potato and Mama Zuma's Revenge.  Of course they have the classics like Barbeque, Lightly Salted and Sour Cream and Chive too. 

They sent me bags of each flavor to try and boy did I love sampling them :)
Sweet Potato is my fav!!

Potato Chips are a nice treat for a snack or to add some crunch to go along with you sandwich for lunch, but did you know you can crush them and use them as breading for chicken too?  Give it a try - it's delish!

Click HERE to find out where you can find Route 11 chips and follow them on Facebook too.

Chesapeake Crab, Sweet Potato, Dill Pickle, Salt 'n Vinegar

Barbeque, Lightly Salted, Mama Zuma's Revenge and Sour Cream 'N Chive

Potato Chip Crusted Chicken

recipe from Paula Deen Magazine

4 boneless chicken breasts

1 1/2 cups crushed potato chips

1 cup milk

1 egg

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsp. dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a shallow bowl whisk the milk and egg together.

In another shallow bowl, combine the crushed chips, parmesan cheese, basil, salt and pepper.

Dip the chicken breasts into the milk mixture and then dredge in the potato chips.

Place on your baking sheet and bake 25-30 minutes or until done.

Enjoy!

Note - Route 11 Potato Chips sent me the chips for this review, but I was not compensated in any way.

All opinions are my own.

Easy Chicken Stir-fry

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program I received a bag of Tyson Grilled and Ready Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast and a box of Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice in the mail. 
They asked me to try them out and create a meal, so that's just what I did.  This was also a good excuse to dig my Wok out of the pantry, which is always fun to use :)

I decided to combine the two products and make a quick and easy Chicken Stir-fry for dinner. 
To be honest, I prefer using fresh chicken breasts and brown rice when cooking, but both of these products were pretty good if you need a home cooked meal fast.  I used the produce I had on hand, but you can easily adjust to your liking.

Easy Chicken Stir-fry

1 pkg. Uncle Ben's Whole Grain White Rice
1 T olive oil
1/3 cup red pepper, julienned
5 green onions, sliced thin
1/3 cup diced celery
2 cups fresh broccoli florets
2 cups Tyson Grilled and Ready Oven Roasted Diced Chicken Breast

1/3 cup Yoshida's Original Gourmet Sauce

Prepare rice as directed on the package.

Heat olive oil in a wok or large skillet.  Saute the onion, red pepper and celery until crisp tender.

Add the broccoli florets and diced chicken.  Stir fry for a few minutes and then add the sauce.

Stir fry a few more minutes and then serve over rice.

Fruity Chicken Salad

Turkey sandwiches are by far my favorite for lunch, but sometimes I switch it up and eat chicken..
I'm wild like that.

The great thing about chicken salad is you can add whatever you want. 
Don't like craisins? Leave them out.
Like green grapes instead of red?  That's fine too.
I don't like too much mayo on mine, so I keep it on the dry side, but you can add as much as you like :)
Get a little wild and crazy like me and make yourself some chicken salad soon.

Fruity Chicken Salad

4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Half jar of Orange Marmalade
1 cup Red grapes, halved
1/2 cup Celery, chopped
1/2 cup Craisins
One Gala Apple, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Light Mayonaise (I use Kraft Reduced Fat Mayo with olive oil)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Place chicken breasts in a bake dish coated with cooking spray and spoon orange marmalade on top of chicken.  Bake in oven for about 45 minutes.  Let chicken cool and then chop into bite size pieces.  Mix with the rest of the ingredients and serve on a Sandwich Thin.  Enjoy!