Chicken Taco Filling Recipe

Because Linda requested it, here is the chicken taco filling recipe my Daughter gave me.

Take deboned/skinned chicken(whatever parts you like, I used boneless skinless breasts)and put it into a crockpot/slow cooker. 
Add a can of cream of chicken soup.
Add a small jar of good salsa.
Turn on the crockpot.
Cook.
Since it's chicken you don't need to cook it very long(3 hours?)to get it to be fall off the bone/able to easily shred.
You can eat on corn or flour tortillas with the "fixings" you prefer.

Now when I prepared this recipe as given to me I noticed 2 things.

1. It was very soupy.  I obviously needed to add way more than 2 chicken breasts to this amount of salsa/soup to have this be the right consistency when done.  Daughter never told me the correct proportion of chicken to liquids was.
 This way would make nice enchilada filling, not so much a taco filling.  If I make it again, I'll cut the amount of soup and salsa in half.

2. It was very bland.  I used a mild salsa so hot sauce was needed when plated to serve.  I figured it would be very bland so I added cumin(lots!)to the crockpot at the beginning of cooking. But other than that I didn't alter the recipe the first try.
We like our taco filling more complex so next time I'll add more things, like extra garlic, onions and chili powder.

This is a good recipe for people who don't neccasarilylike authentic Mexican flavors(kids, old people, people with no taste buds lol), or people who can't cook/aren't good cooks, or have few ingredients to use, or people who are too busy to cook, or people who have salsa and chicken soup to use up.
It has it's place in the world of cooking but it won't be making my rotation unless the stars align just right again unless I want to doctor this recipe up and ramp up the flavors.

Sluggy
 

This Week on the Dining Table

It's the "Getting a Jump on Winter" Edition--

This flyer arrived in my mailbox before August was over with.....an ad for snow blowers!
Really?....In August??

Come January I may regret making fun of this ad. lolz

Onward to the meal planning!

 

Here's what was planned last week.......

1. Sunday--Kielbasa on Rolls, Collards(leftover)
2. Monday--Chicken Tacos(using a crockpot recipe Daughter gave me)
3. Tuesday--Fish, Squash and Onions
4. Wednesday--Spaghetti(leftover)for Hubs, Broccoli Soup for me
5. Thursday--Beef Pie(depending on how well I feel)
6. Friday--Chili(leftover)for Hubs, Broccoli Soup(leftover)for me
7. Saturday--Leftovers(either Chicken Tacos or Beef Pie)

 

And this is what actually happened--

1. Sunday--Kielbasa on Rolls, Collards(leftover)
2. Monday--Chicken Tacos(using a crockpot recipe Daughter gave me)
3. Tuesday--Leftover Spaghetti for Hubs, Big Salad w/Feta Cheese for me
4. Wednesday--Steak and Salad
5. Thursday--Beef Pie
6. Friday--Leftover Beef Pie(I also had last of leftover Collards)
7. Saturday--Leftovers(Hubs had chicken tacos, I had a big salad)

I didn't make the soup and the rest of the chili went into the freezer for later.
 

As for my grocery spending last week......a couple of impromptu trips and then back again to fix cashier mistakes saw us spend $103.86 total.  I have spent $124.02 for the month with 9 days left in the month.
I have $225.98 left in the food budget for September.  I do believe I'll stay under budget for food this month....yay! 8-))
 

Here is this week's food plan--

1. Sunday--Beef Stroganoff, Mixed Beans & Carrots(Noodles for Hubs)
2. Monday--Fend for Yourself Night
3. Tuesday--Chicken n' Dumplings w/Carrots
4. Wednesday--Fend for Yourself Night
5. Thursday--Leftovers-Stroganoff, Chicken filling from Tacos, Chicken n' Dumplings
6. Friday--Eating Out
7. Saturday--Eating Out


What I need to buy for this menu?......just some milk.  I got the mushrooms and carrots last week and I have everything else to make this menu.
Not that it's much of a menu since there will be lots of eating out and 2 nights hubs won't be home for dinner so I am on my own so not cooking a big meal.
The nights for myself  I'll either make a big salad w/feta cheese in it or eat some leftovers.

I didn't get around to making the broccoli cheddar soup so it will have too wait until next week now because I started thawing a whole chicken for chicken n' dumplings this week.

The weather here has started to cool off finally so I am more than ready to start cooking up soups and stews again...woohoo!
 

What is getting fixed and served at your house this week?    

Was last week's plan successful, did you go off plan or did you not even plan what was going to be eaten that week?

Any great deals on food at your stores this week? 

Sluggy

Recent Visitors to Chez Sluggy & I Suck...Again!

September has seen three visitors to Chez Sluggy.

First off, Kim, from Out My Window Blog, and her Hubs, Joel, stopped by for an overnight stay while they were touring the East Coast.
I think they fit me in somewhere in between Colonial Williamsburg and the Liberty Bell in Philly. ;-)

Anyway, they arrived mid afternoon and we sat and talked and talked......

I do believe some of y'all ears must have been burning that day because of our chattering. lolz
Yes, we solved everyone's problems and the world's as well in one afternoon of our think tank chats....at least in our heads.  ;-)

With my foot issue I wasn't up to taking them around to sightsee here(not that there is much to look at that is noteworthy anyway)so we just sat and entertained ourselves.  Eventually the party moved to the back deck since the weather was so nice that day.

Then Hubs came home from work and we talked and talked some more.
And soon it was time to go out to dinner at Logan's Roadhouse.
It was a delightful evening full of good eats and good conversation and no one was harmed in the fight for table rolls.  ;-)

After an evening spend in the "Toiletries Room", Kim and Joel supped on a homemade breakfast supplied by moi, and then they were out the door South to Philadelphia for another jam-packed day of touring.

But before they left I made them take a "selfie" with me......

This was Joel's first ever selfie.
Gee, I am honored to be his "first". hehehe

Then they were gone in a flash.  I gave them a jar of my secret special recipe pepper relish(I hope they got it on the plane without any trouble)and Kim brought me this..........

20 lbs. of fudge!
What little I've had was yummy but I do think she bought it for herself but then had remorse about all those calories and the sugar and decided to regift it. lolz
That's ok, it won't go to waste here....unfortunately.  8-P

It was great to finally meet y'all in person!
And I can say for a fact that Kim is a tad over 4 feet tall and a ball of non-stop energy......where does she get it from???  I haven't a clue....unless it's all that fudge. 8-)

Then at the end of that week my Daughter arrived for a week long visit late Sunday night.
My foot was not improving by then so it really cut down on what we got to do together while she was here.

Monday Hubs was off so he and the Daughter took a ride to Nimble Hill Brewery/Winery in Tunkhannock PA for a tasting and they brought home some growlers of goodies.

We had a Labor Day cook-out/eat-in later that afternoon.......

Daughter and the Hubs "cooked" and I just ate for a change.  That was certainly different.

Nothing fancy just burgers, dogs, beans and grilled yellow squash.  Mostly stuff I already had here so no shopping required.

On Tuesday Daughter left to spend a couple of days out in Western PA with her summer camp friends, plus a side trip to Rochester NY to see another of her camp friends.
I think she enjoyed the break and these are people she hasn't seen since moving to Louisiana 2+ years ago.

On Thursday she was back by dinner time and we had some deep conversations into the night.

On Friday, since my foot was still hurting, she carted me to the doctor's appointment.
Afterwards we had lunch at Red Robin(I had a gift card left to use up.)and then she carted me up to the hospital for two more ultrasound tests on my foot.

That evening Hubs took us to Breaker Brewing and they each did a flight of craft beers......

I had a glass of this one......

I don't even remember what it was but it was dark and rich, like I like my men.  ;-)

Then we ordered Panini for dinner.  Mine was turkey breast, smoked gouda and blackberry jalapeno jam.  Daughter got that one too and Hubs got something with an assortment of Italian meats on it.

I must say that the food has improved by leaps and bounds since that first weekend they served food and I got that greasy, oily soggy potato mess that still makes me nauseous to think about it!

A "turtle pose selfie" with the donkey out front and then a proper picture of my drinking companions.

Saturday the activity was the Oktoberfest at Berwick Brewing.
We got there at 1 and the activities didn't start until 3.  Oh well.....they was still craft beer to enjoy, right?, so all was good.

More flights of beer for both Hubs and the Daughter........

The piece of wall behind them had album covers from actual vinyl records covering it.  I think I checked and I have/had owned about 9 of the ones on that wall.

I had my usual brew, Grumpy Bill's Porter. 
Yummo!

Saturday the weather was rainy all day so it pretty much put a kybosh on partying in the Bier Garden outside at Berwick.........

A root beer chaser for my Porter as is usual.

We decided not to eat at Berwick this time so we headed out after a couple hours......

The requisite "family selfie" before leaving.

We headed over to Christo's a Greek Diner for a late lunch as I had a gift certificate to use.  I had a massive Greek Salad, Hubs had the Spanakopita platter and Daughter had the Gyro platter.  Mmmmm!

Afterwards Hubs wanted to go to the K-Mart next door to look for some organizing things for his workbench supplies.  Gotta put all those loose nuts, bolts and screws somewhere, right?

So I hopped on the electric cart thingy and set about leaving a path of destruction behind me in K-Mart.
I don't understand why the store had this electric cart for disabled shoppers yet put displays and bins out in the aisles and made the pathways around shelving so tight that you can't possibly drive this thing without bashing into all their merchandise!

I may have knocked a whole row of underwear off a display, a shelf of plastic containers off an end cap and I may have toppled a display of cases of Pepsi.  It has been reported but I can not confirm nor will I deny the rumours.  lolz

And it didn't help that I had had ONE BEER and the Daughter had to keep telling me how if a cop was here he would have most certainly issued me multiple DUIs due to my reckless electric cart driving.  ;-)

While forging my path of destruction in the K-Mart, I passed the vacuum cleaner section so I decided this was the perfect time/place to buy a new vacuum.

We selected a less than sturdy model(all plastic parts!)and took it to the register to find out it was on sale for the bargain price of $59.99(+ tax).  Not wanting to spend a king's ransom on a new sucky machine I bought that baby home.  It was a Kenmore so how bad could it be?

My new toy, well, once the foot was well enough to let me use it......

The first thing I did was use it on the short-pile throw rug in the upstairs hallway......

My expensive Oreck vacuum was so bad(I had vacuumed this rug not a week early with that Oreck)that this is what the new sucky machine picked up on that little 5x7 rug.......a full container of filth.

Look at all that nastiness!!!
There is probably 3 years of dog hair and dirt/dust in that thing!(And our dogs have been dead for at least a year now. lol)

And the black border around the edge of the rug was BLACK again!  It has been so long since it was clean enough to see, that I had forgotten it wasn't light gray. lolz

The next morning, Sunday, at dark o'thirty Hubs took Daughter back up to the airport for her ride home to Louisiana.

We never did get to the casino(stop crying Sonya Ann!)while Daughter was home.  The casino is only 15 minutes away from my house and has been there for what? 3, 4 years now, and I have yet to step foot inside.
Oh well....maybe next time.

It was good to have the Daughter home for a visit since she left 2+ years ago.  Not so good was writing that check to pay for her plane ticket.  ;-)
She's got lots going on in her life right now and has many decisions to make so I hope our chats help her make the choices that will be the best for her.

It's nice to have a couple of weeks with stuff going on and visits from family and friends.
I treasure those times.

Now it's back to the boring same old, same old here at Chez Sluggy.

Sluggy


 

Weis Transaction Disaster UPDATE! + Other $ Stuff

This is an update on the really bad transaction I had at Weis(PMITA)Markets earlier in the week that I talked about in this post HERE.

To recap--I paid $76.09 and got $12.98 back for the 50% off items she didn't ring up correctly but discovered more mistakes after I got home and had to call the CS at the store.

Well I took my receipt and the hunk of riblets the cashier didn't even take the $3 discount sticker off of that package back to the store Friday.

I got back the $9 in meat discounts I should have received on Wednesday.
Then the CS manager gave me a $10 Weis gift card because of the problems I had to endure with this cashier and beyond......

Then I showed on the hunk of riblets how the price had rung up incorrectly($3.07 too much)on the receipt so I also got back the whole $9.15 I was charged for that!  So they basically paid me $3 to take that piece of meat. lolz

So I am down to spending $46.80 on that $100.29 worth of groceries(plus I got a $10 gift card too boot).
Maybe I need to let cashiers make MORE mistakes with my orders......ok, maybe not.  ;-)

I also stopped in Rite-Aid today after my PT appointment(which was a pointless waste of time)as I needed to refill an RX.  While I was there I got this too from the clearance section.........

$10.29 ClearQuil marked down to $2.57.
I had a $2/1 ManuQ from the P&G insert so it cost me .57¢ OOP.

I also earned 100 Plenti Pts($1)for buying this item, making this a .43¢ moneymaker.

Then I dragged my foot home, elevated it and put some ice on it.

This PT stuff is not going to help my foot problem.  They are giving me ankle exercises, which I can do fully without pain of any kind.  It's not the ankle or the muscles, it's the swelling in the body of the foot and putting weight on it that is the problem!  The only thing they did that helped was elevating it and putting heat on it.....gee, I can do that at home and don't have to pay them $100 an hour for it. 8-(

I'll go back 2 times next week but unless they actually address what is wrong with my foot next week, I am done with this.

Earlier last week this arrived in the mail......

My Staples refund for buying 4 reams of paper in August.
This one came fast!  And it's not a prepaid gift card like they said it would be, but a real live check I can cash.....woohoo!

As for how the budget is going for September......we are over halfway through and most all the monies for the month have come in(pay, dividends, rebates)and I have paid all the bills that have come in(still waiting on the electric and long distance bills but I know approximately how much those will be)and we still have money leftover.
Rah!
It's not as much leftover as I hoped since we paid school taxes this month($2K+ ouch!)but we will stay in the black financially this month.

And even better, October is a 3 paycheck month!! 8-)))

October will be lots of co-pays though due to all this medical testing which has revealed nothing wrong so there is that too. 8-(



Sluggy

What Have I Done!!

It all began innocently enough.

I saw on Facebook that a distant cousin in the lowlands of South Central Virginia had died recently so went to make her a memorial on FAG.  Saw that the person who put the memorial up for her Husband a few years ago entered his death date wrong, so I sent her a message in case she missed that typo and wanted to fix it.

She emails me back that she is no longer an active member of FAG and can't edit the memorial or any of the memorials she maintains.
Thinking it was strange that she didn't email FAG admins. and ask for them to take over the memorials I told her I'd gladly keep-up the maintenance on her memorials if she wanted to transfer them to me.

LOLOLOLZ!!!!!!!

A few hours later my email program blew up!

Did you know that when someone transfers a memorial to your care you get an email from FAG letting you know?
This person had over 400 memorials in her name.
So if you sent me an email and are waiting for a reply it might take me awhile to wade through my overfilled inbox at the moment. lolz

Oh well, this will be plenty to keep me busy over the Winter when I am trapped indoors by the snow and cold.

I've already found a long lost distant cousin among her hoard of memorials.  She didn't have a last name for poor Mary Alma's memorial. Mary Alma was married twice but not buried with either hubs but I found that she was buried near her brother and his wife and we have given her a proper slew of last names(both married and maiden).  And now her actual place of burial and correct birth date are out there for all her descendants to find.

I look at it this way.....it's not a (paid)job, it's an adventure back in history!

Sluggy