A hot cocoa and crock pot kind of day.

It has been cold, rainy and windy lately...very much cuddle up on the couch in your snuggie with some cocoa kind of day. Does it make me a mean Mom that I made this stealth style, and if my kids found out and asked for some I had already decided they would be getting Swiss Miss??? LMAO!

My crock pots were very useful today. Lunch was a hit, and oh so easy!

BBQ chicken:

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken...mine was frozen.

1 bottle BBQ sauce

1/4 c brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. garlic powder

Honey

 

Mix BBQ sauce, brown sugar and garlic powder together. Put chicken in crock pot then drown it in the sauce. Squeeze some honey over the top. Cook on low for 4-5 hours or so.

A couple funny Lily tidbits. Oh Lily Bug, you are a bad liar. She was taking too long in the bathroom, so I go to check on her. I open the door, she jumps up, throws a cup still full of a little water back in the toy bin and says "I'm not playing." The water all over the sink, floor and toilet beg to differ young lady.

 

It has been hard to teach the girls water conservation...of course the boys are pretty good at it, even when it is not appropriate, I have said it before and will again...boys are gross Hehehe. With 6 people, 4 of those owning bladders the size of a pea, you can imagine the amount of flushing that goes on around here. We try to sort of follow the "yellow let it mellow" mantra, especially when there is a line of people that all need to go at the same time...which happens often, can't wait to move to the new house and have 2 bathrooms. Yesterday I went to the bathroom, Lily came along because she had to go too. I went pee first then I told her to go. She said "I don't want to mix my pee with yours flush it please momma" LOL. I think I will need to explain water conservation more in depth to my 'I don't want your pee to touch my pee' daughter LMAO.

 

On to crock pot masterpiece number 2! Pizza pasta for dinner...I love Pinterest!

1 lb. rigatoni (uncooked)
2- 26 oz jars tomato sauce (or your own marinara sauce)
1 tbs. dried oregano
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. Italian sausage, (removed from casing)
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 green pepper, roughly chopped
1-2 cups sliced mushrooms
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
sliced pepperoni

In a large skillet, brown the ground beef and sausage. Drain excess fat. Making sure to break it up into small pieces. Meanwhile, mix the sauce, uncooked pasta, and oregano in a large bowl until the pasta is well coated. Spray the inside of a large crock pot with cooking spray.
Now make layers using half of each ingredient and then repeat using the other half. Layer in this order: Pasta, beef, sausage, onions, peppers, mushrooms, cheese. Place slices of pepperoni on the top and sprinkle with a little more oregano. Cook on low for about 4 hours. I would check it after 3, our pasta came out a touch over cooked.

It turned out pretty good, my kids don't usually like red sauce...cray cray, but this they ate decently. I would have LOVED it if the noodles didn't end up a touch mushy. Next time we will not cook it as long.