Organized Chaos

This is a great slow cooker recipe but I most often use it as a fast last minute dinner, it's a great one when low on groceries because most of the ingredients are pantry items. I  prefer to let most soups simmer for a bit before serving them but not this one, it's a true dump and serve dish. We usually have just enough left over for my husband and I to enjoy it for lunch the next day, it's much spicier once it's sat for awhile.   For a more hearty meal I add 2 cans of  black or kidney beans . Very rarely do I make my own tortilla strips and we usually top with chips, lime, sour cream & cilantro. Source: Adapted from Sensational Soup Cookbook  Course: Soup Cuisine: Mexican Main Ingredient: Chicken Prep Time: 10 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 20 min Serves: 6 Scale Update Ingredients: 2 (12.5 oz) chicken  1 (10 oz) package frozen whole kernel corn 1 onio...

We all really like chili at our house & I really love quinoa. This is one of our favorites adapted from one of my favorite cooking blogs: Cooking Classy Update Ingredients: 2 cups cooked quinoa (from 2/3 cup dry) 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, minced 2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes 1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce 1 (14.5 oz) can vegetable broth 1 (7 oz) can diced green  chilies 2 1 ⁄ 2 Tbsp chili powder 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp cocoa powder 1 1 ⁄ 2 tsp paprika 1 ⁄ 2 tsp ground coriander 1 ⁄ 8 tsp cayenne pepper  Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 2 (15 oz) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed 1 cup   frozen corn   1 ⁄ 4 cup chopped cilantro 1 Tbsp lime juice Shredded cheddar cheese diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips Directions In a large stock pot heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot add on...

While playing a game of 20 questions I found out that these are my daughters all time favorite meal! I have tried lots of different enchilada recipes and definitely prefer a crunch to my tortilla and not a lot of sauce. This recipe is super easy to prepare as well as clean up. I purchase all the ingredients in bulk (Costco) and keep them in my pantry for nights I need a meal quickly or am running low on ingredients due to my lack of getting to the grocery store which happens way to often. Most people don't love the idea of eating from the shelf but this has been such a great recipe for us way to many times. Iv'e attached a picture of ingredients for reference, sometimes a visual is helpful when shopping for new ingredients. Ingredients: 2 cans (12.5 oz) chicken 1 bag (8.5 oz) quinoa & brown rice 1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken  1 cup sour cream 10 flour tortillas 1 cup salsa, divided  2 cups Mexican blend cheese  1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped Di...

I will be honest this is not a family favorite, we all eat it but nobody asks for it. With that said this is my go to recipe whenever I need to use leftover rice because it is so quick, easy and inexpensive. I have only made this recipe from leftover rice which is why is calls for cooked rice. I love the story my parents tell about this dish because to them they both pictured two very different dishes when they discussed "stuffed pepper." My dad pictured the more traditional Spanish dish, an actual bell pepper stuffed with rice & meat. My mom pictured more of a tomato based Spanish rice with long slices of bell pepper in it. I've made it both ways but my kids don't eat the peppers unless they've been prepared in the dish, it's the quicker recipe and requires less peppers & so is the winner here. We've since renamed the dish to "Unstuffed peppers" but out of habit still call it "Stuffed Peppers!" Ingredients: 1 1/2 lb groun...

Growing up this was one of my brothers all time favorite dinners! I remember how excited he got when he saw the extra large stainless still bowl of salad on the table. I know what your thinking: excited about salad ? Something about all the toppings and Mexican flavors made it a family favorite for me and my siblings and now it's one of my kids favorites. I've enjoyed watching my kids get excited about salad, just like I did as a kid. Ingredients: 1 lb ground beef 1 tsp avocado oil 2 tsp taco seasoning 8 oz romaine lettuce, chopped 1 cup tomatoes, chopped  1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded  1 medium avocado, cubed 1/2 cup salsa 1/2 cup sour cream 4 cups tortillas chips or strips (optional) Directions: In large skillet, heat oil over high heat. Add ground beef. Break up beef with spatula until meat is browned and moisture has evaporated (about 7-10 minutes). Stir taco seasoning into beef util well combined.  In large bowl combine all remaining ingredients...

This is a regular at our house, often times we use a store bought packet or make the fajita seasoning ahead of time then simply add it to the recipe in one quick step. We have used all sorts of different meat options but our favorite is chicken.  Ingredients:  1 1/2 tsp salt 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp garlic powder 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp paprika 4 Tbsp  olive  oil 2 Tbsp lemon juice 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in thin strips 1 medium sweet red pepper 1 medium green pepper 1/2 onion, chopped 6 four tortillas, warmed  For toppings: shredded cheese, salsa, guacamole and sour cream  Directions:  In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, lemon juice and seasonings; add the chicken. Turn to coat; cover. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours. In a large skillet, saute peppers and onions in remaining oil until crisp-tender. Remove and keep warm. Drain chicken, discard marinade. In the same skillet, ...

These are lip smacking good and easily a family favorite! Sticky fingers are great for parties and appetizer but we like them so much we make a meal out of them. We like to eat them on their own with corn on the cob, add them to the top of a salad or roll them up in a tortilla. We have used all sorts of hot sauce and Franks hot sauce is by far the best, others just don't taste as good. Ingredients: 1 bag of frozen crispy chicken strips (25oz) 1/3 cup Franks hot sauce (other brands aren't as good) 1 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 Tbsp water Directions: Prepare chicken strips according to package directions.  In a sauce pot, heat up hot sauce, sugar and water until sugar dissolves. Allow sauce to cool to room temperature, the thicker and cooler the better. Place chicken strips in serving bowl, add sauce mixture and stir together.

One of the best things I've done to help take the overwhelm out of deciding what to make for dinner each night is to plan my menu a week at a time. At first planning took a lot of time and I felt like we were always eating the same 7 meals so eventually I assigned a theme to each night of the week to help speed the process up and add variety. My family looks forward to certain themes and enjoys guessing what we might eat for the less obvious themed nights! Our themes have changed throughout the years, below I've shared some of the themes we've used. *I put a star by our current theme nights, Tuesdays are our busiest night and Wednesday late afternoon is our slowest so these work well for us.  Monday  *Mexican Monday (Mexican food) Makeshift Monday (use stuff in fridge or pantry) Meatless Monday (no meat) Tuesday  *Take Out Tuesday (take something out of the fridge/freezer and heat up or order take out) Taco Tuesday (just tacos or Mexican food in general) Tusca...

This is one of the few recipes I collected as a college student and still use on a regular basis. My roommates and I used to call this "chicken crap" because that is what it looks like. The first time I had it I was hesitant to eat it because it really doesn't look very appetizing but the flavor is so good and will leave you coming back for more.  Ingredients: 6 chicken breasts 1 packet Zesty Italian Dressing (Any brand is fine but I prefer "Good Seasons") 1 (8oz) package cream cheese 1 can cream of chicken soup  Directions: Place chicken in crockpot and sprinkle Italian dressing packet over the top. Place lid on crockpot and cook for at least 4 hours on low.  30 minutes before serving add cream cheese and soup to crockpot. You can leave chicken breasts whole, cube or shred chicken. (I usually cook 6+ hours so I when I stir the mixture it shreds easily.) Serve over rice or pasta. 

ABOUT ME:  I am a mom to 5 busy kiddos and year by year life has become a little more chaotic. I love my role as a mother and am deeply blessed but shuffling everybody's schedules on a daily basis is not a simple task and some days are complete chaos.  I am a perfectionist by nature. I used to think this was a great thing but I've recently discovered how much it holds me back. Simple things like deciding what to have for dinner can be really overwhelming for me. I completely overthink things and spend way to much time planning our family schedule and reworking our routines. I am fascinated with family systems and learning about how other families function and juggle their busy lives. I am excited to sort though and record the chaos floating around in my head & filling up space on my phone. BLOG NAME: Organize means to arrange into a structured whole or to put in order.  Chaos means complete disorder or confusion, it's derived from a Greek word meani...