Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: 5 Easy Crock Pot/ Instant Pot Dinners that are Easy on the Budget! By Connie Vines

What's the saying? "Winner, Winner. Chicken Dinner!"

Five Family pleasing meals that are easy on the budget  😍🥰 and the family will love!

Straight from Connie's Kitchen🍽

  BBQ Chicken :

3-4 Chicken breasts/tenders  (boneless, skinless).

16 oz bottle of BBQ Sauce (whatever I have in the fridge).

1/2 cup Zesty Italian Dressing

1/4 cup brown sugar

Put in the crock pot and chicken. Mix together ingredients. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.

Shred with a fork and serve on buns for yummy BBQ chicken sammies. Leave them whole and serve with some garlic mashed potatoes and veggies. For a twist during hot weather: serve as I did this week:  french bread that had been buttered and toasted under the broiler, shred the chicken and add a side of broccoli. 😋   

2. Orange Chicken :

3-4 Chicken breasts

1 cup BBQ sauce

1 cup Orange Marmalade

1-2 tsp soy sauce (optional)

Cut chicken into cubes and put it in the crock pot./Instant Pot Mix ingredients together and pour over chicken. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 

Serve this with a side of homemade fried rice and add a ton of veggies, or rice noodles/low-mein noodles and veggies! Beats takeout every time! 🍽

3. Creamy Ranch Chicken

3-4 Chicken breasts

1 can Cream of Chicken (I prefer low-sodium)

1 packet Ranch dressing mix

1 packet Italian seasoning packet

1/2 package of cream cheese (4 oz) 

Mix together the cream of chicken soup, ranch, and Italian seasoning. Place chicken in the crock pot and pour mixture over. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 

Once done, shred with a fork and add the cream cheese to add thickness and make it creamy. Serve over egg noodles or rice.😋

4. Salsa Chicken

3-4 Chicken breasts

1 jar of salsa

1 can of black beans

1 can corn (Usually do not have canned corn and substitute frozen)

Mix all ingredients together and put them in the crock pot. Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. Shred with a fork. 

Serve over rice,🍚 use as filling for burritos 🌯🌯, or toss on top of lettuce for a fun taco salad 🥗.

5. Ranch Chicken Tacos

3-4 Chicken breasts

1 can of chicken broth (I prefer low-sodium)

1 packet ranch mix

1 packet of taco seasoning

Put everything in the crockpot/Instant Pot and let it do its magic! Cook low: 4-5 hours or on high for 2-3 hours. 

Shred with a fork when done; serve in a taco shell with your favorite toppings! Super fun and easy for Taco Tuesday! 🌮🌮🌮🌮

If there are leftovers, you will have a take-to-work lunch for tomorrow. 🚗🚌

May your kitchen be filled with Gingerbread Hugs and Peppermint Kisses,

Connie

Friday Featured Author Interview: Spotlight on Eden Monroe By Connie Vines #Cowboy Romance, #BWLPublishing Inc, #Eden Monroe, #Writing, #Rodeo, #Romance

Today's Spotlight Interview is with the author Eden Monroe.

Welcome to Dishin' It Out!  

Connie:  Eden, please tell  us about your upcoming release from BWL Publishing Inc. (Books We Love) 

   

Eden::  Sidelined is a romantic suspense about a champion bull rider, Tate McQuaid, who was forced out of the sport following a spectacular wreck. Tough, sexy, and daring, Tate is a fan favorite. 👢 

 Connie:. What was the inspiration for this story?  

Eden: While traveling around the Mediterranean, I fell in love with the old Venetian harbor of Chania, a city on the north coast of Crete, reputed to be the oldest site of western civilization in Europe. What a setting for fiction! What plots might have unfolded here, given the island's fascinating history? Why not a contemporary one?

Inspired by ubiquitous mythical signage, but especially by Lawrence Durrell's The Alexandria Quartet and John Fowles' The Magus, novels I was reading at the time, I began sketching out believable characters of varying backgrounds, foremost among whom, Steven Spire, a young ex-pat as narrator and central character of artistic temperament in need of purpose. Bar and café conversations led to hints of foreign intrigue. Ancient ruins gave way to Nazi runes. Crooked laneways led to mountain retreats and buried secrets. Hydra-headed truth demanded a place on the table along with the ouzo and artichoke hearts. And love, naturally, raised all expectations with the birth, mirroring Aphrodite's rise from the sea, of Magalee De Bellefeuille.

 Connie: What is your best virtue as an author? 

Eden:  Discipline maybe, paired with a vivid imagination. I love to daydream.

 Connie: What is your most quirky habit?

Eden::   Lately, it's nonstop Gunsmoke, all 20 seasons. Loving the "Matt and Kitty drama."  🐴⭐🤠

Connie: What is your favorite quality in a protagonist? Why?

Eden:  An upfront, ballsy, take charge kind of guy because that's what I would be attracted to.

Connie: What is your favorite quality in an antagonist? Why? 

Eden: I don't place any limits on my antagonists. I let them be as outrageous as they want to be and enjoy the ride.

 Connie: Do you have this novel's favorite paragraph/line of dialogue?

Eden: Yes, this between Tate and his ex-father-in-law, Briden Hatcher:

"And don't you try me," he said, taking a step toward Briden, who stepped back reflexively. "I'm not a scrawny seventeen-year-old anymore, in case you haven't noticed. So I'll get off your precious property, but you keep your nose out of my life, and you so much as point a gun in my direction, you'd better be ready to pull the trigger because if I get past it, you won't be very happy."

Connie: Who would it be if you were forced to live the rest of your life as one of your characters? 

 

Eden: I'd have to say Chloe from Dare to Inherit. She was funny and gutsy and enjoyed being who she was.

Connie: How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

Eden: Twenty-one (four in line for future publication dates). My favorite is Book Two of the Emerald Valley Ranch series, Storms in the Valley. Still waters run deep, and I loved taking Martin Parker to his absolute limit.

Connie: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? 

Eden: I love everything about storytelling, and the fact that I get to share it with you, my readers, is definitely the icing on the cake. Thank you so much for your support.

 BLURB:

In eight seconds, Tate McQuaid's rodeo career was over. A superstar in one of the most dangerous extreme sports on the planet, his journey back begins after waking up from a coma.

There's a lot to be made right from his reckless lifestyle, both inside and outside of the arena, and that includes reconciling with his ex-wife, Erica, although she's now married to another man and wants nothing more to do with him.

Never afraid of a challenge, he intends to win her back despite the odds stacked against him. But Tate doesn't know any other way than to saddle up and tackle whatever needs tackling, head on, and hope he's still standing when the dust settles.

Current Release:

 Website/social media sites to discover more about Eden Monroe:

https://www.edenmonroeauthor.com/

ebook.com/AuthorEdenMonroe/

Buying points:

https://books2read.com/Sidelined-Monroe

Eden,  thank you for sharing your writing 💻life with us 😀 today.

I can't wait to read your newest release! (I love those rough-and-tumble cowboys).

Happy Reading, and thank you for stopping by!

Connie

XOXO

Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal By Connie Vines #Overnight Breakfast, #InstaPot, #CrockPot, #Healthy Breakfast, #Take to Work Meal

Does Chaos Rule Your Morning?

Overnight Steel-Cut Oatmeal 

is my go-to Breakfast solution!

Ingredients:

2 cups of steel-cut oatmeal (store brand is fine).

7 cups of water or (3 cups milk + 4 cups water). Vegan milk is acceptable using the same ratio. 

1/4 cup brown sugar.

1/4 teaspoon of Kosher salt.

If using an InstaPot, spray PAM or rub the bottom of the pot with butter to prevent sticking.

For traditional Crockpot, line with foil.

Mix the ingredients after adding to InstaPot/Crockpot.

Temp. and time: 

InstaPot: Medium setting,  for 6 - 8 hours.;  3 - 4 on HIgh.

Crockpot: Low setting,  6 - 8 hours.

After Cooking:

You may add any of the following:  1 - 2 scoops of Protein Powder, 1 cup of plain Yogurt, nuts, or fruit as toppings.

I will add vanilla extract, almond extract (If I plan to top with peaches), and spices during the holidays/seasons.

Examples: Gingerbread 🎄spices, Pumpkin Spice 🎃, etc.

Store in a sealed container for 5 days in the refrigerator; up to 3 months in the freezer. Simply add additional water/milk and reheat in the microwave.

Calories: 210 (plain), 9 g. of fiber, 6 g. carbs., 2 g. protein. 😋

May your kitchen be filled with Gingerbread Hugs and Peppermint Kisses,

Connie

XOXO

 😋 Overnight was too long a wait 😋
 7:00 AM in the Instant Pot and ready for Brunch!! 

Connie's Tuesday Kitchen: Zucchini Onion Quiche By Connie Vines #Zucchini Onion Quiche, #Connie's Tuesday Kitchen

 

Connie's Zucchini Onion Quiche
Hot from the oven 

3 cups zucchini (thinly sliced or shredded unpeeled)

1/2 cup grated cheese (your choice)

1 cup Bisquick (Omit for gluten-free)

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/2 tsp. oregano

2 tsp. Chopped fresh parsley

1/2 tsp. Seasoned salt (optional)

1 clove of minced garlic

1/2 cup oil (I sub low-fat milk)

4 beaten eggs

(cooked and crumbled bacon/sausage may also be added.)

I place my pie pan on a baking sheet.

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Mix all ingredients. Bake in a 13x9 greased dish for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. (I prefer a deep dish pie pan). For gluten-free, line with parchment paper and omit the Bisquick mix.

Notes:

Cooking times may vary depending on ovens, so test doneness before stated cooking times.

Baked Zucchini Onion Quiche

Amount per Serving

Calories

265

Leftovers may be frozen and warmed up in the microwave 😋

Yummy!

May your kitchen be filled with Gingerbread Hugs and Peppermint Kisses,

Connie

Characters in Your Stories--Back Story and other Secrets By Connie Vines #Round Robin, #HEA, #Romance, #Writing Tips, #Character Motivation

 Round Robin topic, July 2022:

What aspects of your characters were cut from the story? 

 Thank you, Connie (me), for this month's topic 📓

💭👩

While the others in our RR group may respond to all six topics, I am choosing one or two (depending on how wordy this post becomes 😉).

 

• Aspects of your characters that were cut from the story. (part of the backstory/ character motivation).
• Characters not in your book(s.). 

"Lynx" Book 1 of my Rodeo Romance Series, takes place in a small Montana town. The locals: Rachel, Charlene, and Wes (the owner of the coffee shop) are the core group of characters.  The locals of course appear in scenes, but in cameo roles. Rachel speaks of her father (late), mother (not in the picture), and the grandmother who raised her.

Lynx and Dan are related and travel the rodeo circuit together. Lynx is from Texas and often mentions his family. Lynx is close to his sister, Amberlynn, and his parents.

What did I cut from the story?

Charlene was toned down.  Charlene was wild-- AKA: a 'Buckle Bunny".  I realized this would not mesh with my heroine's hang-ups.  So, I toned her down to a sassy, brassy, side-kick.

By mentioning Lynx's sister and his family, I had the perfect tie-in to the second book in the series, "Brede".

Whereas 'Lynx' was a romance novel; 'Brede' is a romantic suspense novel.

What did I cut from the story? Since it is romantic suspense, I did have my core characters: Brede, Kate/Amberlynn, Caldwell, Dwayne (supply the comic relief), and, of course, the mysterious and elusive bad guy.

What did I cut from the storyline? 

 My original draft had a more violent tone.  Since I'm prone to nightmares after watching "MeerKat Manor" I kept most of the violence 'off set', so to speak.  I also amped up the humor with my secondary characters.  I even gave cranky old Caldwell a love interest. 

• Topic 2, Characters not in your book(s.). 

I never have Rachel's mother appear in the book. Nor do I attempt to resolve the rift between them. Why? Because this is a romance between two people. Unfortunately, some relationships cannot be mended. (Perhaps at some later point in time). 

Nor, do I have ex-husbands or ex-wives appear in my stories.  I suppose it would work in a Rom-Com romance. Still, even though it's not true to life--I don't find jealousy,  undermining, or third-person interference appropriate in a romance novel.  (Yes, I know Cinderella had an evil stepmother and two stepsisters in her story.)  👠🕛🐴🧚

I'm not making a judgment call. 

Each writer has a personal interpretation of what defines HEA (Happily Ever After).  This is what defines 'the writer's voice".

Please visit these fabulous authors. I'm certain they have delightful stories to share! 

Happy Reading, 

Connie

XOXO

Skye Taylor http://www.skye-writer.com/blogging_by_the_sea

Connie Vines http://mizging.blogspot.com/

Marci Baun http://www.marcibaun.com/blog/

Anne Stenhouse http://annestenhousenovelist.wordpress.com

Dr. Bob Rich https://wp.me/p3Xihq-2Gt

Rhobin Courtright http://rhobincourtright.com

Judith Copek http://lynx-sis.blogspot.com/