Thai Peanut Chicken -- In the Crockpot

Thai Peanut Chicken -- In the Crockpot

2 to 3lbs chicken drumsticks or thighs**

1 Large red bell pepper, seeded

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 T. ground cumin

3 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 t. red chili pepper flakes

1 t. salt

fresh ground pepper to taste

2 T. corn starch

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1 T soy sauce

1/4 cup lime juice

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts

Remove the chicken skin and place in the crockpot with bell pepper strips and onion. Mix the soy sauce and chicken broth in a measuring cup and pour over chicken. Add cumin, garlic, chili pepper flakes, salt & pepper. Stir well, cover and cook on high for 3 hours.

Whisk together the cornstarch, peanut butter, 1 T. soy sauce & the lime juice. Add 1 cup of the cooking juices from the crockpot. Mix carefully until smooth. Stir back into the crockpot to blend well, but without breaking up the meat.

Cover again and cook for another 20-30 minutes until sauce is well thickened. Garnish with green onions. cilantro & peanuts. Serve with rice

**You can also use 6-8 boneless, skinless breasts cut into strips. If using this option, cook on low for 4-4 1/2 hours. Then bump up the heat to high to cook the sauce.

ps...I used boneless, skinless chicken tenders from Costco (still frozen). I actually thought I had my crockpot on low, but...when all was said and done it was on high...OOPS! I had cooked them for about 4 hours. If you are making this for little kids it was kinda spicey, but...we like our food like that. When I look back on it, I think I may have put TWO tbsp of cumin instead of one. Overall, this got rave reviews and I would definitely make it again. Super good with the garnish...it gives it an extra zip.

Miss Hal

Check out Hal's new shades she got from Grammie......they are super cute!

Birthdays...

It was my birthday yesterday. I turned 35....that number doesn't really bother me. I don't feel like I'm that age but, I was crabby yesterday. It didn't feel like my birthday.....I missed my Dad and some family friends that have had one death after another in their family were losing yet someone else. I also didn't want to be at work. Well....not at 6am anyway....Aaron and I had gone out on Saturday night for our birthday's...his is April 5. I was so excited to be out with my husband, but...our plan to eat at "The Olive Garden" was thwarted by a long wait...thirty minutes was too much for us and it was already 6:30pm. We ended up at "Red Robin" instead...I love that place, but...it wasn't what I had in mind. I tried to be happy, happy, happy yesterday, but...it just wasn't happening and frankly, I wasn't turning 3 or something....I'm an adult, right? I'm struggling a bit with these feelings. I'm very thankful God gave me this birthday...and that I get to spend it with my family. BUT...birthdays were always a HUGE thing growing up at home. Birthdays for my husband were NOT a huge thing. So, where do you draw the line, where do you compromise? It is important for me to note that I did receive a BEAUTIFUL large bouquet of flowers from my husband the day before my birthday, he got me (well, kinda us) a Kitchen-Aid Food Processor and yesterday he brought me my new favorite scent from Victoria's Secret "Coconut Passion"...shower gel and lotion...ahhh nice! Just some food for thought...and something I need to work through.....any ideas??

Easter Egg Hunt -- NCCTK Style!

I just had to share this picture of Halle from today. She went on her VERY FIRST Easter Egg Hunt at church today and did GREAT....we snuck in her in actually, she was supposed to be two. 18 months is close enough isn't it? She's as tall as some two year olds. Yes, I know she has her binky in. It was a binky kind of day. Too bad I lost that binky today....oh well. Our home is well stocked. But, seriously, isn't she super cute? And she picked up the eggs all by herself. We counted as we went....and I called out the colors to her. I'm always trying to make things a learning experience for her. Inside every egg, you guessed it, chocolate! She got to have some tonight....she's just like her Mama! She loves chocolate...she kept asking, "Bite, bite, bite".....Yep....just like me!!