Did you eat?

Did you eat, otherwise pronounced "J-eat" the question all slurred together quickly, was a regular question for me growing up. My entire family always wanted and still wants to feed anyone and everyone they see. Let me also just say it doesn't matter if indeed you have already eaten, you will be fed anyway. Okay thats enough background...throughout the blog I will be posting what I'm making for dinner or whatever is cooking in Manzi-Lands kitchen.

Dinner: Chicken in the crock pot
Ingredients: 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cans of chicken gravy
a bag of baby gold potatoes cut in half
baby carrots
3 stalks of celery cut into pieces
salt/pepper

How to: Throw all those things listed above in a crockpot and turn it on high for four or more hours.
I know this dinner seems a little boring and odd to post but here's my reasoning...We just got over a long weekend where my family celebrated my husbands birthday, we took the kids on a mini -cation, came home, and it snowed...snowed enough where I wasn't going to go out and do the grocery shopping...this all brings us to the present day where I only have three chicken breasts in my freezer and after looking through all the cabinets I pulled out this Magical Crock Pot Wonder (cue a fairy wand and magic fairy noise). Egh, it's dinner. There is a protein, a starch, veggies, and I don't have to think about it...Magic

Dessert: Rice Pudding
Ingredients: 4 cups whole milk
1/2 cup arborio rice
 a little less of a 1/2 cup sugar (so exact I know)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract ( I honestly prefer the vanilla bean in the pod but (hands up and out) I'm out)
pinch of salt
finish with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup heavy cream

How to: Bring milk, rice, sugar, vanilla, and salt to a boil stirring frequently then put on med-low heat and stir often...this one I say you do have to watch but only for 30-35 min, make sure your don't burn the rice or milk mixture...after about 30 or so minutes add cream stir to combine and cover. I let mine stay on the stove bc we will be having it tonight.
This is really easy and not to "gourmet" I never seem to have raisins since the kids eat them constantly and I'm not huge rum or liquor adding type of gal to my desserts... I blame it on all of the Italian rum cake I had to eat as a child.