Friday, hello. I’m so glad you’re here. This week wasn’t supposed to be brutal, but…it kinda was.
Wednesday morning, Debbie and I (office mates) looked at one another and forewarned each other that we were in bad moods. “Oh no, that means we’re going to butt heads at some point today…” she said. This may have been the case, but in the 8 months I have been in my role, I’ve learned a lot about Debbie and when to press and when not to. When your office is the size of a small jail cell, you get to know people pretty darn well. And lucky, I really, really, REALLY like Debbie.
The point where the week hit an serious low? When I was prepping for my diabetes cooking class on Wednesday at 1:30pm (class started at 2). As I was unpacking all the shelf-stable groceries I had purchased on Monday, I found my deli sliced corned beneath my plastic forks, spoons, and napkins.
Youhavegottobekiddingme.
Panicked, I called Debbie — she’s my right-hand gal for everything word-related.
The conversation went something like this:
“Debbie, you won’t believe what I did. I didn’t unpack the corned beef and it has been sitting out on the counter since Monday….morning. Will you pretty please run to the store to get another pound of thick-sliced corned beef from the deli?”
“Sure, no problem…I’ll be right there.” she said.
Just a few minutes later, she was there with the corned beef. Saving the day…for the first time.
My class went well and the corned beef and cabbage soup was delicious. Right at 4pm, my class was ending and in walks Debbie.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, surprised to see her (the demo kitchen is across the street from the hospital).
“Yes, I came to help you clean up so you could make it to your boot camp class at 4:30.” she said.
I just shook my head and said, “What did I do to deserve you?”
She blushed a little and I brought her flowers the next day. Carnations, her favorite 
If you remember to turn on your crock pot (lord knows I’ve made that mistake, too!), you’re guaranteed a delicious taco meal with this one. This taco meat is great on salads, in casseroles, in quesadillas, on sandwiches…you name it. Enjoy!
Homemade Taco Seasoning from Sweet Life Kitchen as seen on Bean Town Baker
3 Tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried onion flakes
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp oregano
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
1 1/2 Tbsp cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp black pepper
Directions:
Mix it all together! The mix can be stored in an airtight container for up to a year! 2 1/2 tablespoons = 1 store-bought packet.
Crock Pot Chicken Tacos from Sweet Life Kitchen as seen on Bean Town Baker
2 1/2 Tbsp taco seasoning mix (recipe above) or 1 packet of store-bought
15 oz low-sodium chicken broth
1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes, undrained
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 5 ounces each)
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce + 2 Tbsp adobo sauce
Directions:
In a large bowl or measuring cup pour the chicken broth in, and use a fork to whisk in the taco seasoning mixture.
Spray the slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Open the diced tomato can and pour all contents over the bottom of the slow cooker. Lay the chicken breasts on top of the tomatoes and pour the broth, seasoning, and adobo peppers and sauce over that. Cover and cook on low for 6-10 hours. The chicken should fork apart easily in the crock pot. Serve.
Yield: 5 servings (4-ounces each).
Nutrition Information (per serving): 146 calories; 2.8 g. fat; 65 mg. sodium; 460 mg. sodium; 5.8 g. carbohydrate; 1.6 g. fiber; 24.2 g. protein
Result: This taco meat is moist, spicy, and packed with adobo flavor. If you don’t care for adobo or spicy, cut back or omit the chipotles in adobo. I appreciate that the chicken can cook for long periods of time, but I do think 6-7 is the best length of time for chicken in the crock pot. Mr. Prevention always enjoys chicken tacos and this one is a repeater in our kitchen fairly often.
TGIF! Loving the Big 10 tournament!
Be well,
But isn’t’ that what daughters are for? 
