It's Liz Parker

Hi there, happy Wednesday! Here is what we had for dinner last night. It was delicious and will definitely be on the menu again. Football season is just around the corner!

Without further ado:

Creamy Buffalo Chicken Sliders with Jalapeño Slaw

Creamy Buffalo Chicken

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground chicken
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* ½ sweet onion, finely diced
* 1 jalapeño, finely diced
* 2 heaping tablespoons minced garlic
* ½ cup Frank’s RedHot Sauce
* ¼ cup chicken broth
* ¼ cup heavy cream
* ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
* ¼ cup cream cheese
* Salt and pepper, to taste

Jalapeño Greek Yogurt Slaw

Ingredients

* 1 to 1½ cups finely shredded cabbage
* ¼ cup finely diced sweet onion
* Finely diced jalapeño, to taste
* 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
* ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt
* Splash of red wine vinegar, to taste
* Salt and pepper, to taste

For Assembly

* Sola Hawaiian-style rolls
* Provolone cheese slices

Directions

1. Preheat the oven according to the package directions for the Sola Hawaiian-style rolls.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced onion and jalapeño. Cook until they begin to soften.
3. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
4. Add the ground chicken. Season with salt and pepper, then cook until the chicken is browned and fully cooked, breaking it apart as it cooks.
5. Stir in the Frank’s RedHot Sauce and chicken broth. Allow the mixture to simmer for a few minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream, sharp cheddar, and cream cheese. Continue stirring until the cheeses are melted and the buffalo chicken mixture is creamy and well combined.
7. Split the Sola rolls and place them on a baking sheet. Toast them in the oven until lightly golden.
8. To prepare the slaw, combine the shredded cabbage, sweet onion, jalapeño, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, and a splash of red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well and refrigerate until ready to serve.
9. Spoon the creamy buffalo chicken over the toasted rolls. Top each slider with provolone cheese.
10. Return the sliders to the oven until the provolone is melted.
11. Serve the sliders warm with the cool jalapeño slaw spooned over the top or served on the side.

Seriously so, so good!

Are you team buffalo chicken or anything but?

🎉 It's Giveaway Time! 🎉

I ordered this syrup on a whim. I figured it would be a good companion for my Apple Butter series. Little did I know, this sucker could have a complete series on its own. I have used it as a stand alone in some of the recipes coming (hello COFFEE!!) or as a side kick to amp up the apple flavor. Either way you use this and if you like apples and all things cozy.. This will be a friend for life. The scary thing it is currently on sale on the ChocZero website. Sweetened with Monk Fruit..

One lucky winner will receive a bottle of ChocZero Apple Crisp Syrup so you can make these cozy recipes right along with me!

🍎 How to Enter
❤️ Follow It's Liz Parker page
👍 Like this post
💬 Tell me your favorite apple dessert in the comments.
👯 Tag a friend who loves all things cozy. (Optional, but always appreciated!)

📅 I'll randomly select and announce the winner on August 9th at 6pm! I will close comments at 5:30pm in order to give me time to get everything together for the randomizer.

I was going to wait until September to kick off apple butter, but I figured with August being the golden hour before the 'Ber months start, it would be okay. I can't wait to spend this month baking, sipping coffee, testing recipes, and officially kicking off my favorite season with all of you.

Tell me...
👇 What is your favorite flavor of the Autumnal season?

xoxo, Liz 🍎
Still Sweet. Just Smarter.

Disclaimer: I purchased this prize myself because I love sharing products I genuinely enjoy! This giveaway is not sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with ChocZero, Facebook, Meta, or Instagram. No purchase is necessary to enter or win.

🍎🍂 APPLE BUTTER AUGUST IS HERE!! 🍂🍎

I have been SO excited to share this with you! This month we're celebrating one of my favorite flavors of the season... Apples in the form of APPLE BUTTER! ❤️

Over the next few weeks I'll be sharing cozy, sugar-free recipes featuring homemade apple butter, including breakfasts, coffee drinks, baked treats, simple desserts, and a few surprises along the way. If you've ever wondered how to bring those warm fall flavors into your kitchen without all the sugar, you're in the right place.

Oh, you guys - I have had SO MUCH FUN creating these recipes from this apple butter. I've had to make THREE apple butter recipes in July to get all these created, tested, and finalized.

🍎 The full recipe is waiting for you in the first comment!🍎

Be sure to check back later. I am announcing a give-away. 🎉🎉🎉🎉

Hi again! So, here we are week 4 of a the 30 Day Pantry & Freezer challenge! I have to say, it has been fun and a challenged me to be more creative than I normally would be. It also allowed me to eat some of my favorites every week! I will say, the orange chicken over Kaizen rice is an absolute favorite of mine now. Seriously, there is NO reason to go to Panda Express now. Not when I always have the ingredients in my freezer and pantry. Please do yourself a favor and NOT sleep on the ChocZero orange marmalade. So, SO good!

Okay, the line-up this week is pretty simple. I will more than likely switch up the days just based on the rhythm of the week. We have another one of Judy's recipe's and it is already made and will be thawed. It is delicious and I will share the recipe tomorrow. It is so simple and easy. I hope you will make it.

I am launching a give-away tomorrow. I will post about it in the late afternoon/evening! Be sure to keep an eye out!

Happy Monday! Last week wore me OUT. I am not even kidding when I say that.

I had to be in the office, my energy was somewhere in the basement, and honestly, I am surprised I made dinner at all this night.

But this orange chicken sounded so good that I pulled myself together and made it happen.

The sauce is sweet, tangy, savory, and just spicy enough to keep it from tasting like orange jam. I used ChocZero orange marmalade as the base, then added soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and a little crushed red pepper.

Once it simmered and thickened, I tossed it with crispy chicken and called dinner DONE.

And let me tell you, it was exactly what I needed. Sometimes dinner does not need to be impressive. It just needs to taste really good and make a hard week feel a little softer.

ChocZero Orange Chicken Sauce

¾ cup ChocZero orange marmalade
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
¼ cup water or chicken broth (toss in 1/3 tsp of chicken bouillon
2 cloves garlic, minced (measure with your heart but 2 MINIMUM!)
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon sesame oil
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper, optional
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons cold water
Scallions (green onions)

Simmer everything except the cornstarch mixture for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until thick and glossy. Toss with cooked chicken and serve.

I also made a savory, fried-rice-inspired side dish that is perfect with orange chicken.

Ingredients
1 bag Kaizen rice pasta
1 tablespoon oil
Chicken broth, using the amount recommended on the pasta package
1 cup frozen peas and carrots
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon soy sauce, optional
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
Black or white pepper, to taste
Salt, if needed

Instructions
Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.
Add the Kaizen rice pasta and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until some of the pieces are lightly toasted and golden.
Carefully pour in the chicken broth. Start with slightly less than the package recommends because the frozen vegetables will release a little moisture as they cook.
Cover the pan and cook over medium-low heat according to the package directions, stirring occasionally to prevent the pasta from sticking.
Add the frozen peas and carrots during the final 4 to 5 minutes of cooking. Replace the lid and continue cooking until the pasta is tender and the broth has been absorbed.
Fluff the pasta and vegetables with a fork or spoon.
Push the pasta mixture to the sides of the pan to create an open space in the center. Add a small drizzle of oil if the pan looks dry.
Pour the beaten eggs into the center and gently scramble until almost completely cooked.
Fold the eggs into the rice pasta mixture. Season with soy sauce, garlic powder, pepper, and salt as needed.
Serve warm underneath the ChocZero orange chicken.
Recipe Note

Keep the seasoning fairly light so the sweet, tangy orange chicken sauce remains the star of the meal.

This one is absolutely going into the dinner rotation. 🍊

Oh my gosh, this week has been a blur! I normally work from home, but this week we had our team in for all day meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. I am pooped!

Okay, Monday - I was famished and did not take a pix of my plate.. But steak is steak and I did have a potato. Everything in moderation is my motto. 😉

Tuesday - TJ's Lasagna.. You guys, so delicious. If you have not tried it, do!
Wednesday - I lagged and did not get the roast out to thaw.. We pivoted to Skyline Chili over pasta it is high in protein and low carb. I ADORE Aviate pasta. My serving had over 24 grams of protein. Dern good for a bowl full of pasta and decadent chili.. It was also under 500 calories.
Tonight - Homemade orange chicken over Aviate fried rice. I will share the recipe for both.

Okay, check back later and have an amazing day!

Well... last week humbled me. I had every intention of sharing Judy's Salisbury Steak with mashed potatoes and corn. Instead, life happened.

We ended up buying Brian a truck, helping Kenna through a stressful situation, grabbing dinner on the run, and before I knew it, the week was over and it is now Sunday evening.

I did make creamed beef over toast (no biscuits), and I even remembered to film it bubbling away in the skillet... I just never hit publish. Friday? Anita's hit the spot.

This week - Monday and Friday are for tenderloin. Normally we would have a salad, but lettuce. LOL! If you have a Costco membership, be sure to check out the whole tenderloins and steak them out. Each steak is between 4-6 oz and is less than $7 per steak. Do it, YUM!

Tuesday and Wednesday I am in the office both days and will be home late. So I am using convenience for both days. WIN! I am excited for Thursday. I am making Orange chicken from scratch using orange marmalade jam from ChocZero. I will share the recipe, 100%.

One thing I'm learning is that building this page isn't about pretending life is perfectly organized. It's about inviting you into my real kitchen. It can be messy! So here's to starting again today. Pull up a chair.

QoTD so I can get to know you better: are you team steak, chicken, or both?