Yes, there is no escaping Monday. To calm you down, run fast to your slow cooker.

Yesterday, a friend posted on the I Sing In The Kitchen Facebook Page that it was slow cooker season in his kitchen.

I love using the slow cooker, especially during sports season and any time there are school functions in the evening. It is so wonderful to come home late to a house that smells heavenly and dinner practically on the table.

Well, during our Facebook conversation I listed the slow cooker recipes I have made over the last few months. Quite a lot! They are all photographed and ready to put in posts, so I thought I would get one of my favorites up today.

My favorite slow cooker recipes are those where you don’t have to brown the meat or do a lot of prep work. This recipe definitely is in that camp.

If you have a rice cooker, set that and you really won’t need to wait to eat once you walk through the door. The only delay would be the time it takes to pour that glass of wine to toast another Monday all done.

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients:

12 boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
4 1/2 teaspoons cold water
Hot cooked long grain rice to serve
Green onions and cilantro to garnish

Directions:

1. Place chicken in a 4 quart slow cooker (I have a 6 quart and the recipe worked fine).

2. In a large bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper. Pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4 to 5 hours or until chicken is tender.

3. Remove chicken to a serving platter; keep warm.

4. Skim fat from cooking liquid. Place liquid in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water until smooth. Gradually stir into liquid and stir until sauce is thickend. Serve with chicken and rice. Scatter over the green onions and cilantro.

Serves 4 to 6

Recipe from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen

I had quite a rodent filled weekend.

Y’all know how much I despise mice. And, of course you might remember the squirrel drama last year that I wrote about here, here and here.

After being a no show for over a year, guess who showed up this weekend? That fucking squirrel. I’m sure it was the same one since he really seemed to know his way around.

He won’t be back, though. After quick thinking by my husband and son, he was expertly cornered, captured ( although not before peeing on my son’s leg…how GROSS is that??) and sent to squirrel afterlife.

Dammit, those rodents make such a mess and are so disgusting. I came this close to getting a cat.

I dreamt of such heavenly scenes as this one.

I know you are thinking…er…music?

Will we get some?

Sometime soon? Like now?

Over the weekend, when not being terrorized by squirrels I did learn about this band over at Kowalskiy and it seems fitting.

The band is Scottish, it’s got a mighty fine name and the song is lovely. All the things that make me happy.

Mona Lisa is from the forthcoming album ‘Winter Sun’.

Check out Trapped Mice on Facebook and Bandcamp, where you can buy the music.

Cheers!