Crock Pot Dinners: BBQ Chicken Thighs

That Busy Girl and some chicken thighs: A Love Story.

Oh, Chicken Thighs, how I love thee; let me count the ways... I love chicken thighs so much because they're inexpensive, have delicious flavor and are easy to prepare. I've cooked them several different ways but this recipe, by far, is the most simple and delicious! 

Muesli: Granola's Older, Sexier Brother

Can a breakfast cereal be sexy? Try it for yourself and see!

 I actually have no idea which is older, granola or muesli, I just thought that title sounded funny. But I do know that muesli was first created about 100 years ago, when a Swiss physician discovered the health benefits of consuming a diet rich in raw grains and fruit. During the health food craze of the 1960s, muesli popped up in the United States, but even today it still lives in the shadow of the ever-popular granola.

How to Make a Burlap Wreath

The coveted burlap wreath! We've liked it on Facebook, we've followed it on Twitter, we certainly pinned the heck out of it on Pinterest and now That Busy Girl is bringing you her version. Hold on to your butts.

Italian Turkey Sausage Chili #awesomesauce

During the fall, making up a big pot of chili is a no brainer. I love chili; it's hearty, a little spicy and gives me an excuse to also eat a bunch of bread (gotta sop up the juice with something, right?)

For this particular chili, which was literally tonight's dinner, I decided to change things up a bit. I substituted Italian turkey sausage instead of ground beef, and threw in a can of white kidney beans along with the typical red beans, just for kicks.

Lightly Crusted Tilapia: It's What's for Dinner

I absolutely love tilapia; in fact, it's typically my go-to-pick when creating a recipe using whitefish. Tilapia is light, mild, never "fishy" and best of all, it's pretty cheap! 

I have used tilapia in the background of several dishes, like fish stew or fish tacos, but sometimes you just have a hankerin' for a nice fish filet as the main headliner. Using a minimal amount of ingredients, and paired with a simple vegetable, this lightly battered and pan-fried fish tastes great, looks impressive and is pretty quick and easy to prepare.

Egg Bagels: What the Angels Eat for Breakfast (Because They're Quick & Delicious... and Angels are BUSY!)

Looking for a quick, simple, delicious, satisfying, stay-with-you-all-morning-but-won't-weigh-you-down kinda breakfast? Yeah, I was too. Until I put bagels and eggs and brie and capers together - and my brain exploded.

I'm obsessed with capers and brie. Obsessed. If capers and brie were a celebrity couple, I would be their number one stalker. I'm not kidding, with restraining orders and everything. We'd be tabloid gold.

But thankfully capers and brie are just simple food items, and in real life, I'm not that creepy. 

The Virgin Mary Shelf: Turning Random Stuff into Decor!

The Virgin Mary Shelf. Um... what??

Two years ago my husband and I moved into a quaint suburban neighborhood where all of the little brick homes and manicured lawns look exactly same. Shortly after moving in, we discovered that our neighborhood was built in the early 1960s and that all of the original inhabitants were either Italian or Polish and, like, REALLY Catholic.

Hence, the Virgin Mary Shelf… or at least, that’s what I call it. We noticed this little effigy hidey-hole on our first tour of the home with our realtor. When the realtor pointed it out, I said under my breath, “…and this is where they kept The Blessed Mother…” – and I’ve been calling it the Virgin Mary Shelf ever since. For two years I’ve decorated my walls, my mantle and anywhere else I could place décor, but this little area has remained empty. For two years I've been staring at this odd and off-putting space wondering WHAT IN THE WORLD to do with it. I was at a loss.