Comfort Food at it's Finest

There is nothing that I love more than mashed potatoes and gravy. I am one of those people who will load up on the mashed potatoes with extra gravy whenever it's offered as a side. The best part of the Thanksgiving feast is this yummy side. By the time I get home from work at night I just want to eat something quick and easy for dinner. A lot of times this requires throwing something in the crockpot so that it is just about ready to eat by the time I get home. I spend plenty of time on Pinterest looking for quick and easy recipes or recipes that I can make in the crockpot. I found this awesome Chicken and Gravy recipe just this last week. It is sooooooo good and super easy.

Photo Courtesy of Food.com

Ingredients:

• 3 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
• 1 can of Chicken Broth (I used the low sodium kind)
• 2 packets of chicken gravy mix (I used the low sodium kind of this as well)
• Mashed potatoes (You can make the homemade kind or if you are in a hurry I like to buy the kind that they sell in the cold food section that you just heat up and serve)

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts in the crockpot on the low setting if you will be cooking these for 8 hours or longer. Cook on high if you will be cooking them 4-5 hours.
2. Pour the can of chicken broth over the chicken breasts if they do not entirely cover the chicken breasts add just a little bit of water.
3. Cooking time is completed when the chicken falls off the fork and is able to be shredded.
4. Remove chicken from the Crockpot and shred with a fork in a bowl.
5. Take 2 cups of the chicken broth and put this in a saucepan with the two gravy packets. Heat until gravy thickens-About 2 minutes.

Serve chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes. Enjoy!

Written by: Katie B.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at HCCU! Here are some fun tidbits about Thanksgiving that you may not know....

• The first Thanksgiving was held in the autumn of 1621.
• Thanksgiving is always the fourth Thursday in November.
•  Turkey was not on the menu at the first Thanksgiving.
• The average weight of turkeys purchased for Thanksgiving is 15 pounds. Seventy percent white meat and thirty percent dark meat.
• According to the National Turkey Federation, 88% of Americans surveyed eat turkey on Thanksgiving.
• The heaviest turkey on record weighs 86 pounds.
• Female turkeys (called hens) do not gobble. Only male turkeys goggle.
• Wild turkeys can run 20 miles per hour when they are scared.
• A turkey under sixteen weeks of age is called a fryer, while a young roaster is five to seven months old.
• Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird, not the eagle.
• Each year, the president of  the U.S. pardons a turkey and spares it from being eaten for Thanksgiving dinner. The first one started in 1947 with President Truman.
• The NFL started the Thanksgiving Classic games in 1920 and since then the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys have hosted games on Turkey Day.  In 2006, a third game was added with different teams hosting.
• The first Turkey Trot was run in 1896 in Buffalo, New York.
• The Dallas Turkey Trot is the largest Thanksgiving race in the United States.
• Turkey Bowling is an event that takes place annually in Cincinnati’s Fountain Square ice skating rink. Contestants use a frozen turkey to knock down pins by sliding it across the ice.
• Thanksgiving is the reason for TV dinners. In 1953 Swanson had so much extra turkey (260 tons) that a salesman told them they should package it onto aluminum trays with other sides like sweet potatoes - - and the first TV dinner was born!
• The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade began in 1924. No large balloons were at this parade, only live animals from Central Park Zoo.
• Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

So on the fourth Thursday in November, families across the U.S. gather to feast on turkey, watch football and gear up for Christmas by looking for Santa at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and looking at  the store ads for Black Friday Shopping  in the local newspaper.

                                                                                                                 

Preparing for Your Holiday Road Trip

As the holidays approach, so does the time for road trips. Whether you’re only traveling an hour or two up north, or across state lines, it is important to be prepared for your winter road trip. I will be traveling across Wisconsin and visiting family in three different cities, all about 50 +/- miles from each other. I do this every year, and each year I prepare so that the only thing that I have to worry about is whether or not I’ll be able to eat all the lovely holiday food! Each person will have different priorities when it comes to their road trips, but here are a few suggestions from me.

                                     

First, you won’t get to your destination without a working vehicle of some sort. I highly suggest that, prior to any road trips, that you take your car to a trusted mechanic. It is important that your tires, brakes, and fluids are in good shape for the long trek ahead. Your vehicle is about to run a marathon and your mechanic’s check and fixes are its training. You wouldn’t run a marathon without training, right?

                                      

It is also important to have a safety kit in your trunk, including a first aid kit and basic tools for repair. Be sure to include winter items like blankets and shovel, as well as some cat litter, which will provide traction in case you are stuck. There is a link at the bottom of this post to an article by Consumer Reports that lists suggested safety kit items. Lastly, make sure your cell phone is fully charged before leaving. Please, please do not use it while driving—wait until you are stopped somewhere or are in an emergency situation.

                                      

Even if you know where you are headed, it is important to map your drive. Be sure to check the weather for the locations you will drive to and through, and be sure to check where there might be construction projects on your drive. There is a link at the bottom of this post to the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website, where you can find the work zones in various regions of the state.

                                     

Now that you have taken care of your car and your safety in it, it’s time to take care of you. As with any trip, make a packing list and double checking that you have packed everything that you need. In order to check that I have all I need, I often visualize a full day and what I use, pointing at the items in my suitcase as I go. It might sound a little silly, but that’s often how I remember to pack my toothbrush or some extra socks! Now that you have your clothes and other items packed, be sure to pack snacks and entertainment, these are especially important for those extended trips.

                                      

These are just a few suggestions, and I hope they help. Being prepared can take some take away some of that holiday stress and allow you to enjoy spending time with family and friends. From every employee at Horizon Community Credit Union, we wish you the happiest and safest of holidays!

Safety Kit Suggestions:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/2012/03/roadside-emergency-kit-what-to-carry-with-you/index.htm

WI DOT Work

http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov/travel/road/workzones.htm

Posted by: Breanna B.