November 22, 2013

Today I'm thankful it's Friday!!! I'm tired and can't wait to get home, into my sweat pants, and get on the couch!!!

November 21, 2013

Today I'm thankful that my 2 year old son enjoys books and reading!! Love going to the library with him! He just gets so excited with all the books he doesn't even know where to start!! We are lucky to have a nice library, with a good size children's section, close to us!

November 20, 2013

Today I'm thankful for little surprises and reminders that LIFE IS GOOD!!

November 19, 2013

Today I'm thankful for pandora for getting me through the work day!! Pandora has a great play list going on right now!! Great songs!!

November 18, 2013

Today I'm thankful for having patience.  Went to get an eye exam and new glasses from one of the popular/chain eye care places and it was absolutely ridiculous.  I'm just thankful that I have patience and tolerance for that type of nonsense!! It probably helps that I just needed a little break and time away from home so I didn't really mind the lack of organization, professionalism, and staff!!

November 15, 16, 17 2013

I'm thankful for the weekend!! Family time, music class, and some down time!! Laundry is done and folded. Just enjoying our time together!!

November 14, 2013

Today I'm thankful for medical advances and technology. Also, thankful that the lady drawing my blood was more gentle than I thought she would be. Her scowl on her face  made me a little scared -- she looked Nurse Ratchet mean!!

November 13, 2013

Today I'm thankful for a little down time with my husband tonight. Can never go wrong with some Modern Family (although it wasn't quite as funny as it usually is).

November 12, 2013

Today I'm thankful for one of my closest, and longest friends Tracey.  Crazy how we grew up living 3 houses from each other as kids, and as adults we are are only about 10 houses from each other. Always there to support, talk things out, and put some reality back into my life. Always gives me the ability to keep faith, and to not worry, everything will always work out..  Very thankful for her and our friendship!!

Easy Creamy Chicken Tater Tot Casserole

Had a wonderful day off with my Little One yesterday and even though we had leftovers available from weekend take out, I decided to cook something easy.  

This one was so easy my friend texted me the ingredients and I just changed it up a little -- with the help of just looking at several similar recipes. My son ate his, and then asked for some of mine!! My husband took it to lunch with him today so, that's a given that he enjoyed it!!

No picture this time -- this one went fast!!

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 chicken breasts (if they are thick ones), 4 if they are cutlets (cube or shred chicken)
• 8 oz sour cream
• 1/4 cup of 2 % milk (or whatever you have I'm sure??)
• 1  1/2 cups of cheddar cheese (or any cheese you want I'm sure)
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• Half to 3/4 a bag frozen tater tots (or more to your liking - as I was stirring I was adding more to the dish)
• frozen broccoli or any type of veggies!

DIRECTIONS:

1. Cook chicken at 375 until cooked. Shred or cube the chicken.
2. Grease baking dish. Stir all ingredients above together in baking dish. 
3. Cook for 30-40 minutes on 375 until it's bubbly. If you want -- add more cheese over the top (that's what my friend suggested I do but, it looked cheesy enough for us!!

November 11, 2013

Today I'm thankful for the men and women who have protected us in the past, present, and future. I'm thankful for their sacrifices and also the sacrifice of their families.

November 9 & 10, 2013

These 2 days I'm thankful that I know when to take a break!!

We typically stay busy on our weekends -- but this weekend I just needed a break. I was tired, and needed to get things done around the house. I'm not one to back out of obligations but this weekend I needed it!!

November 8, 2013

Today I'm thankful for Alex being able to have his grandparents in his life.  I didn't live near family while I was growing up.  My paternal grandmother/family lived in California, and my Maternal family was in Delaware.  I saw my grandmothers a couple times a year when I was a child. I didn't get the chance to really get to know my maternal family until I was older, in college. Alex's school had Grandparent's Day, and then later that evening, we went to his other Grandma's house for dinner. He had an all around good day with his grandparents.  Having family nearby has so many benefits.

CREAMY CROCKPOT BEEF STROGANOFF

I can't say that I have ever had Beef Stronganoff before.  The look of the meal just wasn't appealing. Gravy on noodles?? Well, over the years, I have become less picky. Actually, I'm not picky at all when it comes to food. I will pretty much try food at least one time. Unless it's still has it's head, or if it's still breathing.  I'm also not even really into spicy things so, if it's going to have me gagging from the spices of the food, I typically won't try it. 

I have been coming home at least once a week to put something in the crock pot. I try and find something easy so that I'm not late getting back home to work.  This one was really easy! It was so creamy that it can't be healthy!! But, it was really yummmy!!! My husband even said it tasted just like his mom's beef stroganoff. Which is a big compliment!!

INGREDIENTS: 

• 1-2 lbs cube steak, cut into one-inch pieces; or 1-2 lbs stew beef, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (I used stew beef but didn't have time to cut it, something I would definitely do the next time) 
•  2 cans condensed golden mushroom soup (no substitutes!)
• 1 cup chopped onion 
• 1 Tb Worcestershire sauce
• 1 14 oz can beef broth
• 8 oz button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered (optional) (I love mushrooms, and so does my son, so I added this. My husband picked them out and handed them over to us) 
• salt and pepper to taste (I didn't use salt, figured the soups had enough. But I used plenty of pepper)
•  4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I used the sour cream and chive cream cheese for more flavor)
• 1/2 cup sour cream
•  cornstartch (optional) 
• Egg noodles or Rice (I used egg noodles)
  DIRECTIONS: 
  
  
  1. In the crockpot, combine the meat, soup, onion, Worcestershire sauce, beef broth, mushrooms, salt and pepper. Stir it all up. Cover and Cook on low for 5-6 hours. 
  2. Stir in cream cheese and sour cream about half an hour before serving, stirring every ten minutes or so to break up cream cheese. If you think your sauce is not thick enough, add cornstarch & water mix to crock pot. It thickens up the sauce. (Didn't really measure the cornstarch mixture -- just took a guess.)
  3.  After the cream cheese & sour cream melted, I stirred the COOKED egg noodles into the crock pot for about 10-15 minutes. 
   

 Original Recipe from Heather's Bytes:
http://www.heathersbytes.com/beef-stroganoff/ 
 
 
  

November 7, 2013

Today I'm thankful for a quick and easy recipes for dinner! I went home on my lunch break and put together a really quick crock pot meal. It was really really good! Jason even said it tasted just like his mom's beef stroganoff! It was good, and even Alex enjoyed it!

November 6, 2013

Today I'm thankful for a relatively "easy" day at work, and the chance to relax with friends after work!! Celebrated a friend's sons 1st birthday and had a wonderful time! Alex had his favorite foods! Pizza and lots of fruit... There were a lot of people at the party and although Alex was slow to warm up, he soon joined the group and after time, was running after the older kids!! Fun day!!

How I know a Toddler is Running My Home.... And more....

These 2 years with my son have been the best years of my life!! There was a time when my college days were considered the best days... And then, my 20s!! How amazingly wonderful they were!! Had my own apartment/house, friends, and freedom. But, I have learned, that for me, there has been nothing better than raising a child.... Here are some things that I have realized since my son has turned two!!

1.  The nurses in the hospital were right. I objected to taking those ugly pink "tubs" home with me! But they insisted, so I took them. They said, "Trust me, you will need it in the future." Thank goodness I took them because when my son spikes a fever, starts getting agitated and yells, "MY BELLY HURTS!!" I am so happy to be able to catch his puke in those ugly pink tubs!!

2.  Our Halloween Trick or Treat pumpkin that holds candy has been in our bathroom for a week! If I move it, my son flips out... Mouth turns down, eyebrows turn up... Tears begin forming!! Who told me as a young adult to pick my battles?? My Mom? My friends? Whoever advised me, thank you. This is one thing I don't have time to fight over. The pumpkin can stay!

3.  A meal that says "20 minute prep time" takes double the time. My independent toddler wants to help with everything. Even it means that he is eating 40 minutes after his scheduled dinner time. (Although better believe, he is demanding teddy grahams or snacks, which is only holding me up even more).

4.  There is just no point of cleaning up clutter!  Yes, keep your bathrooms and kitchens cleaned, but your living space will never go be clutter free with a toddler dragging everything from their toy chest in their bedroom out to the family room.

5. The only way to really get my toddler to eat veggies is to make him think that he is "taking" mommy's veggies!! Now, my son will eat broccoli but anything else... I have to trick him!! Which leads me to # 6....

6.  Get a stockpile of casserole recipes!! You can hide any type of vegetable in a casserole.... Especially if that casserole has marinara sauce in it!!

7. Kids really do say the darndest things!! Watching my son develop and grow his vocabulary is just amazing!! He can make anyone laugh with just his expressions or his imitations!!

8.  Not only can't I remember the last time I was in a club, I also can't remember the last time I peed, pooped, or showered alone!! True, when I'm alone with my son I keep the door open for safety purposes. But we could have a house full of people and sure enough, he will bust the door open at my most private moments!! Note to self:  Need to have my husband fix our bathroom door lock!!

9.  I live in yoga pants. And haven't used an iron since my son was born!!

10.  You learn that the parent you thought you were going to be, before you had your kid, was just too rested, silly, and well.. WRONG!! People without kids make the "best" parents!!

11.  Laundry is never ending. It's never ending yet, nothing ever seems to be clean!! I go to work with oatmeal, yogurt, syrup on my pants every day!! I used to try my hardest to get the stain out. Now, I just walk into work, take my seat, and do my job!! No oatmeal is going to stop me from getting my work done so I can get home to my baby!!

12.  After a year of day care germs, I have learned when my son is truly sick, or just has the sniffles!! No, I will not take my child out and risk getting other kids/adults sick but I do know that not every sniffle, sneeze, or slight drip of the nose is a cold!! If we have something planned, and it's a minor drip, we will now show up to an event!! Mama needs her "mom time" too... And more than likely, half the kids will have the same little drip as my son!!

13. Piggy backing on #12!! I love my mom friends!!! The support, advice, and fun we have is has meant everything to me!! And I love that we all parent differently, yet, I can always learn something from each and every one of them!! I have been blessed with good mamas as role models!!

14. Over time, temper tantrums don't bother me! At this point we don't have many, but, if we do experience them, I'm not bothered! I make sure he is safe, ask him if he wants to talk about it. After it's done, we just have a pep talk and a hug.

15. I can get out of the house in the mornings in 45 minutes. Seems like a lot of time but I fly solo in the mornings!! When I was single I could barely get out of the house in 45 minutes! Now, I can get things done so quickly, most days I'm surprised I got to work on time, with 4 minutes to spare!!

16.  A glass of wine, or 3, can make my evening better!

17. Going grocery shopping by myself is awesome (even though I hate it), yet bringing my son can give me stories to share for days...

18. Sometimes it's just too hard to  not laugh at something funny my son has said or done. We know it's sometimes not the right time to laugh, but sometimes you just have to let go and let live!

19. There is nothing I would rather be doing with my life right now than being my son's mom. I am flawed, I struggle with different things sometimes, but there is nothing that gives me more joy than being a Mom to my son!!!  I do the best I can do!

CREAMY CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE

Found this recipe on pinterest and I couldn't wait to try it. I'm not a ham person but, I thought it would be something my husband enjoyed. So, I get all the ingredients and with my husbands assistance, we attempted to make this dish.

First, let me say, for someone who is not experienced with cooking with multiple ingredients, this took much longer then expected. This was not an easy Monday night meal!! This would have definitely been better for Sunday dinner! The recipe said it was a 20 minute prep time, but I think it took us a little under 40 minutes. I don't know why, probably a few reasons! #1, we had a 2 year old trying to play at our feet and "help." and #2 we just really didn't know what we were doing #3 I didn't truly follow the instructions and didn't get exactly what the recipe called for!!

I think we'll try this recipe again even though it came out a disaster!!! We really really really messed up with the salt!!! Next time we will NOT be adding it at all!!! Ended up scraping off the crust topping because it was too salty.... Top was really just horribly salty, bottom was actually really good!!

One again excuse the non professional picture!! It probably doesn't give it justice because the Italian Panko Bread is GREEN!! Would really do this recipe again, and just make sure I have the plain panko!! 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE CASSEROLE:

• 1 whole Cooked Chicken, Bones Removed, Meat Diced Or Shredded (rotisserie Chicken Is Excellent used $5 kroger one)
• ½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Rough Chopped
• ¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese 

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 Tablespoons Flour
• 3-¼ cups Milk (I Used 2% Milk)
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice (Bought the lemon but things got hectic so I used the stuff out of the bottle)
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1-½ teaspoon Salt (not sure if this is necessary, I plan on taking it out next time)
• ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika 
• ¼ teaspoons White Pepper 

 FOR THE TOPPING:

• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1-½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs (This is where I went wrong! I could not find just regular Panko bread crumbs! I have seen it before, so I knew that our Kroger has but this time the shelf was empty. So I got this fancy Italian seasoning panko crumbs. If you use this you will not need the seasoning salt!! I would personally just try and find the regular panko and stick to the recipe!! Meals get ruined when you aren't sure what you are doing and try and improvise!!)
• ¾ teaspoons Seasoning Salt
• 1-½ teaspoon Crushed Dried Parsley (didn't have any)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside.

Put cooked shredded or diced chicken on the bottom of the baking dish. Rough chop the ham and scatter it over the top of the chicken. Lay the Swiss cheese on top of the ham.

For the sauce:
Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, smoked paprika and white pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

For the topping:
Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, seasoning salt and crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.

Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Original recipe from: 
http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2012/07/chicken-cordon-bleu-casserole/ 
 

November 4 & 5, 2013

November 4:
Today I'm thankful that I have a job. It was a bit hectic today at work, but I kind of enjoyed it!! It's nice to have things come up out of the ordinary -- change things up a bit! I enjoyed the new experiences and challenges that today's work day brought! Wish we had more of those days!! Although considering we are expecting some huge agency/leadership changes, I should be careful of what I wish for!!!

November 5:
Today I'm thankful for having a patient little boy. There was a time where I couldn't take Alex anywhere with me! He used to cried in stores, and just never wanted to shop!  Now, I can take him to the store, and even when he starts getting restless, he still remains relatively calm. He did an awesome job at the grocery store last night -- and I'm sure we were there for an hour! I was even getting frustrated at some points when I couldn't locate something! But Alex just said, "What's the matter mama, you can't find it?? I find it for you!!" Patient and funny little boy!!

November 3, 2013

Today I'm thankful for being able to spend time with my dad and Connor! When I moved here I thought we would be more involved with each others lives. Time and schedules don't always allow us to do so... Before I moved here, Connor was my little buddy... He is still my buddy, yet, he has grown so much!! Such a kind, gentle, caring little boy. He surprises me with his kindness!! Such a good little boy!! When I first moved here, I started taking Connor out for Halloween... I think maybe the first year my dad came with us. The next year my dad was sick with a cold, so I took Connor. The following year, I think my Dad was just like, aaahhh you can take him!! haha! Always fun!! Last year I know Alex had a fever so we didn't make it over (besides the fact that it was raining). This year, Alex was ready and excited!! I had been telling him for days that we were going to pick up pizzas and take them to Grandpa D's and Connors!! He has been looking forward to it! Fun night, and I'm thankful that I had the chance to spend time with them! If only I had my USB port to show the goodies the kids got trick or treating...

November 2, 2013

Today I'm thankful for new friends, and reconnecting with old ones.

Over a year ago a couple of my husband's cousins, and some former high school friends signed up for Kindermusik classes. Over a short time, and with new moms joining, we have developed a nice, friendly, and supportive group.  All of our children are around the same age (born within months of each other), and it is just amazing to watch and develop together.

I can't say enough about how wonderful Kindermusik has been for Alex and I. It was tough moving to a new town, with only a few friends. I am so thankful that I have had this experience!!

Crock Pot Italian Dressing Chicken

If it's not apparent already, I just love Italian Dressing!! I don't know exactly what it about it but, I just love the flavor! 

My son had his Halloween Parade at his school, so I took a half day of work so that I could attend. I knew I would have time to go home and start dinner, but I also knew I'd be on a time crunch and needed something easy.

So, I find a recipe on pinterest (where else) and head home to start cooking. I have a few other things I want to do before I need to be at Alex's school so I'm hoping to get this food thrown on the crock pot quickly! Of course, there will always be snags in your plans when you are a time schedule, and are on a mission.

I pull up in the driveway, get out of the car, and our very friendly, kind, elderly, and ooohhh so talkative neighbor/friend sees me and yells across the street to say hello!! I thought i was going to get by with just a wake and a quick "hello," but I see he has already gotten his motorized wheel chair ready to head over. 25 minutes later, what can I say, I'm a sucker for good stories, even in a time constraint!

I finally get inside, and get things ready. This reciepe is quite easy. Just 3 ingredients! Well, I should have just kept it at what the recipe called for but as I'm going through the refrigerator I see an opened bag of carrots that need to be used, and then decide to also use the potatoes that were left over from the roast. So, I'm washing, cutting and slicing vegeatables. 

All in all the recipe was easy and decent. I personally prefer the Italian Dressing Chicken that I throw in the oven, but this was good too. If you add veggies to it remember they will take longer than the chicken will to cook so maybe put them on 1 hour before chicken. 

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks (my chicken was frozen, of course, so I couldn't cut into chunks until meat was cooked)
•  16-oz bottle Italian dressing (I did not use a full bottle. I probably used just a half, up to you how much you want to use. I used Kroger's zesty italian) 
•  ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper & italaian seasoning to taste (for the veggies, if not using veggies then ignore)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place chicken in bottom of slow cooker and pour dressing over chicken. Stir together gently.
2. Sprinkle cheese on top.  
3. Cover and cook on High for 4 hours, or on Low for 8 hours, or until chicken is tender but not dry. (If you add veggies like I did, I would put veggies into the crock pot for an hour before putting the chicken in. Season veggies with salt/pepper, italian seasoning and coat veggies in Italian dressing)
4. Serve over cooked rice, along with extra sauce from the chicken.  (yes, even with potatoes, we served over rice. I was really just trying to use potatoes before they weren't good anymore!)

Of course I got a before picture, and forgot about the after one... 

Original recipe from Fix-It and Forget-It:
http://fix-itandforget-it.com/blog/2011/05/05/zesty-italian-chicken/ 


 
 

There is always, always, always SOMETHING to be thankful for

It's November already!! It still amazes me how time just flies by when you raising a child! Although it's hard for to remember my son's newborn/infant days, I sometimes just have to stop and think, it's only been 2 years since he was a little baby in my arms. It just doesn't seem like 2 years should have gone that fast! And it doesn't make much sense to me that I can't remember as much as I wish I could.

Since November is the month of Thanksgiving,  I am going to try and challenge myself to be sure to take the time each day and give thanks. Every day I'm thankful, for something but, I probably don't take the time to really reflect on how truly fortunate I am.

I bought this wall hanging a few months ago at Hobby Lobby. I had been searching and searching for weeks trying to find something to replace our current "bread" and "cheese"  framed poster wall hangings from my husbands bachelor days! I took pictures of things I liked, showed them to my husband, and he just shook his head.  I even purchased some things that I really liked, so that we could hold them up again the wall to see what, if anything would work.  Glad we did, because even the things I loved in the store, just looked horrible in our kitchen! Well, finally by chance, I found this at Hobby Lobby!!  I bought it and just hoped Jason would like it. 



Thankfully, he did!  Now, of course 3 months later and we still haven't taken the time to hang it up but, I'm just excited that he liked it!!

So this month I'm starting with this wall hanging's saying. There is always, always, always something to be thankful for. 

Today, November 1st I'm thankful for my little family. I'm very thankful, and fortunate, to have a caring, kind, and funny husband. Although these years have been full of transitions, compromises, sacrifices -- they have always remained loving, fun, respectful, and cherished. Our love for each other grew once we had our son Alex.  Alex amazes us every day! To have someone to share in my excitement and joy has been amazing. Very thankful to have them both in my life!!