Chicken And Stuffing

This is a favorite in our house. It is a fave of mine because I can make it up in the morning, and pop it in the oven  after school. Enjoy!


                                 Chicken And Stuffing

Ingredients: 5 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
                       2 small cans cream of chicken soup
                       1 small can cream of celery soup
                       ( I use Healthy Request. )
                       8 oz. shredded mozzarella cheese
                       1 box stuffing, prepared

Directions:    Cut chicken into small pieces. Put in 13x9
                       pan, sprayed with Pam.
                       Pour soup on top. ( No water. )
                       Cover with shredded cheese.
                       Bake for 45 minutes, uncovered,
                       at 350 degrees.
                       Put prepared stuffing on top.
                       Bake 15 minutes more.

 

 

 

                  

A Peek Inside... My Coffee Cupboard

We drink alot of coffee, tea, and hot cocoa in this house. In an effort to keep things organized...surprise, right?...I keep all those items together in a little cupboard right above the Keurig. That way, it is easy to grab and make whatever you want! Here is possibly one of the greatest inventions ever...

Steve got me this for Valentines Day a few years ago. Romantic, right? But it is by far the best Valentines Day gift ever! Right above, is the little cupboard that holds all the coffee and tea.

The top shelf holds all my cookbooks that I don't use on a regular basis, but can't part with just yet. I also keep appliance manuals here as well.

The next shelf has all my tea. If you have not yet tried the Blackberry Pomegranate...please do!

And the bottom shelf has Madison's coffee, my coffee, and Peyton's hot cocoa. I love Hazelnut, but I add a bit of Swiss Mocha, because chocolate is always a good thing.

And this cute little sign hangs nearby...

And there you have it. The excitement that is my coffee and tea cupboard. Your week is now complete, right? Go on...  pour yourself a cup...take a break... I think I'll join you. : )

Weekend Plans

The last weekend of April? Is that right? I can't believe how quickly this school year passed by. I'm sure my kids feel quite differently...Friday night is free of plans. I think we may go and visit Steve's mother in her assisted living home . We don't get over to see her enough, and I feel badly about that. The kids are hoping to try a new pizza place there, and I am all about not having to cook trying new things, so pizza it shall be.

 Rhett is serving a funeral Mass on Saturday morning and Madison works during the day, which is nice because she can go to Mass and dinner with us. During the day, I think we will take advantage of the nice weather to clean out the garages. It doesn't feel like spring until Steve has officially emptied out the garages and swept out all the yucky winter remains. Then we organize all the balls, hula hoops, sidewalk chalk, bubble wands, bikes, scooters, parachutes and basketballs that will be our besties for the next 6 months or so. Saturday early evening is Mass, followed by a Chinese dinner out. Two for two on not cooking for me. Yay!

Sunday is supposed to be a nice day. I am soo excited to try these slow cooker ribs from Patty!!! I have never made them and am thankful to Patty for giving me the recipe and the confidence to give them a try. I think I will serve them with baked potatoes and cornbread and broccoli. Since it will be nice, I am hoping my parents will come up and join us. Well that is what we have planned for this last weekend in April, our last slow, no plans made weekend for quite some time! I hope yours is happy, and warm, and yummy, whatever your plans may be!

Peyton and I made donuts last Saturday morning. They were delish!

All ready to pick up the kids. ( Yep...jammies again... ) That is her new lion that Rhett got her at the circus. His name is Tiger... : )

Flynn Grace...3 years old already!

Lunch this week...cucumber slices and

this soup. It only has 80 calories per serving. Which is great for me since I prefer to save all mine for my bedtime snack of junk food.

Seeing these all over the house means only one thing...soccer season has started! Yay!

Flynn had her first play date this week! She loved it and did great. I cried because that is my niece's little girl and I realized how old I am. OK...so I didn't cry. But I am really old.



My New Secretary

Being that I am the CEO of this whole operation here, it is only fitting that I have a secretary, right? Someone to answer the numerous, persistent phone calls that we receive on a daily basis? (Read sarcasm here...like no one calls me. Probably because I never answer the phone.) Anyway, I didn't have too many applicants for the position. I did have one little lady that seemed have a stellar resume. Young, energetic, friendly, and seems to be here alot. Yep...you guessed it. My little Flynn got the job. Well, more like she appointed herself. She is the official phone answerer here. And Heaven help anyone who tries to take her job.

It has worked out fairly well. Perhaps since my mom and Steve are about the only ones who call on the house phone. My favorite exchange goes on between Flynn and Steve every time he calls. I am not kidding.

Flynn: "Hello?"

Steve: "Hello, Flynn. It's Daddy."

Flynn: "Oohhh. Is this my Daddy or
             Grandpa Daddy?" (meaning my dad)

Steve: "It's your Daddy...Steve."

Flynn:  "Oh, hello Stephen. What are you doing?
              Mommy is eating cereal.
              Do you know that pink balloon I had on Halloween?
              Remember that day? Kirby is sleeping
              and him took mom's sock again.
              Mom's on her iPad....." This part changes daily.

Steve: "Can I please talk to Mommy real quick?
             I have another call coming in. Flynn?"

Flynn: "Oh yes. Bye. Wait... Mommy,
             what is that I say after bye?"

Me:     "One moment please..."

Flynn: "One moment please..."

Me:      "Hi honey! Steve? Hello?  Hello?

Ok, so maybe we need to work on it some more. But I think she's a keeper. I mean... she makes my coffee too! : )

A Little Touch Of Spring

Once the Easter decorations were packed up and stored away, and the house sparkled and shined from our marathon spring cleaning weekend, I got out a few sweet spring-y things to add a touch of color to our spring home. Not too much, though. After having holiday and seasonal themed decorations around since Halloween, I am ready for a bit less now. A few spring things here and there, but alot more bare space to allow the sun to shine in and the fresh air to flow. So....here is our house all spiffed up for spring. And to my bloggy friends who are still in the clutches of Old Man Winter...hope these pictures bring you some idea and hope for what is surely coming your way! : )

Our cleaned out hearth room with the holiday tree all decked out for spring...

with sweet little chicks and ducklings.

The spring mantel ...

adds just a touch of color to a crisp, clean room.

My sister Margie brought me this pretty wreath when she came for Easter dinner. Love!

And a few cute flowers, the only ones I can't ruin, are here on the computer desk.

 Lastly, because I am not a fan of flowery, spring-y scents, and I am a fan of food...our Cranberry Orange candle burns every evening in our spring home.

Happy Spring!

Weekend Plans

The weekend is here. Spring cleaning is done. Two of my favorite sentences right there! This weekend Steve and Rhett are going to camp with some friends to introduce Rhett to turkey hunting. I don't know who is more excited...Rhett or Steve! Rhett spends alot of time with Steve at work, and has made many good friends there. In fact, I think Rhett enjoys spending time with Steve and his friends as much as kids his own age. Rhett is quite mature for his age. I have always said he is an old soul. : ) They are heading to camp Friday evening. Madison and Ryan are going to attend the school play, so that leaves Peyton, Flynn and I to fend for ourselves. My sister Margie is coming up for the weekend, so I think we will get some take out and stay in with some movies and popcorn.

Saturday is a quiet day. The girls and I have no plans until Mass in the early afternoon. After Mass, I think we will see if my parents would like to join us for dinner at a local pizza place near their home. My dad is still hesitant about going out, but if the weather is nice, I would like to encourage him to give it a try. After dinner, I think we will swing through Dairy Queen for a treat made by my favorite gal, Madison!

Steve and Rhett are planning on returning earlier on Sunday. Madison and Ryan are spending the afternoon at his house. I am going to put some beef in the crock pot in the morning for barbecue beef sandwiches. I may make a pasta salad to go along with them, too. Then it will be baths, showers, lunches, and backpack packing to prepare for a brand new week. And that's it. That is what we will be up to this early spring weekend. I hope yours is sunny, and warm, and cozy, whatever your plans may be!

I made this spice cake last Friday night. It was perfect for breakfast and snacking during our spring cleaning weekend.

Our prayer shelf all sparkly clean!

We have had some rain here, and look what is happening! I am always in awe of God's gift of nature.

Speaking of God's gifts...this is Madison's latest art project from school. She amazes me.

April cupcake delivery! The ones with the straws are root beer float.Yum!

First walk of the season...and yep. That would be my daughter...still in her jammies at 4:00, jumping in puddles, wearing her snow boots. That's how we roll around here!

Love this. That's all.

Tuna And Noodles

Ok. Here is my favorite tuna and noodle recipe ever. Feel free to click away if you aren't interested...I know some people don't care for tuna and noodles. My dear father won't eat it for anything! But if your family is like mine, and actually ask for it for dinner, give this one a try. I got it from a friend of mine. Her daughter babysat my littles years ago, and made this for them. They told me they had the BEST DINNER EVER! For real, they did...It is also a favorite during Lent. Enjoy!


                       Tuna and Noodles

Ingredients: 1 bag egg noodles
                       2 cups milk
                       3/4 stick butter
                       1 envelope tuna, drained
                       1 large can Cream of Mushroom soup
                       3 cheese slices
                       pepper, garlic salt, and parsley

Directions:   Boil egg noodles and drain.
                       Add milk, butter, tuna,
                       soup, cheese slices, and seasonings.
                       Stir together and heat till warm.

 

 

 

A Peek Inside...My Laundry Room

Disclaimer: These photos were taken immediately upon completion of a major cleaning project. Any resemblance to my laundry room's normal state is a non accurate portrayal.

I love to do laundry. Like some people like to ski or play golf. It is a borderline addiction, I know. But admitting it is the first step right? Because of this love of laundry, I strategically placed the laundry room right off my kitchen when we built this house. That way, I can run in there multiple times a day to conquer the mound of laundry this family of six produces on a daily basis.

So without further ado...my laundry room...

 Looking in...

Cute little signs mean even non-readers can help sort dirty laundry!

Washtub...and despite how it looks...this is not an ad for Gain. But it does smell really good!

And there you have it...a peek inside my laundry room... Go forth now and throw in a load or two! : )

Weekend Plans...Spring Cleaning 2013

Spring is finally here! And with these warm temperatures and sunny days comes the itch to organize, declutter, wipe down and polish. It is time to clean up this cozy home which has been our comfy fortress against the cold and snow that was our winter. I have been doing a bit here and there for an hour or so in the mornings, but this weekend we will roll up our sleeves and freshen this place up!

Friday evening I am planning on a simple dinner of my mom's macaroni and cheese with green beans and applesauce. I will probably get a head start by doing a smaller project like the laundry room or the rarely used dining room. I think I will make some muffins for an easy breakfast Saturday morning.

Saturday we will get to work. We will take sheets and mattress pads off the beds, wash and remake. Then the kids take everything off the shelves and bookcases in their rooms and we wipe everything down and sort out things we can live without. Steve is in charge of mini blinds( ugh! ) and I do windows (inside only). We move furniture and vacuum underneath and behind...I am sorta scared of that...and scrub bathrooms until they shine. Once we call it a day, our home is fresh and clean and ready for spring and summer! We are changing up our Mass plans this week, because Madison works on Saturday and will be unable to go. Steve is attending the late Mass on Saturday, and I will go with Madison Sunday morning. Saturday will be a pizza night to reward us for all that hard work. That and the fact that I will want to admire my sparkling kitchen for at least one day before I yuck it all up.

Sunday after Mass, I plan on having brunch complete with waffles, fresh fruit, scrambled eggs, and sausage. Madison has work in the late afternoon, and I plan on finishing up anything that we missed on Saturday. Sunday night we will collapse relax on the sofa and prepare for a brand new week. Well, that is what we will be up to this weekend. I hope yours is happy, and spring-y and bright, whatever your plans may be!

I am loving my new faucet...Easter Sunday found a puddle of water beneath my kitchen sink. Upon further investigation it was decided that I wash way too many dishes and I need to stop! No, really the hose on the sprayer thingy was cracked and proceeded to spray water under my sink. You'd think I would have noticed?

 

 

All ready for Mass last Saturday. She calls this her "princess" dress...

 

 

and new spring sandals too!

 

 

I realized when I took this picture that I had made

 

 

cranberry orange muffins while burning my...

 

 

cranberry orange candle!

 

 

Look who is enjoying the sun shining through the windows! : )

 

 

Me and my baby... : )

 

 

 

This Makes Me Happy...My Madison

My Madison is a wonderful daughter. She is everything I prayed she would be...happy and confident and kind, of course. But also empathetic and selfless and respectful and humble. When her Religion teacher assigned a project that asked the students to do something that would benefit someone else, Madison came up with a wonderful idea...She planned and held an Easter party at the Senior Center in my parent's apartment building. She was so very excited to make a special event for these wonderful people, and that is exactly what she did. With some help from Peyton, Rhett, and her cousin Carly,  she planned games, baked cupcakes, made a fruit platter, and shopped for prizes. When her good friend Justin heard about it, he came home from college and dressed as the Easter Bunny and posed for pictures! It was a wonderful experience for all involved...not only the guests, but also Madison as well. It was an opportunity for her to experience the joy one receives from doing something for someone else. I am so very proud of her and also so very excited as well. She did such a nice job that the director asked her if she would like to do it again next year...and Madison in turn asked if she could do it again for 4th of July! Justin dresses up as Uncle Sam too! : ) I am so proud of my first born. My Madison makes me happy.

Madison, Carly and The Easter Bunny himself!

The Easter Bunny passed out the prizes.

She had a door prize and a guessing game with jelly beans.

My parents and the Easter Bunny : )

 Dad was there for moral support!

This picture just makes my heart smile. Look how happy my mom was! : )