Tag, I'm It

Its my first tag! I've been tagged by Ally, the original family blogger, who has been waiting patiently for the rest of us to catch on....hey Ally it looks like it is FINALLY catching....actually spreading like wildfire is more like it...wooohooo!!

Anywhoo, I am supposed to be posting 3 of our favorite dinner recipes, BUT since my blog would cease to be MY blog without pictures, you will simply have to be patient & enjoy one recipe at a time until I can photograph a few more. ;)

Here's my first contribution...last night's blue plate special...Baked Parmesan Crusted Chicken. I got this recipe from my mother-in-law who used to make it better than I ever will. Everyone in our family LOVES it...even the kids gobble it right up!

2 c. Ritz crackers, crushed

1 tsp. seasoned salt (Lawry's)

8 oz. PLAIN yogurt

3 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese

2 tsp. garlic powder

6-8 boneless/skinless chicken breasts (but I love to use chicken tenders....it makes it...well, just more tender! :))
1/4 c. melted butter

Combine crackers, Parmesan cheese, garlic & seasoned salt; set aside. Coat each piece of chicken with plain yogurt, then coat with crumb mixture. Arrange in greased baking dish. Drizzle butter over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

the secret: the tip my mother-in-law gave me was to soak the chicken in the yogurt over night or at least for the whole day prior to baking....mmmm tender & DELICIOUS.

Chocoholics

So if you've checked out the "about me" portion of my blog, you may have noticed that I am a chocoholic. Hello, my name is Jen & I am a chocoholic....a SERIOUS chocoholic. As in, must have chocolate EVERY SINGLE DAY!! It may just be a few chocolate chips if I have nothing better, but I really, really need just a little bit of chocolate daily....the DARKER, the better!

Oddly enough, this trait skipped being passed to my daughter who would rather have vanilla ice cream (?!?!) & went straight to my son. Little man L is *almost * as big of a chocolate lover as I am.

We have some friends who are going through a bit of a rough time right now & so L & I decided to make them some cookies. Since we would be giving the bulk of them away, we decided on nice, rich, chocolaty Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies. Mmmmmmmmmmm. I don't make these often because they are pure chocolate with chocolate chips & nuts. These cookies greatly displease Daddy & Z who would MUCH rather eat sugar cookies. But for L & I, we were in pure heaven.

For you other chocolate lovers...here's the recipe (thanks to my sister-in-law C for sharing this recipe with me.)

Warning: These are DANGEROUS...I've already had more today than I'd care to admit. ;)

Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 1/4 c. flour

1/2 c. cocoa

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. butter

3/4 c. white sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. chopped walnuts or pecans

Mix dry ingredients. Cream butter & sugars. Add 1 egg at a time & then the rest of the ingredients. Bake 9-11 minutes at 375 degrees. Try not to eat all in one day. :)

Order out of Chaos

So I got an email the other day from my sister telling me about how excited she was about cleaning out & organizing her kitchen cabinets & how she couldn't wait to tackle her office. I replied about how that was "my kind of fun" (direct quote) & how excited I was about having cleaned out my laundry room that day. Then I told her that we were a couple of nerds. Yup, nerds. We are dorky, organizational nerds.

Ok, I admit it!
I LOVE to organize. A clean, organized space for me is a thin slice of heaven. It puts my mind in such a peaceful place. In my dream home EVERYTHING would have a place & everything would be IN its place. Now I definitely DO NOT live in that world, nor will I probably EVER live there with lots o' little kids and a husband who is....ahem....organizationally challenged. (love you sweetie!)

So for my latest project I undertook the task of cleaning out my "junk" drawer. It had gotten REALLY out of hand. I loved this project because it was quick, easy & the results were awesome! Yes, for me, this really was fun....not work. I even used a gift card to buy the drawer dividers & I was EXCITED to use my gift card for that.

I may be a nerd, but I'm a happy one. (at least every time I look in my junk drawer) Hmmmmm....I think that drawer needs a new name....odds & ends drawer, handy tools drawer, tidiest space in the house drawer..... ;)

"Is it my favorite?"

Hawaiian Haystacks. A dinnertime staple around here. It has been FOREVER & it was when I was growing up too. They are really quick, relatively cheap, made with stuff I usually have on hand & a definite crowd pleaser. They are also Z's FAVORITE meal. Inevitably as the dinner hour approaches she'll ask:

Z: "Mom, what's for dinner?"

Me: "Chicken." (not always of course, but we do eat A LOT of chicken)

Z: "Is it my favorite?" (she seriously asks this EVERY time we have chicken)

Me: "YES!"

Z: "Yeah!!!!" (happy dance)

At least tonight that was the gist of our conversation. There are plenty of times when the answer is "no" & then I know what's coming next...."awww Mom, I don't like this stuff....why don't you ever make my favorite???"

The thing is....I DO make it.....a lot.

Grandma's Garden

There are times in life when we must live vicariously. Sometimes, it is just necessary. Case in point...Grandma's garden. I'd LOVE to have a garden in our backyard, BUT feasibly at this point....uh, not gonna happen. Someday....... BUT, for the time being, we are lucky enough to enjoy the "fruits" (haha, no pun intended) of Grandma's labor.

Plus the kids get to have a little "gardening" experience. Nothing is more fun that eating fresh fruits & veggies that have grown right before your eyes. They are SO much more delectable than the stuff we get at the store (even from our beloved Market!)

I never thought I'd see the day that MY kids would eat tomatoes like apples, but they all do....seriously....they LOVE tomatoes.











I do remember that my opinion of tomatoes changed when I was about 10-years-old & had my first fresh tomato from my Grandpa N's garden....mmmmmm...I can still taste it....a big slice with just a little salt. Yummy! After that I had a new view of tomatoes. BUT, I still don't eat them like apples...a girl's gotta have limits. ;)

Trip to the Beauty Salon

There are not many 5-year-old girls who get to get their hair cut in a fancy salon (at least those who are living on our budget!), but my little Z just happens to be one of the lucky few. Our stylist, the divine Miss J, also happens to be one of the best friends I have ever...or will ever...have & she is sweet enough to give us a really GREAT deal. (We've been friends for over 20 YEARS!!! Now THAT makes me feel old.)

Today it was time for a trim & so Z & I headed out, just the 2 of us, for a little girl time. Z was a bit nervous, but really enjoyed being pampered. It was her first time having her hair washed in "the big bowl" & she obviously really enjoyed it! :) We all know that is THE BEST part of a haircut!!

As we were walking into the salon our conversation went a bit like this:

Z: "Mom, are you getting your hair cut today?"

Me: "No, mine takes a long time because I get color put in it."

Z: "What color do you get?"

Me: "Just brown."

Z: "I want to get color too!"

Me: "Weeelllll, maybe when you're all grown up."

Z: "Awww, okay."

Me: "What color do you want?"

Z: "PINK!"
Z is also blessed with amazing, naturally curly hair...so when she gets a cut she has layers put in so that it will curl up easily....making life easier for Mom. Even though sometimes she wishes for "smooth" hair, I think that she is oh so lucky & absolutely STUNNING with her beautiful curly locks.

All done...what a GORGEOUS girl!

(even without the pink...LOL!)

Glamorous

Today Miss Z had a play date with her cousin, little L. Not only are Z & L cousins, but also GREAT friends. It has been such a treat for us because L's family lives just minutes away. After they had tired of playing ponies, jumping on the trampoline & eating left over candy canes, they decided to get REALLY girly by putting on "makeup" & painting their nails. So, foreseeing a possible mess, I sent them into my bathroom to primp....as far from carpet & furniture as possible. As the baby was napping & little man L was off on his own play date, I enjoyed a few quiet minutes folding laundry & answering emails. I suddenly realized that the girls were quiet, TOO quiet. I decided to go investigate. I discovered two very glittery & glamorous little girls who had not only covered themselves in sparkles, but the bathroom too! Oh well, you're only 5 once right?

Lookin' good girlies!!