Here's another good one. Key here is EASY....and tastes good enough to take to someone or serve to guests!
Chicken/Ham Bake
boneless skinless chicken breasts (I really like the ones that come in a bag in the frozen section at Costco...they are thin and all the same size - cook evenly, and the price is pretty good, too!)
deli ham slices
provolone cheese slices
cream of chicken soup
1/2 soup can white wine
spray a baking dish with Pam. place chicken breasts in single layer on bottom. top each chicken breast with a thin layer of ham then with a piece of cheese. mix cream of chicken soup with the wine and pour over the top of the chicken. Bake at 350 for about 35 - 40 min or until chicken is no longer pink. serve with brown rice, scooping the sauce over the rice to serve.
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
You Have to Read This!
A good friend sent me this link this morning. You will find the link at the bottom, but I am copying and pasting the post here. Please know these are NOT my words, but were invaluable to me this morning. I hope you are blessed by this as well.
Its early morning and I’m not dressed yet. The phone rings while I’m taking stock of last night’s dishes piled in the sink, coloring books and crayons scattered all over the living room, and several hooligans running about in underwear and tangled hair, shouting for breakfast. Its easy to feel defeated today before the day has even begun.
I answer the phone and, as if by magic, something changes. Because someone on the other end encourages.
I don’t do well with compliments. I’m never sure how to respond. Who, me? I’m shyly scuffing my toes and casting eyes down as the words roll over me. “We’re proud of you. We are thankful for you. You are doing a beautiful job. You are a wonderful Mother.”
A thousand thoughts rush to the forefront of my mind – ” I yelled at my daughter for no reason this morning. I sent my kids to bed in a huff last night. Have you seen my kitchen? My bathrooms are a disgrace and I hardly smiled at my husband last night. I’m not who you say I am.”
Why is it so hard to accept encouragement?
Ah, there it is, the answer that steals so much from us: perfectionism. That little lie that snakes its way into many a mother’s mindset. “Other mothers have cleaner houses. They speak sweetly to their kids. They cherish and serve their husbands. They have perfect lives.”
Somehow we slurp down every lie and ask for more.
The only way to combat lies is with truth. And here it is, mamas:
You are doing a beautiful job. No, I didn’t say perfect. I didn’t say spotless. I didn’t say sinless. I said beautiful. Broken, messy people can be beautiful, and the way that you try, try and try again, that is beautiful.
Every day that you wake up in the midst of your mess and resolve, every day that you try, and yes even every day that you fail, your heavenly Father is proud of you. Think of how proud you are of your littles when they try, and even when they stumble and fall amidst their attempts.
You are a wonderful mother. You love your children more than yourself. You are being remade into a better person because of the sacrificial love you have for these precious gifts you’ve been given. And that makes you wonderful.
Compliments and encouragement, they are not for the perfect among us…because who among us is perfect?
Motherhood is historically “thankless.” Small people are not always great at making us feel validated and appreciated, and even harried husbands coming home to the giant task of family, they can even forget at times.
Encourage one another. I see what other mamas do, because I do the same. I see how hard it is. If there is some way that I can encourage another in the way I have been encouraged, I know that it will bolster her, give her strength and hope in this daily battle we call life.
That’s why we should encourage. Not because we are perfect, but because we are not.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV
“Therefore, encourage each other…”
By: Lydia, Small Town Simplicity
http://www.incourage.me/2011/02/the-why-of-encouragement.html
The Why of Encouragement
Its early morning and I’m not dressed yet. The phone rings while I’m taking stock of last night’s dishes piled in the sink, coloring books and crayons scattered all over the living room, and several hooligans running about in underwear and tangled hair, shouting for breakfast. Its easy to feel defeated today before the day has even begun.
I answer the phone and, as if by magic, something changes. Because someone on the other end encourages.
I don’t do well with compliments. I’m never sure how to respond. Who, me? I’m shyly scuffing my toes and casting eyes down as the words roll over me. “We’re proud of you. We are thankful for you. You are doing a beautiful job. You are a wonderful Mother.”
A thousand thoughts rush to the forefront of my mind – ” I yelled at my daughter for no reason this morning. I sent my kids to bed in a huff last night. Have you seen my kitchen? My bathrooms are a disgrace and I hardly smiled at my husband last night. I’m not who you say I am.”
Why is it so hard to accept encouragement?
Ah, there it is, the answer that steals so much from us: perfectionism. That little lie that snakes its way into many a mother’s mindset. “Other mothers have cleaner houses. They speak sweetly to their kids. They cherish and serve their husbands. They have perfect lives.”
Somehow we slurp down every lie and ask for more.
The only way to combat lies is with truth. And here it is, mamas:
You are doing a beautiful job. No, I didn’t say perfect. I didn’t say spotless. I didn’t say sinless. I said beautiful. Broken, messy people can be beautiful, and the way that you try, try and try again, that is beautiful.
Every day that you wake up in the midst of your mess and resolve, every day that you try, and yes even every day that you fail, your heavenly Father is proud of you. Think of how proud you are of your littles when they try, and even when they stumble and fall amidst their attempts.
You are a wonderful mother. You love your children more than yourself. You are being remade into a better person because of the sacrificial love you have for these precious gifts you’ve been given. And that makes you wonderful.
Compliments and encouragement, they are not for the perfect among us…because who among us is perfect?
Motherhood is historically “thankless.” Small people are not always great at making us feel validated and appreciated, and even harried husbands coming home to the giant task of family, they can even forget at times.
Encourage one another. I see what other mamas do, because I do the same. I see how hard it is. If there is some way that I can encourage another in the way I have been encouraged, I know that it will bolster her, give her strength and hope in this daily battle we call life.
That’s why we should encourage. Not because we are perfect, but because we are not.
1 Thessalonians 4:18 NIV
“Therefore, encourage each other…”
By: Lydia, Small Town Simplicity
http://www.incourage.me/2011/02/the-why-of-encouragement.html
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
TMI???
Here is when you know you are really a mommy (as if giving birth six times were not enough): I was going to the bathroom and Gwen and Charlotte had to be "wif you". So there we all are...me on the toilet, Gwen and Charlotte "washing" their hands when Gwen bit Charlotte. So now, Charlotte's sobbing and I had to smack Gwen's hand to discipline her which of course made her cry too. They are both laying their heads, one on each thigh, crying....and all I wanted to do was go to the bathroom.
And some other thoughts:
If you don't already do this, I highly recommend picking one day per week to be "grocery day". Keep a running list of things you need and the day before you go plan out all your meals for the upcoming week plus whatever else you will need. Be sure to ask your husband if he's out of anything or wants anything in particular from the store. Never fails that if you don't ask, he's using your deodorant the very next day! And you'd be surprised the things he might ask you to pick up....like ice cream cones!??! That made me smile. Never knew Matt liked ice cream cones so much. Also ask the kids if they are out of anything like toothpaste, etc. Planning my meals is a tad time consuming, but it is so rewarding when I have everything I need each night. Plus, I rarely have to make a quick trip to pick up a few things. I really LOVE Amy Knapp's Family Organizer. Not only is it a calendar, but has a "to do list", grocery list and menu planning. As soon as I use up the last of something, I mark it down in my planner. Can't say enough about this planner....I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. There are a few different versions - "Christian" and "Homeschool" - but I prefer the original. It starts in July of one year and runs for 18 months. For instance the one I am using now is July 2010 - Dec 2011. That way you can have a fresh calendar at the beginning of the school year. After all, what's better than new school supplies!
And some other thoughts:
If you don't already do this, I highly recommend picking one day per week to be "grocery day". Keep a running list of things you need and the day before you go plan out all your meals for the upcoming week plus whatever else you will need. Be sure to ask your husband if he's out of anything or wants anything in particular from the store. Never fails that if you don't ask, he's using your deodorant the very next day! And you'd be surprised the things he might ask you to pick up....like ice cream cones!??! That made me smile. Never knew Matt liked ice cream cones so much. Also ask the kids if they are out of anything like toothpaste, etc. Planning my meals is a tad time consuming, but it is so rewarding when I have everything I need each night. Plus, I rarely have to make a quick trip to pick up a few things. I really LOVE Amy Knapp's Family Organizer. Not only is it a calendar, but has a "to do list", grocery list and menu planning. As soon as I use up the last of something, I mark it down in my planner. Can't say enough about this planner....I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it. There are a few different versions - "Christian" and "Homeschool" - but I prefer the original. It starts in July of one year and runs for 18 months. For instance the one I am using now is July 2010 - Dec 2011. That way you can have a fresh calendar at the beginning of the school year. After all, what's better than new school supplies!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Two Book Recommendations
I have been reading 2 different books that I wanted to recommend to you. They are both parenting books and by the same authors. The first one is Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining and Bad Attitudes...in You and Your Kids by Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller. Please don't let the title or the cover deter you from purchasing this book. I first heard about it at the homeschool convention last year. It is all about developing honor in your family - not just kids honoring parents, but kids honoring siblings and parents honoring kids, too. Our small group is now using it as our study for the year, and we are all really enjoying it. It offers very practical advice from a Biblical perspective. One tag line I liked that conveys what they are trying to teach is "obediance is the action, honor is the attitude".
The second book is Good and Angry, also by Turansky and Miller. One of the couples in our small group ordered this book for everyone for Christmas after they realized how much they were loving the 1st one. I am only about half way through this one, and it's just as good. It really teaches you how to redirect arguments, whining, etc and help your kids learn life lessons about relating to people. What I also love about both of these books is they way they speak directly to the parent, too. We have to fix ourselves of negative, ugly, dishonoring behavior toward our children first (or at least at the same time) before we can address it in our children. They are both set up in a really good format for book discussions -- with questions at the end of each chapter. Both books are appropriate for parents with toddlers through teenagers. If you have read them, I would love to know what you think!
The second book is Good and Angry, also by Turansky and Miller. One of the couples in our small group ordered this book for everyone for Christmas after they realized how much they were loving the 1st one. I am only about half way through this one, and it's just as good. It really teaches you how to redirect arguments, whining, etc and help your kids learn life lessons about relating to people. What I also love about both of these books is they way they speak directly to the parent, too. We have to fix ourselves of negative, ugly, dishonoring behavior toward our children first (or at least at the same time) before we can address it in our children. They are both set up in a really good format for book discussions -- with questions at the end of each chapter. Both books are appropriate for parents with toddlers through teenagers. If you have read them, I would love to know what you think!
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Recipe - a twist on pizza
A new recipe I invented this week...kids loved it! Always looking for a little variety, even if that means serving the exact same thing in a different way.
PIZZA ROLL UP
1. make pizza dough in your bread machine or buy the Pillsbury pizza dough
2. when it's ready, take it out and roll it into a large rectangle
3. spread sauce (I prefer to use spaghetti sauce over pizza sauce b/c it's more flavorful), like you would if you were making a pizza
4. add cheese and other ingredients then top with another light layer of cheese
5. starting on one of the long edges, roll the pizza up - finish by tucking the ends under
6. transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 20 - 25 min, until crust is light brown and hard when you "knock" on it
7. slice into 1 - 2" pieces and serve!
PIZZA ROLL UP
1. make pizza dough in your bread machine or buy the Pillsbury pizza dough
2. when it's ready, take it out and roll it into a large rectangle
3. spread sauce (I prefer to use spaghetti sauce over pizza sauce b/c it's more flavorful), like you would if you were making a pizza
4. add cheese and other ingredients then top with another light layer of cheese
5. starting on one of the long edges, roll the pizza up - finish by tucking the ends under
6. transfer to a baking sheet and bake at 375 for about 20 - 25 min, until crust is light brown and hard when you "knock" on it
7. slice into 1 - 2" pieces and serve!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Friends
Friends are one of God's greatest blessings. They are a gift to be treasured and respected. We have to tend our gardens of friendship to keep them blooming, but it's well worth it. The 1st follower I had here on my blog was my oldest friend that I still keep in touch with. (she's not 'old', it's just my longest friendship....does that sound better?) Anyway, we met and started hanging out when I was 11 years old. We did all sorts of crazy things together - one night even spending the night at the other's house without the each other. (I slept at her house, she slept at mine on the same night!) We still keep in touch and try to see each other when we can. On the other hand, I just had the opportunity to have an overnight get-away with one of my newer friends. We went to Cincinnati to the IKEA store. (that's a whole other topic....fun, huge, overwhelming, great deals, inspirational) Anyway, it was so great to get to spend time with her and get to know her better. I think it's important that we, as women, have friendships. They are an important part of our lives. I am encouraging you to call one of your friends that you haven't talked with in a while and just say, "Hey. I was thinking about you and am so thankful that you are a part of my life!" I must add, though, to watch yourself that you do not base a friendship on grumbling to each other. That can be very easy to do - especially when you are frustrated with your husband! But, I encourage you to ask your friend to hold you accountable to not grumble...there are so many other great things to talk about.
I was reminded very recently of how much of a blessing friends can be, and that sometimes I take for granted what great friends I have. We know a family that just recently went through a very serious and hard situation. They live in a very remote place and do not have many friends near by. They were trying to face this situation all alone. I realized that if it had been our family in that situation, we would have had friends swooping in from all directions to help with kids, meals, chores, etc. God has been so good to bless our family with great friends. I am thankful for all of you out there!
Now get off the computer and go call a friend...or a few of them!
I was reminded very recently of how much of a blessing friends can be, and that sometimes I take for granted what great friends I have. We know a family that just recently went through a very serious and hard situation. They live in a very remote place and do not have many friends near by. They were trying to face this situation all alone. I realized that if it had been our family in that situation, we would have had friends swooping in from all directions to help with kids, meals, chores, etc. God has been so good to bless our family with great friends. I am thankful for all of you out there!
Now get off the computer and go call a friend...or a few of them!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Random Thoughts
My new favorite quote:
"Never eat more than you can lift." - Miss Piggy
Also, although I am not an Oprah lover, I saw a tidbit the other day on happiness. The study had found that money can buy happiness up to a certain extent. The figure was $75,000/year. Wonder if that was for a single person or if it included a family of 8?? Hmmm.
A "proud-of-myself" moment on Wednesday: I saved $62 at the grocery store! If any of you are Target shoppers, they have a debit (didn't want a credit card) card that saves you 5% every day. The one thing I wish they did was double coupons.
And lastly, I was getting ready to go to the gym yesterday morning very early. When I came out of the bathroom, Matt asked if I was putting makeup on. Well...I was! Concealer for my dark circles under my eyes (but that's it - promise). Have you ever seen the young, totally fit women there??? It's the least I can do.
Have a great weekend!
"Never eat more than you can lift." - Miss Piggy
Also, although I am not an Oprah lover, I saw a tidbit the other day on happiness. The study had found that money can buy happiness up to a certain extent. The figure was $75,000/year. Wonder if that was for a single person or if it included a family of 8?? Hmmm.
A "proud-of-myself" moment on Wednesday: I saved $62 at the grocery store! If any of you are Target shoppers, they have a debit (didn't want a credit card) card that saves you 5% every day. The one thing I wish they did was double coupons.
And lastly, I was getting ready to go to the gym yesterday morning very early. When I came out of the bathroom, Matt asked if I was putting makeup on. Well...I was! Concealer for my dark circles under my eyes (but that's it - promise). Have you ever seen the young, totally fit women there??? It's the least I can do.
Have a great weekend!
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