Thursday, February 28, 2013

I Wish I Was a Guy and Pencil Full of Lead

Guys really do have it so easy, don't they?!  There are times when I think it would be so nice to be a guy for a day.  Here are some reasons why:

  1. You can pee anywhere.
  2. All you have to do is hold a door open for a lady to be rewarded by a smile and a comment like, "You're such a gentleman".  It doesn't matter that you turn around and grab your junk and burp right after that. 
  3. Your friends don't look at you weird when you fart or burp.
  4. You can get out of anything by embarrassing your spouse.  Don't want to shop anymore?  Just embarrass her and  you'll be out of there in 10 seconds flat.
  5. Your kids listen to what you tell them to do - the first time. 
  6. You can poop with the door open and no one says a word.
  7. You can fart in front of your wife and still get sex that night.
  8. You come home dirty so your wife assumes you had a really hard day.  That alone is your excuse to sit on the couch all night long...all.night.long!  Oh, is this just my husband?!
  9. You can fake gag so you never have to change a diaper again.
  10. You can stack things up in the trash can so high that your wife gets tired of rearranging the trash and just takes it out herself.
  11. You never have to go through childbirth - that should be reason enough!
  12. When you get a cold you get away with acting like you are dying of some terminal illness.
  13. When you cuss nobody calls you ungentlemanly.
  14. You require absolutely no warming up before funky time with the wifey.  Then again, why would you?  If I got to relax all night on the couch I wouldn't need warming up either. 
  15. Football season, baseball season, hockey season, basketball season - there is always a freakn' sports season and another excuse for you to be in front of the t.v.
  16. No ability whatsoever to multi task (you know, cooking dinner with a screaming baby on one hip and a "Mom, look at me, look at me, mom, mom, look at me!" in your ear while the t.v. is blaring in the living room and you are tripping over the dogs who want to be fed) = very little responsibility at home.   
  17. You are considered a hero to your kid with one simple question, "Want to play catch?".
  18. You are considered a hero to your wife with one simple statement, "Let's order pizza tonight!".
  19. You could lose 10 lbs in a week if you cut back on beer.  You could eat anything and everything in sight and still lose weight.
  20. When you don't shave you get called sexy.  When I don't shave... well, let's just say it ain't pretty!







These are meant to be taken lightly.  I obviously love being a woman, including a busy mom and wife.  I just sometimes look at the hubbs and think it sure would be nice.  Then again, you can bet your ass I would never want to trade my day job for his.  :)


Pencil Full of Lead

I promise this song is in no way related to the discussion above.  That would just be shameful! ;)

If you need a good pick me up song today check this one out.  I thought I had posted it on my blog before but I can't find it.  My mom introduced me to Paolo Nutini's music a few years back.  He is a Scottish singer/songwriter and he is amazing!  This is one of their more upbeat songs and it always puts me in a good mood!  We were lucky enough to see them at House of Blues a couple years ago and I would give anything to see them live again.



Tell me you aren't shaking your groove thing in front of all your co-workers right now.  Or at the very least tapping your foot?! ;)


Jewels*

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Hurricane

For those of you who haven't heard of Jimmy Needham you are missing out.  He is an amazing artist and I am so in love with his music.  Here is one of my favorite songs, "Hurricane".


These are my favorite lyrics from the song:

And if destruction's what I need
Then I'll receive it Lord from Thee
Yes, I'll receive it Lord from Thee


I think the song perfectly describes my need for God.  There have been times in my life where I need him to wreck my world so I could be closer to Him.  And it has been during these times that I have grown so much closer to Him and so much stronger in my faith.  The times where I am down on my knees asking "Why?", the times when I am out of tears and out of energy, the times when I am desperate for the kind of strength that can only come from Him. 

I know it is hard to see the positive when you are going through something so awful, but you have to ride it out and trust that He knows what He is doing and that if you let Him, He will use that life experience to strengthen your trust and faith.

I am able to look back on a few times in my life where I thought my world was crashing down and I never thought I would come out on top of that.  But I can see the result of a lot of those times and see how God was using that experience to strengthen me and my faith.  He was turning me into the woman, wife, mother, friend I am today.  I realize now that I wouldn't trade those life experiences for anything. 

We all have a purpose here on earth.  We are not here to live a happy go lucky, self satisfying kind of life.  I'm sure some of you are thinking, "Well that sucks!" but it doesn't!  See, when we hand control over to God no matter what the circumstances and follow Him our "cups runneth over". 
"You prepare a table before me, even in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows." ~Psalm 23:5
We overflow with joy which is so much better than temporary happiness, trust me!  We are here for a purpose and part of everyone's purpose is to love, serve others and most importantly serve Him.

If you are going through a hard time right now I encourage you to pray for strength, ask others to pray for you and most importantly, trust Him.  Trust that He will use this time in your life to fulfill a purpose, even if you don't yet know what that purpose is.


 
 



Jewels*

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Baked Pasta with (Turkey) Sausage and Spinach

Oh my goodness... I found this recipe on Skinny Taste and it was DELICIOUS!  Even my 14 month old couldn't get enough.  All we heard through dinner were his sound effects, "Uh, uh, uh", when he wanted more and, "Mmmmmm" when he finally got what he wanted! :)


Serving Size - 1 3/4 cups
Points per Serving - 8 (old points) and 10 (Points Plus)

Ingredients:
  • olive oil spray
  • 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano (I used grated Parmesan)
  • 8 oz fat-free ricotta
  • 8 oz part-skim mozzarella, shredded
  • 14 oz uncooked sweet Italian chicken sausage, removed from casing (I could not find this for the life of me so I just used the uncooked Italian flavored ground turkey sausage from Wal Mart)
  • 12 oz high-fiber or low carb rigatoni pasta (I used whole wheat)
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves smashed garlic, roughly chopped
  • 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess liquid (I used a couple handfuls of fresh spinach and chopped it up)
  • salt and fresh pepper to taste
  • 4 cups Quick Marinara Sauce (I used one jar of garlic and onion spaghetti sauce)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375°. Spray a 9- x13-inch baking dish with olive oil spray.  (I found this size dish to be too big so I used a large glass bowl casserole dish.)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a medium bowl, combine the ricotta, 6 tablespoons of the Pecorino Romano cheese and half of the mozzarella cheese.

Meanwhile, in a large deep skillet, brown the sausage breaking up into small bits until cooked through; set aside. Add the oil to the skillet and sauté garlic about a minute, careful not to burn. Add spinach and season with a little salt and pepper and cook another minute. Return the sausage to the skillet and add the marinara sauce; cook on low about 2-3 minutes.

When the pasta water comes to a boil, cook pasta according to instructions for al dente, but undercook them by 4 minutes less; drain and return to pot.

Put half of the cooked pasta into the prepared baking dish and top with half of the meat sauce. Spoon the ricotta mixture on top of the sauce in an even layer. Cover with the remaining pasta and the remaining sauce. Top with the remaining mozzarella and Pecorino Romano cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for an additional 6-7 minutes or until the mozzarella is melted and the edges are lightly browned.



Jewels*

Friday, February 22, 2013

Ten Years

Tomorrow Garrett and I will be celebrating ten years of marriage.  These years have been full of passion, joy, tears, fights, laughter, love, growth, breakthroughs, God, children, changes, moves, and so much more. 

These are just a few highlights from the past ten years that will always be ingrained in my mind:
  • February, 23, 2003 - Our wedding day!  It seems so long ago to think of our wedding day.  It was absolutely beautiful and a day I will remember forever! 
  • Honeymooning in Puerto Vallarta.
  • March, 2003 - Driving to Connecticut (where Garrett was stationed) to begin our life together as husband and wife.  I felt like a complete foreigner there and when we finally felt like we were settling in we had to move again.
  • June, 2004 - Moved to Virginia to start a new journey.  I loved the old little house with the pond in the back.  It was perfect for us!
  • January, 2005 - Taking a pregnancy test and learning I was pregnant with our first little miracle, Garrison.  I went to the doctor to confirm and (in COMPLETE shock) I tried calling Garrett several times.  When he didn't answer (didn't get reception on the ship) I drove to the dock and told the first person I saw that I had to see my husband.  After I told him we sat there in silence.  I think we were both shocked, a little scared and excited about this new adventure.
  • June, 2005 - I moved home to be with my parents since Garrett was scheduled to be out on deployment when Garrison was born. 
  • September 23, 2005 - Our beautiful miracle, Garrison, came into this world a month early.  It was such a blessing that Garrett was able to come home for the weekend when Garrison was born.  When I watched Garrett look at Garrison for the first time I fell in love with him all over again and in a completely different way. 
  • September 25, 2005 - Garrett had to leave two days after Garrison was born to report back to base.  I have never seen my husband as emotional as he was that day.  I remember just watching him sit on the couch with Garrison in the hospital room holding him and staring at him like he never wanted to let go.  After praying together as a family he was off for six weeks.
  • October, 2005 - Flying to Virginia with Garrison (who did awesome on the plane) to see Daddy!  It was an awesome reunion for our family!
  • November, 2005 - Garrett got out of the Navy and we were permanently (finally!) reunited as a family.  We didn't even care that there were 5 people and 4 dogs crammed into my parents house.  It was full of love!
  • February, 2006 - We bought our first house in Wylie (the one we still live in today)!  It was such an exciting day and a new chapter in our lives.
  • December 25, 2011 - We got a phone call about a woman who just had a baby boy and was looking for a family for him.  We were asked if we were open to adopting.  After much discussion and prayer we knew this little boy was meant to be in our family.
  • January, 2012 - Going to the hospital to meet Ethan Gregory Thomas for the first time was surreal.  We went into the NICU and peered into the incubator to get a look at that teeny tiny baby with tubes all over him and nothing on but the smallest diaper I have ever seen.  The time came to hold him and watching Garrett hold him (in the palm of his hand) made me fall even more in love with this big, burly man.  I remember looking at Garrett and thanking God for creating a man that, while a little rough around the edges, had a heart of gold and compassion for life like nothing I have ever seen. 
  • February 10, 2013 - Bringing Ethan home from the hospital.  We picked up Garrison and introduced him to his new baby brother (since he was not allowed in the NICU to meet him).  The love from Garrison to Ethan was instantaneous and visible.  It was so real I wanted to soak in that moment and never let go of it.  I looked at Garrison in a whole new light that day.  I knew at that moment that he was going to turn out to be a wonderful, loving, Godly man who would without a doubt make an incredible husband and father one day.
  • August, 2013 - Adoption Day!  This was the day we got to go in front of the judge and welcome Ethan Gregory Thomas into our family.  What a blessing!

I have not held back when I have blogged about marriage and how difficult it can be.  But I am so incredibly grateful to Jesus for not giving up on us.  He has been there every step of the way through this marriage and without Him we would not be where we are today.

If someone were to ask me (and they have) how we have stayed together for almost 15 years and married for 10 and I had to give one answer it would be simple: Jesus. 

I am thankful for everything we have been through in our marriage.  I am thankful for all of the ups and downs.  I am thankful that we still have passion, love, joy and laughter.  I am just plain thankful!

Prom, 2001
Wedding Day


 Honeymooners!
 


 
 
Connecticut House
 
 
 
Virginia House
 
 
Garrison Robert Thomas
September 23, 2005
 
 

Ethan Gregory Thomas
December 25, 2011 

 
Brothers Meeting for the first time!









Jewels*



Thursday, February 21, 2013

Kings and Queens and Pinterest Fail

Kings and Queens

I am absolutely in love with this song, "Kings and Queens" by Audio Adrenaline.  You have to watch the video.


God gives us all a purpose in this life.  In order to fulfill that purpose we are all given different passions, hopes and dreams.  If you read my blog I don't have to tell you again that I have a strong passion for adoption and hopefully one day fostering.  That may not be for everyone but if you feel called to this kind of life in any way I implore you to pray about it and pursue that journey.  You will be blessed and so will the children you impact. 

If you do not feel it is your calling to adopt or foster but do have a passion for helping children there are so many options.  There are lots of organizations like Big Brother, Big Sister or local mentoring programs in your community.  As a parent you can have a huge influence on your childrens' friends and peers just by showing them love and respect.  It breaks my heart to know that so many children do not get love or attention from their parents at home.  We could easily stop there.  It breaks our heart but after all, we have our own families to worry about, right?  Wrong!  So wrong!  Does God not tell us to show everyone His love, especially the "least of these"? 


"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me."
~Matthew 25:40

"Learn to do right; seek justice.  Defend the oppressed.  Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow."
~Isaiah 1:17

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."
~James 1:27




Pinterest Fail

Whatever you do, do not make the "Melt in Your Mouth Chicken" recipe on Pinterest.  It's the one that has greek yogurt in the recipe.  This was a major fail last night.  That's all. :)

Monday, February 18, 2013

Balloon Boy, Healthy Flautas and BBQ Crockpot Chicken

Balloon Boy

Garrison tied his balloon onto Ethan's hammer - the toy he never lets go of.  We were so amused by the result.



I have made a couple of yummy, healthy recipes lately and wanted to share them with y'all!  P.S.  I am only down a pound this week so that's kind of depressing but at least I'm not up! :)


Healthy Chicken & Spinach Flautas

I modified this recipe a bit so I am giving you my modified version.  Garrett and I LOVED it!  Tip for kiddos - put a bit of the chicken mixture aside before mixing in the jalapenos.

Ingredients
  • 2 large boneless, skinless Chicken Breasts
  • 16 ounces light Beer or chicken broth (The beer gives it great flavor)
  • 1 teaspoon Paprika
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder
  • 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
  • 1 Jalapeno Pepper, minced (or 1-2 Tbsp sliced jalapenos from jar, minced)
  • 2-3 handfuls Baby Spinach, chopped
  • 6-8 whole weat (or Life Balance) tortillas.  I used soft taco size.
  • 6 ounces Mexican shredded cheese or other shredded cheese, shredded
  • 1 teaspoon Olive Oil, or cooking spray
  • Salsa or fat free/light sour cream, for serving

Preparation
  1. Put chicken and beer in crockpot and let it cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours, approximately.  If you don't have time you can bake it in the oven in a large pan with beer on 450 for a couple of hours.
  2. Take chicken out of crock pot and shred.  I just used a knife and fork and pulled it apart while it was still very hot.  Put the shredded chicken in a bowl and add some of the juice (beer) from the crockpot. 
  3. Add olive oil to a skillet and cook the chopped spinach and jalapenos over low heat until for 2-3 minutes, or until the spinach is wilted.
  4. Add jalapenos/spinach to the chicken.
  5. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the mixture along the long edge of a tortilla. Add a small handful of shredded cheese.  Roll the tortilla up as tight as possible without letting the mixture seep out. Place seam-side down on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
  6. Brush the flautas with olive oil or spray with cooking spray. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for until 10 minutes, or until crispy. Serve with salsa or light sour cream.
 


BBQ Crockpot Chicken

Ingredients:
  • 4 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless 
  • 1 bottle sweet baby ray’s bbq sauce
  • 1/4 c vinegar
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper
  • 1/4 c brown sugar
  • 1 tsp garlic powder

Ready for the best part?

Throw it all in a crockpot and let it cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Dinner is served!




Jewels*




Thursday, February 14, 2013

V Day

This girl is not a Valentine's Day fan!  My sister told me I was bitter about Valentine's Day and I probably do come across that way, especially when I responded to her cheery "Happy Valentine's Day!" remark with, "I HATE Valentine's Day!!!".  Haha!  I really don't mean to be bitter but I am just not a fan of what this day does to people.  I cannot understand how women find it romantic that a man is forced (let's be honest, they are forced) to buy them something to show their love.  We all know that's what anniversaries are for.  ;)  And I think it's awful that this day makes single people feel completely miserable.

I will say this - my parents always had a little surprise waiting for us on Valentine's morning, usually candy and a card.  I have carried on this tradition with Garrison.  Here is a picture of him from this morning.  This is his "morning" smile by the way.



I really do enjoy helping him make Valentines for his class and making his Valentines box.  By the way, this year he chose to decorate a mini trash can from the Dollar store instead of the normal shoe box like everyone else - hilarious (pics to come later).  I was at Target yesterday afternoon picking out said candy and card.  I couldn't help but laugh at the guys I saw there who all looked completely miserable.  I really wish I would have snapped a picture of one of them.

I think if you and your man are both into Valentine's Day that's awesome.  It really is a cool excuse to show your love for each other.  I just prefer to save the money (since we do share it after all) and have him tell me he loves me every day!

So, my plans for tonight consist of having a good friend over for dinner.  Yes, my Valentine's evening will likely be spent drinking wine, making dinner for and catching up with a great friend... while Garrett will likely be eating his dinner on the couch watching Cops.  Haha!

Here is some Valentine's humor for y'all...







Jewels*


Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Thrift Shop, Mama Mornings, Lent and Cooking Tips

Thrift Shop

WHERE was this song when I wrote my Thrifty Girl post?  Garrett had me listen to it the other day and he told me it reminded him of me.  I'm still not sure if he meant that as a compliment or not.  Anyways, I heard it on the radio this morning and it made me laugh yet again.  I just had to share it with y'all in case you haven't heard it or want to hear it again. 




Mama Mornings

Please tell me I'm not the only Mama whose mornings look a little something like this...

5:15 am - Alarm goes off
5:25 am - Alarm goes off
5:35 am - Alarm goes off... you get the picture
5:55 am - Wake up - oh CRAP!  Take a 2 minute shower without washing hair, again.  I really hope I'm not out of dry shampoo.
5:57 am - Wake up Garrett.  He tells me to wake him up again in 10 minutes.  If I didn't depend on your paycheck I would just let you be late every day.
6:00 am - Go into Garrison's room to wake him up.  Where is Garrison?  Turn around to him jumping from around the corner to scare the hell out of me.  I REALLY hope this is just a phase.  This kid is starting to creep me out.
6:01 am - Tell Garrison for the hundredth time he cannot have sugary cereal for breakfast.
6:02 am - Make Garrison breakfast.
6:05 am - Start on my makeup.  Crap, forgot to feed the dogs.
6:10 am - Feed the dogs and let them out.  Dogs start barking.  Go out back in my shirt and underwear to yell at the dogs for barking, because that makes sense.
6:12 am - Try to finish makeup.  Oh crap, forgot to wake Garrett up.  Turn on all the lights and yell (literally) at Garrett to wake up.  Maybe give his leg a punch or two, I mean shake.  He doesn't move.
6:15 am - Give up on makeup and pack it up to finish at red lights or at work.
6:20 am - Walk in to find that Garrison hasn't touched breakfast and is instead watching cartoons that he turned on.  Tell him he has 5 minutes to finish breakfast.
6:25 am - Make Garrett's breakfast sandwich in the microwave.  Does he realize not all wives make their husbands breakfast sandwiches in the morning?
6:26 am - Get Ethan's milk ready.  Put lunches in backpack/purse/on counter.  Make my coffee.  Spill my coffee.  Yell, "SHI" and then realize Garrison is watching me so it quickly turns to "SHITAKE!"
6:28 am - Storm into bedroom and yell at Garrett to wake up in an emergency like voice.  He jumps out of bed!  I mumble a curse word under my breath as I storm back out.
6:29 am - Say a quick thank you to God for not making me a "morning pooper"
6:30 am - Tell Garrison he better have his teeth brushed in under 10 seconds (After all, only good dental hygiene for our family).
6:32 am - Go in to wake up Ethan and change his diaper.  Already two minutes past schedule so it looks like yet another PJ day for my little man.
6:35 am - Really late.  Grab my purse, lunch, coffee (which I spill again all over my arm), diaper bag, and Ethan.  Yell something that sounds like "Bye, have a good day!" to Garrett.  Run (literally) out of the house where I most likely run into several walls.  Get Garrison to daycare just in the nick of time.

And I still have 16 more hours left until I get to go to bed!  Am I the only one?!?!

Here is some mama humor for you:





Lent

For those of you who don't know I was raised Episcopalian and am currently attending an interdenominational (Christian) church.  I have blogged before about why I feel like this type of church is best for me at this point in my life and you can read about that in this post.  However, I do miss certain things about a liturgical church, such as observing Lent.  I have to come to realize though that there is nothing stopping me from observing Lent on my own.  I am still fully able to use this 40 day period to reflect on my relationship with Jesus. 

A big part of Lent for me has always been giving up and taking up something.  I have yet to decide what that will be (yes, I know it started today) but I know that this is important for me.  It helps me to remember that whatever I choose to give up/take up is so incredibly small in comparison to what He gave up for us. 

Whether you observe this season or not I encourage you to use the next 40 days (from now until Easter) to strengthen your relationship with Jesus.  Pray about what He wants from you and for you.




Cooking Tips

I know that just reading a new recipe can be overwhelming so here are some substitutes to make cooking easier/faster.

Substitutions
  1. Lemon wedges (for juice and garnish) - who cares about the garnish, let's be honest.  Just buy the plastic lemons in the produce section that has the juice already in it.  Keep in the fridge and you will always have it on hand.  They also have the limes which are good to have on hand for cocktails.
  2. Minced Garlic - I buy the jar of minced garlic in the produce section.
  3. Jalapenos - I buy the jar and it's usually on the aisle with olives.
  4. Basil - in spice section
  5. Parsley - in spice section
  6. Dill - in spice section
  7. Use cooking spray or olive oil instead of butter to cut calories.
  8. Frozen boneless, skinless chicken breasts - I never buy fresh because they are more expensive.  A bag of the frozen chicken will last us about three meals and it's between $6 and $7.
  9. Pesto - I buy the tube of pesto and it's usually in the produce section.
  10. Salad Kits - easier than making your own from scratch.  In the produce section.

Things never to substitute - I only use fresh for these...trust me!

  1. Chives/Green Onions/Scallions - yes, they are all the same! :)
  2. Cilantro
  3. Asparagus (only buy the canned asparagus if you like it mushy)

I hope that helps cooking dinner go a little faster for y'all, especially you full time working Mamas out there!





Jewels*








Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Technology Overload and Skinny Cajun Chicken Pasta

I went to Starbucks this morning before work to get a gift card for someone.  After smiling at a lady in the corner (who by the way looked back at me like I was an alien from another planet) I went to stand in the ridiculously long line to do what I do best - people watch.  It hit me like a ton of bricks.  The majority of us go through life with our faces down, usually burried in some sort of technology.  I just started laughing.  I'm sure the guy behind me thought I was crazy... or maybe not since he had his nose in his blackberry and didn't even notice me. 

This was a definite wake up call for me.  I feel like I am pretty conscious about limiting my phone time when my kids are around but this reminded me that it's not only my kids that need me to be in tune.  Our world in general needs us to wake up and pay attention to what is going on around us.  Looking around at what our world has become is it any surprise that we all too often hear about a gunman going into a business or school?  It is probably the only way they can get attention from anyone these days.  I am not justifying that behavior in any way.  I'm just saying that maybe it's time for all of us to step outside our (technology) bubbles and try to affect this world for the better.






I found this recipe on Pinterest/Skinny Taste and made it last night.  It was really yummy! 
 
Skinny Cajun Chicken Pasta
Old Points ~ 6, New Points ~ 8
1 Serving = 1 1/2 cup

Ingredients:

  • 8 ounces uncooked linguine
  • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 medium yellow bell pepper, chopped
  • 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium tomatoes, diced (I left this out)
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1/3 cup skim milk
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 3 tbsp light cream cheese
  • fresh cracked pepper
  • 2 scallions, chopped
  • salt to taste
  • cooking spray

Directions:

Prep all your vegetables. In a small blender make a slurry by combining milk, flour and cream cheese. Set aside.

Season chicken generously with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder and salt.  Bake chicken in the oven until done.  Set aside.

Prepare pasta in salted water according to package directions.
 
Add olive oil to a skillet and reduce to medium; add bell peppers, onions, and garlic to skillet, sauté 3-4 minutes.

Add mushrooms and tomatoes and sauté 3-4 more minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder and fresh cracked pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low; add chicken broth and pour in slurry stirring about 2 minutes.

Slice or Cube chicken.  Add chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine; toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions and enjoy!


Jewels*




Monday, February 11, 2013

Good Laugh, Facebook, Computer Gamer, Weight Update

My stomach muscles have been killing me the last few days.  I feel like I am recovering from a hard core ab workout... but then I realize I haven't worked out in a good month.  It's just from laughing!  Garrett is the one who reminded me how hard I laughed the other night.  We had gone to bed for the night and I honestly don't even remember what we were talking about but he had me laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.  The great part is that I can still laugh that hard with my husband after almost 10 years of marriage.  The sad part is that laughing was truly the best workout I have had in a month.  I'll take it!  I hope this is us some day...



I am getting really tired of negative Facebook posts.  It seems like every day people are complaining about other people's posts on there.  To me, the solution is simple.  If you don't like what other people are posting it's as simple as a click of the button - defriend them!  The fact that people take the time out of their day to complain about what someone else has posted is unreal to me.  I just don't get all the negativity.  And yes, I just spent a paragraph of my blog venting about that.



I walked into the kitchen the other day and saw Garrison playing a computer game with his headphones on.  What is it with boys thinking they have to mimic the movements of the game they are playing?  I don't care if it's the computer, DS or a gaming console.... all of them do it.  And it never gets old watching them. 


I was so disappointed that I had gained a pound this morning when I weighed in.  I am truly hoping it's because I'm supposed to be on this week.  Girls need no further explanation.  Guys won't want a further explanation.  So, after that major disappointment I did what any serious dieter would do.  I drove through Sonic and got mozzarella sticks for breakfast.  HA!  And then I felt even worse after, probably because I haven't eaten that crap in a long time!  So, back on the wagon I go... full of willpower, determination and bloat!  Ugh!



Happy Freaking Monday Everyone!!! :)

Jewels*