Chicken Pasta Salad

I love pasta.

All pasta. Any pasta. Pasta all the time.
And, so ... when I made dinner one hot summer evening a couple of weeks ago, I made a pasta salad. I happened to have rotini pasta in my pantry, but any short pasta wold do the trick. I've also gotten in the habit of roasting a chicken once a week- and this salad is an excellent way to use up some of that chicken.

But the really awesome part is that, since you're making ahead... the kitchen will be nice and cool! And, that's a bonus in the middle of a Texas summer!




Chicken Pasta Salad

1 box of pasta (cooked and drained)
chicken (roasted and shredded)
1 cucumber (I like the cucumbers that come in the wrapping. Chopped up)
2 bell peppers (I like orange & red. Love the color. Chop it up!)
1 pint of cherry tomatoes (cut them in half)
shredded carrots

Mix all that yumminess together in a big bowl. Then make the dressing. It's easy, I promise.

dressing
extra virgin olive oil
white vinegar
salt
pepper
garlic powder
dash of sugar

Whisk it up.

Dress the salad! And toss it all in the fridge for a couple of hours to let the flavors get happy, happy, happy! Serve it to a grateful family!

Because its Monday

Last night the short one decided he wanted to play a quick game of hide and seek before bed. E and I agreed.

The child's hiding spot would have been genius if he hadn't let us watch him hide.

I present to you a short picture essay I like to call, "How did you get there? And how are you getting out?"
















(... If you are curious, he was crammed in the space between the desk and the living room wall.)

The First

Well, we did it. Our first day of official homeschooling.

Cue the choir of angels!

I'm not gonna lie- I was nervous. Very. Nervous. I had gone back and forth for weeks on curriculum, scheduling, and oh my goodness how do I teach this child to read! I finally settled on a program I cobbled together myself. I really, really wanted to make sure that this school year be laid-back and not cause Jacob and I to misplace our collective sanity. We're focusing on learning to read & write, math, art (drawing, crafts, music), some geography & history courtesy of Little Passports, Bible and some basic, basic science.

I decided that, because of the custody visitation stuff, we won't be doing every subject every single day. The only subject we are really working on every day, is learning to read.

The rudimentary daily schedule looks something like this:

Monday:

reading

science

Bible

Tuesday:

reading

geography

art

Wednesday:

These are no school days for us

Thursday:

reading

math

Bible

Friday:

reading

art

field trip

Some subjects may get swapped around and we may incorporate a little from a subject that's not on the schedule, but I like having a plan. And, for me (for Jacob) I think just having 3 main subjects a day to concentrate on is the best plan of action. The boy is 5 and has the attention span of a flea.

And speaking of the boy, our first day gave me a very good glance into the main area of ... shall we say "issue" that he and I are going to be tackling. His attention span & how fast he gives up and says, "I can't do it!" I learned fast that "Can you please help me?" is actually code for, "Please tell me the answer and do this for me!"

Ah, well.

He wouldn't be a 5 year old if he wasn't trying to wiggle out of work and into something more fun!

Happy B-day, Daddy-o!

Today's my dad's birthday. 

Happy Birthday, Daddy!

You're the best father a girl could ask for. And the best grandfather a certain little boy could ask for.

And, I've got the pictures to prove it!

I love you!!!!!

Welcome!

Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my brand new blog! It's not that different from the old one- all the old posts are still here. But there's a few more added surprises here and there. First and foremost- the blog has it's own Facebook page! If you're a fan of the blog & want to follow, please go "like" it! Also, I've got a brand new Bloglovin account if you want to follow for updates!

More is still coming and in the works, but I'm very, very excited to share this with you!

Stuffed Potato Yummy-ness

I'm really not over reaching when I tell you that I made the greatest stuffed potatoes EVER last night. I am absolutely my biggest critic when it comes to food I prepare. I'm always and a day making something & then (3 bites in) deciding that I could have done it better- and making a plan.

But not these babies. Oh, no. They are perfection. (I sound so full of myself, don't I?!)
And... they used up some left overs that were taking up shelf space in my Frigidaire. Score! And, I made them using ingredients I scrounged the pantry for. Double Score! Also, these potatoes are huge & super filling, so they totally rock the show as the main entree. Triple Score!

Anyway, allow me to share.

First, spend about 900 hours caramelizing some onions over the stove while you watch the Big Bang Theory on your laptop.

Actually, it's more like 30-45 minutes. But whatever. Seems longer.

And I stand by my statement on the BBT.

When they start to caramelize and get beautiful, hit them with a couple of shots of Worcestershire sauce & a pinch of sugar.

AFTER you're done with the onions, start on the potatoes.

Why?

Because you're about to crank your oven up to 450 degrees for about 60 minutes.

That puppy gets hot!

And, I don't know about you, but I try and flee the kitchen when the oven is that hot. 

Moving along.

Place a cookie sheet, lined with foil on the bottom rung.

Wash your potatoes. 

Then oil those babies up. I used extra-virgin.

And then salt them up. Use kosher/sea salt/Morton's. Whatever.

Just salt the heck out of them. 

I mean it. Use more that you think you'll need. 

Then put them directly on the oven rack. Cook them for 50-60 minutes, flipping them over every 20 or so.

By the way, this is totally the way I make regular old baked potatoes. 

Now comes the fun part.  When you take the potatoes out of the oven set them out to cool for a bit & make sure you turn the oven OFF for a while. It's hot enough as it is in North Texas with out added to the heat! 

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle (and you've turned the oven back on to your broiler setting!!!), slice them open and scoop out the flesh, making sure to keep the shells intact. You're going to need 'em later. To be honest, I'm really not sure what the best way to do this is. I just made a slit in the top, smooshed up the flesh & started scooping. 

Now.

Take that left over roasted chicken from the end of last week (what, you don't have that in your fridge? ... hmm.) and mix it with the scooped out potato flesh, some sour cream & a bit of shredded cheese. Add some fresh ground pepper, some garlic powder & a wee pinch of salt. Mix it all up.

Stuff it all back into the potato shells. Don't worry about getting too much stuffing, just go for it, I say. If you're like me and the chicken is a bit on the chilly side, pop them back in the oven for a few minutes while the broiler is heating up. That should do the trick.

And remember those tasty onions from earlier? 

Top the potatoes with those.

Top the onions with some more cheese.

Then into the oven, under the broiler, for 2-3 minutes. Until they look like this:

The hand you see in the picture below is my husband's. He's almost done eating his 1st potato & was about 60 seconds away from diving into his 2nd. 

Happy Eating!

5 Minute Friday: Small

So, I'm late on my 5 Minute Friday writing. Sigh. 


If you have no idea what 5 Minute Friday is- go here. Read. And then start writing. If not this prompt, then next week. 


Prompt: Small

The life of this stay at home wife/mom seems so small sometimes. Just like my sweet little 2 bedroom/2 bath apartment. 

So small. 

So filled to with much stuff, all crammed into this tiny space. Busting out at every seem and in dire need of a good cleaning out. So many times I wish for more- more space. More margins… more. 

And I’m amazed at how much seems to be bursting out of my small little life. And I think I could not possibly cram anything else into it. There’s no room. 

It’s small. 

But then, I fit more in. Somehow, in this small space- I find more room. 

More capacity. 

I find more in the small. And I think maybe, just maybe that’ s a bit how God works- He finds more in the small. I’m so so small. And He finds more in me. In the smallness. 

Another Monday, Another Meal Plan

It's that time of the week again! When I try and organize our family meal times! Last week was hit and miss on the plan- most nights were spot on. A couple of other times... not so much. And, that meant, I ended up going to the grocery store more than I should/wanted.

But, I'm determined that we will have a meal plan every week & it will be stuck to! It's one way I can make the most out of all the ingredients in my house & save money.

Back in the saddle, I go!

MONDAY- Chick-fil-A Monday (a new tradition around here)

TUESDAY- Salmon, Salad & green veggies

WEDNESDAY- Cheesy Chicken and Rice Bake & Salad

THURSDAY- Hard Tacos, Queso/Chips, and Tomato/Cucumber Salad

FRIDAY- Apricot Chicken, Salad & green veggie

SATURDAY- Pizza :-)

SUNDAY- leftovers!!!! :-)

But the best part of meal planning and making?

It's seeing these guys across the table from me every night.

5

Be still my heart.

My baby boy is 5 today. 

Happy Birthday to my funny, sweet, smart, handsome little boy.

You make my life better every single day. 

I love you!

Getting Cowboy'd Up

For an early birthday present/any excuse to go do something fun event this past Saturday night, my dad took Jacob, me and E to The Mesquite Rodeo.

We had a blast. We got to sit up in the suites (which is the only way to go to *most* events, in my humble opinion.) Jacob and I rode the chuck wagon around the arena before the rodeo started. We had tasty bbq & free drinks, lol! We got to come and go throughout the arena at our whim, thanks to the trusty, red wristbands on our wrists! Jacob highly enjoyed the face painting part of the night- he got a Batman face mask & a Superman "tat". I really loved being up on the cat walk by the cowboys and the animals during the bull riding part of the evening. *That* was awesome.

My favorite part, though was seeing my little boy all "cowboy'd up" as he put it. It was very cute & super special to me- my family owned a 'country/western wear' store up until I was 13/14 years old. I grew up learning how to fit a pair of boots, what 13MWZ's are, and how to take proper care of a cowboy hat. So, watching my off-spring soak up and absorb a little of that culture made me a happy mama, indeed.

If you get a chance, get on out to the rodeo- it's on until the middle of August! But there's always something happening at the arena other times of the year!

Meal Planning Monday

So, I've fallen off the whole 'plan your meals every week and shop the sales' plan I was working there for a while.

Why?

Because I'm lazy really busy.

So, in an effort to be more organized/planned/money managed- I'm committing to planning out my family's meals every week & posting the plan every Monday. Here we go!

Monday- Lemon Chicken, baked potatoes & green beans

Tuesday- Baked Tilapia, salad & fruit

Wednesday- Grilled Cheese & soup

Thursday- Jacob's 5th Birthday (yikes!). We're working on that plan!

Friday- left overs

Saturday- Taco Night w/the Mintons


What are y'all having for dinner this week?

The Sharp, Pointy Teeth of Kindergarten

So.

I gotta admit, there's been plenty of days lately when it feels like I'm running from this all day.

For what?

Oh, just the short one's Kindergarten future, that's all.

Good. Grief.

I'm telling you, this Kindergarten crap is going to be the death of me. I've been back and forth, back and forth, back and forth... for months. Public school or homeschool. Public school or homeschool. Both have advantages. Both have disadvantages. Private school just ain't an option- side note, really private schools? Must I pay you in with the the soul of my next born in order to pay for this child's KINDERGARTEN education?!

I had been searching for a 1/2 day Kindergarten around me. Yeah. Good luck with that. I don't want my just barely 5 year old gone for the whole stinking day. I just don't! And, to be honest, the school schedule would wreck havoc on J's visitation schedule (which is enough of a pain the hiney!). Homeschooling would take care of that issue! 

But.

Jacob does need the structure of a classroom. He just does. Being in a room with other kids that he has to get along with and learn from and with.... these are all things that I think would be very good for my little carpet commanche. 

However, I'm still not sure that Jacob is really ready for Kindergarten. His preschool teacher sure didn't think so! (she is a former Kindergarten teacher.) The private school that we had looked at one point didn't think he was seriously ready either... they suggested summer school to get him ready.

(really? summer school? for KINDERGARTEN?!)

I'm driving the neurotic bus on this one & steering straight into the crazy skid. Trying to figure out what works best for our family. What I WANT to do. What NEEDS to be done. What Jacob NEEDS to learn & to love to learn. What he needs to not become the next face on COPS. And, oh my goodness, I feel like I'm about to ruin my child's life & it's just about KINDERGARTEN!!!!!

This would be the point where this conversation takes place in my house:

Me: I don't know what to do! This is his education and future!

E: It's just Kindergarten, Babe.

Me: You don't understand! It's the foundation for his entire education! He could end up hating school and flunking out and then hating me for making the wrong decision all those years ago!!!!

(cue the increased hysteria)

E: Well, in that case. We shall neither sleep nor eat till all is decided!!!

Me: Sometimes I don't know if you're kidding or not.

(silence)

E: I'm going to bed.

The clock is seriously ticking down on me. I have to make a final decision & fast. 

whimper.

Hold me, y'all.

Honest, I Love It

I just want to go ahead & say, I'm not getting paid for this blog post. I was not asked to do it. I just want to let some other people know about something awesome I've found. I'm a professional wife and mommy- an amateur reviewer.


The Honest Co.

Let me explain. I love me some Facebook but mostly those pop-up adds on my timeline just annoy me. However. One day, an add for a free trial with The Honest Co. came on my screen. I had heard about the company, knew who Jessica Alba is, etc,etc. But, I'd never thought to try the products. I'm usually all about whatever is cheaper at Walmart or such. But, for the price of shipping, I thought- what the heck? Let's give it a try.

I'm hooked.

I love this stuff!

I've tried the laundry detergent, body wash & shampoo, hand soap, body lotion, multi-purpose cleaner, bug spray.... I've loved everything I've tried. I also love that they use organic ingredients, non-toxic ingredients (even in bug spray & house hold cleaners).

I'm slowly transitioning a lot of our household cleaners & personal care products over to Honest Co. products. I particularly love the laundry detergent & the body lotion right now. In our house, we use less than a bottle of the detergent a month (it's concentrated!) and my clothes & the Hubs and the small boy's clothes always come out clean. For me and my family, it's the right decision- for our health & for the planet's health.

If you're in the market for trying something new- give The Honest Co. a try. 

Obligatory picture of the detergent and the hand soap in my laundry room..... and 'Uncle Walter'

Yup. I'm Ready.

It's Almost a Recipe

So, yesterday was a big day around here. My little baby boy graduated pre-K. Sniffle. He looked so big and so darn grown up. I don't know if my heart can take this. The child had a cap (as in cap and gown) and it came home with us. And a little diploma. Sigh.

The other big event was- I went to the grocery store. Why was it a big event? Cause I looked around my cabinets last night and realized that unless I could convince my people that A) ramen was a good meal or B) grilled cheese and soup would be an excellent dinner (again)... I had to brave the grocery store & soon.

As luck would have it, I had E & Jacob with me. No, neither one of my males came into the store with me. Oy. Both would have been whining, but for totally different reasons! No. The men-folk stayed in the car while I ran in. 30 minutes later, I'm happy to say that I had a cart full of tasty food & ingredients! I'm also happy to say that having those two around when it's time to unload the car makes shopping much more enjoyable!

To make a long story even longer- I wasn't really in the mood to make a full-on dinner. Really. The less pots and pans the better. I pulled together some salmon, couscous & a salad.

(isn't it pretty?)

The star of the dinner was the salmon. It was so super easy to make. And good. Did I mention good? In fact, both the husband and the 4 year old have requested that I make it again. Sweet!

This is what I did: I looked at the trusty Internet for 20 minutes looking everywhere for a suitable salmon recipe. And I found nothing. Fantastic. So, I raided my spice cabinet. And made a rub for the salmon.

Salmon Rub:

brown sugar

onion powder

garlic powder

salt

pepper

rub the rub (ha!) all over the fish. front and back.

put in a PAM'd dish.

375 degree oven- 10 minutes... ish. 

Serve to a grateful family.

Delicious. Especially on the youngling's Star Wars plate.

I will say that I'm planning on playing with this a bit. Next time I think I'll add some spicy spices- chili powder, cumin, something like that. 

The Monkey in My Backseat

So, this Monkey graduates from pre-K tomorrow.

Sniffle.

Where did the last almost 5 (count them! 5!) years go? I'm so incredibly proud of him. So thankful to be his mommy. Allow me to brag shamelessly about him for a moment, huh?

Jacob is funny & he knows it. He's sweet and snuggly. He's kind. If someone around him is hurt or upset, Jacob takes it to heart. He will walk over and start to comfort the other kiddo (or adult). He's so smart. And I'm amazed on a daily basis on how much he knows and how much he's learning.

Jacob is a performer! He loves to be the center of attention, on his terms of course! He'll bust out some sweet dance moves or burst into song at the drop of a hat. And I love that. He loves to draw & it's a rare moment when a piece of school work comes home without one of his 'Jacob originals' on the back!

But the thing I'm most proud of is, he's already seeking out and working through his relationship with God. With Jesus. He has that childlike faith and curiosity that propels him to want to know more and more. I love that. Even though being the recipient of those questions scare the squeak out of me sometimes (talk about responsibility!)! I will say this, it's forced me to go deeper in my own faith, that's for sure.

Being a parent is the hardest, most terrifying & the most amazingly wonderful job, I think. And I love it.


With this face. How could I not?

The Bloggergirl's Mommy Manifesto... Part 1

After much thought & careful typing.... I bring to you, The Mommy-Manifesto... part 1
(according to this Bloggergirl)

1)      You will never believe that you can love and protect another human being like this creature.

2)      The cliché about ‘heart walking around outside your body’?.... yeah, its true.

3)   You will never shower without an audience again… at least that’s how it feels.)      

4)   You will never ‘go potty’ again without an audience again… see #3 

5)   You will start using the phrase “go potty”…. Even when the phrase has the same effect as nails on a chalkboard to you.

6)   Your house will never be as clean as you think your childless friends’ houses are. 

7)   Your house will never be as clean as you think your mommy-friends’ houses are.

8)   You will lose socks to the dryer monster. (the “sock baggie”?... yeah. Give it up.)

9)   Your washer and dryer will become your new BFF’s.

10) You will interview and cull through babysitter applicants as if they are applying for top-secret government work... but at some point, you will just hire someone so you can Get Out of the House for an hour or 2. 

11) You will feel guilty about #10.

12) At some point, you will get over #11.

And there you have it. #1-12. I was going to stop at #10... but I felt that #11 & #12 were needed in this case. I'll have my part 2 up soon!

The Triumph. The Tragedy. The Broken Ankle.

Well.

So....

It's been an interesting week around here. (putting it mildly)

Wednesday night, I was on my way into church to pick up the short one from choir when my cell phone rang. It was my dear hubby's ring tone, so I assumed it would be him on the other end.

Nope.

It was my brother-in-law.

Not what I was expecting.

My lovely Bro had some news. He was driving E's car & he was behind the ambulance that was taking E to the hospital. (this would be the moment I stopped walking and did my best statue impersonation)

Let me back up for a moment, that morning, E and I had a convo about our plans that evening. I was on short one detail. E was going to play racquetball with his big brother.

Can you see where this is going?

E broke his ankle playing racquetball.
Good. Grief.
(When I inquired of E later how this happened, he said that he was playing extra-sucky & thought he could make up for the sucktitude by playing extra physical and with more energy. Yeah. My response was probably less than supportive.)

Isn't it cute? E's first broken bone. First IV. First hospital visit. First surgery. My baby is growing up! (Yes, I did just call my husband 'my baby'. Deal.)

He had to have surgery. A couple of pins, steel rod, staples, wire, duct tape and a Jedi Mind Trick were involved with putting that ankle back together. I was more nervous about the surgery than E was. I've had surgery a couple of times, shall we say. And I knew what was to come. But, what I didn't know was how nerve-wracking it would be to have a loved one wheeled away from me. I pretty much, in every way, hated it.

The surgery was super fast- and our surgeon was amazing. He was knowledgeable and really put me at ease. (and thought I was a nurse. I'm not. but, still. that was cool.)

E's on crutches this week and part of next. I'm driving him everywhere his sweet heart desires. He's a bit more than giddy to have me playing chauffeur. Next week he gets his staples out and a walking boot... and hopefully starts driving again!

I'm in every way tempted to post a picture of E in the hospital, but I was informed that any posted pictures would NOT be to the amusement of my beloved.

So, I'll leave you with this one!

A Day out with Thomas the Train

This past weekend, we had the chance to do something that has become a Spring-time *Event* for us.

A Day Out with Thomas.

We've gone every year for the past 3 years & I do believe that we will be keeping up the tradition for as long as I can convince everyone involved to participate! It's just a fun day. Around us, it's located in downtown Grapevine, Texas. Thomas the Train and his pint-sized followers take over the (working) train station for 2 weekends every year. 

The main event, naturally, is to take a ride in a train car, pulled by Thomas. But there are plenty of kid-friendly things to do while you are waiting for your train time. 

This year, Jacob's favorite tent was the one with the working train exhibit. I think he, E & my Dad spent most of our time in that tent. Jacob (and everyone else) was mesmerized by the trains going round and round!

There's another tent filled with trains for the ankle-biters to play with & another station (ha!, trains. station. get it?) for story-time when a little down time is needed for the junior engineers.

There's also a chance for the kids to meet Sir Topham Hatt. 

Jacob still won't walk up there by himself.

But. The center piece of the entire day really is Thomas.

When Jacob heard the whistle and saw Thomas coming down the tracks for our turn... well. 

Delight.

Thomas is a welcome event every year.

Don't forget to have your picture taken with Thomas! It's worth the wait.... at least for me & mine!

(You can buy the pictures they take or you can bring your own camera!)

Someone thought he was hot stuff when the conductor came around to check our tickets!

The Thomas ride, itself, is about 25 minutes long. We spent a grand total of 4 (count them!).... 4 hours there this time. If Thomas the train going rolling around you, go check it out! It's a lot of fun!

~Taylor