beach

Okay, I know I said wedding pictures were up next, but we went to the beach yesterday afternoon and watched the sun set. It was absolutely gorgeous and I just had to come and show you guys the pictures! =)

I will definitely miss our 5 minute drive to the beach!!!!

a big blur

That's what life is like for me right now! My days just seem to blend together. I seriously cannot believe it's already November.

Here's a little glimpse of our schedule right now.

Sundays- Church all day. Services are 945am, 11am, and 6pm. A nap is always needed in the afternoons.
Monday through Thursday - watching my neighbor/friend's two boys, 12-4pm
Monday night - I have my Faith Bible Institute class (I recommend this class to every one who wants to learn more about the Lord and the Bible.. it's excellent!!) to go to, 630-915pm
Wednesday night - Hubby has school, the kids and I have church
Friday night - My husband and I volunteer at our church for the Reformers Unanimous program.

Every Saturday it seems like something is going on. Doing things/helping at church, a wedding, a car show, shopping, something!

Add in housework, homework, running errands, grocery shopping, having a yard sale and dr. appointments (we seem to have a lot of those right now) you can see why I have neglected my blog!!

I'm not complaining at all, I am enjoying life! I'm sure once we move and get settled next year our life will slow down and probably be boring! hehe.

My next post is going to be overloaded with pictures! We went to a wedding not too long ago and I've got some cute photos to share!

Until then, sayonara!

Lime Chicken

My hubby really likes this chicken recipe. If you aren't a fan of limes (like me) then you don't want to try this one, lol. I think it's too lime-y, but my husband disagrees! Anyways, since Arlene asked me for this one, I thought I would just post it up here for every one else.

2tbsp lime peel
1/4c. lime juice
1/4c. olive oil
2 tbsp cilantro (I usually use more than this)
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 small jalapeno chili seeded and chopped (I use 2 or 3)
1 clove garlic, minced
4 chicken pieces flattened to 1/4" thin (I use tenders or breasts)

I just throw everything into a ziploc bag and let it marinate pretty much all afternoon. I have tried cooking this in my crockpot and on the grill and we prefer the grill. I haven't tried the oven yet, but I'm sure once winter rolls around I will try it that way.

I think my blog is turning into a food blog!! Seems like all my posts have been recipes lately. Sorry.. it just seems like I don't have anything to blog about, or if I do, the time just gets away from me. October has been the craziest month this year for us. Is it like that for every one else??

Christmas mood

I can't wait for Christmas! I just want to skip Fall/Thanksgiving this year and go straight to Christmas. I'm excited to decorate for it! =) Although, the closer it gets to Christmas the closer we get to moving and that is not something I am looking forward to!!

I found this idea on Melissa's blog and I could not stop thinking about this (cheap!!) project! I went to my dollar store and had a hard time finding the platters/plates/whatever they are called. I wasn't sure what section they would be in, but I finally found them on the bottom of a shelf in the baking/cooking section.

Please excuse my horrible pictures. I am a lazy photographer, haha!

Here they are just after I bought them.

Another shot with me in it :P
Spray painted them red

Here's the backside. Look, I'm a lazy spray painter, too!!

The snowflakes that will be hot-glue'd to the tray.

Ta-dah!

Closer up

Aren't they adorable!?

Okay, I said this project was cheap. Here's the price break-down for ya!

2 trays from the dollar store (not dollar general) - $2.00

set of 3 snowflakes again from the dollar store - $1.00

red spray paint from Walmart (have a ton leftover to use for other projects!)- $.98

Total cost - $3.98 for 2 cute Christmas decorations!!

Love it!

I'm going to have to go back and pick up some more. They even have some oval ones. Think of all the possible things you could do with these trays!!

Zesty Chicken and Rice Casserole

I guess I'm all about comfort foods right now. I recently found this recipe, but it has become a family favorite around here!!


1 box chicken flavored rice dinner
2 chicken boullion cubes with 2 cups boiling water or 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 cups cooked chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 envelope "Good Seasons" Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream


Prepare rice dinner as directed.

In a mixing bowl, dissolve boullion, and add rest of the above ingredients and place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Bake 30mins, covered with foil, @ 350 degrees. Remove foil, bake another 5-10mins. Casserole will set-up as it cools.

--- My notes ---

This dish can get a little too salty if you aren't careful. I'd recommend using a low-sodium chicken broth and tasting it before you bake it.

We like it really cheesy, so I add a bit more! :)

This doubles just fine in a 9x13 dish.

Hot Chicken Salad Casserole

This recipe is my ultimate favorite comfort food dish! I hardly ever get to eat it, since my hubby is a very big picky eater. If I left out all the ingredients he didn't like, it would't be the same!!

-1 cup rice, cooked according to package directions.
-4 cups chopped, cooked chicken
-1 can cream of chicken soup
-1 small onion, chopped
-1/2 tsp salt
-2 tsp lemon juice
-3/4 cup chopped celery
-1 can water chesnuts, chopped
-1/2 cup mayo
-2 hard-boiled eggs (I use 3 or 4, depending on my mood. I love eggs!)
-8oz. Cheddar cheese, grated
-about 2 cups of crumbled Lays potato chips (enough to cover the dish)

Combine all ingredients, except cheese and chips, and mix well. Spoon into a greased 9x13 casserole dish. Top with grated cheese and refrigerate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle crumbled chips on top of casserole and bake for 35mins.

I usually skip the refrigeration step. Not sure why the recipe tells you to do that, but I really don't think it's necessary. I just added it in there for you recipe followers out there, hehe.


** shout out to my sister for passing along this yummy recipe! Love you, Marie!! **

big heart

One day while I was on the treadmill at the gym, I looked up to see my baby (or as he says "Mama, me not a baby, me a KID!") boy really close to tears. He was trying to hold his tears back and his eyes were watery. I immediately slowed down and asked him what was wrong. My first thought was that he somehow got hurt. When I asked him again what was the matter, he said "the kitty drowned and died". I looked over at the movie that was playing on the TV and saw that these two dogs were trying to save the little kitten. I asked him what happened to the kitty and he told me that it got hit by a wave and drowned. I got off the treadmill and tried to get him to come to me, because at this point the tears were ever-so-slowly falling down his cheeks. I looked back at the TV and an old man had come and rescued the drowning kitten. I eventually got Kyle to look at the TV (he kept telling me no, the kitty died) and see that the kitty was okay. When my little boy realized the kitten didn't die, his face lit up.

Oh, that boy warms my heart! Kyle is so loving and he has such a big heart - doesn't matter if it's a person or an animal. I'm so thankful that he gives me these little reminders. Reminders to be more loving, to be more compassionate. To be more like Him.


**this is the second time an animal dying has gotten to him, read about it here**