Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore

I am a big fan of chicken. I could probably eat chicken every day of my life. Okay, maybe not every day but pretty close. In saying that, I have to admit that I had never tried chicken cacciatore until last night. I enjoyed the flavors of this meal, inspired by our dear Emeril. Hope you like it!

Ingredients
8 chicken thighs
1 3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp bacl pepper
**paprika, garlic powder, cayenne, onion powder, oregano and thyme
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups onion, sliced
8 oz mushrooms, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1/2-1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 can whole tomatoes with juices, crushed
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup tomato paste
**oregano, thyme, basil, garlic powder
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese + extra for topping

**Season with ingredients to your personal tastes. I do not measure spices when I cook, only use the good ole eyeballs!

Directions: Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne, oregano and thyme. Lightly dredge chicken in flour and place in saute pan. Brown chicken on both sides, approximately 8-10 minutes, and place into crockpot. Saute peppers, onions and mushrooms in same saute pan until starting to caramelize. Add minced garlic and crushed red pepper, stirring until fragrant. Sprinkle remaining 2 tbsp of flour over vegetables and mix. Add wine to pain, allow to thicken. Add crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Add in oregano, thyme, basil, garlic powder and salt to taste. Stir in parmesan cheese and pour over chicken in crockpot, cook on low for 6-7 hours or high for 4- 4 1/2 hours.

The chicken comes out very tender and falling right off the bone. This dish can be served with pasta, rice, potatoes or whatever works for you!

Enjoy!

Mexican Rice

This is by far my husband's favorite side dish. He rants and raves about it all the time, which makes me feel good, obviously. I try to incorporate it into our meals whenever we have a little mexican flavor going on. Hope you enjoy it as much as he does!

Ingredients
1 cup of white rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup of tomato paste
2 tsp cumin
Juice of 1 lime (you can add less)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped parsley or cilantro

Directions: Place rice and chicken broth into saucepan on medium high head. Bring to a boil, cover with a lid and reduce heat to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes until rice is done. In a saute pan, heat olive oil on medium, add onions and saute until translucent. Add garlic, stirring continuously so garlic does not burn. Add tomato paste and cumin, stir to mix all ingredients well. Add onion mixture into cooked rice, seasoning with salt to taste. Squeeze juice of 1 lime into rice, and add chopped parsley or cilantro.

*We have used both parsley and cilantro in this dish, depended on what we had for fresh herbs. They both add good flavor.

Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken Pasta

There are certain flavors that we all gravitate towards. In this household, all things covered in buffalo sauce or mixed with cheese are high on our list of favorites. This was definitely a winner and made it into our favorites recipe book!

Ingredients
1 lb pasta, cooked al dente
3 chicken breasts, cooked and cut into 1 inch cubes
         *seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/3 cup hot sauce
1/4 cup butter
        *1/3 cup bottled buffalo sauce can be substituted for hot sauce and butter
4 oz of monterey jack cheese, grated + extra for topping
4 oz of cheddar cheese, grated + extra for topping
1 tsp of garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs

Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cook pasta al dente and chicken to your liking. Melt 1/4 cup butter and add to hot sauce, set aside. Melt 1 tbsp butter in sauce pan over medium heat, add 1 tbsp of flour and make a light roux (should be a light tan color). Add milk in slowly, stirring so there are no lumps. Milk should thicken slightly, removed from heat and slowly add in cheese. Change stove setting to low heat and place pan back on stove, add in buffalo sauce mixture. Season sauce with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Combine pasta, chicken and sauce and place into oven safe dish. Evenly distribute extra cheese on top, then panko bread crumbs. Place in oven for 25 minutes.

Recipe adapted from How Sweet It Is

*We felt that the last step of putting the dish in the oven could be omitted and next time might toast the panko separately to add on top of this dish. You can change any recipe to your specific tastes!

Enjoy!

Saturday

You sleep in a little and wake up to the sun shining on your face. You open the bedroom door and hear the little pitter patter of twelve tiny feet coming to greet you. Your handsome husband is sitting on the couch saying "Morning, beautiful." This is how every Saturday morning should start.

He makes you a delicious breakfast and you spend some time snuggling on the couch watching part of a movie.

You get ready to conquer the day, making a pit stop at "the man store" Home Depot to purchase a new door for your soon to be newly sided house. You enjoy Dunkin Donuts Iced Coffee while taking a scenic drive to enjoy this beautiful weather.

You grab the leashes as your pups jump all over the place in excited anticipation for an evening walk.

You make a new recipe together for dinner, while sipping a glass of wine and just enjoy each other's company. You end the night snuggling on the couch just as you started it.

This is my Saturday and I love it.

My Healer

This little guy has brought me so much joy in the past four weeks. I can't imagine our life without him. He came at the right time and I am very fortunate for all three of my furry friends. They are my family.

Jace is such a smart dog, but he's a puppy nonetheless. He loves to find new toys that don't belong to him, a lady's undergarments being a big hit! If you leave it on the floor, this guy will find it.

He enjoys taking the husband's pile of clothes, yes, the whole pile and dragging it from the bedroom to the living room. It is a pile that is much bigger than him, but he is a determined little pup.

He was brought into this family to keep my mind off of things, and he does an amazing job. I could take pictures of him all day, he is quite photogenic!

To my Jace, you are a keeper!!!!

Mexican Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce

If you want to try a recipe that gives you a punch of mexican flavor, this one is a winner! My husband gave it a 10, which is hard to come by in this house!

Ingredients:
Puree
2 cans of Rotel Tomatoes with Green Chiles
1/4 cup of chopped onion
2 tsp of minced garlic
1 minced chipotle in adobo sauce
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp of brown sugar
1/2 tsp of yellow mustard
1 tsp tomato paste
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & Black Pepper to taste

Mix
1 lb of ground pork
6 oz of ground chorizo sausage
2 eggs
1/2 cup grated onion
3 slices of bread
1/3 cup milk
2 tbsp sour cream
2 tbsp minced garlic
1-1 1/2 tbsp minced lime zest
1 minced jalapeno pepper, ribs and seeds removed
3 tbsp dried oregano
2 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp each salt & black pepper

Oil for cooking

Directions: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Puree all sauce ingredients in blender/food processor. You may choose to leave one can of tomatoes whole, add at the end. Soak bread in milk for a few minutes. Mix all of meatball ingredients together in a separate bowl, including bread and roll into balls (about the size of a golf ball). Heat oil in a saute pan over medium. Add meatballs and brown for four minutes, turning once. Place meatballs into oven safe dish, pour sauce over the top. Place into oven and bake for 10-20 minutes until meatballs are fully cooked. Serve over rice or pasta.

Enjoy!

White Pizza Dip

I cannot explain in words how delicious this dip is. It is a combination of holy shit this is good and I just ate my weight in cheesy goodness. 

If you do not make this dip, you have not lived.

Ingredients:
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 1/2 packages of cream cheese, softened
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded
8 oz provolone cheese, shredded
1/4 cup grated parmesan and extra for garnish
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped

Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Drizzle tomatoes with olive oil and add salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes and remove from oven. In a bowl mix 7 ounces of the mozzarella and 7 ounces of provolone cheese with cream cheese. Add all remaining ingredients including the tomatoes. Place in the oven for 15 minutes, then stir. Add remaining cheese on top and bake for additional 10 minutes. Broil for 1-2 minutes until top layer is golden brown.

Recipe and photo from How Sweet It Is

Cleaning Your Microwave

A few weeks back when I was still working night shift, my husband put some sort of sauce dish in the microwave. I don't use the microwave all the time, so when a little while later I opened the door..... this is what I found.

I guess it's just not in a male's DNA to clean up what they spill/explode/dirty/etc. You know what would be a good money maker? A book entitled "All the Things Your Guy Will Do to Piss You Off!" At the same time, it's those little things that annoy us, that in the bigger picture - just don't matter.

So off to my favorite website ever made, to Pinterest I went.

How To Clean Your Microwave

Take 1 cup of vinegar and place into a microwave safe bowl. Add 1 cup of hot water to the bowl. Close your dirty microwave's door, and microwave that magic concoction for 10 minutes. Open the door, remove said bowl and wipe clean all the hatred you have for your husband disgusting food off from the microwave's walls.

I believe the website stated that you would just have to wipe clean with a paper towel. Well, due to the state of my microwave I used a wet sponge and put some elbow grease into it. But it was much easier coming off than an old microwave explosion in the past!

The end result- a nice clean microwave that you can use to warm up some leftovers found in the freezer, especially for your husband. Just kidding. Maybe.

Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs

I can't think of a better way to cook than with a glass of crisp wine in your hand. Well, maybe a bottle would be better?!

It's the nights at home with my husband that we spend time together in the kitchen, that make me happy. We don't have to make a gourmet meal or slave for hours over a hot stove. Just being together and creating something delicious with both of our cooking hats on, that is what making dinner should be all about.

We laugh, we joke, we get annoyed with one another- all the wonderful bliss that comes with a marriage between two people.

Last night I tried out a new recipe, Asian Glazed Chicken Thighs. I have a monthly craving for chinese food...if you can catch my drift. Being that we are on a tight budget and all food is coming out of the kitchen, I improvised. To the internet we go!

Ingredients:
1/3 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 tbsp chili paste
10 garlic cloves, minced
12 chicken thighs
cooking spray

Directions: Mix vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chili paste, minced garlic and honey until honey is dissolved. Marinate chicken in the mixture in the refrigerator for 1 hour, turning halfway through. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pour reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and heat on medium high setting. Allow for marinade to boil and reduce. Bake chicken for 10 minutes, baste with marinade and place back in oven for 10 more minutes. Baste a 2nd time and allow chicken to cook for an additional 10 minutes or until fully cooked.

*I found that the marinade did not thicken up to the consistency that I wanted. So I made a slurry with cornstarch and water and added a very small amount. Whoever made up that, they are sure brilliant!

Recipe adapted from MyRecipes

My Day

All good days start with a little sunshine on your face,

 While amongst the company of your furry friends.

These little creatures love you unconditionally and always remind you to believe.

Sunday Brunch

Yesterday I set the table, lit the candles and put out our pretty glasses my mother-in-law gave to me, so we could have our first Sunday Brunch.

French toast casserole was in the oven, the aroma of cinnamon and brown sugar filling the air. My mom and step-father were the first to arrive, mimosas were poured and smiles were upon our faces.

As the men sat watching the television, the ladies made the remaining essentials to a perfect brunch; bacon, hash browns and waffles. The assortment of delicious food was complete and we had a wonderful first Sunday Brunch.

These are the moments in life that you always want to remember. You want to remember the happiness, the smiles, the humor and most importantly the meaning of family.

Recipe: Cinnamon Baked French Toast

Source

Enjoy!

Life is a Miracle

The past few months have not been without obstacles. They have not been without tears, nor have they been the happiest of moments. But through the tears, pain and disappointment, there has been a clarity. I have been given the opportunity to see the positivity and beauty in all things, both good and bad.

To say I've not been happy with my current job, might be considered an understatement. I loathe working nights, but despite a few interviews, I am still at this job. I am trying to see what I can learn from it, and what I have already learned so far in the 4 months I have been there.

I am trying to find happiness in all the beautiful moments spent with my husband. We are trying to do a lot more in our time together, instead of just hanging out at home. We are making memories, things we can talk about until we grow old and gray together. In 50 years, I hope to look back and remember sitting under the beautiful night sky, wrapped in a blanket with my love, listening to a live concert by Lady Antebellum. I want to remember that this life was worth living, because it is.

Nothing is ever perfect, there will always be things in your life you wish you could change. Just try to live each day knowing that you are surrounded by a miracle, because that is exactly what happened when all of us were created.

It will Find its Way

I am a firm believer of the above statement. Sometimes it is hard to to see around whatever you may be going through, to get to this point. In the end, it is just so very true. 

We can't always choose how our lives are going to go. We can't help what obstacles that may stand in our way, or what heartache we may have to endure. All we can do is try our hardest, look for support when life gets us down, and move forward. There is a story written for all of us. Not every page is going to be glorious, but the ones that are, are worth the wait.

A Saturday Night, Just the Two of Us

Tonight was the kind of saturday night I have been craving for a while now. Just me, my husband and an agenda that included......anything we wanted.

After getting some errands done, we went to the grocery store to pick up a few items for the delicious dinners I have planned for the weekend. Our menu tonight, Crispy Shrimp Pasta.

 

Source

I changed the recipe slightly on purpose and also by accident. I think maybe drinking a glass of wine during cooking doesn't agree with me! Despite my mess ups (putting cayenne pepper instead of cajun, turning on the wrong burner that had butter sitting on it!) the end result was delicious! The cheffy gave me a 9/10, to him nothing is ever perfect!

I added some garlic powder, parmesan cheese and fresh parsley to this dish. It's a recipe that you could change to your personal tastes.

It was a great dinner, with good wine and my handsome husband. It doesn't happen every weekend, but these are the moments that count. If you have a chance, try this recipe. It's really good!

What Weekends are Made Of

It has been a long time since I have been able to anticipate a weekend that included all the good things in life.

My husband. Check.

My family. Check.

My best friends (minus one!) Check.

Good food. Check.

Relaxation. Check.

Time away from that place I call H.E.L.L. (work) Double check!

I hope everyone was able to enjoy their weekend. I look forward to more weekends where we can spend time with each other, our loved ones and get things accomplished. What more can I say besides I am grateful for all the glorious moments in life!

The Life of a Night Shifter

Over five years ago I handed in a pink sheet of paper to my supervisor, hands shaking and on the verge of tears. It was definitely a moment that made my stomach turn and my heart rate soar. It read "I will never ever work another night shift ever again. I will eat human feces before I do" Ok, no it didn't. It was my transfer form to the evening shift. I was kissing nights' ass goodbye.

But yet, here I am again, working the wonderful graveyard shift and hating every stinking moment of it. Instead of sitting here and wallowing in my own self pity, I decided to be more constructive. I am going to write about all the heinous and out of character (okay, mostly out of character) things that I have done, said, felt, etc. Some may be ridiculous, even I say "I did that, wtf?!" Despite that these moments sometimes change the way I feel about myself briefly, I know that underneath this overtired, overly emotional, crazy chick I have become, Melissa lies dormant and waiting to break free of her current torture. Anyone have vodka?

Source

If writing these down does nothing more than remind myself of why I need to find a new job, I would consider that an absolute victory.

-You know you work night shift when you can't ever find a sleep schedule that allows you to feel rested.  You find you stay up all night and sleep all day. Which equals no life whatsoever. It's a crappy existence.

-When I worked evenings, I would always count the hours of my shift, days of work until a day off. Now that I work nights, I count the hours every day until I can sleep again. My life isn't about living, it's all about sleeping. Something I can't even do well anymore.

-One thing it has helped with is laundry. I don't seem to wear anything besides pajamas and scrubs. I have no motivation to get ready on my days off. Which means I don't do anything, and I know that is bad.

-I have not had the energy to clean a damn thing in this house. The dust bunnies started breeding, the dog hair has weaved its own blankets and if it weren't for my husband we would be eating out of the dog dishes.

-I've lost my appetite which could be considered as a good thing. I am eating, but it is more sporadic with my schedule. I find that I only eat one meal and a snack on the days I work. I can't fit in anymore. When I get home from work in the morning, I want to sleep. I wake up, shower, eat something and go back to work. I have a snack at night because I can't eat during the night. When I get home, I repeat the cycle. I don't believe this is very healthy. Unless I'm eating a Big Mac, Fries and a Shamrock Shake (which I'm not), I'm pretty sure I am not getting my expected calories in.

- While sitting down for my 30 minutes of relaxation/dinner time between shifts, I realized that I didn't bring a knife to cut my food. Instead of just simply getting up and getting one, I got all upset, tears running down my face..."All I want is a moment to myself and now I have to get up to get a knife." It was as if I had to walk to china to get that last piece of the puzzle. My husband decided he would be a champ and walked 10 feet into said china and upon receiving my gift of cutlery, I continued on as if nothing had happened.

-After working Friday night into Saturday, we had to go to the in-law's for dinner. You would have thought someone was requesting my attendance at a funeral of an enemy. In my head, all I could think was that I wanted to stay home and I was being yanked from my happiness. If it wasn't bad enough that I wasn't sleeping more than 3-4 hours a day, I was being told that on my only day off I HAD to go somewhere, and my emotions were in high gear. At the gas station I even went all big eyed with a crazy bobble head move in my husband's face. Then proceeded to cry the entire way to my in-law's house, babbling about all the things I hate. Do you want that for your company?

-After working just two nights in a row, I need two days to recover with a third day off to feel normal again. With my current schedule, I'm not getting the third day off. I worked Wednesday night into Thursday, slept for 2 1/2 hours on Thursday after my shift and was up all night. I slept for about 2 hours on Friday morning but couldn't sleep the rest of the day. I couldn't sleep at all Friday night and had to get up at 4 am to work a day shift on Saturday. I went 39 hours without sleep that day. Before going to work I cried so hard, I threw up. I screamed at the top of my lungs while slamming the bedroom door "I can't do this" and told my husband I hated him for sleeping. This moment made both my husband and I realize that night shift does NOT agree with me.

If I continue to work night shift, I have a feeling that we will need to buy new doors more often since I seem to break them when I slam them. My strength is over powering.

If I continue to work night shift, I fear that I will need some sort of medication to get through. Whether its for sleep, anxiety or depression. Not something I ever thought would happen to me. One, I love sleep and have never had a problem sleeping long peaceful hours. Two, I've always been able to find my center and let myself cool off without needing assistance from medication. Without sleep, I am a very scary person that I don't even recognize.

My husband has been so good through all of this. I feel bad that I'm not handling it the way I thought I would or how I think I should. I want to be stronger than this. Maybe it's just not for me and I should have listened to my gut when I knew this job was a night shift. I should have listened to myself when I thought "hey I sucked at that before, why do it again?"

You live and you learn. You make bad decisions and then you just have to make another choice. I am choosing to be happy in this life, and it does not involve night shift.

Thanks for listening to my rant if you have! On the flip side, I slept for 12 hours last night and feel like a new woman! This will last for exactly two days, then back to that fire laden pit of my life called the night shift.

Warmth

Waking up to the sweet chirping of birds makes me crave the warmer weather that hopefully is soon approaching. I can already feel the sun beams on my face, the fresh smell of warm breezy air, and the sight of beautiful blooming flowers filling my days.

I know that our winter was pretty much perfect except for that freak snow storm before Halloween, but I am done with looking at the dreary land surrounding me and feeling the warmer weather one second, then chilled to the bone the next.

There are so many things I want to do this spring and summer, I can't wait for it to start. I am excited to know that this year, I will be experiencing the different seasons with my husband and not alone. For that I am very grateful and feel so blessed.

Three Months Before

I have gone through many emotions over the past 8 months, most of them centered around having a baby. We were going to start right after our wedding, but it seemed that the timing was not in our favor. Our work schedules didn't allow for any time together, someone was always too tired and it just had a lot more disappointment than I ever wanted.

I didn't want the experience of making a baby to be rushed, or full of negative emotions. I didn't want to become pregnant and feel like I was going through it by myself. I wanted my best friend there, my husband.

While not every moment was good through the last eight months, I know in my heart that the waiting has all been for a reason. If we weren't in a situation to wait, my husband would still be in a job that took all his time and I would still be working at a job I started to hate.

We are now settling into our new routine, one that allows us time together. Time is important in starting a family and I am very excited that our time to try for a family is getting closer.

Why three months and not now? I sometimes ask that question to myself. I would love for it to happen now, or even just start but I just started a new job, insurance has not kicked in yet and in order for you to have FMLA protection, you have to be at your job a year. It could happen now and I would be ecstatic, but then I would only get to spend 6 weeks with my child instead of 12. That is something that I really would love, being a first time mom and having to eventually go back to work. I know that you can't plan everything and I am not trying to, but if I can have just a little more time before I would have to leave my baby, I will definitely try to take it!


So for the next three months I am going to make sure to treat my body right, feed my body right, rest and make it the best little oven that it can be for a healthy bean! Just writing about it makes me smile. There really is nothing so beautiful as creating another life. I can't wait until I can make my husband a father.

How could you not want to make that smiling face a daddy?!?

Happy Changes

I have found over the past year after religiously reading the blogs I follow each day, that we need more excitement in this house. We have spent so much time NOT doing the things we want to because of our jobs and conflicting work schedules. That is all about to change.

My husband and I have both started new jobs. Our life before these jobs was filled with frustration, loneliness and sadness. What others kept to referring to as our "newlywed honeymoon phase" was anything but that. That has changed.

Instead of waiting up to three weeks to have dinner with my love just for one night, I am now able to eat dinner with him at least four times a week, if not more. I am able to see and spend time with him on the weekends. We are now able to lead a more normal life.

When I say normal, I do not mean a picture perfect situation that is portrayed in a book or a movie. I am not comparing it to anyone else's life. This is our life. Our lives are what we make of them. I feel so fortunate that we were able to see that our old ways weren't working for us. These jobs fell upon us as if it were meant to be. I am going to embrace every moment I can from now on.

This is our future.

Flashback

So yesterday I had a flashback moment. I was trying to carry up dinner, a present, my purse, and a bag of soda to my friends. The soda kept dropping out of the bag and in order to pick it up, I had to put everything else down. As I was trying to pick up the rest of my things, the soda would fall again. This all happened while in the elevator.

As I got to my floor of choice, I had to roll the soda out with my foot. When I completed this task, I dropped the present. As I was trying to pick it back up, the elevator door closed and decided to go back down to the 1st floor, leaving my poor soda by itself. Fortunately for me, when I got back upstairs, it was still there waiting for me.

Now, go back 10 years, my freshman year in college. I lived with two other girls, and we liked to play jokes on each other. One day we got the bright idea of sticking my roomie's favorite camping chair (one of those expensive ones) in the elevator. We watched it go down, and come back up. We watched it go down and come back up. It was highly amusing back then. Do I know why? No. Don't judge. The third time it went down, it didn't come back up. We ran to all the other floors looking for it, but it was gone.

To the bastards that stole the chair from us immature college girls- I hope it broke when you sat in it.

Oh the memories.