Potluck Recipe

Today I am going to a potluck and thought I would share the recipe since it is also one of our favorite once a month cooking (oamc) recipes!

Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Casserole - serves 6

1 can cooked chicken, rinsed and drained
4 cups cooked broccoli
1 can cream of chicken soup (or any cream of ... we have tried several varieties)
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (recipe called for 1/2 cup but we like more)
bread crumbs (plain is fine but we like Italian seasoned)

Combine soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice and curry powder. Spread broccoli in a greased 2 qt. baking dish. Evenly distribute chicken over broccoli and cover with soup mixture. Top with cheese. Sprinkle lightly with bread crumbs. Bake 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until heated throughout.

To make "kit": Combine chicken, soup, mayonnaise, lemon juice, curry powder and mix well. Spoon into qt. size Ziploc. Measure cheese and put into small ziploc. I use frozen broccoli so I will also measure this out into a ziploc as well. Label a gallon sized ziploc with recipe name and layering and baking directions . Place the smaller ziplocs into a gallon ziploc to create a "kit". You could also measure whatever amount of breadcrumbs you think you might like on top (I generally use bewteen 1/8 - 1/4 cup depending on my mood) and include this in your "kit".

When ready to use your "kit" - thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Layer cooked broccoli, chicken/soup mixture, cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 45 - 60 minutes at 350 degrees or until hot throughout.

I know some of you will feel that using so many smaller baggies may be wasteful - however...

I label my broccoli, cheese and breadcrumb bags as well as my gallon bag for reuse - so I am ONLY throwing away the soup/chicken mixture bag. After I have put the recipe together I put the smaller bags back into the gallon bag and throw it back into the freezer. It helps me know what recipes my family has eaten and what recipes I need to make again when I start my next cooking session.

Hopefully this all makes sense but if you have any questions feel free to ask!

WE WON!

So.... we have a history with drawings - we RARELY ever when one and USUALLY when we do win it is the one thing we DON'T want of all the lovely things that are being offered.

I say history because it has been happening for MANY years! When K was 3 the local card shop was having a drawing for a limited edition Barbie ornament - did we win the cute lil Barbie ornament - Nope, not even close! What we won instead - a 3 foot tall stuffed Barney that when K sat on the floor in front of it - it could rest its chin on top of her head. Do we win the iPods, iTouches, trips, or beautiful pictures a friend often gives away on her photography site - NO.

Now, what started this tyrant some may ask...? Do you care? Not really? Well, then just skip the whole next paragraph - cause it really won't interest you...

This past weekend we had grand plans to clean up the garden, build the rest of the firewood racks and move the remaining firewood (just to make sure we DON'T have any more rattlesnakes out there somewhere) but at Howard's recheck with the doctors on Friday they told him to take it easy SO none of that got done. So, while doing nothing and listening to the radio while we did it - we kept hearing ads for the grand opening at Lauren's Preserve - a new subdivision here in town. So, that is resting right, just walking through houses so we went over - nice houses with outrageous price tags. We enter the drawing - do we win any of the terrific prizes that we could see ourselves using, abusing and loving? Nope! What we DID win we a pedestal sink and mirror set! Something we have absolutely NO use for - something that totally DOESN'T fit in the decor of our home - something that is now taking up prime real estate in our already bulging garage!

So... Is anyone remodeling a powder room or know someone who is? Because we have a very nice pedestal sink and mirror combo that I'd really like to get out of garage before it gets damaged - otherwise we will be looking to sell it on craigslist or ebay in the next week or so.

Never a Dull Moment...

There is rarely a dull moment around here but yesterday was a bit more exciting than most.

I was expecting to spend some of the day at Huntsville Hospital visiting with B & W while they waited for lil man L to get the okay to go home - that would have been okay - not that L being in the hospital was okay - cause it wasn't - but he was getting to come home! Yay!

I was not, however, prepared for the way the day played out! I woke up to hear the shower water running, thinking it surely must be close to time for K to get up and ready for seminary/school I look at the clock and it is 4:30! I go in to ask H if he had forgotten to tell me about a meeting or something only to find him covered head to toe in hives! So off we go to Walgreens to get some Benadryl - get home dosed up, back to sleep, call into work for him and make him a doctors appt. He goes to the doctor while I run S to an ortho appt. As I drop S off at school I find out he is still at the doctors and he "suggests" I come by. I had no sooner walked in the door until he calls and says that the doctor wants him to go to the hospital and just called in an epi-pen for him and could I go pick it up and bring it back to him and take him to the hospital - so I turn around and head out the door. While I am waiting at the pharmacy the pharmacist turns to me and says they just cancelled the order and want you back over there ASAP as they just called an ambulance for your husband! So I jet back over, check in with him to see how he is doing and start making phone calls. Between the time I last saw him and the time I got back to the doctors office the hives had doubled in both count and size, his left eye was swollen shut, the right eye was starting to swell and he was starting to swell around his mouth and they were concerned his airway might be compromised. D was with me so I called B (who was still at the hospital with W & L) and ask him to meet us in ER so he & D can give H a blessing. Call our home teacher/friend at work and let him know what is going on. Call our emergency contacts that are able to get K from school and give them a heads up so she won't have to drive herself to the hospital (since 1 she would be a wreck and 2 she has never driven on parkway by herself and wouldn't know where to go once she got over that way).

Anyway, to cut a long story a bit shorter - the doctors office had done everything the hospital would have (more Benadryl & steroid injection), he got an iv on the ambulance ride along with some epinephrine and then got to spend a few hours sleeping the day away in the ER while I watched. I had sent D home with B, W & L once L was cleared to go home. We may never know what triggered the attack and he has to follow up with the doctor Friday. I for one am going to ask for an Epi-pen just to be on the safe side!

It has been a very hectic few weeks here - two car accidents, head lice, puppy bitten by a rattlesnake, lil man L bieng admitted and trying to help B & W out as much as possible, K got stopped for speeding - only got a warning but still and then THIS. Here's to hoping things will calm down a bit for us!

Oh... I forgot!

As I was blog-surfing today I came across this site...

http://bedifferentactnormal.blogspot.com/2009/08/princess-clips.html

I so wish Katie was still little so I had an excuse to make some of these!

Cafe Shelf Tutorial & Drawing

Traci at

http://beneathmyheart.blogspot.com/2009/08/cafe-shelf-tutorial-and-giveaway.html

has an awesome tutorial on how to make a cafe shelf and then is having a drawing to give away the one she made in the tutorial - how cool is that? AND why am I telling you when I know you will go over and leave a comment to be entered into the drawing? Because by telling you I am entered two additional times to win this sweet lil shelf!

Day Trips Anyone?

I would like to get some "day trips" in and am looking for everyones input on some awesome adventures to go on. We are currently planning a trip to Ivy Green but need other ideas of fun things to go and do.

22 Years!

Forgive me for posting this a day early but we are leaving either late tonight or early in the morning for Atlanta!

I can't believe my honey & I have been married for 22 years tomorrow - the 15th!

This is us when we were still in high school - so young and in love!



I love this man with all my heart! There is so much I want to say but for some reason struggle with how to put my thoughts adequately into words when it comes t describing us over the years! We have been through tons together! Ups, downs, highs & lows. High school sweethearts who married young (he was 18 and I was still 17!), military, and then not, moving with jobs - 14 moves in 22 years - 2 beautiful kids, adventures galore, married in Vegas, baptized into the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints together and then sealed in the Washington D.C. temple as a forever family on our 10th anniversary!

Happy Anniversary My Love - It's been a blast proving the naysayers wrong and I can't wait to see what adventures the next 22 years brings to us!