Hubby's Favorite Chicken Parmesan

When I met Mike and we started dating, his family would have me over for dinner and often it was for this dish, Chicken Parmesan. I would watch his mom pound the chicken, fry it up and bake it. I would get to enjoy the wonderful taste of it minutes later and I loved it!

Once Mike and I were married and I was trying to figure out what it meant to cook each night, I pulled out this recipe that his mom gladly passed on to me. This is a family favorite and one that I wish I made more often. It is really easy and it makes for wonderful left overs!

Chicken Parmesan

Chicken breasts (however many you'd like to make - a couple nights ago I only used 3 breasts, and it gave Mike and I dinner and lunch and we still have more chicken in the fridge now)
italian bread crumbs (at least 2 Cups)
1 egg
1/2 C milk
olive oil (to coat the pan)

1 jar Spaghetti Sauce
1 8 oz package Mozzeralla cheese

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Before I pound the chicken I whisk together the egg and milk in a large bowl, I pull out another large bowl and pour in about half a cup of bread crumbs. I have the bowls lined up next to my stove top and pull out my favorite frying pan and heat up olive oil on low.

Pound the chicken using a mallet or the smooth side of the meat tenderizer. I place each breast between wax paper (after I have cut most of the fat off) and pound it, I like my meat thinner (1/4 inch) but do this to desired thickness. Last time I made this it was actually thicker than usual, still delicious but I like tasting more of the fried goodness!

After you have pounded your chicken, dredge it in your egg and milk mixture and then place in the bread crumbs. I usually pour more bread crumbs on top and schlop - yes I just said schlop and I don't even know if that is a word - the chicken around until it is coated with bread crumbs.

Test your oil by flicking some water into it to see if the oil spits back at you, you may need to heat your oil to medium heat.

Then place your first piece of chicken into the hot oil. It should begin making that glorious frying sound the second you place it in the pan, if you notice the oil spitting back at you, it may be too hot. Cooking time varies, but I usually check the chicken after a few minutes and while I wait I am working on the other chicken breasts. Once it is golden brown, flip it over using tongs and continue frying until golden brown. (I have learned to do this through trial and error, don't be afraid to fry your chicken and know that I sometimes burn things or don't have the oil hot enough so I've had to wait forever for things to cook - just try it out!)

Once your chicken is fried up place it on the foil lined baking sheet. If you have thicker pieces of chicken you may need to cook longer, but I place it in the oven for about 20 minutes. When I make it thinner it doesn't take as long, I'm just trying to cook the chicken all the way through. 5 to 10 minutes before the chicken is done I pull out the chicken and spoon spaghetti sauce onto each piece and throw a handful of cheese on the sauce. I cook until the cheese has melted.

Serve with Angel Hair Pasta (and remaining spaghetti sauce) or Salad and rolls!

Earlier this week I served it with pasta and green beans.

Dinner Tonight - Ooey Gooey Chicken and Noodles

As the weather gets colder, I love to make soups and warm ooey, gooey comfort food. One of those comfort foods for me is Chicken and Noodles. I've made this recipe a couple different ways, but my favorite is the crock pot because it is SO easy! The original recipe came from this Pinterest post but I've adjusted it to my liking.

Crock Pot Chicken and Noodles

2 to 4 Chicken Breasts - I do less because it's cheaper and I don't love a TON of meat 
1 box (32 oz) Chicken broth
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
1/2 stick butter

frozen egg noodles OR German spaetzle noodles 

(My husband and I prefer the spaetzle noodles, but I can't always find them at a good price. It is usually a holiday item at Aldi but you can also find them in the world food aisle at Meijer.)

Place the chicken, broth, cream of chicken soup, and butter in the crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8-10. (I usually put things in the crock pot around nap time so I'm usually cooking things on high)

When the chicken is done - pull it out and shred it and throw it back in, and add the noodles 20-30 minutes before you are ready to eat if you are using the Spaetzle noodles or an hour or 2 before you eat if you're using frozen. Make sure to keep an eye on the noodles, because every crock pot is different and I've over cooked mine!


I've also made this recipe over the stove top when I didn't have a crock pot on hand or when I just didn't realize what I wanted to eat until an hour before dinner time :)

Stove Top Directions: 

Drizzle some oil in a large pan and add chicken to the pan (I cut the chicken up when cooking it this way). Cook until no longer pink - about 15 minutes. Add broth and cream of chicken and butter to the cooked chicken and stir. Add noodles once the liquid is simmering, cook on med/low for 20 minutes or until noodles are done. If you are using the frozen noodles you may need to cook longer.

I'm serving this with Mashed Potatoes tonight and I can't wait! If you want to add veggies, feel free to add peas to it or broccoli as a side. But tonight on this cold fall night, I'm sticking with the basic starches!

Baking is My Love: Sopapilla "Cheesecake"

Sopapilla Cheesecake Dessert

When I tell people I love to bake, they assume I enjoy all aspects of cooking. Now I don't mind all cooking, but baking...baking is my stress reliever and the one thing I can do without "thinking". While cooking, I always never follow a recipe. I can hear my family laughing at me right now because me following a recipe isn't common! I always change something or add something extra or don't add enough of *insert ingredient*. Even when I bake I tend to do my own thing. But baking, baking is something I love to do. I love that I usually have all of the ingredients on hand, I love to eat what I make, and I love that you get the quick satisfaction of whatever you made!

One of the hardest things for me when my daughter was born, or maybe not the hardest but something that frustrated me was that I couldn't bake. I didn't have time or I couldn't figure out to do it safely with her wrapped in my arms. I also didn't have much of a desire to, because any free time I had I wanted to sleep...or watch tv and just sit!

All of this to say, I love that I have time to can usually find time to bake . I was looking through a magazine recently, and I found this recipe for Sopapilla Cheesecake. Now I didn't change this recipe, much.

If you're looking for something easy, rich, and yummy - try this!

Sopapilla Cheesecake

2 cans of crescent rolls (keep cold)
2 8 oz packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1.5 tsp mexican vanilla (Original recipe calls for 1 tsp, I added 2 tsp)
3/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon (I used a heaping teaspoon)
1 stick butter, room temperature
Less than 1/4 C honey (I didn't' use all of the honey maybe only half the amount, nor do I think it needed it)

Grease 9X13 and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Press one can of the crescent rolls onto bottom of the pan. Beat cream cheese and 1 C sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread over the pressed crescent rolls. Roll out and press the other can of crescent dough on top of the cream cheese mixture. Mix room tempurature butter, 3/4 C sugar and cinnamon until well combined. Scoop spoonfuls (I used my smallest melon baller) of the mixture all over the top of the pastry. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown.

When the pastry is done, pull out of the oven and drizzle with honey. Cool completely before cutting.

The recipe says it serves 12, I cut mine into small pieces because it is so rich! And I'm actually enjoying it today, the day after I made it, even more because I prefer it cold.

I tweaked this recipe a little bit.
The original came from allrecipes.com, and I found a copy in a Parenting magazine. 

Stuck in a Rut: Taco Soup

Taco Soup

I get stuck sometimes when I cook, I tend to make the same 5 things week in and week out. Pinterest has helped quite a bit with trying new recipes, BUT I still go back to my familiar, easy, favorites.

So I thought I would share some new and old recipes that I consider easy and are doable while chasing a 2 year old around. And honestly to keep a journal for myself for when I get stuck in a rut cooking and want to try some different recipes. 

Last night I made Taco Soup and it was delicious and better yet - easy! I had searched online and tried to compare all of the different Taco Soup recipes out there but when it was all said and done, I called my mom. So I can't claim this recipe to be my own, it came from my Mom and it was a hit last night!

Taco Soup:

1 lb ground beef, browned
1 can Rotel (I used the Aldi brand and it was perfect)
1 can Pinto Beans
1 can Kidney Beans
1 can Corn
1 pack of Ranch Seasoning (I used Aldi's brand once again and no one could tell)
1 pack of Taco Seasoning (any brand - I used Aldi's brand)
8 oz Sour Cream

Shredded cheese and tortilla chips for toppings.

Don't drain any of the cans. Brown the beef and drain most of the fat, return beef to pan. Pour all of the canned foods and seasonings in the pan you used to brown the beef, except for for the sour cream. Heat until boiling. Right before serving mix in the sour cream.

Serve with shredded cheese and tortilla chips and Enjoy!


**What is even better about this recipe is it is inexpensive to make! Bonus!!**

Rainy Day Favorites

Now that the weather is nice we LOVE to be outside! Sadly, Lucy doesn't quite understand why we can't go outside and play when it is raining. We try and do something active every morning. Whether that is play dates with friends or walks to the park, I love to wear the girl out before her noontime nap. I'm always looking for new ideas and ideas that won't break the bank! Here are a few of my favorite things this Spring and some I'm looking forward to trying: 

Rainy Day Fun

Traders Point Church Play Area - Free!

Holliday Park Nature Center - Free!

Children's Museum

Conner Prairie 

Recreational Unlimited Showroom

Monon Center 

Click the link for pricing. 

Fun at the Children's Museum!

Some of the locations are too long of a drive for us before nap and I struggle to keep Lucy awake for the drive home. The last thing I want to do is ruin an afternoon nap! Sometimes I try and meet with girlfriends that live close by on mornings that I know we can't be outside. It is nice to take turns where to meet. 

On nice days, we love to walk to the park in the neighborhood! We are very lucky and have three close by. Sometimes we drive to the local parks like Forest Park or Dillon Park. 

Outdoor Fun

Local Parks

Paint Sidewalk

  *using plain water or homemade chalk paint

Walks 

Zoo

Splash parks (Summer)

Neighborhood Pool (Summer)

Gardening

Picnic Outside

Bike Ride

Lucy loves her walks!

Lucy really likes sweeping outside or in the garage with the broom. She also likes to "help" me garden and weed. It has been really fun to see her mimic what we do! I'm sure there are many ideas but these are just a few things we've done this spring! Please share some of your ideas with us!! 

Follow Your Heart

My husband and I have been trying to work through some difficult (to us) decisions for our family. Those that know me well know that I am a verbal processor. If you have read my blogs, it is evidence for my need to express my thoughts, worries, and endless concerns either written or verbally. Decisions need to be made and would be best made in the near future so we have been praying a lot, talking with great friends and our family. With everything going on right now, I have been trying to read more and more books on different subject matter. Some inspirational, some educational, and some on the specific topics we are dealing with.

What has been so wonderful and fascinating to me is to see God work through His word and my need to research things. I opened my bible this morning, and another Beth Moore book I use as a resource and Proverbs 16 caught my attention:

Proverbs 16:2 ' All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.'

Proverbs 16:3 ' Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.'

Proverbs 16:8 Better a little with righteousness than much gain with injustice.'

Proverbs 16:9 'In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.'

I was reading all of these verses, because as decisions with education, jobs, and investments continue to arise in our family this season, the above verses gave me some peace. I say some because if I am truly honest, I'll admit I like to be in control and have the ability take charge, do what I think is best and move on. And these verses make it very clear that I am not in control, which is a great thing but at times quite annoying. Sadly, not all decisions can be quick over-and-done with decisions like I'd prefer most decisions to be! 

I found comfort in Jeremiah 29:11 " For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a HOPE and a FUTURE."

All this to say, I've been spending more time in prayer and this morning I picked up one of my books and inside there is a message to me written by the author, 'Follow Your Heart, Sarah' and I instantly got annoyed. I was annoyed for two reasons, one I don't trust my heart and two how am I even to clearly determine what my heart is saying? If I trusted my heart or should I say if I ONLY trusted my heart, who knows what kind of life I would be living. I say I don't trust my heart because I feel only God can lead this broken girl around. Please don't mistake me for what I'm trying to convey. I get that people say "Follow Your Heart" so they'll listen to what they think truly matters and make wise decisions. What I am trying to express is that I don't want to listen to only what I THINK truly matters and I believe all wisdom comes from the Lord. Only when I am being led by the Lord, what convictions I feel the Holy Spirit is making clear to me, and through prayer and God's direction, and yes a little of listening to the ol'ticker, do I find the best answers. Sometimes I may need slammed in the face with the right answer or a door to literally open right in front of me to get where He is leading, but I like to think I can be patient and wait for his voice to direct me. 

So if you are making a large decision out there or maybe you are having a to make many little decisions that can change the course that your life is going right now. Maybe both decisions are great answers you just need to choose one. Maybe you feel like you are standing in the middle of a fork in the road and just have no clue where to even begin to step. Take heart! Know that the Lord above everything has a plan for you and he has promised to take care of you. Just take one step and ask for God's direction and have confidence that he will make your crooked ways straight, my friend! 

And also...be careful to listen to advice like "Follow Your Heart", which often leads to following your ever-changing emotions. Follow God's call for you and if you can't hear him at the moment, just keep moving. Take a step in what you think might be the best decision and know that if it isn't, and you are praying fervently God will provide. 

I posted this earlier, but I think it is relevant to this post as well. Thank you Beth Moore for writing this pledge in your "Believing God" book! I find that saying these words help me often.

God is who He says He is. 

God can do what He says He can do.

You are who God says you are.

I can do all things through Christ.

God's word is alive and active in me.

Comparison Kills

I struggle. Probably more than I'd like to admit. I am constantly comparing myself, my life, and really  everything to other peoples lives. I have been reading a great book by Steven Furtick called Crash the Chatterbox and it has helped me with a few things. First I realize that I am very blessed (I knew this before) and I am thrilled with the life I lead, most of the time. But comparison creeps up on me. And some of the things I'm comparing are things that I don't even realize I've ever wanted or needed. I see some fun pictures on social media and instantly I'm wishing I was living that life. I notice the new car a friend got, and instantly my perfectly fine reliable car is no longer sufficient. I see the moms at the park all put together and dressed well and I instantly think they must  have money to have a trainer and to buy the most fashionable clothes....and my brain continues and honestly I DON'T even realize it at first. It creeps up on me until I realize later when I'm in a foul mood, and I'm no longer content with something I was thrilled with a few hours before, that I realize the culprit. Steven Furtick has wisely called this voice that overcomes us the Chatterbox. It is the voice that continues to tell us how little we have, how we aren't enough, how we don't do enough, aren't ________ enough. I don't mean to speak for him, and please don't allow my poor penmanship to deter you from this fantastic book. The point is, I allow the Chatterbox, the voices that continue to secure me in discontentment, to control my emotions, my mood and feelings about life in general.

When will it ever be enough? "It" being whatever you're are looking to gain; money, power, fame, cars, promotions, relationships, any thing. I realize this post probably makes me sound like I sit around all day and have the "poor me" attitude. This is not true, however if you don't choose to believe that I guess it should be no worry of mine. I do love the life I have been blessed with. I do love my family, friends, and being the mommy to one special girl. I love that my husband is loving his career, and I love that we have wonderful friendships and community. I love that God has so graciously taken care of us beyond what I could ever imagine, but somehow that doesn't stop me from believing the lies that creep in. Sometimes I think I should quite some of the social media I have. I love this line in Steven Furtick's book Crash the Chatterbox "One of the main reasons we struggle with insecurity: we're comparing our behind-the-scenes with everybody else's highlight reel." I compare my life, and sometimes the rough day I am having, to the perfectly happy pictures I see on social media. Sometimes I think I should just be able to stop comparing, that I should have enough control. BUT I don't always think comparing is a bad thing.

If I am noticing someone's faith or great relational skills, I don't think it is a bad idea to compare myself to the great things I see. The problem lies when I start to hear that I am not good enough, or I suck at doing _____ and my friends are so much better at ____ than me. And honestly, I really like looking at cars. My husband alway jokes that I know more about cars than he does, maybe not the engine and mechanics but I definitely know the names and looks of cars. Just don't ask me to fix one. See I like looking at the new features and seeing how different cars compare. The same thing with houses. I love going through new homes and going to the latest home show. I don't think that is bad. Once again I think the problem lies when I start to believe that the home I'm living in is not enough. Or the car I drive is not enough. Or my job is not enough because we can't have _______. THAT is the problem. And sadly I do face these challenges. More times than I care to admit.

end rant.



I wrote this post a while ago. I have to admit reading it again I fear posting it for how people may judge me. My hope is this may help others that struggle with comparing, whether it is a daily struggle or just through a specific season.

 The words that have helped me in the past and continue to during my lack of contentment through different seasons are the words from Beth Moore's book Believing God :

God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
I can do all things through Christ.
God's word is alive and active in me.

Pasta Sauce X3

So every time I make spaghetti, Mike and I end up with all of this extra pasta sauce that I usually end up throwing away...gasp! I'm always looking for new ways of extending the amount of food we have in the house and this week I was very proud of myself for getting one jar of pasta sauce to last for three different meals!

Meal One: Spaghetti, it was nothing fancy. Angel hair noodles, because we prefer the thinner noodles, and then a few sides and we called it a day.

Meal Two: Pizza bites! Not the healthiest of choices, but we love them and they are great when we are in a rush to get out the door. Monday Night I used our left over sauce and filled 3 containers worth of croissants with pepperoni, cheese and pasta sauce! They were delicious and we even took a few to go with us to small group that night. I wish I had snapped a picture of these!

Meal Three: Eggplant pizza's. I roasted some eggplant in the oven then poured some pasta sauce and cheese on top and then baked it for a few minutes and voila! It was delicious and I was thrilled that I used all of the sauce! No guilt this week throwing any of it away!

After I roasted the eggplant I added the sauce and cheese.

Right before I devoured the mini pizzas!

I am always looking for new ways to be less wasteful with all of our food! I would love to hear some of your recipes! Thanks for reading!

Sarah