And we have a winner.....

I am all about a good, easy, Crock Pot recipe, but I have struck out lately on a few that I have tried.  If it's not voted to stay, then the recipe is trashed and I start looking for more new ones to wow and amaze my family with my out of this world cooking skills.  (I know what you're thinking...it does take skills to follow the directions & make sure not to leave anything out, keep a 10 month old from slamming his fingers in the cabinets, answering 20 million questions from a 4 year old on every subject imaginable, and anything else that might happen in the 10 or 15 minutes it takes to get a Crock Pot Recipe together.)

Anyways, I have finally found a new Crock Pot Recipe that was voted to stay and be cooked again in our house.  Actually, it would have been cooked again whether they liked it or not because I liked it so, the vote was kind of pointless.  I found this recipe and a few others over at Pearls, Handcuffs & Happy Hour.

Angel Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 8oz. pkg. baby bella sliced mushrooms

1 can condensed golden mushroom soup

1 stick of butter

1 pkg. dry Italian salad dressing mix

1/2 cup chicken broth

1/2 of an 8oz. tub of cream cheese spread with chive & onion

rice or pasta (I used Angel Hair Pasta, she used rice)

Melt butter in a saucepan and add the Italian salad dressing packet.  Stir in the soup, chicken broth, and cream cheese until it combines and melts.

Place the mushrooms on the bottom of your crock pot and place the chicken breasts on top.

Pour the sauce mix on top of the chicken, cover with lid, and cook on low for 5 hours.

The only thing I might do differently next time is cut the chicken breasts in half so they are a little thinner which might shorten my cook time a little.  To me, it tasted a lot like Chicken Marsala, one of my fav dishes.  Enjoy!!

We are still rocking along getting ready for the next few weeks.  We are getting close to the end of PeeWee Football (oh darn...), trying to wait patiently for baby Logan to make his debut, and I am busy planning Easton's first birthday party.  We have a lot going on every weekend, but the weather has been amazing lately!

Worn out after cheering!

Refuses to leave my basket of blankets alone!

Love to swing!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Caramie

Crock Pot Dinner & a sick baby

Yesterday I was home with a sick baby boy.  Poor guy woke up with a 101.1 degree fever and was not a happy camper.  Of course he wasn't pulling at his ears, puking, or any other obvious signs to help me figure out what might be wrong.  After he woke up from his morning nap, which he wasn't really ready to wake up from, he let me hold and cuddle with him for another hour and a half.  I don't get to hold and cuddle with him very much anymore because he's not still long enough.  I enjoyed every second of it!  I just wish he wouldn't have been sick.

Kinnley got out of school early yesterday because of parent/teacher conferences.  I had planned on cooking a crock pot dinner while I was at work yesterday, so before Easton and I went to get her I got everything put together for it.  It was a new recipe and I have to say that it turned out yummy!

Crock Pot Provolone Chicken Casserole

4 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts

4 to 6 slices Provolone Cheese (or you could use Swiss & I actually used 7 or 8 slices)

1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup White Wine or Milk (I used Milk)

2 cups Herb Seasoned Stuffing Mix (that's pretty close to the whole box, so I just used the whole thing

1/2 stick Butter (melted)

Spray bottom of crockpot with nonstick cooking spray. Place chicken breasts in bottom of crockpot. Cover chicken with slices of cheese. In separate bowl, mix soup with milk/white wine and spread over cheese slices. Combine stuffing mix with melted butter. Spread mixture on top of everything else. Cook on low for 4-6 hours.

It was so yummy.  I think the next time I am going to add some fresh sliced mushrooms, maybe on top of the chicken with the cheese on top of that.  I also might use a full stick of butter instead of just half of a stick.  Ben thought the chicken was bland by itself, so I might add some seasoning to it next time, but it's a casserole, so you're not suppose to eat it by itself...duh!  (I thought it tasted fine with everything together...it actually might have been a little too salty with all the cheese and the stuffing mix.)  Sorry, I don't have a picture.  I got this recipe and a few more that I have tried from the Crock Pot Girls on Facebook.  You can find their website here.

Easton turned 10 months old Sunday.  I can't believe that he will be a year old in less than 2 months!  We have finally cut our first tooth.  He's still not walking by himself, but he will walk around everything and behind his walking toy and anything else he can hold onto and push.  He loves to aggravate his sister and crawls thru the house yelling for his 'Dada' trying to find him.  His vocabulary is growing.  He of course says Dada, Mama, Dog, Ball, and has started saying Nana.  He points to things he wants, gives high (or low) fives, gives kisses (the more slobber the better, right?), and claps when he does something he's proud of.

We still have our red hair and blue eyes.  I had their pictures made by my cousin a month or so ago and I will share those soon.  She's a very gifted photographer and I love all of the pictures!  She definately caught Easton's personality coming thru in a few!  Life right now for us is a little calmer than it has been, so I am taking this time to start planning my little man's first birthday party.  It will be a barnyard theme & I've already gotten some big, little surprises lined up.  I don't know who will be more excited, Easton or me!  There will definately be pictures to come. 

Have a great Thursday!

Caramie

What's for Lunch?

I shared the 'recipe', if you can call it that a couple of months ago for Mini Pizzas.  I have made them a few times for Kinnley's lunch and she loves them!  So, I thought I'd share some pictures and the recipe again.

Mini Pizzas

-English Muffins
-Pizza Sauce
-Cheese
-Any other toppings you want

Cut the English muffins in half.  Cover with desired amount of pizza sauce.  Top with cheese and toppings.  Bake in oven at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes or until the cheese is melted.

It really is that easy!  And they are yummy.  Remember to cover your baking sheet with foil so that clean up is super easy too!  You won't have to scrub melted/burned on cheese off of the baking sheet. 

Enjoy!
Caramie

A Little About Me

Name: Caramie Ann Perry

Birthday: December 28, 1985

Brothers/Sisters: 3 sisters & 1 brother

Favorite Color: Pink

Favorite Season: Fall - I LOVE how pretty the trees are when the leaves are changing colors, the cool mornings, pumpkins, the smell of apples and cinnamon, and everything else about fall time!

Some of the Things I love: cheesecake, books, cookbooks, Food Network, The Pioneer Woman, towels straight from the dryer, long showers, candles, rain & the smell of rain, flip-flops, Burt's Bees lip gloss & chapstick, purses, shoes, lemon in my tea, painted toenails, snuggling (especially with my babies), hoodies, Hobby Lobby, Target, Old Navy, steamed broccoli, cooking, stars, fireworks, fireplaces, walks, smell of freshly mowed grass, puppies, dove hunting (a new one for me this year), chocolate (milk & white)....I'll have to keep thinking of more

Some of the Things I'm Not a Fan of: brussell sprouts, snakes, frogs, anything that is slimy, slithers, and is just gross, mice/rats, nails on a chalkboard, dark chocolate, washing dishes, people touching my feet, slow computers, doing laundry, washing dishes, Wal-Mart, upsetting my friends/family, conflict, cleaning the bathroom...I know there's more but it's not coming to me, so, to be continued....

My Biggest Strength/Weakness: I think my biggest strength and weakness is one in the same, I care too much.  I care too much about what others think.  I get my feelings hurt too easily because I care so much.  If we're friends, I not only care about you, but I'm going to be there for you no matter what.  I can't turn off my caring.  You may tell me it's not me, but I'm going to worry that it is.  Your mind can do funny things to you when you care too much about what others think about you.

My Biggest Goal: To be happy in my own skin doing something that I love and that not only makes me excited to get up in the mornings, but also challenges me so that I don't get bored.

If I could have any animal as a pet, it would be a: Giraffe!  I love their spots & long necks.

Favorite Disney Movie: Beauty & the Beast

I'll think of some more and post another night.  Have a great Wednesday!
Caramie

Baby Shower for Logan Ryker!

I have finished up the two weeks of non-stop stuff going on and I am happy to say I made it thru it!  Last week we had a Baby Shower for my sister, Breanna and baby Logan.  I don't have many pictures during the shower because I was busy trying to host/entertain and writing down gifts.  I so enjoy doing stuff like this, but I tend to shoot for the stars, bite off more than I can chew, and nearly kill myself trying to get it all done.  But, in the end, I don't think I would change it at all.

Yummy Cupcakes!

Mock Sangria Punch



Brown Sugar Bites...yummy!





Chicken Salad Sandwiches



Cesar Pasta Salad



Italian Pasta Salad

Mini Cheese Balls

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Bre's Corsage



Poor baby was all partied out!

I need to get more pictures from my mom so that I have some of Bre at her own baby shower!  The cupcakes were delicious!  Easton, of course, wanted some cupcake, so after having to feed it to him, I decided to let him eat it all by himself!


I really get to do this all by myself?



It's so yummy!

One happy boy!



We made it!

We got up this morning and got ready for Kinnley's very first day of school.  She was so excited.  We got to school and she never looked back!  I held back all tears until I got back into my car and then this mommy cried.  She told me that she likes school and can't wait to go back tomorrow.  I'm so glad that she likes school and wants to keep going.  It makes it easier on mommy!

McKinnley ready for school!

Easton didn't want his picture taken this morning.

Kinnley Girl & Mommy

 I thought I would share a couple of lunch ideas for school lunches.  These are two that I have planned for this week.

'Lazy' Grilled Cheeses

2 pieces of bread toasted

Cheese

   -Place cheese on toasted bread and cover with second slice of bread.  Heat in oven (or microwave) until cheese is melted.

Mini Pizzas

1/2 English Muffin

Pizza Sauce

Cheese

Toppings

  -Spread sauce on English muffin, top with cheese and toppings.  Bake in oven until cheese is melted.

Day 2...ready or not, here we come!  Have a great week.

Caramie

Tomorrow is the day...

I can't believe that tomorrow is almost here.  Tomorrow I will take McKinnley to school for her very first day of Pre-K.  I am sitting here trying to hold back the tears, but it's not working very well.  Maybe I should just let them flow tonight so that I can be a blubbering, crying, that kind of mommy where nobody else can see me. 

Her backpack is ready to go with her blanket and the packet of 50,000 papers I had to fill out.  (Most of which asked the same questions as the ones before.)  Her lunch is made and waiting in the fridge to be put in her lunch box tomorrow.  We have picked out the first day of school (EVER) dress and a matching bow.  So, with everything packed, I want to share with you a few pictures of my baby girl shortly after she was born, and my baby girl just a few days ago.

To My Kinnley Girl,

Mommy is so proud of you!  I cannot believe that you aren't that tiny little baby any more.  Instead, you are growing up into a smart, beautiful, loving little girl.  Words can't express how much I love you.  I hope that you have a great first day of school tomorrow and a wonderful school year.  I can't wait to hear all about your first day of school tomorrow my pumpkin doodle.

I love you forever & ever & always!

Mommy