Creamy Italian Chicken

Some days when I've spent the day cleaning the kitchen - removing all those fingerprints from my appliances, the crusty things on the underside of the chairs, swept and mopped the floor - the last thing I want to do is make a meal.  Unfortunately, those rotten kids want dinner every night!  So, I have a couple of stand-by meals that are easy both in preparation and in clean up.  A favorite amongst my children is Italian Chicken.  This is a recipe that I've gotten from my Fix and Forget cookbook.  The thing I love about this meal is that it's a Crockpot meal that doesn't take 8 hours.  I personally like to add Sriracha sauce to the top of mine only, because it lacks the spice I like in all of my food, but the rest of the family likes it as is.

Ingredients:

3-4 Chicken Breasts

Robusto Italian Dressing packet (dry mix)

2 packages of cream cheese (I have cut this down to 1 1/2)

2 cans of Cream of Chicken soup

1/2 Cup of water

Instructions:

1.  Slice chicken breast horizontally first, and then cube.  If your chicken breasts aren't very thick, you can increase the number of chicken breasts that you use.  If mine are on the smallish side, I usually will use one breast per member of my family.

2.  Place cubed chicken into the bottom of your Crockpot.

3.  Mix Italian Seasoning and water and then pour over chicken

4.  Cook on High for 1 1/2 hours or on Low for 3 hours

5.  Mix together soup and cream cheese and pour on top of the Chicken.  I have in the past not mixed the two together, and just put them in separately, and the cream cheese never seems to melt down completely.  You can add the cream cheese, let that melt down a bit, and then add the soup (sometimes you just don't want to clean that mixer!)

6.  Cook for an additional 30 minutes and serve over rice or egg noodles.

Serves 6 - three of them boys that really devour everything insight!

Enjoy!

We had ours with peas tonight, but I have found that this meal is a little on the heavy side, so a nice garden salad sometimes is nice.  

Aqua Zinger

Since giving up Coke, I've tried really hard to drink more water, which has been kind of hard for me.  I like juice, soda, milk, but water? Not so much. I also don't like the Crystal Light packets as much, because it reminds me of having diabetes while pregnant. So, I was excited when I spotted this awesome water bottle on Pinterest:

Behold! The Zing Anything Aqua Zinger! I ordered mine, in pink, off of Amazon for $29. I think the blue one is $24.

Here's how it works:

First you cut up whatever it is you want to use to flavor your water. I typically use cucumbers, because it's the easiest..and I'm lazy. It also reminds me of going to a spa, which is always nice. I've also done watermelon and basil, which was delicious. My kids also like the cucumbers, so I usually do that since they like to share.  Anyway, you cut up your vegetables, fruits, or berries and place them in a little cup at the bottom of the bottle. Then you place in a little attachment with blades on it. Then you screw it back onto the main part of the bottle and fill it with water and ice and voila! Flavored water. I've been drinking a lot more water since buying this bottle. Now I don't mind it as much! Try it and let me know what you think!

Soap Scum Miracle!

I have found it - the soap scum removing miracle.  I was tooling around Pinterest (my favorite hobby) and found this ...  Soap scum remover.  I was willing to try just about anything to remove the soap scum from my shower door - it's just disgusting.

Here's what you do:

First - put 1 cup of blue Dawn into a spray bottle (I purchased my spray bottle from Walmart).

Second - place 1 cup of vinegar in your microwave for a couple of minutes (just until it's boiling).

Third - let the vinegar cool for just a second (my bottle is slightly deformed because I skipped this step)

Fourth - Pour vinegar into spray bottle with Dawn, then shake to mix.

Finally - Spray your shower surfaces.  I did not rinse the mixture off right away, I left it on for several hours.  The longer you let it sit the better it works.  I then just rinsed.  The results were amazing!  

The best part about it is - as you have noticed I'm sure - I always have plenty of vinegar and Dawn on hand.

Try it!  Trust me, it's worth it.

Pedipeds

I love baby clothes and shoes! When I had my first son I was so excited for him to learn how to walk and wanted to get him the right shoes. (Now with my third...I'm in no hurry for him to learn how to walk or run!) Anyway, I had a good friend who suggested Pedipeds. They are perfect for babies learning how to walk. They stay on well and are just so cute! Kids have a tendency to take off their shoes and throw them as far as they can, but these stay on pretty well and they don't seem to bother them.

The thing I like about them is that they are soft and flexible, but still stiff enough on the bottom to give them support as they learn how to walk. I think the boys shoes are so cute, but the girl shoes are to die for. So much cuteness.  They are also sold in stores. They are not cheap and are typically $35-$40, but they do have sales and free shipping on orders over $35. If you're looking for baby shoes then check out Pediped.com! They are awesome.

Booyakasha!

I love birthdays! I treat birthdays like national holidays. Back in October my 6 year old decided he wanted to have a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Birthday Party. So, off to Pinterest I went. Unfortunately this was one of those times when I couldn't really find a whole lot of ideas. I guess Ninja Turtles are becoming popular again, but at the time there weren't a lot of party ideas out there! There were some though so I pieced together some ideas and came up with some on my own. Here are some of the things we did:

First, and most importantly, the Food.  Ninja Turtles love pizza. So, Sister #2 and I decided it would be fun to have all pizza themed foods. I made Veggie Pizza, Fruit Pizza, Cookie Pizzas and we also had a pizza bar where the kids could make their own pizzas. The best part was that I was able to make all of the food the night before the party and I used aluminum foil pizza pans so the clean up was super easy! As some extra treats we had Pretzel sticks (Donnie's staffs), Swedish Fish for Fish Face and Kraang Brains. To make the Kraang brains I used this Brain Mold I found on Amazon and filled them with pink candy melts from Michaels and mini oreos. (Please excuse the baby bottle next to the cookie pizza :)

For Decorations we used Pizza Boxes, which I also bought on Amazon. You get a lot of boxes, but it worked out well, because we used them to put the kids pizza on after they were baked and because Sister #2 used some for her son's party in December. I used some old Slim Fast cans as containers for the pizza sauce and toppings. It worked well because they are silver under the labels and made them look like pipes from the sewers. We also got a lot of helium filled balloons, streamers, and the usual kind of decorations. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of the favor bags!

Awesome Sister #4 who is way more artistic than I could even ever hope to be drew this amazing Kraang Robot. I mean, she drew it. How amazing is that!? Then we played "Pin the Kraang on the Robot."

We also threw the sewer lids (aluminum foil grill pans) into the ooze.

We made ooze using the basic Borax Ooze recipe. This was a lot of fun and I was really glad we were outside for this step!

We also got these huge 36 inch helium balloons, 2 of which popped before the party. We made some staffs out of pool noodles and had the kids attack the big balloon. This was fun until they realized it was way more fun to attack the Dad.

We also hung a poster and had fun photo sessions. I was going to make masks for each of them, but decided it would be way too much work to cut out the holes for eyes and most of them would get tired of them, so we just made headbands, which made them look like Sushi chefs..but oh well!

Overall, it was a lot of fun! And most importantly, it made for one happy kid:

I might just have a problem...

Okay!  One more for today and then I must do something other than sit in front of my computer.  My boys think that a clean house is overrated, but I tend to like it to not resemble some sort of barnyard animal's home!

So, I must confess that I have an obsession that is far worse than my obsession for good food.  I LOVE to purchase phone cases.  I've had my iPhone since May of 2013 (less than a year folks) and ...

I'm on my 5th case - there is a 5th one down there, you just can't see it.  This year 3 of the 5 have been Spigen cases which can be purchased on Amazon.  I thought that I might put my obsession to good use and let you know how I felt about each of these cases.

My favorite by far is the one on top in the picture above.  It is made by Spigen and is the Saturn model. I like the white, and so far I have not had problems with the white staying white, which as you will see, has been a problem in the past.  It fits perfectly, and is a slim case - very slim.  As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure that other than scratches, it probably doesn't offer that much by way of protection. Although, I have dropped my phone more times than I would like to admit and it has yet to crack - that's ... something.  I also like that it has a splash of color!  

This one is also a Spigen case - again white, because I think my white phone is so pretty!  This is the Spigen Bounce.  I liked this one a lot, it is a TPU material, and it came up over the edges of the phone, and I felt like it gave the phone some more protection against shock, etc., but didn't add bulk.  The problem with this case was that after a very short while the white began to discolor and turn a little pink.  

This case is made by Anker.  I like Anker, they make portable chargers that are very reliable.  I did not, however, like this case.  You can't really tell by this picture, but in less than 3 weeks, this case became gray and dingy looking.  I loved it when I first pulled it out of the box, because it was so light weight and slim, but the longer I used it the dirtier it looked.  

This case is made by Elago.  Elago is a company that my husband swears by and I had tried so many other case companies, I thought I'd give it a try.  

Elago proved to be no match for my klutziness.  I had had the case for 2 days ... count them 2 days, and dropped my phone getting out of my car and chipped the case.  In fairness, it was my fault.  However, not long after that, I dropped it again and along the bottom around the ports it cracked, and the crack just continued to spread.  Also, even though it looks pink in the picture, its actually more of a salmon color.

We're almost to the end I promise!!!  This case is another Spigen case, and truth be told ... I loved this case.  It offered superior protection, and you can switch out that back plate if it starts to get worn or you just want another color (and there are quite a few color choices).  There is only one reason that I decided to get rid of this case - it was too bulky for me.  

I've had Otterbox cases for my iPhone 4, and it was slimmer than those, but still added more bulk and weight to my phone than I was comfortable with.

Well, there you have it!  The Spigen Saturn is the winner ... for now.  When I get my new case in less than 6 months (shhh don't tell) I'll let you know how it stacks up!  

Easter!

My sisters and I think of any excuse to get together.  Sister #3 and I like to get together once a week or so.  Sometimes it's just to stuff our faces, sometimes to sit on the couch and do absolutely NOTHING (other than eat - which is fabulous), sometimes we get together and craft.  Since Sister #3 is on a diet (boring), the "stuffing our faces" get together days are no longer acceptable (or so I've been told).  So, this past week we got together and did a craft.  With Easter coming up we decided on this one ...

http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/

 Isn't it adorable?

It was sooo easy to do (which really is the best kind of craft).  We modified it a little bit ...

Instead of canvas we used this cute wood frame that we purchased from Michaels for less than 10.00 Just FYI, Michaels has an app, which always has coupons.

We printed and cut the bunny silhouette, and traced it right onto the frame, then painted it and the rest of the frame white.  Painted the background blue and Voila!  Sister #3 made the tail with white yarn and as I was putting the finishing touches on, and cutting out the banner, the tail went missing - apparently 5 year olds and their older brothers like to throw those kinds of things at each other. That's why mine looks a little worse for the wear!

Despite the tail, I think it turned out pretty cute, and took no time at all!  Not better than eating, but ....

Jewelry, jewelry, jewelry!

Every woman is obsessed with something. For some it's shoes, or workout clothes, or kitchen appliances. My personal weakness is jewelry. I own way too much of it, and I covet other women's brightly colored chunky jewelry and feel like I have to have it for myself (I know, I'm psycho). So as soon as I discovered a website that let me shamelessly feed my jewelry addiction without draining my bank account, I was completely hooked.

Women of the world, meet ourworldboutique.com. I do not work for them, but they probably have my address memorized by now because I keep ordering more and more jewelry. I own even more than what is pictured above. And get this: none of the items above cost over $10.00. I am not even kidding! They sell beautiful jewelry, but they also sell other accessories and clothes as well. 

Check them out! I apologize in advance. Maybe you'll get addicted as well, and wish that you had never discovered them. Happy shopping! 

It's me! Sister #2.

Second sister here.  I'm so excited for our new blog!  Sisters are the best, they're like built in best friends that never move away!  They're good for a lot of things including encouraging you to be a part of a blog and stepping out of your comfort zone even while kicking and screaming!

Sister #1 and I, circa 1981

Between running after rambunctious kids, church callings and being a military wife, I love to craft, cook, read, spend time with my husband and sleep!  I especially love crafts and recipes that are easy, peasy so I can get more sleep in!  I'm excited to share some of my adventures!

My quest to get fit!

I have had 3 kids and after each of my boys I made a resolve to lose all of the baby weight...and then I'd see a cookie or need a Coke. It's not really that I like to snack or eat desserts A LOT, it's mostly that I do not like to diet and I really dislike exercising. It's just not my thing. Well, about a month ago I decided it had better become my thing, because I don't like being chubby either. So, I turned to Sister #1 who told me about this beautiful app:

I love it! I love that I can set a goal and that it will tell me how many calories I can have in a day. I love that I can input everything I eat and any time that I actually exercise. It's really helped me to change the way I think about eating and snacking and has helped me to want to exercise (occasionally). After a month of using it I am more than halfway to my overall weight loss goal. I have given up Coke, but other than that I am pretty much eating the same things..just a lot less of it.

Try it! You'll love it!

I Love You Because....

A few years ago I made a frame for my husband and I that said, "I love you because..." and we would each take turns writing on the glass, with a dry erase marker, things that we loved about each other. Well, I started thinking that it would be nice to have one for everyone in the family. I saw this website: http://www.kristendukephotography.com/pictures-with-kids-love-notes/ where she did it for her family and I loved how colorful and fun it was!

The best part of this project for me was that I already had all of the supplies to make it! I am notorious for seeing a cool project on Pinterest and then running out and spending a bunch of money on supplies. So, I was excited that I actually got to reuse some things I already had.

The frames I had were white so I just primed them with spray paint primer and then sprayed them all black with paint I had left over from other projects. I did have to buy some new picture mats for the frames, which I ordered off of Matboard Plus, for a good price. Then we took some silly pictures of each of us. I was a little worried that the squares would be too small since the frames are 8x10, but I think it turned out great! (I do need to change out the blue paper though..it's a little too dark!)

I love the quotation by Dr. Seuss and thought it went really well with the overall idea.  My favorite part of this is seeing the things my 6 year old writes for all of us!

Guess what my house smells like ...

Recipe adapted from Paula Dean's Southern Fried Chicken

Decided to try out fried chicken for dinner tonight.  It was quite good. I changed a couple of things - one change I liked, the other I didn't.

Recipe said to mix water with the beaten eggs.  I decided to substitute buttermilk.  This change I liked a lot.  It kept the chicken really moist.

The recipe also called for 1 cup of Frank's hot sauce, but I was worried that it would be too spicy for the kids (nothing is more frustrating to me than to spend ANY amount of time cooking to have them complain about the food).  I ended up only adding 1/4 cup of hot sauce.  I was NOT happy about this choice.  There was no hot sauce flavor in the finished product.  The next time I make this chicken I will likely use the called for amount.

Seems a little brown.

Overall, I thought the chicken was delicious and it was a hit with the family, it just lacked the spicy bite that I like.  It did make my entire house smell like fried food, but I found that some whole cloves and vanilla boiling on the stove helped a lot! 

Meet the fourth sister

Growing up with three older sisters was like growing up with four mothers. In fact, I was told that I would be participating in this blog, whether I liked it or not! While having four mothers may sound miserable to some, for me I enjoyed the benefits of knowing that I always had someone I could count on, and who would take care of me when I needed it, or when I wanted to be taken care of (which frankly, isn't often). However, since I was significantly younger than my older sisters, I grew up dancing to the beat of my own drum. I have always strived to be different, and I've never really outgrown it.

While my older sisters are married and have children, I am a single elementary school art teacher living just outside of DC. I am a hippie at heart, and I love city life, art, music, movies, cooking, going to new restaurants, traveling, and the social scene. My posts will be primarily about cooking on a budget, restaurants I love, and occasionally art or movies I think are to die for. 

Stay tuned... One of my mothers will probably inform me that I need to post again sometime soon. :)

Sister #1 Introduction

I am Adri Ann - sister #1.  The oldest of the four As.  A couple of things you'll notice right off ... First - unless someone else posts it, I will not likely post pictures of myself (not that I'm morally opposed or anything, just don't think people should be subjected to my face, you therefore are getting a picture of ... my legs). Second - I have an obsession for food, therefore most of my posts will be of food.  I also seem to have an obsession with stuff that Alison buys, so I will give my unsolicited opinion on all the products she has purchased and I "just had to have".  Hope you enjoy reading about these things as much as I have enjoyed eating and buying them!

Introduction!

Growing up with 3 sisters was a lot of fun. We all shared different things, had our share of arguments, but always came together at the end of the day.  It's been even more fun as we've grown up.  Now that we all live in separate homes we will often try different gadgets, products, recipes, restaurants, projects, books, etc and call each other up to share what we think about them. So, we've decided to share our opinions through a blog, whether you want to hear them or not!

People tell us some times, "You're so creative!" "You are a good cook!" "You throw great parties!" Usually those ideas are ideas we've collected through pinterest or from other friends! We do have our own creative ideas too, but we are good at finding people who are creative and love trying new things. Some have been good..others haven't worked out so well. So, this is a way for us to share what we've tried and liked!

Each of us will post different things we've tried and liked. We are all different so the things we share will be different. For example, 3 of us are crafty, while 1 is more artsy! I love gadgets for the kitchen especially, so I will probably share some of those!

We'll see how this goes....