My Favorite Thing To Do With Chicken

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And it happens to be the easiest thing as well!

I call this Rotel Chicken (I don't know why, it has no rotel products in it at all)

1 can salsa (your heat preference, about 16oz)
1 can refried beans
2 chicken breasts
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Cumin
1 package of soft tacos
Favorite taco fixins

In your crock pot throw the can of salsa, rinse the sides of the can with water, but don't throw that water out, throw it in the crock instead. Add the refried beans, garlic and onion powders to taste and a bit of cumin (I dunno, I measure like Rachael Ray). Mix all this up real well.

Then add the 2 chicken breasts. 2 seems to do very well, it has a nice proportion of the sauce to the meat and 2 makes a lot! (I usually always put mine in frozen and they come out great)

Turn to high for 2 hours, then low till fork tender. Or if you are putting it in the morning just turn it to low and it'll be done.

When the chicken is fork tender take it out, shred it and return it to the crock. Mix all that up and serve with taco fixins! This is the best chicken taco's I've ever had. My husband loves them and so does Nadia!

That's what's for dinner tonight!

Any good ideas for a name for this recipe, besides Rotel chicken?

A Perfect Reuben

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Besides having an awesome name (which, by the way means, See, here, a son!) Reubens are pretty favored around our house. Andrew loves them. I prefer a Rachel (which means 'ewe') myself. As such, we have them not often, but enough to have picked up some tricks of the trade for a non-soggy scrumptious Reuben.

Ingredients:
Rye bread - lightly toasted, this is important!
Corned beef
swiss cheese
sauerkraut - well drained, like for 5 minutes over the sink in a colander
1000 island dressing
butter

I've found that an electric skillet is best for cooking up these sandwiches, makes for easier flipping.

Pre-heat skillet, butter one piece of toast and place buttered toast side down on the skillet. Spread the 1000 island dressing over the piece of toast. Place one piece of swiss cheese, pile half of the meat you want to use for that sandwich, a nice, but not overly amount of sauerkraut, making sure it's even. Then the second half of meat, then cheese and then spread more 1000 island dressing over the cheese and place another piece of buttered toast on top. Cook covered for a few minutes. Check toasting with a large turner and carefully turn if toasted to your liking. Cover. Check. Then serve!

Sandwiching the sauerkraut in between the meat and cheese helps to keep the juices from leaking into the bread, making it soggy. When you eat it, the juices dribble out the sides on to the plate, rather than through the bread.

So that's our Reubens at our house. We use homemade Rye bread of course!

Enjoy!

Head Covering

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I'm covering my head now. Only at certain times. It's something that God's been bringing up again and again. I've obeyed and this is what it looks like. I'll have to blog more on that later. It's connected with the previous post.  Here is the reference about head coverings in scripture: I Corinthians 11:2-16

Your thoughts?

Deep End

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Some pretty cool things have been happening here. God's come collecting on a call He placed in my life about 8 years ago in seminary. I thought He'd not ask me to do anything with it until my kids were grown, or at least a bit older. But no, He's made it crystal clear that the time is now. I'm excited. I'm a little scared, but I stepping out in faith, one baby step at a time. Which is why I'm not saying what it is yet. But I will. I still got some thinking and processing to do on it yet.

However, I found a song that describes exactly what I've been feeling/doing/experiencing. It summarizes the past few weeks. I praise God He hasn't let up on me yet. I praise Him that He didn't give up and that I can still honor Him this way.

Deep End - Newsboys

she's diving down
gonna make her home now
the ocean
she's done with living her life
on the ground
she's sinking down
hands above her
held her
nineteen years
and now their letting go
tomorrow will be 'round
and everyone will see
no tragedy
it's like it's over
but it's just begun

she's going off
the deep end
breaking from the crowd
she's way in over her head
i think she's gonna drown
she's going off
the deep end
the search is over now
she's falling into your hands
it's all or nothing
there's no guessing
she's been lost and found

she's diving down
scars on her elbows
the wind blows
an old song spins around inside
'how sweet the sound'
to be living
and dying
looks like it's over
but it's just begun

to take this step of faith
don't need to be scared
turn worry into wonder
dissolve the fear
she's steppin' out
and you drop the blame
as she speaks the name
above all other names

to be lost and found
her world has turned
upside down
her soul restored
with salt like rain
from all of the things
that you forgave
and all the times she'd disobey
she's diving in the ocean of your grace

Happy Valentines Day!

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I don't believe in Valentines Day. If Andrew only showed his appreciation and love for me one day out of the year, we'd have problems. I could really care less about getting sweets (hello! I'm always dieting!) or stuffed animals, or other worthless junk. I know he loves me, he shows me everyday. And I am more thankful for his everyday love than what he could buy for me one day out of the year.

That being said look what Andrew got me for Valentines Day!! (Ok, so I bought it myself, but told him he was off the hook. Heh heh)

I bought these from Crystal at her online shop 2bellesandabead.com.  This was a custom order and came so fast!  I don't change out my earrings all that often, but when I saw these I knew what I wanted.  These are leverbacks that the dangles can be changed out.  So I got one whole set of earrings with three other dangle sets.  Purple, red, white and blue.  They are sort of like little flowers.  I really like them!   Here is a link to similar ones on her sight.  Ruby Red Poppy Earrings

 

 

I realized after I took the picture and uploaded it that the dangle is hanging off the wrong spot.  It's supposed to be up in that little nook. 

So head on over and check out all the cute little goodies Crystal has.  That woman is seriously crafty and creative.  I don't buy earrings from anywhere else anymore.  I have two pairs from her.  I wear my earrings all the time...bathing, exercising, sleeping.  And the metal or gems haven't peeled, discolored or chipped.  Her prices are very reasonable considering the high quality you get and you get free shipping in the US!  I love this store!! 

Double Trouble Blog Tour!

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You'll have to pardon me, but this is my first book review, so this might be a bit poor, but I'll do my best.

Double Trouble  by Susan May Warren

About Double Trouble:
With one solved case under her belt, PJ Sugar is ready to dive into her career as a private investigator. Or at least a PI's assistant until she can prove herself to Jeremy Kane, her new boss. Suddenly PJ's seeing crime everywhere. But is it just in her head, or can she trust her instincts? When she takes on her first official case-house-sitting for a witness in protective custody-Jeremy assures her there's no danger involved. But it soon becomes clear that there is someone after the witness . . . and now they're after PJ, too.

About Susan:
Susan May Warren is the RITA award-winning author of twenty-four novels with Tyndale, Barbour and Steeple Hill. A four-time Christy award finalist, a two-time RITA Finalist, she’s also a multi-winner of the Inspirational Readers Choice award, and the ACFW Book of the Year. Her larger than life characters and layered plots have won her acclaim with readers and reviewers alike. A seasoned women’s events and retreats speaker, she’s a popular writing teacher at conferences around the nation and the author of the beginning writer’s workbook: From the Inside-Out: discover, create and publish the novel in you!. She is also the founder of www.MyBookTherapy.com, a story-crafting service that helps authors discover their voice. Susan makes her home in northern Minnesota, where she is busy cheering on her two sons in football, and her daughter in local theater productions (and desperately missing her college-age son!) A full listing of her titles, reviews and awards can be found at: www.susanmaywarren.com

The HUMDINGER-of-a-CONTEST

One Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 SUPER SLEUTH prize package that includes:

* A brand new iPod Shuffle (perfect for those all-night stakeouts)
* A $10 iTunes gift card (we recommend the ALIAS soundtrack)
* A $10 Amazon gift card (why yes, they do sell spy pens)
* A $10 Starbucks gift card (for fuel, obviously)
* A pair of designer sunglasses (be stealthy AND super chic)
* A gorgeous scarf from World Market (can also be used as a blindfold, and/or for tying up bad guys)
* AND signed copies of both Nothing But Trouble & Double Trouble. (romance! danger! intrigue! sooo much better than Surveillance for Dummies!)

Now what did I think?

I did enjoy the book.  It was a bit slow to start, but then it really got going and kept you wrapped up in it till the end.  An easy read, but definitely kept you thinking.  I don't usually like mystery books, but this one was sort of mystery light and even I could think up a few outcomes that were valid, although Susan completely surprised me by the ending.  Very good.  I liked it.  It also seemed that Susan had a realistic balance of God and life.  I'm a pastors wife and some of the Christian fiction can go a bit heavy, even for me.  I felt it was a good book to give to a searching friend. 
Overall I enjoyed the book and will continue to look for books written by Susan May Warren!

Don't forget to enter the contest!

Nuts About Soapnuts

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I thought I'd give my short review on a new thing I'm using. I've discovered soapnuts. And while I used them once about a year ago, I've really given them a try just this week. I always do laundry on monday and it's a doozy of a day. We are talking about 7-10 loads. Then I do some catch up loads during the week, like rags or cloth napkins. Cloth diapers are about 3x a week. I used the soapnuts yesterday. I LOVE THESE THINGS! They got out old stains, set in stains. Stains that I thought were there to stay! My clothes are soft, they are brighter, my whites are whiter. I'm hooked. My clothes just smell clean. We don't do a whole lot of fragrances around here and I'm trying to cut costs and chemicals. Well this is the way to do it! They did well in all washing temps. Do to cold you just have to make a tea and I could see the soap coming out of it. So I know they work.

The only thing I have about them is I'm not real sure when they are used up. I guess that's just a trial and error sort of thing. But I am saving the 'used up' ones and going to put a whole bunch together for some not as dirty loads. Like napkins. The other thing is it's hard to actually find the little bag at the end of a load. But I just search and find it.

I bought a bag of pieces, which are really halves and they work just as well as the whole pieces, if not better. They are WAY cheaper. I bought mine from amazon, but NaturOil is the company. I did my research and they are reputable. I encourage you to try them. I don't think I'll be buying laundry soap or softener for a long time!

Save money, better for my family, gets clothes cleaner, better for the environment. I like it!