Chicken Parisienne - A Recipe

This week has been busy, but in a fun way. I've had the opportunity to watch several of my friends' kiddos throughout the week, which I love. It not only gives my kids an automatic playmate, it actually gives me a break too. I always say, having other kids over is like subtraction by addition. Does that make any sense?

Anywho... the point I'm trying to make is that by being busy all week, I've been relying on the Crock Pot almost every night. No wait, I just looked at my menu, and I have in fact used it every single night. And one of my "go to" Crock Pot recipes is one that I can't believe I've never shared on this blog before! It's been a favorite in my family since I was a child.

When I got married, my Mom gave me this Crock Pot recipe book, that I believe came with her first Crock Pot. Just look at this vintage beauty!

I just opened up the front cover to see if there was a copyright date (which, sadly, there isn't) but there is an introductory letter on the inside front cover from the woman who worked in the test kitchen developing the recipes for this booklet. And her first sentence says, "In all my years of experience I have never enjoyed such interesting and rewarding months as those spent testing this revolutionary slow cooker!" Ha! Ha! Ha! I love that they called the slow cooker "revolutionary." I guess that shows just how "vintage" this cookbook might be. :)

But I digress...

No matter the print date, this book is choc full of great recipes and one that my mom frequently made when we were growing up is called "Chicken Parisienne." You'll feel oh-so-Parisienne making it. Just kidding. I have no idea why it's called that. I think it's just a fun name.

Here's the recipe:

1. Spray your Crock Pot with cooking spray and place 3-5 chicken breasts inside. Liberally sprinkle with salt & pepper.

2. In a bowl, mix together 1 cup of sour cream with a 1/4 cup flour until smooth.

** It is very important that you mix these 2 ingredients together first, otherwise you'll have all sorts of flour clumps and you don't want that. Ew. ***

3. Then add 1 can of cream of mushroom soup, and 1/2 cup white wine to the bowl and mix until incorporated. 

*They also listed an optional ingredient of (1) 4oz. can of sliced mushrooms, which I bet would be delicious, but my family won't eat mushrooms, so I omit this ingredient.

4. Dump soup mixture over chicken in Crock Pot. 

 5. Then liberally sprinkle the entire thing with Paprika.

6. Cover and cook on LOW 6-8 hours. And voila! Chicken Parisienne!

I usually serve it over whole grain brown rice and spoon the delicious sauce that it makes over the top.Yum-O!

Give it a try, I bet you your family will love it!! Here's a rundown of the recipe again:

Chicken Parisienne

Ingredients:

3-5 chicken breasts

1 can cream mushroom soup

1 cup sour cream

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup white wine

1 4oz. can sliced mushrooms - optional

Salt & pepper

Paprika

Directions:

1. Spray Crock Pot with cooking spray. Place chicken in Crock Pot and sprinkle liberally with salt & pepper.

2. Mix together sour cream & flour until smooth.

3. Add cream chicken soup and white wine and stir until incorporated. Add mushrooms if using.

4. Pour soup mixture over chicken and sprinkle liberally with Paprika.

5. Cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Our Trip to LEGOLAND

After yesterday's post, I know you're hanging on the edge of your seats for some actual pictures of our day at LEGOLAND (har, har)!

Without further adieu, here ya go...

Legoland from Stacy Heckman on Vimeo.


It was a wonderful day; cloudy, which provided shelter from the hot FL sun, and it only rained once for about 15 minutes, which gave us a opportunity to sit down, refuel with a cup of coffee, and plan out our strategy for the rest of the afternoon.

I highly recommend LEGOLAND, and hope the nice LEGOLAND PR people will come read my blog and give me free tickets for endorsing them so. 

JUST KIDDING not really. 

No really, I'm joking. :)

Theme Parks...this is how I roll.

I'm not one of those spontaneous people who just wakes up on a Saturday and says, "Hey... let's go to Disney World." Even if we had season passes. And even though we only live an hour away. I'm just not that kinda gal.

I like to plan it out.

I like to research things.

I like to have everything packed up in advance so that I don't leave the house and think, "Oh shoot! I forgot the (fill in the blank)!"

So, when our family finally decided to use the passes we bought last year to Legoland, I started doing my online research.

I start with Mom blogs, because, as a fellow blogger, I find a lot of useful information in other blogs. They are usually chock full of great little tips and hints that make the day go much smoother.

I create a folder with my tickets, an envelope of spending money, and other important items such as: a map of the park, show times, and directions according to the theme park's web site (because once in a blue moon, MapQuest is wrong).

This may seem a bit overboard, but I am so glad that I did this. The Legoland maps that you receive when you enter the gate does not have any printed show times on it. You just have to find the little placards near the show pavilions for their start times (not good!). It also helped to know all of the show times in advance so that we could prepare and get good seats for the shows that fill up quickly (a tip I learned on a blog).

I also ALWAYS pack a lunch, snacks & bottled water. Even if the theme park web site says "No outside food or beverages allowed." I figure the worst case scenario is that we have to take them back to the car. Best case, we save about $75 that would have been spent on crappy theme park food.

Of course no one in our family likes the same kind of sandwich, so I label them with initials to help me identify them quickly when searching through the bag.

 A large Ziploc filled with snacks allows me to quickly find what I want.

And we've never been to a theme park without this baby...

This is my favorite backpack! 

It has an insulated pocket on one side perfect for a sippy & a water bottle:

 

And a pocket on the other side with all sorts of dividers that hold all my "necessities."

 And by necessities, I mean these:

Wet Ones, hand sanitizer, tissues, sunblock, gum, Chap stick, Cottonelle wipes, and a small change purse for cash, credit cards, etc.

I also use this handy wipes & diaper case when traveling.

 It fits 2 diapers and a travel wipes case just perfectly. I can grab it quickly for a bathroom diaper change.

Another thing I like to do in advance is pack up the car.

I have two great little bags for the boys that I fill up with some snacks, colored pencils, paper, stickers, etc. Little things to keep them busy on the road.

Then I put them inside a larger basket in the backseat that holds books & water bottles for both boys.

Did I mention I like to plan ahead???

Okay, so I may seem off my rocker a little neurotic about preparations, but trust me, a little goes a long way. We had a peaceful 90-minute trip to and from the park with no complaints from the backseat. That alone was worth every minute of prep time! 

Some of the other things I learned by researching ahead of time:

*** Bring extra mini figures with you. Each park employee has a mini figure on their nametag and will "trade" with you if you ask. Payton got some amazing mini figures while we were there and it gave him something exciting to do at each ride.

 *** Go to the ski show. It gets crowded, so arrive early and save seats. It's a wonderful show for all ages and not to be missed!

*** Look for the funny/hidden scenes throughout Mini Land. There are whole web sites dedicated to this topic. Find out some fun ones and have your kids search for them!

So those are my tips for being prepared to visit a theme park, specifically Legoland. :)

Stay tuned for pics from our actual trip.

We had the BEST time and I can't wait to share the memories with y'all!

Mom Guilt...And Why I Sometimes Need A Drink at 4 p.m.

We all have it. Us Moms. We all deal with it. We all dish it out. We all heap it upon ourselves.

Mom Guilt.

What's "Mom Guilt" you ask? Well... let me give you a few examples...

Stay-at-home vs. Working out of the house

This type of Mom Guilt works both ways.
If you stay at home, you feel guilty if you're not doing everything "right" and by "right" I mean teaching your children  their "ABC's" and "1, 2, 3's" and playing with them at all times and making sure they get the social interaction they need (other than you) and keeping a clean house, cooking homemade meals, working out, attending that bible study/book club/Bunco group, etc. etc. And when you fall short in one (or all) of these areas... MOM GUILT. And don't even get me started on the guilt that comes along with not contributing to the family income. Guilt, guilt, guilt.

Or... perhaps you work out of the home. Then you feel guilty for not spending enough time with your child during the week, and then when the weekend arrives and you do get 24-hour time with them your so exhausted you're just wishing they would go take another nap so you can get one stinking second to yourself all week. Then you feel guilty for thinking that way. MOM GUILT.


The Playground

You take your kids to the park to PLAY. But they're glued to your side. So you feel bad and walk around with them and play tag with them and stand beside them every second because that's what all the other mom's are doing. MOM GUILT!

Did you know that in Europe (France in particular) moms take their kids to the park and let the kids play while the adults sit on the benches and socialize with their own friends?! What a concept! Allowing the children to interact on their own with other children. Or play in the mulch by themselves?

Not in the U.S. It's much more likely to see a tired mom chasing their toddler around the playground trying desperately to finish a sentence to their friend who is now standing all the way across the playground because we haven't taught our children to "go play!"

How Many Kids?

For me, this question comes along with a lot of emotional baggage. Since it took us almost 6 years to conceive our second child, I was asked, "Are you planning to have more kids?" for YEARS. And of course I heaved a mountain of guilt on myself worrying about Payton potentially being an only child. Why? MOM GUILT! The minute you start having kids, people ask, "So, how many kids do you want?" Is one child not enough? Of course not! I know many, many happy, well-adjusted adults who were only children. But if you have more than one, is there enough love/patience/attention to spread to both? And what about 3 or more kids? Then the Mom Guilt is really piled on, constantly worrying that you're leaving someone out all the time.

And then there's the reverse guilt of this topic. We look at moms who have 6 kids and seem to run their lives so smoothly and we think, "How can she make it look so easy with 6 kids and I can barely manage my two!" MOM GUILT!

Your Marriage

You spend your day trying to meet every need of those around you, and then once the kids are in bed, the dishes are done and you're ready to just. sit. down... you really should make time for your husband who has probably been somewhat neglected from the moment you found out you were pregnant with your first child.

Don't tell him you're "tired" or "have a headache." Those are lame excuses. But if you really told him that you are exhausted  just from being a mom, that just makes it sound like you don't like your kids. MOM GUILT!

Your Life

Run out on a Saturday and leave your hubby with the kids just to get a pedicure? NO WAY!

Shut the door and lock it when you go to the bathroom? FORGET IT. Someone will inevitably be crying on the other side begging you to open it.

Skip out on that exercise class today because you just don't feel like it? NOPE.

Tell your kids to leave you alone for 5 minutes while you sit quietly on the couch and just collect your thought? SINFUL!

MOM GUILT, MOM GUILT, MOM GUILT.

Why do we do it ladies?

Why do we torture our minds and our hearts with all of this guilt?

It's OKAY to let some things slide.

It's OKAY to feel exhausted sometimes and just want to take a break from your life.

It's OKAY to get irritated with your kids. Because even though you LOVE them with every ounce of your being, sometimes they're just plain irritating.

I know this will really strike a bad chord with some people, and I'm okay with that.

I also know that there are a lot of women who read this blog who need to know that all of the guilt we put on ourselves is not okay.

If you've had a really sucky day and work was awful and traffic was terrible and the kids had bad attitudes and your house is a wreck and it's 4 p.m. and you feel like you're going to pull your hair out...

...Step outside. Find a quiet spot to sit. Pour a glass of your favorite beverage (hot tea, coffee, wine, soda, whatever) and remind yourself that you are a strong, beautiful, amazing person who is raising children. Even Oprah says that being a parent is the hardest job on earth! Give yourself some credit people! Being a mom is HARD!

We're all going to make mistakes.

We're all going to fail miserably and then have to say "I'm sorry."

But we can also take pride in our accomplishments.

Your son didn't fart at the dinner table last night? Progress!

Your daughter got dressed this morning after only her 3rd outfit attempt? Congratulations!

You had an intimate "talk" with your husband last night even though you were tired? YOU GO GIRL!

Let's toss out some of the guilt, and instead, raise a glass to the power of being a mom. It's an awesome responsibility and honor that God gives us and I believe we are all capable of being every bit of the mom that we want to be. Let's just all agree that our standards should be a bit more realistic, shall we?

Here's to the moms! Cheers!

A Couple "Kid" Ideas

As a mom of two small children, I'm always looking for good ideas to help keep them entertained, create special moments for them, and contain their mess! :)

I thought these ideas were worth sharing, and I hope you find them useful too!

Food On The Go

I don't know about your family, but my boys always seem to want to eat in the car.

It's usually a snack, but there are the occasional drive-thru meals as well.

Once a week, my little guy goes to the sweetest woman's house for an in-home daycare. I pick him up at 12 and when I get there, he's not only ready for lunch, he's tired! It's pretty common for him to go directly from the car to the crib on those days. So getting him to eat lunch before his nap meant eating on the way home.

I found these little bins in the Target Dollar Spot a couple weeks ago.

I'm sure the original purpose was for art supplies or something, but they are perfect for meals on the go!

 Each compartment holds it's own food item and nothing is left to spill over the sides.

I also tried this with a Happy Meal last week and the burger, fries, apples & drink fit perfectly in here! Plus the handle makes it easy for little hands to hold on to.

Create Something Special

About once a month, I bake chocolate chip cookies for the boys while Parker is napping. He usually wakes up right before Payton gets home from school, so often times the cookies are still warm when they both first spot them.

We have a 1-cookie rule in this house (I know, sinful!) but when it's fresh-baked cookies, I always let them have 2... or 3.

I am hoping that this simple act of baking cookies creates a happy memory for both of them.

Then I spotted this idea...

Skillet Cookies!

 

Head on over to this blog for the recipe and details.

I can't WAIT to try this recipe this week.

I recently picked up these "Hugs & Kisses" Coupons from the Target Dollar bin a couple weeks ago.

I realize they are probably a seasonal Valentine's product, but you could easily make your own on the computer. The idea behind them is so cute. You just tear out the coupon and put it somewhere special for your child (or spouse for that matter).

Here are a couple of examples:

Some other ideas are:

• 1 Movie Date
• A 5-minute Back Scratch
• A Staring Contest Win
• 1 Morning Stroll (or Moon-light Stroll would also be fun)
• Ice cream outing

Another "special moment" that I love to do is to take 1 child out with a few books, a blanket and a snack and make a little "picnic" by one of our ponds.

I often bring a few pieces of bread with us as well to feed the fish or ducks.

There's something about being outside (e.g. away from technology) and being alone with your child that creates special moments.

My last tip is to take advantage of free activities in your community.

For example, our library is a treasure trove of activities ranging from LEGO classes to art classes to toddler "Mommy & Me" classes. Some are really great, some leave a little to be desired. But they're free!
Also, never discount your local community center - a lot of them have play grounds, spray-grounds, after-school programs, and seasonal activities that are really great.

And if you're looking for something really, really cheap (e.g. FREE) for your toddler...
take em to Lowe's and hang out in the fountain garden area.

I swear, this kid would stay there all day!

 And you can enjoy this beautiful view while they play...

 

 

I hope you are inspired to take a moment today and think of something special you can do with your kids.
If you have any great ideas for containing their mess, please, please, please share them with me!
I'm always looking for great ideas!

But for now... it's time for me to tuck my big boy into bed.
We're reading C.S. Lewis' "The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe." I get so excited to read it with him every night. Speaking of creating special moments... :)

Over, but not forgotten

This post is strictly for my own "scrapbooking" purposes, so feel free to move on along if you don't want to hear another post about the boys' birthdays.

I was going through my pictures today and realized I didn't post any pictures of Parker's birthday!

BAD MOMMY!!!

I don't know why I skipped over them, although I did post pictures of the boys' family birthday party, I somehow forgot to post about Parker's actual birthday.

It is important for me to document the day so that I have a record of it (and to make sure he knows we made his day special when he looks back on this someday). So here's a brief re-cap of little man's big day...

The night before his birthday, Brian and I blew up an entire bag of balloons and then snuck them into his room and scattered them on the floor. When we came in to get him in the morning, he just stared at the floor in amazement!

Then Payton came in and joined in the fun!

Parker then wanted to get back in his crib and be covered with the balloons!

Once the balloon fest was over, we headed out to the kitchen to open gifts and enjoy a birthday breakfast.

Sorry Brian, I can't always get everyone to look at the camera.

He loved opening his gifts!

 

  And he was very good about  hugging everyone to say "thank you."

In true Parker fashion, he lined up all his gifts on the table and just stared at them.

For breakfast, we sang "Happy Birthday to Parker" and put a candle in his pancakes.

 Make a wish and blow out the candle!

He loved being the center of attention all morning.

That afternoon, I asked him what he wanted to do for his birthday. I started throwing out suggestions, "Do you want to go to the park, or go for a walk up to Starbucks, or maybe go have lunch with Payton?"

He immediately said, "Munch wif Bubba!"

So we did.

We went to McDonald's and picked up a super healthy lunch (har, har) and headed on over to Payton's school for lunch. It was so fun watching them eat together.

The rest of the afternoon we did all the things he loves best. Play Doh, napping, wrestling, playing with friends, etc.

I think if he could articulate it, he would say he had a super fun day.

It's hard to believe that this miracle baby we thought might never be born, is now a vibrant 2-year old who makes our lives so complete. Thank you God for this amazing child.

Happy Birthday Boogie (as your brother would say)!!!

Valentines Weekending

I took a little break from blogging the past few days. Hope no one was crying rivers of tears when they didn't receive a post from me in their inbox (insert sarcastic tone here).

The weekend felt like it began on Thursday, because Brian came home a little early and brought take out from my favorite local Italian restaurant. We put the kids down and enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner on the couch together. It was perfect.

And then he handed me a box to open...

The moment my eyes saw that bright green box I knew what it was! I was very, very happy indeed.

I've mentioned this on my blog before, but if you've never read "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman, do yourself a huge favor and click on this link and purchase it immediately. It will change your marriage, your relationship with your kids and possibly even the relationship with your parents and friends. I'm serious people.

The idea behind the book is to learn what a person's "Love Language" is and then you are able to far better connect with them and make them feel loved. My love languages are "Acts of Service" and "Gifts." So, when Brian cleans the floors, or take the boys out to give me a break, these acts of service make me feel very loved and make me love him even more in return.

So, even though I know Valentine's is a silly holiday that has been overtaken by Hallmark and the chocolate industry, I LOVED getting a gift that evening. My "gifts" love language was definitely spoken!

Anyhow, long story short, get the book. Speak your spouse/kids/parents love language and it really can do wonders for you.

MOVING ON...

Earlier in the day, I carried on a Valentine's tradition that my mom always did with me and my brother growing up. Each boy got a small box of Russel Stover's chocolates on their plates at breakfast time. They think it's so fun and special to have chocolate first thing in the morning.

 

 And then I continued a Valentine's tradition of my own, which is to make heart-shaped French toast. Again, it's the little things that make kids feel so special and loved (especially when you're speaking their love language). :)

 

That afternoon, a cold front was pushing through and it was wet and rainy. 

I decided to take Parker to the mall to play indoors, and we were fortunate enough to have his little friend meet us there for lunch.

Nothin' says romance like Chick-fil-A in the food court.

 Of course followed by a twirl on the Carrousel...

What is up with that crazy smile of his??

On Friday night, we had a sitter and went out on a double-Valentine's-date with our neighbors.

The food was incredible, but the company made the meal.

Best neighbors ever!

 

On Saturday, we drove over to visit Brian's family and see his brother who was in town for the weekend with his new semi truck.

Needless to say, the boys were in HEAVEN!

They got to sit in the front seat and see all of the controls and then play in the back on his bed. Payton was completely fascinated!

Todd was so nice to let them play and explore his new big rig!

We are ending our weekend with a major cold front.

It's only reaching the upper 40's here today, which is very cold for us Floridians.

We've got our "fireplace" on and the heat cranked up.

Who knows... I might even bust out an electric blanket tonight.

 Happy Monday everyone!