Trying something new

My husband has been asking me for awhile if I could try some new recipes and this week I decided to give it a go. I guess I had fallen into a rut when it comes to cooking, mostly because I am a new mama and my little man takes up most of my day. So naturally I would cook what I knew best and I have to admit even I was longing to jazz things up a bit. Finding time to eat or cook a meal at all has been a challenge for me since he was born, but now that hes technically not a newborn anymore I am finding it a tiny bit easier. Making the decision to try something new was the first step, then I actually had to locate some recipes that were affordable with our budget and "mama friendly," as I like to call it, (meaning they don't take too much time to cook).

A friend of mine had made a delicious meal for us one night while we were over for dinner and I was dying to try it myself. It was delicious! I actually went back for seconds it was so good! It's called crescent chicken and it was tasty. I found the recipe over at Comfy in the Kitchen  and I can tell you that we will be eating this often in our house! It was also husband approved so that's always a good thing. :) If you are looking for some tasty recipes head over to her blog and check it out. I actually found most of my recipes for this week on her site.

So here's what the crescent chicken looks like....Mmmmmmm! Writing this post is seriously making me hungry right now. ;)

[Note: This is not my image, credit is given to Comfy in the Kitchen]

All you need is:

-A package of crescent rolls (I use the big Pillsbury crescent rolls with 8 per can)

-2 chicken breasts (boiled for 25 mins)

-Grated cheddar cheese 

-1 can Campbell's Cream of Chicken soup (I used chicken & mushroom & it was delish!)

-Pyrex dish (I use an 11x7 but she recommends a 13x9)

First boil the chicken for about 25 minutes. Once fully cooked cut chicken into bite sized pieces. Unroll crescents and stuff with chicken and grated cheddar cheese. Wrap the crescents up and be sure to pinch the sides of the dough so they are sealed. Place into pyrex. In a bowl mix 1 can cream of chicken with a can of milk. Once mixed thoroughly pour over crescent chicken and then top with salt and pepper. Pop it into the oven at 350 degrees uncovered and cook for about 35-40 minutes. I usually cook mine for 40 just so the crescents arent too doughy, but you will be able to tell by how they look on top. They should be golden brown on top. Now let cool a minute or two and enjoy! :)

Mine didn't come out as pretty as the picture above but it was still delicious so in my book that's all that matters. I also made some roasted Brussel sprouts to go along with the chicken and they were so yummy! It was my first time making Brussel sprouts and I was pleasantly surprised. I got the recipe for them over at Comfy in the Kitchen as well.

[This was how my crescent chicken & Brussel sprouts turned out. Success!]

I am excited to post about the rest of the new meals I've made this week and have a few more posts lined up already! What recipes are you trying this week? :) 

xoxo

Homemade Orange Chicken

Last week my husband and I were at our local Kroger picking up a few items when we came across this Panda Express Orange Sauce. 

We decided to give it a try and make our own orange chicken. I was a little nervous since we didn't have a recipe to follow but we gave it a shot and we were both very pleased with the result.

 It came out delicious! I posted the picture on my instagram and had a few requests for the recipe so I decided to post it here.

This is what you'll need:

-One package chicken breast (about 3 pieces of chicken)

-Panda Express Orange Sauce

-Chicken breading

-mayonaisse

-olive oil

For the chicken breading we use a brand called House Autry but you can use whatever brand they sell at your local grocer. Now lets get started! 

1) First you'll want to cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, kind of like little nuggets. 

2) Next take the chicken and toss it into a large bowl. Pour in a couple table spoons of mayo and evenly coat. 

3) Then coat the pieces with the chicken breading. Once they are coated brush the pieces with olive oil. Coat in the chicken breading one more time. 

4) If you have a deep fryer this is the easiest way to cook the chicken, but if not you can always do it the old fashioned way. I set my fryer to 360 degrees and dropped it in the fryer for about seven minutes. We had enough chicken that we had to do three batches. 

5) Preheat your oven to 360 degrees. Now you'll need a pyrex dish. We used a 13x9 but an 11x7 would work just fine too. Coat the bottom of the dish with olive oil and place the cooked chicken pieces in the dish. 

6) Now you are ready to coat the chicken pieces with the orange sauce. Once you have poured it over the chicken use a spoon to make sure the sauce evenly coats the chicken. 

7) Now pop it into the oven for 7 minutes and voila! Delicious and easy orange chicken. ♥ 

Hopefully you like it as much as we did. 

Lemon Basil Penne Pasta and Grilled Chicken

Have I ever mentioned that I love to cook? Mostly cause I'm a fatso at heart and I love to eat. This week I've been trying to change things up in our house and make a few new recipes.

 I'm obsessed with all the recipes from Ree Drummond, aka "The Pioneer Woman." You may have heard of her because she's simply amazing and if not well, then you've probably been living under a rock or something. Seriously, she's fabulous. 

Every single recipe I've tried has come out amazing. I made my first turkey, fried round steak, au gratin potatoes and so many more because of her delicious recipes.

 This week I was scouring her website trying to find some interesting new ways to prepare chicken when I came across this recipe. Lemon basil penne pasta with grilled chicken. In a word...delightful! 

The combination of the parmesan and romano cheeses with the lemon/butter sauce is to die for. The basil gives it that little something extra to make it taste complete. I'll definitely be making this again because it was  inexpensive and simple to make. :) 

I can guarantee this isn't the healthiest dish, but who eats healthy anyway? ;) If you haven't checked out her site do yourself a favor and go check out her delicious recipes. Your stomach will thank you, and so will your husband! Bon A petite! 

Thanksgiving Recap & an Update

Hello Lovelies! I don't know how many of you still even read my blog considering how sporadic my posts have been, but I figured an update was in store. I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends, not to mention plenty of good food. :)

I had a fabulous thanksgiving myself and successfully cooked my very first turkey!! I was so incredibly proud of how beautifully it turned out, and how delicious and juicy it was!  

I spent the day over at my deployment buddy Brittany's house and we both helped in making the entire dinner. She made some fabulous home made pumpkin pie, and I ended up eating dinner and dessert twice that day! Shhhhh don't tell! 

This is a glimpse of our feast. Homemade mashed potatoes and gravy made from the drippings, green bean casserole, stuffing, cranberry sauce and some regular and King's Hawaiian sweet rolls. Oh and of course my beautiful turkey seasoned to perfection with delicious rosemary, garlic, onion, butter and salt & pepper. Yum!

I still can't believe how fast the month of November has flown by, and I am so anxious for December to finally arrive! I haven't mentioned it on my blog but I am going home for Christmas to see my friends and family. I couldn't be more excited! The one thing that could make it even more special is if my husband were gonna be home to go too. 

It has been over 8 months since I've seen his face or kissed his lips, and I'll admit lately it has been getting to me that we wont be able to spend Christmas together again this year, (last year he had duty xmas day). This lifestyle has challenged me more in the last two years than any of my previous life experiences and continues to push my ideas of pain and suffering. 

Homecoming is still a while away but I am trying to keep my head up and a smile on my face. After all, what else can I do? Although it has been the biggest challenge to be without the other half of my heart for the greater part of the last two years, I keep telling myself that God has a plan. I know that although there are trials there is still plenty to be thankful for. And I am so grateful that although we're apart I still have the man I love and my family & friends.

Well lovelies it's time for bed and I have an early day at work tomorrow, but I promise to try and make more time for my blog. It's something I really miss.

Until next time-

It's a celebration!

This past weekend my bloggy buddy and real life friend Brittany and I got together to celebrate passing the half way point! It has really helped to have a friend to listen and be there who is going through the same thing and knows exactly how you feel. Thanks so much Britt for listening to me vent and complain and just hanging out and keeping me company on dozens of lonely nights! :) I can't wait for our hubby's to get home so we can all go out for a double date, FINALLY! haha!

Britt has two adorable doggies named Lady Puggle and Roland. Lady just so happens to love me and I think you could say it's a love to last a lifetime. ;) Here's proof!

Isn't she adorable!? :) This weekend we went to Cheesecake Factory in Virginia Beach to celebrate the halfway point and I was so excited we chose to go there. They have one of my favorite drinks called a Georgia Peach and I'm telling you, they are sooooo delicious! ;) If you haven't tried one, get your butt down there and get one...they are seriously that amazing. ♥

We got so much food it was almost absurd, and seeing that it was cheesecake factory we HAD to order dessert. We ordered some yummy nachos and we both got pasta for the main course. I can't remember what mine was called, but it was delicious!

 I ordered the Tiramisu cheesecake for dessert, because if you didn't already know, I'm obsessed with coffee and Tiramisu is my absolute favorite dessert. ♥

Nothing makes me happy like food does, (well except my hubby and family, but you know what I mean) and this feast was perfect for celebrating all the struggles and trials we have overcome in the last six months. I know we still have a long way to go, but with the lord on my side and good friends and family to help me through it, I know I'll survive. :)

All Dressed Up: Out On the Boardwalk

It's Wednesday and that means its time to link up over at Lady's blog and show off your outfits! Today I was lucky enough to have the day off, and I got to spend the day with a good friend of ours from back home. Jimmy and Isaiah went to school together since they were three years old, and they both just happened to get stationed here in Virginia Beach...it's so nice having someone to hang out with that you know from home and that misses all the same things you do! :) I also figured it was an occassion to wear my new dress I got on Monday with Sarah. I am in looooovveee with this dress! Its so comfy and casual but can be dressed up a little more with the right accessories.

  We decided to live on the edge a bit and try some Greek cuisine...we ended up at this little ocean front restaurant called Ammos. This was my first time getting Greek food, and I failed epically and forgot to take a picture...dang it! 

 Although I forgot to capture how yummy our food was, I can definitely say it was delicious. We got to sit outside on the terrace and had a fantastic view of the ocean from our table. We ordered some fried zucchini with a Greek dipping sauce, and it was interesting. I loved the zucchini of course but the sauce I wasn't crazy about, a little too much garlic for my taste. Anyway for the main meal I got a grilled chicken pita with romain lettuce, roma tomatoes and some kind of cucumber sauce. It was delicious!After we ate we decided to walk along the boardwalk and grab a starbucks. Here's a view of the beach today...

;And here is a snap shot of me enjoying the windy day on the boardwalk. It was a little cooler than I'd hoped, but nothing was stopping me from wearing my new dress!

I was also dying to jazz it up a bit with these light turquoise and orange bracelets.

And of course you can't forget the shoes...I adore these bright multicolored sandals I Got from Target 2 summers ago. I call them my "Mexico Sandals" because thats what they remind me of. They are one of my absolute favorite pairs of sandals and I will wear them until they have holes and are falling apart! ;)

All in all we had a great day, and I got to enjoy a beautiful view of the ocean and play dress up...Now that's my kind of day. ♥ This next photos a little blurry, but I still thought I'd share it with you. I think it has a little mysterious quality to it. Also please forgive the huge size of all my photos...I edited them to be smaller, but for some weird reason they are still appearing ginormous!

Here's a shot of my necklace, up close and personal. I love the little white elephant on it...too cute!♥

 Well that's all I have for today my darlings, but we will meet again next week for "All Dressed Up." I hope everyone had a wonderful Wednesday!♥

Dress: Forever 21, Shoes: Target, Necklace: Styles For Less, Earrings: Charlotte Russe, Bracelets: Forever 21