Happy Leap Day!

Can you believe tomorrow is already MARCH?!

We're spending our evening eating a yummy dinner...

Chicken strips with linguine

& watching Survivor. 

Sounds good to me!

Chicken Marsala

I love Olive Garden, but who wants to pay $16 for a plate of food? Especially when you're in college & broke? Uhmmm....not us. 

For Christmas my mom gave us girls a recipe binder that was full of all her recipes, such a good gift! In the binder she had old family recipes and some new recipes....some that I hadn't even tried yet. One of them was a recipe for chicken marsala. 

Now, I don't know if you've ever ordered Olive Garden's chicken marsala but it is SO GOOD. Definitely one of my favorites. I figured I'd give this recipe a try one night for dinner. Mainly because I needed a new recipe for the week & because Chris will eat anything I make, he's not picky (love that about him!) 

I am sharing this recipe with you because it was delicious and it tasted just like Olive Garden's and was probably less than a fourth of the price to make. (Chris wanted me to make it again...the day after! It was that good.) I think you should make it. [sorry...I don't have a picture.]

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/2 C. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

2 tbsp. olive oil/veg. oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 C. sliced fresh mushrooms

1/4 C. fresh chopped parsley OR 1 tbsp. parsley flakes

1/2 C. marsala cooking wine OR 1/2 C. chicken broth

*Hot cooked angel hair pasta is desired*

(at Olive Garden they serve the chicken with potatoes...but we always would ask them to substitute for angel hair pasta...I like it better.)

Directions:

1. Between sheets of wax paper, flatten chicken breasts to about 1/4 in. thickness. 

2. In shallow dish mix flour, salt & pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture, shake off excess flour.

3. In skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic, mushrooms and parsley in oil for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add chicken to skillet. Cook about 8 minutes, turning once until brown. Add wine.

5. If you're making it with pasta, you can start cooking the pasta now

6. Cook 8 to 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in the center. Serve with pasta.

Side notes:

-I used extra cooking wine because I like extra sauce for my noodles. I used about 1/4 C. extra and it still wasn't enough because it gets soaked up in the chicken. Next time I'll probably use 1/2 C. extra.

-I used the cooking wine, not the chicken broth. I was nervous cooking with the cooking wine at first because I had never used it before and it says "14% alcohol content" right on the front of the bottle. BUT when you cook with it the alcohol is cooked right out.

-I also didn't know where to find the cooking wine at the grocery store, so for your convenience I will tell you....its by the salad dressing :)

Let me know if you make it & what you think. Next time I want to go all out & make this and these too :)

Date Night: Important Dates

Last night I took my wife on a date. But this date consisted of all the important dates in our lives and put them into one date. With every date I gave her a little explanation of the date. Here is what went down...

Today’s Date night isn’t just a date. Its multiple dates. It’s all our important dates put into one. 

Let’s Meet

-10 Dec 2010-

Do you remember when we first got to know each other? We felt so comfortable with each other just talking in the car and walking around in the park. Oh, do you remember when we got locked in the park that one evening? Ha, I sure do. How embarrassing!

Meeting = Walking in the Park

We went to a local park down the street from us where we just walked around and talked. Thankfully it wasn't that cold outside.

Dating

-9 Jan 2010-

I know, we didn’t date for very long. And how was it that we dated when we were in different states? Oh, that’s right, a lot of skyping and blue tooth. I thoroughly enjoyed the blue tooth days but still wouldn’t give up what we have right now. As they say it in Bringing Down the House, “You’ve got me all twisted up in the game.” One of my favourite times I had with you was when we were at the beach with your family in Santa Monica, California.

 

 Dating = Walking Along the Peer

                                                                                                                                           

Just next to the park where we were was a nice duck pond where there were small peers looking over the pond. I brought a loaf of cheap white bread and we fed the ducks. Boy were those ducks hungry!

Engagement

-29 Jan 2011-

Our engagement was actually longer than our dating period. I was so stressed out because this was a huge commitment. I had the ring in my pocket that whole day and I couldn’t figure out when and where I was going to propose to you. We eventually landed up at the Visitors Center at the Los Angeles Temple and it was coming towards the end of the day and we had to go our separate ways. But before I did, I remembered what Beyonce said, “If you liked it then you should’ve put a ring on it” so I didJ . Thereafter, we all went to celebrate by getting some pizza down the road. Loved it!

Engagement = Pizza

It was about dinner time so we went to the the 5 Buck Pizza here in town. We shared a large pizza, bread sticks and a 2 litre drink. No, we didn't finish it. Nothing like having left overs for the next day.

Married

-9 April 2011-

I was too nervous to make breakfast for myself that day so I remember driving to the Las Vegas Temple about 30 minutes earlier to get some breakfast there in the cafeteria. One of the best decisions I ever made. But the best decision I did make was marrying you. I love being married to you and I’m glad I can live with my best friend for all eternity. I really lucked out marrying the best wife I could ever ask for. I love you!

Married = Getting Married & Dancing

Of course we couldn't get married again but we could do a sealing session in the temple which was of course the plan. Before we went out Alyssa decided to try on her white dress to see if it would still fit her. It's a good thing she thought of that because after being almost 8 months pregnant, there was no ways that dress could fit over her baby bump. So unfortunately we had to skip that part of the date but that's still okay. We got in our robes and danced to our wedding song in our living room.

Honeymoon

-9 April 2011 – 11 April 2011-

Honeymoon = What Happens in Vegas

This part of the date we watched the movie, "What Happens in Vegas" with Ashton Kutcher & Cameron Diaz. It was such a fun movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. 

For the last bit we kind of jumped the gun a little bit but we did something for the  baby.

Baby

-TBA-

Boy, oh boy!

A poem for the little one...

These are our two poems...

To Hudson, by Alyssa

When I found out you were snuggled in my tummy,

It was the best feeling in the world... nothing could replace it, not even money.

These past 8 months have gone by so fast,

Your dad and I can’t wait to meet you. it’ll be a blast!

We will try our hardest to raise you the best we can,

We know we’ll receive help because we followed Heavenly Father’s Plan.

I can’t wait to hold your hands and kiss your little toes.

I really hope you end up with your dad’s cute nose.

I love you Hudson and can’t wait to hold you,

I promise I will try my best, though this will all be new.

To Hudson, by Chris

How will you ever know who you are

Under these lawless years?

Dear child, you are a son of God

Set your sights on eternity

O little child from heaven

Never forget who you are

Angels bear you up through heavy burdens

Live the life of no regrets

Always be the best you can be

Never forget who you are

Serve those who are down

Master the talents you’ve been given

Enjoy the journey you are on

Do good along the way

Always remember who you are

Latest Pinterest Finds

source Super cute candy bouquet. 

This could be good for any gift, for anyone!

 source Hinged Canvas.

Such a smart idea. Great for hiding alarm systems, air conditioner controllers, etc.

source Homemade chocolate magic shell.

This stuff is usually pretty expensive. Maybe this way it'd be cheaper?

 <3 this quote, mainly because it is SO TRUE haha.

 source Map O' Love journal

Trust me, I will be making one of these :)

 source Massage train daddy t-shirt

Ha. Chris would love this. I'll probably make him one.

 source Paint chip Easter garland

Perfect CHEAP Easter decor. 

 source Homemade sprinkler

I'm going to be the coolest mom!

<3 this too :) So cute!!

A Baby Shower!

My mom & sisters threw me a baby shower in Las Vegas a couple weekends ago. It was so much fun and little Hudson got so much cute stuff!! Thank you to everyone who came! The tablescape was done by Aubri over at The Swank Tablescape. Check her out, she is amazing!!

*This is the cradle that my dad made before I was born. All four of us kids have slept in it & now its been given to me for my kids :)

Figure of 8

We welcomed this cold and gloomy weekend by staying in our warm bed til about noon. This is one of the benefits of having a TV in our room. We couldn't stay in our bed forever since there was some shopping that needed to be done.

On our way back to Wal-Mart we remembered a Figure of 8 race was in the area. So off we went into the muddy fields to witness some hardcore redneck racing. I would have to make a guess that these cars did not have any car insurance whatsoever!

We did not get any pictures of video because this was quite unexpected but we placed a YouTube video below to show of something we saw this afternoon.

I am so lucky.

I woke up to these scattered all around the house.

You name it, he put one there.
Shower, closet, fridge, thermostat, microwave, baby's room, laundry room....
Post-it love notes.
My husband is a stud.
& I am so lucky.

Noodle Holders

We are really big pasta eaters at our house...well, at least I am. I LOVE anything with noodles! I am constantly buying packages of pasta & after I open them, they sit there left open in the cupboard. I was thinking about a way to store them...and noticed they fit PERFECTLY in old pringles containers. Loved the idea...didn't love the look. I had to make them cute. Here's how I did it:

 I saved two empty Pringles containers (you may want to wash them out before.)

Found coordinating scrapbook paper. I picked out 3 pieces. 

One for each can, then another for the lettering. 

Measured the paper to fit exactly, then cut. In order to do this you have to take off the lid.

After I cut the paper out, I taped it around the can. 

I found a font I liked & printed on regular white paper.

 Cut around the lettering, then glued the white paper to the green for an added backdrop.

Then I glued them to the container.

 Ta-da! Super easy & super cute!

I thought I'd get a bit more crafty and cut circles to fit in the inside of the lids.

All you have to do for that is measure the top of the lid, cut the circle and glue :)

Happy Valentine's Day!

pedicure. heart attack. love coupons. rose. card. the vow. LOVE.
perfection. second valentines day with chris. i love my life!

Rugby Sportsmanship

Rugby Magazine columnist, Brian Hightower wrote an article to set the tone of another memorable international rugby tournament in Las Vegas. I loved it so much that I decided to take snippets from his article and share it with you.





For those of you making your USA Sevens debut, congratulations! You finally mustered the courage to look your boss (spouse, kid, professor, parents, parole officer?) in the eye and  - with a straight face - declare, "I really need to be in Las Vegas this weekend." Good for you. Deal with ramifications when you get home, I say. For now, enjoy; you are among friends!

Along with the price of your flight, hotel and entrance into the stadium today, you also have gained free membership into one of the world's greatest affiliation: the rugby community, a multi-ethnic, nondenominational, colour-blind and gender-equal association, whose entire existence is founded upon respect and fair play. Think I'm embellishing? Observe:


Notice the absence of players taunting, trash-talking and excessively celebrating. For one, the game is too physically taxing to waste valuable oxygen on showboating. More than that, this game doesn't tolerate selfish, "look-at-me" jerks. You won't see star players doing the "Ickey Shuffle," dunking the ball over the crossbar, or leaping into a crowd after a score. Nobody is going to run halfway across the field, slide on his knees and pull his jersey over his head. Why? Humility. Respect. Note the post-match handshakes and man-hugs. The players even refer to the referee as "Sir."




Nowhere is the rugby community better exemplified than in the stands. You, rugby fans old and new, are the keystone, the anchourmen, the glue that binds us all together. Watching one of the world's most violent games is collection of tolerant, fun-loving, die-hard sports fans. Notice the absence of fences to keep the home fans from assaulting the visitors. Proponents of rugby will not be surprised by these observations, but in an era marked by acts of deplorable fan behaviour, our spectators are exceptional.

Watch this space...

An exciting post of the IRB SEVENS in Las Vegas will come soon :)

Date Night: We Bought a Zoo

We like free. The next best thing is inexpensive. That's what our date was like on Friday night. We don't usually go out because of a low-end budget but it had been awhile since we have actually gone out and we had something to celebrate. 


We went to a matinee movie, We Bought a Zoo at Paramount5 for only $2 each. What a great deal!! 

This movie had many dynamic stories that integrated into one big film of family struggles, compassion, romance, hope, and change. Matt Damon plays the risk-taking dad when he quits his job, moves his family out in the country and buys a zoo in hopes of getting over his wife who had recently passed away and a new life for him and his two kids.

He soon finds an "adventure" awaits him at the zoo in making it a dream come true. 

Alyssa found a BOGO coupon for Costa Vida. No, not bogus, but bogo. It means Buy One, Get One (free). So our next adventure was to Costa Vida and who knew that this Mexican Grill was a happening place on a Friday night in Ice-burg. The line was long but the food was delicious and so worth the wait. 

Alyssa indulged in the Mango Chicken Salad while I pounded down the Shredded Beef Burrito. 

The best part of this date? Spending an evening with my absolutely beautiful wife, Alyssa!

Second best part? This whole date only cost us $10. Sweet eh?

Kids Say the Darnest Things

These questions were asked to kids and this is what they had to say...


How do you decide who to marry?
"You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dips coming."
- Alan, age 10


"No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with."
- Kristen, age 10

What is the right age to get married?
"Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then."
-Camille, age 10


"No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married."
-Freddie, age 6

How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
"You might have to guess, based on whether the seem to be yelling at the same kids."
-Derrick, age 8

What do most people do on a date?
"Date are for having fun, and people should use them to get to know each other. Even boys have something to say if you listen long enough."
-Lynnette, age 8


"On the first date, they just tell each other lies and that usually gets them interested them enough to go for a second date."
-Martin, age 10

What would you do on a first date that was turning sour?
"I'd run home and play dead. The next day I would call all the newspapers and make sure they wrote all about me in the dead columns."
-Craig, age 9


When is it okay to kiss someone?
"When they're rich."
-Pam, age 7


"The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that."
-Curt, age 7


"The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do."
-Howard, age 8

Is it better to be single or married?
"I don't know which is better, but I'll tell you one thing. I'm never going to have sex with my wife. I don't want to be all grossed out."
-Theodore, age 8


"It's better for girls to be single but not for boys. Boys need someone to clean up after them."
-Anita, age 9

How would the world be different if people didn't get married?
"There sure would be a lot of kids to explain, wouldn't there?"
-Kelvin, age 8


How would you make a marriage work?
"Tell your wife she looks pretty, even if she looks like a truck."
-Ricky, age 10