Monday, May 11, 2015

Some Like It Hot

{Tap, tap, tap...is this thing on????}

For the 5 people who still read this blog, I decided to take a little break from blogging last week.  Something I think is absolutely necessary every now and again.

We spent some serious QT with some of our favorite friends in Dallas a couple of weekends ago and had the best time crossing some things off our family fun bucket list.  Steel City Pops, post-baseball fun at The Lot, drinks at the Truck Yard, dinner at Remedy, Moscow Mules at HG Sply Co., and more.  I even snuck in a trip to Snuffer's for cheese fries and lunch with one of my favorites.  It was the perfect visit "back home".

This girl is my best friend...my soul sister...my chicken soup for the soul.  When these mugs showed up on my IG feed a few weeks ago, I knew I had to get one for her!  We enjoyed our weekend coffee from our newest pantry accessories and they are just PERFECT!!!!



We had fun spoiling our teachers during Teacher Appreciation week last week. We genuinely feel like we won the teacher lottery.  My boys' teachers are nothing short of amazing.  We really love surprising them with treats all year long...mostly in the form of Sonic drinks every week...but there's just something special about Teacher Appreciation week, y'know?!  Here was one of our little surprises...

Brown paper packages tied up with strings each one holding a few of their favorite things...magazines, candy, snacks, and drinks.  I just used a sharpie to personalize the bags.  I had the teachers fill out THIS QUESTIONNAIRE at the beginning of the year so I could treat them throughout the year.  I sent them a little email the week before teacher appreciation week to see if they wanted to make any changes to the questionnaire before the week started :)  Goodness we love them so!!!


Speaking of love, yesterday we celebrated Mother's Day.  My boys were quick to run in my bedroom and wake me up yesterday morning...they were SO excited to show me what they made for me!!!  I die!  These are my most favorite kind of gifts...their own sweet little words straight from the heart...completely unfiltered and honest.  

Let me just tell you I haven't been to the mall but maybe 4 times this entire year and I haven't taken the boys with me on any of those trips!!!!  HA!!!  Cracks me up that he would remember Forever 21 from those times I'd drag them with me.  It clearly made an impression and I can tell you it wasn't his favorite memory :)  And really, I must be doing something right because apparently I'm as fun as Chuck E. Cheese.  Actually, I take that back.  Maybe I'm doing it all wrong?!  That place is torture!!!!  HA!!!!
Seriously though...I love that they both talked about snuggles and kisses.  It's the little things that mean the most!!!

Can I also take a second to tell you about this man???

He has the biggest heart.  His gift to me this year wasn't one that came from a store.  It was so much more and then some.  I don't want to get into it because it's really not my story to tell, but I will say that his thoughtfulness brought me...and my boys...to tears.  Moments like these really put life in perspective. It's a Mother's Day I'll never forget and one that has started a new tradition.  I'm so proud to do life with this man.  


I gave all the ladies this framed bible verse.  It's been a goal of mine to learn hand lettering and how to do it on my own.  It's always a work in progress, but I love the practice.  It's so very cathartic.  


And in other news, something tells me we'll need to stock up on sidewalk chalk in the weeks to come.  This past Friday was brought to us by The Cure....


...and CSI, too.  My driveway looked like a mini crime scene.  



Now let me leave you with one of my most favorite recipes!!!  It's been around forever.  My most favorite way to eat chicken salad.  This is a great little meal to make for company or take to family gatherings.  There's never a bite left in the bowl when it's all said and done.  


HOT CHICKEN SALAD PITAS
2 cups chicken breast meat, cubed OR 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded
1 cup diced celery
1/2 tsp. Cajun seasoning (Tony Chachere's is a house favorite)
1/2 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded colby & monterrey jack cheese
Potato Chips
Pita Pockets

Preheat oven to 350 & spray an 8x8 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.  Meanwhile, cut your celery & shred/cube your chicken.  Add both to a mixing bowl.

Toss in the mayonnaise, cajun seasoning, pepper, cheese, and lemon juice.

Mix well until evenly coated.  Transfer mixture to an 8x8 baking dish.

Top with crushed potato chips.  The original recipe calls for 2/3 cup of crushed chips, but you can use more/less depending on your preference.  Pretty sure we used more!

Bake for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.  Remove from oven & serve HOT! 
Of course, you can serve this just as it is OR you can pop the mixture into a pita pocket and call it a day.  That's my personal favorite.  We love our hot chicken salad pitas around here!!!
Just try it and you'll see why!!!


30 comments:

  1. I'm one of the 5! :o) I always look forward to your yummy recipes and little glimpses into your life.

    JJ
    www.dressupnotdown.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I am also one of the 5! Love your posts and real you replay all the fun in your day to day life! Thank you and happy Mother's Day!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SO happy I haven't bored you to tears yet ;)

      Delete
  3. Haha! I guess I'm one of the five too! I never miss a post! Love all your posts! So glad to see you had a wonderful Mother's Day!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Me too!! I read! I noticed when you didn't post last week but a break is always needed!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Another reader...yay! hahahaha!!!!! Yes...in my world breaks are a MUST!!!!

      Delete
  5. I enjoy reading your blog. I must say I look forward everyday to your IG feed with your hand lettering. It is amazing! You are very talented.
    Enjoy every moment with those young boys. Before you know it they will 25 and 23.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Awwww....thanks, Sandy! Hand lettering has become one of my favorite daily activities :) And you're so right....I can't even believe they're already 6 & 7!!!!!!

      Delete
  6. I'm in as one of your five! You are amazingly talented. I don't know how you do it all! i wish I had a blog of my own to share, but I just bounce through yours.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hahaha!!! Yay!!! You are sweet :) Thank you!!!

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Awww....thanks! I'm happy I haven't bored you to tears....yet ;)

      Delete
  8. You have the best handwriting! Maybe you could share a printable one day...hint, hint!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Karen! That's so sweet of you to say! Maybe I have one in the works to share (hint, hint ;)

      Delete
  9. I don't think you need to LEARN hand lettering--you know it! So you think this is something one CAN learn--I only wish! Thanks for another post and recipe! YUM!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so sweet of you to say, Jeanne :) Thank you!

      Delete
  10. You're adorable! I'm still following from when I saw you on HH last year. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so sweet :) And I'm SO glad you commented!!! Just looking through your blog and oh my YUM!!!!!! Dying to try some of your recipes!!!!!!

      Delete
  11. Girl I only checked back every darn day to see if you had a new post las weeks! Breaks are always needed! And for that hand lettering...forget learning it, you have it mastered!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so cute, girl! And thank you! SO sweet :)

      Delete
  12. Oh Yum! And HGSply too! Love that place.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Love this post!!! I haven't had time to blog in about 2 weeks and I feel bad but finishing up the school year and being a mommy of 3 (with baseball games every stinking night) is taking up all of my time!! So, so happy your mother's day was blessed....love that you said you started a new tradition. That's what my next post is going to be about, the new tradition we started that my 5 year old came up with- sending a balloon to my mom in Heaven! Your hand lettering is beyyyyyond gorgeous by the way! xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  14. Count me in as one of your readers. Going to make these for dinner tonight! -Katie

    ReplyDelete
  15. Do you use any books or tutorials for the handwriting? Would love to improve mine as well. Really enjoy your blog.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Coming back after hiatus. In other words, I forgot to go on Blogger for about a year. Having a toddler will do that to ya! I've loved your blogs from the time I read the first one!

    ReplyDelete