French Onion Chicken

I made this for dinner last night and didn't think to snap pics along the way. In my blogging hiatus (hiati for plural?) I do keep cooking awesome things if I say so myself, I just forget to snap pics. So it's only natural that upon the return of one, I don't think to obsessively photograph each step. Sorry!

Anwyay, it was really good so I snapped pics of the leftovers which really don't look that good, but I promise they taste great!

I do normally use glass tupperware. I guess not last night.

I sent Jaren and Eden an email with the instructions. Here was my email t them:
I served this over pappardelle noodles, but you could serve over whatever.

I bought chicken breast cutlets from costco - I think I probably used an equivalent of 4 chicken breasts cut into strips. It wasn't organic chicken, we'll survive.

-1/4 block of low fat cream cheese

-1/4 cup fat free plain greek yogurt (or fat free sour cream)

-1 packet of liptons french onion dip

-olive oil

-2 medium onions (I would have done way more onions but i only had 2)

-white wine and chicken broth - I have no idea how much since i just eyeball (start w/a 1/4 cup each and go from there)

1. Rinse chicken. Sprinkle some oil in the crockpot and put the chicken in it - no need for salt, plenty in the liptons. Turn crockpot to high.

2. Mix the greek yogurt, cream cheese, and french onion, then mix in the wine and broth. The mixture should be more runny than creamy (if this helps determine how much broth and wine to put in). Dump it over the chicken and mix.

3. While the chicken is getting started in the crock pot (on high), slice the onions and separate them. Melt a tablespoon of butter and some olive oil over medium heat and add the onions, with some salt. Let it cook for about 10 minutes, then lower to low to caramelize, cover, and let cook for about 30 minutes.

4. Add the onions to the crockpot, stir, and cook for about another hour. It doesn't need to cook for very long since the chicken is smaller strips and the crockpot is on high. I think it was about 2 hours before it was completely cooked through.

It was easy and yum!

Here is a picture of it plated for lunch today:

I added some shredded part skim mozzarella cheese.

By the way, here was Jaren and then Eden's response to the e-mail:

Jaren Rabe	9:46 PM (16 hours ago)
to me, Eden

I stopped reading at "it wasn't organic chicken". 

Sent from my iPhone

Eden Sherman	5:47 AM (8 hours ago)
to me, Jaren

Hahaha oh man I wish I lived in Vegas... Never thought I'd type that

Sent from my iPhone

Haha love my friends, they make my heart smile. Enjoy the chicken!! Oh and speaking of friends and food, one of my favorite things is that Katy will pin a recipe, I see it, and make it for dinner that night or the next (obviously inviting her). We didn't really realize this until one day she said "I love pinning things, they magically appear for dinner at Avigail's that night". Hahahahahah! 

Finding treasures during spring cleaning

Look what I found:

Movie star/celebrity? or Future Hubby?

While doing all my organizing I found a scrapbook that Charlie's hs gf's mom made him. It was AMAZING. I would honestly hire to make me scrapbooks. There were all these pictures of Charlie playing football etc, and several articles he had written, clubs he was in, a few high school dances, etc. Did you know that not only was my love the salutatorian at his school, but the president of the FBLA - future business leaders of America? Is anybody surprised? I wasn't! How handsome does he look in that picture?

In other news, does anybody have any good tips for where to buy those camelback water bottles for less than $20? Lol. Also, any tips on keeping them clean? It's so hard to clean those straws and I don't like the thought of drinking bacteria.  I found cheaper ones at Target but they are not that good. Speaking of Target, look what I found. I immediately texted Katy this picture:

They had an entire collection and I so know what I am getting for her birthday! (One more month and then you are my age.....which is......24....never 25).

Speaking of Katy, I miss you! Why did you start working when I stopped?

Poor Jaren, Roger was delayed again, so I told her I was taking her to Max Brenner to distract her. I met her at Clara's feeding therapy which happened to be right across the street from my wedding dress shop, so we went to see it! I hadn't tried it on since I bought it. It fits amazingly and I LOVE IT! They started the alterations but since I'm basically having it re-done in so many ways, it's going to take a while. Obviously not gonna post pics on that. Poor Clary had a blue sucker and Jaren wouldn't let her walk with it so we had a very cranky Clara (which is better than a cranky Jaren having to dry clean, or worse, buy a wedding dress). After the dress, we went to Max Brenner and I had my favorite - the Mexican Hot Chocolate. Jaren and I shared a salad, and then this beauty:


Demolished.

And if I haven't posted enough (gosh can you imagine when it's my babies?) here are some adorable pictures and videos of Clara the last couple of days (and a few randoms). I told Jaren that Roger is gonna be like, "why is Avigail calling you every hour" when he's back, because I'm so used to spending time with them now. At least Clara hasn't called me Daddy yet. Just aunt Aggie.



Yes, that's a 2 year old laughing amusedly when "Aggie crying". Unbelievable what humans find funny :-) Can ya blame her?

Clara eating with chopsticks just like Mommy.

After eating, you always want to dance a little:

Clara and Aggie


Pre taking off her diaper by herself and repeating "diaper! trash! Diaper! Trash!" over and over utnil we let her throw it away. She did go potty twice though (and I tried to show her the bidet but ended up getting splashed whoops). Clara went to wake up Charlie last evening (he's working nights), it was very sweet. He also didn't mind a naked 2 year old saying "wake up charlie" which made me smile.


This is a book Katy and I found while cleaning out the bookshelves. I'm assuming this belonged to a past ladyfriend's of Charlie's. This book is so outdated. It speaks about introductions and "lesser people" so you introduce a female to a male (this is their first example!) and a lower rank to a higher rank etc etc. Sort of ridiculous. It's also funny that it's like "eye contact is important" "repeat someone's name in your head so you remember it". Anyway, Jaren made me pose for this as a joke and then uploaded it onto my fb account and wrote "I can't wait". The funniest thing? About 12 people have liked this and commented nice things about it. It's a joke friends! (But I am excited to be an air force wife because it means I"ll be charlie's wife!)

Another thing I"m excited about? On Monday I'm driving to Palm springs to see Eden! On Tusday I"ll see Emily and Shayna and FINALLY meet David, on Wednesday Eden drives back to Vegas with me as do her parents, and on Thursday we all go to TASTE OF THE NATION! I can't wait - let me know if you want tickets.

Spring Cleaning

Spring cleaning has been going on. And by that I mean I spent many hours attempting a wreath and about one cleaning. Charlie did drain the pool:


Apparently you're supposed to do this every like, 8 years, and the prior owners hadn't done it once. So we rented a pool pump/drain (no idea what it's called) and did it.

Doggies, don't fall in!

They don't seem too interested. (whoa, I almost typed to instead of too).

Last night while eating a batch of fresh kale chips (literally off of the pan I made them on) I had the idea to keep the pool empty since we will be in Alabama for June and July, so we could save a huge water bill! My mom and Katy were over but since my mom was sharing the kale chips with me and Katy hadn't dug in yet, I made Katy e-mail Charlie from my mom's computer. The e-mail said something like: Hey sweety, I have an idea, why don't we keep the pool empty until we're back and save a huge water bill? By the way, what the HECK is all the stuff in the gym room?"

Well let me show you what I found in the gym room, interspersed througout granola bar wrappers, silverware, and paperwork:

It was NOT in the laundry basket, just all over there. I guess I did do spring cleaning beyond the hour of organization. When my mom saw it she asked if I was sure I wanted to marry him. What a ridiculous question. I just need to make sure to go in there more often to clean it. If I don't go into the office for two days it looks like a frat house.

I forgot to take a picture of the kale chips but it was super easy and delicious. I literally just took precut kale, put it on a sheet pan with about a tbs of olive oil, then took a lemon wedge and sprinkled it, a tiny salt, and fresh parmesan cheese. Bake at 325 for 20 minutes (although I think next time I"ll do 15 minutes). I don't usually do parmesan but the Moutnains left me some when they left.

I also roasted brocolli and brussel sprouts in some balsamic and olive oil. Katy and I ate almost the whole batch for dinner. I was STUFFED off of vegetables.



This was already dug into. You don't use etiquette at the Maddox household, just dig on in!

The living room (and kitchen area) is a wreck because I am organizing everything. Mom came over to help but first we ran to hobby lobby to get the finishing items for my wreath (almost done!!!!). Mom had an MRI done and she did not have a tear which is good and bad. Good because it's not a tear, bad because there's no surgical solution. Just needs to endure the calcium until it dissipates.

We sat her down on the couch with a heating pad and Katy and I started working on the bookshelves in the living room. Katy and I both have one of our degrees in psychology (my other is math and her other is premed I think), and we were laughing because we were like mice that go and do something inefficiently several times before realizing what the quickest route is. We kept going around behind a couch side table before realizing we could go the other way (duh!), before realizing we could just move the original side table! We have lots more to do and she's coming over soon to finish the job.

Charlie came home from work early and he kissed me hello and proclaimed "you smell like kale" and I proclaimed "you smell like alcohol". Thank GOODNESS he went out and had a little fun (I know he only had one drink but still!). He has been working nonstop and so he and Rob went and had a drink after work. He seriously comes home most nights and this is what happens:

This is from a couple nights ago. Odge loves his daddy and his favorite spot is to crawl on top of your legs right in the crack between them.

So if you're wondering why on earth the wreath is taking so long, ask yourself: would you be able to work on it when this little bubba crawls right in?

Mom can I sit there?

I looked over to Charlie to help me but Maya was taking all his attention:

(notice the ladder in the background? For our bookshelves)


The dogs nicknames have changed to Lazy, Stubborn, and Annoying. Can you guess who is who?

Lee - help me out here, get up!


No mommy I'm comfortable. Go watch Big Bang Theory.

I guess I'll finish the wreath another day.

Yarn balls and crows feet

Two nights ago I decided to make a rosemary focacia pizza crust. I had a tomato pesto and then I had random cheeses left over, which is why this pizza looks so.....creative?

The mozzarella (white closest to camera) was my favorite.

Katy came over bc I hadn't seen her since she started her new job with the RRA's. She had an interview for a cocktail waitress position to earn extra cash until all her licencing came through. So I am wearing short blue shorts, a baggy white tank top, and Katy comes over wearing....Katy clothes. She wouldn't just let me snap a pic so she took one posing with Lee-kles.



We then proceeded to eat dinner on the couch while watching jeapordy and making yarn balls. In our awesome outfits.

Yes, rolling yarn balls.


Katy do you know the jeapordy answer?

We watched teen week and actually knew most of the answers. And I even knew final jeapordy. I never know final jeapordy. So happy. We always know the math and food questions. Of course.


My finished product. Yes, I mean the yarn ball. I know the finished product should be the wreath. I am special.

I did finish all the felt flowers!


When Katy left I started rolling the yarn onto the wreath but my thumb hurt from the swing incident so I stopped and cuddled the bubbas instead. Odge has been scared of the dog door (what a freaking weird dog). He'll stand there barking. I have learned that if I send Maya out the door, she'll sniff him and walk back to the door and he follows her in. I was about to go send Maya out, when Lee just jumped out and went to get him! So freaking cute.


Don't worry Mommy, I went and saved Odge.


Aww Lee-kles, thank you, I love you!

Also, I am beginning to see smile lines aka crows feet! Don't believe me?


Scrunch!

(sad)