Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I hope all of you had a blessed Resurrection Sunday! I LOVE Easter and usually cry my way through half of the service. We have a AWESOME Savior! Yesterday was a sweet reminder of all he has done for me. Honestly, so is everyday that I get to wake up, breathe in fresh air, and be a mommy to my amazing kids. Oh, and a wife. (Hey, I still like to take jabs at Nurse Boy ;0)

Today my sweet children are home and coming off of a sugar high. Pray for us. ;0) So, I present to you Easter weekend through our random family photos.

Coloring eggs...

Lots of waiting...

You can't see it, but mommy was praying for a mess free dye session...

Bruiser, showing off his art work...

Sweet Pea getting all gussied up!

Doesn't she look pretty?

And, the dress twirling begins...

A princess and her daddy..

Dimples won these at church...

Bruiser won these...(Magic tricks, in case you think he really stuck a pen through his tongue.) Hey, you win some and you lose some. But, someday Dimples will grow out of those roller blades and I think I know who will enjoy them next...
Ready to hunt some eggs!

The loot!


My "peeps!" Aren't they cute?

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse boy here.

Today is Good Friday and all of my kiddos are home for a four day weekend. I am looking forward to our holiday weekend and just being together. We started off our festivities with one of my dearest friends and her adorable son.

Aren't ~L~ and Sweet Pea cute together? We already have an arranged marriage set up, thankyouverymuch. Their family had been so supportive of us for over 11 years. God placed them in our lives and, while we don't get to see them as often as we would like, we are very blessed by their friendship. It is so much fun to watch our kids grow up together!

Today I am going to share a recipe that was sent to me by my friend, Imperfect Mom. You may have noticed some of her funny comments on our blog from time to time. Yes, I realize that some of her comments are funnier than my actual posts. Can I just say that we have some of the best readers? I love reading your comments. You all are so funny!

I have the privilege of knowing Imperfect Mom in real life. She thoughtfully sent me this recipe and assured me that her son loves this stuff. Well, I won't lie and say my boys loved it, but it was deemed "edible". I'll take that! Nurse Boy and I really enjoyed it. I love how simple it is to make! That always makes me like a recipe even more. I am lazy like that. So, read on my fellow lazy cooks. If you aren't a lazy cook, than you are reading the wrong blog. Martha Stewart does not live here.

Apricot Glazed Chicken
(Think Sweet-n-Sour Chicken)

1 cup apricot preserves (I think peach preserves would work as well.)
2/3 cup Russian dressing (It works best with Russian, but French or Catalina will work in a pinch.)
1 envelope onion soup mix
3-5 FROZEN boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Put FROZEN chicken in a crock pot. Mix apricot preserves, dressing and soup mix. Pour over chicken. Cook on low 5-7 hours. Serve over rice.

It is that simple!

Enjoy your Easter weekend! I love Easter. It is one of my favorite holidays. One where we are reminded that we have a Savior. One who died on the cross and rose from the dead! It is a beautiful story of love. More love than we can even imagine. Love for me. Love for you. It moves me and brings me to my knees. I pray that you and your family will be moved by the very true story of our Risen Savior this Easter.

HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!!!

May I Introduce You?

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Last week I outed my husband and his best friend...

Aren't they cute? And, so happy together.

So, it only seems fair to share MY best friend with you.


Derek and I go way back.


He cleans my entire house without complaining, gripping, or getting distracted. Every time I ask! He lets me direct him, guide him, and tell him exactly what needs to be done and precisely how I want it to be done. (He doesn't even miss the toilet when he does his business!)


My favorite thing about Derek is his willingness to dance with me. All around the house. Anytime of day. EVERY day. Sometimes he lets me lead.


He and I even share some of the same pet peeves. He can't stand crumbs, dirt, or cat hair. When he comes across such debris, he is on a mission to rid our home of it. I mean, how can you not love a man like that?!


Meet my best friend...

Derek, the Dyson!

Isn't he dreamy? He looks great in yellow, if I do say so myself.

I hope we remain friends forever. Oh, how I love him! But, unlike Nurse Boy and his beloved remote, I am willing to share my best friend. While Derek does make my heart beat faster, I love him even more when he is under the direction of someone else in our home.

Ah, yes! That's more like it!

As a matter of a fact, I am hoping that one day Derek and Nurse Boy will become the best of friends...

Monday's Random Musings

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.


So, here we are.


Monday.


Already.


Today, I want to share some inspiration with you. Last week I went to a Mommy's group and heard a wonderful, positive, and inspirational speaker. Her energy was amazing, her love for God was contagious, and her advice was practical. Her topic was spring cleaning.


Oh, stop groaning. (Especially, YOU, Nurse Boy!)


She gave lots of practical tips. More than I could ever implement, but great ideas none the less. After listening to her speak and connecting with other women, I was feeling inspired to march home and tackle it ALL.


That is, until I was home.


Actually, I did tackle my refrigerator. I took on the spoiled food, moldy remains, and old, dried up spills of who-knows-what. When Nurse Boy came home he was so impressed, until I sent him for takeout. I mean, who can cook dinner after cleaning out your refrigerator? I couldn't get anything dirty again! I needed to sit back and take in it's new found beauty. I knew it would only be hours (maybe even minutes) before someone spilled a sticky, red substance all over my refrigerator and left it to ferment. And, I don't even let the kids eat anything that is sticky AND red.


The next day, I armed myself with Clorox wipes and put the boys through "Bathroom Boot Camp." It was a training session that couldn't have been more specific. We covered every detail and every crevice. Right down to the urine puddles that mysteriously appear behind the toilet 3 minutes after I clean each bathroom. The boys response? "GROSS!"

Um, ya, that is exactly why I am putting you through Bathroom Boot Camp. All I know is, it is not MY urine.


So, now for today's randomness. I will share some random quotes from my boys during our bathroom boot camp:

Whose toothpaste is that in the sink? If it isn't mine, I don't have to clean it up, right?

You want me to wipe THAT up? I don't even know what that is!

That's disgusting!

That is so dirty! You want ME to clean that up?

I have to clean the floor, too?

And, the toilet?

What is that on the toilet?

Urine? Yuck! You want me to clean THAT up, too? But, my hands might touch the urine!

Who lives here, savages? Oh, wait. That one was me.

You want me to clean the floor behind the toilet? But, there might be something gross back there! (You think?!)

I think I might need a bucket to throw up into after I am finished cleaning in here! (I can't make this stuff up, people. They were serious. And, terrified!)

So, I would love to report that my bathrooms remained sparkling clean for more than 3 minutes after THEY cleaned them, but it might take a few weeks of elbow grease before they realize they just create more work for themselves when they don't aim.

All I know is, I am not cleaning up those "mysterious" puddles anymore. No sirree.

Today is Someone's Brithday!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

Today is my mother's birthday. She is also known as our beloved "Bubby" to my kids. I won't share her age. After all, you never ask a lady her age. But, if I posted her age, you wouldn't believe me. Let's just say, I wish I inherited those genes. I don't think I did.

Nope. The laugh lines and crow's feet staring back at me in the mirror remind me that I didn't get my mom's genes. Thanks Dad.

Happy Birthday, Bubby! You are a wonderful mother and a very supportive grandma. We are so happy to have you in our lives.

Friday Fare!

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

So, it is finally Friday. It looks like it is going to be a beautiful spring day today and I am going to celebrate by going SHOPPING! However, snow is in the forecast this weekend. Grr... Does it mean that I am old since I keep finding myself talking about the weather? Really, I can be a very interesting person, I just want spring to come and STAY!

Tonight Nurse Boy and I are getting out and leaving the kids behind with a babysitter. So, I made this dish the other night. It is one of our favorites, but I am not going to lie. My kids aren't big fans. My kids are extremely picky. And, no, I DO NOT encourage that behavior. It is just a fact I must face. And, they must face the fact that you get what you get and don't throw a fit.

Creamy Chicken Dijon over Noodles

(This picture really doesn't do this dish justice. It is a very tasty and healthy meal for everyone.)

You will Need:
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 lb. skinless, boneless, chicken breast strips
8 oz. dry egg noodles
7 oz. sliced mushrooms (You can use canned, but fresh is so much better!)
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 cup light sour cream OR non-fat plain yogurt

1. Saute olive oil, minced garlic, and chicken for 7 or 8 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink. (Meanwhile, boil the egg noodles as directed.)

2. Add mushrooms to the chicken and cook for a minute or two.

3. Mix together the Dijon mustard and sour cream (or yogurt). Add to bubbling chicken and mushrooms and let it simmer for another minute or two.

4. Serve over noodles. (This recipe serves 4.)

You can even mix in a veggie of your choice, or serve it on the side. Of course, my kids think mixing stuff together is gross. What do they know?

This is excellent with a salad and some fresh fruit.

Have a terrific weekend!

Heathly and Sweet

Mrs. Nurse Boy here.

I often find myself searching magazines and the Internet for healthy desserts. You see, I love me some sweets. So do my hips and thighs. And, by love, I mean they (my hips and thighs) like to hold on and never let go. So very thoughtful. I do not love my hips and thighs. I could start listing all of my imperfections here, but I am going to try to stay on topic.

I often try some crazy recipes in hopes that healthy ingredients mixed with chocolate will fool my taste buds, as well as my hips and thighs. The results often end up in the trash, thus fooling no one.

My latest attempt came last week when I tried 3 (yes, 3!) new "healthy" desserts. The secret ingredient? Baby food. Sweet potato and carrot baby food, to be exact. I know what you are thinking. YUM!

No?

Well, you would be CORRECT! I could TASTE the baby food. It wasn't tasty. It wasn't sweet. It wasn't good. It was slightly mushy and very shiny. However, my kids did eat it. Shh...don't tell them what is in those "cookies!" I froze them and am saving them for a special treat.

So, all of my baking left me very disappointed. Then we had the blizzard of '09 this weekend and this mama needed to bake. The computer and I were in a search of a healthy chocolate chip cookie.

Something hearty and delicious.

With wheat germ.

And whole wheat flour.

And rolled oats.

But, don't forget the chocolate and sugar!



(So, I realize some of the ingredients might negate some of the healthy ingredients, but it works for me!)

I came across this recipe and made some alterations based on our preferences and what I had on hand.

These are fabulous! I am not lying!

Healthy Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup butter
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 lg. eggs
2 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
12 oz. chocolate chips (dark or semi sweet)
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup wheat germ
2/3 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup. honey

(You can also add 1 cup of chopped nuts. We passed, due to picky kids, but feel free to add them if you like.)

Cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and vanilla and cream together. Add eggs one at a time. Mix well. Add flour, cinnamon, salt, and baking powder. Stir in oats, wheat germ, coconut, honey and mix well. Mix in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes. Makes about 60 cookies. (They do freeze well.)

These cookies have wonderful flavor and excellent texture. We loved them!

Why are you still sitting at your computer? Off to the kitchen and get to work! :0)