Deja Food: Grocery List & Recipes for Two Chicken Dinners

The goal of "deja food" is to save time by preparing the meat once then using it twice, and to save money by ensuring that the food you buy is used.

Below is the grocery list & recipes for two dinners where the chicken is used in both.  

On the Menu:
Chicken Tikka Masala & Rice
Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

A caveat of this menu is that this spiralizer is used to create the zucchini pasta.  My older daughter loves pasta and I love when she eats her vegetables, so I took a chance buying the spiralizer.  So far her and my hubby have liked the pasta dishes I've experimented with.  YASSSSS. Score one for mom.

If you don't have a spiralizer, I have seen zucchini noodles in the veggie section of our local grocery store.

Grocery List:

• 2-3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast/thighs
• white rice
• tikka masala simmer sauce
• naan 
• chicken bouillon 
• 3-4 zucchinis
• parmesan and romano cheese blend

Prepare the chicken by boiling in 6 cups of water seasoned with 2 tablespoons of chicken bouillon.  Once the chicken has cooled, shred it and store in a ziplock bag in the fridge. 

Zucchini Pasta with Chicken

Something about eating healthy. 

• zucchini
• 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil 
• skillet
• chicken
• cheese 

Heat oil in the skillet, add zucchini and use tongs to rotate/flip the noodles.  Cook for 5-7 minutes, try a noodle - it should be slightly crunchy when it is done.  Actually I shouldn't say that.  "Done" is when it is cooked enough that your kid and husband will eat it, whenever that is, use your mom judgement.   

Sprinkle with salt, top with chicken and cheese.  Season with pepper and or red pepper flakes. 

Let them eat veggies!

Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm not sure why, but chicken tikka masala always makes me want to dance. Fun to say, yum to eat.  Even though this is the shortcut way of making it, I'm still doing a little dance.

Rice:

• 1 cup of rice
• 1 teaspoon butter or olive oil 
• pot with lid

Heat 1 teaspoon of butter or olive oil in a quart pan on medium heat, add one cup of rice and stir until brown (5-7 minutes).  Add 1 & 1/2 cups of water, bring to boil.  Once mixture is boiling, stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and allow rice to cook for twenty minutes.

For the rice bowls:

• tikka masala simmer sauce
• cooked chicken 
• pepper 
• rice

Shred 1-2 cups of the chicken, reheat if necessary.  For each bowl add rice & chicken, top with simmer sauce.  Delish.  

New year, new...

waves! 

I recently saw this video of Jessica Alba demonstrating how she creates her beach waves and GIRL let me tell you, it changed how I do my hair.  These are the low-key, not trying too hard waves that dreams are made of.  YASSS. 

Also, if your hair is naturally a dry, frizzy, hot mess like mine this Chi Argan Oil is legit. 

Waving at the new year, 
D & H 

Be Smarter Than Your Toddler: Part I

I see a lot of toddlers throwing tantrums and having meltdowns while the mom is doing her best to figure out how to handle the situation.  

Girl, we've all been there *hunger games salute*

I thought I would write about a few things that are working for me right now when it comes to getting my toddler to be less insane, without using screen time.  

Yep, I'm trying to outsmart my toddler.  Simple, not necessarily easy.   

Avoidance
Okay, you totally saw that one coming, but it is my go-to. I really try to avoid situations that will require a grown-up attention span in a confined space, a shopping trip at 5pm, a missed nap (dear Lord NO!!!) or a long day of dragging my kid to and fro.  

Plan. Plan. Plan. 
Whether it is grocery shopping trips, coffee dates with girlfriends or just regular errands, plan it for a time of day when your kid can handle it, for us that is typically right after breakfast. 

Say no to people.  
Like, a lot. Whether it is a party or even a simple dinner out, people don't think of how your child will respond to THAT situation, and guess what, that isn't their job, it is YOURS, and if your kid goes HAM while you're there, it is your job to fix it. Sounds fun right? 

Look, if you want to be shushing a screaming child outside of a restaurant while everyone else eats, BY ALL MEANS do it. For me, if we get invited to a dinner out I do this: offer to host dessert afterwards at our house AFTER bedtime. I get to enjoy our friends. Our toddler stays on her sleep schedule. BOOM.

Get up a little earlier than your kids. 
I said it. I know, I'm sorry. It's like I've cursed in your face.  

I really am sorry to say it, but if you have a toddler, it is just easier to do your morning routine when they are asleep.  I'd like to look like a functioning humanoid, get lunches made, the car loaded up with my work and gym bags, and get some coffee going for us in the mornings - this takes me twice as long if my little morning person is up with me.  Although, when she is up with me, it is adorable watching her mimic putting on deodorant, I don't know why but it is just the cutest thing ever.     
  

Distraction
We definitely can't avoid all situations that will test the limits of our kid's good behavior.  For those times, I think it is crucial to plan ahead and bring a few (quiet) distractions.  Food and toys are the game changers. 

Food
I try to make snack bags with veggies, fruit and crackers whenever I have a few extra minutes. That way when we need to leave the house I can just grab a few from the fridge or pantry and we are out the door. 

Toys
Right now what is working for me is the dollar store. I stock up on stickers, small pads of paper and small random toys.  I keep a few of the small, novel toys in my purse for the unexpected meltdown worthy situations that always seem to pop up.  I also keep a little purse with the stickers, snacks, a few crayons and a small pad of paper in the car. 

She is totally into stickers right now (which if you know me, you know I CANNOT even touch a sticker without wanting to gag) but they keep her interest and are a great way for her to learn colors, animals and be creative.   Thank you Jesus for making THAT her favorite thing. 


Play
I don't think enough can be said about sitting down and playing with our kids. That time we invest in them fosters a trust, security and comfort that will allow our toddlers to be themselves, teach them to listen and respond to us and just as important - show them that we also listen and respond to them.  

Spending time with our kids is always an investment, we may not always know when or what the return on that investment will be - but children learn through play, so one way we can teach is through play. 


Have a short memory
Ever notice how your little one can be completely losing their mind one minute and be giggling and laughing with you the next?  Although it probably seems nuts, we should take a cue from them...sometimes.  If your kid has a meltdown, or you lose a behavior battle with them, have a short memory about it.  Correct them, remind them you love them, and move on.  

If you take only one thing from this post, let it be this: you're not the only one trying to outsmart your kids. Give yourself some grace, or at the very least pour a glass of wine and grit your teeth until bedtime. 

~D & H   
          

     



 

Felt Christmas Tree DIY

There are few things I love more than Christmas and finding new tactile activities for our toddler, this super easy DIY combines both...um, YAAASSS girl!

I made this felt Christmas tree last year, it took about half an hour to make and cost around $10 for the felt and double sided scotch tape, both of which I found at Michael's craft store.   

What you'll need:
1 Large Piece of Green Felt
5-10 Squares of Felt, Various Colors
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Double Sided Scotch Tape 

I used a hot glue gun to attach the star to the top of the tree, then used the double sided tape to attach the tree to the wall (don't worry, it doesn't damage the paint!).  Then I cut out various shapes for the felt ornaments - felt sticks to felt so she can rearrange the decorations easily and of course, without mom's help!

She had so much fun with it last year and this year has been so proud to show it off to our friends, "I made that!"

It really is the most wonderful time of the year! 
~D & H 

I don't call her princess.

I don't call her princess because she isn't one.

I don't call her princess because she is so many wonderful things - smart, hilarious, sweet, observant, earnest, that the pretense of princess can add nothing to her worth. 

In the Bible, God calls us sons and daughters. There is no greater calling than to be a child of God.  I believe Jeremiah 29:11, that He has a plan and a purpose for her life and I believe that plan is far greater than anything I could even begin to pray for.  I know that as her mom, I am simply the steward of a wonderful gift.  I call her mine but I know she is His, and before I ever called her, He did.  So I will act accordingly.  

I call her to come with me to church and I call her to come with me to the mundane, the exciting, and the challenging situations of everyday life, and there, I call her kind, I call her compassionate, I call her loving and I call her intelligent.


     

Scriptures of Encouragement: Expecting Moms

There are so many unknowns for expecting moms, it is easy to worry and fear for the future of our babies.  

It is important to guide our natural curiosity about pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood with wisdom. 

What do I mean by that?  I mean that as we read about what to expect when expecting, we also read about the promises of God.  The journey of pregnancy and motherhood is a gift from God and as moms it is important for us to guard our hearts and minds, to not only lean on our husbands but rely on the promises of God for our family.  

Let's make it our goal to have an education on childbirth and motherhood that is not only empirical and scientific but spiritual as well.  Below are some of God's promises to us and scriptures for each of them.   I want to encourage you to focus on the promises of God, to find rest and peace in His perfect plan for your life. 

Peace
Philippians 4:6-7, Deuteronomy 31:8,  Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:28, John 16:33


Strength
Isaiah 40:29, Isaiah 40:31, Joshua 1:9

Rest
Exodus 33:14, Matthew 11:28-30, Isaiah 26:3,4

Wisdom
James 1:5, Proverbs 22:6, Proverbs 3:5,6

Hope 
Jeremiah 29:11, Job 11:18-19, 1 Cor 15:58

Love
Zephaniah 3:17, Isaiah 54:10, Psalm 86:15

Freedom & Forgiveness
1 John 1:9, Psalm 86:5, Isaiah 58:6, 2 Chronicles 7:14, John 8:36

It is so easy to get caught up in the daily challenges of motherhood. The struggle is real y'all, but so is the Word of God!

Hold on to the promises of God like a toddler holding onto an iPhone.  Repeat the scriptures like a kid asking for another trip to the park.  Be relentless in pursuing God's plan for you and your family's health and peace, settle for nothing less than the promises of God! 

~D & H 

   

Second Birthday Party Easy DIY: Ohhh "Two"dles!

For our little girl's second birthday (oh my goodness we have a two year old!) we went with a theme based on the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" show.  The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse helper, Toodles, is summoned by the phrase "oh Toodles!" so you guessed it....Ohhh "Two-dles!"   

Below are a few of the easy DIY projects I did for her birthday party. 

Minnie Mouse Ears:
I found these Mickey Mouse ears on Amazon for $14 and had a little too much fun creating different Minnie Mouse ears for our guests to wear.  

I used hot glue, ribbons and flowers all of which I had lying around the house.  I left some of them as Mickey ears and it was so cute to see everyone, even the boys, wearing mouse ears during the party! 

Flower arrangements:
I made simple flower arrangements with touches of Mickey added using chenille stems  and styrofoam balls glued together and covered in glitter. 

List of Favorites: 
I created a little summary of her favorite things in Microsoft Word, using the same font that I had used for the invitations (links are below), printed it on light pink card stock and put it in a frame I already had in the house.  

This was super easy to do and I still love looking at it. (I did edit her "Favorite Songs" list, because if I was totally honest "Body Like A Back Road" is definitely in her top 3)   

Here is how it turned out:

 
Invitations:
We loved what an intimate gathering her first birthday party was, and chose the same for this birthday as well, so I took the opportunity to make the invitations since there weren't a ton to make. 

I printed each invitation in the center of light pink card stock (8-1/2 x 11), created using both the Waltograph and Walter fonts which were super easy to download and use in Microsoft Word.  I resized this Mickey Mouse Stencil to fit into one 8-1/2 x 11 page then cut the invitation around the stencil.  I used hot glue to add a small bow and mount it onto a piece of scrapbook paper, similar to paper from here, that was cut to fit inside these envelopes. 

I also made a few little flag banners using the scrapbook paper, ribbons and flowers to hang around the house.

The outfit:
We found her an amazing minnie mouse dress by Zara kids, I way overspent on it ($25!) but it was just the cutest Minnie dress I had ever seen and was perfect for her two year photos as well!    

It is just incredible that another year has gone by, I am always amazed at the blessing God gave us through our little girl. 

We've got ears, say cheers! 
~D & H