Spicy Stewed Chicken Recipe

Ever forgotten to take the chicken out for dinner? Maybe you took it out but it didn't quite defrost in time. Well, here's a quick recipe that you can use that frozen or partially frozen chicken in. It has a lot of flavor. We came up with this one because we kept forgetting to take the chicken out for dinner. I should have very well called it Forgetful Chicken since we'd forget to take out chicken more often than I'd like to attest to. Anyway, I came up with a way to use the frozen chicken in a one pot dish without compromising flavor.  This one is a recipe that my daughter, Courtney, and I came up with. I like to serve it with brown rice but because it's a one pot dish, it can very well be eaten alone. It also incorporates staple veggies you may already have on hand.  I hope you like it as much as my family does.

Spicy Stewed Chicken

Serves 14

Seasoning Ingredients:
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 Tbs parsley flakes
2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp cayenne pepper
2-1/2 Tbs salt (It's a pretty big pot)

Main Ingredients:
5lbs chicken parts
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup flour
2 large onions cut into bite sized chunks
2 green peppers cut into bite sized chunks
3 cups of  veggies of your choice (mixed veggies, potatoes, green beans, or carrots)
1 cup tomato sauce
10 cups water

Cooking Instructions:

Rinse chicken in lukewarm water enough to separate pieces that are stuck together. Pat dry.
Add oil to a large dutch oven pot and heat on medium high.
When oil is hot, add chicken parts.
Toss chicken around, browning pretty evenly, sprinkling spice mixture onto browning chicken pieces.
Once chicken is browned, sprinkle flour onto chicken, tossing around to evenly coat.
Add water.
Add of tomato sauce.
Turn heat down, cover and simmer on medium low until pieces are tender (about 30 minutes)
Add vegetables and simmer until veggies are tender, 10 minutes.
Sauce should thicken to gravy or "stew" consistency.
Serve over rice, with biscuits, or by itself.

If adding canned veggies, add them last (about five minutes after adding onions and peppers) to avoid extensively mushy veggies in your dish.

Save A Dollar on Naked Juice

I love Naked Juice. I've only had the peach fruit smoothie but they're really good (though costly for a little drink). I'm excited that Facebook has a printable $1 coupon off Naked juice and they allow you to print a dollar off coupon every two weeks from your Facebook account.

This is a good coupon for one of those two for sales that come up on Naked Juice. So head over to Facebook and "like" Naked Juice then "vote naked" for your coupon.

One A Day VitaCraves Coupon

Right now there's a $2 coupon available for One A Day VitaCrave gummy vitamins. This is a Bricks coupon and can be printed twice if you hit your back button. I actually got this one from their Facebook page; however, when I tested the link, it went straight to the Bricks coupon. Either way, it's a good coupon to have on hand to use while vitamins are on sale before spring!

Post Partum Weight Loss Week 3 - I Will Not Deprive Myself

Who's watching my weight? Well, first and foremost, I am. I dread being uncomfortable in my clothes. I know it's something that's controllable and it can only become uncontrollable if I allow it to. It's unhealthy and can lead to an array of problems I'd rather avoid. So why didn't I push away those cookies last week? Why did I eat those Singapore noodles this week? Why did I drink those two cans of Coke?

This is week three and I've not obtained my goal of achieving my pre-pregnancy weight. I'm not quite able to get into those once comfortable clothes that I once wore prior to baby Celina. But I'm not upset. I'm determined to get this weight off - and without depriving myself of things I love. That may seem ridiculous but, for me, losing weight can't be stressful. There are enough things that make a hectic day. I can't spend my days being strained about depriving myself. So my plan is to use moderation to take this weight off slowly. This way will not only take off the baby weight but make a good habit out of eating in moderation, which I didn't quite always do during pregnancy (hence the extra pounds).

Don't get me wrong. I love pregnancy, childbirth, and precious little ones. I'll take the battle scars of bringing forth life but I won't sit here and sulk about the aftermath of weight gain. I have to get off my hind parts and do something about it, and today's the day. I've just been given the "go ahead" to exercise - WooHoo! Now it's time to bust those chunky afterbirth rolls and show them they don't have dominion over me. I can do this.

So now that I can exercise, I have a better chance of achieving my first goal. I know it's not going to be easy and there will be commitment involved but I just have to do this, without depriving myself.

Singapore Noodles Mmmm

A Child's Right to Technology

There are so many liberal opinions about disciplining children that it's scary. I recently watched a You Tube video where a fed up dad shot a round of bullets into his daughter's laptop as a lesson. Some of the comments were amazing. There were actually people who responded as though the dad was depriving his daughter of her access to technology. What?!
  
Since when does a child have the right to technology? Last I checked, Internet didn't come with the house nor are there entitlement programs for smart phones, laptops or iPads. In fact, for a child to have his so called right to technology, it costs the parents hundreds, even thousands, of dollars when you include software, upgrades, usage, and maintenance costs. But since we're talking about rights, who's responsible for managing this right? Isn't it the parent's time (and more money) involved in monitoring the information accessible to the child on the world wide web? Tell me, again, where this right comes in?


Certainly I want to give my children things but there are many factors that determine what I give them and when, technological or otherwise, and their right, or what someone else feels is their right, is not one of those factors. For example, there's the factor of whether my husband and I actually think it's beneficial vs. harmful. That's more of a "how I choose to raise my children" thing. Then there's the factor of whether the child actually deserves this particular thing. The child's overall character, level of maturity, and responsibility fulfillment (yes, chores) are also major factors. God gave us our children to love, guard, care for, and train, which brings me to the most important factor - how it fits in with our relationship with Christ and our family mission in Him.

So where I'm not quite the advocate of the Children's Right to Technology Movement, I certainly support the Campaign for the Right of Parents to Determine Their Children's Rights as well as the Children Earning Rights Movement. I've found that children appreciate things much more when they've worked for them and when they know they have to work to keep them.

*Note* The You Tube video that I have linked and referred to contains profanity and should, therefore, be viewed with discretion.

Three Rs of Homeschooling for the Discouraged and Overwhelmed

Why is it that everyone else seems to have all their ducks in a row but me? I'm squandering about trying to find where I fit into things, trying to get comfortable. Why is it that I'm so frustrated with homeschooling when I should be at peace?

If you've ever said any these words when you've thought about homeschooling your children, then it's official, you fit in to the Homeschooling Mom Society - the world of average Homeschooling Moms who have all, at one point or another, questioned their ability to adequately teach their children from home. Whether it's been about choosing a curriculum, getting Johnny to catch on to a concept, feeling overwhelmed, inadequate, or underachieved or even how to get started homeschooling, we've all been mommy worry warts.

When I've felt this way, I've have to take a moment and focus on my three r's:

Refocus on the reason you're homeschooling in the first place. Our reason for homeschooling is based on Deuteronomy 6:1-7 and Acts 17:11. We use our homeschool to teach our children diligently in the Lord and to teach them the importance of searching the scripture daily with a readiness of mind. This is our first priority. So when I refocus, I have to remember that I'm doing this task to glorify Him and not myself. When I feel faint in this area, I also seek my husband for his thoughts and encouragement. He's usually able to help me refocus on things. Maybe I'm implementing things that are unnecessary. Maybe I need to focus on discipline a bit more. My husband is our homeschool principal, and he holds me accountable in our studies.

Remember to seek first the Kingdom. Many times I'm struggling, I have allowed other, less important, things to take priority and have not spent enough time with the Lord. Once I've refocused, I have to remember that the time I spend with the Lord is what gives me my strength. I go to Him and He restores me to do the job that I'm doing for Him. Remembering to start my day seeking the Lord and His righteousness helps me to homeschool with meekness, removing the self righteousness that is often the cause of the tizzy that I've worked myself into.

Recognize that every homeschool is unique. Just like there are no two children alike, there are truly no two homeschools that are identical. You know your children better than anyone and you are able to provide them with the very individual, and unique education that they need. Just like there's no one who can replace you as a parent, there's no one who could fill your shoes as a teacher to your children.

The three R's are what keeps me on track and I'm able to continue my homeschooling journey with a refreshed spirit.

What's For Dinner - Basic Menu Planning For the Not So Organized

When I was working outside of my home, I found myself a little more organized when it came to what to prepare for dinner. Granted, I had fewer children but I had no time to be scrambling around looking for something to fix when I came home from work. You'd think that I'd be just as organized in that area now that I'm employed at home; however, it's something that seems to just creep up on me sometimes.

Maybe it's because I am home during my days that I've just let the whole "what's for dinner" thing slip through the cracks. I'd attribute it to being home thinking, "Oh, I'll just take something out later." Then I get on to something else and get so busy with my day that I just lose track of time and forget to get something out for dinner. I'm already organizationally challenged so I need to be one step ahead of myself, and over the weekend, I came up with an easy idea to keep me on track.

I don't use prepared foods when I cook so it's a bit more challenging when I have to pull something together. My biggest challenge has been what main dish to prepare so I decided to pull together a basic menu with whatever meats I want to make for the week, then I make that into a day. For example:

Monday - Beef
Tuesday - Fish
Wednesday - Beans
Thursday - Chicken
Friday - Pizza
Saturday - Ground Meat
Sunday - Poultry

If I repeat this and add a little variety, I'm making good headway. All I have to do is keep this up and add a little variety in the meals I make. I can have beef strips, roast, stroganoff, or whatever on Monday. Tuesday I can do the same, add a little variety in either the type of fish or the dish or both. Fridays are our family night and we do pizza that day, and Sunday, we have our family meal and oftentimes host fellowship so chicken or turkey always work well for that day.

So now that the basics are done. I'm working on the rest of this month's meals and their particulars. I have my grocery list all prepared because I know what I'm making, and if I need to switch up a day, I'm prepared because I have everything I need until my next shopping trip. Today, I decided to switch up the beef and chicken days because my daughter made beef strips and orange sauce last night for dinner. So I threw a chicken in the crock with some diced potatoes and I'm making curry chicken and rice tonight. This is so much easier than sitting in front of the fridge with a blank look on my face.

Big Blessings From Little Things

Each of my children are so very different. Where there's one who is interested in reading, there is another who doesn't care much for it. Where there is one who is interested in making sure not one ounce of bad bacteria lives in the kitchen and bathrooms, there is another interested in baking every sweet thing in the Joy of Cooking cookbook. This morning, I experienced opposites in a way that completely blessed my heart.

As we watched snow fall, my boys (ages 4, 7, and 12) got a notion to go outside on their first lesson break. I watched the excitement grow as they talked about tossing the football in the falling snow. My oldest son was probably the most excited about playing football in the snow but it didn't take long before he was able to draw the other two boys into his excitement.

Before our lessons were underway, I made my usual speech about sitting and listening attentively to earn their break after the lesson. Everyone sat up eagerly awaiting the lesson with great anticipation of going outside. Sure enough, about halfway into our lesson, I had to give my seven year old his first warning. Two minutes after, there came a first warning to my four year old and, within a twenty minute period, I had to take the break away from both boys.

Oh how my seven year old cried. I explained to him why I had to take away his break and he continued to whine in protest to my decision. He became more adamant that he didn't deserve the punishment and that he would never get to go outside. Quickly, I assured him that he was on his way, early, to losing any opportunity for the second break. The crying continued. On the other hand, my four year old looked at his older brother with a smile and said, "Well, Jordan, at least we have a chance to go outside the next break." He sat up with a bright smile and looked over at me.

What a refreshing opposite that was. Sometimes we need to have someone give us a brighter side to look at. We can get so wrapped up into the way things may look that we forget to see what good there is around the corner. I'm so thankful for these little boys. It's such a blessing that their differences can be such a blessing to one another, and even to the hearts of their mother.

A Mess in My House!

Why in the world does my house look such a mess? From the time the children wake up, we have breakfast, do our memory work, bible study, and our math lessons. I try to keep everyone in the same room but, it never fails, when I take a tour of the downstairs prior to lunch, it's quite a mess.

It's not easy keeping things orderly in a home of eleven. In fact, I've had to realize that things will NOT always be orderly. I mean, if you walked into my home right now, you'd see books stacked in front of the fireplace from our reading basket, a table with almost empty water bottles on the tea table, papers sprawled across the sofa, a laptop on the back of the sofa, and the vacuum lying on the floor. Now it wasn't like this when I started my morning but, somehow, between breakfast and our last lesson, an invisible tornado went through this house and we were sitting right here amidst it . So how do we get things back in order?

Here are a few things that I always revert to when the invisible tornado hits my home:

1. "If any would not work, neither should he eat." (Thess 10:3)  Before we can have lunch, everyone has a jurisdiction he or she is responsible for. All jurisdictions must be complete prior to sitting down for lunch.

2. Everybody must be responsible for his/her own things. If you put it down, you must pick it up.

3. Do all things without complaining or disputing. (Phil 2:14) There will be absolutely no complaining (verbal nor nonverbal) about a job you have been assigned or there will be a consequence (a less favorite meal - soup works for my children, loss of free time, or even an extra chore).

As I type, my little blessings are busy getting things back in order so that we can enjoy a comfortable home once again. Soon we'll all be having lunch and quiet time. However, the fourth matter of importance that I've found - a must for success with children, I must now go to inspect all of the tasks that they've been given.

I'm still not sure how things get this way so quickly but it's not as frustrating when there's a plan to get things back in order.

Postpartum Weight Loss Week One Results

Today's my official weigh in day and I'm seeing a little progress although I have a long way to go. The scale showed a loss of three pounds this week so that's a little progress, as I said, but this is going to be quite a journey in the time frame I'm shooting for.

Yesterday, during the Superbowl, I did splurge on a tasty strawberry milkshake made by my oldest daughter but I was very careful not to overdo it. Yesterday's fare wasn't something that really tempted me so it wasn't too hard to resist the Coney dogs, sausages with peppers and onions (to celebrate the NY Giants) and New England clam chowder (to celebrate the Patriots). There were other treats but those were the highlights. Thank goodness I'm not a hot dog and sausage lover or I may have struggled a bit.

Last week I was really unable to do much activity. I did delve into some housework and paid a bit of a price, physically, for it. So this week I'm going to be taking it easy since I'm still in my "recovery" period. That means that it'll be solely my eating habits that will determine my weight loss for this week.

So it's back to another week of slow weight loss. I'm trying not to be anxious here but I have got to get into these clothes in my closet! Speaking of which, I tried on one of, what I call my stepping stone outfits, and I'm almost able to fit into it perfectly. That means that I'm closer to my pre-pregnancy size than I anticipated. So this week I'll take that as motivation and make a firm commitment to stay away from those chocolate cupcakes I so have cravings for - you know, the chocolate covered chocolate cupcakes? I just love those. So this week I'll be staying away from those and all other things chocolate (since those are really my only sweet temptations and my husband likes to bring them in the house). I'd like to see another 3 to 4 pounds off by this time next week considering the early postpartum weight that should still be shedding. If I can stay the course, I may be able to fit into my outfit by the time I do another weight blog! We'll see.

Up to $7 off Rembrandt and Possible CVS Deal

Just saw a commercial for up to $5 off of Rembrandt products so I headed over to 1rembrandt.com only to find that it was up to $7 off. The first coupon was $5 "off any REMBRANDT^® DEEPLY WHITE^® 2 Hour Whitening Kit, or any two REMBRANDT^® toothpastes or mouthwash." The second was $2 "off any REMBRANDT^® Whitening Toothpaste or REMBRANDT^® DEEPLY WHITE^® + Peroxide Whitening Mouthwash."  CVS has $3 off of Rembrandt toothpaste and rinse when you use your CVS card. It's not a coupon so the register will automatically take off the $3 at checkout. Combine that with the $5 off coupon for nice savings.

Note* There is a form that you will have to fill out to get the coupons.

Homeschooling Blog - Exploring the Exploration Period

As I ease back into my normal homeschooling routine, we've been reading aloud quite a bit. We're covering the exploration period in history so our subjects covered this week include Christopher Columbus, Magellan, and Vespucci. Today, in addition to our read aloud, I had each of the children pick a book from our book basket that was related to the subjects for this week. They had 30 minutes to read either one or several of the books in the basket.

I actually liked the way this worked because it gave the children an opportunity to dig for information themselves. They weren't forced to read any one book all the way through during this half hour. This way, if the book was not very interesting, they could move on to another book without feeling tied to one particular one. My second grader, finding Christopher Columbus' work ethic quite enthralling, gasped in disbelief when he read that Columbus wanted to work since he was a boy. I'm certain that his interest is because his mommy always emphasizes if a man doesn't work, he doesn't eat. I was just happy that he connected with the book and he actually wanted to finish it!

I love to see them enthused about what we're learning and I've found that the more I allow them to investigate on their own, the better they learn. Friday, it's more from our history book basket and some nice geography study where we'll study Spain during the exploration period. I think we'll even include a Spanish dish as a part of our lesson.

Books in our book basket today:

Ferdinand Magellan: Opening the Door to World Exploration (Isaac Asimov's Pioneers of Science and Exploration)

Christopher Columbus and His Voyage to America (Lets Celebrate Series)  

Voyage of Magellan (Exploration Through the Ages)