Cloudy Skies

Once again, I have to say that grey skies make me smile.

It places an incredible calm over my body and mind like nothing else in this world.

So naturally I usually try to take advantage and snap a few pictures for me to look back on when it's 117 degrees outside.

And while I was snapping some pictures I noticed that 3 of the 5 trees in my front yard have these cute little bird nests.

I never noticed until all of the leaves fell off, but i thought they looked pretty cool.

And on Monday, I was running a few errands after work and physical therapy when I got stopped at a red light. As I turned my head to the left, I saw this.

If you look closely you can see the light streaming from behind the clouds.

I hurried and snapped a pic with my phone.

The more I pondered over this picture the more in awe I felt.

Our Father in Heaven created such an amazingly beautiful place for us to live and I never acknowledge what an incredible creation it is. It is so easy to forget when you feel like you are busy running this way and that. It was such a good reminder for me, especially now that I have a visual.

Adventures in Cooking

Ok, so this was my first attempt at trying out my skills on making my own recipe.

I was looking on Pinterest for chicken recipes and was not finding anything that sounded like what I was picturing in my brain.

Jeff got to be my guinea pig and was a really good sport. 

The chicken turned out pretty great but my side dishes need some tweaking

So if you want to try it, here is the recipe:

Frozen Chicken Breast

1 Tablespoon Butter

2 Cans Cream of Mushroom Soup

3/4 Cup Sour Cream

1 packet Italian Dressing Seasoning Mix

Parmesan Cheese

Mix together the soup, Italian seasoning, Parmesan cheese and sour cream

Pour over chicken

toss in a cube of butter

Cook in the crockpot on low for 6 hours

I served it with mashed potatoes and it was far too heavy.

I think next time I will try some brown rice or maybe some kind of pasta.

If you do try this, PLEASE let me know what you think or if you make any changes that you really love!

Have you Been yet?

OH MY GOODNESS!!!

I have been fighting the urge to go into this store for a REALLY long time.

However, today that fight ended.

And boy is my wallet in TROUBLE!!!

Have you been yet??

Weekly Update

Wasn't last weekend the BEST??

I LOVE THE RAIN!!!

Sometimes I think I live in the WRONG state, because I seriously love the rain.

And so does Chowder. He thought I was the MEANEST person on earth for not letting him go outside and splashing in the puddles. But at least I was nice enough to let him sit by the open door.

While we enjoyed the rain and the cooler temperatures I decided it was a good time to become Domestic.

I made homemade Cheeseburger Soup.

When I first heard of this soup I wasn't too thrilled to try it, but it completely exceeded my expectations and has become a Johnson Family Favorite.

Here is a link to the recipe I used. It makes quite a bit, but the leftovers are just as good.

I had a SUPER long work week, shocker right??

I found myself picking out the M&M's from my trail mix and throwing them away. Crazy right?? I couldn't really believe it either. I was WAY more excited with the Nuts and Raisins.

I guess this means my tastes are changing.

 

 And Chowder did a great job at taking naps for me. I didn't have the time, so he made sure to take extra ones!!

I got some additional shots in my back, yes  I am still doing shots. I am still really hopeful that I will someday be able to put this funny back business behind me.

Attitude, Believe, Courage

I firmly believe with all of my heart that these precious and amazing words from our dear prophet were meant for my ears and eyes.

I know that I am a little late, but this is my motto for 2013.

I noticed that over the last few years, when I did blog it was always with a heavy heart and a negative attitude.

No, my life is not perfect, far from it to be honest.

But, I do have an amazing life. I have amazing friends and family and amazing blessings.

So here is to 2013.

Happiness is going to be my choice.

And I am going to try and blog with a positive outlook on this incredible journey I get to experience.

Operation Pumpkin Cake

I made this yummy pumpkin cake yesterday and it was gobbled up do fast I'm tempted to make another one. This is the easiest recipe ever and it comes from Weight Watchers.

1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 15 oz can of pumpkin
1/4 cup water

Mix together, spread in a 9 x 13 greased baking dish
Cook at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes

For the frosting I chose to use a cream cheese frosting:

8 oz softened cream cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Cups Powdered Sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Enjoy!!

Chicken Fried Rice

3-4 Cups cooked rice
3-4 cups cooked chicken (I marinated mine in Teriyaki sauce then grilled on the BBQ.)
1/2 bag frozen peas and carrots
4 chopped green onions
1 tsp. mined garlic
1/4 Cup Soy Sauce
3 eggs
3 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Sauté veggies, garlic and onions in sesame oil until tender.
Crack eggs into pan. Scramble and mix with veggies.
Add chicken and rice, pour soy sauce on top. Mix together.

Week in Review

On Saturday the 4th, Jeff and I celebrated 6 years of marriage. I won't go into all of the mushy details if how much I love and adore my husband, but these last 6 years have been better than I could have ever imagined. We decided to not go out because I'm still not feeling great with my back but we ordered take out and stayed in.

I got my nails done and went with a sassy pink instead of my usual French manicure. Getting my nails done ALWAYS make me feel good.

I got some new shoes and I'm incredibly in love with the colors. I no longer feel like a tourist wearing white tennis shoes!

I made a little pit stop at Old Navy on Friday and found the cutest little pair of ratings and I couldn't resist!! I mean, come on, they're Owls!!

I finished off the week with getting to work on Saturday, but Chowder made sure to great me with excitement. I was feeling on so Jeff and I decided to finally go to dinner for our anniversary. We went to The Keg over at San Tan Mall and it exceeded our expectations! We thoroughly enjoyed our meals and left full bellies and happy hearts.

How was your week??