Crockpot Whole Chicken

I've been wanting to cook a whole chicken for sometime now.
The meat is so moist.
Great for dinner one night.
Fajitas or tacos the next.
The hubby would rather his chicken be cooked like this.
The little one with the newly found attitude as well.
She always wants grilled chicken.
Always.

Crock pot whole chicken

This is the recipe I started with.

I did not use 4 teaspoons salt.

I actually didn't add any salt expect for what might be mixed in the seasonings all ready.

I also didn't use any cayenne.

I used a little Slap Your Momma.

But yes on the paprika, minced onion, minced garlic, thyme, basil, oregano, black pepper, and a dash of ground mustard.

Quite the mixture huh?

I mix well in a small bowl.

Looks like a lot of spices.

It is.

I got my bird on a cutting board and lathered in extra virgin olive oil.

Just enough to make it slippery, to hold onto those yummy spices.

Then I cover my bird with spices.

Rubbing well so he is completely covered.

Load him up on the grate in the crock pot and cook on low.

I think it was complete in 3 hours.

I left in there 4 1/2 but turned to warm at 3 1/2.

It was sooooo yummy!

The husband was going back for thirds.

The little one had seconds.

Mastered Turkey

Isn't he just the cutest thing?!?

Tea party & umbrellas inside.

So I've been dealing with this.

Not sure what is going on.

Thank goodness for a rental.

Thank goodness for a steam cleaner.

The girl has three different pottys.


Ground turkey is hard to cook.



Well, hard to flavor I should say.



While it is healthy for you.....



lean beef just tastes better.



The turkey has more protein, less cholesterol, and less fat.



The husband turns his lips up to it.



It has just happened to be on sale lately.



1.25 pounds for $3.



Hard to pass up.







So...the key is to season, season, season.



We decided on spaghetti for dinner early this morning.



I cooked the meat around 3:30 and seasoned with a variety of stuff while cooking.



In the slow cooker, I added mushrooms, spaghetti sauce, tomatoes.



I added the meat once cooked and seasoned well.



I then sauteed yellow bell pepper, celery, carrots and onions.



They were the only vegetables in the fridge.



Poured in slow cooker and stirred.



I set sit between low and warm for 4 hours.



It makes a world of a difference.



The meat was seasoned just perfectly.



The husband had no idea it was turkey until after dinner.



The little one ate two servings and a bowl full of green beans.



It must have been good for her to eat her vegetables.





Or it could have been the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking that fooled everyone.

Play dates, ice cream & allergies

Miss thang and her attitude.
A ballerina outfit.
With a tutu under it.

Finally asleep after 16+ hours on Sunday evening.

HG slept with daddy Sunday night.
I slept in HG's bed ALONE for 6 1/2 hours.
I felt like a new person this morning.
I think daddy got a better idea of what it is like on our long nights.
She tossed and turned in her sleep all night.
Snoring, grunting and breathing heavily,
It HAS to be allergies.
I honestly can't remember the last time she slept all night in our bed.
Had to have been the last trip daddy went on.
Around 8, she found out I snuck away to her bed.
HG snuggled against me, drank her milk and slept until 11!
I had to do a double take at the clock.


All that rest was needed for our big play date Monday.
The sun was shining but it was breezy and cool.
NE Mall has a small play area that is filled with lots of children.
Today, being Spring break, it was wild.
We still had fun.
Jenna and Jax.
Dee, her sister Amber, Kaitlyn, Joel and baby Nicholas.
And the butt load of other families.
Sometimes a couple of hours out of the house is just what you need.
After playing, the kids having ice cream and HG a little Chick Fil A, w went mall walking.
On a busy day, a toddler sure will slow everyone down.
I grabbed two more wall flower replacements and decided it was time to go.
I'm sure the entire mall heard HG crying.
Poor thing, she would have played with her friends forever.
Dee, Amber and the kids are moving with us.
Where ever that is.
They are such good people, I am looking forward to it.


Even with school out, HG still has her study time as she calls it.
Or study craft.
Monday, we went over the letter E.
Sometimes she thinks E is B.
But always knows B.
And little e.
We colored, ate eggs and edamame.
There aren't many foods that start with E.


Chris was closing and HG turned in early.

This allowed me to watch the season finale of the Bachelor.

No, I don't watch all the seasons.

I'm addicted to my ABC player on my Ipad.

I decided to watch all the episodes.

While I think Chantel would have been a good fit with Brad's family.

And that she would have gone to the ends of the earth for him.

I am glad he chose Emily.

She is your traditional Southern Belle.

She is someone I would be friends with.

She reminds me of my friends.

I also doubt that Emily is showing all her sides.

Nor has Brad.

This anger issue that everyone talks about.

It would be concerning for me.

I do hope they work it out.

She would fit well in Austin.

Funny how people really get into these shows.

I was brought to tears more than once during the finale.

Lazy morning with the Ipad.

Tuesday, we remained in our pj's until noon.
Allergies are still going strong with HG.
My throat is tickling.
Dang you allergies.
We had burrito's for lunch with fruit and chips.
HG wasn't thrilled.
She still doesn't love lunch meat unless it is diced like a lunchable.

HG and I went to play with Jenna and Jax for a couple of hours.Don't touch my blocks!!

Tried to have dinner up at the store.

30 minutes later, Chris was telling us to leave.

Seems like we'll be sticking to kid friendly or eating at home.

I've said it a million times.

I just keep thinking she'll do better

Walking into Daddy's work.
I made her take off her duck house shoes.
Just couldn't do that.





This morning, we went to watch Austin while Jenna took Jax to dr.

Poor man had a reaction from his medicine.

I knew it as soon as I saw him.

HG and her little friend both have had the same reaction.

So scary.

It takes nearly a week to pop up.
It was such fun to see little girls playing together.
Austin is to petite and sweet as she climbed in my lap.
Light as a feather.
Her mom delivered her baby sister Kendall today coming in at 9 lbs even.
I'm talking itty bitty, super cute, petite delivered 9 pounds.
Wow.








HG and Austin

What is sleep?

So what were YOU doing at 3:30 this morning?
Probably sleeping right?

Not I.
Not HG.
Daddy was.
Oh how I envied him.

We weren't playing.
We weren't crying.
We weren't puking.


We were tossing and turning.
We were drinking milk.
LOTS of it.
I made her switch to water around 7:30.


Finally gave into Zytrec.
AND motrin.
Only after a million sneezes.
And flying green snot.
Allergies.
Or her top molars.
I've just about given up on those bad boys.


She seems fine today.
Probably more than fine.
It is after 6 and still no nap.
It isn't because she didn't spend time bed.
From 3-5, she was in bed.
A snack, and then climbed back in bed at 6.
She just won't sleep.:(

Momma on the other hand is exhausted.
Beyond exhausted.
Ours lights didn't turn off until 1:30.
Thanks to the elephants.
I was up by 3:30.
Much tiredness going on.
Mr. Sandman has been in my eyes all day.


Oh sweet bedtime please hurry up.
Don't think I won't being dosing her with mortrin tonight.
And maybe turning on Mr frog to help her breathe.
And stopping at Bed, Bath and Beyond for another noise maker.
Anything to give us all sleep.


On a positive note, we had a lovely lunch with the Bells today.
She looked ADORABLE.
So proud of her red dance shoes.
Or her Dorothy shoes.
Chris was working so we went for a visit.
HG did really well for most of it.
2 hours at a table is just too long for a toddler to be expected to behave.
It was good visiting with them.
Lynn wanted to baby sit HG this week so we could have a date.
Now I NEVER turn down a chance for a spare moment.
Ever.
Our schedules just didn't meet up well.
Being spring break, we have stuff planned.
Then they leave on Thursday.
Then we leave on Monday.
Then Chris leave the week after.
Then we leave the 16-24.
Our schedule is madness until the end of April starting this week.
Hopefully we can find a day in there, I would love to see a movie or two.

Perfect Saturdays

What a lovely Saturday morning to sleep in.

To sleep in until 10:16.

All of us.

HG started tossing and turning around 7:30 thanks to the elephants above us.

I jumped in bed with her so she wouldn't wake.

Thank goodness for much needed rest.

Since sleeping through breakfast, we headed out for pizza.

Not the best pizza but it is cheap.

HG loves pizza.

So she eats well.

A stop at Dove Park.

Grapevine has so many wonderful parks.

Who doesn't love ice cream on a warm afternoon?

Ice cream after a quick trip to storage.

And to see our house.

Oh the weeds in the yard.

Otherwise, it looked okay.

Here's to 2-3 more years on the lease!

We hope.With all the wind and sun today, we new the boats would be out.

It might have been a little too windy.

The water was down.

Ducks and birds everywhere.

Families too.

After a Mexican fest tonight, we all crawled in bed around 8.

Funny how when you stuff yourself, you aren't worth a dang.

The little one went right to sleep.

I thought I was right behind her.

I must have my second wind.

The hubby is always up late.

Don't forget to spring forward!

My movie date

For months, the hubby and I have been asked daily if HG could go see Tangled.
Many of her friends saw it.
Mia saw it with Zoey.
that was all HG needed to hear.
She was on a mission.
She was going to talks into it.
We made a deal.
When it was at the dollar movie, she could go.

I mean what mom wants to pay $5 per ticket, $9 on a hot dog, water bottle and popcorn just to stay for 5 minutes.
Right?

She was such a proud 2 year old walking into those big doors.
Grinning from ear to ear.
Amazed at all the lights, food and action.
We bought our tickets, got our junk food, went to tee tee and headed in the movie.
We sat in the back.
Luckily, it pretty empty except for the toddlers and moms.
She was scared at first.
I had to carry her.
She sat in my lap during the previews.
They were really loud.
Then Tangled started.
It was adorable.
A little old, probably better for 4+ year olds.
She did well for her first movie experience.
Only a few times did she get up to wander.
Only a few times did she sing Mary had a little lamb.
And Wheels on the Bus.
I snuck in her juice to go with her popcorn an hot dog.
We might have eaten half the bag.
Oh movie popcorn
OH MOVIE POPCORN.
They were out of pickles.
HG was so bummed.

My super special date girl.

GREAT date with my super sweet daughter.
GREAT DATE.
She asked if we could go on a park date soon.
And a Chuck E Cheese date.
And another movie date.
AND Target date.
She is serious about this dating business.

Show us your Birthday Party

Over at Kelly's Korner, it is show us your Birthday parties today.
While we've always been on the move during HG's birthday.
Or lived elsewhere.
We've always made the best of it.
In 100 degree weather.

For her 2nd Birthday, we were actually living with my dad (Poppy) in Texarkana.
Chris traveled constantly with work so it was just easier.
HG wanted a Dora bounce house.
That was her only request.
It was much too hot just for a bounce house.
So we added pools, slip n slides and a luau.
She was such a happy camper.
Our family drove in from all over.
It made it very special.

For HG's 1st Birthday party, we held it at Little Gym of Southlake.

The celebration was such fun.

But we were on a time limit.

The only down fall.

They like you to get in and out.

So many friends and I think just about all of our close family came.

t was so neat!

HG and her friend Kensley in the middle of the big kids.

Our precious cousins in stunna shades.

Perfect little smash cake.

Our little lady bug.

Great Grandpa even made the celebration.

1st Birthdays are big.

Lots of excitement and celebration going on.

Perfect 1st Birthday Party!

Well, two years of fun Birthdays shared.

Kristen took most of the pictures.

Who would have known then she would be such a great photographer?

Who am I kidding, we all did!

I think we'll take it easy this year.

Maybe a little swimming party with a few kids.

Or just dinner in each area.

We'll definitely celebrate in Destin.

And her cousin is having a tea party the weekend after her birthday.

We can do a little celebrating there.

We will be back, celebrating big again once settled.