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We had this at a popular restaurant  several years ago.  It was new and different and we loved it!  As it turns out it was rotated off the menu so I came home and started my own copy cat recipe.  On a quick trip to a store for something I found a McCormick seasoning for it.  I followed their recipe and after many experiments came up with my own simple, restaurant tasting version.  Hope you enjoy it as much as we do.  This is fabulous any time of year.  Especially Fall/Winter.

McCormick makes a spice blend for it.

Jens’ White Chicken Chili

1 pkg boneless, skinless, Chicken Breast or Thighs about 2 – 3 lbs.

2 Cans Great Northern or Navy Beans do not drain

1 can Diced Green Chili’s

2 pkg McCormick White Chicken Chili Seasoning

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded mozzarella Cheese + extra for garnish

4 Tablespoons chopped Green Onion (if desired).

In large dutch oven style pan, cook chicken until golden on both sides over medium heat.  Remove from pan.  Cut or shred chicken to bite size pieces approx 1/2 in.  Return Chicken to pan.  Add diced Green Chili’s and beans with liquid.  Mix 2 season pkg with 2 cups heavy cream.  Add to pan.  Simmer on medium low 10 minutes.  Stir occasionally.  add 1/2 cup mozzarella cheese.  Once cheese melts serve piping hot, garnish with chopped green onions and extra cheese if desired.  Keeps well in freezer I recommend a double batch.  (One to eat today, one for an easy frozen meal later.)

Available in most stores.

We found this on Pintrest and is a family favorite we normally make a double batch and there are rarely any leftovers.

We love this stuff! have to give credit to the original author. Link can be found on page, or click here.

We’ve all seen the meal prep plans where you prep a bunch of meals, throw it in a freezer bag, put it in the Crockpot and its an easy dinner. Well I’ve looked at quite a few, saved them on my Pintrest, but have been too lazy to do them. Well for those readers who don’t know I had a brain aneurysm about 5 years ago. Complications have landed me back in the hospital several times. So with my physical limitations we, that is my husband and I moved into my mom’s house. After my dad passed, my brothers took turns living there. They have both moved on and are starting families of their own. So we decided that with moms physical limitations and mine it would make a good compromise and save us both some money.

Up to now she does the majority of the cooking since I can not. However, with cataract surgery looming in the immediate future, we have to figure out an easy way to cook meals. She will not be able to bend over or lift more than 10 pounds.

My husband hates being in the kitchen, he’ll help me cook but, he must have step by step instructions and you can’t assume anything. He cannot boil water without the microwave. My sister-in-law now lives across the street and has offered to help out but, they have two small children at home and my brother works out-of-town for weeks at a time.

So an alternative is to try freezer to crockpot meal prep. It’s that or takeout and frankly its too expensive and very unhealthy. So here’s what happened…

After looking at various pins on the subject we decided to do a combination of our favorites and try very few we’ve never had. This required some adoptions of our normal favorite recipes. At the end of 2 days we have about 30 dinners in the freezer, ready to go. So here are the tried and true recipes we used.

1 Month of Dinner Ready to go. Cannot believe we didn’t try this one sooner.

2 Meat loaves                           Chili                                                  Chicken Caprese

Orange Chicken                       White Chicken Chili                        2 Irish Skillet

Beef Stew                                 2  Moms Homemade Pizza             2 Spaghetti

Pepper Steak                           Beef tips with Mushrooms              Pot Roast with vegetables

Mongolian Beef Broccoli      Greek Turkey Burgers                      Pork Loin Roast

2  Lasagna                                 Beef Stroganoff

Most are ready for a full day in the Crockpot. Some like the Ranch or Korean pork chops, Shrimp Scampi, Bratwurst, Liver and onions, Creamy Tuscan Salmon do not translate well to the freezer and are very easy prep and time to make day you want to enjoy. If you only want freezer to table just skip those. (I included them because they are favorites.) We took our time and since this was first time through. We spent time deciding what to make, how much and grocery list and shopping. With the hard work done, all you have to do is enjoy.

If you have a recipe we should add to our list we are open to new ideas to answer the age old question of “What’s for Dinner”. I hope this makes cooking easier and you get to enjoy the extra time not spent in the kitchen. By the way Mom’s surgery went well with no complications. We had so much fun doing it and seeing the valuable time it saves it will be happening more often in our home. So when you are tired after a busy day this is quick, healthier for your family and economical. A home cooked meal beats a take out burger and fries etc… anytime.

One last note…. My husband and I are both Diabetic so the recipes have been talored for special dietary meals and we must be doing something right since neither of us require drastic medical for the condition. Probably to many burgers and fries that put us here, but that’s my perspective.

Are you looking to amp up your Easter Egg Hunt? As the years have passed, we now have diverse ages of participants. Starting with a 10-year-old 5, and two 2 year olds. So as usual when seeking inspiration I flip over to Pintrest to see what i can find. They never let me down. Everything from non-candy egg fillers to neat coloring technic and several ways to make the hunt more fun.

The Scavenger hunt looks like particular fun for the older girls, while Egg exercises look entertaining for the littlest ones. To make this fun I think we’ll try assigning a specific color to each child. (This will also work well with certain food allergies and sensitivities). Each younger child will need an adult paired with to read the exercises to them and make sure they are done before searching out the next egg.

The older girls will have to figure out and solve the clues to find their next egg. I may even add prizes to give incentive to the fun. It will also engage their parents in the game to entertain and participate in the fun.

Before the big hunt I’m thinking of hosting an Easter Brunch complete with adults only punch. Coffee of course and maybe specialty coffee bar. This will give me the perfect reason to use my new espresso machine I got for Christmas. Regular orange juice for the kids and several selections for brunch itself.

A spinach and bacon Quiche, Easter egg fruit pizza, bunny shaped Orange rolls, and carrot shaped pre-rolled silverware. To make this easy cleanup, The Dollar Store is my go to for Tablecloths, plastic table ware, napkins and plates. I like the idea of very little cleanup. I can remember going to family gatherings and the ladies spent quite a bit of time after dinner putting food away and doing dishes. Even with the dishwasher it still took quite some time and more than one load. It’s not the most environmentally friendly, but in this case throwing away the plates, napkins, and tableware, cloth if need be saves hours that can be spent with little and big ones this Easter.

The phrase “They grow up so fast”, is more true than most of us think. It seems only yesterday of oldest was just learning to walk. She is now getting ready for her first ballet recital.

Easter Sunday

To one and all I hope these ideas inspire your family fun. To all the hunters out there good luck and happy egg finding. Live, Love, Laugh, as your Easter is filled with wonder, good food and the blessing of family to surround you.

We love ideas and like to keep things fun, new, and exciting, so what do you do for this occasion? Share your traditions, recipes, menus, games, and gifts. We’d love to hear from you. If you like any of their ideas featured here make sure you visit the links to their sites.

We appreciate every like and share, or drop us an email at jensperspective71@yahoo.com

We have probably heard the song “Goin to the Chapel” and “Ding, Dong , The Wedding Bells Are Gonna Chime”. It’s wedding season in Florida. The mild spring temperatures, especially in Florida, gives us the opportunity to enjoy the outdoor venues before the heat and tourists descend on our beautiful beaches. I hear they are very popular spots for weddings.

. Pensacola Beach

As a native I considered several parks and indoor/outdoor locations. A beautiful oak shaded round gazebo surrounded by historic buildings. Across the street a 650 year old church neatly kept behind a white picket fence. Whatever your dream location, I know how quickly the sunshine turns liquid here, so mine had both indoor and out.

Take a Beautiful Step back in Time

As we celebrate 14years this Tuesday, so even though it’s not always rosy, we’ve made it this far. We must be doing something right if we’re still happily together and happy 14years later. I would say our stubbornness, patience, and positive vision has served us both well over the years.

As I look back almost all our squabbles, they have stemmed from miscommunication. He speaks apples, I speak oranges our stubbornness keeps us going until we figure out where the issue is. Our patience with each other runs from infinite, to really short, yet here we are. 20 years ago I would have said some very different qualities make for a good, lasting, happy marriage.

The last five years humor, patience, fortitude, and hopefully Grace have seen us through.

. Dinner for 2

Do you cook up something special, or let him treat you to a favorite? I save new recipes for occasions other than this. I’ve done this before so no anxiety during cooking. I try to surprise him. I’ve tried several themes over the years for these special evenings. Do your hair, makeup, fragrance, and decorate and or dress according to your theme. We’ve traveled for candlelit dinners in France, picnics on the beach, or English countryside. My goal is to make it memrable. A rustic country picnic with the family, might be right, or a sultry night with Spanish flair. Lower the lights, move furniture, get creative, choose a soft music to reflect your locale and theme. Without leaving our home.

Special for 2

Did our marriage happen like a romance novel not exactly. 14years strong, is a testament to our faith, love, and humor. Even more important the ability to adapt, meet life as it comes and never let those forces tear us apart. To the man I love twice as much today as when we first fell in love, Happy Anniversary. I love you, today, tomorrow and always.