Routines and Changes...

Is it still a routine if it changes from time to time?
Since Nick's been home and taken this staff job, my morning routine has changed drastically. My morning routine was very casual and included only my coffee (which I prepare the night before so I can stumble to the kitchen and hit a button), taking the dogs out, feeding the dogs, and making breakfast for Callie on her school days.
Now, Nick gets up first, turns on the coffee maker, takes the dogs out and is usually sipping his first cup of coffee by the time I stumble out. I truly love sitting in the morning having coffee with my honey. We watch the news, talk about the day, upcoming events, etc. I make something for him for breakfast, make his lunch, and fill a thermos with coffee for him. Even though he's home and I do more in the morning, it's still way more relaxed than when he was gone. The stress of the deployment is gone and that does a lot to relax me. I still make breakfast for the college kid. She's one spoiled girl!

For dinner tonight I made a baked chicken recipe that I took from an Army family readiness group (FRG) cookbook. I bought this book from a good friend on one of my favorite military forums when she was FRG leader. The name of the dish is "Kittie Chicken" I don't know why it's called that, but I know my family LOVES this dish.

Kittie Chicken

 (from A Taste of Freedom cook book written by the Headquarter and Headquarters Support Company Family Readiness Group, Fort Stewart, GA)

Ingredients
8 boneless and skinless chicken breasts
8 slices Swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 C white wine
1/4 C melted butter
1C herb stuffing mix, crushed

Directions
Place chicken in buttered 9x13 dish. Top each chicken breast with a slice of cheese. Combine soup and wine; spoon over chicken. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top; drizzle with butter. Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve with rice.

I cut this recipe in half because it's usually the two or three of us. The cheese and soup/wine mixture makes a delicious sauce. The stuffing bits on the top are yummy! I serve it with brown rice and something green. Tonight, it was green beans because they were in my pantry and I'm cleaning out the pantry!

Manic Monday...

I am a creature of habit. I’m not sure if that makes me super organized or a bit boring. Mondays usually find me changing the sheets on the bed, taking all trash to the dumpster (truck comes on Tuesday) and doing my heaviest house cleaning. I love a clean house, but I don’t much care for the actual chore of cleaning it. I really have to force myself to dust, sweep, mop etc. However, I do love to scrub my kitchen (like to see it sparkle) and do laundry. (Except for the folding and putting away part) I love the feeling of satisfaction I get from fresh laundry and a clean smelling house.
I’m OCD in a very strange way. I can’t stand to have a bed unmade, but I can leave three pair of shoes in the floor by the back door. It truly drives my very neat military man crazy.
My husband is a complete neat nick (no pun intended here) He loves things orderly and put in their places. However, he’s not a great one to actually CLEAN the down and dirty. He’ll put things away but never sweep, mop or scrub. He has even been known to take something I’ve left on the kitchen counter (watch, earrings, and stuff like that) and put them IN a kitchen drawer or cabinet to get it out of sight. I’m constantly looking for my stuff. It’s something that Callie and I laugh about all the time.
Tonight I’m making a Spanish rice casserole that Nick absolutely loves. I use a box mix (usually Rice A Roni) canned tomatoes and ground beef. After browning the beef, I add it to the cooked rice mixture, put in a casserole dish and top with grated cheddar cheese. Last time I made this, I had a half onion and some fresh mushrooms left from another dish and added them to the browning beef. Nick raved, so I guess that’s the new norm. I’m out of canned tomatoes so I’m thinking I’ll use Ro-tel tomatoes instead. He’ll love that too because it will be a bit spicier. Necessity is definitely the mother of invention!

Sunday Soup

We had an exciting day yesterday. We were awakened at 6:00 AM by warning sirens sounding warning us that a tsunami was on the way. It was a beautiful Hawaiian day. The sun was shining and it wasn't terribly warm. However, because of this warning, most businesses were closed and all of the coastal areas of the island were closed off. It was a lazy day and I got almost nothing accomplished. (Tsunami was a dud, thankfully)
Sunday comes with rain and a chill in the air. I hit the commissary early, did most of the laundry (except linens which always get done on Monday), and made a pot of Paula Deen's Potato and Ham Soup. I even went to the gym today (another story for another day on my struggle with my weight)
The soup was delicious and just what was needed on a damp and chilly Hawaiian day. (ok, so it was high 60's, clouds and rain, I may not survive in Rhode Island!)

The Lady & Sons, Too! Potato and Ham Soup
Ingredients
5 lbs baking potaotes, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 thick slide of cooked ham, cut into small pieces (not country ham, which is too salty)
1/2 Cup (1 stick) butter
Salt and Pepper
1 Cup half and half
1/2 Cup sour cream

Directions
Place the potaotes in a large pot and add enough water to just cover the potatoes (too much water will make the soup too thin). Cover and bring to a boil, then uncover and cook over medium-high heat for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the ham and butter. Season wtih salt and pepper to taste. Over low heat, add the half and half and sour cream; keep warm over low heat until serving time.

I didn't get a photo of the soup but it was incredibly satisfying on my "cold" day!