- Part 79

Crock Pot Chicken Noodle

Is there anyone that’s not a fan of a piping hot bowl of chicken noodle soup? I was fighting a head cold this week and thankfully I had already had this meal planned out for our family. Talk about timing. For such a classic dish, there must be a gazillion recipes you can find for Chicken Noodle Soup. But what I love about this one is that it’s done in the crockpot. And it tastes pretty darn good! Maybe one day I’ll have the time to make stock from scratch and whatnot, but I don’t see that day anywhere in my near future. So, in the meantime I’ll take advantage of the fact that I can throw all of the ingredients into a pot, enjoy the aroma all day long, have time to spend with my children and sit down to a bowl of delicious soup come dinner time. For those of you that are waiting around for the impending snow this weekend, you may want to add chicken and noodles to your milk and bread list ;)

chickennoodle

Chicken Noodle Soup adapted from Cooking Classy:

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped (1 3/4 cups)
1 medium yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 cups)
4 stalks celery, chopped (1 1/4 cups)
3 – 5 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth (3 – 15 oz cans)
1 cup water
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary, crushed
2 bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups uncooked wide egg noodles
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Saltine crackers for serving

Directions

To a slow cooker, add chicken (un-cut), diced carrots, onion, celery, and garlic.

Drizzle olive oil over top then add in chicken broth, water, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook on low heat 6 – 7 hours.

Remove cooked chicken and allow to rest 10 minutes, then dice into bite size pieces. Meanwhile, add egg noodles and parsley to slow cooker.* Increase temperature to high, cover and cook 10 minutes longer (or until noodles are tender).

Toss in cooked, diced chicken. Serve warm with saltine crackers if desired.

*I typically cook my noodles separately which allows me to make egg noodles as well as gluten free noodles for my husband. It also keeps the noodles from getting soggy should you happen to have leftovers!

January 20, 2016

Valentine Style

With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, I decided to do a little preparation…for you and I. To be honest, I haven’t a clue what our plans will be at the moment. Over the years we have had dates that run the gamut from formal events (funniest memory: Jack once took me on a dinner cruise around NYC and I’m pretty sure we were the youngest couple on the boat….one way or another, we knew we were out of place when everyone sang Neil Diamond as we passed the statue of Liberty, haha!) …the whole way back to dinner and a movie at home once the kids are in bed. I’m guessing that the majority of you likely have plans that fall somewhere in the middle, but I’ve put together outfits that should have you covered no matter what you do.

Outfit 1: dress / bag / pumps

Outfit 2: jacket / pumps / bag / pants

Outfit 3: shirt / jeans / necklace / booties

Outfit 4: shirt / mug / slippers / sweatpants

Anyone have anything fun lined up?

January 18, 2016

Striped Poncho

Sweater coats have certainly taken a front seat in my closet this year. I don’t know exactly what it is that draws me to them. The ease of quickly pulling an outfit together by throwing one on over a few basics? The comfort of what feels like wrapping yourself in a blanket? Yet the chicness that somehow results? Yea, I suppose a little bit of all of that. I know I won’t be straying from them anytime soon, that’s for sure!

Details: Free People jacket via Gilt (also love this and this option) / LOFT denim / Madewell tote / Sperry booties (similar)

January 15, 2016

Turkey Chili

Chili is nothing new around here, but that being said, we’ve never quite found or created that one perfect pot of chili that we want to turn to time and time again. Well, that is until now. This recipe isn’t reinventing the wheel in any way, but it’s the perfect amount of vegetables, spices and heartiness that had us all (kids included) wanting seconds. This blog has gradually turned into the place that I turn to as I do my meal planning each week so I wanted to make sure this one was quickly added to my list. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

TURKEY CHILI (adapted from this recipe)

INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
8oz. sliced button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound ground turkey
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 15-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans
1 cup water
kosher salt and black pepper
sour cream, shredded cheese, cilantro for serving

DIRECTIONS
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.

Add the turkey and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until no longer pink, 3 to 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato paste, cumin, and chili powder. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, beans, 1 cup water, 1 ¼ teaspoons salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15-20 minutes.

Serve with optional toppings: cheese, sour cream, cilantro.

January 13, 2016

Get Cozy!

With the holiday’s now behind us and winter setting in, does anyone else find they want to be bundled in cozy layers 24/7, or is it just me? My entire family is one that enjoy’s their ‘comfy clothes’. My husband works from home and is in sweatpants 95% of the time and my son runs to his room for his the minute he gets off of the school bus. Madelyn….well, she’s in her own little world of non-stop tutu’s at the moment, so we’ll just leave her out of this particular discussion ;) The frequent changes may add to my laundry, but I can’t argue as I’d opt for fleece leggings and a cozy sweater any day! We also had our first snow yesterday which just reinforced this post. I sat in our family room, snuggled with a blanket and my baby and watched the fresh, beautiful snow cover the ground. It sure was a pretty sight! For anyone looking to add a cozy layer or two to your own wardrobe, I’ve gathered some great pieces for you to browse…

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10

January 11, 2016

Packable Down

January through March are the months where winter really settles in and I often find myself in a constant state of being cold. A few years ago I was all over the super puffy down coats. Especially during the years that I worked and commuted into NYC, I was bundled and warm and ready for the elements. Although I still wear them now and then, I’ve more recently turned to the more compact down coats that are readily available. I purchased this navy one last year and due to the amount of wear it has gotten I added a green one to my closet this year. They are great for day to day, especially if you find yourself in and out of the car often. A perfect layer of warmth without unnecessary bulk. And for those of you around young kids, they easily wipe clean from any slobber/drool/grime etc. unlike wool coats ;)

Details: Down coat (see other options below) / SheIn scarf c/o / LOFT denim / Sperry boots

1 / 2 / 3 / 4

January 8, 2016

Bow Coat

When it comes to higher end brands, Kate Spade has to be one of my favorites. Their overly feminine details, bold colors and patterns bring a huge smile to my face. Although most pieces tend to be investment items, mine have all held true as some of my favorites years on end. When my mom, grandma and I were doing some outlet shopping a few months back, I fell in love with this coat. The bright pink, the bold bow and the overall Jackie O style had me. My gracious mother offered to gift it to me for my birthday after I may or may not have pulled out the puppy dog eyes….even at 34 years old ;) The good thing is that my mom and grandma are just as much suckers for all things overly girly. If you’re fortunate to live near an outlet, you may want to check it out. The deals are fantastic! Otherwise, I’ve linked to some other options for you below.

Details: Kate Spade coat (options here, here and here) / Kate Spade sweatshirt / LOFT denim / Shoes (option)

January 6, 2016

School Work Organization Tips

I love my children dearly, but I don’t think there’s anything that can wreck havoc on a home’s organization more than kids! Young children especially. No sooner do you get one room under control only to turn around and set your eyes on the next tornado that swept right past you. If you were expecting me to have a solution to that, well, my apologies because you’re out of luck! But what I have been working on this year is tackling the organization of school work. With a first grader and a preschooler I know there’s much more to come in the years ahead, so I’m doing my best to get ourselves into a regular sorting, tossing and keeping routine. Let me quickly explain the few easy steps I’ve been following to keep our home from filling up and spiraling out of control.

This wall storage bin is strategically placed on a wall between our kitchen and mudroom. This is the first and main stop for all things school related. They hold a few things. First they contain information I need on a regular basis including lunch schedules, calendars and outstanding paperwork that needs immediate attention. Second, they store paperwork and art work that makes it past the initial ‘keep’ test. Let me take a quick step back, because this is crucial in our routine. I don’t know about your kids, but mine come home on a daily basis with a lot of ‘stuff’. Worksheets, projects, tests, artwork etc. Each day we unload their backpacks and we do a quick sort. I ask them to show me which pieces they’d like to keep and which are ok to toss. The ‘keep’ piles then go into their assigned bins.

Once the kitchen bins begin to get a little tight (usually every few weeks) we do yet another sort. I again ask the kids what pieces are the most important to them and more often than not, they are willing to let go of some of the things they had wanted to keep initially. This gives them a chance to choose what really means the most to them. I should also note that I have my say as well and throw in some things I think they may appreciate having in the future, like some of Jack’s very first spelling tests :) Once we have the piles from the kitchen narrowed down, I move them out to our family room where I keep a basket for each child.

When we reach the end of the school year, I plan on doing one final sort with the kids to narrow it all down to what’s most valued. I’m only half a year in with this process, but so far so good! We’ve also stored away much of the Christmas crafts they brought home with the rest of our Christmas decor. I’m pretty sure they’re going to need their own tree in a few years!

So how about you? What organization tips and tricks work for you? I’d love to know!

January 4, 2016

Fair Isle

I love a great fair isle pattern. Even more so when it’s in bright, beautiful colors. In true JCrew style, they created dozens of sweaters this season that I would love to get my hands on. See other fair isle examples here and here. The sun seems to have tucked itself away lately, so it’s nice to contrast the dreary weather with bold colors. Bright coats are another great way to battle overcast skies, and it’s fun standing out from the sea of gray and black that are all too common during these months. Don’t get me wrong, I fall captive to those colors as well but it’s nice to have options :)

Details: JCrew sweater (extra 40% off sale with code SHOPNOW) / LOFT denim / LOFT fur scarf / JCrew coat / Madewell tote / boots (similar)

December 30, 2015

2015 Reflections

This post has yet to be written and I already love it. What was potentially going to be a lounging around the home outfit post (in large part due to the non-stop rain) has transformed into a reflection period for me. I’ll still give you the details at the end because these fleece leggings and super soft shawl jacket are worth mentioning, but what’s more important are these crazy characters that make up my family. I tend to keep things light and lovely on here because it’s my happy place. The place where life can stay pretty….and in my control. We all know life is messy though, and far from perfect. I’d love for my family to be healthy, happy and dressed to the nine’s on a daily basis, but if you could only see behind the camera, you’d see a lot of mismatched clothing, some fighting, some tears, some uncontrollable laughter and a messy home….except when everyone’s asleep :)

2015 was a crazy year. Much of it a whirlwind that I look back on and think ‘how did we do that?’ We started off the year in a continued battle to tackle Lyme Disease which Jack has been fighting (officially) for nearly two years now. He took a break from the harsh antibiotics at one point to try a few more natural remedies, but to no avail. We knew having a baby in the midst of everything wasn’t going to be easy, but neither of us let that get in the way. We also knew that adding a third child to our family was going to push us out of the condo we had comfortably been living in since we moved from Hoboken, NJ to State College, PA two years prior. Our house hunt commenced and we found our home a bit faster than we expected…or at least than I expected. We ended up closing mere days before I went into labor with Miss Audrey Grace.

This girl has brought such light to our family and she shares her joyful smiles every time you look at her. Already a pro-big brother, little Jack took on a bigger role of being mommy’s helper and Madelyn jumped on as big sister without batting an eye. It certainly wasn’t all easy though. I knew the role I was to play while Jack sought new doctors and found himself back on another antibiotic cycle. He needed his rest at night, so I took on full baby duty responsibilities and did my best to cut back on too much complaining…remember, I’m not perfect…and those post-baby hormones, oh my. 7 weeks post baby and we were packed up and moving into our new home. Like I said, it was a whirlwind! With the help of amazing friends and family we were moved and semi-settled in no time.

I’m still in the midst of furnishing and decorating our house, but regardless, it has most certainly become my family’s home. We enjoyed a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and if it weren’t for both of our families being nearby, I don’t know what we would have done these past few years. I’m also thankful for all of our prayer warriors out there that have been raising up our family in prayer for some time now. Without a doubt, God has been guiding our lives and helping us get through the ups and downs one day at a time. I’ve found myself seeking this verse often, when any anxiety creeps in: Philippians 4: 6-7 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Jesus Christ.

I told you that this post began, as an outfit post, but behind the scenes…well, this is what you’d see. These crazy loves of my life. As the years continue to fly by, I’m resolving this year to slow down a bit and appreciate each of them for who they are at the stage of life they are currently in. I want to spend more one on one time with my husband and find a little more time for me. So if any of you can find these extra hours in everyday, let me know okay?? ;) And to end on a light and somewhat lovely note, here’s my husband. No matter what he’s going through, he does his best to keep a smile on his face and the laughter in our home. I think he’s tired of being behind the camera, don’t you?!!

And finally, a big thank you to all of you that continue to read along day after day and post after post. You make this whole blogging thing all the more fun!! Wishing you a wonderful and blessed New Year! See you in 2016!

Marisa’s outfit details: Lou & Grey jacket / Anthro fleece leggings / JCrew shearling slippers

a lovely living

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