indulge

i never used to be such an ice cream eater, until i met tannon. the kid could have ice cream for breakfast, lunch & dinner.

baskin robbins is having 31 cent scoop night at participating stores from 5 to 10 p.m. tonight. the cheap eats benefit the national volunteer fire council. see you there!

lots to learn

just when i think that the people in this world are generally selfish, i am quickly reminded of how generous people are. a complete stranger showed me his selflessness today.

we ran out of bread over the weekend, and i didn't have much to pack for my lunch this morning. my stomach usually growls around 11:30am for lunch, so i grab my american express card and head down to food court jr. to go purchase me some sesame chicken (aka crack- i crave this stuff). as i get to the counter to pay for my already completed order, the worker informs me that they don't take american express.

me: "uhhhh, can you just set this aside while i go grab a different form of payment upstairs?"

stranger, handing the cashier his credit card: "just put ours together"

me: "no, you really don't need to do this, i can run upstairs really fast"

stranger: "i know how it goes, i've been there before. don't worry about it"

i couldn't thank this sweet man enough. he could have been so put out that he was waiting in line for someone who had come unprepared.

as i was walking away, he said "have a great day".

i learned a lot in 10 seconds from a complete stranger. though to some this incident may seem trivial, it really helped me to remember that we are all put on this earth to help each other as family members, friends, co-workers, and even strangers.

ZNP

thank goodness for weekends.

a little taste of cally

ABC Tag:
A: Addiction ~ taking the stage
B: Breakfast (what you eat) ~ oatmeal, protein shake, or cereal
C: Chocolate or Chips ~ hmmm, both
D: Dessert or Appetizers ~ dessert
E: Essential Items ~ internet, book
F: Favorite Color ~ blue & green
G: Gummy Bears or Gummy Worms ~ bears
H: Hometown ~ kaysville
I: Indulgence ~ cake & cookies
J: January or July ~ july. i love celebrating independence day & pioneer day
K: Kids ~ nada
L: Life isn’t complete without ~ tannon, hudson & my religion
M: Most exciting memory ~ wedding day, duh. best. day. ever.
N: Number of brothers & sisters ~ 1 amazingly awesome sista!
O: Oranges or Apples ~ oranges lately. weird.
P: Phobias or Fears ~ losing family
Q: Quote ~ "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. " Ether 12:27
R: Reading currently ~ the glass castle by jeanette walls
S: Summer or Spring ~ spring, hands down
T: Tag 6 People ~ sista missy misdemeanor; ashley w.; catie p; maren v; caitlin n; miss shay k.
U: Unknown fact about me ~ i have social anxiety - i blame my papa.
V: Vacation I want to go on ~ new zealand; alaska
W: Walking or Running ~ walking
X: X-Ray or Ultrasound ~ ultrasound
Y: Your favorite Food ~ italiano
Z: Zoo or Bowling ~ bowling - the zoo makes me sad :-(

my confidants

i love these girls

i couldn't have grown up w/out 'em

Easter

Hope ya'll had a wonderful Easter!

Chicken Parmesan

This is by far the best chicken parmesan I've ever made. I love that even the sauce is home-made, instead of purchasing a bottle at the store loaded with preservatives. It took a little time, but totally worth it! I served this with spaghetti squash, instead of spaghetti. It's my new favorite meal, for sure.Healthy(ier) Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients

Tomato sauce:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, preferably organic
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Chicken:
Cooking spray
4 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/4 pounds total)
Salt to taste
2 large egg whites
6 tablespoons dry Italian bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 to 5 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup part-skim shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Tomato Sauce: Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, vinegar, salt, and red pepper flakes; bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the flavors are blended and the sauce begins to thicken slightly, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the basil.

Chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Sprinkle the cutlets with the salt. Lightly beat the egg whites in a medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan on a sheet of waxed paper. Spread the flour on another sheet of waxed paper. Working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, dip both sides into the flour, shaking off excess. Dip each piece into the egg whites, shaking off excess, and then press both sides into the breading to coat.

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken (in batches, if necessary) and cook until browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken, in 1 layer, to the baking dish. Spoon the sauce over the chicken then sprinkle with the cheese. Bake, covered loosely with a tent of foil, until the cheese is melted and the sauce is bubbly, about 12 to 15 minutes.

Complete Bliss

What is making me happy today. Okay, everyday.