CHRISTmas Checklist: 10 Things to do Before December 1st
CHRISTmas is the best, isn’t it? It’s that time of year we’re reminded what’s truly important – what truly matters. It’s a season of giving, hope, joy and peace, and it’s only made possible by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
I absolutely love Christmas and everything it represents. However, this time of year, can also be stressful, if we don’t take the time to plan and prepare. I like what Proverbs 15:19 says. “The way of a slothful man is as an hedge of thorns; but the way of the righteous is made plain.” – KJV
Christmas doesn’t have to be full of anxiety and stress. I’ve put together a list of 10 things you should complete before December 1st. That’s not to say you should wait until November 30th to get them done though. Many of these can be done months in advance, and by completing these before December, you can have a much more restful holiday.
1. Complete Fall Cleaning
There’s nothing like having a nice, clean home to start the holidays off fresh. Now, I say these are things you should do before December 1st, but you won’t want to put this off until the last minute. I do my fall cleaning in September, because that’s when I’m packing away summer things and pulling out my fall décor. Then, I only need to do my normal cleaning routine through the holidays.
2. Declutter the Kids’ Rooms
Since I’ve added decluttering as a part of my everyday routine, I normally don’t have any major decluttering jobs to tackle during fall or spring cleaning. However, with Christmas coming, I like to encourage the kids to go through their closets and toy bins and see if there’s anything they would like to declutter and donate. Not only does this free up some space for new items they will surely get for Christmas, but it’s a good opportunity to donate to toy drives or other Charities looking for used toys this time of year.
3. Book Your Christmas Photo Session
Whether you want to document your Christmas memories with some professional photos, or customize your Christmas cards, you need to book your family, Christmas photo session early. Slots will surely begin filling up in November and may be impossible to book after December 1st, so get this booked in advance.
4. Purchase/Order Christmas Cards and Stamps
Christmas cards are meant to be received in early to mid-December so family and friends can enjoy and display them along with their other Christmas décor. If you’re ordering customized Christmas cards, be sure to place your order early so you can send them out to friends and family timely. Don’t forget to purchase your stamps early too, so you won’t have to wait in lines at the post office during the holiday rush.
5. Make your Gift-giving List
This is another item you will want to complete well in advance, but by no later than December 1st. Make a list of all the people you plan to buy for this year, and some gift-giving ideas for each. Keep this list with you wherever you go; maybe put it in your purse or the glove box of your vehicle. This will keep you prepared whenever you are out and decide to do some shopping. It will also ensure you don’t forget anyone on your list.
6. Purchase Christmas Attire
What Christmas picture is complete without those coordinating plaid shirts or matching PJs? You’ll want to look for these items early, or you might not find what you’re looking for or the size you need. Stores order a limited supply of seasonal Christmas items and attire, so once they’re gone, they’re gone. Folks are quick to snatch these things up early, so don’t wait until the last minute.
7. Plan Your Christmas Menu
There’s nothing worse than having to run out on Christmas eve to find that beloved can of cranberry sauce, which makes your Christmas turkey complete. Usually near the end of October, grocery stores will start stocking those seasonal items for all your favorite sugary or savory holiday dishes and treats. Don’t wait until the last minute and pick up everything. If you’re like me, in additional to the normal favorite holiday dishes, you like to make Christmas cookies and candy to share with family and friends. This list of ingredients can add up quickly. Start stocking up on these little by little over several weeks before December. This will prevent you from being hit with a huge grocery bill right before Christmas, and ensure you find all seasonal ingredients you need for your holiday recipes.
8. Purchase Giftwrap
This may not seem like a big deal, but purchasing your giftwrap, giftbags, tissue, boxes and tape ahead of time will save you a huge headache. There’s usually not a shortage of gift wrap, even up to the last few days before Christmas, so that’s not the issue. The problem is waiting until Christmas eve to wrap everything. I’ve done this, I know. Over the last several years, I’ve tried to make sure I had giftwrap on hand, so that when I purchased a gift, I could immediately take it home and wrap it. This way, I don’t have to worry about hiding gifts, and I can take my time and enjoy the wrapping process.
9. Purchase Event Tickets
Whether your planning to see the Nutcracker ballet or attend a Christmas event, you won’t want to wait until the last minute to reserve your spot. Many shows and events that have limited availability will book up quickly. You’ll usually see these advertisements as early as October, so reserve early to guarantee you won’t miss out.
10. Purchase Trendy Toys
When I think of this, my mind goes back to the famous Tickle Me Elmo doll craze. Don’t wait until December to purchase toys that are trending or popular with the kids in your area. These will be the first items to disappear from the shelves, and then you’ll either be forced to pay big bucks on Amazon or find a, less cool, alternative.
I hope this list helps make your Christmas holiday a little less stressful and enjoyable. I’d love to hear what things you like to do before December to prepare for the Christmas rush. Let me know in the comments!
How to Simplify Your Declutter Routine
Simply put, decluttering is defined as removing mess or clutter from a space. But, depending on the amount of clutter that’s in a space, this task can be either simple or complicated.
For many years, I spent a great deal of time and energy decluttering my house twice each year during my spring and fall deep cleaning. I can’t tell you how much I dreaded this. Room by room, I would pull out stuff from every closet, corner and cabinet, sorting and separating it into piles – MANY piles. I would have piles of things to keep, to donate, to throw away, to rehome, to sale, and, the dreaded, undecided pile.
This wasn’t something I could get done on a Saturday, which meant I had to take a few days off work. I would spend two or three days cleaning and decluttering, and sometimes I still didn’t get everything accomplished that I wanted to. Additionally, it was very physically and mentally exhausting. Although I would feel some sense of accomplishment once I was finished, it was very short-lived. I still had the huge piles of things I sorted out, which I needed to deal with, and since I hadn’t slowed down on bringing new stuff home, my house would end up getting cluttered again only a few months later. I felt anxious, frustrated and overwhelmed. There had to be a better way.
When I learned about minimalism, it was definitely an ah ha moment for me. Why didn’t I realize before that my overabundance of things were causing me so many problems? Why was I continuing to bring things into my home that my family didn’t use or need?
From a very young age, we’re taught by the world that “things” make us happy, and the more things we have, the happier we will be. We’ve all heard these familiar phrases.
- The more, the better!
- The bigger, the better!
- New and improved!
God’s Word tell us that we should be content with having our basic needs met. First Timothy 6:6-8 says, “But Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.” – KJV
This is not to say that things are bad, or that God doesn’t want us to have things we enjoy. The problem is when our things begin to take control of our lives, or take away from the time we spend with the people and things that matter most to us. If you spend more than 10-15 minutes on your daily tidy-up routine, or more than a couple of hours a week cleaning, then you probably have too much stuff and not a place for everything. Tidying or cleaning your home should not be a grand undertaking. Even spring cleaning shouldn’t take so much time that you can’t conquer it in a couple of hours a day over a few days, or on a Saturday.
With that said, I also understand that if you have kids, or even a spouse, your home is going to get messy from time to time. I am married with two children and things have a way of getting out of their place a lot. The question is, does it take more than a few minutes to tidy up the mess? And once, it’s tidied up, does your space stiff feel cluttered?
Organized chaos is still chaos.
The bottom line is, I had to learn that decluttering is not something that should be done only once or twice each year, it’s something that needs to be done every single day. We are constantly bringing new things into our home, which means we should constantly be evaluating what needs to be removed from our home. Start by making decluttering a part of your daily routine.
Keep a box or tote handy that you can dedicate to put items in that you want to declutter. Keep the box out of the way, but convenient enough that it’s not a hassle to get to. Maybe that’s in your mud room, laundry room, or garage. When you stumble upon an item you either don’t use or don’t like anymore, immediately put it in the box. Once the box is full, take it to your local Goodwill, Salvation Army, or any other place that takes donations. Do NOT get another box to fill up! The longer you put off removing the clutter, the more the clutter will grow and be harder to transport to a donation center.
Don’t forget to get the whole family involved. Encourage everyone to use the donation box when they decide to part with something. Challenge everyone, including yourself, to add something new to the box each week. Just one item a week will make a big difference over the course of a year.
This is only one of the many great things I have learned, and am still learning, about living more minimal. If you’d like to hear more, stayed tuned for more insight and tips.
In the meantime, tell me about your declutter routine. How often do you declutter your home? Do you dread it? How do you get rid of your clutter?
Simple Thanksgiving Casserole
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1 lb. Ground turkey
- 1 12oz. pkg. Pepperidge Farm Country Style Cubed Stuffing (or any other variety)
- 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken Soup
- 1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom Soup
- 1 Soup can full of water
- 2 tbsp. Butter
- 2 1/2 cups Low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Diced onions
- 1/2 cup Diced celery
- 1/2 cup Diced carrots
- 3/4 cup Dried cranberries roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
I came up with this simple recipe just a few weeks ago when I was trying to come up with dinner and only had a pound of frozen turkey to work with. We’ve all been there. You’re due for a shopping trip, and you’ve stretched the pantry and fridge as far as it can go. I nearly resorted to making grilled cheese sandwiches with swiss cheese when it came to me.
When I think of Turkey, I immediately think of dressing, and I had nearly an entire 12 oz. bag of Pepperidge Farm’s stuffing ( I had already used about a cup of it in a meatloaf I’d made a few nights before). I had a few carrots and stalks of celery left over from making chicken pot pie, and I always have dried cranberries on hand because we eat them in our salads. All of this, along with a can each of cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soup on the verge of expiring, screamed savory casserole!
This casserole holds all the essential Thanksgiving favorites in one dish. And, since many of us will be downsizing the guest list this year, or even doing the holiday solo, this could be the solution to a simple, but still very delicious, Thanksgiving dinner.
Here’s how you make it:
Start by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and then brown the ground turkey in a skillet until fully cooked. Be sure to season the turkey with salt and pepper.
While the turkey is browning, add the butter to a separate pot and sauté onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until they start to soften.
Next, add the chicken broth and bring to a boil.
Once boiling, turn off the heat to the broth and veggie mixture and fold in the entire package of stuffing. In a separate bowl or large pitcher, combine the cream of chicken and cream of mushroom soups, along with one soup can full of water. Mix together with a whisk and pour the soup mixture into the stuffing mixture and stir together. It will be wet and soupy, but that’s how it should be.
Also, this is the time to add salt and pepper to the dressing mixture. Be sure to taste it to make sure it’s seasoned to your liking.
Now, it’s time to layer the casserole! You can use spray Pam or grease the dish with butter if you’re worried about it sticking. Start with 1/3 of the stuffing mixture in the bottom of a glass casserole dish. Layer 1/2 of the browned turkey on top of that, and then 1/2 of the chopped cranberries. Now repeat with another 1/3 of the stuffing mixture, and the remaining turkey and cranberries.
Finish with the last portion of the stuffing mixture on top. Use a spoon to smooth out the last layer and pop it in the oven and bake, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Turn up the heat to 375 degrees and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until casserole is bubbling and starting to brown on top.
And that’s it! Thanksgiving dinner in one dish. This would go perfectly with a baked sweet potato on the side.
If you end up going all out for Thanksgiving dinner this year, the recipe could definitely be adapted to use your leftover turkey (shredded), dressing and cranberry sauce. Although, you probably wouldn’t want to use the jellied cranberry sauce in a can for this recipe.
I hope you will give this recipe a try, and let me know what you think!
New Home Construction: Breaking Ground
Just a couple of weeks ago, the cleared stretch of land behind our current home was empty, quiet and peaceful. We had walked the field many days through the spring and summer imagining what it would be like to live in the quiet space between the trees. Although just a couple hundred feet behind our current house, the new homesite seems a world away.
The past couple of weeks have been a little surreal. Finally, after nearly three years of contemplating, researching, planning, and waiting, we have finally broken ground on the construction of our new home. The foundation, although not the most exciting, is the most important part of the plan. If the foundation isn’t solid, the rest of the house will not be sound. It has been interesting watching it be mapped out, dug, and poured in preparation of the next step – the blocks. The house will not have a basement, and we opted for a crawlspace foundation. Thanks to the beautiful, atypical November weather we’ve been having, this part is nearly finished!
We are very excited for the new home, but the addition of the new property has opened up a lot more possibilities for our little homestead. The home will be three quarters of the way surrounded by trees, giving us plenty of privacy and a beautiful view. Nate and I grew up in eastern Kentucky where a hilly, wooded view was the norm, so this is something we’ve missed. We don’t have large hills in central Kentucky, but being surrounded by woods is a nice substitute.
We’ll have space for all the gardening we could possibly handle. Nate and I are looking forward to landscaping the property and making it our own little paradise. I’ve been vegetable gardening using raised beds for the past several years, but the additional space will give us room for so much more. Fall is my absolute favorite time of the year, and I’m looking forward to raising my own pumpkins and growing corn for….well, corn, but also for the fodder!
At some point in the future, we would love to have a few small animals too. We would likely start with something small, like chickens, because who doesn’t love fresh eggs? But, for now, we are just focused on the new construction. One day, years from now, when we remember back to these moments as we watched our home physically come together, I want to know that we didn’t take it for granted. I am so appreciative for this opportunity, and I want to soak up every second of the process.
Although we look forward to moving into the new space, we currently have a home to live in while we build, so we aren’t in a rush to complete construction. I’m thankful for this because we’re able to be thoughtful and take time for important decisions. We may feel as if we’re living in a sardine can at times (most of the time), but God has blessed us with a home that is comfortable and safe. Plus, we have a front row seat for the construction of our new home right out our back window. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Hopefully, the next update will be more exciting than dirt, gravel and concrete. Hey, you have to start somewhere!
Unique Finds for our Cottage Farmhouse
For the last few years, I have been keeping my eye out for some unique statement pieces that would add interest and texture to our future cottage farmhouse. If you’re not familiar with the cottage style, it starts with a light and airy space typically having white or light colored walls. Spaces are usually styled with a collection of different textures, designs and shapes making them unique, warm and inviting. The furniture is anything but cookie cutter with each piece making it’s own statement by using items from different time periods and design styles.
I have been very selective with my collection because I have a specific vision for the home design and I want to know, before I make a purchase, that the item will have a place in our home. Although some of the items will be used strictly for décor, I tried to find pieces that were functional as well. Here are a few of my favorites that I have collected so far.
1930’s L.C. Smith Super-Speed Typewriter
I am a writer. What writer doesn’t want one of these? This, obviously, will not be used for my writing, but it’s definitely a conversation piece and an item I love to look at. I plan to use this for décor in my new office. This was a flea market find with a purchase price of only $35!
Antique Photo Album
This leather bound photo album was one of the first pieces to catch my eye. I found it at a town festival where vendors were set up and selling antiques. My sweet mother-in-law must’ve saw the sparkle in my eye because she snatched it up and bought it for me for $20 – a steal if you ask me! This will likely be used for décor only, but since it is a functional photo album, you never know.
Wicker Baskets and Dark Glass Bottles
These are not antiques, but when I saw them at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, I just had to have them. They were having a forty percent off sale that day on select items, so I only paid around $35 dollars for all four pieces. I wanted to incorporate some natural elements in our cottage farmhouse, and I thought these would go nicely in the laundry room. I’m planning to have a combination of cabinets and open shelving above the washer and dryer, and these are definitely pretty enough to display. The wicker baskets could be used to store things like microfiber clothes and dryer sheets, while the bottles could be used to hold natural cleaning agents like vinegar and baking soda.
Antique Rocker and Arm Chair Set
I lucked out and bought this set of antique chairs from my parents for the bargain price of $50! I plan to have them reupholstered for the new house, since their original upholstery had already been replaced, and I’m not fond of the current design. The wood detail and condition of these pieces are what really got my attention. I can image these sitting in our living/family room tucked beneath a large window and used for overflow seating.
1930’s Will Ross Industrial Physician Floor Lamp
I’ve saved the very best for last! My favorite and latest find is this antique physician adjustable floor lamp. My dad, a flea marker guru and master trader, found this gem at a local sale for a mere $10! I knew I had to have it as soon as I saw it. Would this not go perfectly with my L.C. Smith typewriter in my new office?!
Now, that the construction of our cottage farmhouse is about to be underway, Nate and I look forward to finding more additions to our collection. We don’t plan to have a house full of antiques, but we do want a even mix of new and weathered pieces. The point is for our home to feel warm and inviting. A cozy place to retreat to at the end of the day. A place where family and friends can gather and not fear that they will wrinkle the couch.
Do you love cottage style homes? Maybe you live in one. What pieces in your home stand out and make a statement? I’d love to hear from you.
The Simple Pleasures of Fall
Every season has wonderful and beautiful qualities and characteristics, but there’s something about the fall season that has always struck a chord with me. Kentucky is especially beautiful this time of year. The plentiful trees and variation of steep and rolling hills makes a perfect backdrop. I do my best to take in all the sights, smells and flavors before winter sweeps in and engulfs us with the cold winds, sleet and snow.
Even the simplest of fall things can help sooth away the stress of the day, if you only take the time to consider them. I’ve put together my top ten list of fall simples pleasures. These are the things that calm me, amaze me, or bring back the nostalgia of my childhood. These are in no particular order – I love them all!
1. Fall Colors
This one’s obvious, but simply cannot be left out. What would fall be without the beautiful variations of color?
2. Fallen Leaves
Who doesn’t remember jumping into a big pile of dried leaves as a kid? I’m 39, but I doubt I could resist the temptation even now!
3. Pumpkins
Each year, like many other families with little ones, we take a trip to the pumpkin patch. The kids are now 9 and 15, but they still wouldn’t want to skip it. We visit the animals in the barn and pet the donkeys, take a trip through the corn maze, and enjoy a slice of pumpkin roll or chili dog, but our most favorite part is picking out the pumpkins. I get them for decoration, but the kids get them for carving and painting. It’s always a competition each year for whose pumpkin will be the spookiest.
4. Front Porch Views
I’m rather fond of the view from my front porch, but nothing beats the view on a fall afternoon.
5. Fall Blooms
The leaves aren’t the only colors of fall. Mums, Roses, Hydrangeas, and Azaleas are just a few of the flowers that bloom, or are still blooming, during the fall in Kentucky. If you don’t have any fall blooms in your garden, consider adding a few to help extend the color throughout the fall season.
6. Warm Drinks and Sweet Treats
Whether you take a trip to the local coffee shop or make something at home with the kids, fall is the perfect season for enjoying those warm drinks and sweet treats. Whether it’s pumpkin-spice lattes and cinnamon rolls, or fall snack mix and hot chocolate, nothing beats these treats on a crisp fall day.
7. Camping Trips
Every fall, my family and I take a trip to a campground on the lake. The temperature and humidity are just starting to drop and the leaves are beginning to change, so it’s the perfect time for camping. We have an old vintage camper, which we love, that serves as our sleeping quarters (a possible future reno project), and we enjoy fishing, bike riding, and campfire cooking. It doesn’t get much better than that!
8. Porch Swings
If this isn’t a picture from everyone’s childhood in Kentucky. If you didn’t have a porch swing, you just weren’t cool. My husband has one on his little, cabin porch. It’s a nice, quite and relaxing place to unwind any time of year that the weather permits, but the views during the fall are my favorite.
9. Campfires and Wiener Roasts
If you don’t have a firepit, you need one! Fall is the perfect time for fires, and what better time to have a wiener roast and smores than when the air is cool and the scenery is beautiful?
10. Corn Fields
Whether you’re enjoying a trod through the local corn maze, making a fodder shock for fall decorations, or just driving by a field of corn, there’s nothing that says fall more than those sandy stocks that go on for miles.
I’m sure everyone has their own list of fall favorites. I’d love to hear some of yours!
Our Slice of Kentucky Pie
When Nate and I bought this property next to my parents, back in 2006, it was 1.6 acres and a double-wide mobile home. It wasn’t much, but we were grateful and excited to get away from apartment living and have a place to call our own. Both of us had just finished college and were thinking of starting a family, and that’s, pretty much, how the story went.
We loved the location of the property, but the home was small, and we knew we’d eventually grow out of it. Anyway, mobile homes depreciate over time, so our goal was to eventually build a home. Unfortunately, the only place on the property that made sense to build on was where our mobile home was sitting. For a while we wrestled with selling it, but, then, about two years ago, came an opportunity we couldn’t pass up.
Our farmer neighbor, whom had always been very kind to us and owned some acreage adjoined to ours, offered to sell us a 3.3 acre plot. The level land stretched out behind our property and was already cleared of trees, except for the ones that outlined the perimeter and a small patch of woods off to the side. It was perfect!
Although the land was cleared, there was still plenty of work to be done, so we spent the next year cleaning it up and the last year preparing to put our new construction plans into action. Thanks to Rona, this process has been long and mentally exhausting, but we are finally on the doorstep of our dream to build the home we’ve always wanted. I am humbled by this opportunity – one that I know many will never be blessed to experience.
Nate and I have put a lot of thought into every detail of this house, and we want to be very intentional about the decisions we make. Unless future circumstances lead us elsewhere, this is where we will live out our lives. I want it to be a place that feels comfortable, safe, and restful – a place that exudes warmth and happiness. This will be home.
In addition to providing us a place to build, the new property gave us a total of 4.9 acres that we can transform and landscape to our liking. We’re not one hundred percent sure, yet, what we will do with it, but we have some really great visions in mind. First thing’s first, let’s tackle the house, which by the way, should be underway within the next couple of weeks. Eeeeek!
Simple Chicken Salad
- You will need:
- 1 can of premium chicken breast (12 1/2 oz.)
- 1/2 of an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons of mayo
- 1/8 cup of pickle relish
- 1/8 cup of finely diced white onion
- Pinch of Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup of purple seedless grapes, halved
- Chopped pecans or sliced almonds for topping
Chicken salad is one of those foods that are so versatile. You can spread it on sliced bread or a croissant, stuff it in a garden tomato, top it on a salad, or use it for a veggie or cracker dip. It’s a great food to bring to a party or church function for a snack, and you can make it ahead of time, without sacrificing the quality or taste!
The bottom line is, who doesn’t love a good chicken salad? What most people don’t love is the hassle of putting it together. I say, it doesn’t have to be complicated! I’ve been using this foolproof recipe for years and it always gets praises.
Here’s how you make it.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the chicken, cream cheese, mayo, relish, and onion. You can also add a pinch of salt and a dash of pepper now, but you may want to add more at the end to your liking.
Using a hand mixer, mix all the ingredients until just combined and cream cheese is evenly distributed (no clumps). FYI – if you like chunky chicken in your chicken salad, this is probably not the recipe for you. 🙂
Now, using a rubber spatula (not the mixer), you can fold in the grape halves. If you’ve never tried grapes in chicken salad, please don’t skip this step. Give it a try – you will love it! And if you don’t love it, they won’t be that hard to pick out. 🙂
And….done!
I had some whole wheat pita pockets, which were perfect stuffed with this creamy goodness! If you’re making this for yourself and you love nuts, you can fold those into the chicken salad as well, but I like using the nuts for a topping. It makes the dish more inclusive for people who either don’t like nuts or can’t have them for medical reasons.
By the way, if you’re not a fan of canned chicken, you can also use the same amount of shredded rotisserie chicken or chicken that you baked and shredded yourself ahead of time.
I hope you love this go-to recipe as much as I do. Please let me know if you try it!
- You will need:
Easy Crock-pot Southwest Chicken
- You will need:
- 2 thick boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into halves (or 4 thin-sliced ones)
- 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed)
- 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn (canned will work also – drained)
- 1 10 oz. can of Rotel Original
- 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
- 1 cup of colby jack or cheddar jack cheese
- 1 package of taco seasoning mix
- 1 tbsp. white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tbsp. of olive oil, plus more to grease the crock-pot.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Soft flour tortillas (optional for the side)
- Sour cream (optional for the side)
I am always experimenting with recipes and trying to find ways to make them simpler and quicker. I am not a fan of processed food, and I try to buy the organic options of as many grocery items as I can. But, let’s be realistic, I’m not perfect and I don’t have the time and money to try to live up to unrealistic standards. I do try my best though, and one of the things I take pride in is preparing homemade meals for my family with as many fresh and organic ingredients as I can.
This southwest chicken recipe came to me on a whim. I almost always have chicken in the freezer because its so versatile and great for days when I don’t have the time and energy to be very creative. My go-to is usually quesadillas, but I was rummaging through the pantry cabinet one day and spotted a can of Rotel and black beans. A brilliant light seemed to stream down from heaven, and I immediately grew excited. They would pair perfectly with some sweet corn, and the fresh cilantro growing in my garden.
This is how I did it. FYI – this recipe makes four servings.
First, plug in your crock-pot and set to “low” (I like to add about a teaspoon of olive oil to the crock-pot and a smear it over the bottom and sides to coat it.). Then, using a sharp knife, I cut the two thick breasts in half. You can also use thin-sliced chicken breast, but I find its cheaper to buy them in one piece and slice them myself.
Salt and pepper each side of the chicken and then use about 1/3 of the taco seasoning packet to sprinkle on both sides of the chicken. Save the remainder of the taco seasoning because you will need it again in a moment.
Add the olive oil to a pan and heat on medium-high. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet, but any pan will do. The idea is to sear the chicken on both sides, not cook it through, so don’t add the chicken to the pan until it is very hot.
The chicken should easily pull away from the pan when the chicken has a golden brown crust. It usually takes about 3-4 minutes on each side.
Once the chicken is seared, remove it from the pan and place it directly into the heated crock pot. Now, for the southwest part. 🙂
In a medium to large bowl, add the corn, black beans, Rotel, and cilantro. Sprinkle in the remainder of the taco seasoning mix and the sugar, and then add about a half cup of water.
Gently fold the mixture until is it all combined (Be careful not to smash the black beans). Pour the corn and bean mixture evenly over the chicken in the crock-pot (no need to stir again), place the lid on, and cook on low for about 2 1/2-3 hours. Keep in mind that if you use whole/thicker pieces of chicken breast, you may need to cook it longer.
Once the chicken is done and tender, carefully remove the lid and gently lift the chicken pieces to the top of the corn and bean mixture, so they are visible and laying on top.
Cover the top of each piece of chicken with about 1/4 cup of colby jack cheese (or more, if you like), and replace the lid until the cheese is completely melted (about 5-7 minutes).
And just like that, you have southwest chicken for dinner! Be sure to scoop out a good portion of the corn and bean mixture with each piece of chicken. You can top it with sour cream and more fresh cilantro, and serve soft flour tortillas on the side.
If you get a chance to try this recipe, let me know how it turned out! Hope you enjoyed it as much as my family did.
Just a tip – I stored the leftover corn and bean mixture in the fridge. The next day I heated it up, added a dollop of sour cream, and ate it with tortilla chips. It made an amazing dip!
- You will need:
Kentucky Trails: Our Family Adventure 2019
This year for vacation, we decided, for the second year in a row, to stay in good ol’ Kentucky. It’s true, I love the beach, which seems to be the most popular attraction for family vacations among my family and friends. However, there are some really great options right here in our home state that offer tranquil settings, which can rejuvenate the mind and body.
If you’ve never been to Kentucky’s Nature Bridge State Resort Park, it’s definitely an option worth exploring. Set in the beautiful Daniel Boone National Forest, it’s a hop, skip, and a jump away from the the Red River Gorge Geological Area. Both areas offer a large variety of hiking trails for anyone from the youngest of adventurers to the experienced hiker looking for a new challenge.
Rock Bridge: Red River Gorge 
Princess Arch: Red River Gorge 
Chimney Top Rock: Red River Gorge
We rented a sweet, little cabin in a private and secluded hillside development, but if that’s not your style, there are several great campsites for tents or RV’s. You can also book a reservation at the Hemlock Lodge.
I’ve really enjoyed this time with my family. It was nice to put down the devices and take notice of each other and the beautiful world around us. In addition to getting some good exercise, we’ve enjoyed listening to each other’s random rambles, midday naps, and late night campfires. The thing I loved most, though, is simply being in nature.
It’s probably just the Kentucky girl in me, but I love the calmness of the trees and the earthy smell of moss, dead leaves, and pine needles. There’s a certain peacefulness I feel when I’m surrounded by the towering timbers that I can’t get anywhere else. The views of the gorge and cliffs never cease to amaze and remind me of God’s greatness. It also reminds me that although I seem insignificant in this great, big world, I am loved beyond measure by my creator.
Have you ever been to Natural Bridge or Red River Gorge in Kentucky?
What is your favorite Kentucky destination?
