Tasty Tuesday~One pot cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole

One pot cheesy chicken broccoli and rice casserole

Course: main course  Cuisine: American

Prep time: 10 min  Cook time: 20 min Total time: 30 min

servings: 6  Calories: 244 Author: Joanna Cismaru

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 small onion chopped
• 2 chicken breasts cut into small cubes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 3/4 cup rice uncooked
• 10 oz cream of chicken soup (1 can)
• 3 cups chicken broth low sodium
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley chopped

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add chopped onion and cubed chicken. Cook on medium heat for a few minutes until the chicken starts to brown a bit. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until garlic gets aromatic.
• Add the rice, cream of chicken soup and chicken broth. Start with 2 cups of chicken broth and if more is needed add more until rice is fully cooked. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and cook over medium heat until the rice is fully cooked, stirring occasionally, should take about 15 minutes or so. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary.
• Add the broccoli florets and half the cheese then continue cooking for 2 more minutes, until broccoli softens a bit. Sprinkle over the top with remaining cheese and place the skillet under the broiler for a couple more minutes, just until it melts and starts to brown a bit.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.

No drama

Nail Files. Week # 311

This week I'm wearing Fresh Paint-Passion Fruit (light pink) & China Glaze-Be Bright Back (lighter pink). I got the cherry blossom nail decals from a wish on a pen pal group. The decal on the middle finger isn't sticking. The sides keep lifting.

Spring bucket list

*Plant a garden.
*Plant some flowers.
*Go for a bike ride. (Just found out that my bike is broken).
*Take photos with the good camera.
*Have a picnic.
*Go on a nature walk.
*Take pictures of nature.
*Make a bird feeder.
*Go to a farm.
*Read outside.
*Go to a yard sale.
*Go to a flea markets.
*Go to a farmers market.

Wordless Wednesday

Happy Earth day

Happy Earth day. Is there anything you are doing to help with the earth? I really try to recycle. Lately I've been keeping different lids to put under my houseplants, when I water them. I have a lid from the top of a fruit cup (It was 1 of the bigger 1s) & I kept a lid from an Olive garden to-go container. I love planting flowers & trees & I love plants that are good for the air in your house. I also recycle magazines & cut out photos to use in journals & smashbooks. They are also good for vision boards.

Happy Easter

Wordless Wednesday

Love story

So back in 1966, Mr. blue eyes met a red-head girl with green eyes. He thought she was so pretty. She took off her glasses because they were at a bar & glasses weren't cool. She couldn't see where she was going. But they talked & started dating. Mr. Blue eyes was divorced & had 3 youngish kids. Mr. Blue eyes & the red-head girl got married in 1967. They moved to CA for a few years. Then moved back to MA & ended up living on the same street for over 50 years. They ended up having a mini-red-head girl (me) & they went on a lot of adventures. To NY, VA & Maine. They had lots of family & friends. Dad was a hockey ref & Mom liked doing crafts & houseplants & reading. Young & the restless. People magazine. There was a big 25th anniversary in our backyard. It looked so pretty with white tents & candles, balloons & lights. I moved out & got married & had my own little girl. They had different cats. Nikki, Randy ,Kasey, Kodi, Brittany & now Sunshine. There was always lots of love in that house. My Mom got sick & was in the hospital & My Dad told her that she was still beautiful. That made her smile. She finally passed away on April 9th. We were looking at old photos & he kept saying she was so pretty. I wish we could all find a love like that. My parents were married for 51 & 1/2years. I feel like my Dad is going to be lost with out my Mom. I want to have him stay with us for a few days & we will help him clean out things, when the time is right. There you have it a true real life Love story. Mr. Blue eyes & mini-red-head girl will always have an ache in their hearts & feel like something is missing without red-head girl (Her hair was actually white in her later years).

Sad news

My Mom passed away yesterday morning. My Dad called me around 7:15am & told me. She had been sick for about a year. Her liver wasn't doing good. She had cirrhosis of the liver from a medication that she took for like 25 years. She kept getting ammonia on her liver & uti's & she would start hallucinating. She had been in & out of the hospital & a rehab place. The past month or so she really wasn't eating much. We went & saw her at the end of March & she was pretty out of it that day. She was kind of in & out of it. I wasn't sure if she remembered us being there, but my Dad said the next day that she did. Back in January my Dad facetimed me & showed me her & I just got the feeling that she wasn't going to be around much longer. A few days later she went in the hospital & 1 doctor said that he thought she might have a year left. So I thought we might have 1 more Mother's day & 1 more birthday phone call & 1 more day celebrating her birthday. Maybe 1 more Christmas too. She didn't come to Christmas this past year, but the year before she did & it was a great day. It was just my parents & my hubby & my daughter & I. I had planned to go see her once a month, if she wasn't hallucinating (really, she kept getting uit's & the ammonia, so it seemed like she was more out of it that with it). But I got the phone call yesterday that I was dreading. I wasn't surprised though. She was a strong person that went through so much in her life & the past year. I always lived in fear of losing my parents. I would have panic attacks thinking about it. That's gone on for the past 20 or more years. So my fear is here. I'm an only child, sort of. I'm my Mom's only child, my Dad was married at 19 & had 3 kids & then got divorced & married my Mom & had me. So I do have a half sister & 2 half brothers (1 brother passed away). But I was close with my parents. I'm the only 1 that grew up living with them. I'm getting bad chest pains & headaches. The wake isn't until Sunday, the memorial on Monday & then the burial on Tuesday. In MA on Monday it's Patriots day, so the cemetery is closed. It's suppose to pour non-stop on Monday anyway (Marathon Monday). This is such a hard thing to go through, but I had to write about it.

An old pic of my Mom & I in VA. We both had red hair (before hers turned white) & green eyes & we both were Cancers.

Monday Motivation

Currently

Reading: A Roux of Revenge by Connie Archer

Watching: Very Cavallari

Listening to: When Legends Rise-Godsmack

Planning: Our Summer vacation.

Loving: The nice weather that we had today.

Drinking: Chai tea & Green tea lattes

Dreaming about: Summer

Nail Files. Week # 310

I'm loving this pretty royal blue polish. It's OPI~Tile Art to warm your heart. This color really makes me happy.

Peace, Love, Cats

Wordless Wednesday~Gerber Daisy

Tasty Tuesday-Ritz Chicken casserole

Ritz Chicken casserole

40 minutes to prepare. 

Serves 4.

Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 1 (10.75 oz.) can cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika, garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F and lightly grease a 8x8-inch baking dish with butter or non-stick spray.
2. Combine soup and sour cream in a large bowl, then stir in shredded chicken.
3. Season generously with salt and pepper, and stir in Italian seasoning, paprika and red pepper flakes.
4. Pour mixture into greased baking dish, then top with crushed ritz crackers.
5. Evenly pour melted butter over the crushed crackers, then place baking dish in oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until dish is heated through and crackers are golden brown.
6. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

*I made this recipe last night & I think it would be really good with corn or potatoes. Otherwise serve with veggies on the side.

Recipe adapted from Bake At Midnite

April Goals

It's so crazy that it's already April. Each year goes faster than the year before. I must be getting old.

-Get together with a friend or 2 for lunch 

-Get rid of all the stuff that I have for Goodwill (I have stuff in my car & in my closet. I need to get it out of the house).

-Go see my Mom. She isn't doing good.

-Re-pot my plants that are getting too big.

-Take more pictures.

-Do 2 You tube videos.

-Sit outside on a nice day.