I have been a busy, busy lady! I told y’all my goal for this week was to have all my Christmas shopping done and my Christmas cards ordered, right?
Well, I worked my bum off and gave it a valiant effort, but sadly I’m not quite done. 🙁 I have two more stores to go to and I need to run to the Post Office to mail some stuff….then I WILL be done.
As far as the Christmas cards go, I haven’t even started them yet. I’m hoping to work on them tomorrow. Auuuughhh…so much to do and too little time to do it!
I’m feelin’ very stubborn though and am bound and determined to get it all done on MONDAY! I really, really….like REALLY want to get all the “to-do’s” done so I can just kick back and enjoy the holidays. I told Kev I want to hoard all the children, make everyone wear cozy jammies, listen to Christmas music, make Christmas treats, do some puzzles and play some games.
AND that’s it…..I just want to revel in the spirit and coziness of Christmas. Sounds like heaven, right?
I think so.
Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the things we’ve been doing the past couple days (aside from Christmas shopping and going crazy)…
On Thursday night, we were able to go to the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas Concert with one of my best friends in the world, Ali and her husband Josh. LOVE THEM! We went to Olive Garden for dinner and then went to the concert afterward. It was a wonderful night.
I’ve been friends with Ali since Junior High and we were roommates down at College for a couple years. We always have so much fun and revert back to being High Schoolers whenever we’re together…
Actually make that Elementary Schoolers, ha ha. We laughed and laughed and laughed and talked incessantly all night long. We probably shouldn’t even be in public together, lol!
We always have so much fun!
Anyway, Olive Garden has a whole “Lighter Italian Fare” section on their menu, which I love! I ordered the Lasagna Primavera with Grilled Chicken (Hand-folded lasagna filled with zucchini, squash and bell peppers. Topped with a tomato-basil sauce, grilled chicken and a creamy parmesan drizzle.) and it was fabulous!
Loved every bite.
And, I have to say the Christmas concert was PHENOMENAL as well!!! I loved it so much! Each year, a well-known singer and a speaker is invited to come be a part of the program. This year, renowned soprano Deborah Voigt and acclaimed British actor John Rhys-Davies were a part of the program.
I loved it so much. It really is a top-notch program and so well done.
I found a little clip on You Tube with highlights from last years concert (with Alfie Boe and Tom Brokaw) and it’s fabulous. Here it is if you care to watch it (I highly recommend it!) I love this concert so much and look forward to it every year.
Well, the whole “health and fitness” part of my life has really been suffering lately. I’m still trying to eat well, but my workouts have been very sporadic. 🙁
It’s been tough. I’ve had sick kids, a bunch of Christmas events to attend, a million errands to run and consequently, not enough time or stamina to workout regularly.
It’s been sad. BUT, I know things will calm down soon and I will be able to stick to a more regular schedule again.
I really, really, really hate missing workouts because I’ve learned it can become a very slippery slope. What I mean by that is that once I miss a workout, it becomes very, very easy to miss another and another until I eventually become a stagnant slug. It’s not good.
I can always come up with a million reasons why I “can’t” workout, but I’ve learned I have to ignore all of those reasons excuses and just get ‘er done. I have to be extremely committed and diligent to my workout schedule or it just won’t happen. Life is always pulling me in a bunch of directions, but I know I have to make exercise a top priority.
With that being said, when I woke up this morning I really didn’t feel like going to the gym. I was worn out and knew I had a bunch of things waiting to get done. BUT, as soon as I recognized the excuses and negativity creeping in, I just got up, got ready and got out the door.
And, I’m so glad I did. I got a killer workout in and I’m sure I won’t be able to walk tomorrow. Score.
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I also wanted to share a yummy, healthy and KID FRIENDLY meal I made for dinner this week. Everyone loved it and I’m sure it will be a regular meal in our house from now on. It was for Baked Chicken Nuggets and they were so good!
I based my recipe loosely on one I found on AllRecipes.com, but I made mine a little healthier and added more spices and flavors in. Here’s how I made them.
Healthy Baked Chicken Nuggets
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 cups bread crumbs**
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon parsley
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon basil
- 3 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons skim milk (or milk of choice)
**I prefer to make my own bread crumbs, so I can choose the bread! I just toast my bread in the toaster and then blend it up in the blender!
Super easy! I’ve found that one slice of bread yields about 1/3 cup bread crumbs.
And here’s how I make the nuggets….
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the chicken breasts into nugget sized pieces…
Put the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese and all the spices in a large Ziploc bag (or bowl.)
Put the eggs and milk into a bowl and beat well. I used a glass 4 cup measure (a 2 cup would work too!) and it worked perfectly.
Dip the chicken in the egg mixture and then put it into the crumb mixture in the Ziploc bag (I used a slotted spoon to get the chicken out of the eggs and it worked very well)…
After all the chicken is in the bag, seal it and shake it up really well until all pieces are coated…
Place a rack (like a cooling rack) on a cookie sheet and spray well with cooking oil…
Place the chicken in a single layer on the cookie sheet(s).
Bake at 400 degrees for 20-30 minutes (depending on the size of the nuggets.) Just make sure the chicken is cooked completely (I cut into some of the bigger pieces to make sure they weren’t pink!)
Serve with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!
My kids all loved these! In fact, two of my boys said they tasted like Chick Fil-A nuggets! I consider that to be the ultimate compliment. I love Chick Fil-A so much and have professed my love for their nuggets many times on this blog. AND, these homemade nuggets are a lot healthier! Woot!
I hope you guys enjoy these as much as we did!
I gotta go to sleep now so I can keep up with my crazy life. Have a great night. xoxo
Melanie I think your blog is one of my very favorites. I hope I don’t sound like a broken record, but I really enjoy reading it. You are so down to earth and real about your day to day life, and I love it. You amaze me with all that you do with such a large family. I feel overwhelmed and I only have 1 child, lol! Anyways, I’m doing my Christmas cards tomorrow too. We took pics with Santa today, so those will go on the cards. I still basically have all my Christmas shopping to do! I have to get it done this week, it’s just so hard with all the recipe writing I do, but I’ll manage like I always do! 🙂
Oh, you are so so so sweet! Thanks so much for your kind words and support. Oh, and BTW I thought it was tough with one child too! I’m just grateful I didn’t have all of my kids at once….now that would be overwhelming. 😉 I hope your Christmas cards and shopping go well this week. I can’t wait to get everything done so I can just enjoy the season!!
Those chicken nuggets look tasty!!
Sounds like you had a productive week and still managed to fit in some time for fun – hooray!!
Good luck finishing up the last of the shopping.
We really enjoyed the nuggets and will make them again soon, I’m sure. I’m hoping to get all the Christmas stuff done ASAP, so we just just par-tay on the rest of the season!
My workouts have suffered the past week as well since I’ve got finals going on and have this weird flu thing. I think the important thing is to just fit in exercise when we can and when our bodies are up for it, and that’s really all you can ask for! Sometimes spending time with loved ones is far more important than a workout! I’m glad you had a fun time with your friend–you two are so gorgeous! Those chicken nuggets look awesome! I used to love chicken nuggets when I ate meat (they were the only kind I’d eat as a kid), but now I prefer breaded and baked tofu. With ketchup it tastes pretty similar! 🙂 Have a great week and enjoy yourself!
I think you’re right, I know it’s important to find the balance in life and not let it get too crazy. Thanks for your kind words too. Oh, and breaded tofu sounds….interesting, but yummy!
I know what you mean about the slippery slop of not exercising. I’ve not been very good about it lately and it’s hard to get going again, but I’ve made the commitment to get back on track.
It really is so hard, but I think the important thing is that we keep getting back on track and don’t quit, right?
I know all too well about that slippery slope and it is the darn truth. It’s sooooo easy getting out of the habit and making excuses as to why we don’t have time to workout. It’s all about not listening to that voice and yes, like you said, just get er’ done!!
I’m glad to know I’m not alone! As we both know, living a healthy lifestyle is tough and takes daily commitment, but is so worth it!
The chicken nuggets look amazing.
I agree things are crazy busy right now and it is just so hard to get it all in. Yikes.
I love Christmas, but am starting to look forward to it being over so life can calm down a bit. Sad, but true. 🙂