Jalapeno Kettle Chip Chicken w/ Jalapeno Ranch and Lemon Garlic Roasted Brocolli

My husband LOVES spicy food so I'm trying out some Jalapeno recipes for him :)  I love this one because its so easy and simple, and I can modify my portions to not have the spice! I made a great lemon garlic roasted broccoli to compliment the jalapeno taste and round out the meal.

Jalapeno Ranch Dipping Sauce:
1/4 cup mayo
1/4 cup lowfat sour cream
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp lowfat buttermilk
1 tbsp Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (powder mix)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash of cayenne
5-6 hot pickles jalapeno slices (finely chopped) --- I made 1/2 with, 1/2 without so his would be spicy but mine wouldn't be.

Mix all ingredients together (adding additional buttermilk until desired consistency).
Refrigerate until ready to use.

Jalapeno Chicken:
4 chicken breasts
1 bag Jalapeno Kettle Chips crushed
1 cup lowfat buttermilk
1 tsp salt
dash of cayenne

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a bowl whisk together buttermilk, salt, and cayenne.
Pound down chicken to 1/2" thickness and add to buttermilk mixture- coat well.

Place crushed Kettle chips in a shallow baking dish.
Pull chicken breast out of buttermilk and gently shake to remove excess.
Dip into the chips and coat thoroughly on both sides.

Place on baking sheet.
Repeat until all chicken breast are thoroughly coated.

Place into oven and bake for 25-35 minutes, until cooked through.
Serve with jalapeno ranch dipping sauce.


Lemon Garlic Roasted Broccoli:
Floret Bunch of Broccoli
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic
Lemon Juice
Grated Parmesan Cheese

If you are cooking these by themselves, pre- heat oven to 425- if you are making with the chicken, just cook at same temp as the chicken (375)

Take a large bunch of broccoli, cut into florets.
Place on cookie sheet- toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in.
Roast in oven for 15-25 minutes, until crisp tender and the tips are starting to brown.

When its done, take out of the oven- squeeze lemon juice over the broccoli and add more olive oil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This broccoli is AMAZING- it will make you want to eat it more often, trust me!!!

Enjoy :)

Reflection on our 1st Year of Marriage

As we celebrate our one year wedding anniversary,  I wanted to look back and reflect on just how much we have grown as a couple.   We tell everyone we see just how much we love God and love each other- we think we have the best marriage ever! But boy, did Satan try to steal our joy any way possible! Thankfully we know the power of prayer and of having faith in our Lord even when the darkness seems overwhelming.

The challenges and tribulations started out right away for us-  In January 2011, the month before our wedding my Opa passed away- 2 weeks later, Brian's grandpa passed away.  Within 2 weeks we lost both our grandpas-  it broke my heart to know that they just barely missed seeing our wedding.

Me and my brothers at Opa's 100th Birthday Party

While our snow wedding was absolutely perfect- it did come with some stress.  Just getting to the church in the snow and ice was stressful enough! Due to the closed highways, many family members were not able to make it and we lost about 3/4 of our guests.

our wedding day snow!

Then came our decision to radically change our lifestyle and budget.  We wanted to be debt free as quickly as possible- so we cut back everywhere to achieve our goal- gas, food, clothes, entertainment, you name it, we cut it! If it could be sold, we sold it! If we got money for anything 100% of it went to debt- bonuses, gifts, everything! We were totally committed and "gazelle intense" (as Dave Ramsey would say) about this.   And it paid off big time!  In the first year of our marriage we paid off 45, 000 in debt and created a savings account!  But it did come at a price,  many people didn't understand our new lifestyle- we weren't able to do social activities that cost money, we weren't able to eat out at all, we couldn't drive very far- our gas budget was only big enough to go to work and church, and even that was a stretch sometimes!  We unintentionally hurt some people by having to say "no" and lost some friends along the way.  But, we were following Gods plan, and we knew we were  doing it for the better of our future and to better serve the Lord.

The biggest hurdle we had to overcome in our first year was Medical expenses!  Brian had not had health insurance for awhile and had not been treated for some problems for a long long time- being a loving wife, I promised him I would take care of him no matter what the cost :)  So, Brian had a much needed knee surgery in May- he had been walking around on a torn ACL and broken knee cap for years- way before I even met him- can you imagine?!?!?   I followed that up with Gallbladder surgery in September.  And along the way we had major dental work, treatments for a leg infection, some unexplained medical problems and testing, and eye glasses.   So, by mid-year both our health insurances had the ded and oop completely paid (not a good sign) and the dental insurance was maxed out, leaving us to pay 100% cash out of pocket the rest of the year!  Whew!  A total of over $8,000  was spent on medical in 1 year!!!!

Our dog, Baby Girl must have wanted to fit in because it was our most expensive medical year for her too- she had a "hot spot" on her neck (bleeding profusely from her neck)- we had to rush her to the doggy ER followed by multiple visits to the vet to help with the cyst and hemorrhaging.  You guessed it- major $$$ for that too! But we love our little doodie :)

But, with all those hard things, came so many more blessings!!!

Our wedding was absolutely perfect- we didn't spend crazy amounts of money on our wedding like most people do these days- we wanted to get at the heart of what God intended a wedding ceremony to be.  So we didn't focus on fancy meals and decorations, we didn't hire a wedding planner, or book  an expensive venue - WE planned our own wedding, got married at the very church we both found God and where we met, everything at our wedding was home made and everything had love and thought put into it. We were blessed with the friends and family who gave of their time and money to help make this day happen!  We opened our ceremony with worship and praise and we wrote our vows together.  I had the most gorgeous dress in all the world and had the most perfect first kiss as husband and wife. We loved every second of our winter wedding, we danced the entire night and we were so happy we were finally married!

 We went to Las Vegas for our Honeymoon and stayed in a castle fit a king and queen :) It was so fun exploring the city together, seeing the shows, riding roller coasters, drinking Coke from around the world (don't ever drink Italy), breakfasts at Denny's, gondolas, the Eiffel Tower, beautiful fountains, running across streets, walking till we couldn't walk anymore, kissing in front of the Welcome to Vegas Sign - we made so many memories that week!

Brian was blessed with a new job and a career change- This would allow him to work for a wonderful company, have health insurance, full benefits, higher salary, and most important a normal 8-5 Monday through Friday work schedule- which meant we could spend more time together!

First day of Work!

 On April 24th, my birthday and Easter day, Brian was baptized!  There is no better birthday present than to see your husband be baptized.  That was such a big day for us!

We had a new baby nephew, Liam, born to Chris and Myranda- he is just so cute and precious.  We were also there to take care of The Weavers as Baby Finn was born- very prematurely. We kept Betsey company while on bed rest in Mercy and got to watch as miracles happened before our eyes and God took care of Baby Finn every step of the way.  We witnessed my brother Nic's wedding as he also got married in LifeChurch.

Liam Amanis

My brother and his bride

Baby Finn

 We had a lot of fun transforming the house from a "bachelorette" house, with teal walls, to a true "family home"-  we paid in cash for new furniture, we were gifted some furniture (thank you mom!), painted the walls- everything.  It's like we moved to a new home, in the same home- we absolutely love our house, as small as it is, its perfect for us.

We road tripped down Route 66 this summer- from OKC to Tulsa and stopped at all the famous landmarks along the way.   Oh my gosh- what a fun trip this was!! We took so many pictures and laughed and sang and talked the whole way.  We ate buffalo burgers at Rock Cafe and stayed at Hard Rock in Tulsa and went to the New Kids on the Block/ Backstreet Boys concert- um, loved NKOTB back in the day!

We are big OSU fans, we have season tickets with my mom every year- and this was a truly magical season for us!  We love going to all the games, the memories we make as a couple and as a family are priceless to us. We were the Big XII champs and got to celebrate with everyone in the stadium as we beat OU (finally!!!).  As a little girl I always looked at the little old couples who came to all the games, holding hands, so in love- and I always wished and hoped and prayed that would be me someday- and it will be!  We are there to cheer our team on win or lose, rain or shine, snow or heat, in a crowd or by ourselves from now until were 101! :)

 We decided to go to the A&M away game this year, since they were leaving the Big XII- I don't think we could have picked a better game to go to!   From the over 100 degree temps and feeling like we were dying to the amazing come back our team made- we will never forget this trip!  We explored everything on campus, went to the Midnight Yell, took pictures with the Yell Leaders, visited the George Bush Museum- everything! We were so impressed with how nice and classy everyone there was to us.

We also love the Philadelphia Eagles- so for Christmas we went to Dallas to watch them play.  It was Brians first ever pro game- we had a blast! And yes, the Eagles won that game too! Fly Eagles Fly! We stayed at the Gaylord Texan and went to the game on Christmas Eve (which was also our 2yr dating anniversary).  We also got to put up our first Christmas tree and hang Christmas lights together! It was one of the best Christmas's ever! (followed closely by our very first dating Christmas, where I knocked over and broke the tree and we got stuck in the snow 3xs trying to get to my moms :)....oh the memories!)

We were so blessed to be able to pay off such a large amount of debt our first year-  we believe in the power of prayer and the blessings that come from faithful tithing.   There were many months when numbers did not add up and we just had to have faith that God would provide.  Whether it was an unexpected bonus, a friend paying for a meal, a refund check out of nowhere, or a surprise blessing-God took care of us and we always had our basic needs covered.

I could list out a million memories and silly things we did from our first year-  making it "rain" on a scorching hot summer day (shooting the water from the hose into the air and standing under it) , creating  our FFF (Fritts Family Fun Nights) , sleeping on the mattress with our dog many many nights while she healed from her own medical problems, the Journey concert, meeting Mandisa (bucket list item!), meeting Nadamukong Suh (eh, not so friendly), brian falling into a lake, riding over whitecaps in a bass boat (terrifying!), finding sweet handwritten love notes hidden in lunch boxes or around the house, or the nights we just stayed in and cuddled up to a movie,  making hot apple cider in the winter, or smores in the summer, waking up next to the love of your life and just cuddling before having to start the day, singing songs together in the morning as we got ready-  Being silly and making memories is what life and love is all about.

 This was by far the happiest and most blessed year of my life.   I married my best friend and we will be "newlyweds" for as long as we live.  I love him, and maybe even more importantly, I truly like him.  Everything we went through, both good and bad this year, made us so much stronger as a team and stronger in our faith with God.  We truly believe we have the best marriage ever, whether that's true or not, doesn't matter- all that matters is that we both believe it!

I'm excited to see what our 2nd year of marriage brings- we have some miracles we are praying for in this upcoming year and we are trusting in God for those.  So far the love story God designed just for us has been a fairy tale- we have truly become One and will continue to purse and study each other, always choosing to love and and serve the other!

I love you Brian! Thank you for being the best husband in the world- thank you for loving me and respecting me, serving me and protecting me. You are my best friend and my #2.

Trix on a Stick!

This is a fun and easy treat to make- perfect for a party, get together, or holiday gathering!  Its like a rice krispie, but with Trix instead- much cuter and funner...i know, i know, thats not a word! :)

Here is what you need:
1 box of Trix cereal (10.7 oz)
1 bag of small marshmellows
Stick of butter (you wont use it all)
1 pkg mini jumbo sticks (you can find these at Hobby Lobby in the wood section)

Make 'Em:
In a microwave safe bowl put 1 package of small marshmellows nnd 2 tbs butter.

Cook on high for 3 minutes (watch it, every microwave is different- the first time we made it we had a marshmellow mountain explosion)

Next, butter your spatula- this makes stirring the stickiness much much easier!

Add 3/4 of the Trix box to the bowl of warm marshmellow mix- stir well.

Let cool for 10 minutes. (This helps it stick together better)

While you're waiting, butter a pan to place the trix balls on.

When you're ready to make the Trix balls, butter your hands so the mixture doesn't stick to your hands.  Re-butter your hands after every few Trix balls.

Grab a handful of Trix mix, roll into a firm ball in your hand and stick a stick in the middle of it.

Place it on your pan, and you're done!

Enjoy your yummy goodness!!! :)

Crockpot Tortilla Soup

This was my first ever crockpot cooking adventure- and now I see why crockpot cooking is such a hit! It was so easy and this recipe is soooo good- perfect meal for some winter time weather!

Total calories (without chips, sour cream, or cheese):  192.5 

Makes about 8 servings

Here is what you need:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 Cans of Rotel (the lime & cilantro one is really good, but the regular works fine too)
1 Can Black Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
1 Can Corn
1 Onion, chopped
2 Cans low sodium chicken broth
1-2 cups water
1 tbsp garlic powder*
1 tbsp chile powder*
1 tbsp ground cumin*
1 tbsp dried cilantro*
1 package Ranch Dip Mix

Tortilla chips
Sour Cream
Shredded Mexican blend cheese

*Instead of these individual spices, you can use a packet of Taco seasoning

Directions:
Put chopped onions, black beans, kidney beans, rotel, corn, chicken broth, water, Ranch Dip Mix, and spices (or pkt of taco seasoning) in crockpot and stir to mix.

Put chicken breasts on top, make sure they are submerged in liquid.

Cook on high 6-7 hours or low 8-9 hours

Before serving remove chicken from soup and shred, if needed.  (Sometimes they will fall apart on their own)

Return chicken to crock pot, stir to combine.

To serve, spoon into a bowl.  Top with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheese.

Enjoy :)

ICE Date

This is the perfect weekend winter time date- All the activities and clues are themed around ICE!  Its a laid back date with some romance mixed in :)

I left this clue out in the morning for my husband to find:

We had some Saturday morning errands to run, so on the way home to eat lunch I gave him his first clue:

Can you figure it out??  Time for an Icee!  We went and got Icees and then went home and made lunch- we went with a simple easy to make lunch- hot dogs and pepperoni rolls, make whatever you have on hand!

After lunch he got his next date card- which was for the game Dont Break the Ice:

We had so much fun playing this game! My husband definitely dominated- yes, he won every single game.  But it was so much fun laughing and being silly together!  

After that game, came our 2nd game:

ICE Wars!   Each person gets a bowl of 5 ice cubes- the first person to get all their cubes in the other persons shirt or pants- WINS! Get ready for some major laughing :)

Up next??? Time for some romance:

Downtown OKC has an outdoor skating rink at this time of year- what is more romantic than that :)

Up next was our dinner clue! (If you're not hungry you can move some of the date cards after dinner to before, or take some time to do some Saturday errands you still need to do!)

Dinner was Chili's-  get it? ICE is Chilly so we went to "Chilly's'.  We had a gift card here, which is why we went.  However, if you dont have a gift card and are trying to save money, like us, you can make some Chili at home (still the same play on words effect)!

After dinner it was time to relax- and the next date clue was just for that!

The clue is an ice cube, and then I put a 28 which represented Brian's age-  for Ice Age.  Its a cute movie and a great time to just relax and cuddle up with your love.

One last clue on this date:

No words needed for this clue! Gotta end the date with some ICE cream :)

Cost of the Date?

          Icees: $1.50

          Game $5.00 (you could also ask around a borrow from a friend)

          Ice Skating $10 per person (includes skate rental)

          Dinner & Movie- Free  (you can rent this movie for $2 at Family Video)

          Ice Cream:  Free (made our own sundae at home)

Entire Cost of the date: $26.50-- Wow! Thats so worth an entire day of fun with your spouse!

      

Hope you enjoy this date as much as we did! We didn't stop smiling and laughing the entire day!