Happy Father’s Day From the Ladies

My husband loves children.  He always has.  Even when we were dating (nearly 10 years before our own first child) he would “flirt” with babies everywhere we went.  At parties, he would often look right past whoever he was in conversation with at the moment to wave to a passing child.  I have to confess, sometimes it would annoy me that he wasn’t paying more attention to me or to whomever I perceived to be important at the time.

Now I’m grateful for his soft spot for children because I’ve seen how that has translated into his love for our girls.  He truly enjoys caring for them, and dotes on them from the moment they meet him squealing at the door, until he tucks them in at night.  He doesn’t have to be asked to help them get ready for bed, fix them a snack, or get up with them if a bad dream wakes them in the middle of the night.  He just loves taking care of his children.   He loves telling people about his “ladies”.

And the girls absolutely return his adoration.  They usually ask to call him at work at least once a day, and light up when they hear his car pull in at night. 

So happy Father’s Day baby.  Your ladies love you.

Happy Father’s Day to all you Daddies out there!

My Top Three (Sorta) Homemade Quick and Easy Meals

Next time you’re at a loss as to what to make for dinner, but don’t really feel like ordering pizza (again), try one of these quick and easy meals.  All have 6 ingredients or less, and are favorites with my family.  I usually keep a bag of boneless skinless chicken breasts in the freezer, which is why they are a common ingredient in all three meals.  All three serve 2 adults and 2 children or 3 adults.

1)      Sweet and Sour Chicken: This is an all-time favorite in our house, and one of the simplest to throw together

Cooking spray

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast strips

2 small bottles Sweet and Sour Sauce (I use La Choy)

1 small onion, chopped

1 20 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained

Instant rice, cooked (follow directions on box)

Spray a large non-stick skillet with cooking spray.  Add chicken breasts and sauté 6-7 minutes or until done.  Add sweet and sour sauce and pineapple and simmer for 10 minutes.  Serve over rice. 

2)      Chicken Caesar Salad

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed

2 bags of Cesar Salad mix (the kind that includes the lettuce, toppings and dressing)

Toss all ingredients together and serve with a piece of garlic bread.

3)      Monterrey Chicken

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 bottle of BBQ sauce

1 pkg of shredded cheddar cheese

1 bunch of green onions, chopped

1 small tomato, diced

Bacon bits

Preheat oven to 350°.  In a glass baking dish, place chicken breasts in a single layer, covering with BBQ sauce.  Bake for 30 minutes or until done, turning halfway through.  Top with shredded cheddar, green onions, tomato, and bacon bits and return to oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Enjoy!  So what about you?  What are your standby quick and easy recipes?

Doodlebugz™ June Giveaway

I went back and forth a little on a giveaway for this month, so we posed the question to our Facebook and Twitter fans as to what they would like to see us give away next. There seemed to be quite a bit of interest in the chalkboard placemats and lunchboxes, so we thought we would try something along those lines for June. I still wanted to give the winner a choice, so the lucky recipient will be able to select from the following:

• Kid’s Chalkboard Placemat

• Chalkboard Lunch Tote

• Crayon Apron (Note: due to limited quantities, the Girl’s Red and Blue Crayon Apron is excluded from this giveaway.  The Boy’s Red and Blue Crayon apron is still an option.)

The winner may have their prize embroidered if desired. See specific product listing for embroidery options and rules.
Similar to last time, there are four ways you can enter (you can enter all four ways):

• Follow Swanky Aprons on Twitter and Tweet the following: Doodlebugz™ #giveaway! RT & follow @swanky_aprons for a chance to win your choice! Offer ends 6/30. See https://swankyaprons.wordpress.com.
• Become a fan of Swanky Aprons on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swanky-Aprons/162652980980
• Subscribe to this blog (see the right side of the screen under Recent Tweets)
• Post a comment below with your choice of prize from swankyaprons.com

This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada. All entries must be in by midnight, June 30, 2010.

Good luck!