For far too long I did chicken all wrong.  Once I came up with this awesomeness I will never go back or probably try anything new.

Buy a large family pack of fresh boneless skinless chicken breast when it is on sale ($1.69-$1.99 I feel is a good deal or of course lower, but I haven’t seen it lower in a long time, except in super bulk. So if you do, you better let me know).  Buy two or more packs if you want. When you get home from the store just slice open your meat packages and slide it right into your crock pot.  Fill the crock pot with enough water to cover all your chicken.

(I prefer chicken breasts, but the tenders were a better deal, so that's what is pictured here.)

Cook for about 4-6 hours.  When it’s done, take some of your meat out and put into a strainer, you can work in batches so it’s easier.

Take your strainer to the sink and work with one chicken piece at a time.  Hold your chicken breast under running water and wipe away all the gunk and goo or ligament/vein pieces that might be left.  (The awesome thing about cooking it slow in a crock pot is that most of the fat and grossness has melted away and it’s easy to get the rest off. Plus the chicken is tender, juicy, and fall-apart yummy.)  After you have cleaned the chicken, simply cut into cubes and… wahlah!  You have perfectly awesome chicken ready to use right away or store in plastic zipper freezer bags. I like to store my chicken in portion sizes that I will most likely use all at once for a recipe.

Stow your chicken bags away in the freezer and then when you are in the mood for… chicken salad sandwiches, chicken in your favorite pasta dish, chicken in curry or rice dishes, chicken noodle soup, your favorite chicken and something casserole, chicken in a green or pasta salad, or chicken almost anything just grab a bag out of the freezer, either let it thaw in your fridge for later use or pop it right into the microwave and thaw just enough to loosen or warm for what you need.

I love this, because it is easy, I don’t have to work with nasty raw meat, it makes super yummy, tender chicken and makes for quick meals later on.

I was going to post my homemade chicken noodle soup, but thought you all needed to know this first! If I plan on doing a soup or something where I need broth, I strain the water the chicken cooked in from my crock pot through a mesh strainer and store or use with some extra added seasonings.

How do you usually cook chicken?  Will you be trying this?  Let me know what you think.

It’s crazy sometimes how Heavenly Father answers our prayers. I really didn’t pray that my daughter would wet her bed, yet somehow I did. Another crazy thing is, that this was the first time she ever, ever, ever wet her bed in all her four and a half years. So here’s what happened…

This month Chad and I like to call “Love Month.” We like to spread the love out longer then just on Valentines Day. It’s great to have any excuse that will get me to do more kind things for the one I truly love. Each day I have tried to do something special for Chad. When we dated in college I did the same thing and called it “The 14 Days of Valentines” and this year I wanted to do something similar again. So for the first time in seven years I am doing it again.

-Feb 1: The Love Blog Post- listing the many things I love about Chad.
-Feb 2: Homemade Cracked-Wheat Blueberry Mini Muffins -I sent Chad to work with a cellophane bag full of these, tied with a ribbon and love note.
-Feb 3: Pizza Delivered- I ordered a pizza for delivery to Chad’s work at lunch time.
-Feb 4: Samoa Ice cream – I gave Chad the Samoa Girl Scout Cookie ice cream (Chad’s favorite GS cookie) and Strawberry Cheesecake ice cream, both limited edition kinds I knew he’d love.
-Feb 5: Breakfast of Love…

My plan was to wake up early and make Chad a yummy breakfast.  He leaves for work much too early for me, so we are all usually sound asleep before, during and after his departure.  It was really going to be a breakfast of love having to wake up so early.

Last night I went to bed without setting an alarm and just hoping that I could hear when Chad got up and showered so I could get up and start breakfast. I woke up suddenly on my own around 4:30 a.m. I was bummed when I saw what time it was. I was hoping it would be just the right time to start breakfast, but it was too early. I laid back down praying in my mind that I would be able to somehow wake up and be awake enough to start breakfast in time.  Not too much later, when I was only half way back to sleep, Graysen came in saying she wet the bed. I couldn’t believe it, was this the answer to my prayer.  I really didn’t want that to happen, but it did and was definitely what I needed to wake up enough for my breakfast plan.

After helping Graysen, I walked back into my room just as Chad’s alarm went off. I laid down next to him and nudged him to get going so I could start my plan.  He headed off to the shower and right after, I snuck out and made yummy heart-shaped, cracked-wheat pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, warmed the syrup placed some of my home-canned pears along with the rest of his breakfast on our “You are Special Today” plate.

It was fun to see Chad in the morning and eat a yummy, filling breakfast together. I probably would have slept in too long without Graysen wetting her bed, so it was an answer to prayer. Crazy.

P.S. I was super duper tired all day.

P.P.S What fun love things are you doing this month?

One Friday afternoon, I received a call from the Primary secretary asking if Graysen could give a talk the coming Sunday.  I knew it was soon, but I guess I didn’t realize just how quickly we’d have to put the talk together.  That night I told her all about her talk and topic, “Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Love Me” and we discussed a few ways she felt Their love. Then on Saturday evening, when we finally had time to work on her talk again, Graysen and I did a little brainstorming and wrote a list down of all the ways she feels love from her Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.

After she went to bed, I found pictures to go with each way she felt love and compiled them together for her. In the morning before church, I showed her the pictures and gave her examples of how she could word her talk. Then I had her practice a few times in her own words. Soon we were off to church and I was a bit worried for her because we really hadn’t had much time to go over it.  I knew she could have it all down pat if we had started earlier in the week.

She looked very nervous just before primary so I spent time talking with her and the older girl also speaking, trying to loosen Graysen up and get her excited to share her talk. She did a great job. I was so amazed that she was able to shake off her fear and stand up at the large chapel podium (that she couldn’t even see over, even with the stool, until I put her on top of several hymn books) and remember lots of her talk. She did need a few more prompts then at home, but it was a big improvement from her last talk given about seven months ago. You can watch one of her cute home versions below. Enjoy!

I am so grateful for our amazing church and the chance it provides even young four-year-olds to practice public speaking, develop their own testimonies and learn so much from it all.  I also know that my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me and I’m grateful for the many ways I can see that and feel it each day.

P.S.  When my family stopped by that Sunday, Graysen did her talk for them and did great. Afterward my mom or someone mentioned how Carter should have a turn. I said, “Oh he hasn’t practiced it.” (With her last talk we let him try, but this time around we hadn’t yet.) But we let him give it a go. I handed all the pictures to him and he started right in on giving the talk and did a super job. I couldn’t believe how much he had picked up after only seeing Graysen give it a few times. He was amazing and it made me tear up. It was a great lesson on how much of an example we can be through what we do and say.

I’ve been feeling a bit down lately about my low blog comments.  I try to make my blogs interesting and often helpful for you (though I know my most recent post was really just directed to Chad), but my last four posts before my cabinet post received an average of two comments from readers…were they dull? Tell me the truth. So anyway, I was super grateful for all your great comments on my cabinet post.  THANK YOU!  I am so glad you like them and agree with our choices. I’ll have to post some more things we have done on our house, since that seems to be what my lovely readers are interested in. What other posts of mine interest you most or would you like to see or read more of?  I think I might be posting a few yummy soup recipes soon.

I also want to put a “thank you” out there to any of my neighbors who have been helping my friend whom I visit teach.  She’s been very sick and has greatly appreciated the meals for her family brought in by the Relief Society.  I love how the whole organization of visiting teaching and Relief Society work.  I can do my visiting teaching, contact the compassionate service leader with a need, she then asks the sisters for help and every one in Relief Society pitches in. Wow. It’s great. Though it isn’t for me, I’ve felt very grateful for the help in aiding a sister I have stewardship over through my visiting teaching calling.  All this gratitude for others serving her helps me to better understand how our Father in Heaven must feel when we serve any of His children.

I’m not quite sure where Carter got it from, but last night at dinner he started this and has since told me about 20 more times…

Carter: Mom?
Me: Yeah?
Carter: Guess What?!
Me: What?
Carter: I LOVE YOU!!
Me: I love you too!

It’s so nice to have people who truly love you and people to truly love.

Chad, I truly love you! I loved how when we met I could sense a genuine care and concern for others from you. I loved how you followed the curfew and other school honor code rules and how they were important for you to keep. I loved how you valued your calling in your ward and wanted to do your best. I loved how you cared about those under your stewardship in your leadership roles and with your home-teaching assignments. I loved how you regularly attended the temple and valued that in your life. I loved how you truly wanted to know all about me, asking all sorts of questions, learning all you could. I loved how comfortable and super fun it was to be together.

I loved how creative you were in all our dates and your attentions to me. I loved how you enjoyed talking about the gospel and studying gospel related topics together.  I loved how you got out your guitar and strummed for fun or pulled it out on a date to make up silly songs together.  I loved how sharp and studly handsome you were, taking time to present yourself well and woo! I loved your thoughtful ways: making me little snowmen on my porch, leaving notes hidden in returned items -like my plate, making me sack lunches, putting together a choir-tour traveling kit, opening doors, etc, etc, etc. I loved how you took your time in getting close to me, that you waited months to hold my hand and then months more to kiss me, showing me you valued me and the sacred importance of those things.

Over many Valentines I’ve learned more about you. Though maybe I shouldn’t say it (and probably wouldn’t if this wasn’t on my blog and I wasn’t trying to keep it real. But I’m sure each one reading has felt it for themselves) a few rare days I wondered why we ever ended up together, but most every day I can’t believe how lucky I am to have my eternity and yours linked together.  I’ve learned so many different, new and wonderful things to love about you.  Right now I love that you still have those traits I loved when we first met.  I love how you have great desires to do and be good.  I love how you want to improve yourself in your calling, as a dad, as a husband, employee and overall person, and that you make goals and efforts to do it.

I love that you make sacrifices for our family by walking and taking the bus. I love your dedication to your job and that you give it your all when you need to, but then you give us your all and would always rather do that. I love that you love spending time with me and our family. I love that we have the same desires and goals for our relationship and family. I love how helpful you are with the kids and housework. I love how you do the dishes and love doing it for me. I love that you do things the way I like them done. I love your cute smile, honest eyes and overall handsomeness. I love that you play with our kids. I love that you leave me love notes every morning you can. I love how you communicate with me through phone calls, texts and Skype during your workday.

I love that you take me to the temple. I love your example in scripture reading and journal writing. I love that you are humble; I love that you know you are not perfect, but strive for that. I love how you listen. I love your patience. Oh I could go on and on. Whether then or now what I think I love very most is that you treated me and treat me like your Queen. Thank you! I am in love. I love you my King!  Happy Love Month and First Day of Valentines!