Shredded Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Mmmmmmmmmm, Lexi and I went out to brunch with some friends today. Bottomless mimosas (not for munchkin or myself) and Baja brunch, can you think of anything better?! Before we left this morning to head down to Newport, I threw dinner in the good 'ole crock pot. Girl's days are not affairs to be rushed and I didn't want to worry about having enough time to make dinner tonight, so crock pot it is! I just slopped a bunch of ingredients I had lying around in Bessy (what? you don't name your crock pot?!) and the result was amazing!! The best part was it could be adjusted to be high-cal for Matt who is trying to gain weight or low-cal for those of us without a freakishly cheetah-like metabolism. Also, would have been great with bottomless mimosas... Hmmmm, Maybe next time.

INGREDIENTS
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts a little over 1 lb
1/2 a jar of salsa
1 T lime juice
1 t cumin
can of chicken broth
3/4 cup of brown rice
2 cobs of corn
1 can of black beans
little bit o salt
little bit o pepper
lettuce for wraps

--Optional for higher-cal
sour cream
shredded cheese
tortillas

First mix the salsa, chicken broth, lime juice and cumin together and set aside. Salt and pepper those chicken breasts and throw 'em in your Bessy. Pour the salsa mixture over the chicken. Here's the fun part; head out to brunch, enjoy your day out and return home in 5 hours. Shred the chicken, it should be so shred-able that it will fall apart just by mixing the mixture with the occasional forking of the occasional large piece of chicken. Add the corn, black beans and rice and let it sit for another hour and a half or until the rice is tender, stirring every so often to get all the rice cooked. Next, slop the chicken onto a lettuce wrap if you are trying to be healthy, or a tortilla with all the trimmings (cheese, sour cream, guac)if you are trying to add some extra calories or just generally enjoy eating delicious things!! Then listen to the heaps of praise your family lays on you. Or in my case my husband muttering through bites, "This is pretty good!"

Here's a pic of the finished product, while it may not look like a culinary masterpiece, let me assure you it is my exceptionally horrendous photography skills and not to wrap itself. It really is delicious!! Sunny sure wanted some!

Christmas 2012

This year for Christmas we hoofed it (winged it, actually) to Virginia. Auntie Sarah and Uncle Steve's little present arrived a little early and we went out to see them and our adorable little nephew! No one was more excited to meet him than Lexi. Every so often she would look out the window of the plane and say "I'm coming Baby Benjamin!" I have never seen her wash her hands nor be such a good listener as when Baby Benjamin was around. She took her role as Big Cousin very seriously and was an excellent example to the baby of how he should behave. Of course now we are home and back to my recognizable attitude-filled 5-year-old. Although, now in addition to her whining, there are added pleas for a baby brother or sister. I realize now that her excellent baby behavior was a carefully planned trap to try and trick us into thinking that the behavior would be permanent if we gave her a brother or sister. Not going to fool me this time little one!!

As usual being an only-child payed off under the Christmas Tree (note to self: Christmas loot is an excellent example about how she would benefit by remaining an only-child) and the little leprechaun found quite the pot of gold. There will be no complaints of boredom in our house for quite some time!!

(presents, you say?)



While in VA we also hit up The Air and Space Museum and The Museum of Natural History in DC, both of which were a major hit! Matt took her on a space exploration ride and I'm not sure she even remembers the planes and shuttles hanging from the ceiling because she thinks she traveled to space! She got to make friends with some butterflies at the Natural History Museum and was very critical of the lack of blood and guts in the fighting animal exhibits (No more Discovery Channel for that one!). When we started getting concerned looks from other parents that our daughter may one day grow up to be a serial killer we hotfooted it outta there! Honestly what little girl who is obsessed with princesses gets angry over the lack of realism with a lion biting a gazelle's neck?

All in all a very memorable and happy holiday spent with family!!!