Lets EAT!

I love food, you know that already :)
I bet you can't guess what is in it, ASPARAGUS.

So Monday night I had a craving for some good food. So my imagination was flowing and I was thinking about everything I had in the fridge. Finally I decided what I wanted to do. This dish really came together and was more than easy to prepare. It can be a one-skillet meal, which is even better!

^That is the finished product of yummy-ness.

Here is how I made it, now I ate this ENTIRE serving alone ( hey, I like food) but you can probably serve 2 people with it (well, probably SHOULD serve 2 people with it, but I bet you can't resist to eat the whole bowl)

What you need:
3 to 4 slices of bacon diced up.
small onion sliced thinly (I think I used about a half a large onion)
1 Large garlic clove (I sliced mine because I like to bite into garlic but you can mince it too)
about 10-15 asparagus spears snapped off at the woody stem and then cut into bite sized pieces ( I use thin asparagus, I like it much better than the big thick pieces).
2 large handfuls of baby spinach, I would say maybe 2-3 cups (remember it cooks way down so even though it looks like a lot it won't be)
1 large boneless skinless chicken breast diced into bite sized pieces (I only used half a breast)
5 grape tomatoes halved
Fresh grated mozzarella, please grate your own, pretty please? (Mozzarella can be a pain to grate, just stick it in the freezer for a little while to make it firm if you hate grating it, don't leave it too long!!)

Now, because I was making my meal and my husbands meal I sautéed the chicken in another pan but you can sauté your chicken and bacon together.

You really don't need any oil at all, the bacon will give you enough but if you find it hasn't you can add a tad of EVOO (or butter :P) My bacon gave me too much grease so at the end I served with a slotted spoon to drain some of it.

So in the pan put your bacon and chicken, once your chicken is cooked and bacon is still soft (don't let it get too crunchy) add your onions and allow them to get a little soft, then add your garlic (it burns easily so I waited until adding the last of the greens to add it), asparagus and spinach.

Once your asparagus is cooked to your liking ( I like mine not too soft, not too crunchy) add your tomatoes, you want to just lightly sautée them to get the juices flowing.

Then...my favorite part...CHEESE. Cheese is the best thing in the world, even asparagus takes a back seat when it comes to cheese. Add your cheese until it is melted

That is it, see how easy? It is fresh (halfway healthy, that counts right?) and it is really so good. You could even go a step further and serve it mixed in some Penne pasta you could just toss it together in the skillet and add cheese or you could go a step further and add cheese and bake it. There are always endless possibilities with food, always!

Time: Happy 2nd birthday Gavin.

Time, what is time really? When you are 5 and waiting for Christmas when it is only June, time is the slowest thing ever. When you are 8 and there is only 2 weeks of summer break left time just doesn't exist, days are minutes, hours are seconds. As a Freshman in High school 4 years is an eternity, as a Senior they were the fastest 4 years of your life. Then you become a parent. 9 months of pregnancy with my oldest that meant almost 40 weeks (well not quite because he was born early) of morning/mid-morning/noon/afternoon/evening/night sickness, With my daughter it was about 6 months of sickness then a broken tail bone and sciatica then there was the youngest, the pregnancy all issues aside was a breeze but it was NINE LONG MONTHS then the labor, Walker was 26 hours of labor at hour 18 I was positive I was going to be pregnant for the rest of my life and would never see him. Avery was 8 hours, not so bad but still an eternity when you are waiting to meet your child. Gavin was a c-section the fastest by far but still took forever. Then all of a sudden you blink or sneeze or something and they grow up. Where are my teeny little babies? They are all growing up.

So here we are today, May, 11th, Gavin's birthday. He is 2. For some reason I cannot pull it together I am a total wreck. With Walker it was his 5th birthday and his first day of kinder then it was his 9th (and 10th and most likely every next birthday from here on out) With Avery 3 was hard. Gavin is only TWO. I think it is so hard since he just started walking recently, I have allowed my brain to believe he is still a "baby" he still needed me but now, yes he needs me, but he doesn't NEED me. Then there is the whole he is my last one factor. I don't know what it is that is causing me so much heartache but man when one of my kids graduates some one better call for a straight jacket. :)

I should be ecstatic (and I am, but still sad). If you follow my blog or know me in real life you know that Gavin has had challenges (to say the least) and his miraculous accomplishments are certainly something that I am proud to share. Gavin has come so far and we are so truly blessed. Gavin was born on a cool Monday morning we had to get up and leave early to be to the hospital for a scheduled c-section. I was going in somewhat blind to what we may encounter with spina bifida you really have no clue until after the child is born (unless you ask the perinatologist that will absolutely insist your child will have poor quality of life and most likely not walk and that you should abort immediately, thank God for my faith there was no way I could be swayed) Nervous and nauseous I was taken to this cold room full of faces I didn't know finally Jason was brought in and shortly we saw our sweet baby boy. 7lbs, 10oz I honestly didn't notice the huge cyst on his back where his spinal cord was, I do remember thinking man he has a huge nose, lol. He had a ton of blonde hair and the fattest cheeks I have ever seen. It was a strange feeling. I got to kiss him just before they whisked him away to the NICU. Jason went with him as I finished up my surgery. The next day Gavin went for his first surgery the closure of his back a delicate and precise surgery that ultimately would be a huge decision factor on what he would later be able to do. Our doctor was/is amazing. One week later I was devastated to find out that Gavin would need a shunt to remove fluid from his brain. I didn't have a choice and was less than prepared for that one. In the coming years we had countless doctors appointments, specialists, physical therapy, urologists etc... Anyway, you have all heard the stories, the scares, the praises, the miracles. Gavin is walking: unassisted. Gavin has not had to have a shunt revision in two years no huge medical issues at all, as a matter of fact you would never know looking at him that he even is "special needs".

With all of that said. Happy Birthday G-man. We are all so very proud of you. I am so happy that God picked little ole me to be your Mother.

So today is the "National day of prayer"

So here is my prayer:

Today I pray for our country, I pray for President Obama.

I pray for our troops, that they are safe while in battle and swift in coming home.

I pray for the military families that are without their Husband, father, son, brother, Wife, daughter, sister or mother.

I pray for the surgeons that their hands are steady and minds clear while they work.

I pray for all the doctors as they make diagnosis or treat their patients.

I pray for the broken hearted and depressed that they may smile again.

I pray for those that are hungry so that someone may give them a meal.

I pray for the lonely so that they may find a friend.

I pray for all the families that are carrying a financial burden so that they may find a way.

I pray for everyone, that their needs be met, their hearts be full, their spirits joyful and their kindness great.

I pray for the impatient person at the stop light today, so that he may slow down and not rush through his life.

I pray for peace, not just the normal "world" peace, PEACE, peace among mankind no matter the religion, race, sex that we can learn to love one another, smile at each other, HELP each other, embrace each other.

I pray that those that harbor bitterness and hatred that those feelings can be replaced by Happiness and Love.

This is my prayer, in Jesus name; Amen.