Mexican Chicken Bake

As many of you know, my brother is a chef. Well, let's just say that he is the only one of us that got my mothers fabulous cooking gene. I am too OCD to cook without a recipe and exact measurements.

With that being said, I try desperately to make us something new and fun each week. Since we moved to Oklahoma and Ballerina was born, I have slacked in this area. My New Years resolution is to get back to the kitchen! So in honor of my resolution... here is one of my staple recipes.

I saw it on Pinterest a year ago but just realized you can get a very similar one on the Bisquick website as well.

Mexican Chicken Bake

(only 290 calories a serving!)

Ingredients

1 cup cubed chicken (cooked) 

1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed

1 can Mexican-style stewed tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

1 small can green chiles

1 cup frozen corn

1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart

1 1/3 cups Bisquick Heart Smart

1/2 cup fat free milk

2 egg whites

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and...

Make sure you cook your chicken!
(I assume you could use canned chicken to save on time if needed)

Mix the 1 tablespoon Bisquick Heart Smart with reserve tomato liquid.

Then add your rinsed kidney beans, green chiles, corn, tomatoes and cooked chicken to mix.

Stir everything together well and then put in the microwave for 3 minutes.

 While the chicken mix is in the microwave, get to work on your topping!

With a wire wisk, mix together the 1 1/3 cups Bisquick Heart Smart, 2 egg whites and 1/2 cup fa free milk.

Now pour your chicken mix into a 9x13 inch pan. 

Then evenly spread your topping over the chicken mix.

 Bake at 400 for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

 Not the prettiest dish but pretty tasty!

We eat it as is but you could always add a little cheese or sour cream.

I also think it would be quite tasty with a dash of chili powder. 

Enjoy!! Here's to one new recipe a week in 2013!! 

-Whitney

Christmas Morning 2012

Christmas morning just got a lot more fun for us! Ballerina was a blast on Christmas morning!!

First we opened our stockings.

 Ballerina got a stuffed giraffe that she has fallen in love with. I have named him Joffrey. Ya know, after the ballet company of course!

Look at that instant love!!

Then we did some real opening of presents! Ballerina loved opening presents. Well, peeling paper at least!! 

Sometimes eating the wrapping paper is fun too!

Ooooo... someone got her first kitchen!

Not even out of the box and she is playing with her kitchen!

Ballerina fell asleep just as the present opening came to a close. Then when she woke up...

A kitchen, a purse and a remote... this girl is set... and that's just what we let her open at Tutu's house!

Ballerina is one lucky girl!! Thank you to everyone that helped make her morning so much fun!!

-Whitney

Christmas Eve 2012

The holidays can be quite stressful with a baby, but oh so very worth it!!

Ballerina's first Christmas Eve was great.

First we got her all dressed up and took her to church!

The Brown's Christmas Eve 2012

She was a delight in church. She even got to get some good hugs from her buddy Halle. 

We did have to duck out early in order to get Ballerina to bed on time but I enjoyed having her at the service, if even for just a little bit. 

After church we squeezed in a quick little photo session.

I love my photogenic little baby.

After Ballerina went to sleep, all my Dad's side of the family headed to the house for Christmas Eve dinner. And the annual family picture had to be taken. And in natural Crites fashion, my father gave us all Santa hats to wear in the photo!

The Crites Family Christmas Eve 2012

Merry Christmas... from our crazy clan to yours!!

-Whitney

7 months!!

Happy 7 Month Birthday to Ballerina!!

Favorite Food: oatmeal with plums

Least Favorite Food: anything green!!

Teeth: 2!! Bottom front.

Sleep: 11.5 hours at night!! Naps... Not such a fan of those. :(

Hair: still red & out of control!!

She sits unsupported & is desperately trying to crawl. I suspect that she will be all over the house wrecking havoc in no time!! (Help!)
-whitney

Sneaky Sneaky

 Ballerina has started to become smarter than I give her credit for. In the past few weeks, she has been desperately trying to crawl and move on her own. She is sitting up and pulling on everything. Which has changed my "routine" with her at nap time.
Normally, I would lay her down and then sit on her floor for a bit (out of sight of course) while playing on my phone until she had fallen asleep. I started doing this so that I didn't turn the monitor on before she slept while my husband was sleeping but then just ended up sitting there all the time.

Well, last week, I was found! I heard a small giggle from the crib and looked up to find this...

Yup, she found my little hiding spot. So, now I am out of that room ASAP.

This is the face I got when I told her to go to bed it was nap time. I am not sure where she gets her sudden craziness in the crib but it cracks me up.

This kid is going to keep me on my toes for sure!

Have no fear, we have dropped the crib.  I just know I am going to come into her room one morning to a standing baby!! 

-Whitney

Turkey Day 2012

We were so lucky to spend the Thanksgiving holiday week in NY with family.  I wish we could have seen more friends while in town but we had to share Ballerina with her cousins and Grammy first and foremost. And no worries... we will be back often! 

The day before Thanksgiving, we played at Grammys in Upstate NY all day. Grammy must really love Ballerina because she had more toys than we knew what to do with! Ballerina loved it!

Grammy even got a walker for the Ballerina!! And boy was that a hit!

But one of the best surprises... a mini blanket to match her big one at home! Ballerina loves her blankets made by her Grammy!! Nothing better than a homemade gift from someone who put so much love in it!

And in case we haven't mentioned it before, Ballerina LOVES her some Grammy!!

Brian and I were able to get out of the house a tad during the day and see some of his hometown. We went to Golden Harvest Orchards. We don't have things quite like this in Oklahoma. I love going to see all the apples and get myself some amazing cider! Not to mention, this place makes some killer vodka from apples! CORE Vodka. 

When we returned to Grammys house, the cousins had arrived!! Yay!! That Riley sure was a sweetie playing with our Ballerina all week!!

It was impossible to get a pic with all the ladies looking!!

Someone got a little festive with her Turkey Day outfit!! 

"I'm Stuffed"

Grammy did such a fun craft with all of us! Everyone made their own hand turkey on a table runner and that was our center piece! So cute! I may have to steal this idea!

While dinner was a cookin' Brian took Ballerina outside to check out the wildlife. Grammy has a bird feeder that was very fascinating. 

One more attempt at a family pic... Blurry and no one looking! 

I was so proud of our lil Ballerina, she ate her dinner at the table with us and never got fussy. I loved having her at the table with us while we ate dinner. First Thanksgiving was a success!!

Cannot wait to see more of her big first holidays soon!!

-Whitney 

Date Night!!

A HUGE thank you to Grammy, Uncle Corey & Aunt Kelly for taking care of Ballerina so Brian and I could get away for a day to NYC. We loved our time in the city and we were so thankful Ballerina got to spend some quality time with her family that lives so far away. 

 Once we got to the city, we headed out to do some shopping. Which resulted in me needing food ASAP. So, naturally we ended up at the Grand Central Oyster Bar having some champagne and...

People begging for $$$ have got to be honest... Let's face it.

After several hours of shopping, we decided to head to our hotel and NAP!! Yes, we took advantage of our childless day and slept for about 3 hours at a hotel. Not ashamed in the least. We lived in NYC for 12 years, I think sleep was needed way more than anything else. Then it was time to get ready for a night out! 

Since my daughter was born I have blow dried my hair once... until now!! It was a picture worthy moment. I was more excited about having time to blow out my hair and do my make-up than anything else that day. Seriously, its the little thing people.

We went to Oceana for dinner than night. I had Sweet & Sour Lobster with Forbidden Rice. IT. WAS. A-MAZE-ING!!

After dinner at all of 9pm or so... we decided that we could go have another drink because... NO ONE HAD TO WAKE UP! Oh what a crazy feeling! So... I made my husband take a tourist street pic with me on the way. (I had on make-up, I wanted it documented.)

We ended up at a steak house that Brian had been begging me to go to for years while we lived in the city. Maloney and Porcelli.  Now I didn't eat there but I will say the drinks and bartender were fabulous. I love a bartender that can just come up with a drink for me when I can't decide.

I had a fabulous time and was so happy to get a little sleep! 

Til next time NYC! We miss ya!!

-Whitney 

Cousins!!

Ballerina met her cousins for the 1st time 2 weeks ago! 

They were the cutest cousins EVER!!

When we arrived they were wearing these adorable "Big Cousin" shirts... and Ballerina had a "Little Cousin" onesie! So cute!! AND... they made her the cutest welcome sign!! (which I never got a picture of because I suck!) 

After the first few hugs and hellos, we took Ballerina in to get her diaper changed and her new matching outfit on. The girls thought they would "help" their Uncle Brian with this task.

After finally getting everyone situated, I convinced everyone to sit semi-still for a pic! The pic pretty much sums up the next few hours.. Addison, was pretty much over the chaos of everyone in her house about 20 minutes after it began. Riley, soaking it all in... posing. :) And Samantha, trying to get a "word" in by yapping loudly. (yup, she's my kid after all)

We love her shirt! Thank you!! 

After we took pics... Grammy arrived! Yay!! She got there in time to give Ballerina her dinner and have dinner with the grown ups! I didn't take a pic... (again, I really sucked at it this trip) but Uncle Corey had a wonderful spread ready for us! 

I cannot wait for the cousins to come visit us in Oklahoma! We miss them so much already!

-Whitney