Chicken Stir Fry

hello wonderful world of internet people whomever you are, wherever you are. I made a chicken stir fry tonight, my first to be honest with you but definatley not my last!!

What you will need:

6 Chicken tenders

Fresh Green beans cut medium sized (you could do canned but then the beans will be soggy)

about 1/2 a regular bag of baby carrot sticks sliced 

1 onion diced (by now you guys know I love my onions I am sure)

1 garlic shallot diced

1/2 box of angel hair (lo mein would have been better or rice but my husband wanted noodles and its all I had in my cupboard)

3 to 4 Tablespoons of soy sauce

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar

1/4 cup of olive oil

What to do:

1. take a large skillet out and pour olive oil in it, let it get to a good simmer
2. Put Chicken tenders in and cook till they are mostly fully cooked
3. Bring water in a pan to a boil and cook angel hair or whatever pasta your using
4. Pour soy sauce in, with onions, carrots, green beans, and garlic
5. allow to simmer on a medium low heat till all veggies look cooked but not soggy
6. add scoop of brown sugar and stir, at this point you should be able to pull the chicken tenders apart to smaller pieces and get it mixed in very well
7. strain your pasta if you haven't already
8. cook for another 3 minutes 
9. put pasta on a plate, serve stir fry over the pasta

*If you feel the soy sauce isn't strong enough let it be, and serve your meal with soy sauce on the table, some people love a strong soy sauce flavor while others only want a hint, its better to have less than more of soy sauce in this recipe 

This meal was so husband approved that there were no leftovers left, and he ate quite a bit of veggies!!!

Creamy Caper Orzo Tilapia

My husband doesn't really like seafood unless its breaded, and I love seafood of almost any kind, any way. So I have individually wrapped tilapia that I keep in the freezer and thaw a piece here and there to make for myself for lunch when he isn't around. This recipe I decided to get a little intricate for lunch by myself.

What You'll Need:

 2 tilapia filets 

1 onion diced

1 garlic shallot diced

1 Tablespoon of capers (don't worry if a little juice from the jar gets in)

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup of butter 

1/2 cup of Orzo

What to Do:

1. put 3 spoonfuls of butter throughout a skillet, then place tilapia in it, allow to cook on medium-low heat on each side for about 5 minutes
2. in a separate pan bring water to a boil like any other pasta, then pour in orzo and allow to cook for about 5 minutes or until tender
3. Drain butter and juice from fish once it is cooked, lower heat to low. 
4. Add heavy whipping cream, onion, garlic, and capers, and remaining butter
5. allow to simmer for about 7 minutes or so
6. put orzo on plate and then serve fish and sauce over the orzo
7. tada you have a yummy meal

This could be a really good supper meal as well just up the amount of fish and ingredients as needed, I had enough left when I was done eating for 1 more person to eat happily so I would say if your needing a recipe for two this would be your ticket!!!

Chocolate Apple Delight

Chocolate is always good, but it's especially good melted over some yummy fresh apples!!! This dessert was a spur of the moment make and my husband and his family LOVED it!!! There wasn't a piece left!

What You'll Need:

3 Sweet Apples diced

1 cup of chocolate chips

1 roll of crescent roll dough

1/4 cup of butter melted

1/4 cup of brown sugar

What Tod Do:

1. Preheat Oven to setting on Cresent Roll instructions
2. roll out crescent roll in a cake pan, make sure to close up any cracks
3. with a basting brush, brush melted butter on the crescent dough to cover lightly 
4. sprinkle brown sugar through out the butter evenly
5. sprinkle diced apples, and chocolate chips through out
6. Bake for the designated time for the crescent rolls
7. Allow to cool for about 2 minutes and then serve warm, preferably with icecream on top

Cheesy Jambalaya

This recipe is one of my husbands many favorites, partially cause its the one somewhat spicy thing I make (I am growing to like spicy food.....very slowly).



What you'll Need:

6 italian sausages (spicy or sweet entirely up to you I have used both)
2 pkts of white rice (I use instant family size "Success" 10 minute rice in a bag)
1 Onion diced
3 garlic shallots diced finely
1 large green pepper diced
3 Tablespoons of Butter
Sriracha sauce to your liking or hot sauce of your choice
Shredded Cheddar Cheese to your liking

What to do:

1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. Brown sausage on the outside in a pan, its ok if its not completely cooked it will finish cooking in the oven with the rest of the ingredients
3. Cook white rice according to instructions on box
4. slice sausage, dice ingredients 
5. layer the diced ingredients, cooked rice, and sliced sausage 
6. sprinkle Cheese over the top
7. Put in oven for 10 minutes
8. Stir and put more cheese on top and put back in the oven for 10 minutes
9. let stand for about 5 minutes
10. eat and enjoy!!

Homemade Chicken Corn Soup

It's a cold day here at the Harding house, and snow is on the ground, this is the perfect kind of day for homemade soup. As I sat here trying to figure out what kind of soup to throw together at last minute for lunch I looked up to my lovely teen and said "You hungry" her reply? "Yep" taking inventory of what we had till I went shopping later today I found these ingredients threw them together and hoped for the best and wouldn't you know, it turned out amazing.

What you'll need:
1 bag of egg noodles
1 onion diced
1/2 a container of chicken broth (about 10 ounces)
1 can of sweet corn
1 chicken breast
1 packet of ranch dip seasoning
a dash of garlic powder and onion powder

What to do:

1. put olive oil in a frying pan, put chicken in once heated and sprinkle 1/4 ranch seasoning packet over chicken (cook till done) 
2. in a small sauce pan put chicken broth, diced onion, strained corn, rest of ranch seasoning packet and garlic powder and onion powder, allow to simmer while chicken is cooking
3. boil water and pour egg noodles in for about 5 minutes and then strain, pour noodles into the simmering broth
4. cut chicken into little pieces put in the simmering broth and noodles
5. allow to simmer all together for 5 minutes
6. eat and enjoy

Where is that morning?!

I previously went on a tangent of how joy comes in the morning but we just aren't sure what morning that is. Well this morning wasn't it. I truly believe we all go through those dry and trying times in life only to at the end of it be over flowed with Gods love and to let it just pour and flood all that surrounds us. I've been praying that I read that point but so far it's still a dry desert. 

I could quit and give up, I could yell and throw a fit but I'm not going to. For Job (pronounced jobe) he lost everything and then some and still he trusted God, still he was faithful to God. So I must to stay faithful. 

Being peaceful and uplifting when your going through a dry and weary time isn't easy but it's necessary to reach that everlasting spring of refreshing love that God has to offer.

Ranch Caper Chicken w/ Sweet Onion Potatoes

This was an off the top of my head recipe, I had 2 different meals in mind and decided to merge them to make a lovely happy medium.



Ranch Caper Chicken

What you'll need:

• Olive Oil 
• 3 Chicken Breast (preferably boneless/skinless)
• 1 packet of ranch dip seasonings
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth
• 1 medium sized green pepper diced
• 1/2 an onion diced

What to do:

1. In a large skillet bring olive Oil to a low simmer with the chicken in it for about 10 minutes
2. Sprinkle contents of Ranch seasoning (may need to use a brush to spread evenly over chicken)
3. Let cook with lid on for about 5 minutes
4. Add chicken broth
5. sprinkle diced pepper and onion over the chicken and around the chicken
6. Let cook for 10 minutes on medium/high heat with lid on
7. After this point I sliced the chicken not completely through but enough to let juices really soak in and make the chicken tender, you can see an example below
8. Rotate chicken after 10 minutes and let sit on same heat with lid on for another 10 mins
9. Check chicken if it isn't done at this point rotate again and cook in 5 minute incriminates till done

Sweet Onion Potatoes

What You'll Need:

• 3 large potatoes diced in chunks
• 1/2 onion diced
• 1 packet of Onion gravy 
• Olive Oil

What to Do:

1. Preheat Oven to 350
2. On a cookie sheet drizzle olive oil
3. lay diced potatoes out evenly on tray
4. sprinkle diced onion 
5. sprinkle onion gravy over
6. stick in oven for 10 minutes then stir and flip potatoes over 
7. place back in oven for another 10 minutes or until done to your preference 

I served my chicken over rice but you are welcome to eat it without or put over pasta, I hope you enjoy this recipe and please let me know how it worked out for you with pictures and you may find them posted to the blog!!! 

email at : happilyharding@gmail.com 

Joy Comes In The Morning

We all have those weeks where we have a hard time and it just seems like you can't find your joy, I had one of those weeks, I am still in one of those weeks. There's something important that I find myself having to keep saying "Joy comes in the morning" yes this is biblical, Every morning you can find joy, I feel like Paulina saying "Let's play the Glad Game" but its true, your perspective is going to deeply impact how bad that bad day is.

For instance today from the time I woke up at 8:15 am till now 11:11am (yes I know make a wish....I don't need to that's what prayer is for) I had a washcloth crisis (its laundry day and Randy unknowingly took the last washcloth this morning), which delayed my shower, which then when doing laundry the washer decides to have a mind of its own, which delays clean clothes and such (no worries I have enough to clothes to supply the town) but then I move on in my day, I'm cleaning the kitchen and I find that the top of my microwave is a little dusty no biggie I can just lysol wipe it all only to open it and find buffalo chicken dip splattered everywhere inside (thank you hubby). So now your caught up with my day.

Now all of this you think could throw me into over drive, you think it could stop me or get me to throw my hands in the air and say "I quit" or "Not today" but no, I won't allow that, instead I turn the worship music up a little louder than usual, and I remind myself "Joy comes in the morning"

All it tells us is Joy comes in the morning, God never said which morning it was going to be, so you got to smile and move on. So with that being said

Joy Comes in the Morning.

Fruit For Thought: Marriage Talk

So while I can be a funny, sarcastic, and usually exceptional cook (not to toot my own horn but TOOT TOOT). I also can have real moments, deep thoughtful talks with myself and God. I have been married for almost 6 months. While I know that doesn't make me a Marriage Pro, or something of that sort it does mean I have fresh eyes to this thing called Forever Love.
    I had the amazing ability to catch up with a friend from college who herself just got married about 2 months ago, we were talking about those beginning months to marriage and the new things you learn, the mistakes you make and the safeguards you build to help your marriage and to help each other. When it occurred to me something deep and something profound. Part of a healthy marriage is healthy communication, its actually a really big part. It's not just communicating your "I love you's" but its also communicating the "Your bothering Me" that occurs.
     Usually as a response to being bothered with our spouse we tell them (sometimes in a very inclined voice) and storm off to tell mom, dad, friends, anyone who will justify our feelings and our hurt. However when we do this, we do something very unhealthy to our marriage. We take our private and very intimate bond of Husband, Wife and God, and invite everyone into it, where does the marriage go then? Today we have people who forget what marriage began to be, what marriage was intended for, and this may be a very forward thought process for someone who just started a blog yesterday but I am going to say it. Marriage in its definition truly is a bond and promise you make with each other before God that your giving each other your forever, and keeping God the center of that. That was the original reasoning behind marriage, not so you can receive government benefits, or to be able to have rights to each others things, it was originated through the church (which have we ever heard of separation of church and state?).

So I guess what I am trying to say is, next time you get into an argument, or a disagreement or have hurt feelings take it to each other before God.

2 Ingrediant Chicken Tenders

We all have those days where we just can't get the energy up to make supper, so you open your cupboard pull out some random things and hope for the best. That was me today.... after battling what felt like my body being run over by a truck I finally managed to get myself together, run a couple errands and come back just in time to make supper (what a joy) so what did I make? 2 ingrediant chicken tenders with instant creamy chicken flavored rice (I try not to use instant foods to often as its not the healthiest but hey, we all have those days). So here is the recipe for 2 ingrediant Chicken tenders:



What You'll Need:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Tenders (I get hormone Free, organic tenders)
- 1 packet of Ranch Dip Seasonings
- Olive Oil (you could use butter, or veg. Oil but Olive I find to be a healthy alternative)

What to Do:

1. Heat skillet with olive oil just enough to cover the bottom
2. pour ranch seasoning into a container
3. dip chicken tenders in seasoning
4. stick chicken tenders into skillet
5. cook each side for about 10 minutes or so, use your judgement each person's stove is different
6. Eat and Enjoy

This recipe is by no means state of the art, but it was satisfying and as my husband said it was fulfilling to where your not hungry but it didn't make your stomach sink. So it's a husband approved recipe!!! 

Leftover Recommendation: Make a yummy fresh salad tomorrow for lunch and take apart the chicken thats left!!! 

Supper Tonight: Beanless chili

So for supper tonight I wanted something, fast, easy, and tasty but at the same time I wanted to offer up a supper that looked like I made a HUGE attempt. So what could I make that not only would fill all those descriptions but at the same time satisfy my husband's appetite after a long day of work? Chili. One of man's greatest appreciated foods.



What you'll need:
- 3 LBS of ground beef
- 1 large jar of tomato sauce (about 30 ozs)
- 1 large packet of McCormick Chili seasoning
- 1 large green mango or pepper
- 1 1/2 onions diced
- 3 garlic cloves diced
- 1/4 cup of Brown Sugar

Steps

1. Brown your ground beef so as to ensure that all the beef is cooked
2. drain beef and dump beef into a deeper pot for cooking and simmering
3. Pour all the remaining ingrediants and stir frequently
4. Let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring about every 5 to 10 minutes to allow flavor to cook into the meat and to get a soup consistency

thats all there is to it!!! Enjoy!!! (I served mine with homemade corn bread muffins and shredded cheddar cheese on top, its up to you really how you want to serve it!) This recipe made enough for about 4 people to have at least 2 servings, but since it's just my husband and I we invited my sister in law to partake in supper!!! I would highly recommend this for a quick meal, or for something on a cold winter day!!! 

Top 5 Cliche things I have heard about Beagles

I have a beagle.... let that set in, all the stigma that comes with having beagles, I think I have heard at least 10 times. "Their Hunting Dogs" "They get into the fridge all the time" "When they pick up a scent they go with it" "They tear apart furniture" "They are outside dogs"

Being a beagle mom to a puppy is hard, I am not going to doll it up and make it sound like you should go buy a beagle tomorrow....however you should go buy a beagle tomorrow or adopt one! My Beagle is my first beagle I have ever had, my husband has had a beagle in his childhood. Our Beagle is 5 months old, and she's the biggest love bug you ever did see.

The top 5 major misconceptions to Beagles I've learned:

1. "They can't focus on anything but whatever scent they pick up"


*Unless my dog is cannibal I am pretty sure this staring in the camera is pretty focused*

2. "They aren't "family" Pet material"

*Yes I can see by the way she is cuddling with me that she would be HORRIBLE for children*

3. "They are aggressive when it comes to eating"

*Yes I can see that by the way she is just looking at me she's ready to rip my face off*

4. "Their not the kind of dog you dress up and treat like a Princess"

*Your totally right, she just hates being treated like a pretty princess*

5. "They prefer to live outside on their own"


*Your totally right she loves living on her own....in our home....in the living room.....spoiled.*

as you can see, your beagle is all what you make him or her to be, sure she loves to play outside, and yes she enjoys climbing things (mostly me) and yes I have 1 or 2 small holes in my couch, but what puppy doesn't chew a hole in something?!