Here I Go Again... & Again & Again & Again!!!

This last Friday my Mom, Dean, Tommy, & I all loaded up into my parent's truck and drove down to Anaheim, just like I have so many, many times before. I have only been to Disneyland 3 times since my last annual pass expired in October of 2006, and was greatly looking forward to celebrating Dean's birthday and Tommy's first trip in one day.

We certainly had a blast! We only went on one ride, which was fine with all of us it seemed. There was so much more fun to be had just by walking around, checking things out, and watching Tommy's reaction to different things.

The only thing I said we absolutely had to do was take Tommy to Mickey Mouse's house to see his pal, Mickey. He LOVES to watch "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" on Playhouse Disney so I couldn't wait to see his reaction when he was finally able to meet him. It was certainly memorable!

Near the end of the day, I met up with my friend Hilary who I haven't seen in a few years (it was great catching up!) and walked over to the Bank on Main Street... where I upgraded my one day ticket to an annual pass! WHEW! I have missed the parks so much, and am so happy that I will once again be able to go almost as often as I feel like! I'm kind of in a "Disney Revival", wanting to get all my collectibles out of storage and figure out ways to work them into different parts of the house. (I already have a few things in each room... Some Bobby realizes and cringes at. Others he has NO CLUE!) The urge to jump back in to the "geekdom" that I once was enveloped in is there also... but I'm resisting the urge to go in head first... think I'll just tippy toe it for a bit so that I don't drown myself in mouse and burn out too fast. I loved so much taking Jeff and Becca frequently when they were young, and am so glad I'm going to have those same bonding opportunities with Tommy.

Do I have another trip planned right away? No. I don't even know when I'll feel like going again. But knowing I can? Priceless. I tear up just thinking about it...

And that is all the geekiness you are going to get out of me for today!

I Feel Like Chicken Tonight...

Last night we had Monterey Chicken. This is basically Bobby's version of the Chili's favorite... minus the tomatoes. For some reason, he is not fond of that part...

First he makes the bacon, then sautes the onions in the bacon grease. (Naturally, draining some of the grease after each...) After completing both of those tasks he browns/cooks the chicken in the bacon grease. Once done, top with BBQ sauce, bacon, onions, and of course... CHEESE!!!! Mmmm.... So delicious. I made garlic mashed potatoes to accommodate the main course. Usually we also have a green vegetable or artichoke dip and bread/chips, but we weren't THAT hungry last night.

Another recipe Bobby makes often is Parmesan Chicken. It is as follows... (This is the email he sent me when Crystal asked for the recipe last week...)

On Fri, Oct 24, 2008 at 1:21 PM, Bob Schott wrote:
I don't have any measurements. It's all a process thing.

Thaw chicken
Beat your meat
Dip chicken in egg wash (Beat a couple of eggs with a splash of milk - some salt and pepper)
Coat chicken in bread crumbs (Progresso Italian Bread Crumbs, Parmesan Cheese)
Dip chicken in egg wash again
Coat chicken in bread crumbs again
Brown in pan of olive oil on med-high heat
Bake in oven @ 400 for 20-25 minutes (until chicken is done)
spoon spaghetti sauce on chicken and top with a slice of mozzarella cheese
bake for another 2 to 5 minutes

Tonight, we're on to another use of chicken. Chicken Tacos!!! I actually learned this recipe from one of the many various Disney message boards I used to participate in a few years ago. See! They were good for something other than chaos, geekdom, and unnecessary drama! ;)

Now pay attention... this gets complicated...

1. Get out your crock pot
2. Take frozen chicken out of freezer
3. Place chicken in crock pot
4. Pour about half jar (for about 1 lb of meat) of salsa over chicken
5. Place lid on crock pot
6. Set to low for 6-8 hours... or on high for 2-4.
7. Prepare flour tortillas to your liking, along with vegetables and other garnishments such as CHEESE and sides such as canned re fried beans.
8. Put it all together, call the family to the table, and EAT!

Chicken will break apart easily... and be so tender and flavorful... Mmm.... Seriously, one of the best meals ever and yet one of the simplest. Gotta love it!

Now, to share with you all the song that is stuck in my head...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9M7bsx10I

Next time I'll likely be writing about Cheesy Chicken Noodles... Mmm...