Happy National Pecan Day!

It's National Pecan Day! I have decided it would be fun to celebrate one random holiday a month, so maybe it will be National Pizza Day or National Wear Blue Day, whatever it is we will be celebrating here a few times a month. 
Did you know that pecan trees are are native to North America? Over 80% of our pecans come from American soil (source). Pretty cool, huh? Pecans grow amazingly well here in southwest Arizona and we have a large Pecan farm right near us. 

Today I am bringing you an amazing chicken finger recipe. Anytime you add pecans to something, it immediately takes it up a notch, and these chicken fingers definitely apply to that. This recipe is super easy and uses a simple egg wash breading technique. You won't be disappointed!

Pecan Crusted Chicken Fingers

Yields 5-6 Chicken Fingers

Ingredients:

5-6 pieces of chicken 
2 cups finely chopped pecans
1 cup panko 
½ t salt
½ t paprika 
½ cup flour 
2 eggs, well beaten 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°

Cut and trim the excess fat off your chicken. I usually buy chicken breast and cut them to size, usually a bit cheaper than buying the chicken fingers pre-cut. Pat them dry and set aside. 

Set out three large bowls. In one bowl add in the flour, in the second bowl crack your eggs and lightly whisk them. Lastly, add in all remaining ingredients to the third bowl and mix well. 

 Place chicken finger in flour mixture and cover. Dip in egg wash and coat well. Lastly, dip in the pecan mixture and lay flat on a cookie sheet. For easier clean up make sure to use parchment paper on your cookie sheet. 

Cook at 350° for 25-30 minutes until they are a nice golden brown and cooked through. 

Enjoy!

Happy National Pecan Day!! 

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Weekend Recap :: Spring Cleaning Fun

This weekend was magnificent! It was filled with NOTHING, and it was exactly what we needed. We have been traveling, partying or planning a party since the beginning of the year, so it was nice to have a weekend where we didn't have much going on.

We woke up Saturday morning to the carpet cleaner's knock on the door. We went with ZeroRez here in Tucson, and absolutely loved the result. The two men that came were extremely helpful and polite and our carpets look (and feel) brand new. There are no chemicals used, just their Empowered Water, which means no smell or nasty residue! They are running a 2 room special for $99, so make sure to jump on that deal, you will not be disappointed!

Since we needed to be off the carpet for a few hours, and we have a toddler who loves to do exactly what you tell him not to do, we decided to head down to University of Arizona's Spring Fling. It is the largest run student carnival in the United States and it did not disappoint. Luke and I got there as it opened, Ryan had a meeting with his professor so he was going to meet us afterwards, so we had some time to walk around and explore the kid's activity tent. 

We decided to ride a spinning ride first, and Luke was not too thrilled. Honestly, I was surprised he asked to do it, since he is a very cautious little boy. But, he made it through and let me know after the ride was over that he didn't want to do that again. We shared a funnel cake and scouted out all the games that he wanted to play when Daddy showed up. 

They played the balloon popping game and the water shooting game, and won both! I was super impressed and Luke even got to take home a big Dino. 

Ryan's birthday was last week and a local pizzeria, Grimaldi's does free pizza for your birthday. So, for lunch we ate some pizza and sat on the patio. Spring is the best time for patio sitting in Arizona, we pretty much only eat restaurants with a patio. 

Saturday night we were in bed by 9:00 PM and it was glorious (#momlife, #familylife)! Sunday we woke up with huge goals of doing some major Spring cleaning. We borrowed a large ladder from a family friend and Ryan got to work cleaning the outside windows. Luke was very impressed with how high Daddy could go. Luke was busy cleaning his car and his tractor while mom and dad cleaned the windows. My favorite product to clean our windows is Sprayway Glass Cleaner. Living in the desert, our windows are dusty and filled with dirt, so cleaning them is quite the project and we usually do it twice a year. This product is a foam and sprays on so easily, without leaving streaks. I listened to the "Best of 2000's" playlist on Spotify and 5 hours later, our windows looked amazing. 

Sunday afternoon we spent at our very best friend's house for a yummy Sunday dinner. We had ribs, corn, homemade Mac N' Cheese, yummy roasted carrots with walnuts and I made my favorite Mix and Match Mama recipe, the Pineapple Upside Down Bundt Cake. It was a rainy and gloomy day in Tucson, which we don't get very often so we hung out inside and watched the Masters and did puzzles with Luke. It was the perfect ending to a very low key weekend. We have some more Spring cleaning to do this upcoming weekend, but for now I am happy with sparkly windows. 

Yesterday was #nationalsiblingsday and while I think these social media holidays are somewhat silly, I can't pass up a chance to celebrate my gorgeous sisters! I love you both and am so thankful every day that we were blessed as sisters and best friends! 

What is first on your list for spring cleaning?

Happy Monday, 

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Strawberry Fields Smoothie

Happy Fri-YAYYY! This week has been filled with fun, but I am ready for the weekend. Luke and I were dreaming of summer all week, so our latest smoothie is summer inspired for all of you who are still battling the cold! 

Strawberries are a gift from God, I am convinced.  They are so sweet and so delicious. Strawberry smoothies are absolutely amazing. They blend and freeze well, which make them perfect for this week's #freezerlovefriday recipe, the Strawberry Fields Smoothie. Be warned, this smoothie will make you desperately want to be poolside! 

Strawberry Fields Smoothie
Yields: 2 Pint Size Mason Jars 

Ingredients and Directions:

10 large strawberries
2 teaspoons honey
2 cups ice
1 cup water

Blend all ingredients, set aside. 

1 cup spinach
1  cup kale
7-10 leaves of fresh cilantro
½ cup orange juice
½ cup water
1 cup ice 

Blend all ingredients. 
Pour in the strawberry mixture and top with the green smoothie mixture. You can do ½ and ½ or whatever ratio you would like. 

As promised I have a new way to freeze this one, mason jars!! You can get them super inexpensive from Wal-Mart or the Dollar Store. 

This method of freezing works great for people who work or need to rush out of the door in the morning. Freezing them in mason jars lets them naturally thaw, meaning by mid day when you need your daily smoothie dose, it will be ready to go. I love to have a few of these options ready to go for when we go on hikes or spend the morning at the park. When they have thawed out, give them a good shake and ENJOY!

Happy freezing,

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