The YorkSibs. The Logistial Coordination of Skillets.

I was at work when I received a text from Steve which said the following:

If that isn’t a text to make a woman’s heart go pitter-patter, I don’t know what is.

Turns out that since I started eating eggs a couple of mornings a week (instead of my usual oatmeal), it threw off the delicate Frying Pan Usage Balance to the extent that we had to sit down and have a serious conversation about it.

The gist of Steve’s message was that when I made scrambled eggs, I shouldn’t put water in the pan to let it soak but just leave it on the stove. Thirty minutes later, he would be making eggs and he could just wipe out the pan out and re-use it. Therefore we wouldn’t dirty so many pans.

Somehow I don’t think that subject showed up anywhere in our wedding vows but I’m glad we were able to get that nearly insurmountable issue in our marriage resolved. (Plus, it gave us a good laugh.)

In other Smith news . . .

I have managed to outsmart the YorkSibs which is not the easiest task on the planet. Here are the darling Yorkies and Nathan’s feet.

So here’s what happened with the Mom vs. Dogs saga.

Whenever I get home from work, Tinker and Belle are always lying in wait.

As soon as I walk in the door, they throw themselves into a frenzy of motion, leaping, twirling, and jumping up on me,  competing for attention, hellos, and head pats. Unfortunately, their small doggy brains have yet to figure out that it’s hard to perform a head pat on a dog that is a blur of movement so they are actually sabotaging their own efforts.

After the frenetic doggie greeting . . .

Phase Two of my arrival home commences.  Tinker and Belle get so excited at knowing that I am once again in the Smith domicile that they just can’t handle it one.more.second. And so what do they do?

They dissolve into a fierce doggy fight, transforming themselves into a whirl of furry brown bodies snarling and twirling, melding into one giant, gyrating circle on the kitchen floor. They aren’t hurting each other or nipping at each other; they’re just growling and flailing about, which is their patented way of coping when excitement is too much to otherwise process.

For several months, I have put up with these shenanigans, trying all manner of things to get them to greet me calmly so that I can have a peaceful arrival at home. Alas, nothing has worked and I have opened the door each evening to complete canine chaos.

Until last week when I got an idea. A very good idea, I must say say.

I slowly opened the kitchen door last Thursday evening and Tinker and Belle launched diligently into their usual hullaballoo–leaping, barking, fighting.  However, instead of stopping and trying to deal with them like I usually do, I just kept going.

I walked myself right on past them. I walked myself right into the den. And then I sat myself right down on the sofa and I waited to see their reaction.

The YorkSibs were flummoxed. They were befuddled. They were bamboozled.

They stopped in their tracks for a moment and then followed me cautiously into the den, furtively glancing at me, glancing at each other, glancing around the room, filled with puzzlement at this unexpected detour of their frenetic routine. Tinker gently put his paws on the couch asking to get up and Belle sat quietly and looked at me with a bemused expression on her face. And most importantly?  They were both blissfully and peacefully quiet.

I mentally congratulated myself and breathed a sigh of relief that I had come up with a way to make my homecomings more peaceful–for me and for these sweet doggies.

One nice thing about getting home each night . . .

is that Steve always has dinner waiting. Sometimes it’s something simple and sometimes it’s more elaborate. Last week, he made Garlic Tomato Baked Chicken and it was marvelous!   (The recipe is at the end of the post.)

We’ve eaten it for two meals now and still have enough for another dinner. (I may freeze the third portion and we’ll have it down the road.) Plus, I put some into a dish and brought it to work for lunch. I often pack leftovers for lunch; they are easy to put together and save so much money.

Springtime!

Here are a couple of photos of our backyard. We’ve never had these purple flowers before; they just burst out of the ground for no particular reason this year.

This tree was knocked down by one of our bigger storms.

I can’t wait until the brown trees start being filled with various shades of green and all the flowering trees burst forth.  I can never decide if I like spring or autumn better; there is so much incredible beauty God has given us to enjoy in every season.  I am grateful for the bountiful, miraculous colors of nature.

And lastly, here is the recipe I mentioned.

It looks like a lot of ingredients/steps, but it actually comes together very quickly.

Garlic Tomato Baked Chicken 

INGREDIENTS
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (If the pieces are large, cut them into slightly smaller pieces.)
2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced (can also use from jar: 2 tsp. equals 4 cloves)
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1/4 cup chicken broth or white wine
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp smoked paprika (optional)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (optional, for spice)
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and black pepper, to taste
parsley(for garnish)

STEPS
1. Preheat oven to 400°F
2. Season the chicken breasts with salt, black pepper, and smoked paprika. Set aside.
3. Heat the olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat.
4.  Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds.
5.  Stir in the diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes
6.  Simmer for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to combine.
7.  Place the chicken breasts into the skillet, spooning some of the tomato sauce over each piece.
8.  Sprinkle mozzarella and Parmesan cheese evenly over the chicken. (If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, just transfer everything to a baking dish before adding cheese.)
9.  Transfer the skillet (or baking dish) to the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C) and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
10.  Remove the skillet from the oven and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes.
11.  Garnish with parsley. Serve with rice or noodles. (Steve made up a box of rice pilaf and it was really good.)

What about you?

Have you ever outsmarted a dog or other animal?

Do you have any extra advice about keeping dogs from jumping up?

Are there any changes/alterations you would suggest to the recipe above?

Do you have a lot of frying pans in your kitchen or do you have to have logistical conversations with other family members about them?

Are there any other items in their house that you feel like you are always running out of?

What is one happy thing you are looking forward to this week?