Chicken and Bean Stew Recipe

 

:: CHICKEN AND BEAN STEW RECIPE ::

 

Ten minutes is all it takes to prepare this lovely Chicken and Bean Stew Recipe. I love finding quick and easy recipes when I visit Trader Joe’s.  It is a great meal when you have a busy week and you don’t want to order out AGAIN!  Six simple ingredients is all it takes.  This stew is a little on the spicy side, but with a small change of the recipe, you can get the whole family to sit down to enjoy this meal.

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Vegetarian Lasgana

 

 :: VEGETARIAN LASAGNA ::  

“Meatless Monday” anyone? I’m not sure about you…. but I’m always looking for a new vegetarian option that’s family friendly. I was attracted to this recipe from Trisha Yearwood because the use of cashews, tofu and fresh basil to create a ricotta-like mixture sounded delicious… and unique! The recipe also called for black beans in place of a meat mixture. Yum!

Of course, like with any recipe, I made some changes after reading the reviews. It turned out super tasty, and also made for great leftovers {which I’m not usually a fan of}! After the recipe {shown below} I listed a few pointers, as well as, additional ingredients you might like to incorporate to make this lasagna recipe tailored to fit your family! 

 

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{weekend} lovelies

Happy Weekend Lovelies!

Monday, April 22nd,  is Earth Day!

This weekend is a wonderful time to celebrate “Mother Earth!”

A great excuse to step outside and do something positive for the environment.

This weekend’s lovelies are an ode to the Earth and a bright and breezy spring.

 

  >>>>>> Simply Happenstance on Instagram <<<<<<

 

Sara and I love Instagram.

We have been enjoying the app for some time personally, but we thought it would

be wonderful to share with our readers our favorite finds in life!

A little mixture of people, places, and of course pictures of food!

Head on over to Instagram and follow our adventures!

Of course the week we headed back to school, it ended up being warm and sunny!

Sara was able to squeeze in a little beach time with her youngest kiddos, 

and I paid a wonderful visit to The Ecology Center in San Juan Capistano.

It is the perfect place to enjoy and spend Earth Day!

They have wonderful resources ranging from school programs,

to classes on sustainability gardening and recycling.

Here are some positive ways to celebrate and contribute towards the environment:

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Egg-in-a-Hole

My kids and I have a secret obsession….. it’s watching the Food Network’s cooking shows! We don’t turn the television on during the week {because we’ve learned we never get homework done otherwise}, but when the weekend strikes… the kids and I do love a little downtime watching a few of our favorites together…. especially the Pioneer Woman, the Barefoot Contessa, and Trisha’s Southern Kitchen {or Ree, Ina & Trisha… as we call them around here}! This recipe is one that I recently tried out from Ree {the Pioneer Woman}. I decided to be a loving wife and make Husby a little breakfast upon coming home from a 48-hour shift at the fire station. I am actually allergic to eggs… so I was not able to sample the dish, but I will say that it smelled heavenly… and Husby did devour two pieces and said he thinks it’s even better than FRENCH TOAST!!

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Four Hidden Emotional Needs of a Child

>>> The Four Hidden Emotional Needs of a Child <<<

 

I have a piece of paper secured to the side of my refrigerator that I was given when working as a school psychologist. I’ve kept it for years in its current location because of its importance. I often pass by and steal a quick look at its contents. It doesn’t take much…. just a glance, but it serves a purpose. It reminds me to take inventory of whether or not I’ve been doing a good job at meeting my children’s emotional needs. Hopefully, I am not only meeting their basic and physical needs, but their emotional, as well. These are the hidden kind that are much harder to communicate, especially as a child. After all, how many children do you know that come up to their parents and say, “Can you please give me some self worth today?” However, children do articulate their physical needs, such as being hungry, tired, or cold.

Although this list is not exhaustive of all deep-rooted emotional needs, it’s simple… and is universal to all children {Source: Your Child’s Hidden Needs – Bruce Narramore}. 

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