I'm ALIVE! We've had a roller-coaster of days and I can't wait to share pictures with you from my family's visit. It just sparked a flame. Being within driving distance of my older sister now is definitely something to be thankful for. The South West is growing on me day by day... as long as it's not 90 outside. But I guess I have plenty of that to look forward to.

I digress.

I wanted an easy meal to make for the hubs before he hit the road after a few complicated recipes when my sister and family were here. I found this on Just a Taste and knew I had to give it a try.


These chicken tenders are easy and delicious. Plus, if you have a toddler who loves cheese, these are perfect! What's better than chicken tenders coated in cheese crackers?

Ingredients:

- Cooking spray or olive oil
- 2 C cheddar crackers (I used reduced fat Cheez-Its)
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1 to 2 lbs uncooked chicken tenders (tenderloins)
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 C whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour

Directions:

- Preheat your oven to 475. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat it with your cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.
- You have two options for your crackers.

1) Pulse them in a food processor until finely ground.
2) Place the crackers in a plastic bag, seal it, and use a rolling pin to crush the crackers.

I chose the latter because I didn't want to use more dishes. Once crushed, transfer to a shallow bowl and stir in paprika.

- Whisk eggs with Dijon mustard in a separate shallow bowl. Put your flour in a third bowl. Set up your station in this order: Flour, Eggs, Crackers.


- Coat each tender in flour first, shaking off any excess. Next, dip it in the eggs. Lastly, press the tenders into the crackers, making sure to coat them well and as evenly as possible. Place the tender on your prepared baking sheet, spacing them so they don't stick together.


Note: I used 1lb of chicken, which was 8 tenders.

- Bake for around 15 minutes. Turn them in the middle (about 7-8 minutes along) to help them cook evenly.

Serve with more Dijon and expect them to be gobbled up. We didn't have any leftovers.

Macaroni & Cheese was never really a favorite of mine... until our first year of marriage. It became a staple in our house because we were so poor and it was so cheap. However, now that we're older and we have a toddler to worry about, I realized how AWFUL the boxed stuff is and how EASY it is to make homemade, healthier, wonderful mac & cheese.

Ingredients:

- 1 1/4 C Whole Wheat Macaroni
- 2 to 3 C shredded cheese *your preference... I usually use a mix of sharp cheddar and monterey jack. If you like it extra cheesy, go for three cups-- just make sure to add a little extra milk as well!*
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp whole wheat flour
- 2/3 C milk
- Salt *optional*
- Parmesan Cheese *optional*

Directions:

- Cook the pasta according to the directions, drain, and keep waiting.
*Note: You may see a lima bean peaking through in the pictures. When I cooked the pasta, I also mixed in some frozen veggies because this is a great way to get Michael to eat them!*
- In a large pot, melt your butter. Whisk in the flour until it is evenly combined and starting to thicken a little. Next add your milk. Stir continuously. DO NOT STOP MIXING!
- Once it has thickened, add your cheese and pasta. It's easiest if you add your cheese, then the pasta, and mix really well. Add extra little milk if it's too thick. This is when you can also add your optional salt, up to 1/2 tsp if desired.

VOILA! Sprinkle Parmesan Cheese on top and serve warm. You'll never go back to the prepackaged stuff.

This recipe was inspired from 100 Days of Real Food.

Now, for the giveaway!

Today we're celebrating the one year anniversary of The Lily Field! If you haven't looked over Brittany's blog, you need to. She's an amazing woman with a heart after God, sharing her faith, relationship tips + stories, and raising two handsome young men. But who better to introduce this than Brittany herself?

________________________________________
Blogging is so much more than an online journal of daily activities. It is not just a pretty URL with
perfectly arranged HTML. But it is an avenue, a portal into the very hearts of humanity.
Beautiful, blank, white space begging to be filled with dreams, ideas, reflections, stories...

It is about community.
It is about reaching out to people you may never have the chance to meet in person.
It is about building relationships and sharing your testimony...
learning lessons from each other that impact life.

They say it takes a village to raise a child...
I think it takes a village to do great things in general.
We need each other.

Blogging has been such a blessed adventure for me. One that I was reluctant to take. Fearing I would fail,
I put the idea off for years. But on March 22nd, 2012 I found me some beautiful, blank, white space...

and began.

THANK YOU readers, friends, and family... I wish I could come give each and every one of you a hug.
Praying the words and pictures found in the day-to-day posts can at least hug your heart. You are loved.
________________________________________
Celebrating this milestone with me are 6 other wonderful women who have touched my life, encouraged me,
and held my hand along the way! Each one is so unique - singing her song from her space on the web.
Visit them. Let them bless you as they have blessed me!

Together we are giving away a $100 Target gift card to one, lucky reader this week!!!
Enter to win below. Open to U.S./Canada residents only.
________________________________________


::: THE LILY FIELD :::

::: STANDPIPE & SPRINKLES // NEWFANGLED HOUSEWIFE :::

::: LILY & LIGHT // THE WILLIAMS POST :::

::: IMPERFECTLY PERFECT GRACE // BEAUTIFULLY MOLDED :::


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*** this giveaway is in no part sponsored or endorsed by Target.
all details and opinions are my own. ***

As promised when I posted my Zucchini Boats, a new eggplant recipe for you! Not to down my Eggplant Parm, either, but this recipe is way easier.

Ingredients:

- Eggplant
- Tomato Paste or homemade pizza sauce
- Mozzarella Cheese
- Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Olive Oil
*optional: fresh oregano, basil, parsley*

Directions:

- Cut your eggplant into pieces about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. Try to make them as even as possible. If they are too thin, they won't be as good!
- Cover with salt and place over a colander or something like it (I definitely just used my bacon screen and placed it over my sink) to help the water soak out of the eggplant. In my life, things can soak out as much as they soak up! Ha! Let the eggplant sit for a good thirty minutes or so, until it looks as pictured below.Note: I would set your timer for about fifteen or twenty minutes, preheat your oven to 425, and then continue your timer as needed!*

- If you haven't already, preheat your oven to 425. Lightly coat your eggplant with olive oil.
- Place on a baking sheet and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, then turn them over and roast the other side. Pictured my eggplant was not cut as evenly as hoped, and you can see (top right) that my thin piece didn't do so well with the roasting.

- Once you've roasted both sides, switch your oven to broil. I put mine on low so the cheese is less likely to burn.
- Spread tomato paste/sauce or pizza sauce on your eggplant. This part it REALLY is up to you. You don't want to put too much sauce and have it get all soggy (which is why I used tomato paste the second time around), but it can still be yummy! If you're just using plain tomato sauce, I suggest adding some spices (see ingredients above).

- Sprinkle your cheeses on top of the tomato base/spices. Use as much as you like. Stick under the broiler for UNDER two minutes. This should melt the cheese perfectly (just to bubbling and before too brown/burned).

VOILA! A healthier pizza for your liking. The great thing is you really don't have to wait on this one either, and probably shouldn't. Eat while cheese is melty and the eggplant is still warm! There's no "final" picture because I was too busy eating it that I forgot to photograph it... oops!

Recipe adapted from Kath Eats Real Food

I like to start the week with a sweet recipe. I hope, this way, it's on your mind and by the weekend you're just itching to make it.

I made this New Year's Day. The plan had been to make it New Year's Eve, but our little one prevented that from happening. Although it may not have kicked off the healthy choices of the year, it certainly helped us grin and bear Clark having to leave for work again.

Brie is one of my absolute favorite things. Whether it's cooked in a puff pastry, served with just fruit, or made with a sort of sauce-- I love it. It's why I only give in once or twice a year. This was actually my first time preparing by my lonesome. Normally I get to enjoy it at my parents' or in-law's house, but this year I was determined to make it myself.

Ingredients:

- 1 8 oz round brie cheese (leave the rind on)
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp some kind of alcohol (we actually used champagne and it worked deliciously!)
- 1/2 C dried fruit (I used the one pictured below and raisins, so it should be chopped)

Directions:

- Heat oven to 350. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your cheese on it. Bake for around 10 minutes, enough time to soften the cheese.
- Meanwhile, in a small sauce pan mix together your syrup, sugar, and alcohol. Cook until it begins to thicken into a syrup of its own.
- Chop up your fruit if it isn't in smaller pieces already.
- Move your cheese to whatever dish you wish to serve it in. Put the fruit on top of your softened/warm cheese (with rind) and pour your sauce over it. Serve immediately with bread, crackers, or even apple slices!



Adapted from Betty Crocker.