Southern Staples

Here in the south, casseroles are a way of life.  Ask any southern home cook for a casserole recipe, and you are guaranteed to be met with a plethora of tried and true concoctions filled with meats, vegetables, and creamy sauces that sometimes sound like strange combinations, but inevitably turn out to be mouth-watering, satisfying, one-pot wonders!  These tasty treats have become one of my "go to" dinners because they are budget friendly, easy to prepare, and oh so comforting.  Casseroles, although decidedly delicious, are generally not known for their figure friendly ingredients.  And lets face it, we are all trying to watch our waist lines these days.  Thus, when I ran across this slimmed-down version of our beloved southern staple from Cooking Light, I decided to give it a go.  And let's just say, it didn't disappoint.  So, I decided to share it with you.  Of course, the great thing about casseroles are their versatility.  So, if chicken and broccoli aren't your thing, feel free to experiment with any combination you like.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

INGREDIENTS

3 quarts water

1 large bunch broccoli (about 3 large stalks)

2 (6 oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 (12oz) can evaporated fat-free milk

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Dash of nutmeg

1 cup low-fat mayo

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce

1 can (10.75 oz) 98% fat-free cream of mushroom soup (undiluted)

1 cup parmesean cheese

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bring water to a boil in a large stock-pot over medium-high heat.  Add broccoli and cook 3-4 minutes until tender crisp.  Remove broccoli from boiling water with a slotted spoon, and immediately submerge in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process.  Once the broccoli is cool, drain the water and return broccoli to the bowl.  Add chicken to boiling water, reduce heat, and simmer for 15 minutes or until done.  Transfer chicken to a cutting board and cool slightly.  Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces, and add to bowl with broccoli.

Combine evaporated milk, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan, stirring continuously with a wisk until smooth.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until mixture is thickened (about 1-2 minutes).  Remove from heat.  Add mayo, sour cream, worcestershire sauce, cream of mushroom soup, and 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, stirring until well combined.  Add mayo mixture to broccoli and chicken, and stir gently until combined.

Spoon mixture into a 8x8-inch baking dish coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of parmesean cheese.  Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes until mixture bubbles at the edges and cheese begins to brown.  Remove from oven, and let cool for 5 minutes.

Delicious with brown rice or a small side salad.  Enjoy!!!

Good Ole Rocky Top

So after three long weeks of vascular, our vacation week had finally arrived.....and I could not have been more READY!!  We loaded up the car early Monday morning and headed to "God's country"....good ole Knoxville, Tennessee!  Can you see the excitement on our faces? (especially Mason's ha!)

On the drive, we mapped out plans for the week.  We wanted to spend time with family and friends, but we also wanted to have a few days for just the two of us....after all, it was our vacation, and we had hardly seen each other the last three weeks.  First off, we headed to my parents to spend a few days and to celebrate little Jeannine's 17th birthday.  We had great food and loved relaxing and catching up with the fam.  Then, it was off for a little alone time.  We loaded up the car again, and headed to the grocery store to get food for our little two day adventure.

Curt grew up on the lake, and its honestly his FAVORITE place to be!  So where else would our little excursion take place..... He had planned for us to take his dad's boat up river near Tellico, where his family spent their summers before they bought their lake house.  I had never been to this area, but I had heard it was absolutely beautiful and......it was!!!  We anchored out in a small cove surrounded by the most picturesque scenery I have ever seen.  No houses, no boats, no people.  It was perfect.  We spent the days basking in the sun on the front of the boat.....laughing, talking, reading....this was just what we needed!  Here are a few pictures from our little adventure.....

The last few days of our vacation were spent with Curt's family.  Several of our friends were planning to come in for the UT/Florida game that weekend, and Curt's parents had planned to take the boat down to join the Vol Navy for a little tailgating.  For those of you who don't know Curt, UT football has to be his 2nd most favorite thing.......add to that the fact that we were taking the boat down to the game, and he was in heaven!  We loaded up the boat with tons of food and drinks, then all piled on to head down to the game.  Once we arrived, we tied up to another boat, and the tailgating began.   We stuffed our faces, and headed up to G10 to visit with some other friends.  The game started at 3:30, and unfortunately our seats were in the sun the entire game....needless to say it was HOT HOT HOT!!!  After three hours of sweltering in the heat and an unfortunate loss for the Vols, we headed back to the boat to cool off, enjoy some more food, and celebrate Curt's dad's birthday with a yummy orange velvet cake!  Here are a few game day pictures.....

The next day, we packed up and headed back to our sweet little Homewood.  So grateful for a week of rest and relaxation.  Now moving on to our first orthopedic rotation....say a little prayer for us!

The Start of a New Chapter.....

Here's the rest of the story as promised.......

We could honestly not believe the day had come!  Four grueling years of hard work, dedication, and perseverance had paid off, and he was officially Dr. Curtis Shannon Gaylord.  And let's just say, for the record, I could not have been more proud! 

So, for the last time, we loaded up the car and headed to Memphis to start the festivities.  Here are a few pictures from the weekend......

The weekend, however, did not end there....

Once the graduation festivities were over, the 3 day moving extravaganza began!  We headed over to Curt's condo where we spent the rest of the day cleaning, packing boxes, and loading up the moving truck.  We ended the day with dinner at Rendez-vous (Curt's favorite Memphis BBQ spot), and rested up for the next leg of the trip.  The next morning we said our goodbyes to 245 Madison Avenue, and made our way to our humble abode in Homewood.  Our crew did not skip a beat.  Once everything was unloaded, we headed to Knoxville to rest up, say goodbye to our dear friends Tommy and Noelle, and load up our stuff from our temporary Knoxville home (aka their basement).  The next morning we were a little worse for wear, but with the help of great friends, we loaded up the moving truck one last time, and made the final trek back to Homewood.  Here are a few pictures of our new home and our fearless moving crew.....



A big thank you to everyone who helped us that weekend!  We could not have done it without you!

We have spent the last 3 months working on our home and adjusting to the world of residency.  We still have a lot to learn, but we are loving every minute of our life here in Homewood, and are excited to share it with you! 

From the Beginning....

Nine months ago, I married my best friend.  It was a perfect day filled with family, great friends, and a little holiday cheer!  After basking in the sun for a week in the Grenadines.......

 We returned home for our first Christmas together as husband and wife.

And then.....we hit the ground running.  The next three months of our lives were filled with lots of anxiety as Curtis traveled all over the country interviewing for residency positions.  For those of you who don't know me, I'm kind of a "homebody."  I've never really lived outside the walls of good ole Tennessee, and I don't do very well with change.  (Not one of my greatest attributes I admit, but I'm learning....)  So, we made our top ten lists and prayed prayed PRAYED!!!   The day finally came, and we packed up and headed to Memphis for the infamous Match Day. 
Here's how it all went down......
It was a beautiful, sunny day, and the entire medical school class gathered on the lawn of the Pink Palace for appetizers and a little friendly fellowship, although we were all so nervous, we basically just paced back and forth and stared at each other.  Then after a little motivational speech from one of the head honchos, we headed over to our designated area to receive our letter.  Now this was not just any letter, this letter determined the next five years of our lives, so needless to say, we were a wreck!!  With trembling hands and tears in our eyes, we scanned the letter and squealed with delight as we read the fateful words......BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA!!!

With match day behind us, we headed home with smiles on our faces, anxiously awaiting the next step.....graduation and the big move!  All in the same weekend.....what were we thinking?!?  More to come.....