Fall, Food, & Football!

As a rookie football coach's wife (& busy cheer coach) these last few years, my family suffered from unhealthy, less than stellar meals and fast food... and so did my wallet.

This year, my goal is to find easy, healthy, hearty recipes and to cook at least two large portions on Sundays to help me out through the week.  I'm thinking the Crock Pot is going to become my best friend.

Some of my favorite Crock Pot recipes are:  Jambalaya, Hoppin' John, Cajun Roast, Chili, & Chicken Tortilla Soup. I am blessed to have married into a family of amazing, homestyle Louisiana Cajun cooks.  Some of these recipes are sacred, secret family recipes (sorry, guys).  But today, I would like to share a Chapman family favorite recipe with y'all.  I hope y'all enjoy it!

Chicken Tortilla Soup-- courtesy of Linda Alley (my mom)

4 ckn breasts
1 can tomato soup
1 can rotel
1 can corn
2 cans ckn broth
1 8oz chili salsa (Mrs. Renfro's...green)
*1 can kidney beans
1 med. onion
2 cloves garlic (or minced garlic)
1 envelope taco seasoning
1 cup water

1) Saute onion & garlic
2) Add 1 cup of water w/ Taco Seasoning
3) Shred cooked chicken
4) Add ckn and all other ingredients
5) Simmer 2 hours
**Add kidney beans 30 mins before eating

Served topped with fritos, avocado, & shredded fiesta mix cheese.  OR you can fry corn tortilla strips.

You could put your chicken breasts in the Crock Pot before you leave for work in the morning if you can't do this on a Sunday, and cook it on low.  Then when you get home that afternoon, all you have to do is shred the chicken and add the other ingredients.  You might even be able to just dump EVERYTHING into the crock pot in the morning and cook on low.  I have never done it that way... but it would prob. work!

I love this recipe because it is packed with PROTEIN & VEGGIES :)

Now that I have shared... It's YOUR TURN my fellow coach's wives!  What's your favorite Game Day meal?

Freeze Frame Time

I am so excited!!! On Saturday, the Tom Bean sports teams are taking team pictures with Buzz Photos.  Coach told me yesterday that all of the coaching families are also taking pictures! What a simple, yet powerful way to include coaching wives/children.  How many of your schools are also doing this?  It will definitely be a picture to cherish :)

I almost murdered my husband.

It's true... I almost murdered my husband.  Bet that got your attention... I told y'all, I would play nice at first, but that this blog will be raw and real.

I am the paranoid mother who has watched WAY too many Lifetime or LMN movies and is convinced someone is going to break into my house and steal my baby.  I seriously have all of the scenarios floating around in my mind at all times... I'm warning that person... he is super cute, but super wild. They would probably bring him back :)

Because of that paranoia, we have an alarm system for peace of mind.  Coach has been getting up before Miles and Mommy are awake in the morning (I sure do HATE having the bed to myself for a few hours... ;) ).  Miles always wakes up first and comes to our bedroom to wake us up.  Coach had set the alarm to AWAY and the motion detector went off at 6:30 am.  It scared my poor baby so badly, he cried and sobbed FOREVER.  He usually goes back to sleep with me in the bed for about an hour... but it was too late. Our hour of snuggly bliss was ruined by COACH.

Lucky for Coach, he lives to see another day.  But he's walking a thin line right now...

4 Seasons of a Coach's Wife

In a coach's wife's life there are 4 seasons...

1) Football
2) Basketball
3) Baseball
4) SUMMER

I have so enjoyed spending time with the mister this summer.  We spent an amazing weekend with our good friends Mr. & Mrs. Coach Bender at Coach's Outreach (all coaching couples should attend a summer marriage conference... you won't regret it!), a beach vacation with Wes' family in Navarre, Florida, zoo trips, play dates, and best of all... NAPS.  I think naps are what I will miss the very most when school starts. But Summer is winding down... football 2-a-days have started for many of us... and it's back to missing husbands and daddies.

Our goals for this season, as a coaching couple, are...

1) Keep a strong relationship with God and full of prayer during difficult times.
2)  Take time to spend with one another... no matter how busy life gets... eat meals together.
3)  Be supportive and not so... well... "nagging"... there, I said it.  I can be the Queen Bee of nagging.

What are some of your goals as a coaching couple this season?  What will you miss most about the summer?  If you haven't set any goals with your husband yet, I would strongly encourage it.  After all... If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy (the English teacher in me died a little bit from typing that-- y'all do realize that means if Mama isn't happy, somebody is happy...right? Think about it).

Life as a Coach's Wife

Hello anyone willing to show even a bit of curiosity in my life. I have never blogged before, but I am excited to share some of my world with all of you.  I am a mother to a wild, curly-headed, blue-eyed two year old  boy named Miles.  I am a coach's wife to a career-driven, passionate, sexy man.  I teach 100+
hormonal teenagers high school English (10th and 12th graders).  Somehow, I even juggle my time as the Tomcats cheerleading coach. I love reading (but who has time?), shopping (but who has money?), and spending time with my family.

On this blog, my goal is to connect with other coach's wives to help us survive the days of single parenting, big game wins and tough losses, and keep life in perspective.  After all, coaches wives are a special breed and we should stick together!

So here it is world... My life as a coach's wife.

Please comment with your name and what team you're rooting for this Fall!