I wrote this piece before we left for Christmas but didn’t even have the heart to post it. Things are getting better. But, this is where we were….

This is our Christmas tree. Notice anything unusual about it? It is prelit and has a rope of ribbon on it. That is all. I am not going to lie this holiday season has been tough. Since Thanksgiving we have all been sick at one time or another. I was down for a good week and a half before I even started to feel normal again. My daughter just finished her first college semester yesterday. She did so good at college. She struggled in high school but has really grown so much this year in figuring out what works for her. So, she will finally be home. My son? He has been super busy too. An orchestra concert last night, a choir concert tonight, and he auditioned for “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” and will find out later today if he got a roll. Those rehearsals start on Wednesday. But, on Friday he will be done with school and homework for 2 weeks. And finally my other half? She has been working crazy busy hours. Leaving at 7:30 am and coming home at 11:00 pm- 12:00 am. We are all tired and done.

Our house is minimally decorated. We have been keeping up some traditions but others have been dropped. Things are changing and that is okay. It is figuring out what is important as my kids grow and change. We are looking more at spending time together and realizing it is not the things we did but the people we spent time with that were really important. So, maybe we don’t all bake cookies together but we will sit down and eat them one night next to the tree. Or we spend time opening our advent calendars at 11:30 pm together because that is the time we can all be together.

It is just figuring out what the new Christmases will look like. It is tough on everyone but we will figure this out. My children will not be getting many presents this year. Something they need – new coats, something to read, something to experience together – tickets to Phantom of the Opera in February and a family game. All will be well.

We are still trying to keep dinners going forward. Sometimes we can still all eat together but for the last month or so it has been all of us on mostly different schedules. This meal was part of a cook once, eat twice recipe. I made a huge batch of Ranch Chicken in the slow cooker (can serve it over rice or noodles) then use the leftovers for this. My kids even like the chicken in sandwiches for lunch. So versitle.

Verdict:

Honestly my family was eating the chicken from the slow cooker just after it was shredded. I knew this would be a hit over pasta and in the crescent bites. You can easily make this without the bacon but it does add a nice flavor to the dish if you have it, but not necessary.

Be careful not to over bake these as they go from light brown on the bottom to burnt VERY quickly. Also do not over stuff as they also can leak and burn.

I served these as a meal with a hearty salad.