Next In Line Please.

Every once in awhile the universe honors the simple fact that it is your turn for some straight up Good News.  And today was our day.  No, I have yet to see the doc about my back, that's for tomorrow, but since I try not to borrow tomorrow's troubles today...I am focusing on what I know right now!

2 of my crew had doctor appointments today. 

First up was the baby girl and her follow-up cardiology visit.  (She was diagnosed with Supraventricular Tachycardia back in November.  Feel free to toss that around in a crowd.  If you live in my neck of the woods, people think you are really s.m.a.r.t.)  Be ready to jump up and down, because her heart sounds great!  Her resting EKG was just as it should be!  Her blood pressure was fabulous!  All of which means Dr. Perry gave her her walking papers.  If she starts having events, as they are called in the medical world, again...we go back.  We now know one of her main triggers is a rush of adrenaline.  So she has to manage stress really well, for instance.  But isn't that something we, the general population of the U.S. of A., need to work on?  Maybe she'll be a step ahead of her peers by the time she reaches adulthood in being able to discern that which really matters and that which she should and will leave by the wayside.

The man who makes me swoon (the grown one) also had a doctor appointment this afternoon.  Something had started to ail him over the weekend, and to my dismay, he went ahead Monday and made himself an appointment.  This little act alone caused me to fret, because in the 23 years we have been a couple, I have only known him to go to the doctor voluntarily twice.  And one of those times was after we'd had our surprise third precious baby, and our accountant had pointed out to him that he himself had put off the Big V Operation and was the proud father of 6.  So if he was going to the doctor of his own volition, well, it gave me pause.  I'm not going to go into his ailments as he's a very private sort of dude, but a little medicine and he will be back in tip top shape!  Can I hear an Amen! on that?!

Did you feel it?  That was the tension leaving the building.  I don't know how I'd function if any my crew were to be among the fallen...  I know I would function, because there are more than one of them, but it is not something I would wish upon my worst enemy. (Like my dad's 5th wife for instance...not even on her.  I think.  Is this bad karma?)

Last night I knew my hero was sort of freaking himself out a tad worried.  And knowing he spells comfort C.A.S.S.E.R.O.L.E.  I made him on of his absolute favorites.  Don't run'd off (name that movie) screaming, this ain't your backwards cousin's evil stepmama's tuna casserole with cream of mushroom soup and a bag of chips on top.  This is something I adapted from Trisha Yearwood's cookbook.  I made it a little healthier, because I would like a two-piece bathing suit this summer...so a little less jiggle is going to be mandatory if that's going to happen.  Know what I'm sayin'?  I like to think it helped my big bad ironworker man calm down just a little, when he needed it most.

Chicken Broccoli Casserole

2 cups cooked brown rice
3 cups cooked chopped broccoli (fresh or frozen, use the stems too, they're Good For You!)
1 cup lowfat Greek yogurt (like Fage)
1/2 cup mayo (Unless you like light mayo, just don't go there.)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 10 oz. can condensed cream of chicken soup (you can make your own but I don't have time so I buy Campbell's Healthy Request version)
2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided in half (pay attention here, don't put ALL of this IN the casserole, half of it goes on top)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 chicken breasts, cooked and chopped - be sure to skin those babies! (I roast bone in breasts drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper for approx. 35 - 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  But you can also use leftover chicken you have, grill the breasts, buy a rotisserie chicken and shred it up...) 

Preheat your oven to 350F and spray a 9x13 casserole dish with cooking spray.

Spread the rice in an even layer in the casserole dish.  Layer the broccoli on top of the rice.

In a large bowl, mix everything EXCEPT all of the cheese, use only half!!!, together and pour over the rice and broccoli.  Smooth it out.  Sprinkle on the other 1/2 of the cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Let stand for 5 minutes.

When I serve this up as our entire dinner (which, uh, I usually do, because it has everything and I'm all about accomplishing a lot efficiently) we eat most of it.  Baby girl and I like to spice things up with some Tabasco, but the males seem to like the mellow creamy flavor just as it is made. 

Make this for dinner and calm everyone down!  Besides, you can make it in the morning, or probably the night before, so all you have to do is put it in the oven at the end of the day.  I'm not sure if it would freeze though...

Food isn't just physical nourishment...it's how you love people!

xoxoxox,
~S