Boom There Goes the Paci

Who knew growing up could be so difficult? We have a very independent, hard headed, sweet, and wonderful toddler. Toddler's are busy bodies with a mind of their own. I know many of you are reading the title of this post wondering why our precious girl still has a paci. Well we have been pretty easy on her seeing that in the past 8 months she has moved from Louisville to Greenville, then from Greenville to Rocky Hill, had a baby brother, and gone from living with grandparents (lets face it they are not worth fighting, let them give her everything and be thankful they can) to just the Mr. and I. Let's just say her world has been rocked the past 8 months so while I know the paci was suppose to go at 2 its been hard to take away something that brings her such comfort in her very crazy world. So here we are at 25 months and we are officially paci free! Can I get an AMEN! Since discovering we were pregnant with Baylor we had pretty much just had her down to using her paci at nap time and bedtime. Occasionally though she would get a whole day. Now that we are settled and life is getting somewhat normal (whatever that is) we decided it was time for it to go. Now I am no parenting expert but I know there are parents out there having the same problem as we have had and are just looking for an idea to help. Trust me I scavenged the internet for all different ideas. Some people suggested cutting the tip of the paci off, others recommended going cold turkey, while some said she would just give it up on her own. I came up with my own idea. My darling girl has developed empathy and is very concerned about the well being of others. "Mommy are you okay?" is a phrase I hear all day. I decided to play this to my advantage and talk to her about how there are babies out there that don't have a paci and need one. On Tuesday, we decided that we would mail her paci to a baby who needed one. That gave us a week to get rid of the paci. We began with nap time. As long as I sat in the room with her until she fell asleep there were no complaints about being paci free. Sitting in the room with her is a new things since moving to Connecticut, and I can't blame her. That night I just waited for her to ask me for a paci, which of course she did. I decided bedtime wasn't worth the fight the first day. Wednesday we did the same thing, except when it came time for bed that night and she asked for it I asked her if she really needed it. Which her response was "yes." Again, not wanting to fight her I gave it to her. Yesterday was a different story. We made it through nap time perfectly, and at bedtime she asked for a paci which I again asked if she needed and she told me no that another little baby did. A whole night of sleep with no paci is a success to me! I am still going to be playing it by ear tonight but as of today we mailed her paci off to a baby who needed one (which she chose her Uncle, who is by no means a baby but hey she chose and I am not stopping her. She seems to think that she is big girl now. Which, I have to admit she definitely is. 

In honor of our dear friend paci I am including a series of pictures of our darling girl and her beloved paci! 

Goodbye good friend thank you for all the crying you have ceased.

Domesticated Life White Bean Chicken Chili Style

I am by no means a cook, but with the new adventure in Connecticut comes a new adventure in the kitchen. Connecticut is beyond expensive to live in and with the blessing of being able to stay at home means that things are going to be a little tight in the Logan household. Goodbye eating out every night, hello Chef Terri Todde (bahaha). The recipes that I will post are not my own creation. In fact they have probably come from some cook book, Pinterest for sure, blogs, and maybe someone in my family decided to write something for a change so I am borrowing their recipe. I will try to give credit where credit is do to my original sources but sometimes I may forget so please excuse me. I figured there are lot of ladies (and gentlemen) out there who have found the perfect recipe on Pinterest or cookbook but a.) haven't had time to try it, or b.) aren't really sure its worth it not knowing the outcome. Some of you may also just be in search for a new recipe, while others may just be wondering what the Logan's are eating. I decided it would only be worth my time to post the good, but will mention the bad (especially if they are from Pinterest). The Mr. has definitely taste tested all recipes before being posted, and my photography skills will hopefully improve as this blog continues.

Did I mention that it is cold here Connecticut? In fact as I currently type this post I am looking out the window at a foot of snow, with flurries falling from the sky. Don't worry though my southern friends the people here know how to do snow. Its no joke! Literally our first night here we had snow, naturally, and at 2:00 in the morning they were plowing the parking lot. Its not like home, where we wait a week for the 50 degree weather to return and the snow melts. Business as usual here in Connecticut. However, they maybe able to get rid of the snow but they can't get rid of the cold. The Mr. and I are relying heavily on soup these days as it not only warms your bones up but it usually provides leftovers (one less night to cook, praise the Lord). One of my go to dinners is none other than White Bean Chicken Chili. I adapted this recipe to make it a little lighter but the original source is a true chef by the name of Kari Blanas. Kari works at the Whiltshire Pantry in Louisville, for all my Kentucky friends or those followers who plan to visit Louisville. Definitely a great brunch/lunch spot. 

Check them out its definitely worth a visit:

Now onto the delicious white bean chicken chili. I myself am not near a fan of the red stuff as I am this delicious white stuff. To me the spiciness of this chili warms you right up. It almost taste like the white cheese queso you get at a Mexican restaurant turned into a soup. Your grocery list is pretty simple and several of the items you probably have in your cabinet.

I typically buy chicken tenders when I go to make any recipe involving chicken. Simply because I find them much easier to cut up. I hate cutting chicken I think it is disgusting but in the end I know it will be yummy, so the easier it is to get this part over with the better. The recipe calls for you to cut the chicken into cubes. I like them relatively small so that you get a piece of chicken with every bite, but feel free to make them bigger or even shred the chicken. 

Now this is my favorite part. I love when I begin to sauté the chicken, onion, and garlic powder. For some reason I think the combination smells wonderful and makes my mouth water. I usually use a separate pan to sauté but you can definitely make this entire meal all in one stock pot, and even the crock pot (although I will admit I am terrible with the crock pot so you will never see a crock pot recipe on this blog). 

I usually go ahead and mix all the other ingredients in the stock pot while the chicken cooks, because lets be honest with a toddler and a newborn the quicker you can get things done the better. 

The final part to this recipe is to add the Greek yogurt and half & half. Now the original recipe calls for sour cream and heavy whipping cream. In order to lighten meals up I usually try to substitute sour cream with Greek yogurt and heavy whipping cream with half & half if possible. I know some of you are reading this and thinking "Greek yogurt, yuck." I promise you can't tell a difference. If I can get the Mr. to try it trust me people you can't tell the difference. Plus for all you out there who have kept that New Years Resolution thus far (keep it up) maybe now you will feel comfortable making this deliciousness.


There are probably millions of different toppings you can add to the soup (avocado, cheese, and the list goes on). I am a simple kind of girl and just typically add some type of cheese that has pepper jack in it or I just eat it plain. I have doubled this recipe to make it last longer because it typically only has about 4 to 6 servings depending on how generous of a helping you take or if you go back for seconds (which you probably will). Plus I like to eat it for lunch because it warms up easily in the microwave and taste just like it came off the stove freshly prepared. 

To all followers I hope you are staying warm this week as I know it is cold just about everywhere! 

White Bean Chicken Chili

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 medium Vidalia onion, chopped

1 ½ tsp. garlic powder

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

3 cans (15.5 oz.) great northern beans, rinse and drain

1 can (!4.5 oz.) chicken broth or stock

2 can (4 oz.) chopped green chilies

1 tsp. kosher salt

1 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. dried oregano

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

1 cup plain Greek yogurt 

½ cup half & half 

Monterrey or Pepper Jack cheese to top

In large pot, sauté chicken, onion and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink.

Add beans, broth, chilies, and seasonings

Bring to a boil

Reduce to simmer

Cook for 30 minutes

Remove from heat; stir in sour cream and heavy cream

Return to low heat and cook until warm.

Top with Monterrey Jack of Pepper Jack cheese

Introductions are Necessary

Welcome to the Logan family blog! We have just embarked on a new adventure in life. With a great career opportunity waiting we have uprooted our small little family and moved away from all we have ever known to what we are currently trying to figure out Connecticut(up in the air at this point). My hope is to document our adventure here (places to go (as a family of course, maybe we will get a date night), eat, recipes, etc.) while also sharing our greatest adventure in life: parenthood (which we have no experience and by no means are experts). So without further ado introductions only seem appropriate at this time. 

The Mr. and Mrs.

The Mrs.

           Name: Terri Todde (double name, like a  Mary Beth 
   what can I say my mom is a Southern bell)

Occupation: Stay at Home Mom 

The Mr.

Name: Wes 

         Occupation: Compliance Manager

It all began late in August at the University of Kentucky. College sweethearts now married with need I say a BEAUTIFUL family (could be a little partial). Who would have thought that a Kappa Sigma rush party eleven years ago would lead to 6 years of marriage and two perfect babies. We love Jesus, family, sweet tea, and traveling. Hence our newest adventure in life! 

The Dictator 

Name: Elin Colleen 

  Age: 2 going on 22

On December 28, 2013 we welcomed our sweet girl Elin (pronounced with a long E, not as Ellen, think Tiger Wood's ex wife and you are saying it right). While that smile is sweet, and so is her personality she also a pistol. She is smart and sassy, girlie girl and a tom boy all rolled into one She runs the show in the family hence her title. "Daddy sit here, Baylor do this, Mommy I can do it by myself." Lets just say she keeps us on our toes and there is never a dull moment (unless you count nap time and night time).

The Newest Addition

Name: Baylor Scott

Age: 8 Weeks Old 

On December 10, 2015 we were blessed to welcome our sweet boy Baylor into our little family. So far he is teaching us what life with a boy is truly all about (probably needs to be a whole post within its self). We are still in the process of figuring each other out, and learning all about his little personality. So far he is perfect fit, laid back for the dictator to boss around. 

If you are interested in keeping up with our journey continue to follow along there is more to come. We have lots to learn about Connecticut, the North East (which we hope to explore), parenthood, and whatever else comes our way. Stay tuned more to come very soon!