armando to the rescue

so we had a pretty good guy who used to help us out with the big yard projects at our house...until lately he was quite reliable but just could never seem to get the job done. this past week we found armando...below are the before photos of the davis front yard. you can tell from my fence updates that our back yard is a jungle! 

so here are the before photos!

notice our overcrowding of plants here! cannot wait for ALL of them minus three to be gone and new encore azaleas to be planted in the background!

these plants wont be removed but will be pruned way back! 

sorry GA Power about the crepe myrtles in the power lines! those will be out in no time flat! the big green "mound" as i like to call it will be gone (finally!) 

all of these plants here will vanish as well! no more leggy oversized plants for this house on greenview avenue! 

update on wilson

wilson still coming off of his sedatives...sweet baby boy!

sorry for no great recipes this week...we've had some wilson issues this week!

so wilson has been our little patient since Wednesday's "big event" which was when somehow in the backyard his back right paw's middle toe nail was ripped off exposing the quick. sparing the gory details, he had to have the quick surgically removed in an emergency surgery on Wednesday. he had a cast put on Wednesday and this morning went to the vet for a follow up and got a new cast put on for the next 5 days.

he's a quick learner....walking on three legs is coming quite naturally to him now but you can tell he is still in a bit of pain. todays vet visit ended with him on a bland diet for 6 days and a quick switch of medicine. poor little baby boy! below are some of the cute photos of him even if he is looking sad, you know he's getting some quality care at the Davis house!

wilson getting ready for his new cast

chicken & rice casserole

i have made this before and frozen it...i've also made it with or without the rice...all ways equal the same thing..amazing!

chicken & rice casserole
what you need...

1  package sliced almonds
2  boxes fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1/4 cup butter
4 celery ribs, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cans cream of mushroom soup (99% fat free is best)
2 cans chopped water chestnuts, drained
8oz container sour cream (fat free works!)
1 cup skim milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (2% reduced fat)
2 cups soft, fresh breadcrumbs

what to do...

Preheat oven to 350°. Bake almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan 4 to 6 minutes or until toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.  Prepare rice mixes according to package directions. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat; add celery and onions. Sauté 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in chicken, next 6 ingredients, rice, and 3 cups cheese.

Spoon mixture into a lightly greased 15- x 10-inch baking dish or 2 (11- x 7-inch) baking dishes. Top with breadcrumbs.Bake at 350° for 35 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1 cup cheese, and top with toasted almonds. Bake 5 minutes.