Chicken Tetrazzini- And Changing Our Focus

Good morning, good afternoon, and/or good evening – whichever greeting applies to when you read this! I’m excited to share this ridiculously good recipe for Crock Pot Chicken Tetrazzini with you today. It’s become a school day favorite of Katy and her best friend, SJ.
Since we homeschool, I like to put this on early in the morning and we all have a nice lunch to look forward to. Scroll right on down if you want to get to the recipe but if you have time to visit a spell, keep reading.

Today, I want to talk about something I do that helps me to be a happier person. 

I don’t know if it is something about this time of year or this time in our history, but the other day I shared my post on how I overcame depression on my facebook page and it resonated in a big way with folks. Even a close friend called to tell me she’d awakened in the middle of the night and read it. Whatever the reason, a lot of people are relating to the struggle right now and this serves as a reminder to me that everyone, regardless of how things appear on the surface, is struggling with something. 
With that in mind. I wanted to share something else I do that has a big impact on my attitude and coping skills. Every day, whenever possible, I change my view. 
Now you may be thinking “Literally change your view or figuratively?” 

Well, the answer is both. 

You see, despite the picture perfect lives we see on social media, we all have problems of varying degrees. I’ve never once met a human being who hadn’t had their share (and then some) of struggles. Now I know some problems are understandably consuming but when you’ve set a plan in place to solve it or done all you can for the moment, focusing on the problem only serves to water it and help it to expand in your mind. You see, what we water, grows. 
So once we’ve done all we can, it’s time to look at something else, stop watering it, and change our view. When it comes to problems, the best way I’ve found to change our view is to look to someone else’s problems and see how we can help. My mother has always said “When times are hard, find someone who has it worse than you and figure out a way to help them.” 
This can be as simple as offering up encouragement on Facebook or baking someone a casserole. Keep in mind there are a thousand plus options in between those two. The quote I like to use is “Pretend you’re a star and poke a hole in someone’s darkness.”  When we have darkness of our own, any light we shine for others can’t help but reach us as well. 
Another thing I like to do is physically change my view: Get outside. Y’all, there is something about stepping outside of four walls into a big open space and looking up to see green treetops and blue skies that just acts as an instant pressure release valve to me.

Lately, I’ve been spending a lot of time outside, as much as I possibly can. I get up early, wait for the sun to rise, and look outside to see if it’s going to be a pretty day. If so, I pack up my computer and a tote of note taking supplies and I head out onto the back porch to do my work for the day. This may seem like a small thing but it integral in keeping my depression at bay and my head on straight.
And guess what? It’s not just me. There have been been studies that prove that there are mental and physical benefits of spending more time outdoors. Check out these findings:

• 20 minutes outdoors gives your brain the energy boost of a cup of coffee
• Sunlight helps reduce stress and pain, people who get time in the sun actually have to take less pain medication than those who don’t
• Scientist have found that breathing in more phytoncides, a chemical produced by plants, actually helps increase white blood cells. 
• Outdoor scents (flowers, vegetation, etc) have been proven to bring about relaxation and calm 
• Sunshine helps increase your body’s production of Vitamin D and deficiencies of this have been known to contribute to depression. 
• Being outdoors, even for a short period of time, has been proven to increase focus throughout the entire day. 

But y’all, seriously. Going outside helps me stay happy and it makes me happier. So whether it’s a problem you need to shift your focus off, or just a view of a wall that needs to be replaced with some trees and sunshine, changing your view is something everyone can benefit from. 
Be mindful of your view today and if at all possible, change it to something that warms your soul. Let’s make some supper….

To make this delicious Crock Pot Chicken Tetrazzini, you’ll need: Chicken, Cream of Chicken Soup, Cream Cheese, Butter, Minced Garlic, and some Italian Dressing Mix. The sizes and such are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Place chicken in slow cooker.
• Add cream of chicken soup, Italian dressing mix, and butter. Don’t add cream cheese yet.
• Cover and cook this on high for three hours or low for about 7.
• Cut cream cheese into cubes and stir that in. Allow to cook for about thirty more minutes or until cream cheese is melted.
• Use a wooden spoon to stir it up well and break up the chicken into small pieces as you do – the chicken will come apart easily. 

Serve Crock Pot Chicken Tetrazzini over hot linguini or noodles of your choice.

If it’s a pretty day, why not take this out onto the porch?

Do you have any tips for bringing more joy into your life and keeping stress and depression at bay? I’d love to hear them in the comments!

Slow Cooker Chicken Tetrazzini

Ingredients

• 1 pounds Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts or Tenders
• 1 can Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 packet Italian Dressing Mix (.6 oz)
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1/4 cup Butter
• 8 ounces Cream Cheese

Instructions

• Place all ingredients in crock pot except cream cheese. Cook on high 3 hours or low 7 hours. Add cream cheese (cut into cubes), stir, cook additional 1/2 hour or until cream cheese melted (no lumps). Stir with wooden spoon to break up the chicken, this will be easy to do.Serve chicken and sauce over hot noodles and enjoy!

Notes

This is a favorite of all the teens in my house!

Click here to read my post on how I overcame depression

Click here to watch my series on Learning To Be A Happy Person

You have to choose joy – and keep choosing it! 

~Henri Nouwen

Yum