gifts

if you look above, you might notice i now have another page on my blog. it is a link to gifts to celebrate. click on it and explore! a shout out to GOTG, friend and sole project extraordinaire!

or not

i know i said progress is being made............. and it is. i just get so darn down on myself and tonight was no exception. i was/am so darn anxious about jack and his tummy issues. still not 100% better :( and this makes me worried about what tomorrow will bring. i don't want him to have to go to K tomorrow with a sometimes icky tummy........ just venting. thanks for listening.

progress

i know i am making progress with my phobias when:

--jack threw up in the car (last week) and i didn't even think to "therapeutically" blog about it

--jack threw up in the car (1 mile from home), turned around, got him cleaned up and then got back in the car to drive the 35 min to GR for his ear appt (it was an important appt)

--i touched a chicken at the zoo

--i was within 2 feet of a frog/toad twice in one day and didn't get upset or panic-y

--jack had diarhea (yucky! going around his class with vomiting) and when his tummy seemed better, we went to the zoo without me worrying! (okay slight worrying in the car but not too much)

--when we were at a restaurant and jack told me he was going to get sick (same day as zoo trip),  i took him to the bathroom and did not panic! he did not get sick. and he was okay. and i was okay.

i know i am making progress with my overall anxiety when:

--i am not checking the garage door to make sure it is shut multiple times a night

--when i am in a situation and causing angst for others due to my own issues (i am being difficult due to internal issues...mostly with josh), i have stepped back and appologized

--i told someone something that i was carrying around and it was heavy. it hurt to tell but had to happen. it is freeing.  i am not so anxious about it any more.

--i have stopped apologizing for things that i am not sorry for and instead find a different way to respond. i do not have to be sorry for being who i truly am. i am working to apologize only when it is truly needed not when others think they need to hear it.

--i have stopped saying "It's okay" when others apologize for something they have done wrong. It is NOT okay so instead i thank them for their apology.


i am still heading to therapy about every other week. carol is great. in the past, i have tried cognitive-behavioral therapy but this is the first time i am using her style (can't think of it off the top of my head). i am grateful for her time and the insurance to help me pay for it. here's to progress!

a ride

today is absolutely beautiful. the sun is shining and the birds are chirping. albeit hot and muggy, it was a perfect morning for a bike ride. jack has gone once on a ride with me but luke has not. today was our first ride as a family of four :) we made it slowly but surely 2.6 miles with minimal whining and complaining! wooo hoooo way to go big boys! this mama is excited for future bike rides!!! :)

four year check up

four year check up. the brave big guy luke was a trooper, even with all four shots. he cried but got himself back together before leaving. he even asked to have his head measured (which is not standard for this appt) and made the doc smile :)

weight: almost 40 lbs and in the 76th percentile
height: 79th percentile
head: 20 inches plus a bit

if he continues to grow on this same path, he will be six foot :)

that's my big boy!

the things they say

oh  my. once again i find the need to blog a few things the boys say..............

luke told me it is illegal to kiss a girl unless you are marrying her. and if you get caught, you have to go to time out.

jack informed me that the word boob is funny :) (oh dear......)

while playing life, jack's ship got to the end and sat on shipwreck alley (where there is a picture of fire). we noticed his ship got moved so we put it back. luke looked at us exasperated and said "it is not safe there, can't you see all of the fire!"

mom stop running over my shadow -luke


jack laid on the floor this evening, playing with lego guys and belted out their conversation in full song! for about 20 minutes! it was too cute. the best part was he had no clue we were watching him :) he just lay there and sang to his heart's content!

i love these guys of mine...i was going to say little guys of mine but they aren't so darn little any more :)

mom's bday

my mom had her 57th birthday yesterday so my parents came for a visit!

we spent the morning playing around the house before heading to the zoo in gr.

my mom absolutely loves to visit the zoo :) we had a great time there:  a goat tried to eat mom's coat, we saw wallabies mate, the penguin house smelled the same, luke almost touched a sting ray and grandma did, met a HUGE 40+ year old alligator, i touched a chicken (i am afraid of chickens), grandma let them squish pennies in the machine, jack and luke brushed the goats, i took the boys in the bird cage to feed the canaries, we watched a girl rescue an almost escaping bird, we climbed to the top of the "waterfall", watched the apes for a long time, snuggles with grandpa and grandma, grandpa was impressed by jack's map reading ability, the boys each got a slush puppy, watched in awe of the lions, and just all around had a fabulous time!

we had a quick dinner at hibachi grill (our first time)--it was a pretty decent buffet. i am not a huge fan of buffets but this one had some tasty asian food :) and of course chicken nuggets with french fries for the boys. from there we got mom her present (a big hanging basket) (and someone grandma got sucked into buying each of the boys a small toy) and came home for dessert! josh made her an HOMEMADE angel food cake :) mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm soooo tasty!

they stayed the night too :) then today we headed to mass together--which was nice! after a huge breakfast, they headed off to see my sister, her hubby and their boat. we opted to stay home and play here.

ahhhhhh it was such a nice birthday day with my mom :)

pirates of the carribean game of life

Played with the four of us
It was the first time
Raids galore!
Almost lasted the entire game luke did
Too many wanted to be captain jack sparrow
Escaped from the fierce calypso
Sassy jack came out

Luke won the game
I came in third
Fastest ship came in second (jack)
Evening fun for all :)

meals

we already ate these....but here you go :)

sunday: tin foil dinner

monday: tin foil dinner again :)

tuesday: tin foil fajitas were made monday night and for this dinner, put the contents inside torilla shells with cheese and VOILA quesadillas

wednesday: warmed sandwiches (mmmmmmmmmmm)

thursday: cole's corners on M91! yummy

friday: grilled pizzas--prebaked crusts from meijer (bought the little ones) yummy toppings and grilled 5-7 minutes over low direct heat and high indirect heat.  mine had ham, fresh basil, pineapple. josh's had pepperoni, fresh basil, green olives and fresh mushrooms. the boys had black olive and pepperoni. super fast and very popular dinner. thanks meijer free sample lady for your inspiration!

time line

for those curious, found out the timeline for my pink slip

last night (thursday)--open board of education work session
june 6th--board meeting to decide who will be called back and who will not be
june 10th--last day of school and possibly my last day of work

lots of things are still up in the air with the state of michigan. thanks for your prayers, thoughts, well wishes and most of all, support. i appreciate knowing i have a LOT of virtual shoulders to lean on.

toot toot

there goes my horn. i have decided that a girl just needs to toot it once in a while!

two toot worthy things today:
1. i got the best thank you note from a student. she recognized me as wonderful teacher who gives freely of my time, and energy. she mentioned she aspires to be like me a a teacher--patient, yet firm and accommodating to learner's needs. soooooo nice to hear these things and so darn cool when she won the Sparta Area Schools Teacher Scholarship tonight at Senior night and won oodles of scholarships. she will be a great teacher.

2. i have put in a LOT of work for a particular project at work. it does count for my practicum (admin "student teaching") but i have put in so much more than that. i do what i do--i make it the best.  well my supervisor has recognized me as doing an awesome job--not just by the thank you and gift card but also by telling me that she talks me up at isd director's meetings, etc. there are directors out there asking if they can use the materials i have made! also one who asked if he could hire me to come in to his district in august to train his staff. how cool is that!?!?

with all the turmoil at work.... slips that are pink....budgets that lack green.....students who are squirrely and making poor choices......teachers who are cranky..... it was nice to get a toot for my horn and even nicer to get two!

leftovers

i am a huge leftovers fan for lunch but usually can't stand them for dinner....perhaps consumed way too many as a kiddo :)

however, the tin foil packets were ROCK ON and on purpose. i made leftovers.

monday i had enough "extras" to whip up packets for dinner and to make a HUGE "faijita" flavored packet for tuesday.

tuesday i took the fajita packet and made it into quesadillas. mmmmmmmmmmmm

now those are leftovers i can get into :)

it's a party!

and a party it was. luke was a lucky guy this weekend as we spent two days celebrating his FOURTH birthday (oh it is crazy to think that my lil' guy is already four).

highlights of his birthday weekend:
--brush hogging with grandpa and dad (the only thing he ASKED to do for his birthday)
--playing his new "b-tar"--he has been asking for months for a b-tar (guitar) and was tickled pink when i let him pick one out on tuesday
--a mexican fiesta at el rancho--luke really really wanted a taco for supper so we took him to el rancho. he was so darn excited to wear the sombrero! and i thought it was pretty cool when the waitress brought him a bowl of marshino cherries instead of the "traditional free" ice cream that he asked so politely for :)
--eating his leftovers in the car....that kiddo of mine always orders extra and then eats it on the way home--what a knucklehead! :)
--opening presents! he was so cute as he opened them :) from us he got a little iron man thing, a "thing 1 thing 2" shirt, the b-tar, a water gun and swim goggles. from others he got LOTS of cool things (yeah he is spoiled)--aunt lynda got him a farm playdough set, aunt sarah got him a super why board game, friends drew and dawson got him a cool "build a truck thing" and so did his friends jacquelyn and luke, grandma and grandpa tractor got him a trio set (yes i just documented all that here so i can have luke write thank you notes) :)
--hay ride hay ride hay ride with friends on his grandpa's farm
--farm games
--feeding the cows with his friends 
--cupcakes and ice cream
--running in the sprinkler on a gorgeous 80 degree day and making a mess in the mud with his brother
--family dinner with aunt sarah, uncle aaron, baby owen, us, grandpa and grandma
--quiet time at the end of the day with him mom to read a book

happy birthday buddy--mom and dad love you!

"hobo tin foil dinners"

ummmm hello tastiness! for luke's party last night, we had hobo tin foil dinner packets. they were so good and we had all the "stuff" left over so we had them again tonight!!!

NEED:
tin foil torn into "chunks" (double them)


meat cut into thin strips/small chunks (i used kielbasa, turkey cheddar smoked sausage, chicken, steak--next time i want to use shrimp. the steak was not my favorite as i need to tenderize or marinade next time)

veggies cut up into small bites (i used broccoli, red onion, mushrooms, red pepper, carrots, thin sliced potatoes (i used white but next time will use red skins) and grape tomatoes (you could add sweet potatoes, white beans, etc.)


cheese--i used cheddar and feta

seasonings (i had out garlic salt, a garlic wine blend, emeril's essence southwest seasoning, maple house bbq blend, pepper, salt, mrs. dash, tuscan blend, green goddess)

flavors--balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, worsteshire sauce, siracha, etc.

oil--olive oil


pam

DO:
spray foil with pam

have out all of the options. have each person make their own packet (drizzle with oil before you seal packet tightly)


label with names. place on grill for about 12 minutes--turning occasionally.


enjoy :)


some of my favorite mixtures were:
smoked sausage, chicken, broccoli, red onion and potatoes with the essence/southwest seasoning

chicken, feta, broccoli, garlic-wine seasoning, tomatoes

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

PS kids loved them too as they could make ONLY meat ones :)

small ball player #2

oh luke joseph boyer. how you have grown! it is now your turn to start a sport and you are tickled pink! you were excited to play indoor soccer with your brother but you had to share. this is now your time my little man. soak up this time with daddy (or i) as we take you to lil' learners t-ball. 

ps sorry you have to tip your head..... long story short, can't figure out how to "rotate" picture using the linux system i am now on..... hoping to fix that soon :) (the rotate issue and linux)

for my mama

mom day has come and gone and i forgot to post what i did for my mama!

first of all, lynda and i sent her some gorgeous flowers from our favorite northern michigan florist.

2nd i made her this adorable card.

yes that little 2 year old girl is me :) i found this picture in a pile that i had sorted a while back. i am standing in my kitchen (notice the LOVELY orange vinyl flooring).

inside the card i tucked an essay i wrote while in college. i "conveniently" stumbled upon it a few weeks ago as i cleaned out some things for grad class. how or why that got tucked in i don't know but i am glad it did. the essay was a summary of my childhood and how i think it impacted me. i believe i wrote it for a class that had me examine my vocational calling to be a teacher. the essay recalled so many events in my life that led me to teach and appreciate others. to me, it was a nice reflection on my parents and showed how much they have guided me.

i love my mom very much. even though we did not see each other on the "mom day", i celebrate her every time i see her.

i love you mom :)

curious

just curious--
anyone read this blog?
;)
most of the time i am pretty sure i am talking to myself--and i am okay with that! :)

third round

Yesterday, May 16th, Michigan budget officials were briefed that there is a $430 million windfall that was unexpected.

As a full supporter of public education, I am asking you, at the bare minimum, to use that money for our K-12 school system. I would actually appreciate you giving back some of the close to $900 million that was taken from K-12 education and given to post secondary education. I feel very strongly that without proper and excellent K-12 education, we will not have students enrolling in college.

Sincerely,
Teresa Boyer

dancing shoes

i got a swift kick in the emotional rear today from one i love very much--my mom in law.

i cannot remember her exact words but something to the effect that when it rains, one must go out and enjoy it after. that one should put on their dancing shoes and enjoy the puddles. then she said that i am a good dancer.

i take that to mean that there is a rainstorm happening right now in my life. i have no clue if i will be in the same job next year. i don't know if i will be a stay at home mom next year. i don't know if i will be looking for a job for next year. there are a lot of "not sures" and some days it feels like the rain pours down. and even though the rain is cold and heavy, i will take it in stride. i will be fine no matter what door opens for me. in fact, will be more than fine. i will dance.

thanks for the words of wisdom mom. i ready to get out my shoes and dance.

31

31 ways my 31st birthday weekend was special :)

1. 10k river bank race in 52:28 (woot woot)
   
2. all three of the boys bonded with each other and with new and old friends at mountain man junior
   
3. awesome time with my friend amber from high school—we had an entire day together, including the race
   
4. lunch at panera
   
5. dinner at the melting pot with my sister, and friends (chris, jackie, jane, amber, cindy, lori, lynda, ellen, sarah o)
   
6. a pedicure
   
7. a lovely church service by myself
   
8. a free painted flower on my big toes at my pedicure from the nail salon
   
9. dinner bought by amber
   
10. cheering on the 25k runners—brought back great memories of supporting fellow runners during high school
    
11. lots and lots and lots of facebook birthday wishes
    
12. a visit from my neighbor lindsey with surprise cupcakes
    
13. a picture from josh showing me jack's first fish he has ever caught
    
14. eating breakfast out for the first time by myself
    
15. mom being the first one to call and wish me a happy birthday--with song and all
    
16. dessert made by lynda (mmmmmmmmmm chocolate eclair type thing)
    
17. peace and quiet
    
18. blowing out candles at lynda's....twice so she could get the perfect picture
    
19. got meals planned and groceries gotten in one morning
    
20. lynda's friend lori making time to spend my birthday with me and in through that becoming a better friend
    
21. lots of laughter
    
22. a gorgeous orchid
    
23. wandering at least 4 miles with amber trying to find the 25k to cheer and finding the same road at least three times!
    
24. vacuuming the rug and seeing the vacuum lines stay there all day
    
25. a fabulous homemade angel food cake made by my honey without me knowing it
    
26. a homemade pound cake by my mom in law
    
27. a dinner with my in laws, hubby and kiddos with all of my favorites!
    
28. celebrating my birthday over three days!
    
29. The sun coming out after a rainy weekend
    
30. flowers from the boys—tulips and mums—two of my favorites
    
31. the thought “gosh i have to limit my special things to 31” instead of “man how am i going to come up with 31 things that made my birthday weekend special”
    

waiting for a rainbow

i am waiting for the rainbow at the end of the storm.

today i got my pink slip. ironically it is white. i sit and wait. my hopes are up. i know it may lead to heartbreak. it is hard not to get my hopes up. i would love to get called back. i love my job. i love the impact i have on students.

help me wait, will you? pray for me to have patience and for the door that is supposed to open, open. pray for me to remember that i am not in control. i am waiting for my rainbow.

bursting with reading love

this mom heart is happy.
tonight was the first time that i found lukie in bed, propped up on pillows and sound asleep with books all around him! i find jack like that quite often but this is a first for little luke! he is almost four and already bursting with love for reading :)

second round

I am a smart educated passionate teacher. Monday I presented to the Sparta Area Schools Board Members about a new program that our special education staff is using.It was an excellent presentation. Yet, at that same meeting, the board had to make a hard decision. Because Governor Rick Snyder has proposed HUGE cuts to K-12 education and both the House and Senate have agreed with bills of their own, the board had to be fiscally responsible and lay off 38 teachers. I am one of those 38. 

I am smart. I maintained over a 3.9 GPA in both High School and at Hope College. I currently have a 4.0 in my Master's program at Grand Valley State University. In addition, my ACT score was in the upper twenties. Governor Snyder says he wants to keep smart teachers in the classroom yet he proposes drastic cuts to education. To keep ME in the classroom, you need to fund K-12 public education.

I am educated. I attended Hope College all four years of undergraduate and am  continuing my education at Grand Valley State University.  I enjoy being educated and it helps me maintain excellent classroom skills and stay current. Even though I have a strong desire to be educated, with the state of the economy in Michigan I would not be working towards a Master's degree if it were not required. I truly believe that because Michigan requires ALL teachers to hold a Master's degree, which is an excellent thing, then they should FUND K-12 education to keep their highly educated teachers employed. The significant amounts of money that I have paid out of my own pocket in the last few years will hold no significance now as I am home, unemployed, with no other districts to even apply to. To keep excellent educated teachers, such as myself, in the classroom, you need to FUND K-12 public education.

I am passionate. I love being in the classroom. Even after 9 years of teaching High School Special Education, I start every single day with a smile and enthusiasm. Many of the students I work with have an emotional impairment or learning disability, which also means many of them also have behavior difficulties. Many teachers choose to leave the special education field by year five. I am still here. I want to teach EVERY single day. I absolutely love impacting lives of youth. However, due to the cuts YOU have made in our state government, I will not be there for our students. My passion lives but our youth will not reap the benefits.


This letter is not just about about my job. It is not just about saving my family from hardships we may face due to choices the government is making. This letter is to let you know that the choices that are being made at the State level are having significant impact on our K-12 students. They are the ones who will be negatively impacted. I am a smart educated passionate teacher. I go to work every day and give my all. The State of Michigan can still make this right. K-12 funding should stay out of higher education. Funding needs to be provided.

Governor Snyder, you say you want to keep smart educated passionate teachers in the classroom. Now make good on that promise, fund K-12 education and help me get back in the classroom where I can make a positive difference.

Sincerely,
Teresa Boyer

prank?

i don't like hearing things at night time. i don't like the thought of strangers near our house at night time. (yes i know this is common) well last night i heard lots of noise--quite unusual for our neck of the woods. around 12:30 am, we woke up to motorcycles roaring up and down our country road. in addition, i noticed the lights on my front tree were out (the tree is RIGHT between the front door and my bedroom window). this morning, josh asked me if i knew the lights were out and asked if maybe it got unplugged. i had no idea. well this morning as josh went to get the paper, he found a christmas light in our mailbox. someone unplugged one and left it in our box. prank? probably. uncomfortable? MOST definitely! i do not like the thought of someone up by our house at nighttime. YUCK!!

motherhood

being a mom is hard. it is the hardest thing i have ever done. but i am grateful for my boys. i am reminded of this quite often as i listen to my friend chris share her story. she has been waiting for a baby girl from china. five years ago, she put her name on a list to receive a child. she went through all the social work home visits, the mental preparation for bringing home a child, and got her hopes up that there would be a child who needs her. time continues to pass and here she waits. i hope and pray that chris' number is drawn soon. she deserves to be a mommy. she will be a wonderful, stable, consistent mom. for me, becoming a mom happened quite easily. we talked about wanting a baby and 9 (truly 10) months later, a baby arrived. sometimes i think that because it happened so "easily", i forget that i am way blessed. i have children to call my own. i have boys who love me unconditionally (and as they tell me, even when i am naughty). i am someone's mom and that can never be taken away from me. as i celebrate being a mom today, and tomorrow, chris' story reminds me that i should celebrate being a mom EVERYDAY. i am blessed to be a mom.

a smidge

a smidge of quiet. it is saturday night. 10:10. i should head to bed as we have an early morning but i can't. i am enjoying the alone time. the smidge of quiet that i have not had lately. i chose to put down my grad class work. i sat with a glass of wine, some hummus with pretzles and diners drive ins and dives. hubby and boys are in bed. ahhhhhhhhhh me time. a slice of much needed relaxation.

weekly meals

saturday: cast iron grilled chicken fajitas chips and guacamole

sunday: mom day meal--blue cheese burgers, fresh green beans, roasted potatoes/sweet potatoes, fruit salad

monday: tb at a meeting. josh--french toast, bacon and fruit

tuesday--popcorn shrimp and sweet potato/potato fries  and carrots

wednesday: chicken fingers with panko bread crumbs, french bread and salad

thursday: turkey kielbasa, wild rice, fruit

friday: ??

saturday: my bday dinner with friends at the melting pot

sunday: grilled steaks/chicken, augratin potato tins, roasted aparagus, marinaded tomato salad,

tball

tball
game 1
fabulous for jack
smiles, slight digging of the ground, crack of the bat
three pitches and no t used
two hits to get on base
two runs scored
friendships solidified
snacks shared
game2 to come
tball

the numbers

just to share the numbers of pink slips given out that i know of.....  give or take a few as these are numbers i hear from friends

grant 26
fremont 46
newaygo between grant and fremont
hamilton 18
comstock park a lot (30?)


sparta....where i teach.....no word yet but the rumors flying say 40 will come out on may 10th
greenville...where jack goes to school...no word yet but i am worried for his class sizes

the slip

thinking i will be getting the slip. i go between stressed, sad, angry and okay. i mean not really okay but thinking that i have to be okay since i have absolutely NO control. what bothers me most, besides the lack of control, that i will lose my job due to finances--not job performance! i am darn good at what i do and i LOVE what i do..... which that said, please send good thoughts, vibes and prayers. i am not the only michigan teacher struggling with this concept--it is a huge thing going on in the state of michigan.

pure awesomeness for a meal

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i love when my hubby makes ribs! they are fabulous! he started them at 9 am this morning for our 5:30 meal and they were awesome!  in addition, i created a broccoli slaw that was tasty too. (recipe below).

saturday: out for prom and a bday party
sunday: ribs, broccoli slaw, fresh fruit, herbed rolls (recipe below), baked potatoes, and ice cream sundaes
monday: garlic shrimp linguine, bread, broccoli
tuesday: warmed sandwiches, chips and fruit
wednesday--date with josh?
thursday: popcorn shrimp, fries and sweet potato fries, fruit
friday:chicken stir fry, homemade baked egg rolls, rice
saturday: blue cheese burgers
sunday: grilled cast iron skillet fajitas?

herbed rolls
need:
frozen roll dough--thawed (overnight or all day)
melted butter
italian seasoning

do:
cut dough into halves or quarters
dip into hot butter mixed with herbs
layer in a greased bundt cake pan
let raise for 45-60 minutes (covered with a towel)
bake 30-45 minutes 350-375 degrees

broccoli slaw
need:
bag(s) of broccoli slaw
ramen noodles and packet of seasoning
slivered almonds
garlic salt 
butter
red wine vinnegar
apple cider vinnegar
brown sugar
soy sauce
canola oil


brown the crumbled ramen noodles, almonds, garlic salt and sesame seeds in the butter in skillet. cool on paper towel and set aside.

wisk the vinnegars (about 1/4 cup each), brown sugar (1-2 tsp or so), soy sauce (1/4 cup?) and canola oil. toss with broccoli slaw. let sit.

right before serving, toss with the crunchy mix!
ENJOY :) (oh and i added chopped apples to the slaw on my plate...mmmmm)



Grilled cast iron skillet fajitas
NEED:

Chicken Breasts--Boneless/Skinless 

Peppers

Onions

Tomatoes 

Jalepeno (optional) 

olive oil

grapefruit juice 

lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes) 

black pepper (fresh ground is best)

oregeno (i used italian blend) 

garlic powder 

salt (i used kosher) 

chilli powder

cumin 

tortillas 

DO: 

mix together in a big zip lock bag:

olive oil

grapefruit juice  (about a half a small can full)

lime juice (i squeezed fresh limes--2 of them) 

black pepper (fresh ground is best)--i used quite a bit

oregeno (i used italian blend)--about 1 T

garlic powder about 1 T

salt (i used kosher) about 1.5 tsp

chilli powder 1-2 T

cumin- 1-2 T 

add chicken to bag and let marinade up to 5 hours--i had an hour so that is what i did

toss the veggies (minus tomatoes) with cumin, chilli powder, salt and pepper. let them sit on a board all ready to go 

put tomatoes in a bowl so they are ready to go (1/4 to 1/8 of tomato chunks) 

put some oil in a cup/small bowl so it is ready to go 

preheat grill--turn one side to HOT and put cast iron skillet on this side. turn the other side to med-med high.

grill chicken breasts whole until BARELY cooked through on this side. when chicken has a few minutes to go, quickly dump the oil into the hot skillet and then throw peppers and onions in. Let "blacken" while you cut chicken on the bias. Add chicken to the pepper mixture in the skillet and let the juices all mix. when the veggies are almost to the texture/consistency you want, add the tomatoes and let sear.  the skillet is hot so i put all the mix into a bowl to bring inside.