I had already started mixing ingredients when I realized I was missing one. So I texted my neighbor to ask for a can of cream of chicken soup. She met me in the yard with a family-sized can. Later in the evening, I sent my daughter over to share fresh eggs from our chickens.

Here’s to good neighbors.

My childhood home was in the kind of neighborhood where bicycles were the main mode of transportation, entertainment, and competition. All of us kids rode the bus together throughout the school year and then splashed in the neighborhood creek all summer. If we could get one parent to drop us off and another to pick us up a few hours later, then we’d go roller skating on Friday nights. It’s been decades now, but I’m willing to bet that if I called any of those kids (or their parents) today, they’d be there for me.

Here’s to good neighbors.

My husband and I spent 10 years in a little brick house where we raised our two oldest daughters. Ms. Sandy lived across the street and every Christmas she would leave a small gift on the porch for our girls. The tag was always signed, “Sandy Claus.” I once knocked on my other neighbor’s door at 3 pm to ask for a cup of sugar. She invited me in, gave me two cups, and never once said a thing about the fact that I was still wearing pajamas.

Here’s to good neighbors.

Right before we adopted our youngest daughter, we left that little neighborhood. The new house was big and shiny, but also unfamiliar… until we met John and Dee. It was our honor to help them from time to time as their health declined, but they opened the door when they welcomed us to the neighborhood.

Here’s to good neighbors.

Time will tell, but we feel like we’re in our forever home now. There is no bustling neighborhood, but there are certainly a few wonderful neighbors. The kind that bring you your package when the mailman delivers to the wrong door. The kind that mows your grass when you’re under the weather. The kind that feeds your dog when you’re out of town. The kind that meets you in the yard with a can of cream of chicken so you can finish dinner.

Here’s to good neighbors.

And for you, here’s that handwritten, stained, and and family-favorite recipe that required cream of chicken. Even your kids will eat this. You’re welcome, neighbor.

Ritz Chicken Casserole

• 2-3 cooked & cubed chicken breasts (2 cans of canned chicken will work just fine)
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup (or 1 family sized can)
• 1/2 cup of melted butter
• 2 cups of crushed Ritz crackers (1 sleeve is just about right)

Spray a 9×13 dish with cooking spray and lay chicken cubes out in the pan. Mix sour cream and soup, then spread on top of the chicken. Mix melted butter and crushed crackers and sprinkle on top of the casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes or until center is bubbling. Let it cool 5 or 10 minutes and then serve.

*Follow me on Facebook for more stories of this happy, messy life. Don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter before you go!