So what if I'm obessed with food?

I didn't do to much today. I got up at 7:00 to get Maddy ready for school. I find it incredibly interesting that for two solid weeks I didn't have to get up at any particular time and Connor woke up early every day. Today, I had to get up at 7:00 no matter what and he slept til 8:15. Annoying! But it gave me a chance to get my grocery list put together. So me and Connor braved the rain and went grocery shopping. At the store I saw a tomato that was covered in stickers. You know those stickers that have the number on them so the cashier can ring it up? Those stickers. It made me laugh and I wished I had a camera with me. I would have put the picture right here ----->. So I have devised a plan to carry a camera with me from now on. Funny how the million photo opps of my kids that I have missed hasn't motivated me to carry a camera in the diaper bag. But a missed pic of a funny tomato does. That's kinda sad actually.



I have a new recipe. I know I JUST posted a new one the other day but, dang, I can't stop myself. I'm that good! lol. Anyone who has known me for more than a year can see the total irony in that statement. :) As you can see, I've decided to start taking pics of the food I make. It's just cooler that way. Plus I hope it motivates you to make it yourself when you can see how awesome it is. lol. But this was delicious! Larry said it is the best thing I have ever made. I really didn't think I would ever hear that. He loves the Baked Ziti so much. He did go on from there to say how you can't mess up a chicken sandwich but I'm choosing to cut that part of the comment out of my mind. :) Let's just stick with the fact that it was the best thing I've ever made. Ok, so here it is.... Enjoy!

Honey-Lime Chicken Sandwiches

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 rounded teaspoon cumin

2 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 teaspoon steak seasoning

4 crusty rolls, split

Topping

lettuce

sliced tomato

sliced red onion

sliced avocado

1 cup prepared salsa

Directions

1. Combine lime juice, honey, cumin, cilantro, and olive oil in a small bowl to make marinade. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Coat chicken in marinade and set aside for 10 minutes.

Grill chicken, or pan fry over medium-high heat in a large nonstick skillet, uncovered, 6 minutes per side.

Slice grilled chicken on an angle and pile on roll bottoms. Top with lettuce, tomato, red onion, and sliced avocado. Spread salsa on roll tops.

Winter break

Well, winter break is almost over and I'm happy to report that Maddy didn't drive me crazy. She had two weeks off from school. I was dreading it to be honest. That is 10 days of being home alone with two kids. One of them being very bored and used to having lots of kids to talk to. But the first week Larry was home on Monday and then Tuesday was Christmas and then she went to her dad's until Sunday night. Then the second week Larry was home Monday and Tuesday. So really out of the 10 days it was only 3 days that I had both kids home alone. Not too bad. The first two days we went to the park and then out to lunch. Then Friday Maddy had a doctors appointment and then I went to school to find my classrooms and buy my books. It was actually kinda nice having her home. We spent some good time together and I'm sad to see her go back to school on Monday.

I made two things from my new cookbook this week and in my opinion one out shines the other. So here it is. We got some fresh sour dough bread from the store to go with it and it was YUMMY.

Vodka Cream Pasta

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Ingredients

12 oz Pene

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 cup vodka

1 cup chicken broth

28 oz crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup heavy cream

20 leaves fresh basil, shredded or torn

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Directions

1. Put a large pot of water over high heat for the pasta. When the water boils, add salt and penne. Cook according to package directions to al dente. Drain.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add evoo, butter, garlic, and shallots. Gently saute garlic and shallots, 3 to 5 minutes, to develop their sweetness. Add vodka and cook to reduce by half, 2 or 3 minutes. Add chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring sauce to a bubble, then reduce heat to simmer. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir cream into the vodka sauce. When sauce returns to a bubble, remove from heat. Toss hot pasta with sauce and basil leaves. Serve immediately.