Buffalo Chicken Pasta--My bday

Let me start this out by saying my hubby did a blow out job in planning my birthday celebration. Friday night he gathered up all our friends and we all met at the local bar. After dinner the waitress brought a cake over that my hubby went and picked up and dropped off before we got there. THEN Saturday we went into the city stayed at a great hotel, went to a yummy steak dinner, he took me to see The Lion King (AMAZING) and then went and got cheesecake at Junior's. Absolutely great night...oh & on top of ALL of that he bought me a Kitchen Aid Mixer that I have been wanting well...for forever! So you may now see a little more desserts on here. (Even though I have mentioned before I hate baking, the mixer may help me turn into a baker.) THANKS FOR EVERYTHING BABE, IT WAS THE BEST WAY A GIRL WHO TURNED 30 COULD CELEBRATE. I LOVE YOU!!!

Anyways...have I mentioned I love Pinterest?? I find so many great recipes on there. A few that Cory (the hubby) has even said, Will you please make that again? This one was please make again, but not so spicy. Oh--if I could only get him to enjoy spicy foods like me. :) So---here is the best of both worlds, buffalo chicken with pasta and cheese. Found on pinterest from: http://www.howsweeteats.com/2011/05/baked-buffalo-chicken-pasta/

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta (I used orecchiette)
3 cooked bonless skinless chicken breasts (I shredded mine)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 1/2 cups milk
4 oz monterery jack cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce (I used Frank's...HOT buffalo instead of just buffalo)
1/3 cup bread crumbs
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
I boiled my chicken until it was cooked. Then let it cool to shred. I used the same water I boiled the chicken in for my pasta.
While pasta is cooking. Add the butter, and once it’s melted and bubbly add the flour in a medium saucepan. Whisk together to create a roux and cook for 1-2 minutes until mixture gets a bit golden in color. Add milk, stir and turn down heat to low. Continue stirring until milk thickens. Add in grated cheeses and continue to stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in buffalo wing sauce. I added in salt and pepper.

Spray a baking dish (9 x 13) with non-stick spray. Add pasta and chicken, then pour cheese sauce over and mix throughly until everything is coated. Sprinkle with additional grated cheese and bread crumbs. Bake for 25 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.

Spoon some out & eat!! I added some more buffalo sauce to the top of mine.

Another blogger I followed also made this recipe this weekend. She added Ranch dressing to the top of hers...I guess the East Coast is getting to me because I didn't think of that! You can check hers out at: http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/2012/01/sorry-i-dont-eat-buffalo.html

Spicy Garlic Lime Chicken

Two days, two posts...as most people at this time of year, I am doing pretty well at keeping up with my New Year's Resolution. :) I made this last night...just FYI if you're a football fanatic (even though you don't like either team playing) I suggest not making this unless its half time or the game is a blow out. The 49ers/Giants game had me going back and forth...if you can see the TV from your kitchen, lucky you. ;) The hubby enjoyed this one, so it goes in the recipe binder. I didn't measure all the ingredients out because I hate doing that. (Thus why you won't see many baking recipes from me, unless you don't really have to measure.) In my picture, I left out the butter, but I did use it. This recipe was adapted from: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/spicy-garlic-lime-chicken/detail.aspx
Ingredients: (I didn't measure these..just poured into a small bowl)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (add more for spice)
1/8 teaspoon paprika
 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (I like the organic chicken)


2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons lime juice (would have been better with fresh limes)

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl mix together: salt, black pepper, cayenne, paprika,1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, thyme, and parsley.

2. Sprinkle spice mixture generously on both sides of the chicken breasts. (I rubbed mine in a little to lock in same extra taste.)

3. Heat butter and olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat.

4. Saute chicken until golden brown, about 6 minutes on each side.

5. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons garlic powder and lime juice. Cook 5 minutes turning to coat evenly with sauce.

 6. Serve with your favorite veggie...this would have been good with garlic bread too!

Five Spice Turkey & Lettuce Wraps

I'm probably one of the few people who has been to PF Chang's once...yes you read that right, only once. I wasn't so sure about the lettuce wraps that our friends ordered when we went, but I gave it a try. When I came across this recipe I thought I'd give it a try. My hubby doesn't like spicy, but I do so when this recipe called for hoisin sauce and said it was spicy, I followed the directions with how much. I should have tried it first because it wasn't spicy at all! We ended up adding some more to the wraps along with some soy sauce to add flavor. My New Year's resolution was to put recipes that I try up on this blog, so even though this goes on the probably won't make it again list, I'm putting it up here. I didn't use all the same ingredients as the one from the website. Recipe came from: http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/five_spice_turkey_lettuce_wraps.html

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup instant brown rice
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 8-ounce can water chestnuts, rinsed and chopped
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, (found in the Asian section of the grocery store)
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder, (look for Chinese five spice powder in the spice section)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 heads Boston lettuce, leaves separated

Preparation

1. Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add rice; reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey and cumin; cook, crumbling with a wooden spoon, until the turkey is cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the cooked rice, water chestnuts, broth, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder and salt; cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

3. serve, divide lettuce leaves among plates, spoon some of the turkey mixture into each leaf and roll into wraps.

Hope you enjoyed this first recipe! Many more to come. =)

New Year, New Blog?

I started this blog with it not having a purpose, except for me to record the fun things Cory & I did. I entered into the wonderful land of blogging after reading so many good ones! I figured if all these women (and some men) can find time to blog, then surely so can I. Little did I realize that most of these women are SAHM (stay-at-home-moms) and they do most of their blogging while their little ones are napping or after they go to bed. Shout out to all of you, because I've read some where some of you craft until 3 am because your child(ren) didn't go to bed until 10 pm or later and then you're up with them at 6 am. Maybe when we have kids I'll understand this phenomenon, but right now I don't know how you do it, except by being super moms! :) I work 55+ hours a week and have a dog and hubby and still can't find time to craft or come up with new recipes, let alone blog.

Which brings me too...this is a New Year and we all have a resolution(s), so this year, mine is to blog more. Yes it took me 17 days into this new year to decide, but hey, I have one. My hubby may think I'm crazy because I'm going to start taking photos of what I'm cooking. Thanks to all you bloggers out there who do this, you've inspired me to start. One blog is: http://pearls-handcuffs-happyhour.blogspot.com/ I just love the title. Maybe I'll change my blog title one day, but the one currently fits.

Also--all you very crafty moms, when I sit down and actually finish a craft, I'll try and post a how to of how I did it, pics and all. Here is one dedicated to Mod Podge(I <3 this stuff!): http://modpodgerocksblog.com/

So--here's to my New Year's resolution, and hope I keep it. (Along with getting in shape, like 99.9% of the world)