Creamy Shrimp and Mushroom Pasta

Love love love this. This is a must make in your house!

Ingredients:

• 8oz fettuccine
• 10tbsp of butter
• 8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4oz cream cheese, cubed
• 2tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1tbsp fresh basil, chopped (you can use dried herbs if that's all you have, which is what I did!) 
• 2/3 cup boiling water (from your noodle pot)
• 1lb cooked shrimp
• Salt and Pepper

1. Cook pasta. 

2. Thaw shrimp if using frozen. Cook if needed. 

3. In a large skillet melt 2tbsp of butter and saute mushrooms until soft and brown. Season with salt and pepper. 

4. Put mushrooms in a bowl for later. 

5. Melt remaining butter in the skillet. 

6. Add garlic, cream cheese, and herbs. The cream cheese won't be really smooth until you add the water later. 

7. Simmer the cream cheese mixture until well blended. 

8. Get a scoop of boiling pasta water from your noodles and add to the cream cheese mixture and stir it in quickly to smooth out the sauce. 

9. Keep sauce hot and add shrimp and mushrooms. Mix well. 

10. Simmer about 10 minutes. 

11. Add noodles or pour sauce on top of noodles. 

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I found this recipe at Chaos in the Kitchen.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Jalapeno Cream Cheese

You will love this! This definitely speaks for itself! The flavors are amazing and I love when I can bake chicken breasts!

Ingredients:

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 2 Jalapenos, diced
• 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese
• 8oz of cream cheese, softened
• Bacon
• Toothpicks

1. First flatten out your chicken breasts with a meat pounder. 

2. Next, dice up the jalapenos. I didn't have any whole jalapenos so I just diced some slices. 

3. Mix cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and jalapenos together in a bowl. 

4. Spread cream cheese mixture on chicken breast. 

5. Roll up chicken breast. 

6. Wrap bacon around and secure with a toothpick. 

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes depending on the thickness of the chicken. 

I completely wrapped the chicken in bacon because well, I love bacon! I love love love these and the bacon adds such a great flavor! We aren't huge fans of jalapenos in this house so I didn't add too many. The cream cheese is so good with the jalapenos and cheddar cheese. After my husband ate this he looked at me and said, "You are the best cook in the world." 

Yup, I love when he says things like that! Enjoy!!! 

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Slow Cooker Angel Chicken

Oh my gosh. This recipe will blow your mind! The flavors are so great and this is something unlike anything you've ever had before. Your crockpot will love you!


The orginial recipe is here: Angel Chicken



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Ingredients

• 4 boneless chicken breast
• 1 8oz package of fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 0.7oz package of dry Italian salad dressing mix
• 1 10 3/4oz can condensed mushroom soup
• 1/2 cup white cooking wine
• 1/2 of an 8oz tub of chives and onion cream cheese spread
• Rice or angel hair pasta

1. Melt butter in saucepan

2. Add in Italian dressing packet

3. Stir in soup, wine, and cream cheese until melted

4. Slice mushrooms

5. Place mushrooms in the bottom of the slow cooker. 

6. Put chicken on top of the mushrooms. 

7. Pour the sauce mixture on top. 

8. Cook on low for 5 hours.

There is rice under that chicken and sauce! I added some garlic bread and green beans (both from the freezer). Note to self: learn how to make homemade garlic bread in the near future. I love love love this meal and so did the hubby. They always say that the way to a man's heart is his stomach. If that's the case, my man is hooked! 

Yummy Chicken Pasta

Since I've started cooking and baking more I've noticed that I really like to experiment with the recipes that I use. I have stopped measuring spices that are under a tablespoon. I just shake a little out, stir, smell, and shake some more. I really like flavorful food. If I'm using a nice spice I tend to measure it because I'm not sure how strong it is. When it comes to garlic and lemon pepper I go a little over bored. I am very picky when it comes to my food. I will make a meal and usually I'm not extremely pleased. Yeah, it tastes good, but I always feel like I could have added something or changed something to make it over the top. However, the other day I made this chicken pasta that is out of this world and it takes a lot for me to say that about a meal that I cook. Oh my gosh. It was unbelievable. You must make this as soon as you can. You won't regret it. 


The original recipe is Cajun Chicken Pasta. I couldn't find cajun seasoning and I was kind of in a hurry so I coated the chicken in some chili powder and paprika and it tasted great! I am a big fan of paprika. Gotta love improvising! 


Here is my recipe! 


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Ingredients:

• Linguine Pasta (I never measure pasta. I just add about as much as I think we'll need!)
• 2 boneless chicken breasts, cubed
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 3 fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• Salt and Pepper (I never measure these. I just shake a couple times and boom!)

1. Cut up the peppers and mushrooms. (I like to do this first so I can throw everything together quickly!)

2. Boil the pasta. 
3. Place chicken, chili powder, and paprika in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. 
4. In large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter then add the chicken. Saute until tender. 
5. Add peppers and mushrooms. Saute and stir for 5 minutes.

6. Add cream and parmesan cheese. Stir. 
7. Add spices. Stir and heat through. 
8. Add the pasta and heat through. 
9. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and get ready for the best meal ever!! 

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I made some garlic bread and steamed some broccoli as sides and they topped the meal off great. This is definitely an easy and quick meal that is super filling and so delicious!! 
As I mentioned above, I don't typically measure every single spice. I just like to add as much as I think it needs. I didn't put a lot of basil in because I'm not a big fan of basil. Just play around and experiment and you'll be surprised at how your recipe turns out! ENJOY!!!

It's all about convenience.

Oh the life of a busy mom. I guess I can't really call myself THAT busy. I work nights so I have the days free to spend time with my little guy. My house isn't spick and span like it probably should be since I have all day at home, but I always have laundry to do and dishes that need to be washed. Granted, this week I have been on top of the dishes. I'm pretty proud of myself on that note. I spend a lot of time with Hunter. We read, giggle, look at books, and be silly all the time. My husband would probably say that I need to do more things around the house, but the way I look it, the dust, the grime, and the dirty clothes will still be there tomorrow. My baby is only little today. Tomorrow he won't be the same. As long as my baby is clean, we have clothes to wear, and food to eat then I think I'm doing a pretty dang good job if I do say so myself. 


I love love love my crockpot. Gosh, if you don't have one, you need one. It is a great investment. I however didn't buy mine. It was my Grandma's and it is one heck of a powerful crockpot. Recipes that need to be on high for 8 hours are usually done in half that time. I hope it never breaks because it is awesome. I love slow cooker meals. They are simple and fast and boy, do they make your home smell delicious! I love walking in my house and smelling the glorious smell of the food that's just simmering away in the crockpot. One of the best slow cooker blogs that I have found is 365 Days of Slow Cooking. Recipes galore! So many yummy ones too. I do a lot of searching on recipe sites for slow-cooker recipes too. The best advice I have, is just search! You will find something that will make your tummy say, "Yum!" I love making slow cooker meals because they are so easy and 8 hours later you have meal ready to eat and all you did was throw some stuff in the pot! I LOVE things that make my life less complicated. My crockpot is definitely one of those things! 


Last night for dinner I made Slow Cooker Stuffed Peppers. I changed up the recipe a little because I didn't have everything in my cabinets and they turned out great! Super easy and hardly any mess, which is always a plus! 

The original recipe can be found here: Slow Cooker Couscous-Stuffed Peppers


Here is my recipe! 

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3 large bell peppers 1/2 pound ground beef or venison (we're a big deer meat family! Sorry, Bambi!) 

1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon of chili powder

2/3 cup of rice

1/2 cup water

First cut the top off of each bell pepper and remove the seeds and membranes. Then rinse peppers. 

In a skillet, cook beef (venison) and garlic powder until meat is brown. Drain. Add the tomato sauce, cumin, salt, and cinnamon, and chili powder. Add rice. Divide the mixture evenly into each pepper. 

Pour the water in the slow cooker and stand the peppers upright in the cooker and cook on high for 5-7 hours or until peppers are tender. 

NOTE: Next time I make this I probably won't cook these as long. My peppers were a little too tender for me. I think it would have been great if they would have still had a little crunch to them. I also added a little more water as the day went on. Overall, YUM!!!

Why are we so busy?

We rush, rush, rush every single day. Why? What's the point? We are so wrapped up in the fast paced lifestyle we are all living. I get so worried about getting things done; the laundry, dishes, paying the bills, cleaning, etc...It will all get done eventually right? Yes, of course. I can't put all these duties off forever! Since I've basically been a stay at home mom for 6 months (I work at night), I have realized I don't know how working moms do it! How do they work all day long and then still find time to snuggle their children and get all these things done that I do during the day!? It amazes me! I know I probably can't be a stay at home mom forever. Unfortunately, I'll probably get a day job sometime, but I am so blessed to have stayed at home for as long as I have. I treasure this time with my baby boy. I am home all day and I still don't get all the dishes and laundry done. Working moms would probably laugh at me and think, "Girl, you don't know how good you have it! I could get so much done if I stayed home all day!" Haha! Okay, maybe not, but still. Everyone gets into a routine which makes life easier. I am in this routine now, but if I had to get a job, I could make it work and it wouldn't be a problem! A few jobs opened up that I would love to have. Don't get me wrong, I love being home with my little guy and I would rather stay home with him then work, but I would like to get some experience in a field that is of interest to me. Everything can change so fast. I wish there were more hours in the day to spend with my family. When Ross gets home from work I have 3 hours to spend with him and Hunter. We have 3 hours to be a family together. That stinks! But that's life. I would rather have 3 hours, then zero. We make it work. That's what has to be done and that's what will be done!

This week I made broccoli and cheese soup, roasted-red pepper, sun-dried tomato chicken pitas, and pulled pork. Tonight we are having leftovers and tomorrow night if we stay home, I will probably make baked potato soup. I never know what our plans will be on Friday nights so I just try to keep an open mind.

For the broccoli and cheese soup, I took a recipe and modified it a little. I've noticed that ever since I started cooking more and trying out new recipes, I have learned how to add to them or change something.

Here is the recipe I used for the broccoli and cheese soup.
I didn't add the small onion because the hubby doesn't really like onion and I didn't add swiss cheese because I forgot! I added 4oz of cream cheese though and a can of cream of mushroom soup! My husband loved it and we are having leftovers tonight!

Here is the recipe I used for the chicken pitas.
I didn't shred the chicken, I just cut it up in cubes. I couldn't find sun-dried tomato oil so I used some roasted-red pepper dressing that I found in the salad dressing aisle! I also couldn't find sun-dried tomatoes so I just used a sun-dried tomato spread that I can't wait to try on a sandwich soon! I used a little more of the balsamic and roasted-red pepper dressing because I used more chicken. This is a great recipe and so easy to make!

Here is the recipe I used for the pulled pork. AMAZING! So easy! I love the fizzy taste of the diet pepsi that is added!

I just love trying new recipes. I love trying them and having them taste great! Haha! It is such a satisfaction; cooking. So rewarding.

Oh gosh, I did this ab workout two days ago and I am still SO sore today! It's such a great feeling though. I am addicted to that pain. I better get another workout in today! You should too!

Well, I should probably put away all the laundry I did yesterday...or maybe I'll just stare at Hunter while he's sleeping. Besides, what's the point rushing around? I can always rush, but tomorrow Hunter won't look like he is today.

Between diapers and miles...

It is the simple things...

Hunter experienced his first Christmas this past weekend. As I probably have said before, everything Hunter is learning and experiencing is more exciting for me then it probably is for him! I took so many pictures of him opening his presents and of course his stocking. Santa did not forget my 5 1/2 month old! When we made it to my parent's house, which was our last Christmas of the weekend, he loved their tree. He loves all Christmas trees but as I was helping him stand in front of it I couldn't help but notice how he just stared at the lights on the tree and felt the branches. Can you imagine how different the branches must free compared to all his soft, fuzzy clothes and blankets? Everything he is learning, I learned too. I once felt all these different textures and saw all these new things. It doesn't take much to make a baby happy. Heck, the other day I gave Hunter a water bottle and you would think he won the lottery! As we were spending time with our families over the weekend, I once again was hit with reality at how fast life can change and how precious the time is that we share with our loved ones. We never know what is going to tomorrow or even an hour from now, but we have those memories that eventually fade a little more everyday, but we never lose the feelings we had when we were with the people we love. Christmas is a magical time and I think that having a baby around makes you realize how much magic there really is. You get to live like a child again. I wish I could look at life like Hunter does. I wish I could see everything for the first time again. I think I would be much more appreciated. Hunter teaches me more then I think I teach him. 

Hunter opening his first tractor! 

I made three desserts for Christmas and I think they were a great hit. I made a cheesecake and was pretty nervous about how it would turn out, but I thought it was pretty good for a first time! Cheesecake is kind of confusing because the middle isn't suppose to be completely firm, but it turned out great. I also made reindeer cookies and santa hats. 

Reindeer cookies!

Santa hats!

White Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

Now, it's time to get back into the swing of things. Pick up the house, find places for all the gifts we received, and start the weekly meal planning again. Gosh, when you get off your regular schedule it is very hard to get back on. I have to find time to run this week. The weather here for December has been super mild and I need to get in a couple runs soon. I miss those roads, or well, sidewalks. Hunter is sleeping in his swing so I should take advantage of this quiet time and get some things accomplished. 

Hanging out in his Fisher Price swing. This thing has been a lifesaver!

Until next time...between diapers and miles.

Oh...Monday...

Everyone always says how much they dislike Mondays. I've never been one to understand that. I'm not going to go out on a limb and say that I LOVE Mondays, but I definitely do not dislike them. I feel like it's a start to the week. If we didn't have Mondays, then Tuesdays would be Mondays. I usually try to do my weekly grocery shopping on Monday mornings since usually it isn't too busy. I enjoy it! I plan out what the meals are for the week and then I buy groceries. I find it really exciting. Haha! Meal planning is interesting to me and takes a lot of stress off. It is nice to know what you are going to make for dinner and already have the ingredients on hand. I hate when it gets to be about 5:30 and I have no clue on what to make. I feel VERY accomplished when I know what we will eat all week! 


I am going to try to make baby food today! Pears and sweet potatoes! We will see how this turns out. I'm not really sure how so if anyone has any advice, let me know. Hunter tried applesauce Saturday and yesterday. He loved it! I think that is how we will finally get him to eat rice cereal. He is not a fan of that, but when I added applesauce to it, he scarfed it down! He's getting so big. Yesterday Ross took him out of the swing and laid him on his tummy on the floor and he was holding himself up and then just rolled from his tummy to his back. It was such a BIG roll! We laughed so hard at his expression while he just laid on the floor and smiled. He is getting a personality that is so sweet and cute. He has to be the funniest little guy I've ever met. Hunter surprises me every single day. 


Last night Ross and I were talking about how we cannot imagine life before Hunter. It is amazing how a child just captures all your emotions and can change every second of your life. The mornings with Hunter are my favorite. This morning when I went in to get him from his crib, I said, "Good morning Hunter!" And the little guy just smiled and got all excited! When he gets excited he makes this little squeak and bunches up into a ball, kind of, and then will kick his legs out really fast. It is so cute. My heart just smiles and feels so warm inside. I look forward to each day with Hunter and learning new things with him. When he learns something, I feel that I'm relearning it again too. I love sharing everything with him. The best thing is experiencing all the FIRSTS with him. 


We will see how today goes with baby food and the first day of meal planning! I should probably get some Christmas shopping and present wrapping done today too! I hope everyone has a great Monday! Tackle it! 


Meals for the Week!
Monday: Monterey Chicken
Tuesday: Manicotti        
Wednesday: Spicy Country Ribs
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Chicken w/Fried Rice
Friday: (we have a party so I don't have to cook dinner!! Yay!) 

My big baby boy! He's getting so big!!! 

....BETWEEN DIAPERS AND MILES....