Pass The Chicken Spaghetti Please

Several weeks ago I happened upon a website. Thinking back now I can't recall how I came across it. Most of the time I find blogs that I like to read or websites that I like to frequent through the photo website flickr. I post photos there, have friends that post photos there and find myself looking at pictures from other users quite frequently so I may have found a picture of hers there. However I found it I am so glad that I did. The website is The Pioneer Woman. She has cute stories, great photography tips and yummy recipes. There was one recipe in particular that I wanted to link you too as I don't want to post it like it's mine although it has definitely found a home in my personal cookbook.

The recipe is for Chicken Spaghetti. It is a very easy casserole to make and most of the ingredients I had on hand already. I was able to make it the same evening that I found it which made me happy. I like to use good tasting easy to make recipes on week nights because seriously.. 1. it's just my husband and I, and 2. I don't want to spend all night in the kitchen. What I liked most about this recipe, besides the yummy taste, is that it bakes in a 9x13" casserole dish. Using this info I divided it in half before I cooked it, baked half of it that night in an 8x8" dish and froze the other half. It was several weeks ago that I originally made the casserole and yesterday morning I popped it out of the freezer to thaw in the sink while I was at work. When I got home last night I emptied the mixture in to an 8x8" dish, topped with cheese as the recipe says to and baked it as directed. I made a salad and toasted some garlic bread and Hello.. supper was on the table in 30 minutes. It was fantastic because I had other things I wanted to do on my mind besides cook a big meal.

Another tip I want to share is a garlic bread that I found that is oh so yum. It's at the WalMart bakery, it comes as 2 loaves, precut, takes less than 10 minutes to cook, is very good, and is only $3.00. I think each loaf has 12 precut slices. It could be 10 but for Shaun and I it's perfect for two slices with pasta salad for lunch on a Sunday or four slices with an Italian supper anytime. I generally buy two at a time and keep them in the freezer. That way I'm not rushed to use it all right away.

I hope you enjoy The Pioneer Woman's recipe site and maybe even the garlic bread!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/06/chicken_spaghet/

My Heel Of Approval

As I was purchasing my first (and maybe only) pair of sandals for the 2010 sandal wearing season I remarked to my niece that I wished my toes were polished so I could sport my new sandals when we left. The cashier behind the counter overheard our convo and said "it's ok.. natural unpainted toe nails are in style." If you could only see my face at this point. I'm not sure what boyish beauty magazine she read this in but I'm here to tell you it's not true. Or maybe she meant that the natural colors that are offered now are in style. Maybe even if I had taken my boot off and showed her why they were covered with socks and boots she would have taken that horrid remark back.

Never the less with the fantastic view of our Tennessee weather forecast for this week I needed to do something about my situation. So yesterday I gathered up my do-it-yourself pedicure supplies and headed for the kitchen sink. Now don't let that talk you out of ever eating at my house that I give myself pedicures on my kitchen counter. I always have and it just makes more sense to me. Why do it in the bathtub when your whole body is immersed and you've got skin flakes from your feet floating? Plus I always bleach out the sink and surrounding counter tops when I'm done so stop hissy fitting.

In the midst of self-indulgence, soaking my feet in mildly hot water with Calgon mixed in, using my sanding paddle and ped egg to conquer my heels and big toe sides, and pushing back a winter's worth of cuticles, I realized hat I hadn't brought my oil that I use on my toes after I polish nor had I brought any lotion. I thought for a moment, opened the cabinet to my right and there sat my olive oil. My hands are used to me dabbing olive oil on them during the winter after washing dishes to soothe my cracked fingers but my poor feet have never gotten any. I snatched a saucer from my left hand cabinet, poured a dab of EVOO as Rachael Ray would say, and used my middle fingertip to dab olive oil onto every spot that I had sand papered. Let me tell you it is less than 24 hours since I did this and my feet still look terrific. And it's not just because of the new sandals. I only used maybe a half of a teaspoon total for both feet and they are still just so soft.

I do admit to enjoying the luxury of someone else doing the pedicure dirty work especially for a new sandal premier but as well as the olive oil worked on my heels I couldn't be happier. Try it yourself!

Hoppin Your Way

Hi to all! Easter is this Sunday and out home has been elected to host our family's Easter lunch and egg hunt this year! I am so tickled. I was talking menus with my sister this morning and thought I would share a loved recipe from my Grandmother's cookbook with you. Each holiday I try to make something that I think my Grandmother might have made and brought with her and choose the recipe from her collection. Here is the salad that I chose for this holiday.




Blackberry Salad


2 small boxes blackberry jello (or mixed berry)
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 carton sour cream (softened)
2 cups blueberries or 1 can
2 cups boiling water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans


Drain blueberries and pineapple - save juice. Dissolve gelatin in 2 cups boiling water. Add juices, stir and add fruits. Pour into casserole dish. Chill until congealed. Mix sugar, sour cream, cream cheese and vanilla. Spread smoothly over jello. Sprinkle with nuts. I generally use pecans for the nuts.


I always love a fruity gelatin salad with a holiday family dinner.. I probably get that from my Grandmother.


Happy Easter!

Are You Wearing GREEN?

OK. This morning I have decided that in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day and Spring being right around the corner I commit to wearing green in some outward fashion every day of the month of March! I have already started the month out on a green note with a thrifted sweater I got this past weekend for $1.99 at Thrift Smart. Thanks for the stop M.E.! I have to tell you... it is an American Eagle sweater that still had the $48.99 tag on it. It kind of has a strange fit so I can see why not everybody would wear it because I almost stuck it back in the closet when I first put it on this morning. I have always been a lover of the color green. HEY.. you can still get in on the fun! We'll just call today a Bye day for you if you don't have anything green on. And it may just make deciding what to wear a little easier for you and me. It's also OK to repeat if you need to. I probably will. I'm also going to be making a craft or two that involves green for those days I'm not feeling as greenie. This will be 31 days of green! How fun! I will also... if my attention can hold out this long, be posting a pic on my flickr site each day (minus weekends) of what I have on that's green. So... are you with me???