Cajun Chicken Alfredo 9/18/16

I was very excited to have the girls over for dinner tonight. Amanda and I were watching a Tasty video of pasta 4 ways and this was the final video. It was very enticing, especially because the lunch we were eating was cheese-its, so we decided to make it a girls night!

It was really nice having company and conversation while cooking. It was also nice to have people to talk through the process with. I wasn’t sure if it mattered if I cooked the sausage or chicken first or if I could cook them at the same time. Lindsay pointed out chicken takes longer to cook and that it’s all heat so we would probably be good no matter what. We decided to cook the chicken, then the sausage, and then add the chicken back to the pan. I think it didn’t actually need that many steps, but oh well!

I realized after I added the Cajun spice and the cream that it wasn’t all going to fit in the pan the way it was suppose to. Thank goodness Kara was

there and could reason very clearly that we simple put it in a larger pan that was already sitting on the next burner.

After adding the pasta, cheese, and parsley, we stirred it until is was thick. Then we served it with yummy broccoli that Kara made. It was delicious. We split the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I just love this picture. I love that these girls have been so supportive of my resolution. I just love these girls.

Lindsay made some delicious rice krispie treats. I’m really excited that there were leftovers for work tomorrow!

Spaghetti with Clam Sauce 9/15/16

My mom had to have foot surgery yesterday, for the second time in a the past few months. I offered to make them dinner and Kelly actually brought me this recipe and kindly walked me through it.

First, I just need to say that my dad was very helpful during the making of this meal and was very particular about the way the ingredients were arranged for the picture! Loved it! I started by soaking the clams in cold salt water. The salt makes the clams expel the sand that they have in them. This ensures that the clams aren’t gritty when you eat them.

While the clams are soaking, I cooked the pasta. To see if it was done, I threw it against the cabinet and it stuck! That’s one of my favorite tricks when in the kitchen. It’s just fun to throw food.

Once the clams were done soaking, I put them in the oil, garlic, and wine. The water the clams was in was kind of gross and the bowl had sand on it. Glad to know this trick worked too! As the clams cook, they open. If they don’t open, then they aren’t good. Only one didn’t open. As the sauce was boiling, I pulled the clams out of their shells, then added a little of the clam sauce to the red sauce before adding the clams and the pasta to it.

We ate it with garlic bread. I thought it was pretty good but my dad said “I feel like I just won the lottery! And you can quote me on that!” My parents both cleared their plates. I couldn’t ask for more supportive parents! It was a fun night and I was home by 8:00!

 

 

 

Pot Roast and Veggies 9/10/16

 

Thank you to Sally for requesting a new post yesterday! Her text reminded me that I had not cooked this week… it’s been a little crazy getting back into the classroom and swing of things. Luckily I have a crock pot so I can cook and not be at home, which is what I did yesterday. I actually had breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans yesterday so I made this with the thought I could eat it for lunches this week.

Another thank  you to Amy, who went grocery shopping with me and helped me find bay leaves. I had no idea what that was. In case you don’t either, it’s in the spice aisle, not the produce section.

First, I cut up all the veggies. I can tell you’re shocked! I am actually going to eat them all (except for the onions). When I went to put the beef in the pot I realized that it was tied. Why was it tied?

So all you do it put the beef, vegetables, broth, pepper, and bay leaf in the crock pot and turn it on hi for 6 hours.

After 6 hours (and loosing at trivia), you take the beef out, add melted butter, flour, and green beans to the crock pot and put the beef back in for another hour.

An hour later, after finishing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and going for a walk, the meal was done! Amy, Chad, and I tasted it. Very good and it made enough for me to eat for the week!

Grilled Chicken with Loaded Smashed Potatoes 9/2/16

This is the 2nd time that I’ve tried to make a type of smashed potatoes and this is the 2nd time they didn’t actually smash!

This recipe is from the same five ingredients or less book I bought  few weeks ago and I’ve realized that with these five ingredients, everything tastes good. It’s probably because bacon is involved.

I learned a lot with this meal. 1) You need to flip bacon. 2) Chicken doesn’t last for six days in the fridge. 3) The use of oven mitts is imperative at all times. 4) Fried cheese is delicious.

While the potatoes were boiling, I cooked the bacon. This was my first time actually cooking bacon. I’m not really sure how I managed to go 31 years without ever cooking it but it happened. My sister was very helpful in this matter… but I still managed to burn it.

Then it came time to smash the potatoes. Directions called for the use of a potato smasher, which of course I don’t have. So of course I tried a wine bottle. It didn’t work. Didn’t even make a dent. I decided to cut the potatoes into thick slices and lay them out on the pan. After cooking them for twenty minutes, I crumbled the bacon on top and then topped with cheese before cooking for another five minutes. When it came out of the oven, the cheese that had cooked in between the potato slices tasted amazing. It was like Parmesan crisps that people put on salads.

While the potatoes were cooking, I put the chicken on the George Foreman. It looked a little funny but didn’t smell so I figured why not. The recipe just says to put salt and pepper on the chicken, which really isn’t sufficient flavoring. It doesn’t even look appetizing. Throughout this process, I burned my hands about seven times. On the pot the potatoes were boiling in, the pan they cooked on, the George Foreman… and this was all before the Prosecco. I guess I’m a little out of it this week.

When everything was said and done, I shouldn’t have eaten the chicken but the potatoes and bacon were amazing. I will be making them again. =) Since today was the last day of my first week back to work, I figured Prosecco was in order.