Chicken Lemon Pasta

Confession: This is not your mother's spaghetti night.

We all need a few secret recipes up our sleeves that look and taste impressive but take little time and ingredients to create. Chicken Lemon Pasta is a nice alternative for a traditional spaghetti night, and it can be on the dinner table in 20 minutes.

CHICKEN LEMON PASTA

3-4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thick
1 lb. angel hair pasta
1/2 c. reserved cooking liquid
2 lemons (zest and juice)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place chicken breasts between two sheets of wax paper. Use meat mallet or rolling pin to flatten to 1/2 inch thick. Season both sides with garlic salt and pepper, and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. Cook pasta according to package and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Combine pasta and reserved liquid with the zest of two lemons, then slice half of one lemon. After the first 10 minutes, flip chicken and top with lemon slices then continue to cook for 10 minutes. Combine juice of remaining lemons into pasta mixture along with butter, EVOO and garlic salt and pepper to taste.  

Tip: It tastes just a good as a cold salad for the next day's lunch!

I'm Dreaming of a Stress-Free Christmas

Confession: The holidays don't have to be stressful!

It's no secret Christmas seems to be sneaking in earlier and earlier each year. This year I even noticed ads in late September mentioning layaway plans. The companies didn't mention the words holiday or Santa, but we all know layaway plans come but once a year. All of the extra attention can lead to early anxiety for shoppers and holiday hostesses, but I'm a firm believer the holidays don't have to (and shouldn't) be stressful. All it takes is a little planning.

Christmas Cards/Letters: Keep one compiled copy of all addresses and update it as needed throughout the year. This saves the trouble each year of looking online and in different books and desk drawers wondering if you have the most recent mailing addresses.

Baking: Team up with friends or relatives for a cookie exchange. Have each person prepare two recipes and exchange the end results. This is a fun and easy way to have a variety of cookies at each home with only the work of preparing two recipes.

Shopping: Make a list, check it twice, and most importantly: stick to it! It's much easier to stay on budget if you know in advance exactly what you're purchasing. As for shopping methods, there are several options. You can pace your shopping over a few weeks so it's not such a one-time financial burden (unless you're wasting a tank of gas each trip) or do all your shopping at once to be done with it. I think the key is to find what works for you - and stick to your list! The more prepared you are the less time you'll spend agonizing in the store. If possible, wrap gifts the same day you purchase them. This will save you an extra day of work in the long run, and you won't have to worry about spoiling surprises for snoopy loved ones!

Cleaning & Cooking: Don't leave all the work for one day! Give yourself a break by spreading the work over the days leading up to the big event. Clean the upstairs/bedrooms one day, downstairs the next, and peel potatoes, prep the veggies for stuffing, make the pies and set the table the day before.

Remember the Real Meaning: The holidays don't have to and should not be stressful. The more prep work you do leading up to a holiday the more quality time you have to spend with your guests. No one will notice if everything is not perfect, and true friends and family recognize it's the thought that counts.

Merry Christmas!

Candy Dish Remix

Confession: Occasionally I fancy being fancy!

Like many little girls, I used to love hosting tea parties for my dolls and stuffed animals. They were always very polite guests and listened patiently as I droned on about my hectic day officiating a marriage ceremony for Barbie and Ken, watching Disney movies and searching incessantly for my imaginary friend, Julie (she's a Hide-and-Seek champion - I haven't seen her since 1993).

The guests varied from day to day, but one item was a constant at my parties:  the cup and saucer set from which I sipped "tea" (milk and about four scoops of sugar) that had belonged to my grandmother. I am honored to now display my grandmother's full set of tea cups and saucers in one of our hutches. Though they aren't used for many tea parties these days, it's a reminder that occasionally I fancy being fancy. So when it came time to decorate our dining room table with the usual modest center piece and candy dish, I thought I'd mix it up a bit and use wine glasses. It's probably not a viable option if you have little ones running around, but I think it's was a fun and festive way to share some holiday goodies!   

Joy In the Little Projects

Confession: I have the artistic abilities of a six-year-old.

I don't generally think of myself as a terribly artistic person. I'm not too bad at thinking creatively, it's the execution of said creative ideas that gets me. I've often joked if I could recreate some of my dreams (or nightmares) I'd be a billionaire music video producer or architect. Unfortunately my bank account strongly suggests I'm nowhere close to a billionaire, so I have to find joy in the little creative projects I am able to complete.

In total fairness, this creative idea was not entirely mine. It's based off a Mission:Organization post I saw in September with great fall decor ideas. I decided to put a little holiday twist on mine, and though it doesn't require much more than Kindergarten-level artistic ability (I think that's when we learned to use scissors), it's fulfilling to walk in the room and think, "Yeah, I did that."

 What You Need:

-Dollar Store Picture Frames (They don't all have to be the same size or style - get creative!)

-Scrapbook or Printer Paper

-Scissors (Fiskars Safety is optional, not required like in Kindergarten.)

-Double-sided Tape or a Glue Stick

 Step 1: Measure and cut background paper to fit frame.

 

Step 2: Trace or print letters to cut and form various words or names.

Step 3: Use double-sided tape or a glue stick to adhere letters to background paper.

Step 4: Place end product in frames, and pat yourself on the back for a creative thought well executed!

Pin me happy

Confession: I have no idea what I'm doing, but I think I'm addicted!

I recently joined Pinterest, which I think might be the coolest social media site yet. It's kind of like an image search engine but tailored to your interests. I think. I actually have no idea what I'm doing, but I'm excited to learn!

I see myself using it mostly for home project ideas and recipes. I'm thankful there are people in the world who are much more creative and talented than I am to look to for inspiration. And, when I'm not using Pinterest for practical purposes, I can always drool over the "Dream Home" pins. Click on the nifty little red button you see on the right side of your screen to follow me, and enjoy a few of my favorite pins below!

Via Pinterest

Via Pinterest

Via Pinterest

Creamed Corn

Confession: It's worth every last calorie.

A while back I promised you the most amazing creamed corn recipe. It comes from Paula Deen, and this one's a keeper. Do you have a family celebration, potluck or holiday meal coming up? Turn up the volume on a traditional side dish with this recipe, and don't forget to use the sweet corn and chopped onions you stocked your freezer with after reading Freeze! It's easy meal prep time.

CREAMED CORN
Makes 8 servings

1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 (16 oz) package frozen niblet corn, thawed
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper (*I just use black pepper.)
1-1/2 tablespoons quick-cooking grits
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 4 minutes or until onion is tender. Stir in corn, cream, salt and peppers; bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Add grits, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until thickened. Add cheese, stirring until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

The First Step Is Admission

Confession: I'm a bad blogger!

I will be the first to admit that I'm kind of terrible at keeping up with blog posts. As you may notice it's been almost two months since my last post. This is because I'm very good at starting personal writing projects but not always finishing them. I have a couple different piecemeal memoirs that I've been working on since my early college days, and my diary probably still has me head over heels with a sixth grade fling. I think it's because I work with deadlines every day professionally so it's nice to have the option to be a little lax with personal projects.

That being said, I think almost two months is stretching the bounds of "lax," so I promise to be better. I am working on several new projects at home and have a ton of recipes to share. Stay tuned!