New Recipe Night: Chicken Enchilada Casserole

My motivation for this recipe was the hubster. His favorite food is chicken enchiladas. My favorite food is any kind of casserole. BINGO! There you have it....chicken enchiladas + casserole = two happy bellies. I found a fairly simple and quick recipe from food.com which proved to be a keeper. I found myself rushing home for lunch today so that I could munch on some leftovers. I don't even want to begin to imagine how many calories are housed in this casserole....I mean heck, just look at the ingredients....:/

Cream city!

Ingredients:

*3 -4 chicken breasts (or 6 halves)

*1 (10 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup

*1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

*1 (8 ounce) can diced green chilies (hot or mild, or a small can of each)

*1 (10 ounce) package cheddar cheese, grated

*1 small onion, diced

*oregano

*1 tablespoon garlic powder

*1 teaspoon salt

*12 corn tortillas

*16 ounces sour cream

Directions:

1. Place Chicken in large saucepan and cover with water.
2. Sprinkle in a handful of oregano,add garlic powder and salt.
3. Boil about 20 minutes
4. Save broth.
5. Mix soups, sour cream & chiles in large pan.
6. Add only enough broth to slightly thin.
7. Re-season as needed.
8. Simmer on low 15 minutes.
9. Add diced chicken and diced onion.
10. In casserole dish, arrange 6 tortillas flat across bottom, spoon in 1/2 the sauce, sprinkle 1/2 the cheese
11. Repeat- tortillas, sauce and cheese
12. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I ran out of cheese. :( Otherwise that puppy would've been buried in cheddar! Which means it can only get yummier next time!! Lots of flavor, very easy and leftover worthy. Oh and of course the husband gave it a thumbs up!


Oh yeah, one more thing....ENJOY!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

Meal in a Bag Night

The theme of the week has been quick. I feel like we've been running in ten different directions doing this and that with unexpected things popping up around every corner. Well you know what that means.....meal in a bag night. Last night's bag was actually one I'm quite fond of. Maybe a little too fond of....I could eat the whole thing by myself. Don't tempt me!

TGIFridays Sweet & Spicy Sesame Chicken

It is what it says it is....sweet & SPICY!

After picking out all of the veggies (and mysteriously losing the sesame seed package) we were left with very little to eat. But it was tasty nonetheless! Until next week....when I have more time to actually cook.

GOT MOTIVATION?

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Hey there TRICK or TREATERS! Ok, I couldn't resist that one being that it's so close to Halloween and all. I'm getting very excited for all of the Fall celebrations upon us which has led me to begin an even deeper search into all things PUMPKIN. I just realized that I've been subjecting you all to a handful of pumpkin desserts so I figured why stop now while it's still acceptable for the season. So pumpkin it will be!!

HAPPY TREAT YOUR SWEET TOOTH TUESDAY!!

Here is a first for me. Envision this if you will......I, Ashley Diane Fanning, did a google search with the word "scratch" in it. As in "made from scratch." Yes, that cool breeze you just felt was hell freezing over. Apparently this cooking experiment has left me looking for more of a challenge that just a box of cake mix. Someone please take my temperature because this is getting serious. But not too serious yet because I still was not brave enough to attempt a pumpkin roll which had been my original plan for Sweet Tooth Tuesday. The idea of rolling something up in a towel really freaked me out. The towel intimidated me into searching for another option....that's when I found pumpkin cupcakes and their delightfulness. Pure delightfulness. If it's possible to actually taste Fall then these cupcakes are how you do that. ;) So if you are looking to get a taste of the season without eating a big pile of leaves, just bake some cupcakes instead. Trust me of this one.....

Cupcake Ingredients:


*3/4 cup softened butter
*1 2/3 cup flour
*2 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp salt
*1 tsp cinnamon
*1/4 tsp nutmeg
*1/8 tsp cloves
*1 cup pumpkin puree
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*1/2 cup sugar
*2 eggs


Frosting Ingredients:


*1 cup confectioner's sugar
*1/4 tsp vanilla
*1 8 oz package cream cheese


Directions:


1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees


2) For the cupcakes cream together softened butter and the sugars. Add the eggs one at a time and then the pumpkin, mixing well and scrapping down the sides of the bowl as you go.


3) In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the dry mix to the pumpkin/butter mix in 2 batches and stir until just combined.


4) Line your baking pan and fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 325 for 15-18 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean


5) For the frosting cream together the cream cheese and vanilla. Sift in 1/2 cup powdered sugar at a time and cream until you get the consistency you want.

I can say with 99% certainty that I will NEVER make box cupcakes ever again! There is a startling difference between from scratch and from a box. Who would have thought?!?! ;) They were so dense and the flavor was so rich. I have eaten way too many over the past couple days. The rest are taking a trip up to the hub's office tomorrow so other people can ingest the calories. I think that's about all I have to say about these pieces of heaven. Oh yeah and one more thing....ENJOY!!

You know you want to try one!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

Reader Recipe: Potato Soup

This picture makes me straight up hungry......

Katie Fanning's Recipe

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

* 1/2 stick of butter

* Few pinches of salt

* 3 medium sized potatoes (cut into pieces)

* Whipping cream

* Bacon

* Shredded cheese

Directions:

1) Boil potatoes in salted water until soft. Drain but leave some water in pan.

2) Add butter and put back on stove. Add cream to cover potatoes or until soupy.

3) Let cream warm. Add salt. Cook bacon and tear into bits.

4) Serve and cover with bacon bits and shredded cheese.

Yum-o!!! Potato soup is a favorite for Fall! This is strangely something that I've never attempted though. My mom used to make a mean pot of potato soup so I guess it's time to make her proud. I'll be giving Katie's dish a stab sometime this week!

On a side note, I have been eating up all of your Facebook posts. Thanks for sharing with me when you try out a Pink Dish recipe. So far I think pumpkin cheesecake seems to be the biggest hit! For good reason, it's on the top of my list thus far! Don't stop now....keep dishing it out!!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

New Recipe Night: Dinner in a Pumpkin

Now how much more Fall themed can you get than dinner in a pumpkin?????

That's what I thought.

My inspiration for this evening's new recipe: my friend Melissa. She is/was a good friend/ PT classmate who loves to cook. Actually to tell you the truth, I never could figure out how she had the time to do all of that baking and cooking she did. Now I get it though....if you like something enough you just make time for it. I have to say I've grown quite fond of being in the kitchen over the past month. So here's to Melissa for being a good example....the world needs more Betty Crockers like her!! So you are probably wondering what a pumpkin has to do with Melissa and all of my rambling. She just so happens to love hosting and entertaining as well. This was one of her tasty ideas for a girl's holiday party one year. Dinner in a pumpkin? I was astounded at the idea.....and astounded by the taste as well! What a delish meal and such a fun concept. Kids would just eat this idea up (no pun intended)!!! Even though my daughter is only a wee little 15 month old I thought I'd include her in the preparation of tonight's dinner. It couldn't have been a more successful first attempt at dinner in a pumpkin. Hope you enjoy it as well this Fall season. You've still got until Thanksgiving to make plenty of pumpkin dinners! I can foresee us skipping the carving of the squatty round fellas this year and just using them to cook in. Who needs a pan when you have a pumpkin?!

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin

1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 teaspoons white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 cups tomato juice

3 cups shredded cabbage

1/2 pound fresh green beans, washed and trimmed

1 cup uncooked white rice

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Wash pumpkin, cut off top, scrape out seeds and discard.

*I think we must've picked an easy pumpkin because it only took about ten minutes to de-gut it. I had help though so it went quicker because of that of course....

Make sure to recruit a good helper...one who is serious about the job ;)

All ready!

3) Place hamburger in a large, deep skillet. Crumble and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain fat, add onion and garlic; saute slightly.

Crying like a baby by this point!

4) Add sugar, Italian herbs, salt, pepper, tomato juice and rice; mix thoroughly

5) Layer inside of pumpkin with 1/3 of cabbage, green beans and beef and rice mixture. Repeat layers, replace lid and bake for 2 to 3 hours.

Just a few notes about this recipe before it slips my mind:

*I didn't have fresh garlic so I just used garlic powder

*Make sure you pumpkin will fit in the oven with the top on....my stem was pretty tall and almost posed a challenge

*I added one can of diced tomatoes to give it more texture

*I left out the stinky cabbage

*I used canned green beans instead of fresh because it was handy

It was really hard to grasp the concept that there was a pumpkin cooking in my oven. Just seems totally bizzare. Since it took two hours to cook I left the house for a bit of that time but was paranoid the whole time wondering if the stem had caught fire and burned the house down. I guess stems are oven safe and so are melting pumpkins. I put the pumpkin directly on the rack and then realized about 15 minutes into cooking that I ought to put it on a pan for easier removal and in case it started oozing. Which it did. Maybe oozing isn't the most attractive term to use when talking about your dinner....so we will say bubbling yummy juices. Sound better? So anyways, put a pan underneath to catch the bubbling yummy juices. K? K. Oh and don't forget to poke the pumpkin after it cools off. It's all squishy and fun to press on. ;)

The hubs has yet to return home from hunting to try out this unusual choice for dinner....but I did have a great taste-tester in my sis-in-law and she had nothing but good things to say about it. As for me, I'm holding my two thumbs up.....as well as all of my other fingers....I've got jazz hands. It's that good. ;)

Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

New Recipe Night: Cheesy Beef Fiesta Soup

I went all bossy on this recipe and completely changed the name of it. It was actually called Cheesy Chicken Fiesta Soup. My palate was not feeling the whole chicken idea this evening so I made an executive chef decision. BEEF: it's what's for dinner. Obviously you could tell by my Ramen Noodle Lasagna that I don't skimp when it comes to beef....the beefier the better as I always say. Ok, I've never actually said that but it sounds good. ;)


My inspiration for tonight's recipe: I needed soup. My mom used to make a cheesy beef mexican soup that I loved!! If heaven had a phone I'd call her up right now and ask her for the recipe. Since that was not an option I searched for a similar version of it online. I really can't believe I've never made this before now....but I shouldn't really be surprised considering I never made anything before.

Ingredients:

*2 cans condensed Fiesta nacho cheese soup

*2 2/3 cups sour cream (or milk/cream)

*1lb cooked lean ground beef

*1 can rotel

*1 package fresh/frozen corn

*1/4 cup fresh red and green peppers diced

*1 can black beans, rinsed

*1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chiles

*shredded cheddar cheese

*tortilla chips

Directions:

1. In a large pan, combine the first eight ingredients except for the sour cream

2. Cook until heated through

3. Add sour cream

4. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips

What happened while I was cooking this easy peasy pot of soup proves my lack of cooking skills. I sorta kinda forgot that it was on the stove for a good twenty minutes and burnt the bottom of the soup. Somehow the pot of goodness was spared and tasted just fine. I topped mine with some green onions for a nice little kick. Another yummy fall meal added to the list.
Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

Reader Recipe:Coca Cola Cake

When someone mentions the word dessert my mind automatically pictures a big slice of layered chocolate cake. It's like an reflex. Dessert = chocolate cake. Funny thing is I very rarely get to eat a big slice of this notorious treat. My drought ended last week when I discovered a beautifully layered delicious cake that looked something like this.......

COCA COLA CAKE

Kathryn Fanning's Recipe

No wait, it looked exactly like that. Leave it to my mother-in-law to replicate the magazine picture next to the recipe to a T. It was a beauty of a cake. My first instinct was to grab the cake whole and eat it like a wild barbarian and go back to lick up the pieces I'd dropped. But I guess I'm a little more civilized than my insticts are. I settled for just a slice....and one for the road...ok, maybe two for the road....but who's counting anyway? Oh my heavens. Here's the recipe......

Cake Ingredients

1  cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4  (1 1/2 ounces) mini marshmallows
2  ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1  cup Coca-Cola, not diet
2 1/3  cups (12 ounces) all-purpose flour
3/4  cup cocoa powder
1 1/2  teaspoons baking powder
1  teaspoon baking soda
1/2  teaspoon salt
2  cups sugar
1/2  cup vegetable oil
2  teaspoons vanilla extract
3  extra large eggs
3/4  cup buttermilk


Icing Ingredients
2  cups (4 sticks) butter

1/2  cup Coca-Cola, not diet
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
1  cup cocoa powder, sifted
4  ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 1/4  pounds powdered sugar, sifted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. To prepare cake, melt butter in saucepan, add marshmallows and stir until melted. Add chocolate and stir over low heat until melted. Add Coca-Cola, then set aside and let cool 10 minutes.
3. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Place sugar, oil and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer on medium speed. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat on low until combined. Add half the flour mixture, then the buttermilk, then the remaining flour. Scrape down sides of bowl after each addition.
4. Scrape into 2 (8- or 9-inch) cake pans. Bake 40 to 45 minutes, until cake springs back when touched lightly. Cool on wire racks. When completely cool, slice each layer in half horizontally to make 4 layers.
5. To prepare icing, cream butter in bowl using a mixer until smooth. Add Coca-Cola and vanilla. Mix on low speed until blended. Add cocoa powder and chocolate. Mix until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time on low speed. Keeping mixer on low speed, beat until smooth. Icing is best if made one day ahead.
6. Place 1 layer on a plate. Ice top. Repeat with remaining three layers and ice sides.

Unfortunately I didn't snap a picture of the actual cake but I did manage to take a picture of my very last bite.....

 

Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

Ramen Noodle Lasagna

I was honestly not super thrilled about choosing a recipe tonight from the "101 Things to Do with Ramen Noodles" book. As I perused through the book I could not find interest in any of the recipes. Funny thing is, it was because they looked so simple. Almost too simple. I guess I've conditioned myself to think that cooking has to involve a lot of ingredients. After I forced myself to pick a recipe from the book, took a quick trip to the grocery store and threw the meal together, I am now completely sold on the Ramen Noodle book! This lasagna isn't the prettiest meal in the world but I had to get past the aesthetics and give it a try. Who knew that Ramen Noodles could make such a tasty lasagna?? I thought it needed some protein so I added some beef to the recipe. If you aren't a meat fan then I'm sure it would taste just as good without it. I will definitely be making this beyond simple lasagna again!!

Ingredients:


*2 packages Ramen Noodles
*3 cups spaghetti sauce
*1 lb lean ground beef
*1 cup ricotta cheese
*1 cup grated mozzerella cheese
*1 cup Parmesan cheese


Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees


2) Brown ground beef in one pan while cooking noodles according to package in another pan


3) Mix Parmesan, mozzeralla and ricotta cheeses in a bowl


4) Stir spaghetti sauce with noodles


5) In an 8x8 pan layer as follows: half of noodles, half of cheese mixture, all of beef, rest of cheese mixture and rest of noodles on top.


6) Cook for 20 minutes


Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!

Don't let the hot mess look fool you....it really was delish!!!!



GOT MOTIVATION?

It's About Time Nick

Over the years I have adopted a certain ritual each time I'm walking toward the checkout at Walmart. I stear my cart towards the book aisle and lean over to glance at the best sellers as I walk by. I could spot a Nicholas Sparks book from a mile away so I usually just keep on walking because I never see what I'm hoping I might see....a new book/obsession to jump into. Today I was on my way toward the book aisle at the front of the store. His book may as well have been covered in glitter with a spotlight on it and a sign saying "pick me!" because like I said, I spotted that puppy from a mile away.

YYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!

There are a few things in life that I find extremely exciting and a brand new Nicholas Sparks book is towards the top of that list. I love the feeling of finishing one and placing it next to all of the others. I find myself getting frustrated and impatient with Mr. Sparks sometimes....I always wonder why he can't be like Nora Roberts and churn out a book every week. I'll take book quality > quantity any day I guess. Now I just have to find the perfect time to curl up and get started......

I thought I'd share the good news with my fellow Nick lovers in case you don't stalk the book aisle like I do.

The Life of an Imperfect Perfectionist

Battling the evil "all or nothing" mentality can be a very draining and overwhelming task sometimes. It's definitely gotten a lot easier over the past couple years but still something I struggle with daily. Any imperfect perfectionists out there reading this? Do you ever feel trapped in your own bubble of wants and expectations that are unrealistic?

"Hi. My name is Ashley and I'm one of them."


My mom labeled me as a "perfectionist" at a very young age. I can remember being seven years old building a house for my Barbies out of my favorite big red blocks. I "constructed" these houses down to the last detail. The walls had to be perfectly aligned, Barbie's furniture set at just the right angle, each room had to be just the right size for it's purpose and don't even get me started on what would happen if my cat would come and knock a wall down. (Just a sidenote: I have no idea why I had a cat. I fairly certain I dislike cats greatly.) She told me stories about my obsession with having to wear socks, shoes and bows that all matched perfectly or I would refuse to leave the house. My socks had to be situated just the right way or I would throw a fit. Practicing layups in gym class was one of my biggest fears....I used to fake sick on those days so that I didn't have to make a fool of myself in front of everyone. I used to sulk for a week after a track meet if I didn't run well. And don't get me started on what happened if I didn't spell all of my new spelling words correctly. I am really beginning to wonder how she put up with me for 18 years at home. Hmmm. I remember her using words like "neurotic" and "obsessive" when describing her first-born. All said with love of course. :) I never played team sports because of the fear of messing up or the possibility of letting others down. I stuck strictly with solo sports like twirling and track. I even quit twirling which I loved so much because I was frustrated that I couldn't devote all of my attention on running. I was a 14-year-old giving myself an ultimatum...."you either twirl 100% of the time or run 100% of the time." This doesn't seem like normal 14 year old behavior to me.....but in the words of Lady Gaga, "baby, I was born this way." (never thought I'd find it appropriate to quote Gaga, lol)


I was my own worst enemy growing up and still am to this day. Well, aren't we all? After all, we are the ones who have to look in the mirror at ourselves most often. We have to spend 24 hours a day with ourselves.....gosh sometimes I wish I could see what it's like to have a vacation from my own thoughts for a day. Wouldn't that be nice? We get to pick at our own flaws and be unforgiving. Very unforgiving. I can remember very clearly the day I got my first C ever on a physics test in college. By the end of the day I had fully convinced myself that my future was over and I may as well just throw in the towel because what kind of PT school was going to want a girl who got a C on a test. To say that I had undue stress placed upon me by yours truly is the understatement of the century. I seriously have to point at that girl and laugh now. Becoming a mom has taken me down a notch or two. It's made me realize that there is no crime in being an imperfect perfectionist. Yes, it gets annoying. But it's okay. I'm not going to change. This is who I am. Slowly but surely I'm finding a way to be a little easier on myself. I've been trying to come out of my shell and try new things without the fear that's always held me back. The fear of not being perfect at something used to completely paralyze me and I would end up not even attempting whatever it is that had me so afraid. Want proof that I've loosened up a bit? Just take one look at my car and you will understand the progress I'm talking about. It is a complete and total wreck 99% of the time. Here is an example of the imperfect perfectionist mentality at its finest: "well the car is so pitted out already I may as well just keep it this way because it only stays clean for two seconds anyway." Same goes for our living quarters at the moment. So much time is spent thinking about what I should be doing better or what I need to improve upon....my desire is to tackle this mentality and tweak it a little. The goal isn't to change it completely but to look at it in a different light. I'm not sure exactly how to do this just yet but I'll get back to ya when I figure it out.....

The funny thing is, I don't even believe in perfection. The only perfect thing in our lives is Jesus Christ. It's plain and simple. So why is it so hard to apply to life? I am convinced that this is why I am so often disappointed with silly little things. Nothing is perfect and nothing is ever going to be perfect. Period. Now I've just got to say that another billion times and I may make some headway by then. ;) Here are some fun, inspiring, quirky and meaningful quotes that I've stumbled upon that I'm using to shed some of that "new light".....

I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. 
~Charles Schulz

Certain flaws are necessary for the whole.  It would seem strange if old friends lacked certain quirks.  ~Goethe

No one is perfect... that's why pencils have erasers. 
~Unknown

A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault. 
~John Henry Newman

To escape criticism - do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. 
 ~Elbert Hubbard

Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best. 
~Henry van Dyke

When you aim for perfection, you discover it's a moving target. 
~George Fisher

They say that nobody is perfect.  Then they tell you practice makes perfect.  I wish they'd make up their minds. 
~Wilt Chamberlain

Perfection is not attainable.  But if we chase perfection, we can catch excellence. 
~Vince Lombardi

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

A BIG hello to my fellow sweet eaters!!!!!! Once again it's the most yummy day of the week.....

TREAT YOUR SWEET TOOTH TUESDAY!!!

This week's dessert is just plain FUN!

Save up your calories though because it is mighty delicious!

Am I telling you to skip a meal just to delight in this fluffy piece of heaven?

Yes. Yes I am.

It's like an oatmeal creme pie of steroids!

This week's sugary treat is an absolute must make. But before I give you the directions let me just give some advice after having made these larger than life pies. They turn out HUGE! As I was spreading the frosting and laid them out all pretty on the plate I didn't notice how monstrously large they were. I'm not saying that I couldn't toss one of them back in less than a minute....but it probably would be a tad bit excessive. The recipe only makes six whoopie pies. The next time I make these I will probably attempt to make twelve small pies. It might even be adorb to make 18 mini whoopie pies!

Ingredients:
*1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened)
*1 cup packed brown sugar
*2 large eggs, at room temperature, slightly beaten
*1 cup canned pumpkin puree
*1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
*1 1/2 tsp vanilla
*1 tsp baking powder
*1 tsp baking soda
*3/4 tsp plus 2 pinches salt
*1 2/3 cups flour
*4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
*1 cup confectioner's sugar


Directions:


1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two baking sheets with waxed paper


2) In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 tsp vanilla, baking powder, baking soda and 3/4 tsp salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.

Pumpkin spice: my new love

Creamy and delicious

3) Using an ice cream scoop, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 12 minutes (if you make smaller pies cut the time in half) Transfer to a rack to cool completely (I skipped this step because the cookies just peeled away nicely from the waxed paper after cooling)

4) Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioner's sugar and the remaining 2 pinches and 1/2 tsp vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.


5) Spread the flat side of 6 cakes with the cream cheese frosting and place another cake on top to make your whoopie pie!

So light and fluffy

Eat them soon because they are tastier right out of the oven after cooling and frosting. On the frosting front, I think it would also be fun for Halloween to use some orange food coloring for the frosting! Here's my confession. After I whipped up the frosting I was so sure that it couldn't possibly be enough.....so I doubled the amount of frosting. It turns out that Rachel Ray knows what she's talking about and I don't. I had a lot left over and ended up really stuffing those puppies full of frosting. Amazing frosting....but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. The hubs was able to inhale half of the pie in two bites. This is after I told him to please not eat the cakes cooling on the counter. I was pretty impressed when I returned from a walk to find all twelve cakes still intact. This treat got the best reaction so far from him. I had plenty of taste-testers for this recipe because I took the six monster pies to the fish fry at Nanny's house on Sunday night. We each ate a fourth of one pie if that tells you how big they are.

Just one last little tid bit and I'll quit my rambling....

.....as I was browsing the aisles for my ingredient list this weekend I was stumped when I saw "pumpkin spice" was one of the items. Who the heck has heard of pumpkin spice? Not this girl. I did happen to find one lonely container in the very back of the shelf....and thank goodness because I'm convinced that pumpkin spice was sent straight from heaven for our tastebud's enjoyment. WOW!!!!

Oh yeah, and one more thing.....ENJOY!!

GOT MOTIVATION?

New Recipe Night: Chicken Penne Alfredo

Creamy bowl of pasta???

YES PLEASE!

Like I've mentioned before, I don't make a lot of pasta meals. The hubby does not share an insane love for pasta with me. But every now and then I get a serious craving for some yummy carbs and I can get him on board for some Italian. The great thing about this meal is how little time you have to spend in the kitchen making it! Can I get a "woohoo"?!

Cooking Time:
30 minutes


Ingredients:
*1 package penne pasta
*2-3 chicken breasts cuts into small chunks
*1/2 cup butter
*1 cup half and half
*2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
*1 package cream cheese
*1/3 cup Parmesan cheese


Directions:


1) Cook box of pasta according to directions on box.


2) Meanwhile prepare Alfredo sauce by melting butter, half and half and cream cheese in medium sized pan. Stir in Parmesan cheese and simmer on low heat for 15 minutes, then remove.


3) Put the chicken pieces in a medium sized frying pan covered in olive oil. Saute until the chicken is cooked through.

If you are counting that's 3 pans on the stove at once.....unprecedented for me in the kitchen.

I told you I was a beginner.....

4) Stir in the Alfredo sauce with the cooked chicken.


5) Drain the pasta and combine it with the Alfredo sauce and chicken.


6) Season to taste and serve. (I added some diced green onions and tomato on top)

Yuuuuuuummmmmmmmm

Next time I try this recipe I think I'll add a bit more seasoning. What seasoning? Hey don't ask me....I'm new at all this. :) Despite the need for a bit of an extra kick, it was quite tasty and creamy. It's definitely on my list of things to make again. It got another thumbs up from the hubs....I have yet to receive a thumbs down so something tells me that a certain husand is trying to be polite and not hurt my feelings. God bless him for eating my food. I forgot to mention an important rule in our house: you may NOT make pasta without making garlic bread.


Oh yeah, one more thing.....ENJOY!!