Peek into my world.

Tonight was a perfect night. I was in the Mommy Zone. You know, that place you get to when you realize that every little decision you make works out PERFECTLY!   One of the most obnoxious parts of my nights is the Witching Hour. During the time period between 5:00 and 6:30 (yes, the Witching Hour is 90 minutes) the following events occur in any order - and at times simultaneously:  Nurse the baby, entertain the toddler, feed the toddler a snack, feed the toddler dinner, cook dinner, clean up school bags (them and me).

First thing I did right: Plan ahead kiddie snacks. I invested in some snack size baggies and filled them with healthy snack options. I put some in the fridge filled with baby carrots, sliced cucumbers and peppers, and sliced pears. (All separated out, so he could pick his favorite) And I stuck them on the slide out tray that's right at his height. I also put some mini Nilla wafers, veggie stix, and boxed Raisins in a Cade basket in the pantry. And the best idea yet (thanks Pinterest!): frozen grapes in baggies in the freezer. (Ours is a slide out drawer on the bottom of our fridge, so Cade has easy access.)

Success #2: I turned off the tv and made Cadester hang out in the kitchen with me while I cooked. He picked his snack/appetizer (frozen grapes) and made artwork with dot markers and glittery foam stars.

Devyn (my 6 month old) hung out in her walker car with teethers. She loved watching her big brother so much, we ended up popping her on the table in her Bumbo chair to get a better view.

Mommy's cooking dinner, the kids are hanging out together.

She would laugh and him and drop her toy, he would help her out in between coloring. He loved singing to her and talking with me. I had on 103.7 Delilah and we danced to love songs in between my cooking breaks.

My next success: I found a fabulous recipe on Allrecipes.com for Honey Mustard Chicken. The app on iPad is amazing.  If you aren't familiar, you must read the user comments. Thank God I did because they recommended using MUCH less butter (still tasted great) and suggested using breadcrumbs.  If I can break out my Panko, I'm excited. My chicken was delish. Served up with a side of microwaved sweet potatoes and broccoli.  It was so fab! I don't know about you, but I feel like freaking super mom when I try a new recipe or bust out a tasty din din.

As it was baking, Cade put the finishing touches on his artwork. (I ever so gently held his hand as he wrote "Cade" in that top right corner. I never know how much I am guiding. Like a Ouija board, is the magic within or was I just cheating? I'm not sure.) He decided Daddy needed this masterpiece. Mommy is jealous. Time to remind him about my episiotomy? I guess not.

Recipe Time!

Hi bloggies! I am SO not a food blogger, but I do love to eat.  One of my resolutions for 2012 is to cook meals at home more and expand my repoitre beyond fajitas, tacos, and spaghetti. Last year I created this awesome one pot pasta dish, inspired by a few other recipes I have seen in magazines and on AllRecipes.com. 

Fellow iPad users, I MUST take a moment to highly recommend the All Recipes app! It is FABULOUS. So visually appealing, easy to use, and searchable by photo inspiration or based on ingredients you have on hand. V. cool. But download it later, you need to stay here to check out my new fave go-to meal.

What you will need:

•  Tri color rotini pasta (I prefer Barilla! I love their whole grain products.)
• Chicken (I need quick meals, so I buy the Archer Farms frozen diced chicken breast)
• Basalmic vinegar
• Olive oil
• 2 tbs butter
• Cracked red pepper flakes
• Garlic (I buy mine prechopped in the jar)
• Basil (fresh or dried)
• Oregano (fresh or dried)
• Heirloom tomatoes (quartered)
• Red bell pepper (diced)
• Diced carrots
• Spinach (shredded)
• Squash & Zuchinni (cut into fourths)
• Sliced black olives, sliced green olives
• Shredded parmesan for topping
 
Whew! That's a lot of stuff! I promise this is so easy to make.
Step 1: Boil your pasta until al dente. (about 7 minutes) Then strain and set aside.

Step 2: While you wait for the water to boil and the pasta to cook until al dente, slice your veggies and place them in a bowl.

Step 3: After the pasta is finished, drain the water and leave the pasta in a colander. Set it aside.

Step 4: Using the same pot (why yes, that's my adorable red Paula Deen cookware!), drizzle the bottom with olive oil and add 1 tbs of butter (if you must!). One day I will cut out the butter. Not today.

Step 5: Dump in your bowl of veggies and sautee those babies! I like my zucchini to get a tad translucent in the middle but still firm (not totally limp). At this point I begin to shake in my cracked red pepper, cracked black pepper, basalmic vinegar, one nice spoon of garlic (and maybe some more, depending on my mood), oregano, and more olive oil. Taste as you go!  I like my veggies more spicy than my hubs, so do what you must to get it how you like & yet still please your family.

Step 6: When the veggies look done (it's okay if they're not all the way, you will add them back in later), put them in a large bowl with the noodles. Set the large bowl aside.

Step 7: Cook your diced chicken in olive oil and basalmic vinegar. Add more butter.... If you must. I won't judge. Add more garlic.  (I don't recall Edward being garlic-aversive, so no worries if you Twi-hards are still waiting for glitter boy to come sweep you off your feet!)

Step 8: Leave the chicken in your pot, dump back in your noodles and veggies, stir it up and make sure everything gets nice and heated through again. Add your olives if you had forgotten! Do NOT forget my fave ingredient. (I add them to practically anything I can!)  Sorry there is no pic of this step. My pot got nice and full and I added more basalmic. I was also entertaining Cade with some markers and a coloring book and assuring him that dinner would be worth the wait! While the meal heats up, butter some whole grain french bread (sprinkled with oregano and garlic of COURSE) and bake until toasty.

Step 9: Serve it up!! I added strawberries and blueberries as sides for little man's meal. Enjoy!
(Bring the basalmic to the table in case your  meal is too bland, that always makes it better... Next time don't be skurred to add your spices!)