Tuscan Chicken Simmer (Kraftfoods.com)

http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/tuscan-chicken-simmer-111677.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-bst_rcps_2009-_-NA

It is YUMMY!! Not a little bit but A LOT! I followed the recipe for the most part, but did some minor tweaks.



- Instead of the tomatoes (because I'm the only one who eats tomatoes here and I don't like them cooked unless they are in a sauce) I used canned mushrooms. Just a can of the Food Lion brand. I LOVE mushrooms and Kenny is eating them now too!



- I used Classico's pesto sauce and I can't complain. I didn't measure out exact on that by any means.



- I used spaghetti instead of the fettuchini it pictured.



What I'd do differently next time:


- It doesn't SAY to put the chicken and sauce on top of the noodles, but that's what I'll do next time. You end of mixing the sauce in the noodles anyways because it's so good.



- Will add a little more water to the sauce, it would coat the noodles better. It thickens back up FAST!



- Plan to try it a little "healthier" using the fat free or less fat cream cheese, and will use Dreamfields pasta again, better for you and I don't like the grain-iness of the other healthy pastas. Also using just mozzerella is better for you too instead of the 5-cheese.



Did the adults like it? YES!
Did the girls like it? YES!
Was it easy? YES!
Will I cook it again? YES!

New food...

Those who know me, know I've never been an avid cooker. I *think* I would be if I had the space, time, unlimited funds, etc. ha! And my food choices usually consist of anything a 5 year old would eat. For instance, a casserole, I usually won't touch it, too many foods all mixed together. I will admit, I'm getting better! I actually have tried new stuff in the past year and LOVED it. Like creamed spinach (I LOVE me some creamed spinach) this appetizer called Turkish Borek at Blue was yummy, but the cucumber dip stuff was DIVINE, etc. SO, 2010 is going to be my year of venturing out... brightening my horizons... maybe my girls will learn to like new foods too, even though Sydney RARELY has a problem with any! ;o) At least 2 new receipes a week is my goal.

The key to being something I will try is:

#1 Not many ingredients. I'd like to keep it at the most 7 or 8.
#2 Easy to find ingredients.
#3 Nothing pricey to make.
#4 If it has cheese, it's getting moved to the top of the try list.
#5 If it has cheese AND is healthy it's moved to #1.
#6 (Most important) It must be SIMPLE to do and FAST to put together.

So there... I'll be posting what I try and whether we liked it or not as we go. Starting with the Kraft Foods website, they have a ton of recipes right up my alley. Tomorrow night, Tuscan Chicken Simmer, since I have all ingredients here, I think. http://www.kraftfoods.com/kf/recipes/tuscan-chicken-simmer-111677.aspx?cm_mmc=eml-_-rbe-_-bst_rcps_2009-_-NA

Christmas Christmas time WAS here...

This Christmas was a CRAZY one! Our celebrations which don't even end until tomorrow night, have been fun but exhausting!

Sydney LOVES Christmas. LOVES it. We had a countdown chain, that helpped her to understand how much longer it was until Christmas. (Mylie had one too, but she didn't understand this year.) She had such a fun time at all of the celebrations. Little bit overwhelmed when it came to unwrapping present time, but we all survived. She had a pretty definite list of what she wanted from Santa-- Belle dress, Princess (stick on) fingernails, pony, and more princess stuff. Santa brought her everything she asked for of course, and she was super surprised at the footprints he left on our hearth. Silly Santa tracking in mud... The Belle dress was worn 3 days in a row, had to be washed and will be worn again tomorrow. We also had our first "Happy Birthday Jesus" party on Christmas Eve. Sydney got to choose what kind of cake and icing to put on it, so He got a chocolate cake with pink icing and sprinkles. She told me Jesus really likes pink. We also read the Christmas story, it was super sweet to all cuddle up on the sofa. And the fire in the fireplace... those girls sure LOVED that! Sydney's ornament this year was a princess crown, because it's been her year of princesses. We choose a new ornament for the girls each year, that remind us of their year. They'll get to take them when they grow up and have their own trees.

Mylie likes Christmas, we think. She does NOT like Santa, THAT we know. Poor dear is terrified of him! She spent most of Christmas day eating "canny" (candy.) Really, she ate more then than she did trick or treating. The toys she really has enjoyed so far are the "car parking deck/garage," a CD player toy from my parents, and the baby dolls from Kenny's parents. She is a very particular "unwrapper." The paper must be off TOTALLY, and she does this very methodically. Then she looks, plays, etc with the toy she opened and then may or may not move on. (Unlike her sis who rips them open super "spast.") Mylie's ornament is a bumble bee with scuba gear. The bee reminds us of how BUSY she is and the scuba gear on it is just funny, like her!

Now, the decorations are down, and countdown to Disney begins... making another paper chain for Syd in the morning...