Freezer Meal - Southwest(ish) Cheesy Chicken and Brown Rice

In college, I dated a guy who taught me to make an amazing chicken dish.  I loved it and cooked it for years.  Then, I forgot that it even existed until a friend asked me for the recipe a few weeks ago.  I believe that I have recreated it and even made it a little bit better.

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approx 2 cups) cooked & chopped/shredded
4 cups cooked brown rice
3/4 cup frozen corn
1 15 oz can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup sour cream (I prefer light)
1 4 oz can green chilies
1 cup chunky salsa
1 can enchilada sauce
1 cup grated sharp cheddar
salt, to taste
extra cheddar for topping
1-2 cups crushed tortilla chips

Preheat oven to 350.  Combine all ingredients except extra cheddar and tortilla chips.  Spray 9X13 pan with cooking spray.  Spread tortilla chips in the bottom of the pan.  (This layer can be as thick or thin as you like it.  I like to leave the crushed chips fairly large, more like crunched chips.)  Spread the rice mixture on top of the chips then top with your extra cheese.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until warmed through.

To freeze, make the casserole in an oven proof dish but do not bake.  Cover with foil or a tight fitting lid.

*Note, my little family could never eat a whole casserole and we're not big "leftovers" people.  I split this into 3 smaller dishes so that I can bake one and freeze two.  (It also helps with portion control!)  I have bought several Pyrex dishes with lids for freezer cooking and have found them to be a fantastic investment.  I just bought one every couple of weeks until I had a solid supply.

Busy Mom Quick Tip - Use Quart Bags To Keep the Car Clean!

As the mother of two children under the age of 5, I find that my car is often a great source of embarrassment.  Straw wrappers, Cheerio's, juice boxes, french fries, wet wipes and of course the often found "what-the-heck-was-that-thing" all seem to find their way into the floorboards.  Yes, in an ideal world, I would grab all trash every time I left the car and it would remain clean.  In reality, I am carrying a diaper bag, car seat and half eaten granola bar while coaxing a 4 year old to get out of the car and head in the direction of our destination.  Forget the trash, we're in survival mode!

A few years a go, I began to try to find a good way to keep up with the constant stream of trash that came my way.  I tried all of the little car trash can ideas, the special dashboard bags and everything seemed to be more trouble than help.  Alas, one day while walking down the aisle of Aldi, inspiration hit when I spied a bag on inexpensive quart size baggies.  I grabbed a box and stashed them in my cart.  When I got to the car, I put the bag in the center console of my Prius.  The Prius is set up with a tall narrow console so I tore the end off of the box for easy access and set it vertically.  They could just as easy be put in the glove box horizontally and opened the traditional way.

The quart bags are perfect because they are large enough to contain a couple of juice boxes and a handful of wet wipes but not so big that they won't fit into that handy holder at the bottom of the driver side door.  They are also sturdier than the sandwich baggies which makes them easier to use and fill.

Now, whenever I have something "icky" come my way, I can easily pull out a bag and put it in.  I put the bag in the driver door so that I can add to it.  The zipper feature is great for those hot summer months when a banana peel just might get the best of you by the end of a long shopping day.  It's also great to grab a baggie and do a quick pickup of tiny trash within reach at a stop light.  The trash and it's scent is contained and I'm able to grab it when I have free hands rather than trying to remember every time I go in.

(Also, I cannot tell you how many times I've grabbed a zipper bag to contain an outfit that has fallen victim to an unfortunate diaper situation, spit up situation, etc.)

Perhaps some day I will have time to keep my car perfect but until then, I will continue to use my baggie trick for easy maintenance.

Another great tip: ask for a car detail for Mother's Day.  That is my annual gift and it's so wonderful to head into the summer with a perfectly clean car.

Please share your tips for keeping your car clean and organized!!!

Creamy Pasta with Prosciutto & Peas

Creamy Pasta with Prosciutto & Peas

Here's a delicious pasta dish that has been lightened up with fat free half & half instead of regular cream and prosciutto instead of pancetta.  Even my super picky 4 year old likes it!  This dish sounds complicated but is actually super simple.  All of the steps for the sauce were completed during the pasta cooking time.  Fridge to table estimate is 20 minutes!  We like to have it with fresh cut fruit.

Ingredients

1/2 lb pasta

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 lb Prosciutto, cut into small squares

1 clove minced garlic

2 tablespoons butter or All Purpose I Can't Believe It's Not Butter

1 very small white onion, finely diced

3/4 cup fat free half and half OR 1/2 cup half and half w/ 1/4 cup ricotta

1 cup frozen peas

1/4-1/2 cup Italian cheese blend

Directions:

Boil the pasta according to package directions.  The picture above is with Earth Fare Whole Grain Gnocchi.  I love this noodle because it is able to hold the peas and prosciutto in the pasta ensuring that each bite has a little bit of everything.  Orecchietti or any shell pasta would be delicious. 

Add the peas the last minute of cooking to warm through and then drain and set aside.

While the pasta boils, heat olive oil in a saucepan.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant then add the prosciutto.  Cook until golden brown and set aside in a separate bowl. 

Next, take your saucepan and melt your butter and then add your onions.  Cook the onions until they are soft and begin to brown.  Add the salt and pepper to taste and then add the prosciutto.  Once that is warmed back up, put a few pieces of pancetta into your half & half to bring the temperature of the half & half up.  (So that it does not curdle.)  Add the half & half or the mixture of half & half/ricotta to the pan and simmer until thickened.  (2-4 minutes.)  I like the ricotta mixture. 

Note: Ricotta can be frozen in smaller amounts to be added to recipe's like this.  Behold the many uses of the Ice Cube Tray! 

Add the pasta & peas to the mixture and stir to combine.  Finally add the cheese blend. If you want a creamier pasta, you can add a touch more half & half or a bit of pasta water. 

Serves 4

This recipe is an adaptation of Orecchietti with Peas, Pancetta & Cream.  Click here for the original recipe.

Morning Rage - My roll in my preschoolers morning rebellion

Well, obviously, I'm keeping up with this blog!  It's only been 9 months since my last post.  Oh, and in that time I've had a baby!  Two children are more work than one but not as much more as I expected.  It's amazing how much easier the second baby is.  I know how to hold her, calm her, feed her, when to give her tummy medicine and when she just needs a binky.

I am writing today b/c I need to sort my thoughts out about super-mommy hood in the morning.  (Yes, it's an unattainable goal but definitely a direction in which to shoot!)  This morning was an epic fail.  I didn't prepare for the morning last night by getting Ruthie's lunch packed, getting her backpack packed, etc.  I didn't go to bed on time.  I didn't make sure my Iphone had enough juice for the alarm to work.  I didn't take care of my body yesterday so that I would feel good in the morning.  I didn't, I didn't, I didn't...  Well, at least I know where I went wrong.

The first impact on the morning as we are all waking late is my daughter's disappointment that Lilly our Christmas Elf was not hiding but still in her special chair.  (Whoops!  I didn't hide her before bed.)  I then tried to fix breakfast while instructing my 4 year old to get dressed.  She, of course, decided that today was slower-than-a-turtle day.  She's testing her boundaries with blatant disobedience.  You know what I mean, they make eye contact with you as they do the opposite of what you tell them.  It's normal but infuriating!  It has be be handled right, the child needs to be taught, given appropriate consequences with firmness and love.  Unfortunately, I did not keep it together this morning and there was yelling.  Here's the funny thing about yelling, it doesn't work!  Why, then does it seem to come out of my mouth!  Here's what I think, I was not mentally, emotionally, physically or spiritually prepared for the morning.  The choices that I made yesterday impacted my morning and in turn the morning of my daughter.  Had I taken care of myself physically I would have had more energy this morning.  The physical impacts the mental/emotional.  I may not have overslept.  I wouldn't have had to make lunch and could have taken more time to guide my little girl through the process.  Oh, and she wouldn't have needed to rush anyway if she had been woke up on time.

Mornings are important.  Today, I dropped off a very unhappy preschooler.  She was in no way mentally and emotionally prepared to learn.  I was also stressed which impacted my care for both children.  Everybody started off on the wrong foot.  While I can't assume all of the responsibility, I do know what my part is in all of this.  I can do better!

The Part That Matters

A dear friend gave me a wonderful book for my 16th birthday.  It was "No Wonder They Call Him The Savior" by Max Lucado.  His wonderful introduction asks the question: "What matters?"  You can read his wonderful answer here. 

Now, more than a couple of years later, that book still sticks out to me.  I agree with Max that spiritually, the Cross is the most important part of Christianity.  Now, in my early 30's I'm trying to figure out what matters most in the other areas of my life.  What matters in being a good wife?  What are the most important parts of being a good mother?  What about in my career?  What really matters there? 

I don't have the answers all figured out.  I have a few things figured out.  Time matters in the wife and mom area.  Time with my family, showing them love, taking time to listen, taking time to make sure their needs are met, etc.  With my career, it seems to be integrity.  Unfortunately, none of that comes with an easy answer.  I can spend hours and hours cleaning the house.  But, does that really matter as much as spending time coloring?  Does spending the whole day playing but not teaching my child to take care of her things seem like a wise choice?  How does a mom with a full time job, a husband and a 3 year old find the right balance?  So far, through trial and error.  Here are some of the things that I have figured out so far:

• I try to turn everything possible into an experience together.  I almost never cook dinner without my tiny sidekick.  She has her jobs, her stool and a matching apron. 
• We schedule a weekly family night with planned activities. (Most weeks.) 
• We celebrate the small things.  (The little one went 2 nights dry so we went out for a special pizza meal. 
• We split the chores (80/20ish but it still counts) so that I have time for the important things.
• I work hard to keep my flexible job in good standing so that I have more time with Ruthie & Jared.

Anyway, I plan to write about things that I find that I think matter.  Or that are insignificant but fun.  I'm writing this primarily for myself but you are welcome to read along if you find a connection.