"To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Long Days and "Quick and Dirty" Cooking

Long are the days when the hubs works ALL day. Well, technically his shift started today at noon, but he had meetings that started at 7am. Grrr.... Tropical storm Debby is making her way through the area and the weather has been kinda yuck. We made a trip to Target this afternoon just to get out of the house. It was one of those days where I had to have a little time where I wasn't entertaining children. The ride to and from Target was free time for me, and they were both content just to stroll around the store. Thank Heavens. I scolded Jake for throwing his hat on the floor, and he immediately held his hands up to get a hug. Trust me, his feelings weren't hurt - he's learning how to charm :) Haha, good thing for him - it usually works. Then we headed home for dinner for both kiddos, baths, and blessed bedtime. Because let me tell you, by the end of these long days, this woman is tired! We have gotten C on a pretty good routine now, and I have it sort of worked out that in the afternoon he gets his bath around 5:30 or so, eats his cereal and bottle around 6, and then he chills for about 30 minutes or so then heads to bed. For the last 2 nights, we have not heard a peep out of the little man once he goes to bed until 6 in the morning. TOTALLY worth a little crying. He also used to wake up crying from his naps a lot. Now, he seems to wake up and play and just talk to himself for a while. I don't know if it has anything to do with getting a longer amount of uninterrupted sleep or what, but I'll take it. Once Connor has eaten and is chilling, then it's Jake's turn to eat and hang out before having his bath and heading to bed. Total run on sentence, I know. By the way, I actually do know how to write properly. I was able to get credit for English 101 and 102 in college due to AP scores that were largely essay based. However, this isn't the forum for all that formality, so there...

Jake's new favorite phrase is "how 'bout..." Haha. He says it when he is looking for a toy in the toy box, when he is deciding what to draw next, and tonight I think I heard it about 20 times when he was playing in the tub. It cracks me up ;) Tonight, he was using the bath crayons and pursed his little lips, and said "hmmm, how 'bout stah (star)" then handed me the crayon because he wanted me to draw him a star. He is starting to look so much like a little boy now. It kills me.



Getting our toothbrushing on...
Connor is 4 MONTHS OLD! Good Grannies, where does the time go? He thinks that Jake is the most interesting thing in the whole world. He could be crying like crazy and Jake can walk up. The crying immediately stops and he watches his big brother, smiling like a maniac. When I was hurrying to take a few shots the other day of Connor, Jake walked up. It was great because the little man started smiling :)


Love that little man!! I will finally post this recipe. I have been making it for a while now, and it is in our regular rotation. My friend, Janet, made it the other day. Her husband told her how good it was, and she was trying to give me credit. Instead of telling him that it was one of my "quick and easy" recipes, she told him it was one of "Akisha's quick and dirty" recipes. I like it. Whatever it is, it is yummy. It only takes about 20 minutes to make, too. Forgive the photo, I don't know how to make pasta pretty.
"Quick and Dirty" Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta

1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken tenders, cut into bite size pieces
2 TBSP butter
linguine noodles, I use about 1/2 small package
2 tsp Cajun seasoning, (I use more, and I use Tony Cachere's)
1-2 cups heavy cream, may use half and half (I use 2 cups heavy cream, trust me - it's WAY better that way)
2 Tbsp sundried tomatoes, chopped (I use more -I found some at Walmart that were in a jar, chopped with basil)
1/8 tsp garlic powder (I don't measure - just sprinkle some on)
1/4 tsp dried basil (I don't measure this either)
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese - I add WAY more

Okay, if you are worried about calories don't read any further. This isn't low cal, but it is soooo good. Just don't eat it every night. Seriously, it would kill you. Also, if you don't like spicy, use the amount of seasoning the recipe calls for, and if you like spice, add more. I used probably more than the called for amount last night because I wasn't sure if Jake would want some. It wasn't spicy at all. Actually, Jake has eaten the spiciest batch of this I have made and liked it.

Sprinkle your chicken with the seasoning and cook until done in the butter. While your chicken is cooking, cook your pasta. Once the chicken is cooked, pour in the heavy cream, tomatoes,garlic powder, and basil. As you can see, I add more of just about everything. I don't measure anything anymore. It is just as good whether you make it "by the book" or improvise. Once your cream has thickened a little, pour it over your cooked, drained pasta and add the cheese. Stir and serve. The sauce doesn't get super thick. I added a little cornstarch the first time because I thought it should be thicker, but once you add the cheese, it thickens it enough. Add a little garlic bread and enjoy!!!
Sprinkle your

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