Fajita Pasta

I found this recipe in my All You magazine and thought it was perfect for the hubbie when he got back in town.  I'm not a fan of fajitas, so I never make them at home for him.  So when I saw this, I thought, perfect!  It was actually an enjoyable pasta dish, I of course have some revisions I would do for next time, but other then that I think its a keeper!  

Fajita Chicken Pasta

1 lb. chicken tenders, (cut in chunks)

12 oz-16 oz farfalle pasta (I used 12 oz. and there was more then enough)

2 T. olive oil

1 package fajita seasoning

2 peppers (I used one red, one yellow), cut into 2 inch strips

1 1/2 cups half and half (I used two cups)

1/4 grated parm cheese (I would use more next time) plus more for serving

salt and pepper

One ingredient I would add would be onions, isn't that a staple in fajitas?  

Season your chicken with the fajita mix, on both sides, rub it on there (I did not use the entire package).  Then add oil to pan and fry up your chicken, until done.  Mine took around 8-12 minutes.  Transfer to a plate when one and keep warm.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve some pasta water. 

Cook your peppers in same pan as chicken was in, stirring until tender, about 8 minutes.  Add chicken, half and half and scrape up all the browned bits.  Cook for three minutes.

Add parm cheese and then cook for 30 seconds to one minute more.  Add salt and pepper to sauce *to your liking.  (I think the parm cheese is a nice touch)  Now toss the chicken mixture with your pasta.  If its too dry add some of your reserved pasta water.  Mine was not, because I used two cups :) Top with some parm cheese and you are done!

Now its not the best photo, I was starving and ready to eat so I snapped with real quick with my cell phone!  It sure was tasty.  I will keep this in the keeper file.  

I have a big list of new recipes I want to try, any one else try some new ones?

~Allie 

Crockpot Potato Soup

It may be hot as you know what in the state of Florida, but that did not stop me from trying this crock pot potato soup.  

I love me some potato soup.  This one isn't full of fattening cream, either.  So there is a plus.  I'm trying to cut down on carbs, big time.  But I had this big ol' ten pound bag of baking potatoes that I could not let go to waste.  I hate wasting food, and unfortunately, my family and I waste a lot.  That's going to change!  

So, I made a big batch and froze what we did not eat for a later dinner.  

Original recipe can be found budget bytes

It super simple.

Crock pot Potato Soup

3lbs baking potatoes (any potatoes,really)

6 c. chicken stock

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 c. milk ( I use 2 %)

1/4 c. flour

salt

black pepper

Cut up your potatoes (after you've scrubbed them good, you can peel if you'd like, I like the skins, so I left them on).  Add your chopped celery, onion, garlic, black pepper and chicken broth.  Cook on high 8 hours.  I think mine actually cooked for 6.  

Whisk your flour in your 2 cups of milk and add to soup.  Stir and let sit for 30 minutes, it will thicken. Then mash with potato masher, blender or immersion blender.  Add salt to taste.  Those immersion blenders are the best!  

All done!  Top with your favorite potato toppings!  I used cheese, bacon bits and a dab of sour cream.  

Easy Peasy! 

~Allie

Summer Project

This is the first summer in our house.  We have free reign, to paint, plant...whatever we would like to do.  I haven't done anything drastic to the house because, well I just cant afford.  But, the colors on the walls had to go!  I did not like them one bit.  The only rooms that aren't this pink color are the bathroom and kitchen.  So, this summer I decided to change it.  I painted the hallway, living room and dining room. I did it mostly on my own.  A friend helped with the living room and then my hubbie helped with the living room.  Thank goodness he did because I was so over painting.  I did it all over a 3 week span, I should have just done it all in three days because that is how long it took me to get all three rooms done, so instead I did it over three weeks.  

This living room is by by far my favorite.  They are still a work in progress  but I love the color and its nice to finally have things hung up on the wall!  

 Before:

This would be my before picture.  The ugly color on the walls and the white shelves. 

After:

Hard to tell the color, its a pale yellow.  The main colors in the living room are yellow, turquoise, brown, black and red. 

The tv is my next project.  I purchased a dresser that I am going to convert into a tv stand.  So I can hid all our movies.  I hate having them in the open and on display.  Also, I bought some pretty curtains but the hubbie has yet to put them up for me.

Process:

I absolutely love this color! 

On to the dining room.

Before:

This was at my moms birthday party.  50's diner themed.  Notice how there is nothing on the walls.  Now I have things hanging!  The colors in this room are a light wood, white and gold.

After:

 I am in the process of finding a hutch!  Not easy, since I am picky and only shopping thrift stores.  I don't want to spend a fortune when I am going to strip it and paint it white.  I need something to display all my milk glass! 

This wall makes me happy.  I am constantly on the look out for silver platters. I got these two at a warehouse sale for pennies.  Literally.  Its a work in progress, but I think its fitting hanging platters in the dining room. Hehe. 

I should take more pictures, I store my books in this room, but its a work in progress.

Next on the agenda is our bedrooms!  

Anyone do some redecorating this summer?

~Ally  

BBQ Cheesey Hamburger Casserole Smasserole

It's been awhile!  We just got back from vacation, and even tho we ate like crazy on our vacation and I could probably starve for a week and survive, I decided to try out a pinterest recipe!  I had the fam over because they were having Zoe withdrawals and made a yummy casserole.  

My daughter loves going to CiCi's pizza, you know mass produced pizza, but they have a big game area for the kiddos that she just loves.  Well they have this hamburger pizza there, that my mom absolutly loves.  They squirt yellow mustard and ketchup on there, and yes, it does taste like a hamburger.  So when I found this recipe on pinterest I had to try it!

Originally found on cinnamon spice and every thing nice

Of course I had to change mine up, my sister can be a pain when food is involved, so I omited the pickles.  Enter sad face, I was excited to taste what it would be like baked in, but I was not in the mood for complaints.  So I cut about four of them up and my mom and I put them on top of our mounds of casserole on our plates.  (They were delish with them)  Now I am not a fan on yellow mustard on my hamburgers, but because its a staple on hamburgers I added about a tablespoon of it to mine.  I could taste it and I thought it was a good addition. 

Of course we were all starving by the time this hit the table and I forgot to take a picture. So, these were taken after we practically devoured the entire thing!  I had like a quarter of the casserole left over.  Its defiantly a winner in our house!  I paired it with cornbread and a greek salad.  The greek salad doesn't really match, but I have been dying for a greek salad so I threw one together real quick.

 Anyone try some new recipes lately?

~Allie 

BOOK BASH in Orlando

Last weekend, I attended book bash with two of my book buddy friends!  It was so much fun!  Being in my element with a bunch of people (mostly women) who love to read was fantastic!  We got to meet our favorite author Kristen Ashley, she was awesome!  She was the first line we got in, we stood there for an hour because that is how popular she is and when we finally got up to meet her we all went shy! haha.  She posed for pics with us and signed our books then we went off and met other awesome authors.  Can you tell I had a really good time?  I cant stop using the word awesome! haha.

My friend came to town, we ate out a lot, we bought a ton of books, both ebooks and regular books.  Its a good thing she doesn't live near me, or I would go broke!   

Here are some pictures of our AWESOME weekend! 

Getting some dinner the night before book bash event

 Hour long line for KA!

 We are almost there!!! 

 My friend Dan, uber excited. 

 Woo-hoo!  

 Alice Clayton, that is one funny lady, loved her book called Wallbanger

 Marianne with R.K. Lilley

 We just had to pose with the sign and point out KAs book! 

 Nighttime drinks at the Wicked GNO after party

 Sadly, we didnt get to hang with KA :(

Two lovely ladies we met in line that are now my book gurus, jello shots anyone?!

Did anyone do anything fun this past weekend?  Or did you go fangirl crazy at book bash too??

~Allie 

Eclair Cake

This weekend I went to a friends house for a BBQ, what a perfect time to make this Eclair cake I found on Pinterest!

Its super easy.  Original recipe here. 

It is a no bake, yummy cake.  Seriously, go and make it. 

My pictures are not good.  They certainly didnt come out as nice as the original post about them from the lady that made this cake.  Mine came out mushy, but its ok.  It didnt hinder the taste at all.  

I did make an adjustment to mine.  

The original recipe called for cocoa powder, sugar and butter.  I did that, and it came out like this.

Too thin, sticky and got all in the cake.  So I made a ganache for it the day of the party.

Eclair Cake

Big box of instant vanilla pudding

3 c. milk

1 tub of cool whip

1 box of honey graham crackers (I used honey, Im sure cinnamon would taste good as well)

1 1/2 c. semi sweet chocolate chips

1 c. heavy cream

Mix milk and puddin, when that is set, fold in the cool whip.  

Layer crackers first and then add some of the puddin. (have you ever seen Corina, Corina?  Where he is creating the jingle for puddin???  and leaves out the g?) 

Layer more crackers on top of that.

Make another layer of puddin.

Top with crackers and then top with ganache. 

Put in fridge for 24 hours to "set".

Ganache:  over boiling water in a heatproof bowl, melt the chocolate chips and heavy cream until nice and shiny (stirring constantly).  I didn't use all of my ganache on the cake.  I had a little tiny bit left over that I scooped up and ate.  Don't judge :) 

Not the best pic, sorry had the hubs do it.  He doesn't understand close ups.  

Make it for your next BBQ, it wont disappoint!

Anyone have any no bake desserts??

~Allie 

WITL Days 4,5,6 and 7

I work Thursday- Sunday, so there were no pictures to be had.  I do nothing fun on those days.  I work long hours and am exhausted by the time I get home.  So this post will be boring :( 

Thursday: I work at night, so during the day we just stayed home and cleaned and did some laundry.  It seems all I do is clean, then Richie is off on Thursday and Friday and the place gets to be a disaster again and I have to start all over again on Monday.  Its a vicious cycle! 

Friday: I worked a short shift, came home.  My mom and sister were out and about so they took Zoe out for lunch and then met up with me when I got home.  Bugged me for an hour or so and put me behind in making my goodies for a friends bbq that night.  Its ok tho, I don't see my sister anymore because Sundays (our family dinner night) she skips out on b/c she has a puppy that annoys my moms old dog.  

I made an eclair cake that was easy and super yummy.  I also made a veggie option for my Mexican dip b/c my friend is a vegetarian.  Then I made this corn, zucchini salad which is delish. 

We headed to the bbq and hung out with all my friends, three came from out of town, one I hadn't seen in forever came as well.  Zoe has a crush on my friends little brother and his friend.  She was grilling her mom about him.  They start young! lol

  

This is Cathie and Dan (Marianne, Dan will be going to Book Bash with us), all of us have been friends since high school.  Still going strong!  Zoe calls them all Aunts. 

Eclair Cake, seriously make this.  Cept I put a layer of ganache on top because the original recipe for the chocolate on top was a flop.  So good with the ganache.

We roasted marshmallows in 100 degree weather :) 

Mmmmmmmm....smores

Thats Mel, with her nephew Miles, they were "playing" pool. 

After the party we went to Shannon's and played ping pong.  That's Mitch and Mel playing.  No pics of me.  I'm always behind the camera, taking bad shots of people and then getting yelled at when I post them on FB :) 

Saturday and Sunday went like this......I went to work, I came home and watched tv or read. That is all!  Exciting life I lead!