baked lemon chicken pasta.

Baked Lemon Chicken Pasta.

Ingredients:
1. 1 lb. of chicken tenders
2. 3 lemons
3. garlic
4. parsley
5. thyme
6. butter
7. salt and pepper
8. sour cream
9. shredded parmesean cheese
10. olive oil
11. 1 lb. linguine pasta

Recipe:
1. Whisk the juice from one lemon, 2 tsp. dried thyme, 1 tsp. minced garlic, and 1 tsp. sea salt to make a marinade for the chicken. Let chicken marinade in lemon mixture for at least 2 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 375. Cook linguine according to directions.
3. In a skillet, melt 4 tbsp. butter with 2 tbsp. olive oil over low heat. When butter is melted, add 2 cloves garlic, minced. Squeeze juice from one lemon into the pan. Turn off heat.
4. Add 2 cups sour cream and stir mixture together. Add zest from one lemon and 1 tsp. sea salt. Taste, then add more salt if necessary. Pour mixture over drained spaghetti and stir together, then pour spaghetti into an oven safe dish. Meanwhile place marinaded chicken into another oven safe dish.
5. Bake both covered for 15 mins. Uncover, check and bake additional mins if needed uncovered.
6. Once done, squeeze a little more lemon juice over the top. Top generously with Parmesan cheese, then chopped parsley. Give it a final squeeze of lemon juice at the end. Serve with garlic or French bread.

taco stuffed shells.

Taco Stuffed Shells.

Ingredients:
1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. taco seasoning
3. 4 oz cream cheese
4. large pasta shells
5. salsa
6. taco sauce
7. shredded mexican "taco" cheeses
8. sour cream




Recipe:
1. Brown ground beef and add taco seasoning (I make my own but a package is fine); add 1/2 cup water and simmer 3 mins. Add cream cheese and simmer until cheese is melted. Blend well. Set aside and allow to fully cool.
2. Meanwhile cook the pasta shells.
3. Pour salsa (about a cup) in the bottom of a 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
4. Stuff each shell with the meat mixture. Place the stuffed shells in the baking dish and drizzle top with taco sauce.
5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
6. Add cheese on top. Cook for about 10 more minutes. Serve with sour cream. (I also garnished mine with black olives.)


Sorry through the rush of dinner and the fact I'm a horrible blogger; I forgot to take pictures. But it was Delicious.

Stumble Upon.

Favorite Friday.

I just love this site. 

So easy to use and provides hours (days) of entertainment.

I've come across many interesting new things. Like petite giraffe's. I stumbled upon a live video of one named Vladimir. Or cute pictures like

&

or inspirational messages to brighten my day

Sign up and start stumbling yourself.

It becomes addicting.

creamy, cheesy ham and penne.

Creamy, Cheesy Ham and Penne.


Ingredients:
1. penne pasta
2. 1/2 cup frozen peas
3. 1 can (10 oz) Ro*Tel Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies
4. 8 oz cream cheese
5. 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6. 3/4 cup cubed cooked lean ham


Recipe:
1. Cook pasta. Add peas to boiling pasta when there is 2-3 mins. left.
2. Combine all remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until cheese melts and mixture is bubbly. 
3. Stir in pasta and peas.

Found these with the tomato sauces/diced tomatoes.
 (silly me thought they'd be in the Mexican aisle with the green chilies.)

It was delicious. And ridiculously simple.

imitation uglydolls.

Heard of uglydolls?

They are so ugly its adorable. (even with a big price tag) I obviously thought it was worth it, cause I still got one for my little man. And I bought the first three "graphic novels" for myself.

look at all the characters..

Not wanting to pay another $9.99 for a small felt "doll" made me kick up my crafting abilities; deciding to make my own, this is how it came out.

Not my best work, but I still think it came out fairly nice.  Think I'll try my luck again with the extra felt.

my body wash.

 LIFESAVER TUESDAY.

www.caressskin.com/Products/scarletblossom

It just smells so good.
Red lychee and patchouli oil. 

I had always wanted a body wash like my fiance's old spice ones; where you smell it all day on yourself.   Finally, I found this alluring one. The back of the bottle says that the fragrance, "lingers on your skin long after you step out of the shower." I definitely found that to be correct but more subtle than old spice. It's not a heavy perfume that someone across the room would smell, but someone standing next to you might. I can't wait to try the other fragrance, Sheer Twilight.

www.caressskin.com/Products/sheertwilight

taco salad.

Taco Salad.


Ingredients:
1. 1 lb. ground beef
2. taco seasoning (my recipe is at the end of this post.)
3. 6 - 10 in. flour tortillas
4. 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans; drained and rinsed
5. 2 medium tomatoes; diced
6. 2 medium avocados; pitted, peeled, and diced
7. 1 medium green pepper
8. can of large black olives; halved
9. shredded cheddar
10. sour cream
11. oil based dressing


Recipe:
1. First make the tortilla bowls. Lightly brush 1 side of the tortilla with a small amount of water.  Coat 6 small oven safe bowls with nonstick cooking spray.  Press tortillas, coated side up, into bowls. Place a ball of aluminum foil into each tortilla cup.  Bake at 350 for 15 to 20 mins. Let cool.

Mine didn't come out great; but you get the idea.

2. In a medium saucepan cook ground beef, until beef is brown.  Drain off fat.  Add taco seasoning and 1/3 cup water. Let simmer 5 mins. Stir in kidney beans. Simmer 10 mins.
3. Layer your salad in the tortilla cups. Beef, then your veggies, cheese, and sour cream. Then top with your favorite dressing. I used:  Wish-Bone® Superfruit Berry Vinaigrette. 

It was so tasty.

As promised, my taco seasoning recipe; so you don't have to use a packet seasoning anymore.

Taco Seasoning:

Combine the following:

1. 1 tbsp chili powder

2. 1/4 tsp garlic powder

3. 1/4 tsp onion powder

4. 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

5. 1/4 tsp oregano

6. 1/2 tsp paprika

7. 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin

8. 1 tsp sea salt