guilt

Okay. So I needed to make cupcakes for Blythe's birthday party. I had seen some of ^ these fish ones and thought I could probably manage that. So I went to a store that I knew carried the M&Ms that you can buy just one color at a time. Do you know what I'm talking about? It looks something like this:

source

Which, also, is maybe a little bit how heaven will look? I can't be sure but I think I would much rather the streets be paved with gold M&Ms. Just saying. 

Okay. So I run in the store, I keep Becks on my hip instead of getting a cart because this is all I need. Blythe is holding my hand. We locate the M&M aisle. $9.99 a pound for the color dispensed ones. I am terrible with guessing weight and distance and all things like that, so I figure a pound is way more than I will need and fill two bags with orange and blue. Blythe is starstruck by all the chocolate surrounding her, and Becks is getting a bit heavy... like, maybe she feels like she weights six pounds at this point? [< that is a joke about me not understanding weight.] I locate the scale and weigh my two measly bags. 1.1 pound!!!!! What?! I look at the bags. Ten bucks?! For that?! I scan the rest of the aisle and locate a huge bag of M&Ms. It's almost FOUR pounds for the same price. 

I know there are orange and blues in that bag. And I also know that once I sort them, I will have A LOT of M&Ms left over. I grab the bag and....

....

...

I put the other two baggies down on the shelf near the dispensers. 

And. I. Walk. Away. 

Deep breaths. I felt terrible about this. I tried to figure out how to put them back in the dispensers but they were sealed like Fort Knox. My mind was spinning circles: Will they just have to throw these ["$10 worth" of M&Ms] away? Will someone get in trouble for this? Should I ask someone if theis is "legal"? If I ask, will they make me pay for them? 

But I carried my 4ish pound bag of M&Ms, held my nearly three year-old's hand, carried my nearly 11 month old on my hip, paid for the candies, and left the store. 

Those two bags still laying there haunt me. I feel like I kind of broke the law. 

However, I sorted the M&Ms...and maybe ate a 2 or 3, but I can't be sure because I'm terrible with numbers... and had more than enough to make my cupcakes.

Do thinks like this bother you? I guess you could say I'm a rule follower, even when I'm not totally sure what the rules are. But dispensing M&Ms and then not buying them seems like not following the rules.

my post-partum sandwich: also known as the sandwich you didn't know was missing from your life

Don't forget to check out yesterday's giveaway. 

I don't know about any one else, but after I had both girls there were specific things I wanted to eat.
And I wanted to eat it all. the. time.

After delivering Blythe all I wanted was my mom's chicken salad on croissants. And she delivered.
After Becks Brent made a Fazzoli's run and got me a turkey basil submarino. From that point forward, all I wanted to eat was a Fazzoli's turkey basil Submarino.

That was all well and good while we were still at the hospital, but once we traveled the 30+ miles home my craving was met with disappointment. [Well, not really disappointment as we had so many awesome meals brought to us. I am still amazed at people's generosity and cooking abilities.]

But I wanted me some Submarino.

The funny thing is, ask me what meat I want on a sandwich and I will never say turkey.
Ask me if I want big slices of tomato on my sandwich and I will say, "No, thank you."
But together? On this sandwich? It's a food marriage you don't want to miss.

Fast forward a few months when I was no longer a walking zombie after just having a baby, and the sandwich still sounded incredible. So off to Fazzoli's we went one day after church. Though this time I savored every bite, and dissected the sandwich to see how I could go about making it.

[I have since found a recipe online, and this sandwich has provolone and ranch, but I like the way I started making it so I'm sticking with it.]

So if you are about to have a baby, or just like a good sandwich and don't want to go out tonight, whip these puppies up [Brent and I eat these about twice a week now. Twice a week! Did you hear that? Those were angels singing. If you live in a small town with no fast food you understand].

My version of Turkey Basil Submarino 

Ingredients:

Sliced deli Turkey

Pesto

Mayonnaise

Mozzarella cheese

Roma Tomatoes, thinly sliced

lettuce

some type of "crusty" bread-- Ciabatta works well

Procedure:

if you know me, you know that when I create recipes I don't really measure

1. Combine 3-4 spoonfuls of mayonnaise and 1-2 spoonfuls of pesto [depending on how strong you like the pesto flavor. Side note: my sister does NOT like mayonnaise but really liked this sandwich. You could easily sub Ranch I guess, since apparently that's what the real deal is made with]

2. Spread combination on your bread fairly thick.

In my opinion, the thicker the better. This is why I don't ever measure, I just make a random amount and use it all until it's gone. 

3. Place your sliced tomatoes on top. I slice mine very thin, but if you love tomatoes leave them thicker.

4. Place several slices of turkey and then mozzarella cheese on top. [Sliced or fresh mozzarella would work better than shredded, but that's all I had on hand this time]. 

5. Leave sandwich open and place under broiler for a few minutes until bread is slightly browned and cheese is melted. 

6. Remove and place lots of crisp lettuce on top and then "close" your sandwich. 

7. Let your mouth water in anticipation. Eat. And then promptly repeat steps 1-6 because you'll want another one. 

I have served these with chips and fruit, or with pasta, or green beans…or whatever you want because it is a SANDWICH and everything goes with a sandwich?! Right?! 

For real. We love this sandwich. 

what makes a day better

You know how somedays are just ordinary and you may eat breakfast, do what you do, slurp down lunch, do what you do, then have some supper, do what you do, then go to bed?

And then you know how other days you get to eat ice cream cake? And you know how those days that you get to eat ice cream cake are SO MUCH better?

There are very few things in life better than Dairy Queen ice cream cake for a celebration. Am I right? The answer is obviously yes.

My first birthday after we were married, Brent surprised me at school with an ice cream cake. At 9 in the morning because that was my planning period. Ice cream cake at 9 in the morning? Best idea he ever had.

We try to think of any reason to have ice cream cake in my family. Birthdays are the obvious go-to times.

But there are lots of other times you can convince others to partake of an ice cream cake if you're creative. Retirement party? Of course. Just completed a tri-athalon? Better get a cake. Had a baby? Definite cake time. Won a state championship? Cake! Cake! Cake!

But keep going. You can do even better than that! Groundhog's Day. Celebrating changing the oil in your car. First day of deer season. ICE CREAM CAKE!!!

Your neighbor's friend's half birthday.
The first day you can wear sandals in the spring.
When your son gets his driver's license.
When your daughter says "Mommy" for the first time.
When you wake up to your alarm without hitting the snooze once!

Also, the more gel-frosting the better.
Also, don't be one of those people that eats it in layers. Just don't.

 Are you seriously asking, "What is the point of this blog post?"
The point is ICE CREAM CAKE.
That is all.

cajun chicken pasta

original recipe HERE

with much better lighting for pictures, I might add

Okay guys, I'm a sucker for pasta dishes, but this one is uh-mazing. The sauce is just how I like it-- creamy yet not heavy. The dish is full of flavor and a little crunch. It is right up there with the chicken scampi my heart beats for at Olive Garden. 

And here we go: 

Oh and this is where I should note that the original recipe uses all "LIGHT" or "FAT FREE" to make the dish "lighter", but I am a Schoon at heart, and we Schoons laugh in the face of fat-free products, so I modified it in that way. 

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces uncooked linguine [I used angel hair once too]
• 1 pound chicken breast cut into strips
• 1-2 tsp Cajun seasoning (or to taste) [I used 2 and it wasn't too spicy for us, and we don't like overly spicy…so go for 3 tsp if you really want a zip…or 4 if you live in Texas or something]
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced [I just bought a mix and used orange too]
• 8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced [I left this out because, well, gross]
• 1/2 red onion, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium tomatoes, diced [I used 3 romas]
• 1 cup fat free low sodium chicken broth [I used some I had reserved last time I cooked chicken]
• 1/3 cup skim milk [I used WHOLE, baby!]
• 1 tbsp flour
• 3 tbsp light cream cheese [regular cream cheese for me, please]
• fresh cracked pepper
• 2 scallions, chopped
• salt to taste
• cooking spray

ot heavy. 
Directions: 

Cut up all your veggies. This for sure is the most time consuming part of the recipe, as the rest is easy-peasy. If you want to cut them ahead to save time, go for it!

In a small blender [or whatever…I used an immersion blender because it's my favorite tool ever], make a "slurry" by combining milk, flour, and [softened] cream cheese. [The original recipe says slurry, but I don't use fancy words like that when I cook, so I felt the need to put it in quotations. Also I added an Oxford comma to this part of the recipe. You're welcome.] Set your fancy slurry concoction aside.

Season your chicken with Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and salt. The more generous, the better, I say. [My friend had a hard time finding Cajun seasoning, but I've used Tony Chachere's Creole seasoning and it's the same.]

I cheated and used some pre-cooked chicken I had on hand. It is better if you season it raw, for sure, but this still was good…and faster…and I didn't have to touch raw meat for the day- SCORE!

Cook your pasta in some salted water according to package directions.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat; spray with cooking spray and add half of the chicken [I usually add it all because I'm impatient]. Saute 5-6 minutes or until done. Set aside and repeat with the remaining chicken.

Drink some coffee while you cook. It makes everything more enjoyable.

Add olive oil to the skillet and reduce to medium: add bell peppers, onions, and minced garlic the skillet. [Throw in a little extra garlic if it if your favorite ingredient ever, like it is mine]. Saute 3-4 minutes [I feel like "3-4 minutes" is very specific. If you like them crunchier, cook for a little bit-- if you like them softer, cook for awhile. That is what MY recipe would say.]

one of the few things I buy in bulk

Add mushrooms [BLEGH! If you must!] and tomatoes [my mom even made this dish without tomatoes once since my dad can't eat them, and it was just as good] and saute 3-4 minutes more or until veggies are tender. Season with 1/4 tsp salt, garlic powder, and pepper to taste.

Reduce heat to medium-low: add chicken broth and pour in "slurry" [that white liquid you made earlier ;)] stirring about 2 minutes.

Return chicken to skillet; adjust salt and Cajun seasoning to taste, cook another minute or two until hot, then add linguine: toss well to coat. Top with chopped scallions.

Eat until you can't stuff any more in your face.

I like to reheat it the next day by dumping it back in the skillet and adding just a touch of milk and stirring until warm. MMM. Just as good as day one.

Let me know if you make this and love it as much as we do!

a current favorite

I have this problem with recipes: when I find one that Brent and I both like, I tend to make it and make it and make it and we eat our fill and then I find a new one and forget about the old favorite for a year or two. Craziness. 

When Brent and I want muffins, I usually make what I call "Nathan's Muffins" because I got the recipe from Nathan's mom when I used to babysit N back in college. They have carrots and bananas and peanut butter…oh my! They are great. But then I discovered this recipe and, true to fashion, I have started making these and forgotten our old favorite. Maybe someday I'll bust out that recipe and share it with you, but for now these are the muffins that you'll find on my counter: 

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Muffins

Ingredients:

2 1/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour

2 Teaspoons Baking Powder

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

2/3 Cup Brown Sugar

6 Tablespoons Butter, melted and cooled

1/2 Cup Chunky Peanut Butter (you can use smooth, that's fine)

2 Eggs

1 Cup Milk

3/4 Cup Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

-a lot of times I double it

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and brown sugar. 

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, peanut butter, eggs, and milk until smooth. (if the peanut butter is in clumps within the liquid it will all work out in the end…trust me) 

Pour liquid mixture into flour mixture and mix until just combined.

 Fold in chocolate chips. 

In a paper lined muffin tin, scoop 3 tablespoon size scoops into each muffin cup (I never measure at this point… I just plop in the batter. I like the muffins big, because I want them to be filling as a snack, so I fill tins fairly full. I have made them in mini tins as well and they work just fine, I just adjusted the time a little shorter)..

 Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

While they bake, do the dishes. Or not. It's up to you. I don't think this step affects the taste of the muffins.

 I think these muffins are better cool, as I believe you taste more of the peanut butter flavor. They aren't overly strong on the peanut butter, and aren't overly sweet either. They are great with a big glass of milk.

Warning: If you eat them around toddlers, you will probably have to share.