I’ll Take That, But I Can I Get it Without The….

Have you ever been to a restaurant and found something you REALLY wanted, but when you ordered, you requested about 15 changes to the dish??  That’s my sister.  “I want the caesar salad with grilled chicken, but can I get it with no protein, 86 the onions, and put the dressing on the side”.  Did that just happen??  I like to give her a hard time about it because well, that’s just what sisters do…even when they’re grown and married with kids :)  She cracks me up every time she orders.  I found this recipe and knew I had to try it, but when it came to the actual execution, I pulled a Sara.  Not because I didn’t like what the recipe was calling for and wanted to change it all up, but I was just too dang lazy to go to the store and pick up the basil.  Sad, but true.  Either way, this recipe still turned out DELISH!!  I’m sure Sara would want to 86 a few things in this recipe, but for me, it was definitely a keeper for sure!

CHICKEN PARMESAN PASTA BAKE

via Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 TBSP. olive oil
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp. dried oregano
1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
2 cups of water
1 - 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 pkg. {12 oz.} pasta shells (but you can use any type of pasta you prefer)
1 cup  grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite-sized pieces

Optional
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Even when I’m not snapping pics of what I’m doing in the kitchen, I still like to set out all of my ingredients in one place.  Makes cooking a *little* faster…at least, that’s what I tell myself.

If you have an oven safe skillet, you’ll wanna get that out and start cooking with that.  The only oven safe skilled I own is my cast iron skillet and it was a little too shallow for this dish.  You can also use a regular skillet and then transfer everything to an oven safe dish when it’s time to bake.  Now let’s get started.

Toss the tomatoes into your food processor and pulse until they’re coarsely chopped.  I used my blender because my food processor is in the hospital.  Prognosis= sadsville.  Things aren’t looking good.  ANYWAY, pulse the tomatoes and set aside.  Toss the garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and olive oil into the skillet.  Cook on medium high heat for about a minute and then add the tomatoes, water, and 1 cup of chicken broth.  Stir to combine and then toss in the pasta {raw}.  Bring the tomato/pasta mixture to a simmer and cover.  Cook for about 16-18 minutes or until the pasta is tender.

Make sure to stir frequently so that the pasta doesn’t burn and stick to the bottom of your pan.  Not that I’m speaking from experience or anything.

Once the pasta is cooked, stir in 3/4 cups of the grated parmesan and the pepper.  Then go ahead and add your cooked chicken, too.

If the pasta mixture is too dry, you can add more broth {to your desired consistency}.  I didn’t have to add any because it was just right for me.  Stir to make sure the parmesan is well combined with the rest of the ingredients and then transfer everything to the oven safe dish I was talking about earlier {unless you’re cooking with an oven safe skillet, of course.}

 

Now sprinkle the mozzarella and remaining parmesan evenly over the top of the pasta.  Heat the oven to 475 and bake for about 5-10 minutes, or until the cheese is nice and bubbly.  As you can tell, I left mine in longer than the recommended time.  Forget to set the timer.  Then I forgot all about dinner altogether.  Since I’m such a mess in the kitchen, I like to get the heck outta dodge whenever possible.  Otherwise I’ll be too tempted to clean :)

 

Even without the addition of the fresh basil…which would have been absolutely AMAZING, by the way…this little dish still turned out GREAT.  I love pasta so much that it’s an absolute necessity to have as many variations on the tried and true dish of spaghetti as I possibly can.  Mr. Spouse isn’t as big a fan as I am, so it’s pretty much imperative that I keep up with variety.  I know the ingredients look a little overwhelming {because pretty much anything requiring more than a handful of things usually is}, but you can see that this couldn’t have been any easier. That’s definitely MY kind of meal!!!

Cuteness in the Kitchen

The cutest thing in my kitchen are the two little ankle biters who like to “help” mommy cook.  By helping, I mean pulling EVERYTHING out of the fridge and pantry and trying to feed it all to our pudgy little pug.  Trust me when I say there’s a reason our little Lloyd has packed on the pounds these last few months.  Aside from those sweet faces, I like to *try* and maintain a little cuteness in the kitchen with a few fun little kitchen accessories.  Here are a few of my favorites…

I LOVE my Dotty Match potholders from Anthropologie.  Not only are they too dang cute, but they’re durable as all get out, too.  I’ve put these sweeties through the proverbial wringer. LOVE.

I’ve been eyeing this set, too.  So pretty!

 

This frilly little Pier One apron was a gift to myself for Christmas a couple of years ago.  I think I even wrapped it and put it under my tree.  It’s always a fun surprise to open something you forgot you bought yourself :)  Even when I’m looking and feeling pretty rough, as soon as I put this on, I feel like a fun & frivolous little 1950’s domesticated housewife…sans the pearls.

 

Speaking of aprons, I am DYING over Anthropologie’s latest selections.  These are my favorites!!  I mean, seriously.  Could these BE any cuter?!?!?  I might need to gift myself a new one SOON!!! :)

 

I think I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating.  I am a HOT mess in the kitchen.  My daddy and I share the same love of cooking and trying new recipes, but the one thing we don’t have in common is keeping the kitchen clean in the process.  I like to think of my method as visually displaying my ADD.  I am ALL over the place and so is every.single.ingredient I use in my meal prep.  I would need about 50 of these dishtowels to cover up the mess I make, then I could probably get away with calling it a “beautiful” mess :)

Seriously though.  I LOVE that dishtowel. 

And these are pretty dang cute, too…

What proper southern girl doesn’t love her some biscuits and gravy?

via House 8810

And if you know me well, you know this means A LOT.  For me, it’s more like, “Would you like some coffee in your creamer???”

via House 8810

I like a good variety of dishtowels in my kitchen and let’s face it…the cuter, the better.

Remember how I said I was a {beautiful…HA! yeah right} mess in the kitchen?!  Well, are these not the most darling little scrubbers??  I would seriously be excited to clean up if I had a few of these laying around.  Okay, okay…the novelty would wear off after the first use….but still.  They’re adorable!

Speaking of keeping things clean, this is my most FAVORITE cleaning product.  I love, love, LOVE this stuff.  And darn if I can’t find it ANYWHERE here where I live.  I have to order it from Amazon.  But it’s worth it because I don’t go into town very often, so I don’t mind waiting for it to arrive.  And the lavender is my most favorite scent.  I’ve even got my mom using this stuff!

Now back to the cuteness. 

Everyone needs a cute set of measuring spoons.  I USED to have the cutest set.  They were a precious gift from one of my littles for Teacher Appreciation week last year.   I took care of those measuring spoons like they were my babies.  Then I went away a few weeks later for a weekend with my best girls and left Mr. Spouse and the family at home to pack up the house.  Guess what was destroyed in the process?!?  I’m not pointing any fingers, but I’m pretty sure Mr. Spouse was responsible for packing up the kitchen.  Just sayin’.  I think he owes me a new set like this one…

And while he’s at it, he can throw in a set of these, too.

Basically, he should just buy one of every home product from Anthropologie and I’d be a happy girl.  Happy wife, happy life.  Right?!

So tell me.  How do you like to keep things cute in the kitchen?!

Tip Your Server

Did I ever tell y’all about the time I waited tables?!  Well…it wasn’t just one time.  I actually waited tables for several years…and LOVED every minute {except for those HIGHLY stressful times when I was in the weeds or forgot to put in an order for a 10 top. NOT fun.}  I’ve got nothin’ but mad respect for servers.  Even the ones that forget to refill my tea when it’s been empty for 20 minutes ;)

My most FAVORITE place to wait tables was Joe’s Crab Shack. I worked there for a long while and loved it.  The food, the people…I loved it all.  Maybe a little bit had to do with the manager letting me perform N*Sync’s “Dirty Pop” all by myself on busy Friday and Saturday nights to a packed house.  {By the way…I’m so NOT ashamed to tell you that I learned every.single.move to N*Sync’s “Dirty Pop” and wasn’t afraid to show off my skills…or lack thereof, for that matter.}  It’s no wonder it took me so long to find a husband.  But I digress…

One of the best things about working at Joe’s was the food…in particular, their crawfish etoufee.  When I graduated from college, I spent about 6 months working full time at Joe’s until I got my first teaching job.  I ate almost every meal…except for breakfast {which was usually 3 Red Bulls}…at Joe’s.  Crawfish etoufee was in my weekly…if not daily…rotation of meals.  Oh, how I LOVED it.  SO, if you know that little tidbit about me, it should come as no surprise that I FLIPPED when I found this recipe for etoufee.  It took me back to the good ol’ days of begging the cooks to make me fried pickles…sneaking bites of ice cream in the freezer between shifts…working doubles on the weekends…and making some of the most fabulous friends.

 

EASY CRAWFISH ETOUFEE

1 stick butter

1 tbsp. flour

3 tbsp. green bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 can cream of celery soup

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1 lb. crawfish tails

cooked rice {I used 2 boil in a bags :)}

chicken broth, for preferred consistency

Tony Chachere’s cajun seasoning, to taste

 

Here’s what you’ll need to get started…

You might notice that the chicken broth and Tony’s seasoning are missing from the line-up.  Don’t you worry, friends.  They’ll make an appearance in a little bit.  Until they do, let’s get started.

First up, let’s start by adding the stick of butter.  If you opened up this post hoping to find a recipe low in fat and calories, well…you came to the wrong place.  If you’re not afraid to indulge in a little sinful eating every now and again, then keep on reading. 

Melt the butter in a large pan and add the flour.  Stir until well combined and then toss in the onions, bell pepper, and garlic and mix it all together.  In a separate pot, boil your rice and set to the side until you’re ready to serve it up.

Cook the veggies until they’re soft and tender…probably about 7-10 minutes, give or take.  Now throw in the soup, mix it all up, then throw on the lid, cover, and let it all simmer for about 20{ish} minutes.

When it’s all nice and simmered, toss in the crawfish tails, salt, pepper, and green onions.

Now, here’s where you might {or might not} want to introduce the next two players…

I like a thick, soupy etoufee, so I kept adding chicken broth until it was the consistency I wanted.  Then I added my most FAVORITE spice…Tony Chachere’s.  If you’re not familiar with the amazingness that is Tony’s, then be cautioned.  This little spice packs a BIG punch, so add at your own risk!  {Okay, so that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously…it gets pretty spicy, so be careful!}  mix well until heated through and serve over rice!

Ohmiword, y’all!  AMAZING!!!!!!

Did you hear me?!?!  I said, AMAZING!!  Because it really is!!!  I’m tellin’ y’all, the Tony’s addition definitely added a lot to this dish.  SO flavorful.  And it was definitely reminiscent of Joe’s version.  And for real, could that have been ANY easier?!  I think not.  If you’re as big a fan of crawfish as I am, you must promise me you’ll give it a try!  But make sure you try it on a cheat day because this is definitely NOT on the list of approved meals for your summer slimdown ;) 

The One Where I Took a Break

Hey y’all!  Remember me?!  I’m that girl who used to blog about recipes, fun DIY projects, home improvement randomness, and a bunch of other stuff.  Then…outta nowhere…I up and disappeared for a couple of months {give or take} with no explanation.  My blog and I were on a break.  Kinda like Ross and Rachel, but with no exciting soundtrack to accompany our split {unless you consider the constant laughter, whining, complaining, arguing, crying, and craziness from my two boys music to your ears ;)}  

Speaking of my two boys, aren’t they presh?!

I think so.  And they’re two of the several reasons I’ve neglected this little ol’ blog…and well, cooking and housekeeping in general :)  And incase you didn’t already know, I’ve been spending most of my time blogging at The First Grade Parade {one of my other little blogs}.  Yes.  It’s true.  Kindergarten teacher by day, wannabe domestic goddess at night.  As you can imagine, after spending a full day with 20 5-year-olds…and then coming home to take care of two boys {4 & 5}…by the time it’s time to cook, I’m SPENT! 

During the school year, that blog gets way more play than this one.  Let’s be honest for a sec…the kitchen only stays messy because A.) housekeeping is not my forte and B.) I’m a raging tornado of messiness in the mornings as I make lunches for my boys.  It’s definitely not because I’m making meals from scratch every night for Mr. Spouse.  My presence as a cook in the kitchen has been sparse…just ask Mr. Spouse.  He’d be jumping at the chance to tell you that’s the truth ;)  And he couldn’t be happier that weekly menus and regular cooking have resumed.

Can he get an AMEN?!

I’ll be back tomorrow with a new recipe and you can look for some home improvement projects to start making an appearance SOON!!  Did I tell y’all about the time I was on House Hunters?  If you missed it, you can see it HERE.  Embarrassing, yes…but you can catch some live footage of our “new” house in action…and I can’t wait to share the AFTER pictures with you SOON, too!  This has been a CRAZY year!

In the meantime, head on over to visit the Mix & Match Mama and check out her new series…

Today’s post was all about blogging and she’s featuring some great advice from some wonderful bloggers…{myself included. NOT the wonderful part, but I did offer a little advice :)  You can read what we had to say HERE.}  I should have also mentioned that being able to take a break from your blog is totally and perfectly A-Okay!  At least, that’s what I’m telling myself :) 

In the famous last{ish} words of the Terminator, I’ll be back…TOMORROW!  HA! :)

The Meal We Couldn’t Stop Eating

Have you ever had one of those meals?!?!  One you just couldn’t stop eating?!?  No matter how many calories you swore you’d consume for the day.  No matter how many servings you swore you’d have.  You just can’t.put.your.fork.down.  People…PEOPLE!!!  This is one of those meals!!!  I swear!  I TRIED to go back for more, but Mr. Spouse beat me to it.  Every.single.time.  And since the Mix & Match Mama visited the blog on Friday, I figured it was only fitting to share this as a little follow-up.  After all, this IS one of her recipes!!! And an AMAZING one at that!

ENCHILADA SUIZA STACK

recipe via Mix & Match Mama

3-4 chicken breasts, cooked & shredded

8 green onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 jalapenos, chopped

2 cups Green Mexican Salsa/Salsa Verde

1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded

6-8 tortillas {whole wheat or flour…we used flour}

Optional toppings:  sour cream, pico de gallo

 

Tell me this doesn’t look 12 kinds of easy…because seriously…it IS!!!!

That’s the kind of ingredient list I like to see when I get home from a long day at work! 

First things first, let’s preheat the oven to 400.  Then let’s go ahead and get everything ready.  If you’re allergic to jalapenos like me, get the mister to cut ‘em up for you. {Okay, so I’m not allergic to the taste…only to the touch.  Like, hands on FIRE kind of allergic…awful!  But darn if they’re not delicious!!!!}

Now go ahead and mix up the shredded chicken, garlic, jalapenos….

Then add 1 1/2 cups of the salsa and mix until well combined.

And just incase you’re wondering about that salsa, here’s what we used…

Now let’s get to stackin’.  Take out an 8x8 baking dish and spread half of the chicken mix on the bottom. 

Top the chicken mix with a sprinkle of both cheeses…monterey jack and swiss.  Sprinkle in moderation or use a heavy hand.  Whatever suits your fancy.  BUT… 1/3 of the cheeses should do ;)

Now top the cheeses with a layer of tortillas.  As you can see, I used two.  One whole tortilla and one cut in half {for dish-fitting purposes, of course}.

Now repeat the process…chicken mix, cheese, and tortillas…and top with the remainder of the salsa and a sprinkling of cheeses.

 

Bake at 400 for about 30 minutes or until the cheese is hot and bubbly…and a little brown around the edges.

Now it’s time to dig in.  And by all means, DO NOT be shy!!!  This is one of those meals where you really need not care how you look eating it because it’ll be shoveled in your mouth so fast that you won’t have time to restrain yourself.  But before you go and start eating, consider adding some toppings to finish it all off.  We enjoyed ours with a little dollop of sour cream and some pico de gallo…AMAZING!!!!!!!

Simple.  Quick.  AMAZINGLY flavorful.  Husband approved {a thousand times over}.  Did I mention simple?!?!?!

What’s not to love?!?!

Mix & Match Mama

A couple of months ago my best friend was raving about this to-die-for honey mustard brisket she cooked for her family. When she told me how easy it was to make, I had to have the recipe. She sent me the link and insisted I check out the blog because it was {is!} her favorite.  She was right...Mix & Match Mama's recipes were quickly becoming staples in our weekly meal plans {HELLO Enchilada Suiza Stack!!!!}  Not only did I love her recipes, but I loved reading about her sweet little family, too!  And the fact that she's from my hometown makes me love reading her blog(s) even more.  We totally have this whole 6 degrees of Kevin Bacon thing goin' on ;)  Needless to say, I'm pretty excited to have the Mix & Match Mama herself guest posting here today!  Now I'll quit talking {which has never been an easy thing for me to do} so you can read a little bit more from Shay, herself!

***************************************************************************

 I am so excited to be guest posting today with Cara on Pearls, Handcuffs and Happy Hour! I'm Shay...also known as the Mix and Match Mama. I'm a lifestyle and foodie blogger and oh yes, the big sister of the Bachelor, Sean Lowe. My goal every day is to love on my kiddos, laugh with my friends, talk to my family and share my tidbits about parenting, fashion, food, family, celebrity gossip and travel on my blog. My hubby and I pack up the kids on a regular basis and travel around the world with them (they're 3 & 4 and have been to 13 countries!) but our absolute favorite thing to do is eat dinner as a family and spend that special quality time together. (And of course, we sit down together every Monday night to watch my little brother on TV!) Here's a little peek at what's going on in my world... 

Sean Lowe...my brother, your Bachelor

Sean & me as kiddos

Uncle Seanie with my kiddos

So...what's the mama's favorite thing to do?  Make dinner for her family.  Over at the Mama's house, dinner (and dessert!) is always fast, easy, simple and perfect for a busy week night.  Good food is about the people you share it with...not the amount of time you spend slaving away in the kitchen.  On the menu tonight, Pesto Chicken Paninis and  Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats.  You will adore how simple both recipes are and your family will adore how delicious they are, too.  

Pesto Chicken Paninis

This dinner was a huge hit at my house!  It's funny because sometimes, I'll make the "fanciest", most complex meals and the reviews are so-so but this...a simple dinner I whipped together in 5 minutes was talked about for two days after.  Go figure!  This is all about taking the right ingredients and combining them to make the perfect panini...this is simple.  I used my panini press (my Aunt Pam bought me one for Christmas when I was 9 months pregnant with Smith...that's all I wanted...does that sound like a pregnant gal or what?!) but if you don't have a panini press, you can simply place your panini in a skillet over medium-high heat and then place another skillet (because it's heavy) on top of the panini to "press" it down.  You'll flip it over after about 3 minutes and repeat.  Very easy!  This makes 4 paninis.  (But, if you want a fabulous panini press, I highly recommend this one!)

Shopping List

1 loaf of sourdough bread, sliced

1 pound chopped, cooked chicken (I used fajita chicken like this)

2 cups spinach leaves

1 jar sun dried tomatoes

1 container of good quality pesto (or make your own like this)

1 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat your panini press or large skillet.  Lightly spray with Pam.

Take two slices of bread and spread pesto over one side of each, top one slice with chicken, spinach, tomatoes and sprinkle with cheese.  Top with the second slice of bread.  Place sandwich under the panini press for about 5 minutes or until golden and the cheese is melted.  Slice in half and serve with your favorite chips.

Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Treats

Shopping List

1 cup sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 cup creamy peanut butter

6 cups Rice Krispies cereal

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring sugar and corn syrup up to a boil, stirring continuously.  Once to a low boil, remove from heat and stir in peanut butter.  Pour peanut butter mixture over 6 cups of cereal in a large mixing bowl.  Combine quickly until cereal is covered and then spread out into a well greased (I use Pam) 8x8 inch baking dish.  Cool at least 10 minutes before cutting into squares.

Thanks for letting me share a little bit about myself today!  Check back with me next week for more Bachelor recaps and a great giveaway!  Find me on Pinterest, Twitter, Face Book and Instagram by clicking here.

*********************************************************************************

Thanks, Shay!  So happy to have you posting here on Pearls, Handcuffs, and Happy Hour!  Make sure to stop by Mix & Match Mama and check out Shay's delicious recipes!  And if you're a fan of the Bachelor, don't forget to head on over to Mix & Match Family and check out Shay's weekly Bachelor recaps, too!  SO stkinkin' fun!!  

TGIF!!!!!!!!!