Pasta Milano from Macaroni Grill

I found this recipe about a year ago. I wanted to try it because I read that it was a freezable meal. I was on this huge "let's make freezable meals" when I was pregnant last year.
This is a great pasta and my family really enjoys it. Plus, it tastes so good you don't need to spend tons of money eating out to get the same great taste.

Ingredients:
3 slices of bacon (I use Turkey  Bacon)
2 chicken breasts (cooked, and cubed)
4 cloves of roasted garlic, mashed
1/2 c. sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1 c. white mushrooms, sliced (I don't add these because my husband doesn't like mushrooms)
1 c. water
1/2 t. Shirley J's Chicken Bouillon
1 c. heavy whipping cream (or half and half for lower fat and calories)
salt and pepper to taste
8 oz. bow tie pasta
1 c. shredded Parmesan
2  T. fresh basil

Directions:
In a large skillet over high heat, brown the diced bacon. Season the cut up chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and saute until lightly browned. Once the chicken is cooked, add the sliced mushrooms and saute until browned. Remove from pan and set aside.
Add the roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes and chicken broth to the hot skillet. Allow it come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender. Add the cream and bring to a boil; stirring.Take off heat and add the bacon, chicken and mushroom to the sauce and set aside.
Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add dry pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain, transfer to a bowl.
Pour the chicken and sauce over the hot pasta and toss. Place in a baking dish and top with shredded Parmesan cheese and bake in preheated oven for 5-7 minutes until cheese melts.
Garnish with fresh basil and serve hot.

To make ahead/freezer meals – Prepare as directed, however cook pasta to barely al dente. There should be a bite to the pasta where it’s not completely cooked. Place pasta, chicken and sauce in an ovenproof container and allow to cool. Cover and freezer. When ready to prepare, defrost and bake in preheated oven as directed above.

Whisk Bliss

 

 

You have read before my description of what Whisk Bliss is. Now I want to share with you how it can help you save money and time. I know we all have better things we want to do besides cook and clean for our family.

 Me? I want to be reading a nice book all cuddled up in a blanket or be playing with my kids.

 

What if you had one item in your pantry that could make you over 100 different meals? Would you buy that item? What if that item could keep you from running to the store if you forgot to get something to make your meal? What if that item also helped you eat healthier so you could eat dessert if you wanted to?

 Whisk Bliss will make you anything creamy. See all these pictures of food. It made these items.

 I know you are thinking $17.95 for a bag of this stuff! Seriously this lady is CRAZY! I don't have the money for that.

 Think about it. How much do you spend, on average, to eat out at a restaurant? $60? $70? For my family of 4. I say 4 because the baby doesn't eat a plate of his own food. It's about $60 if we go out to Olive Garden.

 Let's say you buy Whisk Bliss ($17.95), Pizza & Pasta Seasoning ($8.95), a bread mix ($4.95), and a fudge brownie mix ($8.95). Then you buy some salad at the store ($2.00) and some chicken ($4.00) and pasta ($2). You take all of that and make Chicken Alfredo with bread sticks, a salad, and brownies for dessert. That would come to $48.80. Now mind you, you will have left overs. The left overs will taste fresh the 2nd day. PLUS, you still can make 7 more meals with your Whisk Bliss!! Your Pizza & Pasta Seasoning will give you at least 25 more items to season, depending on how strong you like it.

 You just saved $11.20, and that doesn't include how much money you saved on gas to drive for not driving to the restaurant!

 This one bag replaces 22 cans of your condensed cream soups! That's right 22! Bringing the price down to $.82 a can. I can't even find that at Walmart. You can use this in any recipe that calls for condensed cream soup.

 It also tastes better than the creamed soups you buy at the store. It has less sodium, calories and fat.

 So...now you are feeding your family something MUCH healthier than what you would find in the stores.

 It takes less time to make the sauce then it does to cook the noodles for Alfredo.

 You can even use it for side dishes. Like the one above. I made a Cheesy Asparagus Rice.

Share with me your meals that you think you could use the Whisk Bliss in.

Babies and Forgetting!

I don't know about you, but I forget A LOT! I call it my baby brain. I can't remember anything that goes on, went on, and....you get the picture. So, I want to actually remember what my kids have done, what they said, or let them know what I feel about them.
 This idea came from my mom, I love you mom. She kept a journal and wrote in it for me, when I was young. I decided that is what I wanted to do for my kids. I started a journal for each of my babies when I was pregnant with them. I wrote down what I felt, what I was doing, what was hurting me, if I had problems with the doctor, etc. Now I write all the silly things they do. I am so glad I did too! I totally forgot that my oldest had asked me why we go to church? I wrote down the whole conversation.

Here is what I wrote:
Son: Where are we going?
Mom: To church!
Son: Why are we going to church?
Mom: To learn about Jesus!
Son: Why do we learn about Jesus?
Mom: Because he did some very special things for us.
Son: Why did Jesus do that?

You get the picture. This was a special moment that I just forgot about. BUT!!! I remember them now because I recorded them in a book for my boy to remember. I love these books. My kids love their books. They ask me all the time about their books. They ask if I am writing in their book and to read from their book.
 You can totally go crazy with this idea. I had a friend that put pictures in her journal and taped them in and then journal about the pictures. Which would be perfect for my kids journals, then I could actually develop pictures and share the funny things they did or what we were doing.
 I also added an envelope for their journals to put their notes or picture they draw in it.

Do you have anything similar to this? Share! I would love to hear.

Chili Con Queso

Football is here!
 We love eating cheesy dip in our home and so this is a great way to do it.
Also, this can be Gluten Free!!

Ingredients:

• 19 oz Black Beans, Drained
• 4 oz Cream Cheese
• 4 ea. Fresh Tomatoes, Diced
• 7 oz Green Chilies, Diced
• 1 bunch Green Onions Sliced (Using Much Of The Green Stem)
• 4 oz Olives, Diced Or Sliced
• 1/2 tsp Red Chili Flakes
• 1 1/2 c. Shirley J Whisk Bliss Original
• 12 oz Velveeta Cheese
• 4 c. Water

Directions:

In stock pot combine water and Whisk Bliss Original, stir well. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat to simmer add remaining ingredients except for onions and tomatoes. Simmer until cheese has melted. Remove from heat, stir in tomatoes and onions.

As always, please let me know if you try this recipe! I love to hear what you think!

Challenge # 3 First Aid and Medication

Ok, confession time.
Does anyone watch the show Revolution. Seriously?! That show has made me FREAK out about emergency preparedness.
If you have no clue what I am talking about it's a show that depicts a world that lost all electricity one day. They lost cars, phones, water, computers, EVERYTHING that had to deal with electricity. Basically they had to learn how to hunt, wash, clean, etc. all over again.

So...I have to admit that keeping up with the challenges needs to be done by the one sharing the information, me.
I have enough water for 72 hours, however, I need to get the water taken care of for 2 weeks.
Challenge # 2 I need to get a list of numbers put together of who we need to call. I purposely bought a home phone for my little kids. I know kids are all technologically more advanced than I am, but there is no way my little ones are going to know how to pick up my cell phone, find the screen to put in a phone number and dial 911 or anything else. So...we went  back to the 80s in our house. Plus, we have HORRIBLE cell reception in my area. All that is very important.

So on to the next challenge.
Challenge # 3.

Level 1

Do you have:

1. A basic first aid kit?
2. Small, basic first aid kit for the car?
3. A list of all of your prescriptions on hand (wallet/purse or 72 hour kit)?
4. A weeks supply of critical medications on hand at all times?

Level 2

Not all first aid kits are right for everyone. But, you should have 3 basic kits:

• A small, basic kit for the car.
• An intermediate kit for home or traveling.
• An extensive kit. This is for if you need a doctor or hospital but it's not an option.

Note: Check with your doctor for any recommendations. Your doctor would know best for what your family would need.

1. Decide what items your family needs.
2. Make a list of what goes in each kit.
3. Take inventory of what you have and what you will need to go and buy.

Chance are there will be LOTS of items that you might need to purchase, just buy one or two items each month and slowly get everything you need. This way you won't get so overwhelmed.
*Check your kits every 6 months.
*Use the items in your kit so that you know that they are fresh and not expired. But, make sure that you replace them.

Label and organize all first aid supplies. Use tubes, plastic bottles, or Ziplock baggies to help prevent contamination if items leak or break.
*Tape a list of all contents to the inside of each container.

Take a first aid or CPR class.

Level 3

It's all about an Intermediate Kit
 The list is extensive and I will post it in a following post.

Challenge #2, Communication

Are you prepared for...

•  Power outage
• Home evacuation
• Area disaster
• Medical emergency

Level 1

Do you have...

1. A way of communicating with others in an emergency?
2. A list of important phone numbers at hand (by the phone, purse, or wallet)?
3. A plan of whom to call in an emergency?
4. A battery-powered radio with extra batteries to tune into news about an area-wide emergency?
5. A small notebook & pen, whistle on a neck cord, small shatter resistant mirror in your 72 hour kit?

Level 2
* Do all the above and the following.

1. Teach children how to get help from neighbors and 911 and how to place long distance calls.
2. Post emergency telephone numbers near the phone.
3. Pick 2 meeting places: one near your home and one outside your neighborhood.
4. Develop an escape plan using a floor plan of your home in case of fire, and from your neighborhood/city in case of disaster. Practice emergency evacuation drills at least annually.
5. Install fire/smoke detectors in your home and check the batteries twice a year.
6. It may be easier to make a long-distance phone call than to call across town, so an out-of-town contact may be in a better position to communicate among separated family members.
7. Make sure everyone in your family knows the phone number and has coins or a prepaid phone card to call the emergency contact.

Equipment for Level 2

1. Hand cranked or solar radio.
2. Know who, of your neighbors, has medical experience.
3. Make sure everyone in your family has a current family photo.
4. Make sure every family member has the same emergency contact number, that is out-of-state.
5. Have a whistle in each bedroom to awaken everyone if there happens to be a fire or emergency.
6. Each member has cash, a phone card, or a prepaid phone to call, in their 72 hour kit.

Level 3
* Do all of the above plus:

1. Talk to your neighbors about emergency preparedness.
2. Find out what your work emergency plans are.
3. Compile an Emergency Preparedness handbook with important information and have it in your 72 hour kit. (can be found at www.ready.gov or at www.redcross.org)
4. Have walkie-talkies for family use in an emergency. You will want NOAA capabilities and GPS.

10 day challenge , Challeng # 1

Are you up for it? Can you do it? I think you can and so can I.
Here is the challenge, prepare yourself for the zombie invasion, natural disaster, economical disaster, or what have you type of disaster.
Each day I will post, except Sunday, a new challenge for you to take on. There will be a Level 1, Level 2, and a Level 3 challenge. Level 1 & 2 being a short term emergency preparedness. Level 3 being the BIG, MAJOR preparedness challenge.
More and more we need to be prepared for anything that might come our way. Now I hope, God willing, that I will never or you will never have to use any of these things because of a disaster or an emergency.
So....are you ready for your 1st challenge?

Water

Are you prepared for: water turnoff, earthquake, terrorist event, or contamination?

Level 1

To fulfill this level you must...

1. Have a minimum of 3 gallons of water per person, for 3 days. (6-2 liter bottles)
2. Have some stored in your car.
3. Store some for your pets.

Level 2
* do all of the above plus the following.

1. Purchase commercially bottled water in PETE plastic containers.
2. Fill the bottles with water.
3. Store them off the ground. Don't store them directly on concrete. If  you need to do so put cardboard or something down as a barrier.
4. Have enough water for 2 weeks. Again, a gallon of water per person per day.

Hidden Sources of Water:

• Hot water heater
• Water pipes
• Toilet tanks
• Ice

Preparation:

• Clean, sanitize, and thoroughly rinse all containers prior to use. A sanitizing solution can be prepared with household chlorine bleach. (1 teaspoon bleach to 1 quart water)
• Do NOT use plastic milk jugs.
• Do NOT use containers previously used to store non-food products.
• Containers should be emptied and refilled every 6 months, if it's tap water. Bottled water is annually.
• Store the water where leakage will not pose a problem.
• You may need to protect the water from light, heat or freezing temperatures. This is because of the container.

Supplies to purify water:

• Liquid bleach (Don't use bleach with thickeners or scents or any other additives)
• Water purification tablets.

Level 3
* Do all of the above.

1. Store enough water for 2 weeks and consider having extra for those around you that may need help.

Another cool idea is called the Water Bob. It can be filled up in your tub and you can pump the water out and use it.
I also found some great information at The National Terror Alert about water storage.

Good luck on your challenge!

All this information was gained through The Quest for Preparedness from the Desert Sage Ward.