What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 11

Tortilla Soup

I've become a huge fan of tortilla soup in the last few months. I now try it at every restaurant that offers it, but I have still found my personalized recipe to be my fave. How awesome too, cause that means I can have it whenever I want it. YAY! It's not spicy at all, and has a lot of flavor without adding any spices to it.

Ingredients Needed
4 boneless skinless chicken thighs
3 cups water
2 cartons chicken broth
1 yellow onion quartered
1 cup diced tomatoes
juice of one lime
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
*toppings for each bowl*
1/2 avocado
handful of broken tortilla chips
1/4 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese

Supplies Needed
5 qt dutch oven
knife
cutting board
two forks
medium bowl
ladle
bowls
spoons
measuring cups


Directions
1) combine water, broth and onion in 5 qt dutch oven and bring to boil.
2) add chicken (frozen OK), tomatoes. Boil until chicken is poached (about 12 minutes)
3) remove large onion pieces and discard.
4) remove chicken and using two forks, coarsely shred, then return to pot. Reduce heat.
5) add lime juice and simmer for another 5 minutes.
6) turn off heat and add cilantro.
7) Ladle soup into bowls and add the toppings. Serve.




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Cold Air

I stood there eating one of the delicious new "Nature Valley Granola Thins Dark Chocolate " bars, with the fridge door wide open, cold air blowing out onto my sticky after shower body while the baby's bottle was warming up and I couldn't help but wonder how many other mothers experience insane days like mine.

Not 15 minutes prior, I had arrived home from my (second) shopping trip to Target. With my new coupon saving/ad watching/bargain hunting adventures in shopping, I had to leave mid shopping trip to pick up my son from preschool. I was rushing into the house with the kids and the bags, desperate to get the cold stuff from the first trip into the freezer. I also needed to figure out what to eat, because if I went any longer it would have become yet another day of "headaches due to not eating in time". Oh, how I despise those days. Frantically, I threw into the microwave, *one serving* of Tyson popcorn chicken. I am being very good about my new "temporary calorie counting diet". I threw all the frozen crap into the freezer and rushed into the shower, bowl of chicken in hand. 

See, Mother Nature has this cruel idea to play pranks on us women every month. Today, happened to be such a day she saw fit to flow as heavy as she could. This left me, trying to get my son in bed for his nap, trying to get frozen items cold, and trying to eat lunch before I got a headache. All the while I felt the "overflow" of my lovely DivaCup making it's grand arrival. So, chicken in hand, I rushed to the shower, and ate it while in the shower. The shower which was so much desired after my work out this morning. 4 hours after my visit to the gym, I finally got my chance to get cleaned up and fed. 

Flashing forward again, there I stood, munching on my new snack (which tasted like a smores minus the marshmallow), letting the cold fridge air cool down my body. For just a moment there was a peace around me, a calm before the storm, so beautiful and quiet. Then the baby decided she was hungry and began to wail.

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What's For Dinner Wednesday Week 10

Shrimp Aspennaper

My creative name for this pasta. Aspennaper (asparagus, penne, and capers)  The picture doesn't make it look that good. It's easy, yummy, and healthy. Pair it with some garlic bread and a Caesar salad.


Ingredients Needed
1 16 oz bag of penne pasta
1 bundle fresh asparagus
1/4 cup capers
1 bag frozen medium size cooked shrimp
1 14.5 oz can stewed tomatoes


Supplies Needed
frying pan
medium pot
kitchen scissors


Directions
1) In your medium pot, cook penne pasta according to package
2) In your frying pan, saute the shrimp, asparagus and capers until shrimp is fully thawed.
3) Open can of tomatoes and cut up with your kitchen scissors. Add to frying pan.
4) Cook an additional 5 minutes, then combine with cooked pasta and serve.




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