Holey Pants & A Few New Recipes

The funniest thing happened today after work/school. I went and got Autumn and then stopped and picked up Liz (b/c I had invited her & Liberty over for dinner but Liberty needed to work on his sister’s car for a little bit). We went to Mom & Dad’s to make dinner and Autumn wanted to look at the DVD’s so she could pick one to watch. I went to pick her up and set her on the ledge so she could reach the one she wanted, but she was hard to pick up so I told her to put her legs up on the ledge. Liz started laughing hysterically and told me to put her down. I looked down and her pants had gotten caught on a hook on her baby stroller and when I lifted her up, it pulled her pants down and put a huge hole in the butt of her pants. We were laughing so hard b/c it was such a random and unexpected thing.

I wanted to try a few new recipes and they both turned out really well (see recipes below). Liberty came over after working on his sister’s car and we all watched Wipeout and Shaq vs. the boxer. I hate boxing and couldn’t watch it b/c it was so stressful and looked like David fighting Goliath. We had our peach mug pies for dessert and it was really good. I think next time I would add just a pinch of pumpkin pie spice or nutmeg.

I LOVE having Liz & Liberty over b/c they are such fun and good people. Also, Liz had awesome news to share…she’s pregnant!!! I am so thrilled for them and have already offered to babysit all the time (even overnight) b/c I am so baby hungry.

Chicken Tostada Upside Down Bake
Recipe courtesy of Picky Palate

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves fresh garlic, minced
4 small or 3 large boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper
1 can diced tomatoes, fire roasted is great with this recipe
1 can corn, drained
1 can black beans, drained
1 can black olives, chopped
1 packet ranch dressing seasoning packet (optional, but really tasty)
1 1/2 Tablespoons ground cumin
Pinch of kosher salt and pepper
1/2 Cup fresh chopped cilantro
1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls, in the sheet form if possible
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon Lawry’s Garlic Salt with Parsley
1 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat oil in dutch oven or other large pot over medium heat. Saute onions for 5 minutes then add in garlic; cook for an additional 1 minute. Add chicken, tomatoes, corn, black beans, olives, ranch seasoning, cumin, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes, until heated through, then stir in cilantro. Pour into a 9×13 inch baking dish that’s been sprayed with non stick cooking spray. Place Crescent Roll sheet over top of chicken mixture, brush lightly with olive oil and season with garlic salt. (If you are using the regular crescent rolls, unroll then and press perforations together with fingers then place over chicken). Bake for 20 minutes, until just starting to brown. Top with cheese and bake for an additional 15-18 minutes or until cheese is melted and crescent dough is cooked through. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

2. Serve with shredded lettuce and sour cream if desired.

Peach Mug Pie
Recipe courtesy Sandra Lee

2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 (15-ounce) can peach halves, juice reserved and peaches chopped
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 pinch salt
1 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
4 graham crackers, crumbled
1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened

In a small bowl whisk together 2 tablespoons water with the cornstarch. In a small pot over medium heat reserved peach juice, cornstarch mixture, brown sugar and salt. Once the sauce
thickens, about 5 minutes, stir in the chopped peaches.