Chicken Tequila Fettuccini

Ingredients

• 1lb dry or 2lb fresh spinach fettuccine
• 1/2c chopped cilantro
• 2tbs mince garlic
• 2tbs mince jalepeno
• 3tbs butter (reserve 1tbs)
• 1/2c chicken stock
• 2tbs gold tequila
• 2tbs fresh lime juice
• 3tbs soy sauce
• 1 1/4 lb diced chicken
• 1/2 med. of ea. yellow, red and green bell pepper sliced
• 1/4 sliced red onion
• 1 1/2c heavy cream

Directions

Cook and drain Pasta. Marinate chicken with soy sauce and set aside. In a small sauce pan simmer 1/3 cilantro, garlic, jalapeno and 2tbs butter over medium for heat 5 minutes. Add stock, tequila, lime juice and reduce to a liquidy paste, set aside. Cook in a large pan or skillet the peppers and onions with 1 tbs of butter until soft. Then add the chicken. When the chicken is cooked through toss with the tequila paste and cream, boil down until sauce is thick. Toss with pasta and garnish with extra cilantro and lime wedges.

Spring Cleaning Tips

Putter and De-clutter

This is the best first step for an everyday cleaner house. Once you have everything put away it makes the “big” tasks less intimidating. Walk around your house, get the kids involved too, and just pick up and return things to where they belong. Dirty socks in the hamper, toys in their bins, dishes in the sink, etc. Putter around till every thing is at least in the right room.

One Area at a time…One cupboard at a time

Just start somewhere, pick a room, any room. Start with a desk drawer, dump the whole thing out give it a good wipe and then put back only what you use and need, toss or donate what you don’t. It only takes a few minutes to organize one shelf, drawer or cupboard at a time. When you have eliminated the junk from one room start over in the next.

Touch It Once

When you’re de-cluttering, cleaning, or just walking into the house with arms full of junk mail, touch it once. Pick it up and put it where it goes to avoid piles on your counters, stacks on your table tops and shoes littering the halls. It can be a difficult habit to form but if the whole family makes an effort you can keep the heaps from taking over.

One Month Box Challenge

I love doing this at least once a year. Its kinda like, “when in doubt throw it out” but with out the doubt. Try it in the kitchen first, empty a whole drawer of utensils into a box. Over the next few weeks when you need something from the box, use it then put it back in the drawer. At the end of the month donate whatever is left in the box because you obviously don’t use it enough! This is such a great way to figure out what you really need and what is just taking up space.

Not A Whole Menu, But Heres A Favorite Recipe.

Turkey and Hidden Veggie Meatballs

(shhh, please don't tell Chase about the veggies!)

one small chopped onion

one cup shredded veggies (carrots and/or zucchini)

half cup, well drained chopped frozen spinach

one cup whole wheat bread crumbs

one tablespoon worchertershire

teaspoon minced garlic (one lg. clove)

one egg

salt and pepper

Mix it all together in a large bowl, then have kids help you roll up some golf ball size meatballs.

Heat a large pan over med/high and coat with olive oil

Brown meatballs then reduce heat to simmer

Add a jar of marinara and simmer in sauce till meatballs are cooked through - 20 mins

*Mommy Tip; Add more veggies to the sauce and serve over whole wheat, brown rice or spinach pasta!

Not complaining, love my life and embrace the choices I make.... but is October over yet?

Wow! Camp Out menu has been up way to long, sorry to both of you. (hahahah) Once again, and I am sure not for the last time, I have spread myself thin..... I am sure no other mom in the history of motherhood has never done that!

I am now the proud mother of a kindergardener AND a preschooler. Having kids at different schools is rough, especially when they are both co-ops. I have a demanding business, I am the Vice-President and Major Donations chair for my daughters preschool, volunteer to teach P.E. to kindergardeners and first graders, sing in a band, and try to juggle all the other things life throws at me with some grace. Feeling overwhelmed listing it all, wheeeew!

But really, I am not complaining, I love my life and these are all things I truly want to be involved in. As are many of the other opportunities I have been asked to participate in, but I am learning to prioritize. I can focus on some of the other stuff later but for now being an active parent and taking care of myself too is plenty. After all, seeing Chase's face light up when I pretend to be a leaping gazelle in P.E is fuel for my soul.

Camp Out Menu

I am so excited to take off for a week in the wild! Ok, we are only going to Big Sur but it has been awhile since our last real camping trip. I think we may be bringing the wild animals with us, four families with eight kids total, it could be scary! At least I know we'll be eating well, I always have that to look forward to...

Monday - Mexican night, build your own taco or burrito

In order to be budget friendly for all four families, we decided to bring our own main course items but share all condiments and side dishes , no need to bring four tubs of sour cream. I am bringing fish for fish tacos, making a spicy slaw and fresh guacamole with avos from our tree, yummmm.

Tuesday - Grilled Pizza and Grilled Caesar Salad

I make the dough ahead with whole wheat flour and store it in an air tight container, we can let it re-rise at the camp site. To grill it the heat needs to be high but not flamin' and the trick is to have a tight grill grate so the dough doesn't sink through.

The grilled caesar is pretty basic but to grill cut the heart of romaine down the center, drizzle with olive oil and grill for marks before chopping and tossing with dressing. I even like to grill my own croutons.

Wednesday - BBQ Night, BYO Meat and Family Style Side Dishes

Each of the families are bringing their own side dish to contribute, I am making a pasta salad (recipe to follow) and BBQ baby back ribs with homemade apricot sauce from the preserves we canned, I can't wait!

Thursday - Simple Spaghetti Bake (made ahead and frozen)

I hate coming home to a dirty house and an empty fridge after vacation so I will wash the bedding and stock the pantry and freezer before we go. Things like cereal and sandwich fixins are good to have, but my favorites are freezer meals like my spaghetti bake. Just make regular spaghetti, put the cooked noodles topped with sauce and cheese in a casserole dish cover with foil and freeze. When you get home take it out and you can either thaw on the counter or just bake a little longer, about 45 min at 375. Enjoy!

Alia's Loaded Pasta Salad

Sorry its really hard for me to measure ingredients, just do the amounts you like. I eyeball everything or use what ever I have in the pantry. This pasta salad never looks the same twice!

One box whole wheat penne noodles cooked al dente (means with bite, so not mushy)

Red onion chopped *trick* put in ice bath to take out the bite

Roasted red peppers, jar at Trader Joes

Cherry tomatoes halved

Artichoke hearts marinated and quartered

Capers

Turkey pepperoni

Pepperoncini

Parmesan

Basil

Caesar dressing

Balsamic vinegar

Lemon juice

Butter beans

Fennel

Toss it all together using all or some of the ingredients above, you make like olives for example, but I won't let them near me! The longer this sits the better it is so make it at home and keep it in the cooler, also great beach lunch.

The Family that Ska's together . . .

My husband Matt is an amazing punk rock drummer and the worlds tallest! His first band Skamakazie, was started by nine of his buddies their senior year at Carpinteria High School, in 1995. They played mostly ska revival covers and some mellow punk, super fun. My friends and I would go watch them play at an all ages club called The Living Room before I even knew who Matt was. Skamakazie kinda faded out when some of the guys went off to college, but Matt has always continued to play and went on to be a touring musician, his current band is In The Red.

Three of the ten members found themselves living back in their home town this year and decided to get together, hang out and play some music in our band room. Ahhh, The Band Room aka The Hot Box, I have had mixed feelings about this room, but the room and the tall skinny man who loves it has grown on me alot in the past month. It used to feel like Matt would ditch me for band practice, like a boys club house and girls weren't allowed. There are also many times that I am so happy he has a place to go and let it all out. I may have even been a tad jealous, where could I go to blow off some steam?

A couple months ago, those three members of Skamakazie played a reunion show after 15 years at The Palms in Carp. All of their old friends they grew up with showed up, I have never seen The Plams so packed! The show was awesome, everyone was dancing and singing along. No surprise when they were asked to play a local fundraiser a few weeks later. Since it was a family friendly daytime event they needed to keep it mellow so they picked a bunch of Selecter and English Beat covers, but who would sing the female vocals?

ME! Me? Really? Sure I'll do that! What was I thinking! Alia learn to say "NO!"

I haven't performed since high school, all I do now is sing The Beatles to my babies and 'Head Shoulders Knees and Toes' at circle time! I couldn't believe I said yes, but I am so glad I did. I was finally invited into The Hot Box! Even the kids came in with ear muffs on to watch band practice, (heheheh...... band practice, me singing with a band.) I could see Matt's eyes water up, he was so happy to have his whole family, all crammed into his favorite part of the house, he was stoked to share that part of his life with us, what a cool Papa.

We ended up performing twice, once at a house party for a friends birthday, and then the next day at the fundraiser. I was really nervous, but over all I had such a good time. Thanks for letting me in the band Skamakazie! Repeat performance?

Menu!

Monday ~ Easy Eggplant Parmesan

Tuesday ~ Tuna Melts and Tomato Soup

Wednesday ~ Turkey Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

Thursday ~ Breakfast! Waffles, Eggs and Sausage

Friday ~ Gruel Night (left overs or DIY)

Next week we are leaving for vacation so I want to use up everything in my fridge and pantry before we go. I can't wait to share my camp-out menu! We normally have a Gruel Night about once a week, I don't like throwing food away so sometimes leftovers evolve into a new meal or we just have sandwiches for dinner, on the really fun gruel nights we may even go out! I have a ton to get done this week so I really wanted to keep it simple. My kids love breakfast for dinner, I do hide sweet potato puree in the whole wheat waffles so they still get some veggies though! SHHHH, don't tell!

Easy Eggplant Parmesan

One eggplant sliced into 1/2 in thick circles.

one egg beat with a little water in shallow dish

one cup bread crumbs and one cup grated parmesan in another shallow dish

Spaghetti Sauce, one jar

~Dip eggplant into egg first on both sides then breadcrumbs, and brown on both sides in olive oil over med-high heat

~Top with spaghetti sauce and more parmesan cheese.

Sweet Potato Fries

Super easy! Just julienne, toss with olive oil salt and pepper and bake at a high heat (450)