fiesta pasta salad

this week's recipe is a new favorite for us, hands down! we're really into "fresh" tastes this spring and this one definitely was a perfect combination of flavors and "fresh". you could easily adapt the recipe to add other veggies or even make it meat-less. using a prepackaged mix makes it an easy weeknight dinner.

1 package suddenly salad classic pasta salad mix
1/3 c sour cream
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 c cherry tomato halves
1/2 c green pepper strips
2 green onions, chopped
1 c cubed cooked chicken (i sprinkled with chili powder)
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
tortilla chips
empty pasta mix into 3 quart saucepan 2/3 full of boiling water. gently boil about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. drain pasta; rinse in cold water. shake to drain. stir together seasoning mix, sour cream, water, and chili powder in large bowl. stir in pasta-vegetable mixture, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and parmesan topping. stir in chicken. line serving plate with tortilla chips and mound salad on top. sprinkle with cheddar cheese. top with sour cream.
**i added 1/2 cup of shredded cheese to the mixture to make it a little cheesier.
**the recipe called for salsa on the bottom of the salad, but i omitted it and honestly think it would've taken away from the taste of the salad.
(adapted from bettycrocker.com)

child 1 & 2

i've decided, for now, this is the best age difference for boys. they are the bestest of friends and love to be together...can you tell?!!

i heart faces (week 13)

this week's contest is "my friend and i".
actually, they're cousins...and quite obviously, "kissing cousins"! definitely the best of friends though. the seriousness of this picture almost makes me feel like i'm intruding by looking at it. the innocent love of 2 year olds is pretty much priceless!

citizenship award

during the school awards ceremony today, eli received the citizenship award for his class! his teacher said, "eli is very friendly to all the boys and girls in class. he can always find a way to make anyone laugh." this was a surprise to him, so he had no idea why i was there when i passed him in the hallway on the way to the convocation. his little face turned bright red when he walked up there in front of the school...it was precious. he gives us so many reasons to be proud. it's just nice to know that his teacher recognizes what a special boy he is too! great job, eli!
getting his award and an honorary handshake from a big 4th grader :)
afterwards in his classroom (don't you just wanna pull that front tooth out!)

his wonderful 1st grade teacher

honesty

he just looked in the mirror and said, "awwww, i look so cute." enough said :)

garlic chicken

this week's recipe is for garlic lover's only. seriously, we were eating whole garlic cloves and they were delicious!! it's a super easy recipe...so, as yo gabba gabba would say, "try it, you'll like it!"

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 lb)
20 garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 c chicken broth
1/4 c light caesar dressing
1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. add chicken and garlic; cook 4 min, turning chicken after 2 min. stir in broth and dressing; cover with lid. cook chicken 4 min on each side or until done. sprinkle with parmesan cheese. remove from heat. let stand, covered, 1 min.
(from kraft food & family)

fool's day

in light of the day, we thought we'd act the part and take the kids to chuck e cheese!!! this is only our 2nd time going there and actually it was abram's (and jerry's) 1st. getting there by 10:30 was awesome and we all had a great time. if you have children and want a good deal, go online and sign up for the chuck e cheese club. you'll instantly get 2 fantastic coupons to use which made our trip pretty cheap! of course, the truly "foolish" part of this is that our kids have actually been healthy for awhile now...enough said.