Chicken Like You've Never Known it Before

This recipe is also from Bon Appetit. It is so different from all the flavors and spices that I am used to but it was delicious! This is mostly due to the smoked paprika that is in it which was the only ingredient I don't normally buy...I learned it is considered a "gourmet spice" but it was worth the extra effort it took to find - please don't cheat yourself and just use regular paprika because you will not get the same flavor.

This dish was also so beautiful that I can imagine myself serving it at a dinner party someday...that is, someday when I start hosting dinner parties.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/ROAST-CHICKEN-BREASTS-WITH-GARBANZO-BEANS-TOMATOES-AND-PAPRIKA-242113

Delicious!

Ok, so everyone knows I like to cook. But here's the thing, I mostly start out with a recipe and try to follow it best I can. I often make tweaks and changes here and there, mostly to scale down, make things more affordable, and satisfy my need to make every meal my own.

I've tried 2 recipes lately that all (including the girls) of us have really enjoyed. This first one is from Bon Appetit and it's a beautiful summer pasta dish. It has goat cheese in it (my new favorite expensive ingredient). Yes, it's a little more pricey, and no, it's not good, old, comfortable cheddar, but it is surprisingly mild and delicious!! I did make a lot of changes on this one though, because I was determined to use what I had on hand. I won't bore you with my changes here so if you are interested, let me know and I will pass them on or feel free to try the recipe as originally written as I plan to do soon considering how much I loved my version. Who knows, maybe the original is even better!

Here's the link: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/FARFALLE-WITH-CHICKEN-TOMATOES-CARAMELIZED-ONIONS-AND-GOAT-CHEESE-242501

Enjoy!

Comic Relief

So Haylee has this doll that pees in a mini potty when you feed her water from her bottle. I'm sure you've all heard of these dolls. (C'mon, don't you remember those pink Mattel commercials when you were young? These things have been around for a while.) From day 1, I (Julie) wanted this cute little doll to remain a cute, dry, little doll but someone, and I don't even remember who, showed Haylee how to "feed" her baby. So now she does it all the time. She even takes her in the bath tub on occasion but I never thought it'd be a big deal because if water got in, she'd just pee it out into her little potty, right?

WRONG!!!

This little doll, Haylee named her "Big Baby" has been sitting on her potty for 2 weeks straight, right on the ledge overlooking our dinner table. No pee. We tried adjusting her legs, arms, posture but still no pee. The other day as BJ and I were enjoying a leisurely evening of watching TV, I finally got fed up with it and asked BJ to drain her out by pulling off her legs. To my surprise, I turn from Everyday Italian to see him giving Big Baby mouth to mouth! (I guess he was tired of having all kinds of training and never getting to use it.) Giada forgotten, I fall on the floor laughing. I mean, seriously folks, just try to picture it!

Here's the thing though...it worked! Well, kind of. As he blew air into Big Baby's mouth, water started dripping from a little hole between her legs! Yeah!!! But then it stopped working. Don't worry, he tried reverse CPR too and no pee. Her arms and legs, we learned, are impossible to remove without a machete (anyone have one we can borrow?) and there is still a puddle of water sitting inside her. We'd like to keep Big Baby around since, well, aside from being a cute doll, our whole family has sort of grown a bit closer to her lately. I'm thinking the only way to drain her is to drill holes in her mini behind.

If you or anyone you know has experience with this kind of thing or you think you might have a creative solution to our little problem, please pass it on.