My favorite dinner...

 So here it is 10:29 pm and I'm wishing I had eaten more then just string cheese, ritz crackers and jelly belly's for dinner tonight.  Normally I prepare dinner before I go spread the good word about Jesus to some really amazing two and three year old kids, but today, well I just have no idea what it is I accomplished all day.  No I'm serious, where's the nanny cam when you need it ? because I just have no clue as to where my day went or why I'm so tired! Matter of fact, it has taken me 1/2 an hour to get this far!  I should go to bed...

But I can't - because now I have food on the brain.  Specifically what my favorite go to easy dinner.  Chicken Fajitas!! 

Chicken fajitas the Pampered Chef way is quick and easy and fills up your tummy in no time.  It's as easy as four simple ingredients you most likely have in your fridge and pantry right now. 

1.  Bell Peppers (any color you like - I prefer red and green)

2.  Onion

3.  Chicken breasts

4.  Chipolte rub (PC spice)

Of course you will need cheese and tortillas and sour cream so don't forget those when you go to the grocery store...don't have the Chipolte rub from Pampered Chef?  Go to my website @ www.pamperedchef.biz/briepoirier and order one today.  While your at it get a Deep Covered Baker too :)  this is one purchase that will make cooking in the kitchen as breesy as can be!

So basically your going to chop your veggies in quarters, putting your bell peppers and onions down first followed by your chicken with the chipolte rub over it.

Throw it in the microwave for about 15 minutes and in the meantime open up your tortillas, get your cheese ready, stir up the sour cream (my friend Mindy tried the Greek Yogurt in replacement of sour cream and said it was awesome (that was the word right Mindy?  awesome?) anyways...

Did your microwave go off?  Check the chicken!  Now if it's done (which mine usually is) pull out your AMAZING salad choppers and start chopping up your chicken!  Well, actually what I do is I chop up everything that's in the DCB (Deep Covered Baker), smaller pieces means I don't have to worry about cutting up my kids food :) 

Now throw everything on the table and say your prayers and enjoy a relaxing dinner with the family.  Unless your at my place then it's hurry up we're gonna be late to baseball!!

Just do it already!!

It's funny to be sitting here writing a food blog and be talking about rainy cold weather when today is the first day of beautiful weather here in Northern California (at least where I live that is).  I hear the children in the neighborhood playing happily; riding bikes and scooters, playing with chalk and running up and down the street screaming at the top of their lungs.  It's awesome!  I should be out with them soaking up this beautiful weather.  But I thought since my blog is about a week late, I really should try to get in here and as Nike says, Just Do It!!

I am happy to say that the germs have left my house!  We have survived and more importantly I did not get sick!  Hooray!  Because as everyone knows, when Mommy is sick the whole house falls apart!  In between taking care of three sick guys last week and preparing for my son's sixth birthday and working nights at a local church loving on some of the sweetest children ever, I FINALLY have a meal to blog about!!

Pampered Chef calls this Loaded Baked Potato Chowder.  I just call it the Poor Man's Potato Soup.  Easy and delicious, my two year old eats it up and asks for more!  I'll post the recipe at the bottom of this blog.

What you do is take three big potatoes (sometimes I do four) peel and slice them in half (I use my color coated santouku knife 5 inch blade) and put them in your Deep Covered Baker.  Add 1/2 cup milk (I prefer whole milk for my soups) and throw it in the microwave for about 11 minutes. 

While that is nuking take your creme cheese and whisk it until it's smooth.  Actually I am going to tell you to do something entirely different.  Yes, I change a recipe now and then!  If you have not tried the Kraft Philadelphia Cooking Creme - run to Wal-Mart ($2.50 each) and get it!  Now!  Well, wait till my blog is done and then go!  What I have found is that this cooking creme is so smooth and velvety that using the block of cream cheese is just not worth it!  I find with block cream cheese my soup can be clumpy (maybe I'm not whisking enough, I don't know). 

Okay so where was I?  Oh yes.  Cooking creme :)  Take 3 cups of milk and whisk it with the creme cheese in your classic batter bowl.  Put that aside and check your potatoes.  Your going to want to move the center potatoes to the outer edge and the outer potatoes to the center.  Again cook for about 11 minutes.  Now using your mix-n-chop mix up the potatoes to a consistency your happy with.  Not too lumpy and not too smooth, somewhere right in the middle!  Add your milk and creme mixture (slowly) along with two tablespoons butter.  What I do is take my green onions (chopped up using my color coated chef's knife (7 inches) and I put them in with my soup along with about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Microwave again for 3-5 minutes.  Pampered Chef has you doing this as a garnishment but either way is fine! 

Now on to the bacon!  However you want your bacon to sizzle do so!  Either by pan on the stove or use your bar pan (in the microwave) just make it crispy!  Add your crumpled bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and any other garnishment you want and dinner is ready! 

Enjoy!!

Yield: 6 servings (8 cups/2 L) U.S. Nutrients per serving (about 11∕3 cups/325 mL): Calories 390, Total Fat 19 g, Saturated Fat 11 g, Cholesterol 65 mg, Carbohydrate 43 g, Protein 14 g, Sodium 880 mg, Fiber 3 g



• 3 large baking potatoes
• (about 2½ lb/1.1 kg)
• 3½ cups (875 mL) milk, divided
• 4 oz (125 g) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter
• 2–3 green onions with tops
• (¼ cup/50 mL sliced)
• 4 oz (125 g) sharp cheddar cheese,
• grated
• 1½ tsp (7 mL) salt
• ½ tsp (2 mL) coarsely ground black pepper
• Optional toppings such as chopped cooked bacon, sour cream or steamed broccoli florets

Well, so much for that!!

Our first blog meal has not happened :( 
so sad I know...

You see it's like this, I have a house full of germy boys. 

To be precise, one big man who is doing his best to hold it together and two little boys who at this very moment are vegging on the couch watching what has to be their favorite movie, some kind of Lego movie staring Clutch Powers. 

It's a good laugh.  Not so good when your feverish but we get by...

So bare with me while I get my house back into tip top shape!  I'll be back with that amazing meal in a jiffy!

What's for dinner???

After much deliberation a decision has FINALLY been made on what to make for my very first blog meal.  I know, I know, right this very minute (Whitney you most of all) are waiting, holding your breathe just dying to know what I'm going to make for dinner.  Well do not hold your breathe any longer (keep breathing Whitney).

*CREAMY LEMON-PESTO CHICKEN AND LINGUINE*

it's healthy by the way and can be found in the Pampered Chef

dinner in your Deep Covered Baker - a steal at the low price of $7.50

There you have it.  Now come Friday afternoon I will gather my precious boys into the minivan and cart ourselves off to one of the fabulous grocery stores here in town (that has FREE childcare mind you) and I will gather my much needed ingredients along with a very big bottle of red wine because Mommy loves red wine.

Now because my darling soon to be six year old son Mason has a very sweet tooth ~ I will be making dessert to go along with this delicious and light meal.  Brace yourself Whitney...

MINI CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CAKES

this receipe comes from my Season's Best Receipe Collection, Fall/Winter 2010

and at only $1.00 makes great gifts so buy them in bulk and pass them out seasonly to friends and family!

Friday night is looking to be very yummy indeed! 

What am I doing now????

A food blog.  I'm doing a food blog.   

Okay you know that movie Julie and Julia? 

First of, I loved that movie!  I actually got to see that movie!  I never get to see movies and I totally remember going to see it.  No wait.  I saw the movie here at home, with the boys totally distracting me like you would not believe.  Much as they are right now while I'm trying to write this silly blog.  Why?  Whose reading this anyways???

Okay so what I think I have to do is number one ooh wait, what time is it?  Time to get ready to go to work, that's what time it is!!  I need a shower and my hair has  gum or something like that in it.  Great.  Who gave the baby gum anyways???

And secondly, I need to rent Julie and Julia again...sans kids this time!  Whose up for a girls night in?  I'll make something yummy to snack on!  WAIT - this is what I was going to do my blog on!  The movie Julie and Julia only I'll be using my PAMPERED CHEF Cookbooks instead of the amazingly talented Julia Childs :)

Got to run...the big kid is screaming about the baby having a hammer or something like that...

PS:  I need to read this book too...