Cajun Chicken Pasta

I've mentioned before that almost any pasta meal is a family favorite at our house. I have a difficult time making enough of this Cajun Chicken Pasta to keep everyone happy. The girls even gobble it up as leftovers! It's one of my favorites, not just for how great it tastes, but because it goes together quickly in the crock pot. I originally found this recipe in one of Sandra Lee's Semi-Homemade cookbooks and then adapted it for our tastes.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

1 lb boneless, skinlesss chicken breast, cut into bite-size pieces.
16 oz jar Alfredo pasta sauce
14.5 oz can petite diced tomatoes, drained
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper, optional
1 lb bowtie pasta

In crockpot, stir all ingredients, except pasta, until combined. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Cook pasta as directed on package. Serve sauce over pasta.

To increase the spiciness of this dish, you can add a small can of chopped green chiles and/or increase the amount of cajun seasoning.

Originally posted on March 18, 2009.

Vacation

In the midst of life's busyness, it's not always easy to schedule as much family time as you want. That's one reason I look forward to vacations; the four of us are together doing things we enjoy.

This week we'll be in one of my very favorite locales - the mountains of Tennessee. I'll check in from time to time, but won't be spending much time on the computer as I want to be totally absorbed in relishing my family and living life!

Have a great week!

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Guest Posting at Blessed Femininity

Take a minute to visit Blessed Femininity today and read my guest post on Authentic Femininity. I appreciate the opportunity Katie gave me to join in on her series!

A "Shout" Out for My Deal of the Week

With our week-long vacation coming up, I have been trying to make meals from food we already had in the house. (It's amazing how graham crackers become an acceptable snack to the kids when the pantry shelves are nearly bare!)

Therefore, I only made one grocery shopping stop at Publix this week, mainly to get some fresh produce. I spent $15.09 and saved $8.37. Picture my kitchen counter stacked with the following items: a watermelon, a pineapple, strawberries, a gallon of milk, a large can of Bush's Baked Beans and Cool Whip (which I didn't need, but it was on sale for $.75 and I had a coupon for $1 off strawberries if I bought Cool Whip. It went into the freezer to be used in some future dessert.)

The best deal of the week was at Target. I needed to buy a sleeping bag (NO, we're not camping out on vacation!), so I also bought a bottle of Shout for $.22! It was on sale for $1.97 and I had a Target coupon for $1 off along with a manufacturer's coupon for $.75 off. Technically the Shout was free as I had $.59 left on a gift card that I used on my purchase.

I'll need to replenish a number of items when we return home from vacation, but will have extra funds to do so as I'll be spending very little out of the grocery budget while we're out of town.

Did you find any great deals this week? You can read about how others saved money at I Heart Publix, Southern Savers and Money Saving Mom.

photo courtesy public domain pictures

Parenting with a Spirit of Grace

I am always in search of good parenting books and recently finished reading The Pursuit of Godly Seed by Denny Kenaston. At over 400 pages, it took nearly two months for me to finish the book, but I was able to find some helpful advice.

One of my favorite chapters is entitled "The Spirit of Law and the Spirit of Grace." It contrasts the Old Testament covenant of the law with New Testament grace and relates them to parenting.

Here are just a few of the points the author makes as he explains the differences between parenting by law and parenting by grace.

• "The spirit of law discourages; the spirit of grace encourages."
  


• "The spirit of law is never good enough; the spirit of grace blesses each new step."
  


• "The spirit of law criticizes; the spirit of grace gives the benefit of the doubt."
  


• "The spirit of law exposes sin and remembers it; the spirit of grace forgives and forgets."
  


• "The spirit of law is performance oriented; the spirit of grace is relationship oriented."

As I examine the differences between administering law or grace, I desire to be a mother that parents through the lens of grace. While rules and structure are a necessary part of life, I want my children always to know that there is love and encouragement for them as well as forgiveness when they transgress. Just as Jesus has extended his "grace beyond measure" to me, a sinner, so may I live out that grace in my relationships with my children.

Simple Storage Solution

Along with the end of the school year came a number of projects and papers to be saved for future generations. ;)

Report cards, award certificates and other special papers are kept in a file folder designated with each child's name. Only recently did I come up with a plan for storing larger projects - and it was free!

I had two large boxes from boots that I bought a couple of winters ago. They are large and rectangular, so slide perfectly onto a closet shelf. I wrote each daughter's name on a box lid and put everything from art projects to Science notebooks inside.





We will periodically go through the boxes to eliminate items that may not have as much long-term value as others.

Have you come up with any free or inexpensive storage solutions around your home?

A Creepy, Crawly Surprise

This cute little critter has been turning up in strange places around our house.

The fun began when one sister slipped it under the other's pillow before bedtime one night.

From there, it made various stops, including Dad's pillow and my bathroom drawer, and it's currently lurking on the side of the bathtub behind the shower curtain, waiting for an unsuspecting person to discover it.

Since this bug is a bit too colorful to be scary, hiding him in various places has been an unusual way to surprise each other throughout the day.

One of our goals as parents is for our home to be a happy, fun place to be. If that involves using a plastic bug from time to time, I'm all for it!

Do you have silly tricks you play on each other or games in which family members enjoy participating? I'd like to hear about them!