Cooking Time: Lousiana Style

I've been all about cooking lately. I bought two new cookbooks with a Barnes and Nobles gift card from my bday.  We all know how much I love cookbooks. I read them while watching TV, I'm weird like that. 

Anyway, one of the cookbooks I purchased, from America's Test Kitchen Simple Weeknight Favorites there was a recipe for Lousiana style skillet chicken and rice and beans.  Since I'm missing being on vacation, I decided to cook up some of that. It was super easy, quick and delicious.  I used to absolutely loath spicy foods, but lately I think my tastes are changing.  I bought the hot sausage for the rice and beans, and I really loved it.

Here's a pic of the chicken simmering on the stove:

And the finished product!

Smash up Birthday Part 2

I always feel bad throwing out cards, especially the sentimental cards from my parents.  Unfortunately, I always do end up throwing them out because after they've been on the bulletin board for a few months, there's really not much else to do.  This year, however, with this smash book documenting my 2012 year, I was able to combine the cards that I got into a two page spread.  It makes me feel happy looking at it too. 

I'm sort of debating what to do about my Louisiana trip with the smashbook. I want to make a separate album for New Orleans but I don't want to omit it from my year. I might choose a few group shots and paste them in. We'll see.

Back from my Extended break...

Hello!  I've been gone for quite a bit celebrating my birthday, petsitting my parent's dog and vacationing in New Orleans! I've been also really out of creative mode. Part of me is a little over scrapbooking as well. I wasn't even excited to bring home brochures and different souvineers. I'm probably just in a funk...but not a bad funk obviously, I've been celebrating my birthday for three weeks. 

I do have a bunch of smashbook pages in the works.  I do want to do a New Orleans mini album but that is a project for next month. I need to get the creative flow going.

First smashbook page of the (short) week is my birthday! So many pictures, so little space

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