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I’ve not done a “Wordless Wednesday” before, but I couldn’t resist after this scene this morning. I love my goofy kids!
How would YOU caption this one? 🙂
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One of our favorite quick simple dishes that works great for busy nights is my Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe. It is literally one of those recipes where you dump the ingredients in, mix it up, and serve. The part that takes the longest is boiling the noodles, and while those are going you can get everything else opened up and ready to go! This is a recipe that can easily be made by a younger child that wants to be independent and helpful (my 9 year can make it all by herself) but it’s also one that my 4 and 5 year olds can “make” with my help.
1 pound of pasta (we <3 penne)
1 can chicken (in the tuna/chili section)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs parsley
1/2 Tbs onion powder
Directions:
1. Cook pasta according to directions, drain and set aside.
2. Heat chicken, tomatoes, evaporated milk and soup to a boil.
3. Mix cornstarch and water, slowly pour into sauce to thicken.
4. Season with herbs/spices listed, or come up with your own twist!
5. Pour drained pasta into sauce, stir to coat.
That’s it! Quick and easy. 🙂
Side notes and ramblings…..
-The cornstarch/water slurry isn’t essential, but without it your sauce will be thin and runny.
-Breaking the chicken up with a fork before adding it into the sauce is WAY easier than trying to do it later. Trust me.
-This is a basic recipe, have fun with it! Add in broccoli, cheese, mushrooms, roasted red peppers, etc.
Cost of ingredients:
Pasta – $1.00
Chicken – $2.00
Tomatoes – $0.50
Cream of Chicken – $0.50
Evaporated Milk – $1.00
Total cost – $5.00
There you have it! My Creamy Chicken Pasta recipe, only $5.00 and less than 30 minutes from start to finish!
When the time came to plan for my daughter’s third birthday party, I knew one thing was certain: I didn’t want it at MY house! With a newborn son and a highly energetic three year old, the last thing I wanted was to set up and then clean up for a party. However, I wanted something special for my daughter, as we’d never really had a party for her yet, and since she’d had a big year, complete with becoming a big sister and all.
Within the span of a month, we took her to a -um- certain dark play place with a big mouse, and later to bouncy-type place featuring a particular primate. Then we were invited to birthday party at Catch Air in John’s Creek location, and suddenly the choice was clear: my little girl was going to have her birthday party at Catch Air John’s Creek.
Catch Air, a combination bouncy house and indoor playground, had something to peek the interest of any child. Plenty of inflatables throughout the facility for jumping, along with simulated “fitness equipment”, ball pits, slides, token games, humongous train set, “balloon house”, a hamster roller, an interactive dance floor (think: the piano scene from Big) and much all keep kids ages 12 and under occupied for hours and hours of entertainment! And there’s four locations in the north metro area, including John’s Creek, Cumming, Suwanee, and Marietta.
Overall, I was exceptionally pleased with my experience at Catch Air in John’s Creek. With a personal party coordinator leading the way, they took care of the set up and clean up (every mother’s dream!), as well as supplied the “party accessories”: table cloths, plates, forks, drinks for the party kids, and even invitations. …and if you’re an absent-minded mother, like yours truly, and forget the all-important birthday cake candle, they’ve got you covered! After 80 minutes of play in perhaps the coolest indoor playground I’ve seen, Carol got to have a “dance party” with Buzz Lightyear (her movie character du joir). Buzz then led the kids over to the double sinks, where we all washed our hands before going in to the party room. We were allotted 40 minutes in the “party room”, set up for the obligatory singing of “happy birthday” as she blew out the candles. The party coordinator assisted in bringing the cake over, then cutting it up and helping to serve. She then stepped back and let the kids have their fun.
Afterwards, I was also pleased to see the party room get thoroughly wiped down — a level of conscientiousness that I cannot say for other similar places. The bathrooms were exceptionally clean and well-lit; although the floor seemed slightly slippery with socks on. As a mother and uber-germophobe, I could really appreciate the level of attention the staff paid to cleanliness.
We were allowed to bring outside dry snacks, drinks for the adults, and the cake. You have the option of ordering Papa Johns pizza or Chick-fil-a (and those of you who know me will be shocked to hear I opted out of CFA — I still don’t know how I passed *that* up!!), for an additional fee. (Please note: the food options differ at the other locations.) Our party coordinator assisted in setting up all the snacks and beverages, which allowed my husband and I the opportunity to just sit back and watch our daughter play.
Again, my experience with Catch Air was fantastic. For $5-8 a visit for walk-ins (depending on your child’s age), and discount codes available frequently on their Facebook pages, you can’t go wrong taking the kids here. There’s even free wifi for parents, as well as coffee and a snack bar available. There’s four locations (Johns Creek, Cumming, Marietta, and Suwanee) in the north metro area.
Care to try out Catch Air? I highly recommend “liking” Catch Air on FB, since they frequently post “passwords” to get you discounts for walk-in visits! Also, here’s a few more suggestions for snagging discount tickets to Catch Air: Groupon has tickets from time to time, but you can also buy a 10-visit pass and save directly at your location. You’ll want to ask if your location’s pass is good at other locations; some allow it, others don’t. 🙂
