My Sous Chef

Ezra got a kitchen from pop and grandma for Christmas.  He LOVES it!!!  It's great for me too because it keeps him occupied for a while and with a newborn on the way, I know I will need it. I love watching him cook in it.

Greek-Style Shrimp Scampi

By popular demand, here is the recipe.  It was a hit at my house! I served it with garlic bread.  It would also go great with a glass of wine. If you want a healthier version, serve with whole wheat pasta.

Cook Time: 15 minutes        Servings: 4

Ingredients:
Salt
1 pound of linguine
1 pound of medium or large shrimp, peeled and devained, tails removed
Black pepper
1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes (I did not use because Ezra had it for dinner)
2 fresh oregano sprigs, finely chopped (I used about a teaspoon of dried oregano)
Handful of pitted kalamata olives, chopped (I am not an olive fan so I don't use)
1/2 cup of wine
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Handful of fresh parsley leaved chopped (I used about a tablespoon of dried parsley)
1 cup of Feta cheese crumbles (I used a little more because I love feta)

Directions:
1. Cook the pasta al dente in a large covered pot of water with a little salt. Heads up: You will need some of the pasta cooking water before you drain the pasta.
2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper
3. Heat oil in a deep skillet and brown garlic slices. Remove the garlic and reserve.
4. Add the shrimp and cook for about 3-4 minutes.  Add the red peeper flakes, oregano, olives, wine, and lemon zest and cook together for a couple more minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Add a ladle of the starchy pasta cooking water to the sauce, then add the lemon juice. Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Let the pasta absorb the juices for a minute, then toss the feta, parsley, and reserved garlic slices.
6. Use tongs to toss the pasta together and serve.

Publix Savings

Spent: $93.48

Saved: $50.42

Well, Publix did not have the greatest sales for me this week. We were needing some juice so I was happy to see Northland Juice was BOGO. I have seen next weeks ad and am happy that Hebrew National Hot Dogs will be BOGO. I have increased our monthly budget to $350 a month since I have a newborn on the way and will need to buy diapers. I am planning to look for great diaper deals!

Happy Shopping!

Free 2010 Calendar from Shutterfly

Get a free 16x20 2010 photo calendar from Shutterfly. It expires January 17, 2010.  You will have to pay shipping. I just ordered mine!

CLICK HERE TO ORDER YOUR FREE CALENDAR

Use the code freecalendar

Weekly Menu

I am very excited about the menu this week again since they are all new recipes!

Sunday: French Onion Soup and Pumpkin Bread for dessert.

Monday: Beef Tostados

Tuesday: Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles

Wednesday: Leftovers

Thursday: Spicy Oven-Fried Tilapia

Friday: Cheesy Tortellini Bake

Saturday: Pasta Roll-ups

Dessert: Homemade Banana Ice Cream. I am really looking forward to this.

If you are interested in the Cheesy Chicken Chilaquiles recipe, please visit Michelle's blog HERE . She recommended the recipe to me and I am excited to try it! 

IKEA

I am an organizing freak. It is pretty bad. My closet is color coordinated from light to dark and short sleeve to long sleeve.  My shoes are in boxes with the picture of the shoe facing me so that I know what shoe is in the box.  I also have a basket with all my flip flops. I can't function without organization. I have Ezra's closet and drawers organized as well. I even have his pajamas separated from short sleeve to long sleeve. I don't mind Ezra playing and making a mess.  That stuff does not bother me as long as they have a place to go at the end of the day or when he is done.  I love the toy bins that IKEA sells.  They work great, hold a lot, and don't take up much space in his room. He has two of them. Ezra can easily take his toys out and put them back. The above picture is the one I have but the bins are in different colors. They have many styles to choose from. You can customized it by choosing the bin size and color. I bought one  for $69 yesterday for the new baby's room. Right now, kids eat free with no adult purchase necessary and they are offering free breakfast and coffee for all till 11 a.m.. Offer expires January 3rd.  Ezra likes IKEA which makes mommy happy because I LOVE that store!

New Year Goals

Well the new year is here.  I can't believe it is 2010.  Time flies!  It is time for everyone to set their new year resolutions. Every year, I buy a white poster board and write "2010" in the middle of the board in large numbers. Then I write my goals all around it.  Of course, I have a few different colored markers to make it look more interesting. As I reach the goal throughout the year, I check it off.  I have been doing this for a couple of years. In year 2008, I achieved all my goals.  In year 2009, I achieved 7 out of my 8 goals.  Some goals are more difficult than others.  I place the board somewhere I can see it everyday to remind me of my goals for the year and to make sure I stay on track. I have achieved some great goals. It is the best feeling to!  I know it is cheesy but I feel on top of the world when I achieve a goal.  It motivates me to achieve another. This year I will have 9 goals. I am excited about tackling them.

Happy New Year!