Pinterest Tested ... and Adjusted

I have clicked on every pin of this recipe that I can find, and I can not for the life of me find the original source!  It is for an Italian Seasoned Chicken, Potato and Veggie Bake.  Most people who have reposted it are calling it Italian Chicken.  I have found THIS link and THIS link ... neither of which seems to be the original.

Well, there are tons of people singing praises for this dish ... talking about how delicious it was!  I decided to try it out!   My review of the recipe (cooked as is):

• The chicken was over cooked.  Could have been due to oven variances, so I would not count this as a strike against the recipe.  Everyone's oven cooks differently, it is important to know your oven and make adjustments to recipes when needed.  (For the purpose of a review, I wanted to cook it exactly as it was listed)
• My BIG issue was this.  You know how when you cook chicken, the fat cooks out and makes this white ... I don't know how to describe it ... confetti, maybe.   Well, you guessed it ... chicken fat confetti through all of the veggies!  It was very off putting!
• My BIG praise for this dish is that the Italian Seasoning combines beautifully in this dish and tastes great!  Well, that's not news ... I have been combining Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix with my foods for years.  

Bottom Line ... The flavor is good, the cooking method ... not so much.  Keep in mind that this is my personal opinion of the dish cooked as the original pin states.  Never fear, dear readers ... I have redeemed this recipe and made it new!  I want to post it on a separate post so that it is not hidden in this one.  As soon as it's posted, I will link the two posts!  Stay tuned!!

Fourth of July

Just wanted to share a few pictures from our July 4th celebration!  I used a fireworks photography tutorial from Marcink Designs to help me capture my images.  While I wasn't able to get my camera to do everything that she recommended, her instructions were very simple to follow and I am happy with my images.

And now for a few family fun pics :)

Creamy Southwest Pasta Salad

Gather Your Ingredients:

• 1lb cooked pasta, rinsed and cooled (I used mini penne)
• 1 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. sour cream
• 2 to 3 T southwest seasoning blend (or a packet of taco seasoning. I used Tastefully Simple Southwest seasoning)
• 2 c. shredded, sharp cheddar
• 1 c. corn kernals
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 c. sliced black olives
• 3 to 4 scallions, sliced

Make It:

1. Combine mayonnaise, sour cream and southwest seasoning ... set to the side to allow flavors to blend.
2. Combine pasta, veggies and cheese in a large bowl.  Toss with mayo/sour cream blend until well coated.
3. Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours.

**Other suggestions:  Adjust the amounts of veggies based on which ones you like and omit those that you do not like.  Grape tomato halves would be a yummy addition, I didn't have any on hand.  I also thought, after the fact, that a can of rinsed black beans, sliced banana peppers or jalepeno peppers would be yummy.