New Food

I feel like it's cheating to call this a new food. It's a new recipe. It's from Pinterest, but it's a simple roasted rosemary chicken breast with potatoes and string beans. It's super easy and tasty. You can find the recipe here. 

ONE SHEET PAN ROSEMARY CHICKEN WITH POTATOES AND GREEN BEANS 
Author: Little Spice Jar 
Prep time: 10 mins 
Cook time: 30 mins 
Total time: 40 mins 
Serves: 4 servings 

INGREDIENTS 

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts 
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted 
• 1¼ teaspoon salt, divided 
• ½ teaspoon black pepper 
• 4 teaspoons garlic, minced, divided 
• 2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped, divided 
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 lb. red potatoes, halved or quartered 
• ½ lb. green beans 

INSTRUCTIONS 

Position a baking rack in center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450ºF. 

Line a sturdy baking sheet with heavy duty foil. 

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, 1 teaspoon salt, black pepper, 2 teaspoons garlic, 1 tablespoon rosemary, and lemon zest. 

Gently loosen the skin of the chicken breast and using a brush, brush the skin and the meat with the butter. 

Place chicken breasts on one side of the prepared baking sheet. 

In a bowl, combine the 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining 2 teaspoons garlic, and 1 tablespoon rosemary. Toss the halved or quartered potatoes until the olive oil nicely coats them all. Lay the potatoes on the other side of the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes. 

If at any point the chicken begins to brown too much during roasting, use a piece of foil to tent ONLY the chicken. 

After 20 minutes, check the chicken for doneness, if the juices are running clear, or the internal temperature is at 170 degrees, remove the chicken to a plate, and loosely cover with foil. 

Toss the green beans in with the potatoes and allow the olive oil to coat the beans. Continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the chicken breast, you may or may not need to remove. 

© Copyright. All images & content are the sole property of Little Spice Jar. Please obtain permission prior to using my images. If you would like to republish a recipe, please link back to this post and re-write the instructions in your own words.

Update

We've been busy just like every single other family during the holiday season, but here's a quick update.

We managed to put up a tree and decorate it.  We purchased presents for everyone (and then purchased a few more).  We did cooking and baking.  

Captain is teething and getting those wretched canine teeth in.  It's resulting in either a cold or congestion.  He is also badly constipated this week so the combination is rough.  He hasn't slept and has been an emotional mess.  Last night was better than nights before so I think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  His vocabulary is finally increasing.  He can say mama, dada, baba (for drink), his sister's name, bus, car, ball, girl, and now he says cracker, thanks, and good.  He's slow to talk but so was Little Miss.  Because of the age difference, it's like having a first child all over again.  He doesn't have to talk because there's no need to - he has 3 people catering to his every need.

Little Miss is wise beyond her years.  She enjoys mindless YouTube videos and reading Harry Potter with me.  She's doing extraordinary in school.  She hasn't mastered third grade level work yet, but she's never gives up.  She's well above her grade level in both math and language arts.  She speaks Spanish and sign language at home.  She's learning coding on her school iPad.  She knows pretty much what I knew in middle school.  She's incredibly helpful around the house.  If anything, her only fault is not being a good eater, but she eats.

Status quo with Husband.  He freelances from home.  I, however, got promoted this year which is exciting.  I love where I work, and it's nice to receive encouragement back.  

Here's to a happy and healthy 2016!

November 2015 Weekend Update

The first Sunday in November was spent at a first birthday party! They're always fun. Captain even managed to nap there. Little Miss loved being the oldest one there. After Little Miss was going to have a sleepover with her cousins. We stayed at the birthday party a little longer. Husband, Captain, and I had dinner in the city before heading home. Little Miss called on our way home and said she did not want to have a sleepover so we swung by and picked her up.

It's your day, Birthday Girl!

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 7, 2015 at 11:20am PST

The next day, Husband's family watched the Jets game and ate way too much food. All the kids had a really great time together. The younger ones are not too happy with being younger and not allowed to do what the big kids get to do. Captain spent the entire day eating. And then he ate some more. It was a good napping weekend for him. He did a great job napping in other people's cribs. Usually, on the weekend, he does his best to avoid naps.

It's hard being the younger siblings.

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 8, 2015 at 11:05am PST

The second weekend of November, Husband and I belatedly celebrated our anniversary. We went to Clyde's and to a basketball game (Wizards/Magic). It was a fun, relaxing night out. The Wizards won - though we weren't very invested in the game. It was nice to get out and have some couple time. The kids slept over the In-Laws' apartment so we also got to sleep late which was as nice as you'd think. The next day, we did Christmas photos with the cousins. We got one really good one, and we only marginally held onto our sanity.

Basketball. (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 14, 2015 at 5:23pm PST

The third weekend of November, we finished cleaning our apartment for Thanksgiving. I can't say we ever really finished, but it's better than it was. I bagged toys and clothes for donation. Things were really tidied up - except our bedroom, but no one really goes in there anyway. That Sunday, my sister and I had photos with the other side of the family. I mixed up the times, but the photo studio was so backed up, no one noticed. My parents met us for lunch, and then we head home to call another weekend to an end.

Just hanging out. (@Rob_Sawicki)

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 15, 2015 at 11:55am PST

Thanksgiving week was a lot of fun. The night before, I got a massage when my office closed early. Captain had his 18 month well child visit. He weighs 21.5 pounds, finally weighing over 20 pounds! He's pretty healthy and doing well. He got his flu shot. He still doesn't say many words, but this was typical of Little Miss, too. He makes sounds and says Mama, Dada, Baba when he wants his cup. He's been known to say Little Miss's name. He also says ball, doggie, girl, tree, and other words. I think he said cookie recently. He's a big fan of cookies.

Gingerbread turkey. More work than it was worth. #happythanksgiving

A photo posted by @princessapr on Nov 26, 2015 at 3:44pm PST

On Thanksgiving, we got up and stayed in our jammies for awhile. We watched the parade. Husband made the turkey and prepped the stuffing. Once those were done, I made roasted veggies (butternut squash, potatoes, brussels sprouts, and red onion). It was a simple meal, but it was pretty good. We had cookies for dessert. My parents enjoyed hanging out with the kids. Captain ate early and then napped when we ate which worked out best. During the weekend, we did as little as possible. I took Little Miss skating. Then, Little Miss and I went to see a movie the next day. My friend and I went to see another movie on Sunday. It was a social time, but I managed to avoid many of the Black Friday sales which is a high accomplishment for me! Onto Christmas!!

Skating (@Rob_Sawicki)

A video posted by @princessapr on Nov 27, 2015 at 11:39am PST