Shrimp & Sausage with Vodka Sauce

When all else fails, make pasta! Shrimp & Sausage pasta with Vodka Sauce tonight was a hit! Ok, ok, so I take a hit for not making the sauce from scratch, but I was desperate for a helping hand tonight. Regardless, it was awesome, here are the deets: 

SHRIMP & SAUSAGE PASTA with VODKA SAUCE

Ingredients: 

• 4 Uncooked Italian Sausages
• 1/2 lb. Shrimp, de-shelled, tails on or off (I used 26-30/lb Market Pantry/ Target brand) 
• Fettuccine Noodles
• Fresh Basil (about 1/3cup)
• 1 Jar Simply Balanced Organic Vodka Sauce (found at Target)
• 1/2 small onion, diced
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic 
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper

Make it happen: 

1. In a large sauce pan, pour in the vodka sauce and bring to a boil. Once at a boil reduce heat to a low. 
2. Over medium-high heat, warm some olive oil, in a separate pan. Cut sausages into 1 inch pieces, and brown them. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is translucent. Once onion is clear, add contents of the pan into the vodka sauce and let simmer for 10 minutes while stirring occasionally. Set pan aside for later use, don't wash it! Once the sauce has simmered for 10 mins, turn on low to let the sausage and sauce merry while cooking pasta and shrimp.
3. Boil water and prepare fettuccine noodles according to directions on the packet. Don't forget to add Tsp of olive oil to prevent sticking.
4. Once the pasta is cooked halfway through, take browning pan used earlier and add heat Tsp of olive oil over medium heat. Season your shrimp with salt and pepper and add to pan. Once pink, remove shrimp from heat immediately. 
5. After shrimp is cooked, chop basil and reserve 1/4 of it to garnish on top.  
6. Build your dish by mixing the fettuccine noodles, shrimp, sauce/sausage, and basil into a large serving bowl. 
7. Mix well so that shrimp are covered in sauce and basil is incorporated. Garnish with more basil on top and eat your heart away. 

Serve with favorite wine or VODKA! :) 

No Ice Cream, No Groceries- But We are Whole

We are whole. Big Sis is finally in town for Summer break. Our home becomes so much more lively with her around. Even the most frustrating situations become an afterthought when she is here... I loaded up all three kids into a hot car with a promise of ice cream upon good behavior at the grocery store and after countless efforts to start my car we headed back inside, defeated.

As soon as we get in the house Tatum has the idea to just pray really hard and God wills start the car. Oh how I love her so much. I hope her Philippians 4:13 mentality never fades. There are times when I wonder if I fail her as a mom because we are blended family and I miss so much when she is not here, but moments like today make me realize I am doing just fine.

Thank you God for a daughter who loves you, trust you and loves learning about you. I pray that she grows to be everything you want her to be. At this age I don't know if she truly understands everything you are, but after what she said today, I realize perhaps it is I who does not truly know you like she does.

Humbling Tantrums

Nothing like feeling confident after both kids wake up from a nap to go to the grocery store, only to get inside and have your 1y/o pitch a fit and throw his shoe at a stranger...All while the 3 month old is screaming and vomits the whole contents of her last bottle down your shirt. So you reach for a burp rag that is not there and end up cleaning yourself and the infant with a spare diaper. Then when you think the calm has come, the 1 y/o starts another tantrum over a cup of cookies he's never even had before. So you give him the cookies hoping they'll let you make it to the dairy aisle. After that you beeline to the register, the cashier rings and loads you up all to find out you left your wallet in the car....to humble you. 

Once I laid him in bed tonight and checked on him a few minutes later he was out! I guess the sugar rush and energy exhausted during the tantrum got to him. But looking at him sleep peacefully, I could not be more proud and in love with my little hellion. I complain about these terrible twos a lot, and he's not even two yet. I've got a long way to go until the tantrums subside, so until then pray for me. LOL! 

Bagel-1, Jo-0

I think the Bagel won this morning.

Two Birthdays

Last weekend we celebrated my 25th birthday and the Marine Corps' 238th Birthday!

Our annual 'official' photo 

I am so fortunate to be able to share my birthday with the Marine Corps; it gives me the opportunity to feel fabulous. (Although this year it was a little hard to get into the glamour with a 7 month protruding pregnant belly). Every year my husband takes me to the Marine Corps Ball and there we celebrate the birth of America's greatest fighting force. All the Marines are dressed handsomely in their dress blues uniform and they are usually accompanied by their beautiful wives, girlfriends, and significant others in formal elegant ball gowns. It's the Oscars of the military, and its amazing!

This year the ball was in Las Vegas at the Paris Hotel & Casino, and when Shannon told me this, I was upset. Not just because I am 7months pregnant, but because I've never been a "Vegas-type" girl, (if there is such a thing), or at least I thought I was not the Vegas-type. From my understanding, Las Vegas was about indecencies, greed, and vulgar sex, all things which aren't high on my to-do/ bucket list.

However, Shannon assured me my birthday was not ruined, because we could "do Vegas tastefully."

Trusting him I prepared for our trip. Shannon had set up a wonderful weekend with fancy dinners and amazing seats at the 'O' show in the Bellagio. Once I heard this, I was excited and couldn't wait to get to Vegas! We dropped Jo off with my grandmother and Mom in Murrieta for the weekend. I was so nervous to leave Jo (we've never left him overnight with anyone), but now looking back it was harder on me than on him- he had a great time! After sneaking away from him, we sped off to the desert to ring in my quarter-century birthday and the Marine Corps' 238th. 

Bliss in all its grandeur

To my surprise, I had one of the best times of my life! I ate everything- that was my indulgence, not money or sex, but food! I have don't have a sweet tooth, I have a sweet mouth, head, and heart, so seeing the amazing restaurants- especially desserts- I was in heaven. Yes, I still saw the trashy, immoral side of Vegas but my husband delivered exactly what he said he would- a glamorous, tasteful, memorable birthday weekend. A part of me didn't want to leave, but I was excited to get back to our son, who I thought, by then wouldn't remember who we were. My mom insisted we stay another night and enjoy ourselves, but I as kid-sick and wanted to spend sometime with our son for my birthday too. Looking back my perspective on Vegas has changed and although I'm weary of it, I know there are things to like. I am so grateful and blessed for last weekend and I will never forget it.