Crazy in this House!

Well the title says it all! Life has been so busy mixed in with a little crazy. Every year as Spring approaches, the calendar seems to fill up with family gatherings and activities. During the Winter months the only thing we have to do is karate twice a week. Starting to today, we will now be balancing baseball and karate during the week...yikes! This will be tricky while school is still in session. It's hard enough trying to get homework done and get to karate twice a week, now it will be baseball too. The nice part about all this is that the kids LOVE it! It's why we do it all in the first place right? So they can have fun and try new things. I know the next two months are going to be all kinds of crazy, but as crazy as it is, it will be that much fun too!

We celebrated my Dad's birthday last Friday by having a quiet dinner at home. I made this delicious shrimp and rice dish that will make you melt. I literally day dream about this meal, it is that good. Plus, if you like spicey, then this is for you. I followed dinner up with the Ultimate Chocolate Cake -YUMMMM. I posted that recipe a while back, it so good.

In other news, life has been rolling along. I broke the news to the kids last week that we were going to have to sell our house. I was expecting some sadness, but again they surprised me. They seemed excited to be moving on, into a new place. I tried to explain that it was going to be a slow process, but kids have a hard time with the passing of time, and what a few months really means. I have the most amazing kids. They have always embraced change, and never resisted it, and this is no different. I am so grateful for them, and continue to be amazed by them every day.

Life can be so confusing and at times can just plain suck, but when I look at them I can't help but be thankful for everything I have. They are my reason for living!

Now back to the food! Be warned, this is not a healthy dish! I usually will not add the full amount of Tabasco, because of the kids. The cool thing is that you can just add it to your food once its plated. The other key thing is using fresh lemon juice, since the substitute kinda sucks.

Here is the recipe i used from Giada De Laurentiis:

Nona Luna's Rice

1 stick butter, divided, at room temperature
2 cups parboiled long-grain rice, such as Uncle Ben's
3 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds small shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 cup whipping cream
Freshly ground black pepper

In a medium nonstick saucepan, heat 1/2 of the butter over medium-low heat. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until golden, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the chicken stock and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer covered for 20 to 25 minutes until the rice is tender and all the liquid is absorbed. Remove the pan from the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes.

In a large skillet, melt the remaining butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 to 2 minutes until aromatic. Add the shrimp, lemon juice, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the shrimp is pink and cooked through. Stir in the cream and heat through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Using a fork, fluff the rice and arrange on a platter. Spoon the shrimp cream sauce over the rice and serve.


Make this, you will not be disappointed and its a great dish to serve at a dinner party!

Enjoy!