NO SWEETS FOR YOU!!!!

So today is Ash Wednesday which marks the beginning of Lent (the 40 days before Easter).  I almost always give up sweets for my Lenten sacrifice.  I never was a big sweets fan when I was a kid.  Maybe we just didn't have them in the house much, but I never really asked for candy or begged for the super duper chocolate cereal with marshmellows.  I think my sweet tooth developed when I went to college.  My roommates and I would do Cold Stone ice cream runs to celebrate finishing exams we had studied weeks for, we would get Blizzards while we talked about guy problems, we would buy cookie dough just because (and it usually didn't get baked, we just ate it raw).  And that's where it all began...my love for sweets!  So for the next 40 days there will be no cookies, candy, donuts, cake, brownies, and of course no ice cream (which is my favorite!). :(

Since we're on the topic of food...I finally cooked a real meal in my new kitchen!  I got this recipe for Chicken with Orange-Pecan Rice from the Pillsbury website.  It was really easy, and very good (even reheated as left-overs!).  Here it is:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 package (6.2 oz) fast-cooking long-grain and wild rice mix
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons sweetened dried cranberries
boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 3/4 lbs)
1/4 teaspoon paprika

DIRECTIONS:
1. Heat over to 350 deg. Spray 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
2. In pan, mix 1/2 cup of the rice, 1/2 of the seasoning packet from rice mix, orange juice, pecans, and   cranberries.  Place chicken on rice mixture; sprinkle with paprika.
3. Cover with foil. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.  Remove foil, stir and bake an additional 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and juice of chicken is clean when center of thickest part is cut (165 deg.).
Note: Be sure to use the fast-cooking rice mix for this recipe.  The regular type will take too long to cook.

Here is the website link if you want to read reviews: http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/chicken-with-orange-pecan-rice/a4626eb5-6636-4d71-8fd5-1ba41f00fbdf/

Now, I had a little over a pound of chicken, so I used the whole box of rice and seasoning packet (plus I really like rice!).  I thought this meant I should add a little more orange juice, but apparently you don't have to do that!  I let my chicken cook an additional 15-20 minutes, but the liquid just would not absorb.  So I served the dish with a slotted spoon and threw out all the extra liquid.  My chicken was a little dry since I cooked it extra long, but it was still prety tasty.  Even Justin liked it and said it was good enough to make again!  But next time I won't go so orange juice crazy!!! ;) So give this recipe a try some time.

Happy Ash Wednesday to you!  And, if you're giving up anything for Lent or focusing on trying to do something better in your life, I wish you lots of luck...stay strong!  I think on top of giving up sweets (oh it's just so hard to even say that!), I'm also going to try and work on being more positive.  I let things get to me too easily and bring me down, so I'm going to try and work on having a more positive outlook on every aspect of my life. 

~Jade

Oh, and go back and re-read the title to this post.  For those of you out there that love the show Seinfeld as much as I do, please know that the title is supposed to be said in the Soup Nazi's voice. Hehe!