Today Should Have Been The Day

She's smiling because she is the only one 

around here getting enough sleep.

We are having a "Happy Due Date Party" today—probably a trip for cupcakes—for the newest addition to this family. Either that, or we are sending Baby Girl to time out for not following directions! (Not following directions is usually what lands Little Sister in time out.) Yes, Baby Girl came early. She was four weeks old yesterday instead arriving today like she was supposed to.

All new babies are a lot of work and mean a lot of missed sleep, but babies who arrive early take even more effort. So Mommy and I have been operating on auto-pilot for much of the last few weeks as we have swapped off middle-of-the-night feedings. We are close to sleep walking as we try to take care of everyone here in addition to this tiny little bundle who requires most of our attention. Thankfully, as she is getting bigger and a little older, things are beginning to settle down. So I am ready to get back to business here on the blog. For a while I will just get a few recipes posted here so that I can find them next time I want to make them.

I have been cooking while out here in the midwest, but making photos of the food has fallen by the wayside most of the time. Here is a great recipe I made while Mommy was in the hospital before Baby Girl was born. (It might have been the last food photo I made.)

If you have some cooked chicken in the freezer, or have leftover chicken you need to use up, give this a try. Makes the preparation even faster. Everyone here loved it. It's been a favorite of ours for a long time. Big Sister said she would have liked a softer crust, though. My favorite is the thin & crispy kind. So you pick the one that suits you. It's a nice, non-tomato pizza for the tomato sauce haters out there.

BARBECUE CHICKEN PIZZA

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

½ cup barbecue sauce (I used Kraft Original)

1 (16-oz.) prebaked pizza crust (such as Boboli or Mama Mia)

1 ½ cups shredded reduced-fat mozzarella cheese

1 small red onion, finely chopped (or use about ¼ of a large onion)

1 tbsp. chopped cilantro or parsely

Position rack in center of oven.  Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Coat a non-stick skillet with PAM and warm over medium-high heat.  Cook the chicken for 5 minutes on each side, or until done.  Transfer to plate and let cool for 5 minutes.  Cut the chicken crosswise into ¼ inch slices.  Transfer to a bowl and toss with ¼ cup of the barbecue sauce.

Place the pizza crust on a baking sheet.  Sprinkle with ¾ cup of cheese.  Arrange the chicken over the crust and sprinkle with the onion and cilantro.  Drizzle with the remaining ¼ cup of barbecue sauce and sprinkle with the remaining ¾ cup of cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly.  Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

And for a while, it's doubtful that I will be able to post a blog without capturing a few of the cute things that three-year-old Little Sister says about the new baby. Yesterday she looked at her and told her, "You are just the cutest baby in the whole town!" We all agree.

This recipe is featured on Meal Plan Monday Recipes on SouthernPlate.com