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So no, I’m not down in San Antonio firing up the oven in 90+ degree weather. But I am hungry. That’s my reason for posting this deliciously hearty pasta dish from Kraft.
I made this one before I left Des Moines. It was delicious—and I just might have cooked this tonight if I had more than an empty fridge and two clean dishes. My dishwasher broke, and I’m out of fork and plates. How is a woman supposed to eat? Manual dish labor? Not in San Antonio. I’m not brave enough yet. I’m afraid of standing pools of water. The locals say that pools of water draw roaches and scorpions. I’ve had enough, and I’ve only seen beetles. So now that I’ve got your mouth watering, here’s the scrumptiously creamy pasta dish from my Iowa kitchen.
Creamy Chicken & Pasta Bake
Time: 38 minutes Makes: 4 servings (1½ cups each)
Ingredients
1½ cups multigrain rotini pasta, uncooked
1 small bunch broccoli, cut into florets (about 3 cups)
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
½ cup fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA 1/3 Less Fat than Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp. KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
Directions
HEAT oven to 375ºF. Cook pasta in large saucepan as directed on package, adding broccoli for the last 3 min.
MEANWHILE, heat large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook 3 min. or until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Stir in broth; simmer 3 min. or until chicken is done. Add cream cheese; cook and stir on low heat 1 min. or until cream cheese is melted. Stir in ½ cup mozzarella.
DRAIN pasta and broccoli. Add to chicken mixture; mix lightly. Spoon into 8-inch sq. baking dish; cover.
BAKE 15 min. or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining cheeses. Bake, uncovered, 3 min. or until melted. Let stand 5 min.
Recipe at KraftFoods.com
It’s official. Whit and I survived the drive south, and I’ve been a San Antonio resident for seven days. Despite its looks, the photo above is not my back yard. It was taken at a rest stop in Oklahoma.
Today is the first full day without Whitney. She was a huge blessing. It was awesome to have someone to come home to, someone to laugh with everytime we got lost, and someone to explore with—I bet we ate Mexican food at least once a day. Above is a lovely photo from Los Barrios.
One of the many stacks of boxes. The items in these boxes still needed a "place". My kitchen is tiny compared to my last one. All of the cabinets are full of dishes, pans, tubberware, and other kitchen stuff. I had to place a shelf to the right just to store food.
Things I love so far:
1. Texas pride. Check out one of the shopping bags from H-E-B—my new employer. It was so obnoxious that as a new Texas resident, I had to have one.
2. Texas sunshine. Even on days when it rains or storms, which has been most days because we’re in rain season, we still get four or five hours of sun. And it’s never poured: only what we Midwesterners call sprinkle.
Things I’m still getting used to:
1. Attention women get from guys. I’m used to the Midwest—where guys are too timid to approach girls. Here, guys will say whatever is on their mind. Whitney and I got a lot of comments walking around together. Whit even slammed the car door on a guy who gave her the “Hey, Momma.” Whit's reply, “I ain’t no one’s mama.”
2. Texas-sized critters. They’re so big and plentiful that you can’t even call them bugs. So far I’ve killed a critter or two a day. I saw the largest cockroach I’ve ever seen outside a zoo. Thankfully he was already dead and in the fitness center—and not my apartment. I might have had a heart attack. Still getting used to checking under the covers before I crawl into bed. I'm buying a fly swatter to kill, so that I don't have to ruin my shoes.
This weekend I used the grill for the first time this season. Still perfecting my steak cooking. Looks like the flames got the best of this guy, though the center was still pink. Loved the veggie kabobs: red potatoes, orange bell peppers, and baby portabellas.
Jordan's parents placed these in my Easter basket. (Thank you!) I love them. They're soft and light: A great transition from my heavy slippers as we start to enjoy sunny spring weather.
Meredith recently revamped our vending machines to offer healthier choices. Someone was feeling fiesty on Friday, because they left this love note taped to the vending machine.
Greek salads are from heaven. This one is from Fitness magazine and boasts less than 400 calories. Low on cals but super filling.
Greek Chopped Pita Salad
Ingredients
2 cups romaine lettuce
2 tablespoons crumbled feta cheese
½ cup canned garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup cucumber, sliced
1 whole-wheat pita, chopped
2 tablespoons low-fat vinaigrette
Make it: Combine all salad ingredients in a bowl and toss thoroughly.
Photo of the perimeter taken from the Riverwalk path. Photos will soon follow of my trip down the river to grab some lunch.
Walk way from the Riverwalk to my building. There's a bird perched on the left wall. Birds in San Antonio can be compared to NYC pigeons. They will not move for you and might even fly at you to see what you'll do. Keep an eye out for the birds.
Instead of traveling by skywalk or hallway, step outside and walk to the next building. A great way to soak up a quick dose of vitamin C. Not sure if I'll love it as much in the summer months.
View of the entrance building from the interior courtyard. Fountains like these run through the courtyard. 
Building where I work. If you want to talk to Charles, head up to the third floor. If you're looking for me, first floor and to the left. But you'll have to get by the tough security.
