Jambalaya

I went home this past weekend, and while I didn't eat the healthiest, I definitely ate healthier than I normally do when I go home.  My mom and sister are both doing Weight Watchers, so the house was loaded with such delicious and fresh food.  Oh, to live in a house where fresh produce is eaten and doesn't go bad...

Being at home for the weekend was so amazing.  I normally only go home for the holidays, and even then, it's only for a few days and is so rushed.  Especially with wedding planning, going home consists of going from one appointment to the next and doing as much as we can in one visit.

This trip was different.  I booked a flight on a whim because the deal on southwest.com was so great and didn't have any plans.  The weekend was lovely, especially because I was home for almost 4 full days, and relaxation was the ticket.

Day 1:  Spending time with the mommy, running errands and a pedicure.

Day 2:  Ordering my sisters' bridesmaid dresses (my mom also bought her mother of the bride dress and my sister her graduation dress) and massage, shopping, and dinner with my sister Sarah.

Day 3:  Brunch with my wonderful cousin Katherine and watching the Super Bowl.  At my family's Super Bowl party, I got to help celebrate my brother's recent engagement, see my grandpa and all my siblings, and  enjoy delicious food...see pictures and recipe below!

Day 4:  See the bookstore that my mom did a wonderful job revamping, meet with and secure a priest for our wedding, and have lunch with the parents.

I couldn't have asked for a better weekend!

For the Super Bowl, my mom and sister were great with menu planning-- there was pizza and wings but also fruit, veggies, fresh guacamole, and jambalaya.  The jambalaya was adapted from Weight Watchers, but my mom (best cook I know) doctored it up to make it that much better!!

Shrimp and Chicken Jambalya

Mom showing off her delicious dish in the world's largest crock pot.

Ingredients

	2 tsp olive oil
	1 uncooked onion, sweet, chopped (about 1 cup)
	1 medium green pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
	8 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
	29 oz canned stewed tomatoes, undrained
	12 oz uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined (my mom peeled and deveined the shrimp; I think I would buy it already done)
	1 tsp Italian seasoning, dried
	1 tsp Creole seasoning
	2 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions

• Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and pepper; cook, stirring, until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in chicken; cook, stirring, until chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in remaining ingredients, except rice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in rice; continue cooking until liquid is almost absorbed and rice is thoroughly heated, about 2 minutes.