So much for good intentions...

Well, my first attempt at a new recipe was almost a complete failure.  However, my defeat only proved how much I need to organize my kitchen and my processes.

So, last Wednesday afternoon, with the high of writing my first blog still reeling in my head, I opened the freezer door in hopes of pulling out something that would lead to gourmet excellence.  Just so you know, we buy a half side of beef from family members every August, so beef is never on short supply around here.  As a matter of fact, we're all a little tired of red meat, so I pulled out a bag of chicken breasts.  Next stop, the pantry.  That's when I pulled out what I like to call "cheating in a box".  For those who don't know me very well, I typically cook from scratch, and rarely use boxed foods (Mac and cheese does NOT count).  But, I'm on a quest to use things that are already in my pantry, and a box mix for Zatarain's Red Beans and Rice was calling my name.  Inspiration hit me.  I could cook the chicken breasts slowly on the stove top in chicken broth and salsa, and when it's cooked, shred the meat.  Then cook the red beans and rice, and add the chicken.  The whole spicy mixture could be spooned into tortillas, and I would be crowned the Queen of Inventive Cooking.  We're on!

So, I mixed:

4 chicken breasts (still frozen)
1/2 jar of medium salsa
2 cups of chicken broth

All of this simmered on the stove for about 2 hours.  You could also put this in a crock pot and leave it on low all day.

I made the Red Beans and Rice, and decided to heat up a can of corn as well.  My girls love corn and I know that getting them to eat the chicken/beans/rice mixture would be a struggle.

The time has finally come to pull the tortillas out of the refrigerator to get them warmed for dinner.  That's when reality hit:  We had one stale tortilla in the house...ONE!!  My shoulders slumped, I said a few choice swear words under my breath (my 7 year old recently announce that my chocolate cookies are "damn" good - gotta work on my swearing) and admitted to defeat.

We ended up eating the chicken with the red beans and rice, just not wrapped in warm, soft tortillas as I had imagined.  I thought the meal was quite good, although my kids picked through everything but their corn.  And, my husband made the "I'm only eating this because there's no other option" face.  Nice.

I'm giving myself an A for creativity, and a D for execution.  And so it continues.....