I Am Back

Whew. It's hard to believe my last post was back on July 18th. What can I say? We've been a little busy!!

For those of you who don't know, we welcomed our baby boy on August 11, 2016 at 1:37 pm.

Maxwell Charles Shartle Marshall was 8 lbs. 4 oz. and 19.5 inches long. He was born with a full head of hair, and we were in love at first sight, including Big "Brudder" (as we like to say) Alex. 

Alex was actually given the honor of naming his baby brother, and he chose "Max." The first time they met was one I had waited 9 months for, and one I will never forget.

His two middle names come from both of this grandpas. Charles is my father-in-law's middle name, and Shartle is my maiden name, and my dad is the last one, so we wanted the name to be carried on in some way.

Max is an absolute joyous addition to our family. We have all adjusted well to having a newborn in the house, and almost a month in, he has yet to wake up his big brother at night, which is good because the day I went into labor, was also his first day of 6th grade, at a brand new school.

It's hard to believe Max will be a month old this weekend, and I am simply trying to treasure every single second. Plus, Alex turns 12 on the 16th....so my boys are growing and I'm looking for the pause button.

So, you can understand why things on the blog are a little slow right now. Sure I'm still in the kitchen making sure my family is fed, but I won't lie, suppers are quick and easy right now, and I'm not really ready to try anything new yet.

This happened to be the last new recipe I did make about 2 weeks before Max was born. It's my take on a dish Alex had at Popeye's Chicken and loved. It's a super simple all in one meal with just enough kick to make it exciting. Add a salad or some fresh fruit on the side and dinner is done.

I promise to get back into the swing of things at some point. But right now baby snuggles are a little higher on my priority list!

 Cajun Dirty Rice

4 c. instant white rice, cooked

1 lb. ground beef

1 medium orange bell pepper, finely chopped

1 small red bell pepper, finely chopped

2 tsp. Cajun seasoning, or to taste

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. dried celery flakes

1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes

2/3 c. beef broth

Salt and Pepper, to taste

Dried Chives, for garnish

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown beef with peppers until no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Add rice and mix well. Add seasonings and beef broth. Reduce heat to medium low and cook and stir until liquid is absorbed, about 5-7 minutes. Garnish with chives before serving.