Pretty in Pink

I've always wanted a pink bedroom.

And now I have one!

Benjamin Moore First Light

Usually when I start painting, my initial reaction is "I hate it!".

But I'm cheap, and not about to repaint, so I forge ahead and after the 2nd coat I always love it.

This time, it was love at first light (uh, sight).

I still need to prime, paint and hang the trim.  Install new blinds. And new closet doors.  One of those closet organization systems would be nice...

It'll be a while before it's "done".

I also made this recipe for Chicken Mozzarella Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes that I've been seeing all over Pinterest and it was GOOD!  I didn't include the chicken so it took less than 30 minutes.  (Nice!)

Ingredients

• 3 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small jar (3-4 oz) sun-dried tomatoes in oil
• 1 lb chicken breast tenders (or not)
• salt
• paprika (just a little bit for the chicken)
• 1 cup half and half
• 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 oz pasta
• 1 tablespoon basil (if using dry basil), if using fresh basil you can add more
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (at least, add more to taste)
• 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water (or more)
• salt, to taste

Instructions

• If using sun-dried tomatoes in oil (in a jar), drain the tomatoes, reserving 2 tablespoons of oil for sauteing.
• In a large pan, on high heat, sautee garlic and sun-dried tomatoes (drained) in 2 tablespoons of oil (reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes jar) for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant. 
• Remove sun-dried tomatoes from the pan, leaving the oil, and add chicken tenders, salted and lightly covered in paprika (for color) and cook on high heat for 1 minute on each side. 
• Remove from heat.
• Cook pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some cooked pasta water (Note: I think this is SO gross so I didn't do it and the sauce was just fine). 
• Drain and rinse the pasta with cold water (to stop cooking).
• Slice sun-dried tomatoes into smaller bits and add them back to the skillet with chicken. 
• Add half and half and cheese to the skillet and bring to a gentle boil. 
• Immediately reduce to simmer and cook, stirring constantly, until all cheese melts and the sauce is creamy. 
• Add cooked pasta to the skillet and stir to combine. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of basil, and at least 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Stir to combine.
• Optional (in my book): Add about 1/2 cup reserved cooked pasta water because the creamy sauce will be too thick (do not add all water at once - you might need less or more of it). This will water down the thickness of the cheese sauce and make it creamier.
• Immediately, season the pasta with salt and more red pepper flakes, to taste, if needed. 
• Let simmer for a couple of minutes for flavors to combine.