Pesto Chicken

by Leigh Anne on March 10, 2010

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I told you on Monday that I am not a big fan of St. Patrick’s Day.  In fact most years I just totally ignore it and don’t even wear green.  I never serve Irish food or even green food for dinner either.   I’m usually up for a good holiday celebration but I guess St. Patrick’s just doesn’t do it for me.

Well, when I was preparing this post and was looking at the photos I had taken of the dish I realized it would make a perfect St. Patrick’s Day dinner – no, it’s not corned beef but it is green – Pesto Chicken with asparagus.  It would even be more green if you served it with spinach pasta!!

Since Jim and I are not eating carbs/starches right now we just had the chicken and asparagus but I had some leftover rice in the refrigerator that I served to Tessa.  It got thumbs up from all 3 of us!

I found the recipe in the South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook and it is a very quick and easy dish to prepare.

I had some homemade pesto in my freezer I had made last summer but you could easily use bottled pesto (I usually buy it at Trader Joe’s but you can find it in most produce departments near the minced garlic and ginger).

Pesto Chicken

There are really only three ingredients – chicken, pesto and mozzarella cheese.  The recipe called for grated cheese but I used slices of fresh mozzarella – yum!!  Serve it with a side dish of rice or spinach pasta or just by itself!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day and I will wear green this year!

So what do you usually fix for St Patrick’s Day dinner to celebrate?

pesto chicken - Page 454

Pesto Chicken

South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/2 C pesto

2 oz. shredded part skim mozzarella cheese (1/2 C)

salt and pepper

Heat oven to 375 degrees

Season chicken with salt and pepper.  Spread 1/4 cup of the pesto in a 9 x 13 baking dish.  Lay chicken breasts over pesto in an even layer and spread remaining pesto on top of chicken.

Cover baking dish with foil and bake chicken until cooked through – 20-25 minutes.  Uncover and top with cheese.  Bake until cheese is melted, 5 more minutes.  Serve hot.  I spooned the pesto from the bottom of the pan over the top of the chicken before serving.

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Mimiware Giveaway

by Leigh Anne on March 9, 2010

Today I am excited to introduce you to Michele of Mimiware.  Michele and I have a mutual friend – her aunt is a friend of mine from church.  Karen suggested I check out Michele’s etsy shop.  I loved what I found!

Remember my pretty rule?

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” William Morris

Michele’s creations are  both useful and beautiful!  She creates beautiful hand painted items for your kitchen.

Michele has graciously donated one of her pretty hand painted 12″ high pepper grinders to be given away here at Your Homebased Mom.

I don’t know about you but I could sure use a pretty pepper grinder.  My plain wooden one has gotten too close to the gas burner a few too many times!!

Michele has so many pretty things in her shop – here is one of my personal favorites!

To enter the giveaway leave a comment below.  You can receive a second entry by sharing the giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your blog.  Just leave a separate comment each time!

I’d love to introduce Michele of Mimiware to you:


“I have always loved crafting. My mom was very talented and encouraged us all to be creative. She and I started painting about 17 years ago after my 2nd baby.  We would paint any piece of furniture we could get our hands on and opened a business called Whimsy together.

6 years and 2 more babies later I needed to cut back so I started my own business, Mimiware.(My dad calls me Mimi). I painted glassware. I loved it, but soon found out that glass and boys do not mix well together. I decided to paint for fun only…no business.

My mom passed away 8 years ago after the birth of my 5th child.  I had a very hard time painting for a while.  She was my inspiration and
muse.  It took me almost 4 years before I could really paint again. But she had instilled a love of art in me.When my baby went to
kindergarten I  had alot of time on my hands and that meant that I could paint again!  Yeah!!!

I love to come up with new designs and things to paint.I am inspired by everything and anything around me. From outdoors to music to my
kids I am always finding inspiration and beauty around me.”

Please pay a visit to Michele’s etsy shop and leave a comment below for a chance to win her pretty pepper grinder!  The giveaway will remain open until Friday, March 12 at 12:00 a.m. PST

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Lucky Leprechaun Cookie Bark

March 8, 2010

Usually I just ignore St. Patrick’s Day.  Maybe it’s my lack of Irish blood.
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Finding 50}Days 56-62

March 7, 2010

What pretty did you find in your week?  Here’s mine!
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Ree & Leigh{Anne}: Olive Cheese Bread

March 6, 2010

This is my Friday post.  Yes, I know it is Saturday.  And if I wait just a little longer it could be a Sunday post!
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Sewing, Quilting and a Giveaway

March 4, 2010

There has been quite a bit of sewing going on around here lately – it’s that time of year.
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Birthday Cake

March 3, 2010

I guess you could call me a cake snob.  I love cake but it has to be really good cake for it to be worth the calories. Let me just say that the vanilla cake I enjoyed at The Chocolate in Provo  this last weekend was definitely worth the calories!
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Provo Adventures

March 1, 2010

Note:  This post is mainly for my Provo, Utah Valley friends and readers but you may all enjoy taking a look at all the good eating I did this weekend!
I was lucky enough to spend a long weekend this past week with these three pretty amazing people!  Thanks to Wynn and Emily for letting me [...]

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Finding 50} Days 49-55

February 28, 2010

How would you like to win a little bit of pretty this week?  Pay a visit over at Find Your Sock Yarn for a chance to win one of my pretty reusable shopping bags!  Be sure and check it out!!  I apologize to those of you who may have tried to enter the other day [...]

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Ree and Leigh {Anne}:Marmalade Muffins

February 26, 2010

Note: We are having our first giveaway over at our new site – Find Your Sock Yarn and guess who is sponsoring it? Your Homebased Mom Etsy Shop!! If you’d like a chance to win one of my handmade by me reusable grocery bags head on over and leave a comment. [...]

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