Fake-a-Rita

A few months ago Jerry and I went to The Mission restaurant in Syracuse with our friends Kevin and Sara.
I gazed longingly at the homemade (i.e. not from a mix) margarita on the rocks.

Source

I tried to live vicariously through Jerry and told him to order one, but he is not a tequila lover. 
I have been craving a margarita ever since.

Sara mentioned that I should just make a virgin cocktail for myself.
I found this margarita recipe from Alton Brown and decided to give it a try. I added a few frozen strawberries.
Mmm, strawberry Fake-A-Rita.

It didn't exactly taste like a margarita. But it was pretty delicious. This would be prefect on a hot day or while BBQ-ing outside.
I think the agave nectar to sweeten the drink was a decent substitute for the tequila.
Although I did miss the tequila a little.

And as refreshing as this was, it was like liquid acid going down my throat.
But satisfying my margarita craving was worth a little bit of heartburn.

Last night's dinner was a little random. I had defrosted chicken and some broccoli in the fridge. But the thought of eating broccoli was totally unappealing. I have had better luck eating vegetables when I hide them inside a one-pot meal.
So I threw together a pasta/chicken/broccoli dish.

I cooked some chicken breast with some blackening seasoning and then set it aside.
I sauteed chopped garlic in a pan and then made a Quick Cheese Sauce:

• Melt one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter. 
• Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons flour and whisk until it forms a paste. Let cook for a few minutes.
• Whisk in 1 1/2 cups of skim milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a bubble.
• Remove from heat and stir in 3-4 ounces of grated cheese

I used sharp cheddar cheese and added a pinch of the blackening seasoning to the sauce.
I cooked up 1/2 pound of whole wheat pasta and added 2 cups of chopped broccoli to the pot for the last 3 minutes of cooking.
I diced the chicken and added it to the sauce. Once the pasta was drained I threw everything into the sauce.

I loved the flavor the extra garlic and blackening seasoning gave to the dish. I even picked out the broccoli and ate it first. I really liked it covered in the slightly cheesy cream sauce.
If you had pre-cooked chicken and frozen chopped broccoli, this dinner would take you 20 minutes, tops.

Jerry enjoyed his with a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

I wonder when it is appropriate to have a glass of wine after giving birth?
A few weeks? When you get back home? In the recovery room?!