new music, a recipe, and a picture

First, here's a picture of my sweet boy. He's been smiling and laughing and talking up a storm and I love it! I had no idea babies were so fun...little did I know!

Second, I just discovered Josh Garrels' music and it is SO good! You can get his album for free on his website or on noisetrade (which, by the way, is a great site for getting new music). I'm not really sure how to describe his sound...different, eclectic, creative, melodic...I like it a whole lot.

And finally, I made this for dinner tonight and remembered how good it is, so I thought I should post it in case you need a new recipe to try. This actually came from my mom's Weight Watchers cook book.

Caribbean Black Beans & Chicken (Serves 4, takes approx. 30 min to cook)

1 1/2 t canola oil

3/4 lb skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 in. pieces

1/2 t salt

1 sm. onion, chopped (I skip this ingredient)

2 lg jalapenos, seeded & minced - wear gloves! (leave some seeds in if you want some heat)

1 T fresh ginger, peeled and minced (I use a small root and don't bother to actually measure)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 c orange juice

1/2 t dried thyme

1/4 t ground allspice

1 c diced fresh pineapple

1/4 c fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat 1 t oil in a large nonstick skillet over med-hi heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with 1/4 t salt and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 5 min. Transfer to a plate. Add remaining 1/2 t oil to same skillet, then add onion, jalapenos, ginger, and garlic. Cook over med-hi heat, stirring often, until onion is golden, about 4 min. Stir in the beans, orange juice, thyme, allspice, and remaining 1/4 t salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered about 2 minutes. Return chicken to the skillet and heat through, about 1 minute. Serve with pineapple and cilantro.

Tonight I also baked some corn bread (just the Jiffy box) and we put a piece of cornbread on the bottom of a bowl, then topped that with the chicken and beans, and then put pineapple on top of that. I thought it was pretty delish.