Things your mother never taught you...well, maybe she did but I don't remember

Okay, here I am with a new post (gasp!)...and this one is for everyone to benefit from.  Let's all cheer for recipes!
Now, I would say I like to cook...sort of.  I like to cook when I have a plan. and time. As far as food goes, I LOVE food. Like, I don't just like to eat it, I just really really enjoy the experience of food. It's what makes a good vacation or evening with friends.  Food is key. Luckily, I seem to be raising two children with the same spirit, as both of my kids are great eaters (for now), and even McLean says one of her goals for the Summer is to "try fish when we go to New Orleans."  This isn't really food, but here's Hazel enjoying a twizzler with her cousin...wait, how old is she?? Oh, just 11 months...

So, in light of liking to cook, sort of....I am learning more tricks of the trade as I go.  Many of you might laugh when I say that I just recently learned how to roast chicken.  It's true.  You'd think I would have learned these things from watching mom growing up, but I was either was too busy to watch or she didn't do it either. No fault to dear ol mom, I'm just sayin'.  Something I have yet to embark on is Lasagna...why does it intimidate me so much?? I have heard it is super easy, but I just can't do it yet. soon.
Well, enough blabbing.
I wanted to share with all you secret and not so secret followers out there one of my favorite recipes that is super simple and YUMMY- especially in the middle of Summer.  it make tons and so its easy to make them for people coming to dinner or when you are bringing dinner to a family...and you need to eat too.
back to the roasting chicken thing...I have found that it is amazingly easy for stay at home moms, or even for working gals to do on the weekend when you have more time. Buy all your chicken for the week and roast it all at once- and amazing upon amazing- your meat is cooked already for the week.
This seems so simple, I know....why am I just catching on to this time saving goodness??
So- grab some chicken on sale at whole foods or Hen House has pretty good chicken too, and roast on.
here's a tasty way to do it:

You can save money (key) by buying split chicken breast (meaning, bone is still in and skin is still on- more work for you, but cheaper):
How to roast chicken:
1.  preheat to 450 degrees
2.  grab your roasting pan (that weird pan that came with your oven. it has two pieces)
3.  place chicken on the pan and drizzle with a little olive oil on both sides
4.  add salt and pepper on both sides and then some herbs (i like thyme and rosemarry), maybe a little      garlic powder.
5. that is seriously it. now just put it in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. then you can dice it up, or whatever you need for your recipe.
A recipe to use your roast chicken on:
Orzo Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

I bag Orzo pasta (in the pasta isle...usually in a smaller bag)

1/2 cup- 1 cup Olive oil (this is one of the ingredients i just kind of eyeballed and did until it looked good)

1 rotisserie chicken, diced (if you need quick and easy, this is the route. or use your roasted chicken or use grilled)

1 pkg feta cheese

2-3 cups torn spinach (again, you can eyeball this- just put a bunch in, ha!)

Zest of 1 lemon

Juice of 1-2 lemons (i did 2 lemons in mine. better taste!)

1 pkg cherry tomatoes (I quartered mine, but you could just throw them in)

fresh thyme (or dried if you don't want to spend the money on fresh). add to taste.

salt and pepper added to taste.

Directions:

cook Orzo per package. drain and set aside to cool

zest your lemon into the pasta

add diced chicken 

add tomatos

in a separate small bowl, combine juice of lemons and olive oil. add some salt and pepper and mix.

add the "dressing" to the pasta and stir

add spinach**

add thyme if you want...i think dill might be good in here too.

stir in feta last before serving

serve room temp or warm.

i would make sure the pasta and chicken are cool enough so that when you mix in your spinach and feta it doesn't wilt or cheese doesn't melt, though.

so there you go. dinner for tonight...and probably tomorrow if you don't share it with someone. enjoy.

and now my kids can't say I didn't teach them how to roast chicken.