And the Best Sister Award goes to...

LACEY! After careful consideration and many nominees, Lacey Kressin won by a landslide with her work in GIVING ME A WHOLE SET OF KNIVES!! She had an extra set that she didn't need and offered to send them to me. I still owe her a fortune for the shipping but I LOVE them!

Ironically, the first time I used them was when I was making a recipe that she had given me for Cajun Chicken Pasta. My mom asked me to make this for her Mother's Day dinner because it's her favorite recipe, so I did! The chicken is full of flavor, and the crunch of the bell peppers with the al dente pasta is a perfect combination. Plus, the longest part of this recipe is the cooking the pasta, so this is such a great family recipe.

My suggestions with this recipe:

-The original recipe calls for 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but for some reason I have always cut them up into bite-size pieces. I would think it's a better idea because it cooks faster and makes it easier to eat.

-This is my mom's suggestion: more chicken! She always says that, this time I put three huge chicken breasts in and that made her happy, but I like it just fine with the original pasta:chicken ratio.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Ingredients:

-4oz linguine pasta

-2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

-Cajun seasoning to taste

-1 red bell pepper, sliced

-1 green (or yellow) bell pepper, sliced

-1 green onion, chopped

-1 cup heavy cream

-1/4 teaspoon dried basil

-1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

-1/4 teaspoon salt

-1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

-1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

-1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

- Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

-Place the chicken and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic bag. Shake to coat. In a large skillet over medium heat, saute the chicken until almost tender (5 to 7 minutes).

-Add the peppers, and green onion. Saute and stir for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce Heat.

-Add the cream, basil, lemon pepper, salt, garlic, and ground black pepper. Heat through. Add the cooked pasta, toss and heat through. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

YUM!