Link Love, Giveaways and Food

So I thought that I would spend today giving out a little bit of link love. First off, I have to tell you that I actually won a giveaway. My first ever! Let's just say I was a tad excited to put it mildly. What's the giveaway you ask, well it's what every mom or family needs/wants......a $50 gift card to Safeway! Awesome, right? And get this, it actually appeared in my mail box as I was loading the little one in the car to go to Safeway. Can we say perfect timing anyone?! So I would like to send a HUGE thank you to Megan over at Megans A Mom. Do you want to know the best part? She's doing another $50 gift card giveaway right now. So click on over HERE and enter her giveaway because who here doesn't buy groceries? That's what I thought, now go directly (although it's ok if you want to finish my post) to Megan's A Mom, do not pass go, do not collect $200 (although that 50 would be nice, right) and enter. Ok, for those of you still here she has a great blog, very well written, witty and I'll even say her blog has a potential to rival Dooce as time goes on and her numbers grow. Need I say more, go and check it out!

Ok, on to the next one. I came across another blog, very different from the one above, called Our Unexpected Journey, about a family going through life with three children including one who has down syndrome. This blog truly touches my heart because I have worked with children with disabilities in the past and these kids are amazing. I can honestly say that these kids will always have a special place in my heart. Adrienne posts very real thoughts but intermixes it with a positive attitude and pictures of her "cute as a can be" kiddos. One of her recent posts asked readers for an easy, no fuss dinner (as she is "cooking challenged") for her family and it got me thinking about one of my faves that is super easy and yummy. So in her honor I'm going to post it here for all of you and don't hesitate to share your recipes with me or head over to her blog and give her a hand. I'm sure she would love more ideas.

Artichoke Chicken

1. I can of Artichoke hearts , drained and chopped ( I use the ones in water to be a little healthier but I'm sure the fancy oil marinated ones would be scrumptious)


2. 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese


3. 3/4 cup mayo ( I sub 1/2 - 2/3rds of the mayo with fat free mayo to cut down on fat but go with what floats your boat)


4. some pepper and garlic to suit your preferences


5. 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts


6. Mix everything (minus the chicken) together in a bowl.


7. Place chicken in a greased casserole dish and cover with your artichoke mixture.


8. About 30 minutes at 375 degrees and you're done!

This is a super easy recipe and a nice step up from your basic baked chicken It is VERY flavorful so I would pair it up with side dishes that aren't too strong. Bon Apetit!