Things got a little crazy up in the Hassienda last night. We had an Italian Fiesta! That sounds a little crazy doesn’t it? If you know me, that actually sounds perfectly normal. I love Mexican and Italian, so why  not?

The fiesta takes me back to high school and a sweet little Spanish teacher named Ms. Sparrow. Bless her heart. We were hellions. Terrible! I am truly surprised our behavior didn’t land her in the Bedlam Asylum.

The final straw for Ms. Sparrow came while we were conjugating verbs. Two classmates set Ms. Sparrow’s Pinata on fire. Yep. Up in smoke. Like Cheech and Chong. Then threw a notebook on it  to put it out. Let me repeat…a notebook. With paper. Sigh.

After the firetrucks left, we never saw Ms. Sparrow again. Some say she went back to teaching Kindergarten as they were less pyro prone. Others say she retired. I’m still thinking asylum. Bless her heart.

Southwest Shredded Chicken over Black Bean Pasta 

• 2 chicken breasts or thighs – cooked and shredded
• 1 package black bean pasta – you can substitute regular pasta + one can of black beans
• 1 can fire roasted tomatoes or Mexican seasoned tomatoes
• 1 jar corn salsa or corn relish (homemade or store bought)
• 1 onion – diced
• 1 tbsp. cumin

         

Directions:

Blend shredded chicken with cumin and olive oil and toss well to evenly distribute. Boil pasta with onion until al dente. Drain and add remaining ingredients to the pasta. Toss well and serve.

Life is too short to eat ugly food y’all.