As promised, here's post number two about using what we've got on hand to make dinner. Tonight's special: Butt Massage Chicken, black bean burgers, and a random knish (did I spell that right?), all grilled up by my handsome guy.

By now you may be asking yourself "what the (insert four letter word) is Butt Massage Chicken?". I hate to even say, only because I know you all will think I've for some creepy obsession with the Lady herself, Paula Deen.

I don't.

But I do like her....a lot. :)

Paula is dear to my heart. Like me, she's from Georgia, though her town is easier to pronounce (I'm from Hephzibah- say that three times fast ha!). Like me, she's got a love for food and family. And very much like me, she's a hoot and a half. :)

For Christmas my awesome dad and stepmom sent me a bottle of her "Butt Massage", essentially a sweet and spicy BBQ rub. It's divine.

Tonight I used it to create a marinade for the chicken breasts I had in the freezer from the last sale. It came out great. Here's what I did:

1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1/2 cup fat free Italian dressing
1 tsp liquid smoke
2-3 tbs Paula Deen Butt Massage seasoning

Combine all ingredients- marinade chicken for 30 minutes. Grill until done.

The chicken was spicy, smoky and sweet- perfect for our al fresco pool side dinner. I'm looking forward to leftovers on a green salad for lunch tomorrow. :)

We're going on vacation in 18 days. It's going to be 7 fabulous days of fun in the sun in the Western Caribbean. If you've been following me for a while you probably know that while I try to live frugally throughout the rest of the year, I really tighten the reigns before vacations and try to save as much as possible.

One thing I love to do is go through my pantry and freezer and plan meals based only what I have on hand. It's pretty easy at first but gets a little tougher as the time goes by. On tonight's menu: tilapia tacos with cantaloupe salsa. Normally I'd have used mango or some tropical fruit, but I have to say the cantaloupe was delicious. Here's the recipe:

Cantaloupe Salsa:

1 small onion (about 5 tbs diced)
1/2 large tomato
1 jalapeño, seeded
1 cup of cantaloupe
2-3 tbs lime juice (I used the stuff in the squeeze bottle- shameful, I know)
Salt & pepper

Finely dice all of the veggies and cantaloupe. Add lime juice, salt, and pepper, marinate in the fridge until ready to use.

I saw Paula Deen say the other day that she loves salt and pepper on melon. I can totally see why. Seriously try this salsa- the combo of sweet and spicy was amazing.

I simply sautéed the tilapia with lemon pepper and blackened seasoning, and served everything with tortillas, black beans and a little sour cream. Enjoy!

I'm going to try to post the new things I come up with every night. It will help me keep from obsessing about my vacation. And about snorkeling with sharks. :)