Pink task/Blue task. | A Life From Scratch.

Our good friends Catherine and Jeff have coined quite a genius saying. After hanging out with them a bit I’d hear one of them throw out ‘oh, that’s a blue task I don’t have to do that’ or vice versa. Blue meaning ‘boy’ task of course. It made perfect sense and what a clever way to clearly divide the never ending chores that pop up around the home.

Every couple is completely different of course, but I’ve found our ‘pink task/blue task’ list to be quite traditional. I sometimes wonder if I was born in the wrong era…? I do have a slightly modern side as I enjoy my office time and that, in the utmost traditional sense, is considered a ‘blue task’ but aside from that I pretty much line up with every traditional pink task in the book.

These tasks become clearer when M travels. As he was in Utah most of the week a good part of my Friday was devoted to making sure things were in line when he returned home late at night. His dry cleaning was picked up, house was cleaned, laundry was folded, his favorite beer (Matilda) was chilling in the fridge, a homemade dinner was on the stove, and his favorite peanut butter cookies were in the cookie jar – still slightly warm.

Sound too nice? Well, the blue task list has all ready formed. There is currently a shoe (ok YOUR shoe, M) in the kitchen with a ridiculously large dead spider squished under it. It’s been there since Wednesday. Please clean that up. Also this delicious meal that was prepared? I pretty much did that in the dark. Please change the three light bulbs that are out in the kitchen. My car is a mess and the lawn needs to be mowed and the list goes on and on…

In terms of the actual recipe portion of this post I’d like to introduce you to your new best friend: baked chicken in tomato sauce. It’s SUPER easy – only 6 ingredients, count them, SIX! (I don’t count salt, pepper, and olive oil as ingredients). Another great part is that it tastes great at 6:00 (when I ate it) or 10:30 (when M will eat it). It can just hang out on the stove and be ready to go exactly when you are. Ah, another blue task. I kid.

‘Baked Chicken in Tomato Sauce’ – serves 4
Recipe adapted from DinnerALoveStory

Ingredients:

- olive oil
- 4 pieces of bone in chicken breasts
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
- handful of freshly chopped basil
- 6 good chunks of fresh mozzarella
- salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat a few TBS of olive oil over medium high heat in a dutch oven.

Season both sides of chicken with salt & pepper. Brown chicken pieces about 3 minutes per side and remove from pot.

Lower heat, add in a bit more olive oil and saute onion for a few minutes. Add in garlic. Saute for about 30 seconds. Stir in diced tomatoes. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes. Stir in mozzarella chunks and basil. Add chicken back in, submerge in the sauce, and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve over noodles or with a roll and a simple side salad. It’s a relaxed recipe – don’t make it fussy.

I’d so clean up a dead spider if I came home to this meal.
Courtney