Grilled Chicken and Garlic Basil Mashed Taters

Our nanny is 7 months pregnant and therefore that means that we run into issues sometimes with sudden issues/DR appt. and all the fun changes that happen with pregnancy. Not to mention that she also has a 2yo. Between our two families it is sometimes hard to tell whom is helping who.

So, today D had to call in because at 11am Miss Nanny was still in the waiting room (appt. at 9am thank you very much). Not her fault AT ALL.

The result was this:

a) chaos
b) I forgot my work badge in the other car (more chaos)
c) I drove the Fairlady...D's sports car that HATES me... (i.e. near death experience)
d) D spent a LOT of mullah at Home Depot and ate at disgusting fast food establishment
e) D will now bow down and worship Miss Nanny for what she does everyday. hehe
f) I decided to make grilled chicken and garlic basil mashed potatoes. (see below)
g) Little O ran around in a diaper all day (men never seem to dress children)

So, here is the recipe for a delish summer evening/crazy day/unplanned chaotic day meal:

My rub on the chicken is the awesomest. I use it ALL the time and tend to make it in large quantities. This makes it hard to give ya'll measurements.

The general mixture is:

1 part oregano
1 part lemon zest
1 part cayenne
1 part black pepper
1 part paprika
and a spinkle of salt.

pat the lovely little chicken dry and rub that rub alllll over.
Now, I always let it sit and get to room temp before grilling but this freaks some people out. So, if you are skittish about meat then just grill it right up.




In the meantime I ran (read: dragged my tired bum) out to the garden.
Thought about weeding and then just decided to pick some fresh basil.
This is all following stepping over (read: nearly busting my face) on a plastic fire truck, a shovel, a mini wheelbarrow, several dangerous large rocks, Buzz Lightyear, and Thing 1 and Thing 2.
I think I need insurance just to have people visit my home.
It doesn't stop there...
The story gets better...
After making it across the landmine of toys I do the following:

step in a hole and nearly face plant. (hehe face plant into a plant...I am so funny)
check to see that no one saw my odd dance moves
step in another hole
check again

safe.

eventually I got some basil for the mashed potatoes and made it back to my kitchen alive... who knew it would be so dangerous??

Next up add the basil into the potatoes ( i used some red potatoes from the garden that I had frozen).
I then added a dash of milk, a ton of butter, a sprinkle of garlic, and a dollop of cream cheese...

See?
That's a lot of butter...
oh and a little pepper...mmm!

At this point the Monster is approaching breakdown time. Meaning one minute I am being hugged and he's "makin the potatoe head" (read: playing with one of the 4685467 million potatoe head parts that are meant to cause parents agony and pain and sometimes giggles) but in the next minute he is fall out on the floor tantrum because I wouldn't let him run into the street. This is the point in the evening that I turn on Despicable Me. ( I secretly LOVE this movie).

Then I tripped over this stupid ball when the Monster insisted that he "wear da back-da-pack".

Oh... grilled chicken!

I wish you could smell these basil garlic taters...
They are so yummy and perfect for this summer evening.
After a uber long, hot day at work I am happy to nearly kill myself getting to the basil, step on several toys, and get random hugs from the Monster because in the end...those are the best memories.