Not more soup!

It's STILL cold here and I'm about tired of soup... I found this yummmy looking casserole.... thought we might want to try it!!

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

8 oz. dried bow tie pasta
1 small onion, chopped
1 Tbsp. butter
2 eggs
1-1/4 cups milk
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (optional)
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (8 oz.)
1 14-oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 Tbs butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain.

In medium skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; set aside.

Whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper, and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, Monterey Jack cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, garlic, half of the Parmesan, cooked pasta, and onion. Transfer to 3-quart rectangular baking dish.

Bake, covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika, and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

BBBBRRRRRRR!!! Soup's on.....

Our low yesterday morning was 4! Thankfully, Bill took Murphy (our Schnauzer) out first thing in the am! I was more than happy to stay inside nursing a hot latte (1/2 hot milk and 1/2 coffee) -one of my "guilty pleasures" learned on our trip to Germany last spring. In Germany they called it "Milch Cafe" or white coffee.... yummy!


Tonite we are predicted to get snow and freezing rain.....sounds like a good day for making a pot of soup or chili! How about trying a new soup recipe?

Hearty Lasagna Soup
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 25 minutes
Serves: 4
1 lb. ground beef

1/4 cup chopped onion
1 tsp. minced garlic
1/4 tsp. dried parsley flakes
3 1/2 cups Swanson® Beef Broth
1 can (about 14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes
1/4 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 1/2 cups uncooked corkscrew-shaped pasta
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the beef, onion, garlic and parsley in a 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat for 10 minutes or until the beef is well browned, stirring often. Pour off any fat.
Stir the broth, tomatoes and Italian seasoning in the saucepan and heat to a boil.
Stir the pasta in the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is tender. Stir in the cheese. Serve with additional cheese, if desired.

Comfort Food

Sometimes you just NEED comfort food.... try these delicious, soft, chewy cookies. If you can't resist them, keep the dough in the refrig and bake 2 at a time... they're even better, warm and squishy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups regular oatmeal (NOT instant)

1 (11.5-oz) pkg chocolate mega morsels

1 cup chopped toasted pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat butter and sugar a medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl, stirring well. Add oatmeal and stir well. Add to butter mixture; stir until well combined. Gently stir in chocolate chips and pecans.

Drop by rounded tablespoons 2-inches apart on parchment paper lined cookie sheets. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cool on pan 2 to 3 minutes. Remove cookies to wire racks to cool completely. Store in airtight container. Yield: 2 1/2 doz.

Note: I added dried cranberries and raisins, reduced the chocolate morsels to 1/2 bag and omitted the nuts. Add or subtract as you like!!!

Real life

It seems that all of our children are going through "real life crisis" of one kind or another. Sometimes, life just plain sucks. There's no way around it and no kinder way to say it. However, just when you're at the end of your rope, things get better. All that said (and yes, it is terribly cliche), it doesn't make the "going through it" until you get to the better part any easier.

As hard as it is, give it over to God. He has a plan for each of us. Sometimes we are all about OUR plan, not His. Step back, take a deep breath, pray that He will show you His plan and then be prepared to wait it out. His plan is always better for us than ours.

I have every confidence and faith that there IS a house out there for Kelley and Zach, a job for Brian and one for Jen. In the meantime, I will pray feverently for each of them.

God bless my children. I love them each and every one.

Snack time

Here's a great snack for a Super Bowl party or movie- at- home -night. Make your own pita chips to save money and calories. If you like guacamole, you'll love this! Substitute fat free sour cream for yogurt, if desired.

Avocado-Yogurt Dip with Cumin

from Cooking Light

Scoop this creamy dip with pita chips and carrot, celery, red bell pepper sticks. Prepare up to eight hours in advance, and refrigerate in an airtight container.

3/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 ripe peeled avocados, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender, and process until smooth.

Not just another Saturday...

Thanks, Jen for the idea for this one!


Its not just another Saturday, it's my birthday! I've heard from my children and grandson in one form or another, my dear sweet husband surprised me with a panini maker (think there was an ulterior motive there??) and we're going to Karen's for supper. Life is good. And, as Mama said, having another birthdy sure beats the alternative!!!




I love my new wallet that Kel sent me.. it goes so well with my new Italian leather purse purchased in Venice!






Here's my dear cousin Carol and me at my first birthday party! We're like sisters and I'm sooo thankful for her!!


Aren't we so cute???

Sunny Days and Happy Thoughts

Did you miss me yesterday? Bill and I spent the day in ATL at a retirement party for one of his old buds. Walking 2 blocks from the parking lot to the old Rich's bldg, passing by the 5 Points Marta station, and numerous (questionably) homeless people made me very thankful to look out at the beautiful mountains this morning!

This blog REALLY should be about food - right? So, enough about the well and lets talk good food. Like everyone else, I realize that the past couple of months have been filled with high calorie, rich, too much sugar, and generally just too much food. After all, we did eat our way through 5 countries in 2 weeks then came home to 2 Thanksgiving dinners, a cookie swap, and Christmas dinner! Now is the time to DO something about it.

Yesterday I started out on the right track. I grocery shopped at Publix before returning to the world of rotten veggies at our local Wal Mart. The fresh green beans were tender and bright green, red peppers on sale, and fresh baby spinach literally called out to me as I strolled past. Yes, as I used to tell my high school home ec students, healthy eating is COLORFUL and CRUNCHY.

Fresh salmon was on sale and one big fillet will be 2 generous servings when paired with the fresh veggies and couscous.

Get on the program - Five a Day - fruits and veggies.

CRUNCHY and COLORFUL !

Broccoli with Soy, Rice Vinegar and Sesame Seeds

Roasting brings out the best in broccoli. The tips of the flowers char lightly while the stems stay nicely crisp. And best of all, roasting turns this strong-flavored vegetable into a mild, sweetly flavored flower stalk. The secret is high heat. For a particularly attractive presentation, serve the broccoli atop strips of roasted red bell pepper .

1 lb. broccoli spears, tough ends trimmed
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbs. peanut oil
1 Tbs. Asian sesame oil
1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
1 Tbs. sesame seeds
1 Tbs. soy sauce
1 Tbs. rice vinegar

Preheat an oven to 475°F. Arrange the broccoli spears in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Season lightly with salt and pepper. In a small dish, stir together the peanut and sesame oils and the garlic. Brush the broccoli spears on all sides with the oil mixture. Roast the broccoli, turning once, until the stems are nearly crisp-tender and the florets are beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the broccoli evenly with the sesame seeds. Continue to roast until the seeds are toasted, the stems are crisp tender and florets are browned, about 5 minutes more. Remove the pan from the oven and arrange the broccoli on a platter. Drizzle with the soy sauce and vinegar and serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 4.


Variation: To prepare broccoli with garlic oil, omit the peanut and sesame oils, sesame seeds, soy sauce and rice vinegar. In a small bowl, stir together 3 Tbs. olive oil and the garlic. Arrange the broccoli on the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and brush with the garlic oil. Roast for about 15 minutes. Drizzle 2 tsp. fresh lemon juice over the broccoli and serve.