The Saturday 7
1.Last Saturday, I tried one of my pinterest finds: chicken bacon pasta. It was amazing!! Although it was definitely more work than I usually put into dinner. It's such a pain cooking 4 different things (chicken, pasta, bacon, sauce) and trying to get them all to be done at the same time! It was good for a special occasion though ( we had friends over). I'll keep it in my repertoire. (Recipe at the end of this post.)
2. Sometimes I wish I had taken a different path in life. I would like to go back and experience what it would be like to finish college, get a use-able degree. Get a big time job and make big time money. I'm a quick learner. I could do pretty much anything I put my mind to. Be an editor, a writer, maybe even something practical like an accountant. I'd like to know what it's like to live on my own, get married when I'm older, have an expensive, extravagant wedding, a real destination honeymoon. Maybe travel the world. Buy an expensive house in a development, decorate out of the Pottery Barn catalog, drive a nice car. . . . But then I wouldn't have Lucy or all the wonderful things in my life now. I suppose I can't have my cake and eat it too. But it'd be fun to experience life both ways. I'm beginning to realize that barring a major life change or lottery win, I probably won't ever see Rome or Hawaii. It's unlikely I'll ever drive a car newer than 10 years old, or buy anything out of the Pottery Barn catalog ever. Haha. That's ok, though. You just have to scroll down and read the entry before this one to realize why being poor is worth it to me. :-)
3. I did horribly in "Words With Friends" this week. Todd and Laura beat me again, as well as my cousin Elizabeth.
4. In case you're not from around here, we had a major temperature shift this week. Good ole midwest. At the beginning of the week, we had the air on. In the past couple of days I've been incredibly tempted to turn on the heat! Fortunately, our house stays pretty warm. I don't think it ever got much below 66 - which is what we keep our heat on during the winter anyway. But at work yesterday, their house was 61 degrees all day. It never warmed up! Brr!!! It made me realize that I am so not ready for winter. I despise being cold. I'd take 95 degrees over 35 any day!!!
5. Have you seen that dumb commercial for some kind of pasta side dish? I can't remember what it's called now, but the commercial is these 4 bears (real - not animated) catching pasta in a river, then bringing it home and cooking it up for dinner. Lucy loves it. Anytime it's on tv - even if she's not paying attention, she points and laughs. It's just ironic considering my extreme fear of bears. Haha.
6. Speaking of fears, I have a new one: bibliophobia - fear of books. If you knew me in high school, you realize how surprising this is. I used to love books! I was a voracious reader! But then I read Crazy Love and everything changed. Ok, so I'm not scared of all books, just challenging spiritual ones. Haha. Our pastor recommended the book Radical by David Platt. So many of my friends and family members have read it and raved about how eye opening and challenging it is. I really want to read it, but I'm scared. I'm scared that it's just going to be another book that makes me doubt my salvation. I'm scared that it is going to make me abandon my comfortable life. I'm scared that it is going to open my eyes to what a pathetic Christian I am. I bought it on Monday and have yet to crack it open. But that all changes today. We have no plans. It's a cold, gloomy day. Perfect for cuddling on the couch with my blanket, coffee, and scary, challenging book. I'm sure you'll hear more about it. Stay tuned.
7. Here's my C25K update: I never did do my 3rd workout last week, so I decided to repeat week one this week. I did it Monday and Thursday, so I need to make myself do one more today. And surprisingly, it is getting a little bit easier! I noticed I wasn't breathing as hard on Thursday and didn't really feel like I was dying! Woohoo!
Here's the Chicken Bacon Pasta Recipe
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want the heat) -- I didn't use these
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 grilled chicken breast, sliced -- We don't have a grill, so I just cooked some chicken in a skillet with a little seasoning
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done (according to package instructions).
Place cream and cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and pepper and whisk until blended.
Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of hot water) and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in the bacon, and add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Top with grilled chicken.
2. Sometimes I wish I had taken a different path in life. I would like to go back and experience what it would be like to finish college, get a use-able degree. Get a big time job and make big time money. I'm a quick learner. I could do pretty much anything I put my mind to. Be an editor, a writer, maybe even something practical like an accountant. I'd like to know what it's like to live on my own, get married when I'm older, have an expensive, extravagant wedding, a real destination honeymoon. Maybe travel the world. Buy an expensive house in a development, decorate out of the Pottery Barn catalog, drive a nice car. . . . But then I wouldn't have Lucy or all the wonderful things in my life now. I suppose I can't have my cake and eat it too. But it'd be fun to experience life both ways. I'm beginning to realize that barring a major life change or lottery win, I probably won't ever see Rome or Hawaii. It's unlikely I'll ever drive a car newer than 10 years old, or buy anything out of the Pottery Barn catalog ever. Haha. That's ok, though. You just have to scroll down and read the entry before this one to realize why being poor is worth it to me. :-)
3. I did horribly in "Words With Friends" this week. Todd and Laura beat me again, as well as my cousin Elizabeth.
4. In case you're not from around here, we had a major temperature shift this week. Good ole midwest. At the beginning of the week, we had the air on. In the past couple of days I've been incredibly tempted to turn on the heat! Fortunately, our house stays pretty warm. I don't think it ever got much below 66 - which is what we keep our heat on during the winter anyway. But at work yesterday, their house was 61 degrees all day. It never warmed up! Brr!!! It made me realize that I am so not ready for winter. I despise being cold. I'd take 95 degrees over 35 any day!!!
5. Have you seen that dumb commercial for some kind of pasta side dish? I can't remember what it's called now, but the commercial is these 4 bears (real - not animated) catching pasta in a river, then bringing it home and cooking it up for dinner. Lucy loves it. Anytime it's on tv - even if she's not paying attention, she points and laughs. It's just ironic considering my extreme fear of bears. Haha.
6. Speaking of fears, I have a new one: bibliophobia - fear of books. If you knew me in high school, you realize how surprising this is. I used to love books! I was a voracious reader! But then I read Crazy Love and everything changed. Ok, so I'm not scared of all books, just challenging spiritual ones. Haha. Our pastor recommended the book Radical by David Platt. So many of my friends and family members have read it and raved about how eye opening and challenging it is. I really want to read it, but I'm scared. I'm scared that it's just going to be another book that makes me doubt my salvation. I'm scared that it is going to make me abandon my comfortable life. I'm scared that it is going to open my eyes to what a pathetic Christian I am. I bought it on Monday and have yet to crack it open. But that all changes today. We have no plans. It's a cold, gloomy day. Perfect for cuddling on the couch with my blanket, coffee, and scary, challenging book. I'm sure you'll hear more about it. Stay tuned.
7. Here's my C25K update: I never did do my 3rd workout last week, so I decided to repeat week one this week. I did it Monday and Thursday, so I need to make myself do one more today. And surprisingly, it is getting a little bit easier! I noticed I wasn't breathing as hard on Thursday and didn't really feel like I was dying! Woohoo!
Here's the Chicken Bacon Pasta Recipe
1/2 pound bacon, cooked and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (or less if you don't want the heat) -- I didn't use these
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 pound penne pasta
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cream cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 whole eggs
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 grilled chicken breast, sliced -- We don't have a grill, so I just cooked some chicken in a skillet with a little seasoning
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until done (according to package instructions).
Place cream and cream cheese in a small saucepan. Heat over low until cream cheese is melted, and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat. Add the parmesan cheese, eggs, garlic powder, red pepper flakes and pepper and whisk until blended.
Drain pasta (reserving 1/2 cup of hot water) and return to pot. Immediately add the white sauce and toss to coat. The hot pasta will cook the eggs. Stir in the bacon, and add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce. Top with grilled chicken.
I liked Radical SO SO SO much better than Crazy Love. I thought Crazy Love was downright offensive some times. I know Chan was just trying to stir the pot, but what happened to speaking the truth in love? I thought he was downright cold and cruel to Christians at parts. He had a great message but poor delivery. Anyhow, Radical is the same basic message but done out of love. I think you will feel much more encouraged while still being challenged in this book. So fear not.
ReplyDeleteAnd speaking of usable degrees, I have one, but I promise there is no big time money out there, not unless you want to go all the way to get your doctorate, anyway. And by then you'll have to pay off school loans for the rest of your life (if you aren't already like I am). But still, I know exactly what you mean. In my original life vision for myself, I didn't think I'd get married until I was 28 (which is just hilarious to me since I turned 27 at the beginning of the month). I still daydream about it sometimes, but I am glad that God's plan was so radically different than my own. (And by the way, editors don't make much money.) :-)
Mmm that recipe sounds delicious! Kind of like a pasta alfredo dish. I'm going to have to try it!
ReplyDelete(I'd take 35 over 95 anyday ;)