Home Sick Meal

Today I was home sick, with some sort of cold-sinus thing. Just on the right side of my face... all runny and watery and icky. I think though, that the title of this post is misleading. Maybe you are thinking this is a meal I make when I am homesick, as in missing my home. But alas, this is just a meal i made when i was at home, sick. I've never really been homesick (as in missing home) I was a pretty independent kid, so sleepovers and overnight camp were a blast. Even when I was living in New Hampshire for a year and I only came home 2 times, I really wasn't too upset. The only time I was a bit homesick was when i was living in China. It was just for a summer, but for some reason, I was very eager to get home. Who knows why? Maybe it was the constant stomach flu, or the psycho team leader, or maybe it was a boy i missed? Well whatever it was, I survived. I always do. No, this is a recipe I enjoyed today as I was lounging on the couch watching the Blue Lagoon with Brooke Shields. Wow, I didn't realize how, um, revealing this movie was. Brooke and the boy are half naked throughout the film! But the beach scenes were gorgeous and made me want to get stranded on a deserted island for awhile. Now, one of my favorite 80's movies is on; She's Having a Baby. Oooh Kevin Bacon is the man!

Rigatoni with Italian Chicken

Original recipe yield: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 cups Italian salad dressing
1 (16 ounce) package uncooked rigatoni pasta
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried parsley

DIRECTIONS
Place chicken breasts in a large resealable plastic bag, and pour in the Italian dressing. Seal bag, and marinate chicken 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drain, discarding dressing, and dice.
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with diced tomatoes.
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place chicken in the skillet, and season with red pepper. Cook and stir 15 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear. Serve over the pasta. Top with Parmesan cheese, and garnish with parsley flakes.

December 6, 2007

12 Days of Christmas

It's all part of the j.o.b.

oh my oh my oh my... Tuesday night. bad bad bad. what about Tuesday night was so bad you ask? well it snowed, that is A. and B, it was snowing during rush hour and C. it took me 4 hours to get home! At first i was up for the challenge. I thought, "Ok, this will be fun, I can do this, no biggie, I've lived in Minnesota all my life, save one year I lived in New Hampshire and they have wicked bad ice storms there!" So promptly at 3:10 pm, I left my work, with a farewell email to kelly who was leaving at the same time, and then the race was on. We figured it would probably take us the same amount of time to get home. So as I am singing Cake's "she's going the distance, she's going for speed..." I exit onto the highway and then STOP. On a 2 mile stretch of highway it took me an hour to get to my next exit! No problemo, I had snacks, pitas & humus to be exact, and it was going to be a good ride. I talked to my mom for awhile, and then Kelly and Jeanelle I was doing great! As I was entering my next exit near downtown Minneapolis, kelly informed me that she overheard that it was going to be a 144 minute! drive from downtown MPLS to downtown St. Paul. This drive should take maybe 8 minutes, if that. So I had the bright idea to drive through downtown mpls and take the back roads. really really big mistake!! it was hell. sorry but it was. it took me almost 2 hours to get through downtown mpls, and then into st. paul the back way. I'm sure i would've been not much better on the highway, with the 35W bridge down and all, everything was congested. Finally at 7:00pm, 4 hours later, i arrived home. My head was throbbing, my butt aching from sitting so long, I yelled at the cat and scowled at my mailbox for lack of good mail. But I was home. praise the lord, I was home. thankful. thankful. and then on the couch is where I lay for the next 24 hours. I took a sick day. Welcome to Minnesota! PUKE!
On a much different note, Megan wrote about her favorite documentary. I thought I would mention mine. It is a National Geographic documentary on Air Force One. For some reason, every time it is on tv, I am captivated. So much history in one airplane. My favorite part is when the head steward says, "It's all part of the j.o.b." and spells it out. Yep, my friends, It really is all part of the J.O.B!

December 5, 2007

A Likhtikn Khaneke

(A Bright Hanukkah)

December 4, 2007

Pretty Poinsettias!

and miles to go before I sleep...

I am a sucker for poetry. More then any other form of writing, poetry is my first love. Novels are my best friends, but poetry has my heart. I could go on and on, about poetry, the writers, the deep hiding meanings just waiting to be discovered, but I won't bore you. In college, I started out as a literature major, before realizing, "What would I do with a literature major?"

Sometimes I wish I wouldn't have been so rational and just stuck in out. As I am writing this, it is starting to snow. So I thought I would share my favorite "snow" poem.

Stopping By Woods On A Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound's the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

-----------------------------------------------

(this part I am writing here in parenthesis is an addition to what i wrote earlier today. I can't tell the future, but this poem spoke the truth, because, it really was miles and miles before i sleep. with the snow storm today it took my 4 HOURS to get home. usually it takes me 30min! miles and miles and more snowy filled miles before i sleep is right!!!)

December 3, 2007

Snow Falling on Evergreens...