Food, Furniture, and Freezing Temperatures

FOOD (One of my favorite topics)

I've been trying to make one new recipe each week and have discovered some pretty good dishes in the process. Last week I made Scalloped Potatoes from Rachael Ray's magazine. I know, making her recipes after that rant about how ridiculous I think she is. It's true, call me out...but let's face it - her magazine mysteriously comes to our house for free and if I happen to find a good recipe or two, so be it. I also made Chicken and White Bean Soup with Herb Swirl from Bon Appetit which was really yummy. Definitely worth the hassle. Serve with the Parmesan Toast recipe and you've got yourself quite a meal!

A few weeks ago I made the Tri Kappa Chicken Casserole receipe which serves pretty much everyone you know. I took this and Baked Mostaccioli to Ashley and Andrew and sent another casserole to a friend from work who just had a baby also. We met Laura for lunch in Fort Wayne and she got one, too. Casseroles are the new greeting card of 2009. This recipe fills four 9x13" pans, so be prepared to share.

Crazy Casserole Lady...now that's got a ring to it!

Tri Kappa Chicken Casserole

8 cups cooked, shredded chicken
2 lbs. medium egg noodles (4-8 oz. packages)
5 cans cream of chicken soup (or two family size)
2-13 oz. cans evaporated milk
1 1/4 lbs. Velveeta
5 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped green pepper
2 cups crushed cornflakes
salt to taste (not much needed)


Boil noodles; add cubes of Velveeta. In large pot, add remaining ingredients (except cornflakes) and mix well. Spread into 4 - 9x13 foil pans. Separate the cornflakes into separate baggies and tape on the pan after covering with foil. If baking right away, sprinkle cornflakes on top and bake uncovered for one hour at 370. If frozen, bake covered for one hour, then sprinkle cornflakes on top and bake uncovered for another 45 minutes to one hour.

FURNITURE (now that I'm a homeowner, old, and boring, this is another one of my favorite topics)

Mom, Dad and Stormy spent the afternoon with us before Stormy left to fly home to Philly, so while the girls shopped my dad and Brent put our bedroom furniture together. Ohhhh, I love it all!! Here's a picture of the sleigh bed, and another of one of the dressers. Fairly boring right now until the room is decorated, but a great start.

The vacuum gets barely any face time on the blog...so here it is.

FREEZING

March 1, and it's still cold. I saw 60 degrees pop into the extended forecast for this week, and let's hope it happens. It's cold, folks! It was extremely cold yesterday when I set out to do the longest run to date - 7 miles. Around mile 3.5, I realized that my UnderArmour had scootched up and all I had protecting my stomach in 17 degree wind chills was a t-shirt. Smart, Lindsey. I was concerned about permanent damage when I got home and realized that there were deep purple splotches on my stomach and legs, you know, like maybe circulation had stopped in those cells or something? I'm no doctor, but it seemed weird. Have no fear, my feeling is back in all my cells and the bottom line is that I ran 7 miles without walking!! And at a time that, if doubled, would put me under 2:30 for the mini. YES!!!!

Crazy Casserole Lady is headed to bed! Goodnight, sleep tight!