Don't Speak Too Soon....

After a week of having Jordon say "Don't tell anyone I said that", he finally is letting me add a funny incident that happened at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart walks have become a daily ritual in keeping with the doctor's orders of getting Jordon out and walking, and with the weather nasty, we go to Wal-Mart.

Anyway, to the funny incident. As we were looking for a parking space in the very big, very large Wal-Mart parking lot, Jordon directed me to park between to nice newer looking cars. He told me, "Park there because we know they won't ding our sides with their doors". Funny he said that because as he opened his door, a wind gust caught it and caused it to bump into the door of the nice newer car. (Luckily it didn't leave a mark). Then, with a sheepish grin he said, "I didn' say anything about us hitting their doors". Jordon actually felt really bad about it. He is always very careful about not dinging other people's cars. He was very relieved it didn't leave a mark.

This week I thought I would also add some of our favorite recipes!!! I know I love trying new recipes, especially when friends or family have already tested and tried them. Here they are:

This one is amazing!!!! (We usually throw in extra chicken to make tacos out of YUM!)

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

(I am also including the healthier alternatives)

16 oz. Farfalle pasta

1 c. heavy whipping cream or fat free evaporated milk with a tsp of flour)

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I do a spoonful of crushed garlic)

1 Tbsp. pepper*

1/2 c. butter or 1/4 cup coconut oil

1 lb. bacon, crumpled** or turkey bacon

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese1 (12 oz)

Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you're apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

**We like to cook our bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. And it's crispy every time. Time varies, so you just have to watch it. I think it's usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple (I actually like to use scissors to cut it up into small pieces).

***If you like lots of sauce on your pasta then feel free to double the sauce ingredients: cream, garlic, butter, parmesan, pepper.

[ directions ]Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6-12 hours (the longer it is in, the stronger the flavor). Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

PRETZEL HUGS

This is the easiest snack ever. And kids will love to help. We made a bunch this weekend for a family party and and they were a big hit!

1 bag pretzels

1 pkg. M&Ms

1 pkg. Hershey "Hugs" or rolos

Place pretzels on baking stone or sheet. Place a Hug on each pretzel and bake at 200 degrees for about 8 minutes (just watch for the Hugs to melt*). Remove from oven and promptly place a couple of M&Ms on each pretzel, pressing into the melted chocolate. Allow to cool before serving. I would recommend making these the day before you plan on eating/delivering, or you can put them in the refrigerator to speed up the process.

* I noticed my hugs melt better and look prettier when I break the white top tips off.

Adding a quick note, Jordon has not had a seizure this week! It looks like his new meds are working (a big blessing). Thank you for your prayers, love, and thoughts this week. We are truly blessed to have some many wonderful friends and famiy members.