It's Sunday and two weeks til Christmas..

Saturday at work was amazing.. We had Allatoona High School's Band, Chorus and students shopping in the store with underprivileged children..Santa was there and had a couple Elves helping out.. It was so great.. The kids were very well behaved and talk about what the spirit of Christmas is about,  they exemplified the love that we all should be sharing everyday,  but especially at this time of year.. it renewed my spirit.. and if you work or have ever worked retail,  that is HUGE!!!   Passed out last night around 7:30,  and it was a crazy Sunday.. went into work at 4am and didn't get home until after 3pm.. We got busy pretty early and I didn't feel like I stopped until I got in my car and made my way home.. came home and put on my warmest, fuzziest clothes and chilled for a while,,  then went into the kitchen and made dinner..  

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

 1 tablespoon olive oil
 1/2 pound hot Italian sausage
 4 cloves garlic, chopped
 1 medium onion, chopped
 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
 4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, chopped
 2 c vegetable stock
 1 c canned pumpkin
 1/2 cup heavy cream
 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, ground or freshly grated
 salt and black pepper
 1 pound rigatoni cooked to al dente
 Romano or Parmigiano, for grating

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Add the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender, add bay leaf, sage, and 1 c of the vege broth to the pan. Reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add remaining vege broth and pumpkin, stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. simmer for 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.
drain pasta and add to the pan with the sauce.. stir well and sprinkle with parmesan cheese..   Serve with a green salad and crusty bread..

This is the cart well where we set things up for the kids from the High School.. loved every second of it.. 

Linda our HR whiz..  she's the best....

Friday :/!!! (Polynesian Chicken)

What a day at work..  it's funny how one guest can change the course of your day.. It was going really well,  was in Hardlines 2 by myself,  but not a big deal,  got Cosmetics zoned and cleaned and was running a cart of assorted strays and ended up helping the nicest old man and the bitterest old woman ever..  after I finished answering all her ridiculous questions,  one being why we didn't have any more red lids to go with the red plastic storage totes and that she didn't want green because that was just to Christmassy..  I overheard her say loudly to her husband,  we will go to my store.. Wal-Mart.. I felt like saying.. yes,  please go to Wal-Mart and keep going there,  we don't want your kind of business..  Finally home,  sitting in my kitchen,  have I mentioned I love my kitchen,  only thing I would change.. I need an island in the center.. lots of open/wasted space..  one day I will get one.. maybe after the new year I can find a freestanding one for now.. eventually I want to redo the kitchen, update it and put in a gas stove and a huge island..  :) So for dinner tonight it is Polynesian Chicken,  still trying to remember the recipe exactly,  but still can't.. but I think this is a closer version than the last one..

 

Polynesian Chicken

olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 red and yellow bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
2 large chicken breast, cubed
1 jar apricot preserves
1 can crushed pineapple, with the juice
soy sauce
hot cooked rice

In a large pan heat the oil,  add the onion and peppers and cook a couple minutes,  add the mushrooms and garlic and cook another minute.. add the chicken and cook until done.. in a bowl combine the preserves. pineapple and soy sauce,  set aside.. when chicken is done, pour the pineapple mixture over and let simmer for 15 minutes..  add the rice and mix together..

Tremendous Tuesday!!! (Fettuccine Alfredo)

As I sit here sipping a warm cup of White Chocolate Mocha, listening to Pandora Radio,  and enjoying listening to the rain I realize how very much I love our new home..  We have decorated for Christmas and are so excited to be spending our first Christmas here..   I love the tree that we got,  it is a little over the top..  10 ft tall.. lol  full of lights and ornaments..  each ornament brings back so many memories..
This time of year makes me miss my mother, sister, nieces, nephews and brother so much.. so hard to believe that my mom has been gone for 12 years..  I remember Christmases as a child,  the greatest joy I had was lying in the living room floor under the tree and looking up at it.. Joanne and I did that every year..  we would lie there in the dark and talk..  there are no words to express how very much I miss her.. she was my best friend..  she knew everything about me..  every tiny detail about my life..  and sometimes unfortunately I knew every tiny detail about hers..  I don't know that I will ever be able to let anyone get that close to me again..  now I am very guarded..  I hear that a lot.. that I am guarded and closed off..  not sure if I will ever be able to be any different..  a person can only take so much heart break..  I give a lot of love,  but I do keep a tiny part of myself secluded and don't let anyone in..  and writing this and leaving it here in my blog freaks me out a tiny bit..  I don't like being this open..  such a vicious cycle.. 
My day wasn't the best,  but I am not going to dwell on it..   It is over and things have been decided that are beyond my control,  so I am not going to think about it again until I have to..  I am off tomorrow and plan on doing some shopping for the cookies and treats I am going to bake this year, maybe go to a few thrift stores and make a stop at Michaels.. then a late lunch with an old friend that I haven't seen in many many years..  :)
For dinner tonight I made Fettuccine Alfredo.. it is a lower fat version and very yummy,  not real heavy..

Fettuccine Alfredo

1 pkg fettuchine, cooked according to pkg directions
2 1/2 c  chicken broth
8 tsp flour
8oz light or non fat cream cheese
minced garlic
pepper
1/4 c parmesan cheese
chopped parsley(optional)

In a large saucepan heat the chicken broth,  whisk in the flour until smooth, add the garlic and pepper,  cook a couple minutes add the cream cheese and melt over low heat,  add the parmesan cheese, stir  until melted.. add the cooked fettuccine stir well.. sprinkle with chopped parsley..  serve hot with a green salad and bread..

Have you missed me?? (Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuit Topping)

Wow,  what a month..  actually,  more like what a crazy 6 to 7 weeks..  seems like yesterday that we looked at the house and now here I sit in the living room..  a room that I absolutely love,  with a fire in the fireplace, waiting for dinner to finish cooking and absolutely loving life... As most of you know,  the girls and I moved into our first house..  we LOVE this place..  It is everything we ever wanted and more..  I can't believe how God has been blessing us..  I am so very thankful to Him for every thing..  It took a while to get moved and settled,  but I think that 99.9% of all the boxes have been unpacked,  we celebrated our very first Thanksgiving here and it was wonderful and we will be celebrating our first Christmas here..  Jeff and Samantha have spent the night twice.. was great both times..  Thanksgiving morning she creeps down the stairs and stands on the next to the last step and waits til I peek around the corner of kitchen and says.  "Hi, G'ma"  I love that little voice..  Then the girls and I worked overnight Black Friday and they spent the night again.. she wasn't awake when we got home so I crawled into bed totally wiped out and slept for about 3 hours..  I wake up and Sams little face is about 2 inches from mine..  the minute she sees my eyes open she  says..  "Hi G'ma"  then she asks.. "what ya doin?"  and I told her I was sleeping,  then she asks, "where's Aunt Boo?"  so I told her she was downstairs in her room sleeping..  and she says,  "I go wake her up"  lol..  I love that little girl so very much..  sort of having withdrawals,  it has been almost a week since I have seen her..  :(  
Today was my 9th straight day of being at the Super T..  very stressful and difficult on the old bod..  my feet hurt so bad..   so glad to see 4:30 today..  When I got home I got busy in the kitchen making dinner.. 

Chicken Pot Pie with Cheddar Biscuits.

2 chicken breast
olive oil
onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
3 potatoes, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
4 oz mushrooms, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can golden mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 bag frozen peas
1 can of milk
salt, pepper

In a stockpot cover 2 chicken breast with water and bring to a boil,  reduce heat and simmer for about an hour to an hour and a half,  remove from broth and cool..  cool broth and refrigerate or freeze to use later..
In a large saucepan head olive oil,  add the onions,carrots, potatoes, peppers, mushrooms and garlic,  cook about 7 minutes.. add the soups, milk and mix well..  add the peas, salt and pepper and let simmer for a few minutes while making the biscuit crust..  after putting the biscuits on top place in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.. 

Cheddar Biscuits

Self rising flour
softened butter
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
milk

In a large bowl add about 2 or so cups of flour,  add 1 stick softened butter and cut in with a fork, add the cheese. stir well,  add the milk and mix well until a soft dough forms,  turn out onto a floured surface, knead and either roll out and cut with a biscuit cutter or pinch off a good size of dough and roll into a ball and then flatten in your hand and then put on top of the pot pie filling,  repeat until all dough has been used..