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posting this recipe.... Summer Chicken and Mushroom Pasta Start to Finish: 30 minutes Ingredients 8 oz. packaged dried whole wheat or regular penne pasta 12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-size strips 1/4 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper 2 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil, divided 3 large cloves garlic, minced 3 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 1/2 cup chicken broth 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/4 cup shredded basil leaves 3 Tbsp. snipped fresh oregano 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan cheese 1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper Directions 1. Cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan; keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook and stir about 5 minutes or until chicken is tender and no longer pink. Remove from skil...

How good does this look and sound? As one who love Caesar salad, I am so making this really soon. :) Chicken Caesar Lasagna Prep: 35 minutes Bake: 50 minutes Ingredients 9 dried whole wheat or regular lasagna noodles 2 10-oz. containers refrigerated light Alfredo sauce 3 Tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper 3 cups chopped, cooked chicken breast* 1 10-oz. pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained 1 cup bottled roasted red sweet peppers, drained and chopped 3/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese Directions 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain; rinse with cold water; drain again. Meanwhile, in a bowl combine Alfredo sauce, lemon juice, and black pepper. Stir in chicken, spinach, and red peppers. 2. Lightly coat a 3-quart rectangular baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Arrange 3 noodles in bottom of dish. Top with one-third chicken mixture. Repeat layers twice. Cover; bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until he...

I think this photo pretty much sums up how Natty feels about horseback riding lessons. :) I'm glad that she has found something that she enjoys. God only knows we've tried everything else...soccer & softball (she did those for 2 years), gymnastics (which she took for 3 years) and ballet (that only lasted 1 year). So, it's nice that she has found her thing. She's already talking about horseback riding summer camp. :)

With fall right around the corner, I thought I'd share an easy soup recipe. Enjoy! Tortellini Chicken Soup Start to Finish: 25 min. Ingredients Nonstick cooking spray 12 ounces skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, cut into 1/2-inch cubes 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth 1/2 cup sliced leek or chopped onion 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, slightly crushed (optional) 1 9-ounce package refrigerated herb chicken tortellini or vegetable ravioli 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves or shredded fresh spinach Directions 1. Lightly coat an unheated large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook and stir for 3 minutes. Carefully add broth, leek or onion, ginger, and, if desired, saffron. 2. Bring to boiling. Add tortellini or ravioli. Return to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 9 minutes or until tortellini or ravioli is tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Top individual ser...

Last weekend we decided to take a trip up to New Paltz. They were having this event called The Taste of New Paltz. It was held at the Ulster County Fairgrounds. You bought tickets and then used to the tickets for food from local area resaurants. There was BBQ, Italian, French, Indian, Organic, Pub Grub...you name it, it was there. They had live music and demonstrations...fun stuff. A nice way to wind down summer. :) Natalie and Dylan enjoying caramel apple treats: Decadent dessert from here: Some yummy pulled pork from here:

Today Natty had her first horseback riding lesson. She was so excited. From the minute she woke up this is what I had to endure...Hhow much longer til my lessons? How much longer til 3 o' clock? When do we leave? LOL! She really has never ridden on a horse before. She's been on pony rides but that's about it. So, we took an introductory lesson to see if she liked it or not. Well, of course she took to it immediately. She got on and off no problem. She posted no problem. She was even trotting by the end of the lesson. Her horse was named Willow and her trainer named Sunshine. How sweet is that!? I manned the still camera while Dylan did the videotaping after he took a couple of shots with her camera. It was like she had her very own paparazzi. LOL!!! So, I plunked down the money and got her a lesson package. Next come the boots, helmet and riding pants. I cannot wait for all the photo opps. :D

Since I've got nothing exciting for you lately, I thought I'd share a new recipe... Hoisin-Sauced Turkey Tenderloin Prep: 20 min. Cook: 3 to 4 hrs. (low) or 1-1/2 to 2 hrs. (high) or 2 to 3 hrs. (no heat setting) Slow Cooker: 1-1/2 qt. Ingredients 1/2 of a medium red sweet pepper, cut into thin bite-size strips 1/2 of a small onion, cut into thin wedges 8 ounces turkey breast tenderloin, halved crosswise 1 clove garlic, minced 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 3/4 cup uncooked instant brown rice 3 tablespoons sliced kumquats (optional) 2 tablespoons sliced green onion (optional) 1 tablespoon chopped almonds, toasted (optional) Directions 1. Place sweet pepper and onion in 1-1/2-quart slow cooker. Place turkey on vegetables. Sprinkle with garlic, salt, and pepper. Combine orange juice and hoisin sauce; pour over all. 2. Cover; cook on low-heat setting for 3 to 4 hours or on high-heat setting for 1-1/2 to 2 hou...

Bow Ties with Sausage and Sweet Peppers Start to Finish: 25 minutes Ingredients 4 cups dried large bow ties (8 ounces) 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage links 2 medium red sweet peppers, cut into 3/4-inch pieces 1/2 cup vegetable broth or beef broth 1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper 1/4 cup snipped fresh flat-leaf parsley Directions 1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, cut the sausage into 1-inch pieces. In a large skillet cook sausage and sweet peppers over medium-high heat until sausage is brown. Drain. 3. Add the broth and black pepper to skillet. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Pour over pasta; add parsley. Stir gently to coat. Makes 4 servings. Nutrition facts per serving: Calories 476 Total Fat (g) 20 Saturated Fat (g) 8 Monounsaturated Fat (g) 10 Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 3 Cholesterol (mg) 57 Sodium (mg) 597 Carbohydrate (g) 47 Total Sugar (g) 2 Fiber (g) 3 Protein (g) 20 Vit...

I have very mixed emotions about the first day of school. I truly miss my kiddos and hate that they are gone all day long. I enjoy having them around to do things like go to the library or the park. Yet, when they are not with me errands get done so much faster and with alot less whining. LOL! But, short of home schooling there's really nothing I can do about it. I just have to suck it up. Here's the ubiquitous first day of school photos of my kiddos and our very good friends and neighbors Caroline with Natty and Kelsey with Dyl. :)

Forgive Everyone Revenge, anger, and hatred are exceedingly low energies that keep you from matching up with the attributes of the universal force. A simple thought of forgiveness toward anyone who might have angered you in the past will raise you to the level of Spirit and aid you in your individual intentions. Once again, Dr. Dyer is right on. In the past, I would hold grudges for what seemed like eternity. What is the purpose of holding onto anger? It just made me an unhappy person. I had a good friend who did me wrong...no way to get around it. She knew it. I knew it. Everyone knew it. I think she thought I would blow it off. But, I was so hurt by her actions that I wrote her & our friendship off. I didn't speak to her for so long. Then as time passed and my hurt subsided, I started to miss her and our friendship. I honestly cannot recall who reached out to whom first but I forgave her and we became friends again. She has since moved away but we still keep in tou...