Cold day dinner.

Tortellini Soup:
1-2 Large carrots
2 Stalks of celery
1 Medium onion
1 Bag cheese tortellini
2 32 oz Containers of chicken stock
1 Clove of garlic
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 red pepper flakes
Salt and Pepper
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Boneless skinless chicken breast Coat bottom of pan with olive oil. Add chopped garlic and red pepper flakes. Heat to infuse the oil.

Add carrots, celery, onion and chicken. All should be chopped into small pieces. This will allow a quick cook time. Saute until chicken is cooked through. Onion will become translucent.

Pour chicken broth into pot.
Bring to a boil, cover and continue until veggies are tender. Salt and pepper to taste.

Add tortellini and cook until done. Aprox 7-8 mins.

We like to serve ours with some fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top.

And some of these on the side.

Enjoy!

Snow day?

Source of photo
We woke up this morning to snow, ice and more snow. My poor pups looked at me like I was a mad woman while trying to get them to go out side. So we are waiting to see if we will be traveling into the work place today. So far we are on delay until noon. Most of the city and surrounding areas are shut down or moving at a snails pace. So while answering a few sporadic emails I am watching the Sopranos (I could watch rerun after rerun of the show and NEVER get sick of it) and trying to decide what type of cookie to bake to go with our "White hot chocolate". I'll have to check with my mom (how much do I sound like a 6 yr old) to see if I can share our family recipe for the VERY best warm you from the inside on a cold day drink EVER! And the best part is...it only takes about 3 ingredients. Or maybe The Mama could post it on her site, then she would have a post on her site. (No pressure mom ) Any who back to the cookies...Should we have M&M, Chocolate chip, Oatmeal raisin, Peanut butter or White Chocolate macadamia nut?! Oh how I love when these are the hard decisions of the day!

Now to my lovely bosses.....I think we should not go in at all today, and if we don't I promise to bring in a batch or two of cookies for you!! Enjoy your day all. Cuddle up with the ones you love, stay warm and fix up some good food. I am hoping for a complete snow day!

I thought I would participate in ....

*I did not skip they gym this morning to sleep and extra hour. That would not get me closer to my goal at all.

*I did not eat a muffin for breakfast while watching TLC shows that I had DVR'd that would have been a waste of time.

*I have not wanted to choke the crap out of almost every human I have had contact with today. That would not be very nice of me.

*I am not counting down the hours until I get to go home. That would be wishing my life away.

*I am not going to go call my husband and wine like a little girl, that would be SO immature of me.

TGIF and Cupcakes

I need to start by giving a quick update......thank God the word on Harper keeps getting better and better. Last I read on Kelly's blog Harper was at 43% oxygen!!! God is good!

I love Fridays! I don't know that they are my favorite day of the week. I don't know if I really have a favorite day, but I enjoy Fridays A LOT!!! The whole weekend is ahead of you. I think this is going to be a low key weekend. Hubby is S.I.C.K. it's just a cold but it is still enough to make the pep in his step a little lacking. We have plans to meet some friends and their Kiddos for dinner tomorrow night, beyond that......the days will be spent doing whatever I want. That is my favorite part of Fridays. It is the kick off to days of doing whatever I want.

And now for a little creating.
I can't claim these completely. I got the idea off of a Betty Crocker web site and changed it up a bit. There is a low cal and a bit "healthier" version of these as well, but with it being Friday I thought the "classic" recipe was called for. These are one of my most requested desserts. Enjoy!

Raspberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

1 box yellow cake mix.

1 8 oz container of sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup water

2 eggs

3 tablespoons (aprox) Smuckers Raspberry Simply Fruit

1 3 oz package of cream cheese cut into 24 pieces

1 container of cream cheese frosting

Fresh raspberries

-Heat oven to 350

-Place paper baking cups into 24 regular size muffin cups

-Mix

Cake mix

Sour cram

Oil

Water

Eggs

with a spoon until blended. It will be thick.

-Divide batter among cups evenly.

-Stir the Simply fruit in a small bowl until smooth.

-Place 1 piece of cream cheese on top of each cupcake. Push down slightly.

-Spoon 1/4 teaspoon of simply fruit on top of each piece of cream cheese.

- Bake 18 t0 24 minutes or until tops are golden and spring back when touched lightly. Some of the simply fruit may show, but you will cover it with frosting.

-Frost cupcakes and garnish with a fresh raspberry.

Have a happy Friday!

Hugs,

Jenn

Praying for Strangers.

I was introduced to the blogging world because I began to pray for a "stranger". A "stranger" that I met via the Today show. Nie,Nie and her sister cjane changed my life and my view of the world forever. What has also changed is my daily prayer list, it now includes more "strangers" than I would have ever been able to conceive of. These “strangers" who I have come to know by name, and I think of often through out the day have all touched and impacted my life in an outstanding way. Today I am consumed with constant prayer for Kelly her husband Scott and their precious gift from God Harper. I ask that if you have a moment or two today that you spend them praying for these “strangers”. And maybe, while we are untied in prayer, we aren’t “strangers” after all.