BAILEY BULLETIN: Sunday, Feb 14, 2010 (and Fri and Sat)

Valentine's day. My 44th. Decided to make a special dinner. and with my luck, no one will care. But I'll do it anyway.

Came across this...

http://listen.elyrics.net/listen.php

Hopefully that link will work and you can hear the song.

I think Allison Krauss has the voice of an angel. Years ago she did a duet with Keith Whitley - When You Say Nothing At All" -

That was the first time I had ever heard her sing, and thought it was beautiful. I bought her CD...there was a lot of bluegrass on it. Not my favorite genre... but this song...I like it better with/out Keith, honestly, but like either version. Was not ever familair with Keith until after he had died. Then I started hearing alot from his wife, Lori Morgan, and I think I even bought one of her albums. Wonder where she is now, why she does not record anymore? She was good too.

Back back to Allison...voice of an angel. LOVE her voice. Love "When You Say Nothing At All" and LOVEEEE "Baby Mine."

I'm making the Becky Higgins recipe for Bowtie Pasta for dinner. Glorified chicken fettucini. REALLY good.

Here's her receipe:

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

16 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 c. heavy whipping cream
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
1 lb. bacon, crumpled**
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1 (12 oz) Lawryâ€™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 totally wear disposable gloves for this part - surprise, surprise).

[ directions ]

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. 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.

very good. VERY good! Go easy on the pepper, though! :) (I never pepper anything, but I do add some to this).

anyway, plan to make this dinner and then put a "treat" at each place (bought them last night). That's my big attempt - nothing fancy, but more than I usually do! Sometimes I feel guilty that I don't do more for my kids to make the special things special...I don't cook green food on St. Pat's day, I don't decorate for any holidays other than Christmas, and in the last 10 years, that has been less and less...don't cook Thanksgiving or Easter or Christmas meals (Mom and Patsy always do). I always said "someday" and now I've blinked and Travis is 15 and Patrick is 10....so maybe Addison will get her "someday." or my grandkids! :)

Saturday post:

Watched another movie that Donna brought...this is one I had really wanted to see...it was good, but it was not what I excepted it to be.

Donna and I went shopping and then she came over and watched us eat dinner (LOL). She would not eat. I'm used to that. I have the reputation for not being a cook. oh well...

Addison decided to get up on the counter this a.m. and sit on top of the microwave. And get into the cabinet and get powdered doughtnuts...

and instead of getting her down, I run and get the camera. Children of scrapbookers can do no wrong. They only do "cute!"

Friday:

SNOW. everywhere. More. than. I. have. EVER. seen. at. home. It was incredible. This must be why people live up north. Only I could not handle it for days on end. I get cabin fever too easily. But this was a moment...a picture taking moment...that may never come in my lifetime again. They said the last time it snowed this much was 32 years ago. Which means I was living in Alice, Texas, at the time and missed it then.

This is one I took around sunrise. The white spot in the upper left is reflection from the window. I was not dressed to go out. I had just started working.

and another...

Here's our "only" tree...notice on the left hand side...a huge branch had fallen off. Apparently this was common all across the metroplex...lots of people lost branches.