Tuesday, March 31, 2009

$2300!!

With just under 4 months to go, I have hit my minimum for my 3-Day fundraising!

Thursday, March 26, 2009

3-Day update

We have raised over $11,000 as a team - I am so proud of us!! And my other 3 team members have all hit the $2300 individual minimum (and I'm $40 away!). The walk is in 4 months and I can't wait to start going on more training walks as the weather gets nicer.

Sunday, March 22, 2009

new dressers!

FINALLY! When we moved into our house last year we brought hand-me-down dressers with us. They've been fine but I've been pining after a matching bedroom set to make our bedroom feel more put together. Last night we finally found and ordered the dressers! They'll be here on April 3rd.


We even almost bought the sleigh bed even though we have a rod iron bed/headboard already. I love them and I'm so excited to get them and be able to have our own dressers rather than sharing!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

$2000

I can't believe it - I am over $2000 raised for my walk already!! In fact, all 3 of my teammates are over $2000 as well! My mom has already reached the minimum and the rest of us are so close to that magic $2300. As a team we have raised $8600 - I'm so proud and in awe of how generous people can be!

Friday, March 6, 2009

penne with sausage, artichokes, and sun-dried tomatoes

From the lovely Giada De Laurentiis's Giada's Family Dinners cookbook, this is one of our favorite recipes of hers. It's a great family-style meal, but also good for just the 2 of us because we have a lot of leftovers for lunches or pot-luck dinner nights. Be prepared, this takes up a lot of space in the kitchen and requries a BIG pan (like a Wok).

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Makes: 6 main-course servings

3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced (I bought them already cut julienne to make it easier)
2 tablespoons of oil reserved
1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 8-ounce packages frozen artichoke hearts thawed (you can also use canned, quartered artichokes if you can't find frozen - drain them before cooking with them though)
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry white wine (optional)
salt
12 ounces penne (or other short pasta, I used Rotini this time)
½ cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
8 ounces fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed (optional)
freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork. Transfer sausage to a bowl

2. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same pan and saute over medium heat until garlic is tender (about 2 minutes). Add the broth, wine, and tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, sitrring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly (about 8 minutes).

3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite (about 10 minutes). Drain the pasta, do not rinse.

4. Add the pasta, sausage, Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using.

5. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve warm.






odds and ends

I'm sitting at home right now while the contractors insulate our attic. I am so excited for this it's not even funny. I am ready for our heating bills to not be so high and in the summer maybe our upstairs will actually feel like the A/C is on.

And to update my last post - I'm up over $1700 raised for my 3-Day walk!! As a team we're over $7400 raised between the 4 of us - we're doing so well! And my mother-in-law is less than $200 from hitting our individual minimum of $2300 - she is a fundraising machine.

Recently I finished a gift for a friend of mine who is due with her first baby in May. Her shower is in a few weeks and I crocheted a blanket for the baby boy and I love how it came out:


It looks like we may finally be inching our way into spring. It's supposed to be in the mid-high 50s this weekend and I am SO excited. We also change the clocks which will be nice - I'll be able to do my training walks after work outside instead of having to go on the treadmill.