Week 18 (Thursday) 5/8/14

Recipe Review                      

Today’s Recipe and Location:     Bowtie Chicken Alfredo

         Found in: The Pioneer Woman blog

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2012/12/bowtie-chicken-alfredo/

I figured out that there are 336 calories per serving, if 8 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

         This is another yummy dinner. I like the bowtie pasta because it holds the alfredo sauce. The heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and parsley really make this an exceptional dish and one that everyone should make a couple of times a month. This is the perfect dish for kids because most seem to like both chicken and pasta. It isn’t spicy, so it seems like a good “kid fit.”

Random Reflections - The Glorious Garden       

They also come in a glorious red

         This was a banner weekend for me. I headed for Costco in search of a fabulous plant called a Mandevilla. This is a tropical plant that creeps upwards and can climb any trellis. My Mom first introduced me to these beauties a few years ago. At that time we were paying as much as $40.00 for this plant and they were only about a foot tall.

         Costco is the place to go to pick up these glorious flowers. I purchased them for $24.99 and they were between three or four feet high. This gives them an amazing start. Unfortunately, the down side is that they are tropical and can only be outside when the weather is 50 degrees or above both day and night. If the temperature drops below 50, I need to cover the plants for the night.

         I purchased six of these amazing plants. (five for me and one for my Mom). I need to remember to call my sister, Kim, and alert her that they are in now.

         Check them out.  They will take your breath away.

This is what they looked like shortly after planting
them in from of my six foot fence. They bloom like this all summer. They like hot weather - the sunnier the better!

Irksome Ideas and Images

         I just arrived home after a very frustrating drive to Geneva. There was a car in front of me who keep swerving from one side of her lane to the other. At first I thought she was intoxicated. As we continued on, I realized that she was driving and texting. She was a real danger to all of us on the road.

         Texting while driving is the ultimate arrogance. She was selfishly meeting her needs, while not taking into consideration the safety of the others on the road. Why does everyone think they have to constantly be in communication with everyone they know? Are you really that important that you must take a call or text while driving? If you need to communicate, just pull over.  It seems so simple.

         Maybe the answer is a loss of license for a year if seen driving and texting. I definitely think prison time is necessary for killing someone while texting. 

         Talk about it with others and spread the word.