Books, Bowling Party,

Yesterday morning I read Sia’s blog, Sia McKye Over Coffee (see link this page) and she was talking to Terry Spear, mostly about her new book Dreaming of the Wolf. So I figured, why not, and got hold of a copy to read. Amazon have it in Kindle as well as book form. I am in the middle of my N.K. Jemisin book, Kingdom of Gods, which I mentioned the other day, but now I have another book to follow on with. I haven’t been reading very much lately, just haven’t felt up to it.

I did go to the bowling Christmas party yesterday, enjoyed seeing everyone as I haven’t seen them in a couple of weeks or so. Had lunch and then watched the rest of my team bowl. Felt jealous, but no way I could have bowled. I have a tournament coming up at the beginning of January, hope I am going to be OK for that. Hopefully the Bowen Therapy will do the trick.

Been watching a few Christmas movies, the Tim Allen The Santa Clause ones, seen 3 and 1 so far. I quite enjoy those, although I don’t enjoy his new TV programme, Last Man Standing. Didn’t think it was very funny at all.

This sounds like a good recipe, its healthy and a way to use up left over turkey if you have some after the weekend which I won’t sadly, as we are going out. Pity, I do enjoy turkey sandwiches. Oh well.

Cheesy Chicken Pasta

WebMD Recipe from EatingWell.com

This ooey-gooey pasta dish is a crowd-pleaser for adults and kids alike—think rich and creamy macaroni-and-cheese tossed with cauliflower and chicken. Serve with a spinach salad.
Servings: 6

Recipe Ingredients:

1. 8 ounces whole-wheat penne
2. 2 cups 1/2-inch cauliflower florets
3. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
4. 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
5. 1/2 cup dry white wine
6. 3 cups low-fat milk
7. 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
8. 3/4 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
10. 1 cup shredded Gruyère or Swiss cheese
11. 3 cups shredded cooked chicken or turkey (12 ounces; see Tip)
12. 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
13. 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives or scallion greens

Recipe Steps:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 5 minutes. Add cauliflower florets and cook until the pasta and florets are tender, about 4 minutes more. Drain, rinse and return to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Add wine and cook until reduced slightly, about 1 minute. Whisk milk, flour, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl and add to the pan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Cook, stirring, until thickened, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and stir in cheese until smooth. Stir chicken (or turkey) and mustard into the cheese sauce; cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir the sauce into the drained pasta and cauliflower. Serve sprinkled with chives (or scallion greens).

Recipe Tips & Notes:

1. Tip: To poach chicken breasts, place boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a medium skillet or saucepan. Add lightly salted water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink in the middle, 10 to 12 minutes.

Recipe Nutrition:

Per serving: 433 calories; 13 g fat (5 g saturated fat, 5 g mono unsaturated fat); 75 mg cholesterol; 42 g carbohydrates; 34 g protein; 5 g fiber; 491 mg sodium; 483 mg potassium

Have a great day