Dear, Santa...Thank you!

I must have been a very good girl this year. I got everything I asked for...and more! What a wonderful Christmas it was, surrounded by family, friends, and tons of wonderful gifts.

Get excited--I got a Cricut! Stay tuned for some crafty projects by yours truly!

I also got a GPS, an LCD TV, tickets to see Rascal Flatts...the list goes on and on! I am so blessed to have such thoughtful gift givers in my life.

I hope your Christmas was as great as mine was!

Ramen Noodle (Asian) Coleslaw

Here it is, the recipe that's was promised....

Ingredients
2 bags of broccoli slaw
1 small bunch of green onions
2 packages of Ramen noodles; one Oriental, one Chicken
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup sugar
1/2 canola or vegetable oil
1-2 tablespoons soy sauce (this is optional and can be varied depending on preference)
almonds
sunflower seeds (shelled)

Side Note: There are no measurements for the sunflower seeds or almonds because in my opinion, the more the merrier! I use about a cup of almonds and about 3/4 cup of the sunflowers seeds, but again, the more the merrier!

Directions:
1. In a small skillet, roast the almonds and the sunflower seeds. Be very careful not to make One Hot Mess when you are doing this! (Hint: Click the link to read the blog post where I have a roasting fiasco.) Set them aside to cool.

2. In a Ziplock baggie, crush up the Ramen noodles and reserve the flavor packets for the dressing.

3. In a jar or salad dressing container, combine vinegar, oil, sugar, both Ramen seasoning packets, and soy sauce. Shake until mixed.

4. Chop just the white part of the green onions. Reserve the green end for another use.

5. In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw and chopped onions.

6. Just before serving, add dressing, almonds, sunflower seeds, and Ramen. Toss and serve!

Enjoy!

All That Glitters

Oh man, am I head over heels...for glitter! It seems to be a huge trend this season, and although I have always have an eye for things that glitter, this season it's kicked in to over drive!

From shoes: (Steve Madden "Caryssa" Glitter Platform Pumps)

To craft projects: (Martha Stewart 24-Vial Glitter Multi-Pack)

To great accessories: (Gap Glitter Headband)

It's everywhere! And in the wise words of Mr. Blake Windlow, "that $*!# won't come off!"

I love it! Can't get enough glitter!

PS. I don't (yet) own any of the items pictured above. Dear Santa, I've been a very good girl...

One Hot Mess

This morning I was roasting sesame seeds and almonds to put in my Ramen Noodle Coleslaw* (aka Asian Coleslaw). I was roasting them on the stove top, and if you've never done it they roast fairly quickly. It is best to continually shake the pan or stir it gently so that they don't burn.

Well, I got through the sesame seeds just fine; however, it took me THREE tries to get the almonds right. That's what I get for multi-tasking. The first batch got just a little too dark, and I didn't want someone to bite in to an over-roasted almond...so I pitched it.

Round 2 - The almonds came out perfectly. I am just a dumb-dumb. I poured them from the pan directly in to the Ziplock baggie. Uh, duh Lauren, they are hot. They melted right through the bag and spilled all over my kitchen floor. Keep in mind--now I'm going to be late to work because I have to clean up my mess AND roast ANOTHER batch.

Third time's a charm. I roasted them, probably not even enough, but by this time my co-workers are lucky I didn't say, "forget this," and return to bed...

Moral of the story. A heavy duty Ziplock + hot almond slivers = disaster on the kitchen floor.

*stay tuned for recipe on Waldie in the Kitchen

Penne Gorgonzola with Chicken

I haven't tried this one yet...but I will very soon.

Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup Progresso ® Chicken Broth
2 cups (8 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
6 to 8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and minced fresh parsley

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, brown chicken in oil on all sides. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Add wine, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan.

2. Add cream and broth; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and chicken is no longer pink. Stir in the Gorgonzola cheese, sage, salt and pepper; cook just until cheese is melted.

3. Drain pasta; toss with sauce. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and parsley. Yield: 8 servings.

Enjoy!

Original recipe borrowed from Taste of Home.

Cricut...not to be confused with cricket.

Ok, I'm obsessed. I have already sent my email to Santa. (Yes, he accepts emails now. Love that he's technologically savvy!) I have heard the term "Cricut" a hundred (maybe more) times. I knew that it was a scrapbooking tool. (I used to scrapbook, but now I don't have the time.) I think I knew it was a die-cutting machine. (If you don't know what that means, you're obviously NOT a scrapbooker...) Somehow, the other day, I came across the Cricut again. I don't even remember what lead me to it, but I do know that it was love at first sight. I quickly sent a shout out to all my Facebook friends to see if any of them were proud Cricut owners. Thankfully, a friend from High School replied and I asked her 10 million (ok, maybe just 10) questions about it. She loves it and she said it can be used for cutting paper, vinyl, and even cloth for sewing! Holy cow--I must have it. So, I promptly got on the 'ol Yahoo and sent off my email to the big man in red. (No, not the Kool-aid guy...SANTA!) I promised him that I had been a good girl and now I just have my fingers crossed that he thinks so, too. Stay tuned for me to go crafting crazy (Hopefully!) with a new Cricut very soon!