Cooking and Whatnot

Last week I found a yummy-souding recipe and decided to make it. Its called Pasta with Chicken and Squash. Real fancy name, I know.

The recipe calls for

1 small onion, chopped * 1 garlic clove, minced

5 Tbsp. olive oil,divided * 2 medium zucchini, julienned*

2 medium yellow summer squash, julienned* salt and pepper*

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, julienned*

1/4 tsp. each dried basil, marjoram, and rosemary*

1 (16 oz.) package of spiral pasta* 2 cups of half-and-half*

1 Tbsp. butter or margarine* 2 cups of shredded Mexican cheese blend or cheddar cheese.

Makes 6-8 servings

(We accidentally didn't have any boneless skinless chicken breasts so we used boneless skinless chicken thighs instead, and it came out just as good)

In a large skillet, over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in 3 tablespoons oil until onion is tender. Add squashes and cook until tender. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep warm. (we used a bowl to put the vegetables in until we were ready for them) Add remaining oil to skillet; cook chicken with herbs until juices run clear. While chicken is cooking, prepare pasta according to package directions. Sauce is prepared by combining half-and-half and butter in saucepan until butter melts. Then add chess, stirring until cheese is melted. Place drained cooked pasta on a platter. Cover with cheese sauce. top with chicken and squash and serve. :)

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Other things I've been doing besides cooking are...
Planning on planting a garden this spring with my sister! I'm excited about that but still not sure on what herbs to do though...anyone have advice for novice gardeners??
Beginning to study politics (Leviathan by Hobbes and The Prince by Machiavelli) and its not as bad as i thought it would be...surprising!
And the biggest accomplishment of the week is that I've (drum roll) finally gotten my sister, Maddy, to like Opera music! Yay!