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!

Music Man Jr.

Today was the FIRST day of drama and I've been looking forward to for so long! My friend Rebecca gave me and Maddy our Music Man Jr. scripts an hour early before the class started and I was thrilled! Flipping through it as fast as I could, I decided to begin highlighting. Running to get my highlighter, I accidentally picked Maddy's script up and in my enthusiasm highlighted all MY lines in HER book. Haha, sorry Maddy... ;)

Usually for the first day of drama, our director hands out our scripts and we all sit in a large circle, reading and singing through it, today was no different. I am Marian Paroo in the play and managed to get through most of the play without being too embarrassed. But when it came to the song Till There Was You, my friends told me I was red as my plaid coat. Which is very red. Good honk! (excuse my phraseology) Besides that it was a blast!

Highlights of 2010

Who can even believe it's already January 2011?!

Here is a list of some of my favorite memories from 2010....

With JOY Christian Academy our fashion design class was able to take a tour of the fashion collection at the University of North Texas.
I immensely enjoyed preforming in The Fiddler On The Roof as Tzeitel

During the summer my family and I visited Ft. Walton, Florida

I turned 16!!

My friend and I created a spoof of Les Miserables

Our friends took my sister and I on photo shoots


If you ever get the chance, you should totally spray paint the cars at Cadillac Ranch it is extremely fun!

I enjoyed fellowship with beautiful friends

Stayed up really late with my sister watching BBC movies such as Persuasion, sense and sensibility, Lorna Doon, etc, nearly every night eating toast and tea. It was delightful although we occasionally got in trouble for being a little too delighted...hehehe.

My sweet baby cousin Jude Quinn was born in October


We celebrated the Holidays with family

I narrated The Best Christmas Pageant Ever for 7 exciting performances
(in case you're wondering, it was the best Christmas pageant ever)

These are just a few of the highlights of 2010. I have been abundantly blessed with family and friends.

Once again, I wish you all a Happy New Year!

Merry Belated Christmas!

Oh I feel terrible! Not putting something about Christmas ON Christmas.... But I think everyone can relate to being crazy busy before, during, and even after Christmas. I mean, I truly thought I had more time! Ridiculous no? Since I've had ALL year to get ready for it... So here it is:

MERRY CHRIST TIDE!!! (a little late)

And to be early this time....

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~May God bless you in the year to come~

Sincerely,

Morgan

Random Happenings

I can hardly believe that about this time last week was our second production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, we have finished up at the theater, yesterday we performed it up at the Civic Center, and will later be performing it at two different churches.
*

Also, who can believe its almost Christmas?? This is all happening so quickly!

*

So a random hilarious thing happened to me today. My sister and I were home alone, and to make chores a little more fun, I turn on some music. Ok, so I was sweeping and singin' my heart out to Mr. Sandman by the Chordettes, and suddenly out my periphs (peripheral vision) I see someone coming to the door. I think it's my dad coming home for lunch and continue singing loudly. Meanwhile our ridiculous little Yorkie skitters across my nicely swept pile (arg!) and I yell HEY!! (unfortunately it wasn't a lady-like yell either!) I look up and see a strange car in front of our house, and a young man at the door.. I nearly had a heart attack! There I was, belting out the lyrics to a song, sweeping, while in my PAJAMAS, hair thrown back into a messy ponytail, and I yell like a man at the dog! How embarrassing... I laugh now, certainly not then. Thank the Lord I wasn't dancing...

Thanksgiving

Crowding together in the kitchen, food sitting about on the counter, Maddy reading Psalm 145, bowing our heads, holding hands, and giving thanks for everything.
You have got to love Thanksgiving! Not merely because of the DELICIOUS food, or lovely desserts, but rather gathering with family you don't get to see often and laughing and having a wonderful time.

These are my top three things I'm thankful for this day:

1. I'm thankful for my Creator Who loved us enough to send us His Son, that He thought we were worth dying for, Who died an excruciating death for us, and rose again on the third day for our salvation, that He bridged the gap created between man and God since the Fall by stretching out His arms across the cross

2. For my loving and encouraging family, who are always there for me

3. My dear friends, who are just as crazy as I am

Hope ya'll have had a fabulous Thanksgiving day!

Les Miserables

Last night was the best night ever! My sister, mom, and i joined our friends to go see the 25th Anniversary of Les Miserables. I cannot tell you just how absolutely breathtaking it was! We arrived and could barely breath with excitement, sat down after getting refreshments and impatiently waited until the movie began. When the lights dimmed I thought I was going to die of excitement!

Almost every song had me in tears, and when the unbelievably talented actors and actresses hit those amazing notes, I just sat there, draw dropped, with a silly grin on my face. It was SO crazy hard not to burst out into song, which, haha, we actually did...quietly. Oh! Is it even possible to describe such talent?? Even the orchestra had me in tears! It was the closest thing to perfect music on this earth. (well, most of it was...)

When the most remarkable concert ended, just when I thought it couldn't get ANY better, suddenly the crowd split, and out came the ORIGINAL cast from 1985!! Me and Rebecca couldn't stop cheering. Then they began to sing!! If I had died right then, I would have died completely happy! *sigh* Afterwards the two Frenchmen who originated the musical came out said a few words! I am surprised I didn't start crying at that too! It's now my dream preform in Les Miserables! Though I must say, if I'm going to be in it, I'm going to have to learn not to cry every time someone sings. ;)

Here's a glimpse of what we experienced. Grab the Kleenex... And btw, this isn't my video, unfortunately, we were not at the London performance, just at a movie theater in Ft. Worth. (the guy in the white, puffy shirt is Alfie Boe and he was the man who played Jean Valjean in the production we watched last night. He has such incredible talent!!)