I've been M.I.A! ;)

Good evening, y'all!

So, I know I have not written you since a little over a week ago. I was home in East Texas and I had no internet! Then, I get back here to west Texas and we moved -and I still didn't have internet. I know right! You can never tell with me! ;)

Anyhow, when we went home we got to spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews, and my husband's grandparents. It was such a treat to get to spend time with them, they're in their 90's! They're also amazing, their stories are awesome. I owe you 2 recipes if I know correctly. So, here they are below.

Photo courtesy of: www.tasteofhome.com

BLONDIES

Ingredients

1 ½ sticks (12 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted, and cooled.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. kosher salt

1 ½ cups packed dark brown sugar

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1 tbsp. sea salt (for garnish)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350*. Butter a 9x13 baking pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang, then butter the parchment.
Whisk the dry ingredients in medium bowl, set aside. Whisk in another bowl, the melted butter & brown sugar until combined. Add vanilla & eggs and stir to combine. Fold flour mixture into the wet ingredients. DO NOT OVER MIX. Fold in Walnuts & chocolate chips in the batter.
Bake until the top is a light golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Be sure not to overbake. Sprinkle garnish on top. Let cool on wire rack if you have one, transfer to cutting board. Cut into rectangles. Serve.

Recipe courtesy of: Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond

The next recipe is my grandmother's Chicken Spaghetti. I have made this sooo many times, it is actually one of my husband's favorite dishes that I make. We have soooooo many leftovers by the time I am finished with it, and even after we eat. You may also freeze it, and heat it up a different day if you like. I have done that, too. Anyhow, I will get on with the recipe!

Photo courtesy of: google images

Chicken Spaghetti

Ingredients

4 Large chicken (boneless skinless) breast

2 Chicken bouillon cubes

2 Cans cream of chicken soup ( I use low fat)

2 Cups water

1 Can Rotel- diced tomatoes & green chilies

1 Box of spaghetti pasta noodles

1 Small onion, diced (I don't use onions in mine, and it still turns out great)

1 Small pkg. Velveeta cheese

2 Tsp. Salt

1 Tsp. Pepper

2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese - save for last!

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large pot, put in the bouillon cubes, chicken and fill the water just over the chicken breast- that way you have plenty of broth to use.
Boil the chicken until done**, then set it aside on a plate. When you take the chicken out of the broth, let the broth set a moment. Then, you're going to add the spaghetti noodles to the chicken broth. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente. I think it's about 7 minutes. You are going to bake this dish, so you don't need them all the way done yet.
While the noodles are boiling, take the onions and sauté them a little bit to get them tender & fragrant. When they're done, take the rest of your ingredients (except for the shredded cheese) and add them to a large pan with the onions, you want to melt it all together. If you did not use onions, no worries- the same process still applies.
Shred the chicken while your sauce is melting together, and then add it to the cheesy sauce. You will want to grease a large baking dish at this point. I grease mine with non-stick cooking spray.
The noodles should be ready to go at this time, drain the broth from them- or you can scoop them out into your large pan with your cheesy mixture. I drain them from the big pot I boiled them in, and try to save at least a cup of the broth so I can use it to thin the mixture as it cooks. Mix the noodles in well with the mixture and let it cook for about 10 minutes, that way the flavors can combine.
Then, after it has cooked for the appropriate amount of time, spread it all into the large greased baking dish. Sprinkle all of the shredded cheese on top of the mixture before putting it in the oven.
Bake for 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Enjoy!

** I normally overcook my chicken because I am terrified of it not being finished! Hubby says that when it floats to the top, most of the time that means it is done. So, use your best judgement.

Disclaimer: This recipe is from my grandmother's cookbook. I do not know if anyone else has this recipe. The photo is from Google images.

Well there you have it! Those are the two recipes I owed you.

We haven't quite settled in our new place yet. I am hoping to start volunteering soon. I have started back at the gym, I have gained almost all of the weight back that I lost from January to July in 2016 (it was 50 lbs!). Stress is definitely part of the problem. Also my eating habits turned to crap.

I hope your new year is better than you ever could have imagined it would be!

I look forward to your comments, and I will definitely get back with you as soon as I can. I do apologize for being M.I.A for so long! I didn't think I was ever going to get internet! As a matter of fact, I just got it this morning! Lol.

Remember that you are all beautiful, and worthy of love. Don't let anyone tear you down! You are a prince/princess in the Kingdom of Heaven. Whether you are a believer or not, you are still worthy and loved. Also, remember to love yourself. You can never give someone the love they need from you, if you don't fully love yourself. Be kind, be grateful, and remember things could always be worth.

I love you all!! I look forward to hearing from you!