what's cookin' this week

wow...i feel like it has been a while since i have done one of these posts.  this time of year is always super crazy and i always feel like i am running 90 different ways!  here's what i've got for this week....

lemon pepper shrimp scampi {cooking light magazine}

spinach & ricotta stuffed shells {cooking light magazine}

coconut curry with chicken & rice {coconut curry sauce was purchased at target}

grilled chicken, green beans & couscous

sausage & cream cheese biscuit & crescent roll thingy's {awesome name...huh!}

mymichael's sister and her family will be staying with us a couple of nights.  so friday night i am cooking for everyone....still trying to figure out what to do...........

what are you cooking...or what fabulous restaurants are you trying out this week???

a texas christmas

this past weekend we drove down to fort worth for christmas with mymichael's family.  his sister had twins in april and we hadn't seen them since may, so we were excited to spend some time with the family.  saturday evening we had christmas at his uncle mitch and aunt maggie's beautiful house.  the picture above are sandi's {mymichael's sister} two oldest...katelyn & brent.  here are some pics from the night....

i also learned how to make his mother's chicken and dumplings.  apparently those are the only chicken and dumplings in his world {although he did say that cracker barrell is a decent substitute when hers aren't available}.  i'll have to post the recipe at some point...they were pretty yummy. 

i also got to spend some time with my best friend anna!  i made the drive from fort worth to dallas early friday morning.  we grabbed starbuck's and then headed up to ikea where i got a lot of christmas shopping done.  on our way back to the galleria we drove through our old apartments...austin ranch.  oh how we loved living there...we were across the pond from each other.  on the weekends in the summer we would claim our lounge chairs at the pool closest to us and relax all day saturday and many sundays as well.  it was glorious!  we headed back to the galleria mall where we met up with tiffany and had lunch at mi cocino and stared at the huge christmas tree on the ice skating rink. 

when i lived in dallas i worked at am design associates and our offices were in one of the galleria towers....so during lunch...or breaks...we would get to eat and shop around {yea...mymichael just loved that!}.  after lunch tiff had to go back to work but anna and i hit up the new 2-story forever 21.  great store but there is just so much stuff!  to finish off the afternoon we had a fat straw smoothie w/ bubbles and then i had to head back to fort worth before traffic got bad.  ha!  it still took me over an hour....there is always traffic...one of the things i don't miss about DFW! 

and finally to wrap up...here are some cute pics of the twins....meet brooklyn...

and sadie...

i think they look like little elfs in this one.  sadie always has her toes in her mouth and brooklyn always has her fingers in her mouth...but yet they will not take a pacifier!  i guess who needs one when you have toes and fingers...right?

the crew...brent, sadie, brooklyn & katelyn

yay for early christmas's!

ben & tiffany {couple pics}

my friend tiffany from dallas, who i use to work with, asked if i would take pictures of her and her husband.  it worked out well that this past weekend mymichael and i were in fort worth having our "texas christmas" with his side of the family.  so saturday afternoon i met ben and tiffany at their church in grapevine...it was super cold & really windy but i think we got some cute pictures!

the one below is one of my favorites from the day...

and this one below i deam the sexiest of the day...=)

after about an hour in the freezing cold ben was finally starting to lighten up!

i had a blast and i hope you like what we got!

lulu's sweet shoppe

lulu's to go is located in the farm shopping center.  i was driving by, saw it, needed something for lunch and decided to try it out.  as soon as i walked in it smelled heavenly!  apparently it is bakery/cafe...this location happens to be all to go.  it was an adorable little shop.  the kind owner gave me a sample of their homemade apple pie and it was fabulous!  they make everything from scratch there....down to the broth they use in their soups.  they have bakery items ranging from scones to cupcakes, then they have deli sandwiches, they have dinners you can purchase to take home and heat up and they also do custom cakes...all the way to wedding cakes. 

i had the chicken salad sandwich, which the owner suggested, and it was very good.  it didn't have a lot of ingredients like you might think of.  it was simple and had lots of fresh herbs like dill and parsley...no grapes/apples/nuts/etc. {sarah...you might actually like it?}.  anyways, your lunch comes with a bag of chips and either a lulu's bon bon or a cookie.  she gave me a chocolate chip pecan cookie and it was huge and wonderful.  more than half of it is still waiting to be savored! 

each night she has four regular dinner choices and a special that you can pick up to take home.  monday nights it is indian curry with rice {she is indian}.  i am way excited to try it.  a small, which serves 2-3 people, is only $15!  some of the other specials are black bean goat cheese enchiladas, shrimp and sausage gumbo and spinach ricotta stuffed meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  anyways...i can't wait to try more...if you are in the farm shopping center stop in!

w o w!

i was at hobby lobby today getting some ornaments for our tree at the office and as i was strolling through the aisles i noticed an adorable little girl...probably 3 or so...and her mom picking out christmas ornaments.  i thought to myself, how cute and fun! 

fast forward to me trying to check out....there are only 4 registers open and each register has at least 5 people waiting in line.  the adorable little girl and her mom are in the line next to me.  apparently something happened that the said adorable little girl didn't like and she proceeded to throw a tantrum of which her mother ignored.  now, i realize that children do this and it doesn't matter how good of a parent you are...there will be times where the child becomes possed by the devil himself and there is absolutely nothing you can do.  i get that.  and that's what i thought this was. 

but then the adorable little girl's screams turned into her actually saying something.....at first it was all mumbled/jumbled together...and then i heard it and thought to myself...no, she's not yelling that!  and then i heard it again and again and again.......

"you a bitch momma and i don't like you". 

yep...you read it correctly....go ahead, read it again. 

yea, so not only is your kid throwing a tantrum, which again i totally get, but she is now calling you a bitch in the middle of crowded hobby lobby when they are having their 50% off christmas sale!  the mother continued to go about checking out and ignoring her kid.  now, i don't have kids, but if my kid started calling me a bitch i am pretty sure i would have handled it a bit differently!  so, for all you mom's out there...how would you have handled this situation?????  seriously...comment!

the prestons {family pics}

growing up my family was practically family with the green's.  we met them i believe when i was in kindergarten...if not a little before.  we went to school together, church together, every friday night we ate at ken's pizza together, sundays after church we ate at either mazzio's or mexicali border together, we went to silver dollar city together, we always went sledding on snow days together...you get the picture...we spent a lot of time together!  we also got to know jan's parents, the preston's, quite well.  they are an adorable couple to be around and we would get to see them a couple times each year. 

whitney, the oldest of the green "children", asked me a few weeks ago if i would go with her and her mom to springfield to take some pictures of her grandparents and of course i agreed.  jan's sister was able to join us as well.  here are some of the pics i got while we went on a nice walk.

whit, i hope these are along the lines of what you were wanting...it was a great trip to visit two very special people!

recipe {easy chicken pot pie}

this recipe is super easy, which i love!

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can of chicken

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 bag of frozen vegetables of your choosing

garlic salt, salt, pepper to taste

2 store bought deep dish pie crusts

-preheat oven to 350 degrees

-combine first 4 ingredients along with seasonings in a bowl

-pour mixture into one deep dish pie crust

-use the second deep dish pie crust to go on top of mixture

{if it is still frozen pretty good, pop in oven for a few seconds so that it becomes more pliable and easy to place on top}

-cut slits in top crust so steam can escape

-bake until crust is golden brown

i forgot to take a picture of the finished product...i apologize!

this is a great recipe for freezing.  after baking, simply wrap in foil and pop in the freezer.  before warming it up in the oven let it thaw somewhat otherwise it will take forever to heat!  i have done many different versions of this recipe...with bacon...mushrooms...spinach...etc.  you can add any ingredients you like...be creative!

we give this recipe:

*****