#17 DONE

Take dinner to somone

I talked to a friend the other day and offered to take her dinner. As I was making dinner, I remembered I had it on my list of things to do so I thought I would count it. I made garlic chicken pasta, brocolli, breadsticks (not homemade) and a new kind of dessert. This pasta is fabulous and I have never met anyone that did not like it.

We call this "man pasta" because of the bacon, cheese and cream. It is very filling and very very good. It is not a dainty little bowl of pasta and veggies. It is rich and creamy and oh so good!Making this pasta is NOT going to help me accomplish #1 on my list!

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

16 oz. Farfalle pasta 1 c. heavy whipping cream

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 Tbsp. pepper*

1/2 c. butter 1 lb. bacon, crumpled

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you’re apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

#18 DONE

So I have completed my first thing for my 30th year. I know it is a little before my 30th birthday but wanted to post since I have it done.


Pay off Dixie College


I went to Dixie right after I graduated from high school. I finished 2 years at Dixie and then moved back home to prepare for my mission. In order to pay for school, I had to get a student loan. I took a loan for 3000. This paid for one year of school. The other year was paid for with a scholarship and help from my parents. I did not have to start repaying my student loan for 5 years after I graduated which was good since I had 18 months of no income.

3000 does not seem like a lot of money to pay back but I only paid the minimum payment each month so here I am, 10 years after school and just barely paying it off. (It was never a priority compared to other debt since I only paid a few bucks a year in interest) I called Dixie the other day and had them just take the remaining balance to pay it off.

We are now totally out of debt minus our house and car and that feels good.


Dixie roommates
Amanda, Josie, Lisa and Brandee
Good times and awesome memories. Well worth the 3000 dollars!

So I am turning 30 this year. April 1st. I will hit the big Three O. I am excited.

I have chosen to make this a good year.

I have a hard time believing that I am 30! It seems like just yesterday I was in college living with roommates and paying only 120 bucks for rent. Now I spend 120 on a trip to the grocery store to feed my family of 5.

In an effort to make this the best year possible, I have decided to make a list of 30 things I want to accomplish in this year. Some are easy. Some are hard. Some are fun and others are not.

Here is my list...in no particular order
1. Lose 50 pounds
2. Read the Book of Mormon
3. Go on a cruise
4. Eat Indian food
5. Have sex every day for one week
6. Make home made rolls
7. Read a book
8. Make a new friend
9. Participate in a 5K
10. Paint a giant tree on my wall
11. Take my kids to Disneyland
12. Make stuffed grape leaves
13. Write a letter to someone I love and actually mail it
14. Get involved with the girls at LDS family services for adoption
15. Make one thing on my sewing machine
16. Visit a nursing home
17. Take dinner to someone
18. Pay off Dixie College
19. Volunteer at the DI
20. Visit my Grandma's grave
21. Take Zoee to get her toes painted
22. Eat a funnel cake
23. Attend the temple at least 6 times
24. Do baptisms for the dead
25. Make a photo book for my kids
26. Dejunk the closets in my house.
27. Get my dental work done :(
28. Finish painting and decorating my bedroom
29. Take my kids swimming
30. See a show on the strip

I will use this blog to keep track of my progress. I will try to update it as I complete each item. I am excited for this coming year. This is my year.