Hark Hark ... the new schedule is barking rediculous!

Okay ... I have a really quick funny about Sookie Bear. The other night, I was getting ready for work, and she was sitting on the edge of my bed. From her location she could see herself in the vanity mirror. She went ballistic on herself ... barking and carrying on, until I took her to the mirror. I'm not quite sure if she's gotten that she was barking at a reflection of herself. It was pretty funny thought.

I'm starting to get used to the two of them barking, I guess I had just gotten used to it being so quiet in my apartment for so long. But it's easy to fall back into ignoring the craziness that small dogs have with the barking.

Sookie is learning how to entertain herself ... and is getting to be a bit less of an attention whore. Although, I still need to pick Kadee up and give her personal snuggles so Sookie isn't always attacking us during our snuggle time.

They're both getting into the feeding and walking schedule, however with my personal schedule change, I'm not diggin on it so much ... heh!

You know ... when I get into the swing of things ... I have my Quote, Question, Word, Poem and Recipe of the day ... I'd love it if my readers (if I still have any) would let me know if they make use of the word of the day or the recipe of the day at all. When I post the WOTD I usually try to use it in a sentence that day or the next ... sometimes it can be a challenge! Anyway ... let me know!

I'm going to be off work the next three days ... so I won't be posting again until early Monday morning ... I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!!!

ஜ~§Quote Of The Day§~ஜ

What a blessing it would be if we could open and shut our ears as easily as we open and shut our eyes!
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg

ஜ~§The Question Of The Day§~ஜ

If you could change one major thing about your life, whether a relationship, your job, your living situation, your school, etc., what would it be? Are you currently working toward a serious life transition?

ஜ~§The Word Of The Day§~ஜ

Acnestis

PRONUNCIATION:
(AK-nist-uhs)

MEANING:
noun: The part of the body where one cannot reach to scratch.

ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek aknestis (spine), from Ancient Greek knestis (spine, cheese-grater).

USAGE:
"In what has to be the longest post-election season in living memory, the last five months have felt like an acnestis upon our collective soul; like that little patch of skin on our backs that we just can't reach to scratch ourselves. It's irritating. It's annoying. It's left us reaching and spinning around in circles."

ஜ~§Poem Of The Day§~ஜ

Hark! Hark! The Lark

Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings,
And Phoebus 'gins arise,
His steeds to water at those springs
On chalic'd flowers that lies;
And winking Mary-buds begin
To ope their golden eyes;
With everything that pretty is,
My lady sweet, arise:
Arise, arise!

William Shakespeare

ஜ~§Recipe Of The Day§~ஜ

Rosemary Chicken and Balsamic Ravioli

Ingredients:
Chicken:
4 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 to 8 ounces each
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, eyeball it, just enough to coat chicken lightly
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 stems rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped, about 2 tablespoons
Salt and coarse black pepper
4 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin with a whack against the flat of your knife

Ravioli:
1 package, 12 to 16 ounces, fresh ravioli, any flavor filling
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley, a couple of handfuls

Spinach Salad:
6 slices pancetta, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 2 turns of the pan
1 small shallot, finely chopped
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, eyeball it
1 bunch, about 10 ounces flat-leaf spinach
Salt and pepper

Preparation:
Coat chicken in balsamic vinegar, then olive oil. Season chicken with rosemary, salt and pepper and let stand 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for ravioli. Salt water and drop ravioli in water. Cook 8 minutes or until raviolis expand, float to top of water, and are al dente.

Heat a medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add chicken breasts and cracked garlic to the pan. Cook chicken 12 minutes, or until juices run clear, turning occasionally. The balsamic vinegar will produce a deep brown, sweet finish on the chicken as it cooks.

When the chicken is 2 or 3 minutes away from done, heat a second skillet over medium low to medium heat. To the second skillet, add butter to the pan and let it begin to brown.

Remove chicken from the first skillet and transfer to a warm platter. In a skillet over medium high heat and add the pancetta. Brown the pancetta bits, about 2 or 3 minutes, then transfer to paper towels to drain and return pan to heat, reducing heat to medium. Add oil and shallots to the pan and let the shallots saute 2 minutes.

When the butter for the ravioli has browned, add cooked ravioli to the pan and turn in butter to heat through. Add balsamic vinegar to the ravioli and cook a minute or 2 longer to reduce the vinegar and glaze the ravioli. The vinegar will become thick and syrup like. Add cheese, parsley, salt and pepper to the pasta and remove the pan from the heat.

To the sauteed shallots for the spinach salad, add sugar and cook sugar with shallots 1 minute. Add vinegar to the pan, scraping up pan drippings. Add spinach to the dressing and turn to wilt and coat it evenly in sweet vinaigrette. Add crisp pancetta to the salad.

Serve chicken along side ravioli and spinach salad, all on the same dinner plate.

Brightest Blessings,
~Surry~