Scrumptious Alfredo Sauce Recipe

I had a couple of requests to post the recipe for the alfredo sauce I mentioned in my last post. I originally got this recipe from Paula (thanks for the recipe:)), but I have since retrieved it from the internet. It is very rich and probably not so good for the waistline, but I figure moderation in all things, right!? I added sauteed mushrooms and cooked bacon to it, and served it with chicken, brocolli, and fettucine. We both really liked that combination. Oh and I did add some garlic salt to the sauce for a little extra flavor. It would be great served with chicken, shrimp, fish, brocolli, artichokes hearts, capers, diced tomato, olives, or just plain with any type of pasta...whatever suits your palate! Enjoy! Here's the recipe:

Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients:
1 pint heavy cream
1 stick butter
2 tablespoons cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder

Cooking Directions: In a saucepan combine butter, heavy cream, and cream cheese. Simmer this until all is melted, and mixed well. Add the Parmesan cheese and garlic powder. Simmer this for 15 to 20 minutes on low. You may wish to season with a little salt and pepper. It has been made with half-and-half, but heavy cream is preferred.

Feel the Burn!!!

I have a membership at Gold's Gym, which I use quite often (sometimes I just workout at home because it's quicker, but I try to make an effort to get to the gym). I've tried classes here and there, but lately I've just been doing my own routine of weights and cardio. Nothing hard core but enough to feel like I'm active and healthy. Well today I decided to try out another class. It was called Power Pump. It involved a little bit of cardio, but it was mostly resistance training. We used barbells, dumbbells, resistance bands, fitness balls, and a step. Basically the works. I'll need to get there five minutes early next time just to get set up. I expected it to be tough, but wowza! I'm going to be sore tomorrow. We did so many lunges and squats, my legs still feel like rubber. I definitely felt the burn. I would have liked a little more upper body, but other than that I was pretty impressed with the class. I think I'll try to go to it a couple of times a week for the next month and see what I think then. The thing I liked about it is that it pushed me to workout harder than I would on my own. And it helps me stay on task and get more exercises squeezed into an hour than I would messing around with different weight machines. This instructor did not dilly-dally around, which I really like. When I wake up to go to a 6 am class, I want it to be worth my while. And I feel like it was, so I'll be back for more. Hopefully I can walk tomorrow!

So the dinner I made for Brad's birthday turned out awesome! Brad didn't get home until 8:15 that night so I forgot to take pictures. We were in a hurry to eat. Brad wanted some kind of creamy pasta goodness so I made a super yummy alfredo sauce recipe that I got from Paula and I added sauteed mushrooms and bacon to it. Then I found a great chicken recipe on the Olive Garden website. Then I steamed some brocolli because brocolli's always good with alfredo. Oh, and fettucine of course. It looked way better than the above picture but you get the idea. Boy was it good! What a tasty treat! We both loved it. We stuffed ourselves so it was a good thing I didn't make a cake. For those of you that know me well, you will know that I'm lactose intolerant so creamy sauces are not a regular part of my diet. I did have a little discomfort for a day or so, but it was so worth it. Every once in a while I just have to splurge! That has to be one of my favorite meals. I recommend it. We had a great time celebrating Brad's birthday and opening gifts. So it seems that the month of birthdays is coming to an end. That's probably a good thing because I don't know if my digestive system can handle much more splurging!

Happy Birthday to Brad!!!

Happy happy birthday Bradley dear!!! Hope you're having a great day. Sorry you have to spend it studying, taking a quiz, taking a test, and studying for the next test. At least you have a yummy dinner and presents to look forward to! I appreciate all you do and I feel so blessed to have you in my life. I couldn't keep it all together without you!

Today is Brad's 24th birthday. September is a month of birthdays for us. It seems like we've been celebrating all month between get togethers with his family and my family and spoiling each other. In fact, Grandma Roper was so kind and took us out to Sizzler last night to celebrate both of our birthdays. We had a great time visiting with her. It's been a fun month. Hate to see it end. Oh yes, we do have one more birthday next week...my dad's. Too bad we won't be in I.F. to celebrate with him. Anyway, we've got a little more celebrating to do tonight. Brad didn't want a cake, so I spent the extra money to make a special birthday dinner. I hope it turns out and mostly I hope he likes it. Here's hoping he'll have a few minutes to relax and enjoy a little tonight. The hectic life of a student...I don't miss it at all. But Brad just seems to keep pushing through it, with minimal complaining, and he does just fine. Thanks for all your hard work, honey. It will be worth it!

Yummy Recipe!

Okay, okay I'll blog already. I guess you could say I'm blog challenged. I never know what to blog about. I'll get the hang of it eventually, I'm sure. But I do have a yummy crockpot recipe to post for all of you that like curry. I happen to be a huge fan of curry dishes, unlike my husband. He did say that he liked this one alright. I love it! I think this is a nice simple dish and it is very tasty. Oh and you can put more or less chicken in if you like. I just used two large frozen boneless chicken breast (Tyson is the best!) and it turned out great. The actual recipe calls for 8 chicken breast halves with bone, skinned. I thought that sounded like a lot of chicken for the amount of curry mixture. I think 3-4 chicken breasts would work the best. Anyway...here goes!

Honey Curry Chicken

1 large onion, halved and sliced (1 cup)
4 chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon curry powder
2 large red sweet peppers, cut into bite-size strips (2 cups)
4 cups hot cooked white or brown rice

1. Place onion in slow cooker. Place chicken on onion in cooker. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a small bowl stir together honey, mustard, butter, and curry powder; pour over mixture in cooker. Add sweet pepper to cooker.
2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 5 to 6 hours or on high-heat setting for 2 1/2 to 3 hours.
3. Remove chicken and vegetables from cooker. Strain cooking liquid. Serve chicken and vegetables with hot cooked rice. Spoon some of the cooking liquid over top to moisten.


So there you have it curry lovers! It's there for the taking. I like to make this when red peppers are on sale. Hopefully Brad will acquire a taste for curry some day. It does grow on you.

Brad's been busy getting back into the swing of things with school. And he's being sooo helpful at home too. Thanks honey! The other day I got home and he was on his second load of laundry with dinner cooking and almost ready. It was such a nice surprise! I do love fall...the nice weather and getting back into more of a steady routine. So refreshing after a hot summer. It's nice to go outside during my lunch break and enjoy the light breeze and sunshine. The office where I work is right by a nice little park so I take full advantage of that and go for a walk during lunch. It really seems to help me relax, especially with the nice little river flowing right next to the walking path. I sometimes like to just sit and listen to the soothing water. It helps me get a little nature each day, which I think is therapeutic. I'm trying to find little things here and there that are relaxing and calming. Any suggestions? I think the hard part for me is finding the time (or motivation) to do all the little things that I know would be really good for me. But I know I've got to start somewhere. So for now I'll start with enjoying the warmth of the sunshine and the light breeze and the sound of running water. That's a good place to start. One day at a time.

What a Great Birthday!

So once again, no pictures but I've got to recover from this blogging drought. I just want to give a shout out to my hubby and to my co-workers who helped me have a fun birthday. The girls at my work were so thoughtful and brought fruit and vegie platters instead of birthday cake. It tasted great and it was a completely guilt-free birthday party. We ate fruits and veggies the rest of the day! They know I watch my carbs for health reasons and they were trying to help me out. They are so great! I couldn't ask for better co-workers. You girls really brightened my day.

Then when I got home, Brad had dinner all ready, along with a dozen roses on the nicely set table. He made homemade pizzas, completely from scratch. He made both Hawaiian and Supreme. I have been craving pizza, so I requested it. I can't even remember the last time I had pizza. This totally hit the spot. He did such a great job! And I could tell it was made with love. That makes it way better than any old pizza bought at a restaurant. Thanks honey! Oh and he totally surprised me with a gift card for i-tunes in addition to the gifts (clothes and jewelry) I already knew about. He knows how much I love new music! Hmmm...now I have to come up with a brilliant surprise for his birthday. Any ideas? It's just a few weeks away.

So basically, it was a nice birthday. Lots of calls from family, which I love. And I'm excited because my parents are coming to visit this weekend. We are going to shop, play, and eat good food. Will the fun ever end? I hope not!
Shanna

Roper Family Reunion '08

So a few weeks ago, we went to a fun Roper Family Reunion in Altamonte, UT. But of course I forgot our camera because it was still boxed up from our move. Anyway, I stole these pictures from some relatives. As you can see in the picture on the top, we're sporting our reunion t-shirts. The bottom pic is Brad and Jerod, our brother-in-law, showing off their snazzy rockets. I made one, too. Then we sent them super high using a rocket launcher. We had a fun time with it, especially DeLaney(sp) who is about 3. She made sure she had a turn after every few people. She thought it was the coolest thing ever! She's so cute! Anyway, we had a fun time visiting with everyone and eating good food. I especially enjoyed holding baby Madeline, our niece. She's one of the cutest babies I've seen. Thanks to all the Ropers who made this fun getaway possible, especially Grandma Roper. Can't wait to see you all again!

Roper Family Pictures

These pictures were taken last Christmas when we were visiting Wisconsin. Cute family, huh? It was a lot of fun spending the holidays there and getting to know Brad's family better. We look forward to many more Christmas's with the Roper clan!