New Year, New Job, New Recipes

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

I still have a bunch of pictures I want to share from our wonderful 2 weeks in Utah and Idaho for Christmas break, but we're working on getting those pictures loaded in an organized manner. Until then, let me share what 2012 has brought the Wardle family...

1. Bret and I didn't officially set any new year's resolutions, but we have been working on some personal and combined goals. (Doesn't the word "goal" sound less intimidating than "year resolution"?) Together we have been committed to eating more fruits and vegetables. Our goal is two servings of each a day. So far we've been doing great. We're really loving eating them - I think before it was just a lack of planning and desire. Yay for our bellies!

2. On Wednesday I started my "new job". I love it! I get to work at the studio or even at home planning lessons, coming up with ideas, creating publicity for the ballet, writing a newsletter, etc. All stuff that is fun for me! I hope the excitement doesn't wear off. I know I will always have days where I don't feel like teaching my classes of where I'm out of ideas for lessons, but I love that my schedule is mine to play with. There are times where I have to be somewhere, but if I want to go home and take a nap after teaching seminary and then work on publicity stuff all evening that's perfectly fine. Sigh. I love this!

3. Since I have a little more time and a little more motivation to eat balance meals, I have had the chance to cook almost every night this week (which didn't happen much last semester). Here's the recipe that happened (rather by accident, indecision, and experimentation) tonight. It was a big hit for both Bret and I. Enjoy!

Chicken Cordon Blue over Rice (easy-style)
* 2 chicken breasts
~ sprinkle with onion powder, garlic powder and oregano (optional)
~ cook and dice into bite-size pieces
* about 12 slices of lunch-meat style ham (or leftover ham from somthing else)
~ warm in oven in a pan, remove and stack in one tall pile, dice into bite-size pieces (they won't stay in big chunks but that's ok)
* 1 bunch steamed broccoli, cut up (or use frozen broccoli)
* about 1 cup grated swiss cheese

Combine in bowl.
Serve over rice (brown rice is especially good) with this creamy sauce:

* 1 can cream of chicken soup (cream of mushroom would work as well)
* 1/4 cup sour cream
* about 1/4 cup milk (depending on how heavy or thin you want the sauce to be)