Make It Happen

photo courtesy of [LaRene Gaunt]

"There are people who make things happen, there are people who watch things happen, and there are people that just wonder what happened."

~Jim Lovell, Former NASA astronaut

Sometimes I wish...

Photo courtesy of [a little sussy]

I wasn't so dependable.
Sometimes, it's a thankless characteristic. And I'm the one left exhausted.

The Queen is going to be dead in August.

Well, it's official.

I won't be Relief Society President after August.

They are dissolving our stake and moving us all to YSA wards in family stakes.

I'm mad, frustrated, sad, and a lot of other emotions that I can't find words for. 

Oh, well.

Guess I can get back to focusing on my schoolwork more than all of this church stuff. School will follow me everywhere. I won't be in this calling long enough to make a difference. 

I knew it was going too well. 

Recipe: Bacon and Butternut Pasta

So, it's been awhile since I posted a recipe.

J&H were so kind. For my birthday they gave me a year's subscription to Cooking Light. Unfortunately, I've only marked the recipes I've thought about trying. Thanks to my calling I never seem to have enough time! Oh well!

But this past Sunday, I got SO lucky! I had time! And this is what I made:

3 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
2 bacon slices
2 tablespoons butter
3 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled bleu cheese
1/2 cup sliced green onions.

1. Bring 3 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add pasta; cook for 8 minutes. Drain in a colander over a bowl, and reserve 1/3 cup cooking liquid.

2. Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 2 teaspoons drippings in pan. Crumble bacon, set aside. Add butter to drippings in pan; cook 30 seconds or until butter melts. Increase heat to medium-high. Add squash; sauté 7 minutes or until almost tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, pasta, reserved cooking liquid, and cheese; cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with bacon and onions. Yiled: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup).

Calories: 385
Fat: 14.1 g (sat 7.8 g, mono 3.1 g, poly 0.8 g)
Protein: 13.1 g
Carb: 53.4g
Fiber: 4.7g
Chol: 31mg
Iron: 2.7mg
Sodium: 701mg
Calc: 135mg

Note: I didn't use Bleu cheese. Instead, I just used shredded mozzarella. And I also sprinkled it on at the end with the bacon and onions. It was fine, plus, I didn't have to use as much cheese. Delicious!!!

97%

That is the official grade on my first paper of grad school.

Am I pleased--OH YEAH!!!

I didn't get a chance to start that paper until the day before it was due (it was due on a Sunday, I worked on it, finished it, and turned it in on Saturday)--thanks to my new calling and responsibilities. 

I was sure it would suck. 

I was sure that it was way below par for grad school level.

I didn't want to get the grade back.

I'm pretty sure I'm now in this grad program to stay. 

I have two weeks to write another 7-10 page paper. I might change my mind then!