2009

I have truly been in "vacation" mode the last few days. With no company here and leftovers to live on I've gotten a little lazy. I've been sleeping in until 8:00 every morning, lingering over that first cup of coffee while watching TV, visiting the stores for the big 75% off sales, playing with friends, going to basketball games, etc...

I did manage to go to my classroom for a couple of hours yesterday. I took down my tree, and multiple decorations. Wrote my newsletters, changed my calendar, and got a running start for Monday. I still have some thank you's to write and need to get my assessments lined up for itty bitty report cards.

I have been waiting for an important phone call. My friend Shannon is having a baby, her due date was Dec. 26th. If she doesn't have the baby by Tuesday, they will induce labor. We saw them last night and she said she was feeling "funny" - but that was over 12 hours ago, and no word. Quite a few mutual friends have been calling me to find out what's happening so they don't bother Shannon and Miles. I think it's a girl, we'll see!

I found an artichoke dip that had a nutty twist. It is rich, and will feed a lot of people. I used crackers but tortilla chips would be great as well. I made it Christmas Eve along with all of the other yummies.

PECAN-CRUSTED ARTICHOKE DIP
1 T butter
1/2 cup minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chopped fresh spinach
1 - 14oz can artichoke hearts, drained & chopped
8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 cup mayo
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
2 dashes Tabasco
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans - save for later
Melt butter in saucepan over med heat. Add onion and garlic; cook 3 min. Add spinach, cook 3-5 min stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in remaining ingredients. Transfer to un-greased 1 1/2 qt. casserole. Bake at 350* for 30 min. Top with pecans and bake 10 more minutes, serve with crackers.

Have a great weekend!