Happy November!

It's finally my favorite month of all! I can just taste Thanksgiving! But, there are so many things to look forward to in the days leading up to that wonderful holiday! The next three weeks are packed with fun festive get-togethers -- starting next Wednesday when all of my girlfriends and I hold our first Supper Club! We are gathering at Katie and Heather's apartment in Ballston to celebrate fall with a dinner prepared by our lovely hosts. Everyone invited will have to bring a side dish or dessert, and I am so excited about mine! Homemade pumpkin pie ya'll!! I'll share a picture and recipe once it's made!

My birthday is just around the corner as well.. which all of you know is only 12 days away. I know, I know, aren't I too old for birthday countdowns? Well, no actually. I love birthdays. I think it is a great day to celebrate your life and how much you are thankful for all the people who surround you and love you. So, yes, unfortunately, I will continue to countdown for my birthday.. until I hit a year that I am embarrassed to admit. But for now, bring it on 23! Wahoo!

Then.. just to add a little bit more excitement to November.. NEW MOON comes out in theaters on the 20th! Oh Lordy.. I can't wait! I have read all the Twilight books and love them! I highly recommend them to you, dear reader. For a few of my friends, who shall remain nameless, the books are a bit of a younger read, but if you want some action and entertainment surrounded by a love story, then you will LOVE these books. Not to mention, Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) is beautiful.* Just sayin'. Be sure to read the article about Robert and Kristen Stewart (who plays Bella Swann in the movie) in the new edition of Harper's Bazaar - on stands November 19.

Anyways, a little update on Halloweekend! We had a BLAST! We decided to go to a party at Front Page in Ballston to hear Gonzo's Nose (an 80s and 90s cover band). It was really great and there were alot of funny costumes! Adam and I dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and it was hilarious!**

On another note, we did decide to cook dinner this past weekend! I promise I haven't forgotten how to cook! We ended up making a really great, super-easy chicken dish with mustard-cream sauce that packs a TON of flavor! I have made this dish quite a few times, so I have adjusted the spices a bit. We made it with a side of corn, but you can choose whatever side dish you like. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup chicken stock or white wine (whatever you have on hand)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon (I use a small palm-full, as tarragon has a strong licorice scent)
Olive oil

Recipe:

Cook chicken breasts in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until white all the way through about 8-10 minutes. A great tip that I have learned recently is to use frozen chicken breasts. If you can find them in the grocery store, they cook for 15 minutes on each side, and come out perfect. You can put them in the pan FROZEN and leave them alone! It's great!

Meanwhile, combine all liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat through on medium heat. After it reduces a bit, add the tarragon. After the chicken is finished cooking, pour the sauce over them and serve. It is a tangy sauce that works well with any side dish. I recommend corn, asparagus or green beans! Here is a picture of the finished product.

Well it's Hump Day, so that means it's half way to the weekend! Hopefully it will be a relaxing one with lots of cooking and football. The Carolina Gamecocks need to keep up those wins, so let's kick some Arkansas Razorback butt! Y'all have a good rest of your day!

*No worries, I'm not cheating on Harry Potter. He is still my favorite.

**Would you expect anything less from a Christmas fanatic like me? No? Didn't think so.

PS: Here's a little picture of my new office!