A fun night with friends

Last night, I coooked dinner for my friends Christy, Larry, Karisse, Crystal, Andrew, and Finley. I love to cook, but I just don't do it very much. I made a Chicken Lasagna; the recipe is from my friend and favorite former neighbor, Katie. It is such a delicious, comforting meal! I know you will want to make it, so here it is!

Katie's Chicken Lasagna

Ingredients:

cooked lasagna noodles

1 10oz. package frozen, chopped spinach - thawed and drained

lots of shredded mozzarella (I never measure cheese or chocolate!)

lots of shredded parmesan cheese (not the sprinkle kind)

1 lb. ricotta cheese mixed with 1 egg (I REALLY don't like ricotta so I left this whole step out!)

Sauce ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

1/2 tsp. salt

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp basil

pepper to taste

2 1/2 cups cooked chicken chopped or shredded (I used canned chicken-all white, breast meat)

Melt butter. Add flour, salt, basil, and pepper. Stir in broth. Cook until mixture thickens. Add chicken.

In a 9x13 pan, layer noodles, spinach, cheese and sauce. Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

For dessert, I made my friend Tina's Bits of Brickle cake. Easiest, yummiest cake in the world!

Tina's Bits of Brickle Cake

Ingredients:

1 butter pecan cake mix...or chocolate

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 bag of He@th bits of brickle (find these next to the chocolate chips)

bake 1 butter pecan cake as directed. When it comes out of the oven, use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. Pour a can of E@gle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk over cake. Sprinkle a bag of He@th Bits of Brickle on top.

A big thanks to my friends Katie and Tina for the recipes!

After we ate, we just sat around and talked...it was such a fun time with my friends! Their daughters kept us in stitches. They loved my treadmill...I think that's the most it's been used since I got it! I borrowed these pics from Finley's blog! Karisee (aka curly sue) was a snuggle bug...she let me hold her and love on her and it made my day! It's referral time for those who were logged in Jan 4-9, 2006...congrats to them...but I am SO lonesome for my Emma and they are moving SO SLOW!!!! There's more than a "year" of refferals ahead of me. My log in date is January 31, 2007. It seems like it will never get here! I can't wait to hold her...to see and hear her laugh...my heart aches for her tonight...I am hoping for a speed up after the Olympics! At the rate my condo is coming along, Emma may get here first!

Girls changed into their jammies and exercising! Yes, Fin is chewing her shoe! I don't think I have ever seen 2 one year old girls love each other so much - they are best friends! It's sweet to watch them! At one point, Finley about took Karisse down trying to give her a hug! Love those girls!