thursday's ten or so: the smashville edition

reasons to love smashville during the playoffs:

local preschoolers teach their classmates the fan chants...not limited to "hey, you SUCK" and "we're gonna beat the hell out of you!

the fact that nashville is really a small town becomes apparent when the local celebs get into the action and you realize they are just as big of a fan as you are (cue vince gill starting a new chant during his performance last friday "bertuzzi is a sissy" and getting the entire arena to join in the fun.) say what you want about country music (and i may even agree) but you gotta love these guys.

webering becomes popular

on the way home from church while listening to the game on the radio, you and your husband can sing the ENTIRE song/chant when the preds score their first goal of the game.

you can paint your fingernails in fun colors that you normally wouldn't...like this!

at the arena everyone is bundled up and wearing oversized clothing so you don't have to feel self-conscious about those 5 extra pounds
(i mean, i still do. but you don't HAVE to.)

you discover that you can listen to live radio broadcasts of the game on your phone because there really is an app for that

usually the traffic circle peeps at demonbreun are decked out in playoff gear. i forgot to look when i was on music row yesterday, but here's last years!

the city suddenly seems to unite around the games, and you start to wonder if we are becoming more of a hockey town than a football town (which would be fine...)

recipe of the week: chicken marsala casserole

i LOVE chicken marsala, but i've never had a recipe for it that i felt was fantastic

therefore i've always stuck to ordering it at carrabba's and calling it a day.

however, thanks to pinterest i ran across this recipe from rachael ray for an interesting twist on the dish

after a few modifications (making it twice), here's our preferred version!

chicken marsala casserole

2 tbsp butter

8 ounces sliced mushrooms

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1/2 cup marsala wine

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

salt and pepper

1 cup cooked long grain rice

1 pound chicken thighs, cooked and chopped coarsely

1/4 cup grated parmesan and asiago cheeses (i did about half and half, but you can figure out your own ratio!)

preheat the oven to 350.  heat the butter in a large skillet until just melted.  add the mushrooms and cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

sprinkle the flour on top and sir in for one minute.

add the marsala and cream and simmer, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened (about 3 minutes)

stir in 1 cup of water, the parsley, and salt and pepper to taste (i used about 1.5 tsp of each) and cheeses.

in a 9x13 casserole, spread the rice in an even layer, topped with the chicken. pour the mushroom gravy over the top.  

bake for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

monday's memory: march 366

just another photo dump post...my life in pictures, march edition :-)

Good Friday (2012)

to be honest
this is the first year in a long time that i haven't participated in Lent in a traditional way
and really
i thought i would miss it
but i haven't


and i don't know if that's being confessional because i "should" have
or if it's just another step along this journey of faith for me


(i think it's the second)


because i'm not dissatisfied in any way
i still reflect on the meaning of this period of time
and i am oh.so.grateful today on Good Friday
that we were worth all that not good at all stuff
that Jesus endured


maybe that's the theme of Lent this year for me
i'm worth it
we're worth it
and if we're worth it,
how can i not love the other worth-it people 
even when they don't look/act/think/behave like me?


that has been my Lenten sorrow
that Christians are no longer known for love
but instead for spreading hate, bitterness, and judgement


how did we get so far away from the message?


the very nature of Good Friday
is that God so loved


that is the central message of our faith
it's love
pure and simple


so on this Good Friday
in this Holy Week
on this Easter Sunday


i will continue to be grateful
(so grateful)
and i will continue to choose love.