088. See where/what my husband does at work. (8/11/09)

Back in August, when my husband's younger sister was down visiting, we had the privilege of going to Family Safety Days hosted by the plant my husband works at. They do this once a year as way for family and friends of the employees to come onto the plant and see what their loved one does on a regular day. We got to take a tour of the new part of the plant and I also met a lot of his co-workers. However, some days I still don't know what he really does at work....

084. Go to a pumpkin patch. (10/17/09)

In front of the pumpkin patch

Originally, we were looking to go to a corn maze. However, the corn maze we wanted to go to was not open on the weekends we wanted to go because of muddy conditions or freaky snowstorms. We then decided to go to Vala's Pumpkin Patch. I believe that the place originally started out as solely a pumpkin patch, but as the years progressed it turned into a fall amusement park for kids and adults. It was a lot of fun to walk around and a lot of the random stuff. We just couldn't get over how many people were there.

065. Watch 5 new movies in the theater (3/5) 3. Couple's Retreat

My husband and I went to the movies a few weeks ago when we were looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon. There were not that many movies playing, but we decided to go and see "Couple's Retreat." It was a typical comedy and we had a good time.

054. Eat at 5 new restaurants (5/5) 5. El Matador (completed 10/10/09)

We were looking to try a different place that we normally don't eat at in town and we decided to head to El Matador. It was a cross between a sit down Mexican restaurant and a fast food taco place. I thought the food was good and it was really quick service.

053. Cook 25 new recipes (1/25) 1. Autumn glazed stuffed chicken

When my husband and I went to visit my grandparents a few years ago over spring break, my grandma made this recipe for us. It was awesome. Since then, I have wanted to make it, but we never really had the time or ambition to do so. We finally made this about two weeks ago. It was excellent.

Here's the recipe:

Autumn Chicken with Apple Cider Sauce

Serves: 6-8

Apricot Cherry Chutney:

½ c dried julienne apricots

1/3 c dried cherries

1/3 c apple cider vinegar

1/3 c sugar

¼ c diced green onions

3 T minced red onion

1 cinnamon stick each

½ t salt

½ t mustard seed

¼ c green pepper

8 6 oz Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (double lobe)

Apple Cider Sauce:

1½ c apple cider

¹/₄ c sugar

1 ½ t ground nutmeg

3 T Brandy

2 T cornstarch

1/8 c water

1. In a saucepan over med high heat combine apricots, cherries, vinegar, sugar, green pepper, onions, cinnamon stick, mustard seed and salt.
2. Bring to boil. Turn heat to low, cover and simmer stirring occasionally until apricots are soft (15-20 min or until liquid evaporates)
3. Let cool, discard cinnamon stick. Keep refrigerated until ready to use.
4. Pound out each chicken breast. Season inside with salt and pepper. Place ¼ c of the chutney in each. Roll up breast to enclose. Sprinkle lemon pepper on top. Brush with melted butter. Bake chicken in 350 degree oven to internal temp of 165 degrees is reached.
5. Make cider sauce by combining all sauce ingredients except the cornstarch and water. Bring mix to boil then to simmer. Mix cornstarch and water, add hot cider mix, stirring while adding. Let thicken and continue to cook until sauce is thick and clear.
6. Slice each chicken breast into 5 equal size slices and shingle on a dinner plate. Ladle ¼ c sauce over each chicken breast. Serve.

028. Buy a cute dress and wear it somewhere. (8/8/09)

I have issues with buying dresses. A lot of times, I don't like the way they look on my body or the way that they fit - so buying a cute dress and wearing it somewhere was a bit of a stretch for me. However, since we were going to a wedding in August - I thought a dress would be the perfect thing to wear. I love the color and the fact that it was very flowy.

022. Become a mom. (Baby due 3/9/2010)

Much to our surprise and delight we found out that we were expecting in early July. So this "list goal" is a work in progress. As of right now, I am half way through my pregnancy. I always thought it was a bit cliched when other women would say that they become mothers when they find out that they are expecting - but it many ways it's true. I am not only responsible for me any more, but the baby that is growing inside of me. It's pretty crazy. We are looking forward to the birth of our first child in March!

016. Visit home at least 2 times a year (2/6) 8/7/09-8/9/09

Us at the wedding.

This summer was a busy summer for us. We visited home twice in about 3 weeks. The second visit for us was when we went home for my husband's sister's wedding. It was a busy weekend where we got to see a lot of family and friends, but like always we wished that we had more time to visit with all of them.

015. Host family or friends for a holiday. completed 10/31/09

Update: With life being as hectic as it is, I have failed to update this blog in a couple of months. So many of these posts will be catching up to today.

Last night - which was Halloween - we hosted two of our friends for a small Halloween party. We had plenty of food and were anticipating trick-or-treaters (sadly, there were none). It was a great night to catch up with them and the first bigger holiday that we've celebrated since getting married in May. Also, our first time to host anyone for a holiday.