Halloween, Bingo, and... a Recipe.

It's November, already?! Can't believe it. The temperature has cooled off  here (50s & 60s) & I even saw that it snowed in Chicago over the weekend. INSANE. Snow is supposedly one of the things I will not have to worry too much about around here. Due to lack of snow plows, an inch or two has every one on house arrest, and typically there's no more than a few inches.

After a total of zero trick-or-treaters graced our presence Friday night, we did go out and celebrate Halloween. The main necessity for Halloween is a costume, and of course... we did not have costumes. As I said in a post before, I did not think we were going to need them. Wrong. We resorted to digging through our closets and googling "easy couples costumes." With lots of golf clothes to choose from... we decided on dressing as Happy Gilmore and his caddy (the homeless one, not the skinny blonde one, obviously).

It was a no-brainer that I would be the homeless caddy man. Shout out to Andrew for putting my eye shadow beard on my face so nicely. And for making my golf bag (poster canister) with a golf club (curtain rob & an old sock). I even had water crackers to boot.

Our creativity went noticed at the costume contest at one of the bars in town, when we won the couples' costume contest (and a gift certificate!!)! It was us versus superman/superwoman, and thanks to the few friends we had there cheering us on... we won by popular opinion.

To follow up this excitement, Sunday we played BINGO. I've only played bingo in a school setting, and once at my local American Legion which hosts bingo every Thursday night. People are INTENSE about the game. I, one day, hope to have my own bingo bag full of daupers... and the money to throw down 20 dollar bills like they're one dollar bills. But, this Sunday Bingo was for a good cause - the Stephen's Fund, a local organization that raises awareness for down syndrome. No one was there to win money, instead the prizes were donated Longaberger baskets and other Longaberger items. There were a few Vera Bradley items, and even a Coach purse (that I had my eye one). All proceeds from the event were going towards sponsoring athletes to go to the Special Olympics, buying wheel chairs, and sponsoring people with down syndrome for the annual Buddy Walk.  Sad to say I won ZERO games or prizes, but it was actually a lot of fun!

I started this blog to keep friends and family up to date on some of the things that I've been up to since moving out to the east coast... and I'm realizing there will be some unexciting weeks here and there. This week being somewhat just that. So, to end this post, I'll entertain you all with a recipe.

People seem to want to know about how I feed myself (do you like to cook? what do you cook? what's your favorite dish your mom makes? what's your favorite food?). To be honest... I don't care for cooking (but I love to eat). Primarily, I believe this is because I'm nervous that what I made won't taste like what I expect. ESPECIALLY when I'm feeding someone else. And I'm known to be a picky eater.... and well Andrew might be a little pickier. Most meals end with a conversation that goes a little like "Next time, if this meal is made again (not suggested), change recipe in _ way...". Can't help but laugh at the mistakes, but hey at least nothing has ever been NOT edible.

I have had some successes so I'll share one for now that has been a hit!

Parmesan Crusted Chicken
(just like Noodles & Co!!) - for TWO


Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts (whole, or cut into strips)
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesean cheese
1/2 tbs paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg (lightly beaten)
2 tbs Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)


Directions (LOL - bear with me)
**you can use a frying pan, george forman, panini press... I use a frying pan.
1. Trim chicken breasts. 
   - if you keep chicken breasts whole, cover with saran wrap, and pound to 1/4 inch with mallat
   - if you cut into strips, make slices thinner or cover and pound to 1/4 inch like with whole breast
2. Mix all dry ingredients in a medium size bowl. 
3. Beat egg *lightly* in small bowl. 
4. Coat chicken breasts (or strips) with egg wash and then with dry mixture. 
    * I do strips one at a time - dip in egg wash. roll in dry mix, and straight onto the frying pan.
5. Heat EVOO in frying pan on medium-high (~6), add chicken, cover with lid.
6. Cook chicken until golden brown. 

The chicken is best served over buttered egg noodles (in my opinion). Cook egg noodles according to directions on bag, add butter (or EVOO), garlic powder, and salt mixed to taste.

This recipe is in part from Tastebook - find the original here. From experience, I cut the dry ingredients in half from the recipe I linked (original recipe wastes A LOT), and I cooked my chicken in a frying pan since I don't own a george forman or panini press. Hope someone tries this and it's delicious!! If not... you didn't get the recipe from me ;)