We're Outta Here!

School today couldn't have drug on any slower.. that's because it was the last day before Thanksgiving break! I didn't have to go to any classes but I had to work the first half of the day and spent the rest of the day packing and getting the room ready so we could leave for break. We have a to-do list and have to make sure certain things are done before we can check out of the dorms for a long break (take out trash, unplug everything, etc.).

Once I got everything done I had to wait around until 3:30 to turn in a paper before I could head home. As soon as I turned in my paper, I headed towards Jamba Juice to pick up 2 Pumpkin Smash smoothies and 1 cinnamon apple pretzel to share with Alex on the ride home. The pretzel smelled so good when it first came out of the oven and was so warm and soft. And the taste.. it was amazing.

Once we got home my mom had dinner ready for us. She made a chicken bacon ranch pasta dish that she found on Pinterest, originally pinned from Chef In Training's website. The recipe was really filling and being a ranch lover myself, I really enjoyed it. I personally thought it could use a little bit more ranch, so I am sure you can tweak the amount of ranch to your liking. I put the recipe at the bottom of this post.

Workout

Being home I don't have the access to a full gym within a 5 minute walk, so I took full advantage of doing one of the many home workout DVDs we have collected over the years. I decided to do the Jillian Michaels Yoga Meltdown DVD to change things up a bit. I have been doing a lot of cardio lately and I thought that yoga would be a good change. The workout consisted of a lot of balance, and moves that combined balance with movement. I can tell that my muscles are going to be sore tomorrow. My favorite move from the workout is called the Dolphin Pose Push Up. It worked my arms, back, and core all at the same time. If you are unfamiliar with yoga poses, you can check out how to do this pose here.

After my workout we enjoyed banana smoothies made of bananas, milk, ice, and a hint of vanilla. I added soy chocolate protein powder to mine for a little extra protein after my workout.

Mail

When I got home today I also saw that my t-shirt I ordered from Running for Ramie had been delivered! I always love getting things in the mail, especially packages! My cousin's friend, Tamara, ran in a marathon in honor of her friend Ramie who had passed away. She sold shirts as a way to raise money for a scholarship fund that was dedicated to Ramie. I thought that this was a good idea as most people, especially runners, love t-shirts! I am definitely going to have to break this t-shirt out in the next few days!

Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta Recipe

Ingredients:
10-12 oz penne pasta
2 cups cooked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup cooked and crumbled bacon
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups heavy cream (or milk)
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. garlic salt
1/3 cup ranch dressing
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions
1. Cook pasta according to its package's directions. Drain. I always add a little olive oil after I drain it and stir in around so the pasta noodles don't stick together or the pot.
2. Toss in cooked and chopped chicken as well as cooked and crumbled bacon into the pasta.
3. TO MAKE RANCH ALFREDO SAUCE: Melt butter in saucepan, add flour and stir to combine. Once you have your roux, add heavy cream (or milk) stir constantly until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir in Garlic salt, onion powder and ranch dressing until well combined.
4. Pour ranch alfredo over pasta, chicken and bacon. Stir to evenly combine.
5. Add in shredded cheddar cheese and stir to combine.
6. Pour into a casserole pan and bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes.

Recipe source

What is your favorite Pinterest recipe?