I Swear It's Not Baby Brain

Hey Girl!
Hanging around in a mumu sounds perfect. I want a hot pink one, but my leopard print Snuggie is gonna have to do. It's the best thing ever, but I think B only lets me wear it because I'm pregnant. It is really unflattering. How's Virginia? I saw y'all got snowed in this weekend. You've probably gotten more snow than we have this year. Chicago has been MILD; it better not stay this way or everybody'll want to move here.

The easy January and already look'n good February has left me spoiled. I've actually wanted to leave the apartment and I've barely seen snow on the ground. My new snow boots aren't even needed! All of this is lucky though- I've had a huge change in my schedule and anything that makes it more doable is fine with me.

The huge change? I've gone back to SCHOOL and I'm starting with Bio 121 for SCIENCE majors. My first degree was in English; now I want to get a B.S. in Nutrition. The absolute terror with which I've read my first few chapters has left me tense and irritable; B, Leland and Pretty Girl Earl lock themselves in the bedroom when I take out my books to study.
So with all this science class pressure I can't seem to follow a recipe. On Monday night, B and I were invited to a friend couples house for dinner. My ONLY responsibility was to bring the appetizer. I decided to make it in between studying, swimming, and writing thank you notes.

When we arrived, I was so impressed by her kitchen prowess. She'd made Parmesan crisp bowls to put her salad in- they were so good! Not only was the salad great, but we had Beef Wellington, asparagus and risotto: all of it excellent.

I was somewhat intimidated, but glad I'd taken my Spinach Artichoke Dip (it's like queso to Mid-Westerners) because it's a safe bet that everybody in the crowd will love it. I used a recipe from Casserole Crazy and put additional pepper flakes in it. When I took it out and heated it up I thought something was missing, but I couldn't tell what. The next day on the bus I realized I'd forgotten salt, onion, and also the artichoke. I wonder if they noticed?


Spinach and Artichoke Dip
2 (13.75 ounce) cans quartered artichoke hearts, roughly chopped
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 large white onion, chopped
16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1 1/2 cups Parmesan and or Romano cheese, grated
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Transfer to a 2 1/1 to 2 3/4-quart baking dish and bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes to an hours, depending on how deep your dish is. You'll know when it's done when it's bubbly. I like to sprinkle a little of the Parmesan/Romano on top before I stick it in the oven.

I want to hear all about your snow weekend!

Love,
Tia T