Friday Favorites

It's the first Friday in November - and we all know what that means: It's time to decorate for Christmas! No seriously; for me, that's exactly what it means. I love Halloween. I think Thanksgiving is incredible.. and Christmas should be celebrated for as long as possible. So - that should give you an idea of what I'm doing this weekend, ha-ha! 

One. Halloween Wrap Up - We had a lovely Halloween this year! I shared the group costume that we wore for work and my sweet husband indulged me and dressed up as Simon from Bridgerton! We decided to take a walk through the neighborhood in our costumes and we not only got to see tons of little trick or treaters but we got some compliments on our costumes too!

Also - how fun are some of the decorations in the neighborhood? I cannot believe the Stay Puft Marshmallow man that was bigger than the house it was in front of! And another house had completely been transformed into more of a Halloween experience than a yard - it was incredible!

Two. The Most Beautiful Gift - My birthday was last month and our anniversary is next weekend (I cannot believe it) and yet, somehow on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I ended up getting the most beautiful gift from my husband! 

I have loved this quote for quite a long time and admired other variations of it on signs and pieces of artwork. I was completely surprised when my husband unveiled this gorgeous wood-burned version of the quote that is now currently being displayed in our bedroom. I can't wait to give it a place of honor in our next home!

Three. Chicken & Bacon Corn Pasta - Oh my goodness! Can we talk about a delicious meal?? And I actually forgot to put the bacon in... oops! Regardless, it still turned out delicious and we are absolutely adding it into our meal rotation because it's pretty divine (even as a leftover). Peep the recipe below!

What You Need

• 12 ounces Farfalle Pasta
• 2 cups whole kernel corn
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• 1.5 lbs chicken thighs or breasts (skinless & boneless)
• 1.5 tsp. smoked paprika/1 tsp. paprika
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Freshly ground black pepper - to taste
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tsp. chili powder
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 strips of bacon; cooked

What to Do

• Cook the pasta according to the directions & drain. Proceed w/the rest of the recipe while you wait for the pasta to cook!
• Slice the chicken (I used breasts) into thin strips and generously season w/smoked paprika, Italian seasoning, salt & pepper. 
• Heat a large skillet with 2 tbsp. of olive oil. Cook the chicken on each side 4-5 minutes per side until completely cooked through. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate.
• In the same skillet, empty corn kernels, 1 tbsp. olive oil, salt & pepper to taste, 1/2 tsp. paprika & 1/2 tsp. chili powder. Stir & cook in the chicken juices for about 3 minutes to blend flavors. 
• Remove half the cooked corn to a plate & add 1 cup of heavy cream to the skillet w/the remaining corn kernels. Bring to a gentle boil.
• Add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese into the sauce & stir on low heat until the cheese melts. 
• Add cooked & drained pasta to the sauce.
• Add cooked chicken.
• Top with chopped cooked bacon & the remaining half of the corn kernels.

Four. Tis' the Season - You may have thought I was joking at the start of this post but I wasn't. A large portion of my weekend plans involve going to the storage unit to get Ryan and I's Christmas tree and getting it put up this weekend! I know some people have strong feelings about putting up Christmas "too early" but I am not one of those people!

I love the Christmas season and want to enjoy the twinkle and shine as long as possible! Plus - it's a proven point that people who decorate for Christmas earlier are generally happier! Yes please! 

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I have plans to have tea with my wonderful friend Katie and her daughter Freyja - but otherwise our weekend is pretty wide open! Plenty of time to relax, decorate our little home and enjoy some NFL football and the cooler weather! Ya'll have a wonderful weekend!