I love chicken and I love sundried tomatoes and who doesn’t like bacon!  So I put them all together one day and I was pleasantly surprised with the result. This can be served over pasta, rice or zoodles (zucchini noodles).  
 
Ingredients:
 
4-6 slices of bacon, cooked till crispy, crumbled and set aside
1 lb of chicken breasts, cut into bite size pieces
1 large garlic clove, minced
6-8 Sundried tomato halves, chopped up
2 Tab of the oil the tomatoes came in or Olive Oil, divided
1 small bunch of basil leaves, sliced into thin slivers (save some to sprinkle on top before serving)
Salt and pepper
 
1 cup of light cream - optional
 
Directions:
 

1. In a large frying pan heat up the oil on medium heat, add the minced garlic and sauté for 30 sec.
2. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper and sauté till done. Remove from pan.
3. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and stir in the chopped sundried tomatoes, cook for 30 seconds. Add the chopped basil, cook for another 30 seconds and finally add the chicken.
4. Stir well and sprinkle the crushed bacon on top when you serve it.  This version works really well with a short pasta or zoodles, tossed well.

 
OR:
 

1. Stir in one cup of light cream before serving and topping with the bacon. This version is perfect for a long pasta or rice. 

 
Enjoy and let us know how you decided to prepare it.

~Michelle Pearse
 

One of my favorite books that I have ever read is Marley and Me.  You may have seen the movie, as have I, but like most book to movie adaptations, it doesn't quite measure up and the book is definitely worth reading if you haven't already.

The book is a memoir of sorts about a family and their life with "the world's worst dog".  Written by John Grogan, a newspaper columnist by trade, he began writing columns about Marley and then his wife encouraged to turn them into the book we can all enjoy now.  Marley is a big golden labrador who doesn't know his own size and strength.  He often gets himself and his owners in trouble, whether it's jumping out of a moving car's window, terrorizing the house due to a thunderstorm, or going to the bathroom on a public beach.  But like most dogs, Marley passes away and his family realizes that he wasn't the world's worst dog, but the most loyal and loving dog.  

I laughed and cried throughout the book.  It's a perfect easy read especially for those of us who have owned pets that become family members.  It's an experience most people in this world can relate to.  I have come back to read this book multiple times and would recommend it to anyone looking for an easy, relaxing, relatable book.

What are some of your favorite books that you come back to time and time again?

​~Abby Morales