A kitty and casserole

Look what showed up last night on our deck! She is so sweet and after a bowl of milk, she decided to spend the night in our garage with the dogs where it was warm. When we woke up this morning, she was still here and as we speak, she is hanging out in our backyard. Looks like we have another pet! Honestly, we've been wanting an outside cat to keep the mice and other critters away here in the country. Mike had a cat before we got married, it's name was "The Kittidiot." If she decides to stick around, I'll be naming her.

I fixed this for dinner the other night...

Chicken Florentine Artichoke Bake

8 oz. dried bow tie pasta

1 small onion, chopped

1 Tb. butter

2 eggs

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning

1/4 to 1/2 tsp.l crushed red pepper (optional)

2 cups chopped cooked chicken (I baked a whole chicken with seasonings for the added flavor)

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack (8 oz.)

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered

1 10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained

1/2 cup oil-packed dried tomatoes, drained and chopped

1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup soft bread crumbs

1/2 tsp. paprika

1 Tb. butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 350. Cook pasta according to directions, drain. In medium skillet cook onion (I added some garlic too) in 1 Tb. butter over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. In bowl whisk together eggs, milk, seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp black pepper and crushed red pepper. Stir in chicken, cheese, artichokes, spinach, tomatoes, half of the Parmesan cheese, pasta and onion. Transfer to a 3-quart baking dish.

3. Bake covered, 20 minutes. In small bowl combine remaining Parmesan, bread crumbs, paprika and melted butter. Sprinkle mixture over pasta. Bake, uncovered, 10 minutes more or until golden. Makes 6-8 servings.

Christy and Jessica will be here this afternoon! We'll take some pictures and share them!