The Pick: Week 6 + Friday Favorites

February 13, 2015

This week has been a week! I am so thankful that it's Friday and the weekend is almost here! I'm looking forward to sleeping in, celebrating Valentine's Day with my sweet husband, and taking it easy. How about you??

Just like every Friday, I'm sharing my favorites from the week, and this one is no exception. What are some of your top moments from this week?? Here are mine...

[one] The sun is no longer set and gone by 5:45 in the evening. It's been lingering just a little longer and it's such a nice reminder that Spring isn't so far off after all.

[two] The weather on Sunday was heaven sent in the middle of winter. Although slightly breezy, the temperature reached the lower 60's.

[three] Who doesn't love a little bit of dessert?! Especially when it's chocolate! I had so much fun whipping this Chocolate Blackberry Cream Roulade up on Saturday. And if you want the recipe, just see yesterday's post for the Every Girl Link-Up. If you're a blogger, you should check out all the dates for the Every Girl Link-Up and join us!

[four] This week we also bundled up and stopped by our friends' home to write Bible verses on their subfloor before their carpet is installed today. Such a neat way to bless a home!

[five] That lovely sunny weather I was talking about disappeared by midweek, and the chilly temperatures returned like they'd never left. The only promise coming from this cold weather is snow next Wednesday (5 to 8 inches worth!!). So I'll accept it for now and in the meantime make lots of piping hot foods to counteract the cold. Last night I tried my hand at homemade creamy chicken noodle soup, and it was stellar. The perfect meal for such a cold day. Keep scrolling for the recipe.

  • What You'll Need
    • 16 oz bag of Italian Campanelle (you'll use 3/4 of the bag)
    • 2 boneless chicken breasts
    • Olive oil
    • 1/2 a medium onion, finely chopped
    • 3 carrots, peeled and chopped
    • 3 celery stalks, chopped
    • Garlic salt
    • Salt and pepper to taste
    • 32 oz chicken broth
    • 1 TSP parsley 
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1/4 cup butter
    • 1/4 cup + 2 TSP all-purpose flour
    • 2 1/2 cups milk (I used skim)
    • 1/3 cup heavy cream
  • What You'll Do
    • In a large pot saute the onion, carrots, and celery in olive oil. Sprinkle with garlic salt.
    • While the vegetables are cooking cut up the chicken and cook in a separate pan.
    • Once the vegetables are tender, add the chicken broth, bay leaves, and parsley. Bring to a boil.
    • Then add the Italian Campanelle to the pot. Let simmer.
    • In a saucepan melt the better. When it's melted add the flour and stir constantly. Slowly add the milk, whisking the whole time. Then add the heavy cream.Bring the milk mixture to a boil whisking constantly so that it doesn't burn. 
    • Once it has boiled, add it to the broth mixture. Stir it well. 
    • Add the chicken. Turn the soup down to a simmer.

My homemade artisan bread was also on the menu with our creamy chicken noodle soup, and it was perfection. 


[six] And if you're a blogger, don't forget to check out the Spring Cheer Exchange that Rachel and I are hosting! Who doesn't love snail mail and a box of all things Spring?! You can sign up to participate by emailing me: hillcollectionblog@gmail.com


I hope you've had a fabulous week and that you'll have an even more fabulous weekend with your loved ones! Husband and I are making it a relaxing weekend and Valentine's day. I'll be wearing my lounge clothes and loving every second of it! But if you need something a little fancier for your Valentine's date, I shared some ideas for a little inspiration earlier in the week!

follow all my weekend shenanigans on my Instagram @astleigh_hill

Last but not not least, go grab the URL of your favorite post from this week and add it to The Pick Link-Up. All I ask is that you comment on the blogger's post that was linked up just before yours. If you're feeling so inclined, comment on some or all of the other bloggers that linked up too! Let's build up and support our blogging community!