Oh heyyyy, it's been a busy weekend, but *mostly* good stuff. I say *mostly* because my beloved thrift store- the one where I find gems like vintage Adidas track pants- closed for good. I know people say that if you want the best stuff, you've gotta go to the thrift stores in the expensive suburbs, but ahem, the opposite is true. Gems include finding a Longchamp tote, Burberry kids clothes, and a Gucci purse. RIP, Unique. 

The main event of the weekend was my best friend Shanna's wedding. I'm not going to spill the beans too much with photos, but man alive, no detail went unnoticed and it was a beautiful day!

We opted to take a family walk on Sunday at a local nature preserve.

When little brother tries to follow dad and big brother on the fallen tree and falls off. 

So speaking of autumn, spaghetti squash is one of the staple seasonal items, but I get a lot of questions about what to actually do with it. I personally don't care for the ol' cover it with marinara. I prefer an Alfredo sauce. A chicken Alfredo sauce. A chicken Alfredo sauce with spinach!

Heeeeeere we go!

Chicken Spinach Alfredo Sauce

-3 tablespoons butter

-3 tablespoons olive oil

-1/2 cup flour

-1 8 oz block Neufchatel cream cheese

-5 cups 1% milk

-1/2 cup shredded/grated Parmesan cheese

-2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

-1 teaspoon ground black pepper

-2 cups cooked shredded or diced chicken

-1 bag fresh baby spinach

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat butter and olive oil. A quick "why" here- obvs butter tastes amazing, but olive oil has heart healthy fats. I split the difference! Once butter is melted, whisk in the flour. Next whisk in the cream cheese. You will be rolling your eyes at this point, doubting that this will EVER become creamy Alfredo. 

Whisk in 1 cup of the milk, letting it fully incorporate into the flour/cheese blob. Whisk in the remaining milk. Stir continuously until the milk begins to bubble up and boil. Boil for one minute, then turn heat to low. Sauce will be thicker at this point. Stir in Parmesan, Italian seasoning, pepper, chicken, and spinach. 

How easy, right? Makes six generous servings. Per serving: 400 calories. One cup of cooked spaghetti squash is only 75 calories, so all things considered this is a super hearty meal with an appropriate amount of calories!