*yawn stretch*
Gosh it has been forever since I posted. Here it goes.
Friday Chris got off work at lunch time. We headed out to AT&T where they swapped out his sim card. Hopefully that takes care of the problem. Then we stopped by Best Buy where he got his new Metalica CD. We headed to Halmark so I could get part of the housewarming gift for Sabrina from Misti, Candace and me.
Once home we settled in for the evening and I got started on dinner. It was maybe one of the yummiest chicken dishes I have ever eaten, let alone made.
This isn't my picture, but it looks pretty close to how mine turned out.
Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast
INGREDIENTS:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Stuffing:
1 cup chopped apple (peeled, about 1 small apple)
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2-3 T dried bread crumbs
spices for the stuffing - sage, celery seed, curry, ginger, basil, oregano, pepper, garlic powder
Sauce:
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (I used flour)
Or a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine apple, cheese, bread crumbs, spices. Use your judgment/preferences for the amount of each spice. Celery seed is pretty strong when cooked so only a wee bit is necessary. I like to use it because it adds a light celery taste to the stuffing without the bulk of actual celery. I just kept adding spices until it smelled nice and flavourful. Set aside.
2. Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.
3. Melt butter in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/2 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
4. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Before adding flour whisk up your cooking liquid and make sure all the bits from the pan are incorporated. At this point taste it because you can go 2 ways.
1. If you like the flavour (and it is very good at this point) - Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch (I used flour and instead of combining it with water I lightly sprinkled it directly into the cooking liquid and whisked it vigorously); stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir until thickened.
Or
2. Whisk in a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. This will thicken the sauce (no flour necessary) and will mellow out the wine flavour a bit.
Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley. Serve.
I served it with steamed carrots and perogies. Then I kept raving about how yummy it tasted. Hahah, nothing wrong with my confidence.
Saturday we expected to get our butts kicked with the hurricane but it didn't really hit us. We got some high winds and some rain but not even very much of that. Chris was complaining by the afternoon when the sun came out. He loves rainy days. That evening we went to Dairy Queen for ice cream and HEB to pick up another part of Sabrina's gift.
Sunday morning I woke up, showered and such, then got my wrapping stuff together. I hopped into the car and got to Candace's shortly after 10 for our road trip with Misti to see Sabrina out in College Station. Misti played DJ while Candace drove and I sat in the back sipping my caramel machiato and wrapping up all the components to our combination Earth-Friendly/Asian-inspired housewarming gift.
We arrived around 12:30, got the tour (her house if great, beautiful and just the perfect size and set-up), then chattered away for a bit. Sabrina had fixed all sorts of salad components for a fantastic do-it-yourself salad lunch. Then Lisa called after we ate as we sat and watched Sabrina open her gift. We played a long and fun game of Loaded Questions then called it a day. We stopped to grab food (Arby's had no roast beef - ?!?) and lottery tickets on the way home. We had seen a round rainbow on our drive out which Misti said had to be a good sign. I need to remember to check to see if my tickets won anything.
We arrived at Candace's around 10pm and I was home around 11. I just crawled into bed and I was out for the night. It was such a fun day.
Monday wasn't a productive or exciting day. I made a tasty chicken and biscuit bake for dinner while chatting with my mom. Tuesday I was shocked by how beautiful the weather was in the morning. The temperature had finally dropped to the mid-teens. So I popped on jeans and a sweater to head out to Target. Of course it got warm fast so I had to ditch the sweater, but it stayed below 30! It makes me even more excited to move so I can get ready for fall where there is a real fall - not the pseudo-fall that Texass is trying to trick us with. I picked up my niece's Halloween tshirts while out. I'll be sure to post pics once I decide they are the ones I'm sticking with. In the afternoon a lady from the moving company came by to survey what the movers will need. Unfortunately their load will probably be pretty light as I don't think our furniture will arrive in time. How sad.
Yesterday I finished reading my book in the morning. I continued with my mountain of paper work and scheduling that I started the day before. In the afternoon I chatted with my mom while I made a shepherd's pie for dinner. My mom and brother had been to see a medium the evening before so I wanted to get the scoop on that. My meal turned out great. Chris has never had shepherd's pie and he really liked it too.
I headed off to book club after dinner. I got there first and ordered my coffee and got settled in. We had such a great discussion and everyone was able to make it. That was nice as it is my last meeting, and I don't think that it will continue after I move. We have such a great little group and are getting so comfortable that we end up on many tangents but that makes it all the better. Finding another book club once we move is a top priority.
Today I haven't gotten much done. I asked Chris what he wants for dinner and he said a souffle. Aside from the fact that Chris doesn't even know what a souffle is that is pretty advanced cooking and I am not nearly ready to attempt it. I suggested another egg dish - quiche - which we both like as an alternative. Looking at my list I do have a few things to do but I will likely get to them this afternoon. I have been searching for a place to have a broken Korean tea cup fixed and I got an estimate this morning. between $80-$220 depending on how invisible I want the cracks to be. It just breaks my heart because those cups are probably my favourite thing I brought home from my year in Korea (with the exception of my hubby).
We are #5 on the housing wait list!
Friday Chris got off work at lunch time. We headed out to AT&T where they swapped out his sim card. Hopefully that takes care of the problem. Then we stopped by Best Buy where he got his new Metalica CD. We headed to Halmark so I could get part of the housewarming gift for Sabrina from Misti, Candace and me.
Once home we settled in for the evening and I got started on dinner. It was maybe one of the yummiest chicken dishes I have ever eaten, let alone made.
This isn't my picture, but it looks pretty close to how mine turned out.
Apple Stuffed Chicken Breast
INGREDIENTS:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Stuffing:
1 cup chopped apple (peeled, about 1 small apple)
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
2-3 T dried bread crumbs
spices for the stuffing - sage, celery seed, curry, ginger, basil, oregano, pepper, garlic powder
Sauce:
2 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch (I used flour)
Or a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tablespoon chopped fresh
parsley, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine apple, cheese, bread crumbs, spices. Use your judgment/preferences for the amount of each spice. Celery seed is pretty strong when cooked so only a wee bit is necessary. I like to use it because it adds a light celery taste to the stuffing without the bulk of actual celery. I just kept adding spices until it smelled nice and flavourful. Set aside.
2. Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper to 1/4 inch thickness. Divide apple mixture between chicken breasts, and roll up each breast. Secure with toothpicks.
3. Melt butter in a 7 inch skillet over medium heat. Brown stuffed chicken breasts. Add wine and 1/2 cup water. Cover. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink.
4. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Before adding flour whisk up your cooking liquid and make sure all the bits from the pan are incorporated. At this point taste it because you can go 2 ways.
1. If you like the flavour (and it is very good at this point) - Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch (I used flour and instead of combining it with water I lightly sprinkled it directly into the cooking liquid and whisked it vigorously); stir into juices in pan. Cook and stir until thickened.
Or
2. Whisk in a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup. This will thicken the sauce (no flour necessary) and will mellow out the wine flavour a bit.
Pour gravy over chicken, and garnish with parsley. Serve.
I served it with steamed carrots and perogies. Then I kept raving about how yummy it tasted. Hahah, nothing wrong with my confidence.
Saturday we expected to get our butts kicked with the hurricane but it didn't really hit us. We got some high winds and some rain but not even very much of that. Chris was complaining by the afternoon when the sun came out. He loves rainy days. That evening we went to Dairy Queen for ice cream and HEB to pick up another part of Sabrina's gift.
Sunday morning I woke up, showered and such, then got my wrapping stuff together. I hopped into the car and got to Candace's shortly after 10 for our road trip with Misti to see Sabrina out in College Station. Misti played DJ while Candace drove and I sat in the back sipping my caramel machiato and wrapping up all the components to our combination Earth-Friendly/Asian-inspired housewarming gift.
We arrived around 12:30, got the tour (her house if great, beautiful and just the perfect size and set-up), then chattered away for a bit. Sabrina had fixed all sorts of salad components for a fantastic do-it-yourself salad lunch. Then Lisa called after we ate as we sat and watched Sabrina open her gift. We played a long and fun game of Loaded Questions then called it a day. We stopped to grab food (Arby's had no roast beef - ?!?) and lottery tickets on the way home. We had seen a round rainbow on our drive out which Misti said had to be a good sign. I need to remember to check to see if my tickets won anything.
We arrived at Candace's around 10pm and I was home around 11. I just crawled into bed and I was out for the night. It was such a fun day.
Monday wasn't a productive or exciting day. I made a tasty chicken and biscuit bake for dinner while chatting with my mom. Tuesday I was shocked by how beautiful the weather was in the morning. The temperature had finally dropped to the mid-teens. So I popped on jeans and a sweater to head out to Target. Of course it got warm fast so I had to ditch the sweater, but it stayed below 30! It makes me even more excited to move so I can get ready for fall where there is a real fall - not the pseudo-fall that Texass is trying to trick us with. I picked up my niece's Halloween tshirts while out. I'll be sure to post pics once I decide they are the ones I'm sticking with. In the afternoon a lady from the moving company came by to survey what the movers will need. Unfortunately their load will probably be pretty light as I don't think our furniture will arrive in time. How sad.
Yesterday I finished reading my book in the morning. I continued with my mountain of paper work and scheduling that I started the day before. In the afternoon I chatted with my mom while I made a shepherd's pie for dinner. My mom and brother had been to see a medium the evening before so I wanted to get the scoop on that. My meal turned out great. Chris has never had shepherd's pie and he really liked it too.
I headed off to book club after dinner. I got there first and ordered my coffee and got settled in. We had such a great discussion and everyone was able to make it. That was nice as it is my last meeting, and I don't think that it will continue after I move. We have such a great little group and are getting so comfortable that we end up on many tangents but that makes it all the better. Finding another book club once we move is a top priority.
Today I haven't gotten much done. I asked Chris what he wants for dinner and he said a souffle. Aside from the fact that Chris doesn't even know what a souffle is that is pretty advanced cooking and I am not nearly ready to attempt it. I suggested another egg dish - quiche - which we both like as an alternative. Looking at my list I do have a few things to do but I will likely get to them this afternoon. I have been searching for a place to have a broken Korean tea cup fixed and I got an estimate this morning. between $80-$220 depending on how invisible I want the cracks to be. It just breaks my heart because those cups are probably my favourite thing I brought home from my year in Korea (with the exception of my hubby).
We are #5 on the housing wait list!