Other things may change us, but we start and end with family

There is nothing like visiting family. It makes you realize so much about yourself and about where you came from. I wish so badly that I was able to visit mine more often. Although I was born in Detroit, Michigan, I grew up mostly in the South. To this day, all of my extended family, both Marshall and Kline sides, live in MI. In the last year, however, I have been able to visit more than I have in the last five years! This past weekend, my dad, mom, sister and I flew to Michigan for my Grandma Marshall's memorial service. Although the circumstances were not ideal, I am still so happy to have REALLY caught up with everyone. It was a wonderful service and I was able to meet many friends and extended family of my parents. They were surprised to see folks that they haven't seen in almost 20 years! My mom's family came to the memorial too, and I was happy to visit with them as well. Earlier in the day, we were able to visit my Grandma Kline and Marshall's homes and look through hundreds of old photos that both of my grandmothers had collected for years. It was a special experience, but I miss them both dearly. It has been a hard year for us, but we will stick together and get through it. :)


On a lighter note, however, it wouldn't be a trip to Detroit without visiting the famed Buddy's Pizza. My mom's only dinner request whenever we visit, is to get a famous square deep-dish pizza and Antipasto salad from Buddy's. Of course there is no complaining because this pizza really is one of the best I have ever had. Seriously, y'all, we ate there on Thursday night with Uncle Mike, Aunt Genia, Uncle Tom, and Aunt Cindy, and again on Friday night with the same group plus my cousin Mike and his wife Maureen and their kids, Justin, Sean and Declan and my other second cousins Kyle and Isabella. I mean this pizza is serious business. And, don't fret, of course I took pictures.


Shoutout to my sister, who understands the importance of good blog photos. She expertly helped me arrange everything just right. :)

Mom's favorite Antipasto salad! It was loaded with ham, salami, cubed Mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and the BEST dressing!

These are Buddy rolls. Umm.. AMAZING. The sauce was perfect, and vaguely reminded me of the sauce used by Mungoni's Pizzeria in Lexington's Old Mill circa 1997. (It has since moved to Main Street and is called Cardoni's)I used to order the pizza bagel there after school almost everyday!

Of course, Jessica tried the spaghetti with meat sauce! I helped her "almost" finish it. So good!

Here is our deep-dish square pizza! Half cheese, half mushrooms and green peppers = YUM! Once again, I don't know what my problem is, I forgot to take a pic before we dug in. :) PS: That cheese was melting everywhere.. just like it looks in the picture. Ha!

Too bad this is blurry! He wanted to take this because he was "made in Detroit!" Ha! If only I could show you some of the other photos taken of Dad from this weekend. He would kill me if I posted the funny ones, but if you are a Marshall, then you probably know what I mean when I say.. "Yo, homie." Ask Dad if you see him, and he'll tell you the story. :)

After the memorial service on Saturday night, we headed over to my cousin Mike and his wife Maureen's house. The food and company were great, and I wish we could do it every Saturday night! I look forward to visiting again as soon as possible. One thing I am proud of.. I love being a Marshall!

Have a great week, y'all! I won't be too busy this week, but I did buy the new Food Network magazine in the airport on Thursday, so I am starting to browse for some new material.. Could get interesting..

Weeknight Risotto

So lately, I have been OBSESSED with risotto. It is so fun to mix and match different flavors and create yummy, hearty dinners. Here is another one that I made last Wednesday that I had to share:


Gorgonzola and Mushroom Risotto

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock

1 package sliced white mushrooms
Olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, minced
1 1/2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup (3 oz.) Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Salt
Pepper


This recipe serves 4 to 6 people, so adjust ingredients accordingly.


Recipe:

In a medium saucepan, bring the stock to a boil over medium high heat. In a heavy-bottomed pot, (the kind with two handles on both sides) heat a few turns of olive oil over medium heat and add shallot and saute until tender. Next, add mushrooms and some salt and pepper to taste. Saute mushrooms until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove mushrooms from pot and set aside under tin foil to keep warm. Add Arborio rice to same pot and stir to coat with oil. Once coated and lightly browned, add wine to the rice and stir until it is absorbed. Then, 1/2 cup at a time, ladle the chicken broth into the rice and stir until absorbed. Make sure all liquid is absorbed in the rice before adding another ladle-full. Keep doing this until almost all the broth has been used. Add the mushrooms back into the rice and gently stir. After all the stock has been used, add the Parmesan and Gorgonzola cheese to the rice and stir until melted. The mixture should now look really creamy! Add salt and pepper to taste and serve!

Here are some photos of the process:

Sauteing the mushrooms -- Almost done..

Rice absorbing the oil, before the stock has been added..

About one ladle of stock added to the rice..

Stock fully absorbed.. ready to add another ladle-full to the pot..

All stock absorbed and cheeses and mushrooms added..

Finished product!

Yummmm! It's always fun to experiment with food, and risotto is a good one to try new things with! Hope you all had a nice long weekend! I'll be trying some new, and even easier recipes this week, so I'll keep you updated. And, if I ever finish it, I have a list of my favorite kitchen gadgets and tips to pass along, so stay tuned!

As a side note, please keep my family in your thoughts. My Grandma Marshall passed away last night after a struggle with cancer. I'll be in Michigan this weekend with my family and we appreciate any prayers that come our way.

My triumph over seafood!

Last night, I came home after work to an empty apartment. Randan is in California and Courtney was working the night shift at the hospital. I have come to find that I am very good at occupying my time by myself. I think this is a good quality to have, because then you are rarely bored. I doddled around the apartment for a while before deciding I was a bit hungry.* I had stocked up on meals at the grocery store earlier this week, and on my pre-planned menu, decided on Asian Grilled Salmon with roasted vegetables for dinner. Sounds daunting, but it is SO easy.


Before I move on to the recipe that was had, let me explain a little background on me and seafood. I started to move out of my land animal comfort zone to the world of sea creatures about three years ago, and I haven't looked back. One of my best friends from high school is to take credit for finally pushing me into the light. During a beach trip the summer after we graduated from Lexington High, her parents made Beaufort Stew.** Right then and there, Kaley MADE me peel shrimp for the first time. It was gross, but man, oh man, was it worth it! I still can't get myself to peel a large number of shrimp or eat the tentacles of calamari, but other than that, I am game for just about anything that had been swimming in a tank or the ocean just hours before. There are a few restaurants that I go to especially for the seafood. I always get excited when I go visit Adam in his hometown of Virginia Beach because of the fresh selection of seafood they serve in the restaurants there. Chicks' steamed combo of shrimp, clams, oysters and crab legs is my FAVE. But, you can't beat the mussels at Sequoia on the Georgetown Waterfront. And - for those of you in Columbia, SC -holy cow, have you tried Bang Bang Shrimp at Bonefish?!? Whoa!! My sister swears by them, and I think she would eat them everyday if she could! There are so many more places that I die over the seafood, but I digress.


So-- Asian Grilled Salmon. I adapted this recipe to my liking after finding it from the Barefoot Contessa. I had never bought a fresh slice of fish at the seafood counter before, but it was very easy. You just pick what you want and they reach in there and get it for you. It can be a bit expensive if you are buying for more people, but with just one filet, it's not too bad.*** I asked the nice man behind the counter if he could slice the outer layer of skin off because, frankly, I just don't like to think about scales being on what I'm about to eat. I kept it wrapped in the paper and stuck it in the fridge overnight. You can't keep fish for too long unless you freeze it, so eat it within a few days of purchase. Any who, here are some pictures and the recipes for what I made.


Asian Grilled Salmon with Roasted Vegetables


Ingredients:


1 filet fresh salmon
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 clove minced garlic


Directions:


Whisk together the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and garlic in a small bowl. Drizzle half the marinade onto the salmon and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Cut the salmon filet into pieces if you can't fit in one dish to marinate.


Spray a large pan liberally with cooking spray and heat to medium-high on the stove. Lay the salmon in the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on one side. Throw out the rest of the used marinade. Take a wide spatula and carefully flip the salmon to the other side for another 4-5 minutes. It will depend on the thickness of the piece of fish, but if you can stick a fork in the fish and it flakes off and is slightly pinkish-white in the center, then it is done. Transfer to a plate and let it rest under tin foil for about 5 minutes. Drizzle the rest of the reserved marinade over the fish and serve with Roasted Vegetables. (Recipe below)


Roasted Vegetables


Ingredients:


1 yellow squash
1 zuccinni
1 small onion
1 package of sliced white mushrooms
Garlic salt or regular salt
Pepper
Olive oil


Directions:


Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil. Slice all veggies into similar sizes and toss them on the baking sheet with a liberal amount of olive oil until they are covered. Sprinkle garlic salt and pepper all over the veggies. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes.


You can use whatever combination of veggies you like. This would also be really yummy with broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus or bell peppers! There are so many options!


This meal will serve two people, so adjust ingredients when cooking for more.

Salmon just after marinating and into the HOT pan.

After the first flip. The soy and olive oil create a crispy crust.

Veggies roasting!

Finished dish.. once again, I apologize for taking a few bites before taking the photo. :)

This dish was so yum! I ate and watched the Crimson Tide roll all over the Texas Longhorns! I'm a Gamecock at heart, but who doesn't love to see an SEC team win the National Championship!! I had leftovers and was really excited about eating it for lunch today, when my dad called me and said he and my mom had a layover in DC for a few hours on their flight to Detroit today! So, needless to say, I will be eating it for my dinner later tonight!

Hope y'all have a great weekend! Also, as a side note, please keep my Grandma Marshall in your prayers. She is very ill and your thoughts are very much appreciated by my whole family. :)

*When I say "doddled" I mean I cleaned the living room and my room and watched some TV and played a few rounds of MarioKart Wii. Yes, MarioKart. Laugh if you must, but I know a select handful of people I am friends with would thoroughly appreciate the above mentioned activity. And, watch out, because Yoshi and I are getting pre-tty awesome.


**For those who are not familiar, Beaufort Stew (which can go by many other names) is just unpeeled shrimp, sausage, potatoes and corn on the cob all simmered together with some Old Bay and other spices. It is heaven!


***Plus, "one filet of salmon" can probably feed two people if you cut it in half, and serve lots of sides.

A brand new year.

Doesn't that feel great to say? A new year.. a time to pick resolutions, forget a month later why you picked them, and to start over fresh with a new you! I can't even begin to think about how crazy 2009 was. I continued to drive all over the lovely state of Virginia visiting Adam at H-SC, graduated from college, saw many of my dear friends get engaged or married, traveled to the beach with family, and lost our sweet dog, Sugar, a few weeks later. As summer went into full swing, I moved to a new city, celebrated a one-year anniversary with Adam, experienced new things and met new people, finally found a job and then found a BETTER job. As fall came around and winter set in, I enjoyed another season of Gamecock football, lost a dear grandmother, traveled to NYC for the first time, introduced Mom and Dad to DC on their first big visit, went through hard times with friends and enjoyed great times with friends, rang in the New Year with my best friends from college, and, overall, had a life-changing year. It was a rollercoaster, but it was wonderful. I am so thankful and blessed to be surrounded by people who love and care about me, and I hope that those close to me know I feel the same about them. I like to say that I have love in my life, and I have lots of laughter, and I am living it just the way I want.

So, enough with all the serious talk. In keeping with New Year's traditions, I have chosen several resolutions, which I truly hope to continue throughout the year.


In random order.. (drumroll please..)


1. The classic, the cliche -- WORKOUT! See, my friends, this one is serious. I have, for the better part of four years, not worked out. At all. Eww.. are you cringing with disgust? Because I sort of am. From the time I was about three to just after I finished my first semester of college, I danced ballet (or any other type of dance you can imagine) almost every day, of every week of every year in that span of time. That doesn't include the countless rehearsals that went along with performing in a pre-professional ballet company. So, needless to say, my hiney was in SHAPE! After I burned out on the dance thing, I started living life like any normal, burned-out-from-a-hobby-person does; I ate and drank anything I wanted all while having a FANTASTIC time in college. Well, didn't that just catch up with me!!! Ha!! I don't like to say I am fat, because I can still fit into some clothes I have had since sophomore year (and no one should call themselves fat), but I would say that I am a less than ideal body size and shape (in my opinion.)* So, thanks to Mom and Dad, I am now the proud owner of Wii Fit Plus. And it's tight. For sure. I started my routine of working out last night, and I burned a significant number of calories and stayed on that dang thing for TWO HOURS! On accident! It was so fun! My fave is the ski course and slalom. It has multi-player, so anyone around DC, come play with me!! In any case, I will continue to workout as much as possible. I'll keep you updated on how it goes!


2. Eat healthier. This one is not as hard as you think. I am a huge fan of cooking, as you all should know, so using ingredients like veggies and lean meats is not going to be a huge adjustment. I normally use healthy and sometimes organic (when cost permits) choices anyways. I have started to plan menus for myself throughout the week, so when I make larger portions, I save them for lunch the next day. It saves money, time and I don't have to trek out in the cold, DC winter to drool over/splurge on overpriced menu items at Corner Bakery every day**. I have also found that by stretching my dollars and actually using or eating almost everything I buy at the grocery store that sits in my fridge or pantry, in fact, is really easy. Hopefully, I can continue to do this as the year goes on.


3. Blog more. Should I explain more? Honestly, I should be blogging three to four times a week with all that goes on in my life. So that's what I'll do. Three to four times a week.


4. Join volunteer groups and organizations in DC. I know that I am fortunate to have a roof over my head and a steady paycheck coming in, so the least I can do is give some of my time to help others. I hope to start working with the Arlington County Animal Shelter as soon as possible, and hopefully look into joining the Junior League of Washington. I want to say to others, five, ten or twenty years down the road, that I helped those in need. And there's no better time than now to start.


That's all for now. I like to start small, that way I won't be outnumbered by how many goals I have. I think that these are achievable, so I'll keep you updated on my progress. :)


Have a lovely rest of your week! And since this is a cooking blog.. I guess I should mention, I promise to continue to give all sorts of recipes I try full attention on my soon-to-be numerous posts! Pinky-promise, y'all!




*I have a lovely and adoring boyfriend, who will beg to differ with me. He thinks I am pretty. And, he tells me often. Aren't I lucky? :) Not to mention, all I have to do when I feel fat is call home and anyone who answers the phone at Governors Grant Blvd. will tell me I'm nuts. Gotta love 'em.


** OK, so I was a bit harsh. I absolutely love Corner Bakery. Especially the soups and salads. Yum. It's almost like a mix between Panera and Bakers Brothers (for those of you in Columbia, SC). But, let's get real. It's not worth spending $8.05 everyday or potentially getting frostbitten or, worse, getting hit by a crazy cab driver trying to cross the street to Union Station. Smart, right?

Eat this. Now.

OK. So this post is going to be short. I want to share a recipe. Plain and simple.

In the whirlwind that has been my life over the last month, I have rarely taken the time to research and try any new recipes. I was bored the other night, so I picked up the Food Network Kitchens Cookbook. What a fantastic book, y'all! The recipes border between gourmet and homestyle and are all delicious-looking. I settled for Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus. Oh. My. Word. I happened to be sitting alone in my apartment when I took the first bite, and I was so overwhelmed by the taste that I just had to call someone. Naturally, this person was my mom. If I could count the times I have called her over the years to tell her the most ridiculous, pointless, silly things that I see/do/hear, you would be amazed. It's quite funny to me that even after 23 years, she still laughs and listens to my ranting. That's love. Even when I call and forget why I called before I could tell her the stupid or random fact. :)

Any who, back to the risotto. OK. So I ate so much, I was stuffed. No jokes. I want to pass this along to you, my readers, because you will die. It's for certain that this is one of my new favorite meals. Just make it. Trust me.*

Lemon Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus**

Ingredients:

1 bunch asparagus

4 oz. frozen shrimp

Olive Oil

3 cups chicken broth

A pinch of dried thyme

1 shallot, diced (this is a small pinkish onion -- use 1/4 white onion if you can't find a shallot)

1 1/2 cups Arborio (risotto) rice

Salt

Pepper

Zest of half lemon

2 tablespoons butter

Juice of half lemon

Recipe:

Cut asparagus into inch pieces discarding woody stems. Heat a few turns of olive oil in a large Dutch oven pot (this is a pot with two handles on the sides) on medium high heat. Add the shrimp and let warm up for about 5-6 minutes. Take the shrimp out and keep warm on a plate under tin foil. Meanwhile, add chicken broth and thyme to a large pot (just a regular pot this time) and warm up just to a simmer. Add the diced shallot to the pot the where you took the shrimp out and let it cook for about 2 minutes until translucent. Add the rice and stir until it is coated and covered in oil. Ladle in about 1/2 cup of broth to the rice and let it absorb while stirring. It's important to let the rice absorb all the liquid before adding anymore. Keep adding broth to the rice until about half the stock is used. Add the asparagus and lemon zest into the rice and stir gently. Continue ladling 1/2 cup of broth stirring between additions until all the stock is used. When rice is al dente (which is just a fancy term for "firm to the bite") after about 15 minutes, add in the shrimp, lemon juice and butter and stir quickly so it absorbs.*** Remove from the heat and let the risotto rest for a minute before serving. Top with salt and pepper to taste.

Y'all it's so yummy!! Please, please let me know if anyone decides to use this recipe and tell me if you think it's as good as I do!!

I thought I could keep this post short, but I guess not. Ha! Enjoy the rest of your week and weekend! DC is getting snow on Saturday! I'll have to wait for the next time because I'll be visiting Adam's family in Virginia Beach this weekend. And, I made his mom some Pumpkin Spice Biscotti, so I'll post how it turns out soon!

*Sorry I couldn't get a better picture. I had already started eating it and couldn't stop. You know how that goes, right?

**I really edited this recipe from the original because I didn't like some of the ingredients. Does this mean I am honing my craft?? Oh, now I'm excited!

***Now the rice is called risotto because it has absorbed flavor and liquid.

What a whirlwind!

Wow! The last two weeks have flown by! I have so much to share -- so let's start at the beginning!!

Firstly, I must say that I had a FANTASTIC time at our dinner party at Katie and Heather's apartment. It was so fun to meet with friends and sit around and talk and eat. I mean, those are pretty much my favorite activities to do with friends.. preferably while holding a glass of wine. Anywho.. let's get back to the food.. because it was awesome! Everyone was instructed to bring a side dish or dessert as Heather and Katie shared the duty of hosts and made the main dish (with the help of Katye): Bruschetta Chicken. Yum. That's about how you sum it up. It was covered in tomatoes and veggies and was just delish. We also shared parmesan risotto, cornbread casserole and lots of yummy appetizers of homemade hummus, Caprese salad, veggies with dip, and a homemade Southwestern cheese ball! Lastly, we finished off dinner with my homemade pumpkin pie and Mary-Kate C.'s ice cream sandwich casserole! Y'all it was so much fun and man oh man was I stuffed! I am so excited to do it again in December! Randan and I have volunteered to host next month's dinner party at our apartment! It's going to coincide with LOTS of birthdays, so it wil definitely be a blast! Plus our new roommate Courtney will be all moved in and ready to celebrate! Wahoo!

Here is a picture of my pumpkin pie! Sorry, I forgot to take a picture before it was half-eaten. :)

And here is the recipe!* Trust me, it is soooo good. But beware, it packs some serious calories.. not that I care because I love pie and I love the holidays for which we bake them!

Ingredients:

1 (8 oz.) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups canned pumpkin, mashed
1 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg, plus 2 yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup half-and-half
1/2 stick butter, melted then cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1 piece pre-made pie dough (I just go to the freezer section of the grocery store and get one that's ready to bake, although I am going to try to make my own.. I just need a rolling pin.)**
Whipped cream for topping

Recipe:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese. Add the pumpkin and beat until combined. Add the sugar and salt and beat until combined. Add the eggs mixed with the yolks, half-and-half and melted, cooled butter and beat until combined. Finally add the cinnamon, ginger and vanilla and beat until incorporated.

Pour the mixture into the pie crust and bake for 50 minutes or until the center is set. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream on top!

So aside from the wonderful dinner party on Veteran's Day, my birthday was this past Monday! I am now officially 23! And I am so happy to have been surrounded by so many wonderful friends all weekend! We started the celebration on Saturday by going to dinner at Liberty Tavern in Clarendon. We also went to happy hour at Kelly's Irish Times on Monday and had fun as well, but let's not skip the best part and get back to talkin' about Saturday's meal!
That dinner was A-M-AAAAAA-ZING!! It was such a great atmosphere and was definitely moderately priced! I had the filet with this extremely yummy raspberry and red wine sauce on top with fingerling potatoes and braised oxtail stuffed cabbage. Oh my Lord! Y'all it was to-die-for. I ate the whole thing. Not kidding. Definitely one of my most fave meals I have ever had! It rivals my most favorite meal at Hennessey's in Columbia.. and that's hard to beat!*** I think everyone had a great meal as well. Randan had the rabbit confit with egg noodles, which I tasted and loved! Adam had a delish Italian fennel sausage pizza, and a few others the hand-made Gnocchi! I was so thankful to get to have a great meal in DC and spend time with great friends!

Here are some pictures from the fun that was had that night:

Not to mention that I also got flowers sent me at work from sweet Adam on Monday :)


Overall it was a great birthday weekend! I got lots of fun gifts and have many memories that I will always remember! And hey, 23 isn't so bad!
Y'all have a good rest of your week!
PS: I want to give a shout-out to the Hampden-Sydney Tigers football team for a perfect 10-0 season and congratulations on making it to NCAA Division III playoffs! I'll be at the first round home game on Saturday cheering you on!! Wahoo!!
PSS: If only the USC Gamecocks would win on Thanksgiving weekend against Clemson, I would be a happy camper for sure!
*I did borrow this recipe from Paula Deen. How could you not? Her pies are to die-for. For reals.
**Yeah, that was a shameless plug for "if you wanna get me a gift, a rolling pin would be perfect."
***Y'all if you have never heard of Hennessey's on Main Street in Columbia, SC, get there now. The food and the atmosphere are terrific and the ingredients are all local. Can't beat that!

Happy November!

It's finally my favorite month of all! I can just taste Thanksgiving! But, there are so many things to look forward to in the days leading up to that wonderful holiday! The next three weeks are packed with fun festive get-togethers -- starting next Wednesday when all of my girlfriends and I hold our first Supper Club! We are gathering at Katie and Heather's apartment in Ballston to celebrate fall with a dinner prepared by our lovely hosts. Everyone invited will have to bring a side dish or dessert, and I am so excited about mine! Homemade pumpkin pie ya'll!! I'll share a picture and recipe once it's made!

My birthday is just around the corner as well.. which all of you know is only 12 days away. I know, I know, aren't I too old for birthday countdowns? Well, no actually. I love birthdays. I think it is a great day to celebrate your life and how much you are thankful for all the people who surround you and love you. So, yes, unfortunately, I will continue to countdown for my birthday.. until I hit a year that I am embarrassed to admit. But for now, bring it on 23! Wahoo!

Then.. just to add a little bit more excitement to November.. NEW MOON comes out in theaters on the 20th! Oh Lordy.. I can't wait! I have read all the Twilight books and love them! I highly recommend them to you, dear reader. For a few of my friends, who shall remain nameless, the books are a bit of a younger read, but if you want some action and entertainment surrounded by a love story, then you will LOVE these books. Not to mention, Edward Cullen (played by Robert Pattinson) is beautiful.* Just sayin'. Be sure to read the article about Robert and Kristen Stewart (who plays Bella Swann in the movie) in the new edition of Harper's Bazaar - on stands November 19.

Anyways, a little update on Halloweekend! We had a BLAST! We decided to go to a party at Front Page in Ballston to hear Gonzo's Nose (an 80s and 90s cover band). It was really great and there were alot of funny costumes! Adam and I dressed up as Santa and Mrs. Claus and it was hilarious!**

On another note, we did decide to cook dinner this past weekend! I promise I haven't forgotten how to cook! We ended up making a really great, super-easy chicken dish with mustard-cream sauce that packs a TON of flavor! I have made this dish quite a few times, so I have adjusted the spices a bit. We made it with a side of corn, but you can choose whatever side dish you like. The recipe is as follows:

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts
1/2 cup cream
1/4 cup chicken stock or white wine (whatever you have on hand)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon tarragon (I use a small palm-full, as tarragon has a strong licorice scent)
Olive oil

Recipe:

Cook chicken breasts in a pan with 2 tablespoons of olive oil until white all the way through about 8-10 minutes. A great tip that I have learned recently is to use frozen chicken breasts. If you can find them in the grocery store, they cook for 15 minutes on each side, and come out perfect. You can put them in the pan FROZEN and leave them alone! It's great!

Meanwhile, combine all liquid ingredients in a saucepan and heat through on medium heat. After it reduces a bit, add the tarragon. After the chicken is finished cooking, pour the sauce over them and serve. It is a tangy sauce that works well with any side dish. I recommend corn, asparagus or green beans! Here is a picture of the finished product.

Well it's Hump Day, so that means it's half way to the weekend! Hopefully it will be a relaxing one with lots of cooking and football. The Carolina Gamecocks need to keep up those wins, so let's kick some Arkansas Razorback butt! Y'all have a good rest of your day!

*No worries, I'm not cheating on Harry Potter. He is still my favorite.

**Would you expect anything less from a Christmas fanatic like me? No? Didn't think so.

PS: Here's a little picture of my new office!