Classy Chicken

Well here is a dead-simple, weeknight dinner recipe.  I happen to love it and am not ashamed to post it, even though it does contain a CAN of SOUP!  Gasp!  She does cheat sometimes.  Oh well, we’re here to be real, right?  My love for it started when my mom presented it on our doorstep, a few days postpartum with my first babe- Rboy.  Eating anything hot was AMAZING, in my new-mom fog.  It stands out as a warm memory in the chaos that my life was at that point.  It’s from the Best of the Best and More, from the lovely Best of Bridge ladies.  I don’t happen to own the recipe book, my mom does and so mine is a photocopy of the recipe.  But here is the link for the rest of you.  I happen to love it with pasta, but you could do rice.  Enjoy!

Classy Chicken

3 chicken breasts, skinned and boned
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp oil
1-10 oz. package frozen asparagus or broccoli (I always use fresh broccoli)
1-10oz. can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2-1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and sprinkle with pepper. Saute quickly in oil over medium heat just until opaque (don’t overcook – the chicken will get tough! Drain. Cook asparagus or broccoli until crunchy. Drain and arrange in bottom of buttered casserole. Place chicken on top. Mix together soup, mayonnaise, curry and lemon juice and pour over chicken. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese and bake, uncovered, at 350F (180C) for 30-35 minutes. Serves 6

Granadillas and Cape Gooseberries

On my last trip to the Farmer’s Market (which was surprisingly interesting in HEAVY winter), I bought some fruit from More Than Mangoes. This was the first time I had tried Granadillas (Orange Passion Fruit). It was interesting, sweet and a little crunchy (from the seeds). Rboy enjoyed playing with it’s gloopy-like texture and did eat some. I really enjoyed the Cape Gooseberries. I’ve had them many times on dessert in fancy restaurants. Yum! It’s always fun to try something new and sweet, especially in the dead of winter. Makes me daydream of warm summer days and fresh, sweet fruit.

Rgirl’s 2nd birthday party

Well here it is. The birthday bash we had last weekend for my sweet little girl. This was definitely the first “girl toy” year. Bring it on BABY! We had a little woodland theme, which sorta turned into a bit of a spring theme.  And the heart cookies were just cute.

Simple Cinnamon Rolls

This morning we had reason to celebrate, Geoff is happy to report more work from Disney over the next few months. So what better way to start the day then cinnamon buns? But starting late in the morning, you can forget yeast-raised treats! So I pulled out my Brunch cookbook and found a recipe- Simple Cinnamon Rolls. They are perfect! And easy when you’re pressed for time. I’ve gone ahead and taken the liberty to change a few things. I don’t keep self-rising flour on hand, and after a quick google search, found the right equivalents. And the flour quantity was really wonky. And I have my own ideas about the filling. Oh, and I forgot to separate the eggs, so I just used whole eggs.

So here you go with my version:

Miche’s Simple Cinnamon Rolls

3 1/2 cups flour (or so…)
1 1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Filling

1/4 cup butter, softened (to spread)
1 tsp  ground cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar

Frosting

1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
1 tbsp butter, softened
2 tbsp boiling water
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch round pan. Mix dry ingredients together. Whisk butter, egg and milk together and combine with dry ingredients to make a soft dough (I think I used more flour). Roll out onto floured surface to approx 10*12 inches. Spread with butter, sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up and slice into approx 8 pieces. Bake 30-35 mins. Mix frosting and spread over warm buns. Enjoy!

Happy February!

Today is February 4th and little Rgirl’s 2nd birthday. I LOVE February. Minus the cold. But hearts are lovely and who doesn’t love red and pink? A month to be cherished. Welcome to my home!