Balsamic Chicken

Balsamic Chicken 

4 servings

1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, pepper and salt. Add chicken, one piece at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet, cook chicken in oil over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until juices run clear. Remove and keep warm. In the same pan, cook onion until tender. Add water, stirring to loosen browned bits. Add the vinegar, thyme and rosemary; cook and stir for 3 to 4 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve over chicken.

Children enjoyed this and Mr. H. loved it!

Lemon Streusel Muffins

Lemon Streusel Muffins
1 dozen

1/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 cup cake flour (I used regular flour)
1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup lemon juice (I used 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1/4 cup water)
1/2 cup lemon yogurt
4 egg whites
for streusel
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon cold butter

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly. Beat in egg yolks and lemon peel. Combine the flours, baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to the butter mixture alternately with lemon juice and yogurt. In a small bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter. Grease muffin cups or use paper liners; fill two-thirds full with batter. For streusel, combine the flour, brown sugar and nutmeg; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake at 375° for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

Perfect for summertime! :-)

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup.

The Lord of the Rings
The Two Towers

Supper Menus
March 9th-14th

Monday
basalmic chicken breasts, sauteed fresh green beans and tomatoes, new potatoes, dinner rolls
Tuesday
swiss steak, twice baked potatoes, lettuce and tomato salad, dinner rolls
Wednesday
greek chicken penne, spring mix salad, focaccia bread
Thursday
southwest chicken corn chowder, jalapeno cheese cornbread
Friday
baked ratatouille boats, amish potato bread
Saturday
take out pizza :-)

Many of these menu items are from my latest issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking. Please stop by later in the week for pictures and recipes of our favorites. :-)

Please be sure to visit Laura at Menu Plan Monday!

Spring Forward!

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Spring Ahead" by Carol Robinson

Peace

With eager heart and will on fire,

I sought to win my great desire

"Peace shall be mine," I said; but life

Grew bitter in the weary strife.

My soul was tired, and my pride

Was wounded deep: to Heaven I cried,

"God grant me peace or I must die,"

The dumb stars glittered no reply.

Broken at last, I bowed my head,

Forgetting all myself, and said,

"Whatever comes, His will be done;"

And in that moment peace was won.

~Henry Van Dyke

Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

James 4:13-15

Couch to 5K Update

It has been one week since I began the Couch to 5K program and I just completed my 4th "run". And, let me tell you, it was H-A-R-D! But it was wonderful at the same time. :-) There is nothing like doing something that you really thought you couldn't do!

Today's workout increased the running time from 60 second intervals to 90 second intervals. (Oh, and by the way, Couch to 5K calls this "jogging" - which I refuse to do. ;-) This is hard. It is running. And I want credit where credit is due!)

The thing that I am noticing about running is that it is really so much harder than walking or doing aerobics. I am also noticing that I am not in as good a shape as I thought I was! Yes, I know I need to loose a few pounds (Actually at my short stature, I need to lose more than a few! ;-) But, more important to me than what the scale says, is the condition of my heart (physically and spiritually). I can walk all day and I can do aerobics for quite awhile without getting too winded, but running? It is really challenging. But you know...I've always loved a good challenge! :-)

Life

"Let me but live my life from

year to year,

With forward face and

unreluctant soul;

Not hurrying to, nor turning

from, the goal;

Not mourning for the things

that disappear

In the dim past, nor holding

back in fear

from what the future veils;

but with a whole

And happy heart, that pays its toll

To Youth and Age, and

travels on with cheer.

So let the way wind up the

hill or down,

O'er rough or smooth, the

journey will be joy:

Still seeking what I sought

when but a boy,

New friendship, high adventure,

and a crown,

My heart will keep the courage

of the quest,

And hope the road's last turn

will be the best."

~Henry Van Dyke

"Look not mournfully into the Past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the Present. It is thine. Go fourth to meet the shadowy Future, without fear, and with a manly heart."

~Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"...let us run with patience

the race that is set before us,
looking unto Jesus

the author and finisher of our faith..."

Hebrews 12:1-2

Happy Texas Independence Day!

Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence on March 2, 1836 at Washington-on-the-Brazos.

"Texas is a state of mind.

Texas is an obsession.

Above all, Texas is a nation in every sense of the word."

~John Steinbeck

"Entertaining at Home" is fun!

Oh did I have fun hosting a Taste of Home's "Entertaining at Home" party a few weeks ago! Have you heard of it? I love Taste of Home - we go way back! ;-) Some friends are Entertaining at Home consultants. To host - I mailed invites, opened my home and provided refreshments. The consultants did everything else. So fun! And check out my goodies...

"italian stitch" espresso set

for Mr. H.

a lovely and practical
gramercy cookbook shelf

can't wait to try out this
mandoline slicer

and lov-ing these!
venetian plaque medallions

Not hung yet, but are planned to "fancy up" the master bath.

Love

them. :-)

The best part? The party earned me $50 in free product, 3 half priced items and no shipping charges. Pretty cool. :-) All the guests also got a February special free gift with purchase. And since most of the things I chose were on clearance, my "Entertaining at Home" goodies cost me all of $20 ~ total. Definitely worth the effort. ;-)

Check out www.entertainingathome.com

and host a party today!

The year’s at the spring
And day’s at the morn;
Morning’s at seven;
The hill side’s dew-pearled;
The lark’s on the wing;
The snail’s on the thorn;
God’s in his heaven –
All’s right with the world.

~Robert Browning
The Year’s at the Spring, 1870

“Flowers appear on the earth;

the season of singing has come…”

Song of Solomon 2:12

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Springtime on the Farm" by Konstantin Rodko

The Lord of the Rings

The Fellowship of the Ring

Supper Menus
March 2nd-7th

Monday
rotisserie chicken, green beans and new potatoes, sour dough bread, spring mix green salad
Tuesday
supper at friend's house - taking baked beans
Wednesday
angel hair pasta with marinara sauce and italian chicken, garlic bread sticks, caesar salad
Thursday
hamburgers, spicy potato wedges, coleslaw
Friday
homemade pizza, lettuce and tomato salad
Saturday
supper at friend's house

Happy Birthday to Mr. H. :-)

~ a very special man ~

And I Really Thought It Couldn't Be Done...

I ran today. On purpose. :-)

I really want to run part of the next 5K I participate in. I have decided to try the "Couch to 5K" running plan. After having printed out the schedule several times over the years, I have since discovered that you actually have to do more than print it out... ;-)

So, 1 workout down...26 to go! Going to put a tracker in my side bar for accountability. :-)

You can check out the schedule at Cool Running.

"I love the sweet smell of dawn -
our unique daily opportunity to smell time,
to smell opportunity -
each morning being, a new beginning."

~Emme Woodhull-Bäche

"As much as I converse with sages and heroes,

they have very little of my love and admiration.

I long for rural and domestic scenes,

for the warbling of birds and the prattling of my children."

~John Adams

"Little Mommy" book

Several readers mentioned wishing to find a copy of the "Little Mommy" book. Since it is currently in print, you can probably find it at most booksellers that carry Little Golden Books. Or, you can order it from Amazon. :-) And, my mom let me know that she has seen it at Hobby Lobby, too.

"It is while you are patiently toiling at the little tasks of life

that the meaning and shape of the great whole of life

dawn on you."

~Phillips Brooks

illustration courtesy of www.allposters.com

"Old Horse Barn" by Jacqueline Penney

Breakfast in a Muffin

Breakfast in a Muffin

1 dozen

2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, divided
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
4 bacon strips, cooked and crumbled

In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients. Combine milk, oil and 1 egg; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups half full. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining egg. Add cheddar cheese and seasoned salt; mix well. Stir in bacon. Spoon 2 tablespoons in the center of each muffin. Bake at 425° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm and enjoy!

Linked to Gooseberry Patch Recipe Roundup