Chicken in Basil Cream Sauce

We had the missionaries over for dinner and tried this new recipe. It is a delicious one!! We served it with steamed broccoli and the Parisian salad mix from Costco. We also made Oatmeal Cake for dessert.

CHICKEN IN BASIL CREAM SAUCE
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup dried Italian bread crumbs
4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Place milk and bread crumbs in separate, shallow bowls. Cut the chicken breast in half lengthwise or pound with a meat mallet to make them thin.

In skillet, heat butter to medium heat. Dip chicken in milk, then coat with crumbs. Cook chicken in butter, on both sides, until juices run clear (about 10 minutes). Remove and keep warm.

Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds over medium heat. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Stir in cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil (stirring constantly) for 1 minute. Reduce heat. Add Parmesan cheese, basil and pepper. Stir and cook until heated through. Serve chicken with sauce poured over the top.

OATMEAL CAKE

CAKE:
1 and 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 and 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Tablespoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Pour boiling water over oats and set aside. In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugars together. Beat in eggs, then stir in soaked oatmeal. Add remaining ingredients and stir well. Batter will appear thin. Bake in greased and floured 9x13 pan for 30-35 minutes at 350 degrees.

TOPPING:
6 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup coconut
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients except vanilla in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until bubbly, stirring constantly. Add vanilla and spread on baked cake. Place under broiler in oven until bubbles – approximately 3 minutes.

The Birds!

These crows all sat on the power line and were cawing at Sidney - poor kitty!

Trees

I talked John into buying some trees to plant along the fence line between our house and the neighbors. I always feel like we are invading their privacy when we walk in our back yard, since we had a clear view into their yard. The part that I failed to take into consideration was that I would be participating in the planting of these trees. Hah! We purchased 18 of them.... but they do look lovely now that we are done!! Took a few days to put them all in.

DURING

AFTER

Southwest Frito Pie

Southwest Frito Pie
2 pounds lean ground beef
1 TB chili powder
2 TB flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cups water
1 can (29oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Fritos
Lettuce, shredded
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Tomatoes, chopped
Onions, minced
Olives, sliced
Salsa
Sour cream
Cilantro, minced

In a dutch oven, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. Stir in the chili powder, flour, salt and garlic powder until blended; gradually stir in water. Add the beans. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 12 to 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

To serve, place chips on plate and top with beef mixture and toppings desired: lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, onions, olives, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

Kielbasa Bites

Glazed Pineapple Kielbasa Bites
1 (14oz) regular Kielbasa, sliced
1 (20oz) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice
3 TB Teriyaki sauce
1 TB sweet chili sauce
1 TB honey
1 TB pineapple juice (from can)

Preheat oven to 435 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place a piece of pineapple on top of a slice of kielbasa and stick a toothpick into them.

In a small bowl combine remaining ingredients. Place kielbasa bites onto the baking sheet and brush glaze over tops and sides of bites. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until hot. Let cool slightly and serve warm.

A Busy Weekend

John went with the young men / varsity scouts to the Mountain Man Rendezvous. They had a great turnout (Dakota, Michael W, Zach, Michael A, Derek, Hudson, Lance, Garrett and leaders John, Dave A, Craig S). They left Friday night and stayed through Saturday.

 I sent them with s'mores cereal bars. John said they did not last long at all.

S'mores Cereal Bars
1/2 cup butter
1 (10-ounce) bag mini marshmallows
1 (12-ounce) box Golden Graham cereal
1 (10-ounce) bag milk chocolate chips
Spray a 9x13 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray. Melt the butter and marshmallows in a large saucepan over low heat, until marshmallows are melted - roughly 3 to 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Carefully stir in the cereal until evenly mixed, then allow to cool for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of chocolate chips. Press into the prepared pan. Then press the remaining chocolate chips on top. Cool completely, then cut into squares.

While John was camping, I went to the Stake Women's Conference and accompanied Becky Stevens on a song. Stayed for the luncheon (yummy sandwiches, chips and cupcakes), then headed to Lydia's wedding and reception. She had a western theme and had a catered dinner (hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, beans, and a lemonade stand). Her mother (Molly) made her cake - cake stand was a tree trunk - and decorated it to look like a birch tree. It was pretty cool.

Finally, the place we stayed in New Mexico to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary? They were featured in the Martha Stewart Living magazine, so I had to go pick up a copy.

Swap Meet

The Relief Society had a Swap Meet this evening. You could bring items you did not want anymore and you could go through the items that other people brought. Whatever was left over at the end of the evening would be donated to charity. But before that portion of the activity, they had asked me to speak on organizational skills and how I keep my home clean all the time. I had to clarify - my house is "tidy", it is not "clean". It won't pass the white glove test (ever), but it certainly stays tidy most of the time with help from John and Audrey.

Below are a few things I mentioned during my presentation. In addition, I demonstrated how I fold my sheets, something they specifically asked me to share. Nothing really new, I'm sure others do this too. I fold the fitted sheet (with all 4 elastic corners together), then fold the pillow cases, then fold the flat sheet until just about done. Then I lay the fitted sheet and the pillow case bundles onto the flat sheet and roll into a bundle. I also shared our chore chart since when we clean the house each week, it is a family affair.

I actually love a show on ION network called NEAT. Host Hellen Buttigieg, a professional organizer, helps people make space for what matters most. She helps people with cluttered living spaces devise solutions to both organize their lives and possessions more effectively. She usually has them pare down their possessions in half. There were only 3 seasons, so you have to catch it on reruns.

NEAT tips

• 1 in, 1 out rule
• Purge = 50% to make a difference
• Sort items - Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and you guessed it - keep only the Today items.
• Don't keep duplicates
• Ask yourself when was the last time you used it
• Decide space size. Don't buy a new container when the other gets full.
• Wake up and make your bed

My personal favorite tip? Go help someone move. You'll be motivated to de-clutter something when you get home, no matter how organized or tidy you are.