Monday, August 31, 2009

GRILLED CHICKEN & PASTA IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Montreal Steak Seasoning
1/2 lb penne pasta
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
6-8 fresh basil leaves chopped (I just used a cap-full of dried basil)

*Rinse chicken breasts in cold water.
*Place between sheets of wax paper and pound to even thickness
*Season both sides of chicken with Montreal Seasoning
*Heat oil and butter in skillet over medium heat
*Once butter is melted and oil and butter are heated, add chicken and cook 5 minutes each side or til chicken is cooked....Set aside
*In a large pot, boil water and 1 tsp salt. Add penne to pot and boil til cooked
*In same skillet you cooked chicken in, add more butter and oil if needed.
*Add garlic and cook, stirring occasionally until garlic is tender, but DO NOT BROWN (should be 3-5 minutes)
*Add chicken broth to pan and reduce by half
*Meanwhile, slice chicken. Once broth is reduced, stir in tomato sauce.
*Add heavy cream and mix well. Salt and pepper to taste.
*Turn heat to low. Chop parsley and basil; add to sauce and mix well.
*Drain pasta and add to sauce.
*Toss well and top with chicken.


*****I added a little of the Montreal Steak Seasoning when i added the cream, it added some extra flavor :)

RANDI'S RECIPE FOR CHICKEN KIEV

1 Tbsp chopped green onion
1 Tbsp snipped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 stick chilled butter
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp water
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup fine, dry bread crumbs (I liked the seasoned ones, but plain are good too!)
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp cooking oil

*In a small bowl, combine first three ingredients; set aside
*Cut butter in half lengthwise and then again (so you have 4 long strips)
*In a shallow bowl stir together egg and water
*Place flour in a shallow bowl and bread crumbs in another
*Place each chicken breast between two pieces of wax paper and pound to 1/8" thickness
*Remove paper and season with salt and pepper.
*Divide garlic mixture among chicken breast.
*Place piece of butter inside, turn in sides and roll up bottom.
*Coat chicken with flour
*Dip in egg mixture, coat with bread crumbs; repeat egg and bread crumb step
*Place in 2 quart baking dish. Cover and refrigerate 1-24 hours
*In a skillet, melt butter; add oil.
*Once heated, add cold chicken. Cook 5 minutes or til all sides are browned
*Return to baking dish.
*Bake uncovered in 400* oven for 15-18 minutes or til chicken is no longer pink.

REALLY EASY BANANA BREAD

2cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking soda 2 eggs, beaten
1/4 tsp salt 2-1/3 cup mashed overripe bananas
1/2 cup butter

*Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly grease a loaf pan (It took 2 small aluminum foil pans, so would probably be one regular metal loaf pan!)
*Combine flour, soda and salt.
*In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar.
*Stir in eggs and mashed bananas til well mixed.
*Stir this mixture into flour mixture; just enough to moisten. DO NOT OVERMIX!
*Pour into loaf pan.
*Bake for 60-65 minutes or til toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.
*Cool 10 minutes in pan and then turn out onto wire rack.



******You might add a little cinnamon or vanilla to this for a little extra kick!

Friday, August 28, 2009

Tater Slabs...Tater Skins for Lazy ppl :)

These are tater skins for lazy people like myself....who love the taste but hate the time it takes to make the dang things :)



Tater Slabs

2 potatoes
real bacon bits
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used the sharp cheddar)
sour cream

*Preheat oven to 375*
*Clean and scrub potatoes well.
*Slice oven in 1/4" slices.
*Place on greased baking sheet.
*Season with some kind of seasoning salt ( I sprayed the potatoes themselves with the Pam before seasoning, so it stuck to them better)
*Cook for 30 minutes
*Flip potatoes and cook additional 15 minutes.
*Remove from oven and sprinkle with cheese and bacon bits
*Return to oven until cheese is melted.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Finally some good news!!!!

So...Nana's chemo actually DID do her some good. Five weeks ago (I know...I know...I'm wayyyyy behind here) she did a CT scan to see what the chemo was doing to her cancer. We were all terrified the five days we had to wait to get back her results, but turns out the fear was crazy, because all we got was good news!!!
Nana was diagnosed with Stage 4 colo-rectal AND liver cancer. As of the day of her testing, the chemo had shrunk the tumors on her colon FIFTY PERCENT!!!!!! Her liver is already pretty much destroyed....we found that out when they did her iliostomy surgery (the night we found out about ALL of this cancer) back in March. But the tumors that were on her liver shrunk by about 15% and have softened.
They say this cancer will still most likely be what kills her, just because so much damage was done before we even knew about it, but at least it is not spreading or growing anymore!!!

She was hospitalized right before the test because her chemo had made her so sick. She told the doctor it didn't matter if it was CURING her, if she was going to be that sick, she wasn't going to take it any more. Well, the day they went back for the test results was her first day BACK to chemo. The drug she is on is a 5 medicine combo....and the oncologist removed one of the drugs, ....don't remember the big name for it, but it was something platinum....and now she is back to normal.
It's so crazy, she came home from chemo, never got sick, never got weak, never felt bad. Within a week of receiving all the good news and taking away that drug, Nana was back up on her feet, cooking dinner, dusting, doing the dishes....SHE WAS NANA AGAIN!!!!
We started discussing it, and since Mom has lost her job, she is staying with her part-time now, and she's staying alone the other half.

Last week I came back to Lanesville to stay with John's at his parents again. They offered to lend us enough money to do a deposit on an apartment or house or whatever to rent until we can get a mortgage, and what do you know, last Monday we found a condo that we fell in love with, and moved in Saturday :)
It's soooo great to be back together as a family. The three of us have NEVER been alone, and Charlee turned ten months old last Thursday.
When John went to work last night, it was so eerie. I was trying to figure out what it was that had me so nervous when I realized....it is the VERY FIRST TIME I've ever been alone with my OWN DAUGHTER for more than a few hours. It was so exciting...even though I've been a mommy for 10 months and 6 days, I've never had to rely solely on myself to take care of my child. There has always been someone there. When she was born, we lived with John's parents, and then, just when we started looking for a place of our own, Nana got sick, and we've lived with her the past six months......
Now things are only looking up. John's job is getting ready to renew its contracts, we finally have a place, we have our cars paid off, and we are all three together again at last!!!!

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SAHM to a beautiful, wonderful, miracle princess named Charlee Jean. Married to my high school sweetheart for over 6 years now, and expecting another miracle baby in October 2011