Roller Coaster

Today has been a roller coaster...we were told my Uncle Brian has less than 24 hrs to live. Poor Michelle has been up with him all day long. She is staying until my mom and dad can get there. We keep getting conflicting reports..one minute he is getting better, the next the doctors want to stop giving him fluids. It is just so sad. I dropped the girls off at daycare today. Sophia insisted on wearing the winter boots I bought her the other day at the goodwill...I bought them because she loves dressing up and I knew she would love them..Isabella wore the cute dress I bought her at the Goodwill. I love they store...I don't care that Dave and I are really fortunate to do well, for me it is about the bargain!!!

After I dropped them off, I ran to Books a Million to buy a freezer cooking cookbook.  Christa and I are getting ready for the babies and have decided that she is going to make 9 meals for us and I am going to make 9 so we will have 18!  I had a few minutes to kill before the store opened so I decided to get my toes done...My childhood friend Julie has breast cancer and people are getting pink pedicures in support of her...I figure better late than never.  I seriously rarely get pedicures, but my toes were looking really awful! 

I spent most of the day on the couch working on graduate work.  This week's topic is domestic abuse.  While I was at home I got 2 nice surprises!!! First, our crib came in!!! I ordered a very cheap one from Target!  I am excited Finley has a place to sleep!  Also, my friend Nana, ordered Christa and I yet another VERY CUTE PRESENT!!! WE are so blessed!

Before I picked the girls up from school I did a grocery shopping.  I decided to make a chicken recipe I found on Christa's Pinterest Page.  I substituted pasta for rice and made a few other changes...it turned out REALLY good!

Dijon Chicken Linguine with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Toasted Almonds

from (http://www.nlrockrecipes.com/2007/10/dijon-chicken-linguine-with-chanterelle.html)

Serves 4

350 gram package fresh linguine, cooked
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup chanterelle mushrooms
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
Salt and pepper to season
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds

Heat olive oil in a large heavy bottomed frying pan over medium low heat. Add chicken breasts, garlic, season with salt and pepper and continue to fry the chicken until completely cooked.
Remove chicken from pan and hold in a warm oven.

Add to the pan:

4 oz white wine

Simmer until volume is reduced by half. Then add:

2 cups whipping cream
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to season.

Simmer until sauce thickens enough to coat a metal spoon. Return Chicken to the sauce, add the chanterelle mushrooms and simmer for an additional 2 minutes. Serve over cooked linguine. Sprinkle with toasted slivered almonds.

*** I made a few changes...first, I served it over rice instead of pasta (only because we had pasta a few nights ago)...Here is what I did...I took the 4 chicken breast, flatted them out and seasoned them with Tony's seasoning...I seared them with olive oil (about 2 minutes on one side and 3 minutes on the other)..then I put them in oven at 350 degrees to finish cooking for about 20 minutes)...I then sauteed regular mushrooms using the same pan.  Then I added 6 oz of white wine and garlic (I used garlic from a jar)...I let that cook down a bit and then added the 2 cups whipping cream, salt and pepper and the dijon mustard... I cut up the very moist chicken and put it in the sauce...when I served, I sprinkled with a few almond slices...it tasted really good!

The girls ate pizza instead of chicken because it was part of their school theme..all the kids got to make their own personal pizza...They got to take them home to bake in the oven.  The company that provided the pizza was Pappa Murpheys.  I also let the girls make cookie brownies when the got home!

And finally, to add to the never ending blog post...Dave and I have been wishing forever that BJS Brewhouse would open a restaurant in Katy.  We have both sent emails to them stating that Katy would be the perfect market.  Tonight we were reading our Katy newsletter and saw that THEY have decided to COME!!!! Hip, hip, hooray!!! They should start building in 2013 and open in 2014!

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