One that made Pop-Pop smile!

And this is hard to do!

Try this, it's amazing!!!

Prosciutto And Fontina-Stuffed Chicken Breasts

Cooking spray
1 oz. chopped prosciutto
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh rosemary
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 c (1 oz.) shredded fontina cheese (I used Mozzarella because I couldn't find Fontina
4 (6 oz.) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Italian-style bread crumbs
1/2 c flour
2 egg whites
1 T Dijon Mustard
2 T olive oil

heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add prosciutto to pan; saute 2 min. or until browned. add rosemary and garlic to pan; saute 1 min. Spoon prosciutto mixture into a bowl; cool to room temp. Stir in fontina cheese; set aside.

Cut a horizontal slit through the thickest portion of each chicken breast half to form a pocket. Stuff about 2 T prosciutto mixture into each pocket; press lightly to flatten. Sprinkle chicken evenly with pepper.

Place bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Place flour in another shallow dish. Combine egg whites and Dijon mustard in another shallow dish, stirring mixture with a whisk.

Working with one chicken breast half at at ime, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Dip chicken into egg white mixture, allowing excess ti drip off. Coat chicken completely with bread crumbs. Set aside. Repeat procedure with remaining chicken.

Heat pan over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan, swirling to coat. Add hcicken to pan; reduce heat to medium, and cook 10 min. on each side or until browned and done.

*And the thing I love the most is that this is a recipe from Cooking Light and each stuffed chicken breast is only 381 calories.

When all was said and done the chicken breast was too large for Pop-Pop and I to each have one, so we split it. Can't wait to have leftovers!

Don't Try

Pop-Pop took me to Applebee's for dinner tonight. The only time I ever go there is when he wants to take me to dinner. It's his favorite place and he always gets the same thing-Smothered Chicken. He loves it! I, on the other hand, get something different every time. Tonight I got the Grilled Chili-Lime Chicken Salad. My advice-don't try it. It's not good. There's just no flavor to it. And the dressing is actually too strong in the chili flavoring and not enough in the lime flavoring. They claim it's a vinaigrette, but it's more like a salsa. Really not worth it. Just FYI.

It has a Q

(I'm at Pop-Pop's house.)

Pop-Pop: My license plate is ugly.
Me: Why do you say that?
Pop-Pop: It has a Q.

Speechless and yet laughing...

Who knows...

I wanted to take pictures of all my little "creations" lately, but I seem to have lost my camera. Where could it be? Hmmm....

I made a cheesecake on Sunday. It was a request of my brother, Chris. He's been asking me for about two months and I just got around to it on Sunday. I used the recipe for Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake. I got the recipe from some food blog that I look at. Sorry, I can't remember which one. But it's on multiple sites. Delicious cheesecake! The liqueur I used was Amaretto and it was wonderful!

Tonight I had my first turkey burger. I went to Fresh Market today to buy some spice jars and I thought I would pick up something special for dinner for my me and my mom. I bought my mom and a chicken breast stuffed with goat cheese and cilantro and the lady behind the counter convinced me to try a Garden Fresh Turkey Burger. I was pleasantly surprised! It was really tasty and I didn't feel gross after eating it like I normally do after eating a burger. But now I have that sleepy/tired feeling after eating turkey. So maybe I'm off to bed soon, who knows...

Another move

So here it is the Sunday night of the week that I'm moving. I really thought I would be farther along in the packing process. But alas, I am not. I've been getting a little side-tracked. Well, with movies like "Young Frankenstein" (fabulous, btw), shopping trips, house-sitting, and cooking and baking like crazy the last few days-just for fun of course! My room kind of looks the same that it did two weeks ago, just a bit messier. And quite frankly, I don't see it getting any better until Tuesday at the earliest. It's 9:00pm here and that's reason enough to call it quits on cleaning and packing for the day. It's movie or book time and then sleep! Tomorrow I'm headed out to a nursery to buy plants for my mom. And I'll be grocery shopping and cooking for our Memorial Day dinner in honor of my sister's husband who served in the military until recently. Busy day! No time for packing!

Oh, this is interesting. My mom demonstrated her baton twirling skills to us this morning. My mom was a baton twirler in the band when she was in high school. We all knew this. But we've NEVER seen her do it! We're in the nursery this morning watching the little babies and she picks up the baton and starts to twirl it. I was so impressed! She really has great skills at the baton. And she hasn't picked up one of those things in 30 years! Imagine what she must have been like 30 years ago! Quite impressive!!!

Go out and rent "Young Frankenstein". You won't be sorry!

I saw this list over on Chronicles in Culinary Curiosity and thought might as well!

If it’s bold, I have…

1. Touched an iceberg
2. Slept under the stars
3. Been a part of a hockey fight
4. Changed a baby’s diaper
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Swam with wild dolphins
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a tarantula
10. Said “I love you” and meant it
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Stayed up all night long and watched the sun rise
15. Seen the Northern Lights
16. Gone to a huge sports game
17. Walked the stairs to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
19. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
20. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Bet on a winning horse
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Taken an ice cold bath
28. Had a meaningful conversation with a beggar
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Ridden a roller coaster
31 hit a home run
32. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
33. Adopted an accent for fun
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Felt very happy about your life, even for just a moment
36. Loved your job 90% of the time
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Watched wild whales
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Gone on a midnight walk on the beach
41. Gone sky diving
42. Visited Ireland
43. Ever bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited India
45. Bench-pressed your own weight
46. Milked a cow
47. Alphabetized your personal files
48. Ever worn a superhero costume
49. Sung karaoke
50. Lounged around in bed all day
51. Gone scuba diving
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Done something you should regret, but don’t
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Been in a movie
60. Gone without food for 3 days
61. Made cookies from scratch
62. Won first prize in a costume contest
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Been in a combat zone
65. Spoken more than one language fluently
66. Gotten into a fight while attempting to defend someone
67. Bounced a check
68. Read – and understood – your credit report
69. Recently bought and played with a favorite childhood toy
70. Found out something significant that your ancestors did
71. Called or written your Congress person
72. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
73. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
74. Helped an animal give birth
75. Been fired or laid off from a job
76. Won money
77. Broken a bone
78. Ridden a motorcycle
79. Driven any land vehicle at a speed of greater than 100 mph
80. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon The Pennsylvania Grand Canyon! ;-)
81. Slept through an entire flight: takeoff, flight, and landing
82. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
83. Eaten sushi
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read The Bible cover to cover
86. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
87. Gotten someone fired for their actions
88. Gone back to school
89. Changed your name
90. Caught a fly in the air with your bare hands
91. Eaten fried green tomatoes
92. Read The Iliad
93. Taught yourself an art from scratch
94. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
95. Apologized to someone years after inflicting the hurt
96. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
97. Been elected to public office
98. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
99. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
100. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
101. Had a booth at a street fair
102. Dyed your hair
103 Been a DJ
104. Rocked a baby to sleep
105. Ever dropped a cat from a high place to see if it really lands on all fours
106. Raked your carpet
107. Brought out the best in people
108. Brought out the worst in people
109. Worn a mood ring
110. Ridden a horse
111. Carved an animal from a piece of wood or bar of soap
112. Prepared a dish where four people asked for the recipe
113. Buried a child
114. Gone to a Broadway play
115. Been inside the pyramids
116. Shot a basketball into a basket
117. Danced at a disco
118. Played in a band
119. Shot a bird
120. Gone to an arboretum
121. Tutored someone
122. Ridden a train
123. Brought an old fad back into style
124. Eaten caviar
125. Let a salesman talk you into something you didn’t need
126. Ridden a giraffe or elephant
127. Published a book
128. Pieced a quilt
129. Lived in an historic place
130. Acted in a play or performed on a stage
131. Asked for a raise
132. Made a hole-in-one
133. Gone deep sea fishing
134. Gone roller skating
135. Run a marathon
136. Learned to surf
137. Invented something
138. Flown first class
139. Spent the night in a 5-star luxury suite
140. Flown in a helicopter
141. Visited Africa
142. Sang a solo
143. Gone spelunking
144. Learned how to take a compliment
145. Written a love-story
146. Seen Michelangelo’s David
147. Had your portrait painted
148. Written a fan letter
149. Spent the night in something haunted
150. Owned a St. Bernard or Great Dane
151. Ran away
152. Learned to juggle
153. Been a boss
154. Sat on a jury
155. Lied about your weight
156. Gone on a diet
157. Found an arrowhead or a gold nugget
158. Written a poem
159. Carried your lunch in a lunchbox
160. Gotten food poisoning
161. Gone on a service, humanitarian or religious mission
162. Hiked the Grand Canyon
163. Sat on a park bench and fed the ducks
164. Gone to the opera
165. Gotten a letter from someone famous
166. Worn knickers
167. Ridden in a limousine
168. Attended the Olympics
169. Can hula or waltz and polka.
170. Read a half dozen Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys books
171. Been stuck in an elevator
172. Had a revelatory dream
173. Thought you might crash in an airplane
174. Had a song dedicated to you on the radio or at a concert
175. Saved someone’s life
176. Eaten raw whale
177. Know how to tat, smock or do needlepoint
178. Laughed till your side hurt
179. Straddled the equator
180. Taken a photograph of something other than people that is worth framing
181. Gone to a Shakespeare Festival
182. Sent a message in a bottle
183. Spent the night in a hostel
184. Been a cashier
185. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
186. Joined a union
187. Donated blood or plasma
188. Built a campfire
189. Kept a blog
190. Had hives
191. Worn custom made shoes or boots
192. Made a PowerPoint presentation
193. Taken a Hunter’s Safety Course
194. Served at a soup kitchen
195. Conquered the Rubik’s cube
196. Know CPR
197. Ridden in or owned a convertible
198. Found a long lost friend
199. Helped solve a crime
200. Responded to a NJP newsletter

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Up and going

I'm moving in a week. Last Thursday morning I had an interview with a contracting company called Eagan-McCallister and Assoc. I got the job! So I start on the Tuesday of Memorial Day week. I'm packing up my stuff in a frenzy and a hurry. I can't believe I start this soon. Oh and by the way, the job is in Charleston, SC!!!! I'm excited to start a new life there. And I'll be living close to the beach just in time for summer!!!!! Whoo! Hoo!

Magnolia Bakery

I was in the Big Apple last week with some fourth graders from North Carolina. They were on the hunt for their heritage and I was on the hunt for a bakery! I found one! Magnolia Bakery right behind Rockafeller Plaza. I found this bakery on a food blog I was looking at a couple of weeks ago. It listed the top 15 cupcake bakeries in Manhattan. I made it my job to find at least one and try these delicious cupcakes.

On Friday afternoon my mother, Ms. Ginger and myself went hunting and found Magnolia Bakery. We tried the vanilla cupcake with vanilla frosting and the chocolate cupcake with vanilla frosting. We found out with one bite that the frosting was homemade butter-cream frosting and oh my goodness was it delicious! Yes, Magnolia Bakery was a hit and a place you should hit up next time you're in NYC!

Ice Cream

So here's the scoop. Heh! Heh! I have discovered a new ice cream on my hunt for less fat ice cream that still tastes good. Yesterday I bought a half gallon of Breyer's FREE Double-Churned Strawberry Ice Cream. It tastes like the real thing. Really! Breyer's Smooth Ice Cream is actually not so smooth. It's icy and not very flavorful. But the FREE on the other hand is quite creamy and has lots of flavor. It has no fat and only 90 calories per 1/2 cup. Check it out! It's worth it. And this week it's $2.75 a half gallon at Wal-Mart!

Out for a test run

Jenn and I went out tonight to try the new Mexican restaurant in Burlington, Mar Y Sol. We can both tell you from experience that it's not good and you should go. You know how you can judge a southern food restaurant by the sweet tea? Well, I also believe you can judge a Mexican restaurant by it's chips and salsa. Here's where the "no recommendation" comes in. The chips were from a bag and they were stale. The salsa was from a bottle and had little to no cilantro in it. After ordering waters, eating a couple chips, we left a dollar on the table for their troubles and left. Good Mexican food is what we wanted and we knew we weren't going to get it there. So we headed down the street to La Fiesta~proven to be one of the best Mexican restaurants I've ever been in. Aahh! La Fiesta; where the salsa is homemade and the chips come warm to the table!

Learning the Ropes

I like to think that I'm an amateur cook. I mean, I like to try new recipes all the time! And the more difficult the better because I like a challenge! Well in the midst of learning to cook Thai food and Indian food and Moroccan food I have not learned to cook the food of my ancestors-Southern food. I know, sad, right? Honestly, it kind of scares me. When I cook these foods from all over the world my family has no idea if I botched it or not. They've never tasted it. I'm the only one who knows "um...this isn't supposed to taste like this". But Southern food? That's a whole 'nother story. My mother is a pro. Her mother was a pro. And my dad grew up on it. And well, so did we. So if I botch that everyone knows!!! There's pressure there you know? My first instinct is to just pass the responsibility onto my mother. I prep things for her and she does the rest.

This past Sunday was a bit different. I don't know how it happened exactly but I became responsible for our family dinner. (This means lunch in Southern language.) So yeah, I made the big pot roast with carrots and potatoes and onions. The house is getting ready for church and I'm in the kitchen doing what I think is enough browning of the meat. Perfect example: I didn't brown the meat enough. But mom was gracious. Stick that meat in the pot with the fixin's and let it cook.

Went to church and came home and finished the meal.

Oh yeah I made homemade macaroni and cheese, which I must admit, was DELICIOUS! The Eye Round Roast was soooo tender, the collard greens were wonderful as well as the baby lima beans. And I made a Waldorf Salad with just the perfect amount of mayo so that the fruit isn't swimming in it. Mom made the sweet tea because frankly, I haven't perfected that yet. And you don't want to ruin a perfect Sunday dinner with bad tea.

To finish up our meal I made a homemade Chocolate Meringue Pie that was out of this world! Dad had two pieces! There was a walk in between lunch and dessert, don't worry!

One meal down on the Southern front-many, many more to go. Thanks for teaching mom!

Thankful

I really do need to think out loud about what I'm thankful for. What a day/week this has been! I went running this afternoon hoping to blow off some steam and while I was running I starting thanking God for things in my life. It started to lift my spirits. So here goes...

1. Clean air to breathe in deep
2. Blue sky to run underneath
3. Four seasons to enjoy and look forward to
4. Coffee
5. My brother, who always seems to help me realize that things really aren't THAT big of a deal
6. Salads
7. Edamame
8. Internet/Communication/Information
9. The school bell
10. Diet Root Beer
11. Chapstick
12. That God never leaves me or forsakes me; that He's always here with me, leading me and guiding me, even if I can't hear Him
13. Grace
14. That I have Jesus as my Savior, and with it-faith!
15. The ability to run
16. New recipes to try-love ones that have pictures with them
17. A delicious Falafel restaurant to go to
18. Ayako Takakusagi

Spoiled by the Greek

Man am I spoiled! I have had felafel at two places in my life. Once at a restaurant in Chiang Mai, Thailand at a place called Jerusalem Felafel. And the second place is at this restaurant in Greensboro, NC called Jack's. Both are authentic Greek restaurants run by Greek families with broken English. Both restaurant's felafels tasted the exact same! Granted the hommus was a bit different tasting but that can be something as simple as more or less garlic, lemon juice or whatever.

For some who may not know what felafel is, let me explain. It's a mixture of ground of chickpeas (or garbanzo beans), minced onion, garlic and lots of herbs and spices. They are shaped into little balls and then deep fried in oil. The felafel is then stuffed inside of a pita bread along with lettuce, tomatoes, sometimes cucumber and an assortment of either hummus, tahini sauce and/or cucumber sauce. It's to die for! And one of my favorite things to eat! At Jack's you get a Greek salad on the side and a medium drink-all for $8! And I owe a huge "thank you" to Tanya Judd for introducing me to the place.

One day I'll try and make it myself. But really, when there's a place right down the street that makes it as good as they do, why try?