Sunday Brunch Rut Killer!

This is the card I painted for one of my soon to be nieces, Emory! What great girls! Her birthday is this month! I painted more pictures in an effort to get organized like my sister who always buys cards for everyone in January and files them away to send them on time. I may actually do it this year. I sent Emory's today! Can't wait to give Taylor, my sister-in-law to be hers. I need to still make one for Steven and his twin, Andrew!
Everyone playing Super Mario Brothers on Wii! What a blast that game is!

Steven needing a nap after engorging during brunch!

Alyssa being goofy over Karen's pie!

This is Zack enjoying Karen's pie!

This is the finished product for the cooking together project! We made broccoli with lemon and Parmesan, tomato and basil with mozzarella salad bruchetta, and Chicken Pamalama...ie...skillet chicken breasts in a chicken and Dijon mustard sauce with lemon and herbs. The salad is baby spinach with grapefruit sections and toasted almonds. This picture is before Carl got seconds then thirds after Steven's seconds and my thirds! Good thing I ran on the treadmill because after all that Karen made lemon pie!!

Me multi tasking. Grapefruit in one hand and tossing almonds in the other! Whew!

I can't remember why I had to hold the grapefruit while I did that.

This is me showing Karen how to make the chicken and sauce.

By the way, my hair is blonde and not grey as the picture would imply. Except the pink and blue in my fauxhawk of course. That is what happens when hairdressers get bored at work! Thanks Kelly! I love it!

Well, I have gotten down the whole uploading pictures thing. Now I just need to learn how to get them in the right order! I need to take a moment to laugh at myself....ok.

Chicken Pamalama

Chicken Breasts-boned and skinned

1 Shallot

3 cloves garlic

about 2 cups chicken broth

2 heaping tablespoons flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

thyme

basil

flat leaf parsley

1 lemon

olive oil

Pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in large skillet and heat over med. high heat till hot.

Pat chicken breast dry with a paper towel so they will brown slightly when added to hot oil.

Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and basil.

Add to pan.

Brown slightly on both sides.

Add shallot and minced garlic for about 2 minutes till soft.

Sprinkle in flour and stir for about a minute to cook flour or it will taste raw.

Pour in Chicken broth.

Stir well to remove any lumps.

Bring to a boil.

Lower heat to low and continue to simmer until thick and reduced some.

Add lemon juice. Half a lemon or more to taste.

Garnish with chopped flat leaf parsley.

Tomato Basil Mozzarella Salad for Bruchetta

Fresh Mozzarella

3 Tomatoes seeded and chopped

basil to taste. I like a lot.

Salt and pepper.

Olive oil. About 2 Tablespoons.

Chop cheese and tomatoes about the same size.

Add spices and olive oil.

Toss and heap on toasted french bread cut in half inch slices.

Rub bread with a raw garlic clove (skin removed) while it is hot from the oven before topping with salad.

This is a big hit with all of my family and friends. Also my favorite! Steven and I can eat a batch by ourselves. No problem! This is obviously why I treadmill a lot! I love the cheese and bread. For a bit of extra punch I add a palm full of grated Parmesan. Parmesan makes the world a better place!

The Spinach Grapefruit Almond Salad is just that. I put 3 sectioned grapefruit in a bowl allowing the juice to go into the bowl. Topped with spinach and toasted almond which I did in a dry pan on medium heat. Watch them closely or they will burn quick! Salt and pepper to taste. I added some poppy seed dressing but we all decided it would be great also without. So, next time I will add olive oil, salt and pepper to grapefruit juice to make a vinaigrette.

If you haven't tried broiling broccoli, you should. Drizzle it with olive oil, salt and pepper, lemon juice and Parmesan. Broil for about 15 minutes under a low broiler on bottom rack. It will start to caramelize and brown the cheese. I got this idea from my daughter Britney! MMM...Hope this helped the rut, Jill!