Happy New Year!

 

Moving on…to the important stuff…..

 

Go right now and grab a calendar or open Outlook. Start filling in people’s birthdays with a reminder pop-up for two-four weeks BEFORE the birthday. This has been an annual ritual for me now for a while. I still miss someone’s every year. Damn Snooze button…. Everyone knows someone with a birthday in January so I just reminded you. Now put it in Outlook.  

 

Guys…..only 44 days till Valentines Day. Only 6 shopping weekends most of which are football weekends. Make a commitment to get the gift figured out the weekend BEFORE the Super Bowl (it’s a bye week…..just do it!) so you can have a puking good time on Super Bowl Sunday without any guilt. Oh yeah, Valentines Day is on a crap Tuesday night this year. That means you are going to have to leave the house and take her out to dinner on a (gasp!)…… weeknight. Get reservations NOW or you have to cook dinner yourself. If that happens…..here is an easy one.

Lemon Thyme Chicken

 

3 tbl Flour                                  1 Medium Onion (chopped)

½ tsp Salt                                  1 tbl Margarine

¼ tsp Pepper                             1 can Chicken Broth

3 tbl Lemon Juice (fresh)             4 Skinless Chicken Breasts         

2 tbl Olive Oil

1 tsp Thyme

 

Combine flour, salt, pepper in large zip-lock bag and shake thoroughly. Add chicken and coat well. Save excess flour mix. Remove chicken to pan heated at medium heat with 1 tbl of Olive oil. Brown chicken on each side adding 1 tbl of Olive Oil when flipping to other side. Do NOT cook all the way through! Just brown the outside. We want to sear it and lock in some of the juices. Remove chicken to plate and cover to keep warm.

 

Add Margarine and Onion to skillet cooking till Onion is softened. Stir in excess flour mix (make some extra if you want a thicker sauce) and cook for approx 1 minute or until sauce thickens. Add chicken broth, 2 tbl of lemon juice and Thyme. Bring to boil stirring constantly.

 

Return Chicken to skillet covering chicken with mixture and reduce heat. Simmer 10-15 minutes or until Chicken is cooked to liking. (Test for doneness, should NOT be any pink). When chicken is done, add remaining lemon Juice to taste, Mix, serve over cooked white rice

 

Suggested Side Dishes: Roasted Red Potatoes, Asparagus, Steamed Vegetables

Suggested Wine: I just had to add that because it sounded good. I don’t know anything about wine. I use the white meat/white wine/red meat/red wine formula. But I like this meal with a Zin.    

Some of you will STILL drag your feet so I have assembled some handy sites to have in case you just don’t get it together in time –

FTD.Com (they can’t help you if you logon on the 14th)

Hallmark.com (do not attempt to get away with an electronic card and flowers alone)

Victoria’s Secret (who is the gift really for?)

Godiva.com (an old stand by…..better have some backup though)

Exotic Car Rental (okie….really for the guys but she won’t complain)

Sky Diving (Do NOT tell her about this BEFORE you get her to the diving facility)

Red Envelope (great, inexpensive items with some higher end items now and then)

Las Vegas (only works once…….and usually only if she has never been before)

The Trip (sweetness…..may have to promise this one and write an IOU)

The Rock (when you need some serious juice or doing damage control)

Everyone….SXSW Music Festival in Austin, Tx – March 10-19. St. Patrick’s falls in here on the 17th. What could be better than green beer on 6th street, awesome music, great people? Just go.

 

Everyone….Taxes are due April 15th. ‘Nuff Said…

 

 

 

Cheers!