Lemon Butter Chicken

I recently started a new low carb diet. I saw a recipe that fit my diet on Tip Hero.  It was a one pan meal, so that was nice, too.

   

Lemon Butter Chicken

4 large chicken breasts
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
dash salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 teaspoon dried thyme

   

Preheat the oven to 400°.

   

Cut the chicken breasts in half, lengthwise.  Place them on a plate and season both sides with the paprika and salt and pepper to taste.

   

Melt the butter in an oven proof pan.  I used cast iron.  Sear both sides of the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes.  Remove to a plate.  Add the minced garlic and stir for about 20 seconds.  Stir in the broth, heavy cream and cheese.

Bring the mixture to a simmer and add the chopped spinach.  Cook until the chicken is wilted and the cream has thickened slightly.

   

Stir in the lemon juice, zest and thyme.  Place the chicken back in the pan and put it in the oven.  I turned the pieces a few times in the sauce to get the lemon flavor on both sides of the chicken.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

   

I served the chicken with a small salad.  I stayed within my Atkins guidelines and had a really nice meal.  Lee liked it and he isn't on a diet, so I considered that a win.

Finished Pantry

We finished enlarging our small pantry.

   

It meant losing one closet in the entry. We had the door removed and the hole plastered over.

Then we doubled the pantry on the other side of the wall.  Like all construction projects, it took a lot longer than expected. A lot of that was because they didn't show up everyday, or work all day when they did.

   

But now the pantry is finished and I have more room than I need.  Part of that is because I got rid of a lot of things I stored in our old pantry when we moved.

   

The new pantry looks great in our kitchen and I'm so glad we did it.

Now to keep from filling it up too much. I don't have any more closets to lose.

Freezer burn

We had three inches of snow yesterday.

   

Lee didn't even bother to get out the snow plow.

   

He just drove the heavy truck up and down our shared driveway and called it a day.

   

But the chicken yard also had three inches of snow and that means they sank in up to their bodies.  And they don't have feathers on their feet or legs.  If they want to move around outside, they will get pretty cold.

   

I went out with a snow shovel and cleared a few paths.

   

   

They stay under this shelter when it is hot AND when it is cold.  But they needed a pathway cleared.

   

I have started leaving both chicken coop lights on all day and night since it started being colder.

   

After I did that we have been getting about 5 eggs a day. Every day.  If you want any eggs, let me know!!

HELP please

I am no longer able to reply to comments on my blog.  Is anyone else having this problem?  I don't want commenters to think I don't read them and appreciate them.

Does anyone have a solution for me?

I will respond to any commenters that can help me fix the problem.  If I don't comment then I couldn't follow the directions, so try again!!!

HELP!!!

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

This is a fabulously easy dessert to make.  There are only two ingredients.  Unless you choose to top it with a spritz of whipped cream.  I chose.

The magic ingredient is Nutella.  I love Nutella and use it in a lot of dessert recipes.  I also love it in breakfast treats.

This recipe makes 4 desserts.  I got it from Tiphero.

   

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

1/2 cup Nutella
1 cup heavy whipping cream



It helps to chill the mixing bowl and beaters for about half an hour before you start.  I used a Kitchen Aid mixer but you can use a hand held mixer.  This would be difficult to do by hand.

   

Heat the Nutella about 15 seconds in the microwave so that it is pourable.  Stir.  If you need to, heat it a bit more.   It took me a total of 30 seconds, but it's winter.  I covered the Pyrex measuring cup with waxed paper in case it wanted to make a mess in the microwave.  Let it sit while you whip the cream so that it can cool a bit.  If it's too hot it can damage your lovely whipped cream.

   

Whip the heavy cream until it forms stiff peaks. Gently fold in the room temperature Nutella.

   

Keep mixing until there are no visible streaks.

   

Place the mixture into four small dishes.  Chill for at least two hours.

   

You can serve it as is or you can spritz a bit of whipping cream on top.  This mousse is delicious as is, but it is more festive with a whipped cream swirl!

   

This was a lovely dessert and our guests were impressed enough to want the recipe!

Two Roz Quilts!

   

I finally finished both of the quilts I made from the squares my sister Rosalind started.  She started a hand stitched cathedral window quilt.  When she passed away the pieces sat until her former husband passed away and the new wife found them and sent them to me.

   

I broke the pieces up into two smaller quilts.  I used pink sashes to bring out the pink colors and to honor her nickname, Pinky.  The green border brought out some of the green colors in the squares.

My niece had originally started a similar quilt at the same time.  She and Roz were close.  She never finished her quilt, either.  Because I was making two quilts out of these squares, I decided to give one to Natalie and keep one for me.

This one is the one for Natalie.

   

   


The only real difference between the two quilts is that my quilt has the square where Roz wrote her name and that of her husband, Arnold, in pencil. I backstitched over her writing.

   

   
 
I'm getting better at free motion quilting.  Or maybe I am just getting faster. Either way, I finished that and sewed on the border.

I sent Natalie her quilt and told her she can't open it until her birthday.  I folded up my quilt until I know what to do with it.  I don't want it to get ruined.  But putting it away doesn't make sense either.

   

So I'll think about it for a bit.