This morning when I went to work I took out a package of chicken, with NO idea what I would be doing with them. During the day I decided I wanted some kind of cream sauce, and mushrooms were sounding excellent. And this dish was created. I am SOOO proud of myself for creating this totally from scratch. Normally I find a couple different recipes and adapt to what I want, but this was totally from scratch.

As soon as Adam finished his plate he asked me when I would be making this again, I guess he kind of liked it!

This was an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G dish, it had wonderful flavor, not to creamy, not to balsamicy and too many flavors but just the right amount. You need to try this right away it is really good!

Chicken with Balsamic, Bacon, Mushroom Cream Sauce (From: Myself)

• 3 slices of bacon
• 2 chicken breasts (we used a thick one and butterflied it)
• 2 cups of cream
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 pkg. baby bella mushrooms
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 3 T. of butter

Warm large pan with olive oil.

Salt and Pepper chicken breasts both sides, put into olive oil and brown on both sides until cooked through. Meanwhile add bacon slices to same pan and cook until desired tenderness.

Once bacon is done lay on paper plate with paper towels to get grease off. Once chicken is done set aside on a plate covering with foil to keep warm.

Drain oil from the pan, but leaving what is “stuck” to the bottom, add butter and let melt.

Once melted add garlic and mushrooms. Salt and pepper to your liking, let simmer for a 2-3 minutes then add balsamic vinegar. Cook until desired tenderness.

Pour in heavy cream and bring to a boil, boil for 3-5 minutes then add crumbled bacon.

Add chicken breasts and coat in sauce cook until desired thickness. Serve over pasta of your choice.

I love meatloaf, Adam and my dad say they don’t like it. I went with this recipe anyway as Adam has eaten my normal meatloaf and told me he likes it so I was hoping to sway my dad as well Well they both took seconds and said they liked it! Success.

I personally didn’t love it, it was good but not as good as this one. I think in the future I will use that recipe and use bacon on top as it gives it great flavor.

Meatloaf (From: Pioneer Woman Cooks)

• 1 cup milk
• 6 bread slices
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 8 to 12 thin bacon slices

Tomato Gravy

• 1 1/2 cups ketchup
• 6 Tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• Dash or two of hot sauce

Preheat the oven to 350.

Pour the milk over the bread and allow it to soak in for several minutes.

Place the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, Parmesan cheese, salt, seasoning salt, and black pepper in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the eggs.

With clean hands, mix until the ingrdeients are well blended.

Form the mixture into a loaf shape on a broiler pan, which will allow the fat from the meat to drain.

Lay bacon slices over the top tucking them underneat the meatloaf.

Next make the tomato gravy: Pour the ketchup into a small mixing bowl. Add the brown sugar and dry mustard, and splash in hot sauce.

Stir the mixture until well combined.

Pour one-third of the tomato gravy over the top of the meatloaf.

Bake for 45 minutes then pour another one-third of tomato gravy over the meatloaf. baked for an additional 15 minutes.

Serve with remaining tomato gravy.

This year I turned the big 25. I am still in denial and want to be about 22 again. I just feel SO old being 25. I know I am not “old” but man that sounds like a big number, and to be 25 married with a child. WOW!

I guess my taste have changed in 25 years. I am not a seafood person and don’t like chinese. This year I requested Adam make me a seafood dish and that we go to PF Changs. Both were amazing!! Adam made this dish with no questions asked, he did use dried herbs and used the amount called for so it was a little over herby but otherwise EXCELLENT dish.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce (From: Food Network)

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup clam juice (I hate clams so he used a little chicken broth instead)
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

My wonderful friend Amber sent me a Care package shortly after Christmas, she included a bunch of baked goods and two outfits for Maddy. One of the baked goods where dipped cherry cookies, I had trouble sharing with Adam, they remind me of spritz which are my favorite cookie ever but these are bigger, with more flavor.

Maddy sporting her new outfit. Thank you Amber!

You need to make these cookies ASAP! I cannot wait to make them again, I am very glad I brought most to work otherwise I would of eaten the whole batch!

Dipped Cherry Cookies (Found On: Ambers Delectable Delights, Originally Adapted From: Taste of Home)

• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided
• 1 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, drained
• 12 ounces white baking chocolate, finely chopped, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 2 teaspoons shortening
• Coarse sugar and red edible glitter

In a large bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar; cut in butter until crumbly. Knead in the cherries, 2/3 cup white chocolate and extract until dough forms a ball.

Shape into 3/4-in. balls. Place 2 in. apart on ungreased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with a glass dipped in remaining sugar. Bake at 325° for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

In a microwave, melt shortening and remaining white chocolate at 70% power for 1 minute; stir. Microwave at additional 10- to 20-second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Dip half of each cookie into chocolate; allow excess to drip off. Sprinkle with coarse sugar and edible glitter. Place on waxed paper until set. Store in an airtight container.

I asked for Pioneer Woman’s cookbook for Christmas and was lucky enough to get 2 copies. I returned one but ofcourse kept the other and paged through and found many recipes I want to try. Another great thing is it has pictures of every step, which is the way Adam likes to cook so maybe he will make more meals

This was the first recipe we tasted out of it. Sadly Miss. Maddy had other ideas of us eating a hot meal and was having a rough night so by the time we both got to eat ours were cold and it wasn’t as good, but the flavor was good and I am guessing it would be excellent hot. We plan to make it again when we can guarantee we will be able to eat it hot.

Chicken Fried Steak (From: Pioneer Woman Cooks)

• 3lbs cube steak
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups milk, plus 2 cups for gravy
• 3 cups flour, plus 1/2 cup for gravy
• 2 teaspoons seasoning salt
• 3/4 teaspoon paprika
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus extra for seasoning the steaks and gravy
• 3 teaspoons seasoning salt
• Canola or vegetable oil for frying

Begin with an assembly line of dishes for the meat, egg and milk mixture, and flour mixture.

Pound the cube steaks until extremely tender  and cut the steaks into smaller pieces if they are larger than 5 to 6 inches in diameter. Place the prepared steaks in the first dish.

Beat the eggs and 1 cup milk in the second dish with a fork.

In the third dish, combine 2 cups flour with the seasoned salt, paprika, cayenne and black pepper.

Lightly season a piece of meat with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Then, dip the meat into the milk and egg mixture on each side to coat. Place the meat on the seasoned flour, turning to evenly coat both sides. Dip the meat in the milk and egg mixture once more to coat, then the flour mixture once more to coat completely. Place the prepared steak onto a rack on a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining steaks.

In a large cast-iron or heavy-bottom skillet, heat one-third cup oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is sufficiently heated, fry 2 to 3 pieces of meat at a time Cook on one side until the edges start to look golden brown, about 2 1/2 minutes, then flip over and fry until the other side is golden, another 2 to 3 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed.

Remove the steaks to a paper-towel-lined plate and keep warm. Repeat until all of the meat is fried, adding a little extra oil if needed. Set the steaks aside in a warm place while you make the gravy.

To make the gravy, pour the grease from the skillet into a heat-proof bowl. Without cleaning the pan, return it to the stove over medium-low heat. Add one-fourth cup of the grease back to the pan, discarding any remaining grease.

Sprinkle one-third cup flour evenly over the grease. Using a whisk, mix the flour with the grease, creating a golden brown paste, or “roux.” You want the roux to attain a deep, rich color. If the paste seems more oily than pasty, sprinkle in additional flour, a tablespoon at a time, until the right consistency is achieved.

When the roux is golden-brown, whisk in 2 cups milk, then wait for the gravy to come to a slow boil. The gravy will thicken gradually, but if it seems too thick at first, add a little milk as needed, whisking to combine. The total cooking process should take 4 to 5 minutes. Add additional salt and pepper as desired, tasting to ensure that it’s seasoned adequately.

Place the warm meat on a plate and drizzle over the gravy as desired.