“There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind.” – Mister Rogers
NOTE: I spend my Wednesdays Unplugged from appointments. It’s my day to stay home, enjoy cooking and welcome our kids and grandkids for dinner in the evening. We end our meal with quotes from the Norwegian ‘Quote Cup’ passed on to me from my grandmother. I share a quote and a recipe here each week, along with an update and photos of what has been going on in our lives. I love trying new recipes…and love getting recipes you would like to share!
It’s now a little over a year since the arrival of Covid-19 changed everything and I decided to post my last ‘normal’ photo from last March. We have been hosting Wednesday Family Night for more than 10 years… last year we gathered for dinner at Noodles on our way to Children’s Theater for a production of ‘The Rainbow Fish’. Little did we know at that time it would be CTC’s last performance and our last Family Night for more than a year! Hopefully it won’t be tooooo much longer before we can gather again. On another note, I don’t usually pay much attention to awards but our daughter texted me a post from RE/MAX Results for Top Sales Executives for the month. To my surprise I was listed in the top 25 of 1,246 agents… I guess that is why I have been feeling so busy lately!
RECIPE OF THE WEEK
I love having pasta dishes that I can quickly reheat for a meal any time. This was another good one from myrecipes.com and The Food Gays… even better reheated in my estimation!
CARAMELIZED ONION, MUSHROOM and CHICKEN PENNE
- 2 cups uncooked penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon neutral flavored oil (such as vegetable oil)
- 1 cup sliced white onion
- 2 cups diced portobello mushrooms
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 4-5 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
- grated Parmesan to serve
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook penne according to package directions.
Meanwhile, heat butter and oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onions for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Once they’ve become caramelized, add the mushrooms and cook another 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the pan, and set aside.
In the same pan, add the chicken thighs. (If needed add another drizzle of oil.) Cook for 7-10 minutes, or until golden brown on both sides and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
Return onion and mushroom mixture to the skillet. Add heavy cream, and stir well, scraping all the bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer on medium-low for 2-3 minutes, or until cream has reduced slightly. Taste for season, and adjust as needed. Slice the chicken into large pieces.
Add the cooked, drained pasta to the sauce, along with the sliced chick and parsley. Toss well, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
