Hellloooo…..

So I just wanted to give fair warning that there will be no new posts until Monday. I planned to add a recipe for Dark Chocolate Mousse today, but there was an issue with the paging of the blog that needed corrected first that ate up most of my and Jeff’s time today. Yay for having a geeky husband who can help with php issues!

But, at any rate, I will be back on Monday with something new and fabulous for you to try.

By the way, I’m munching on chips and salsa at the moment. Have you tried this recipe yet? I feel bad for you if you haven’t. Mmmm. Come on over, and I’ll share mine. Maybe.

Have a great weekend! See you Monday!

Mmmmm…. plums. And chicken. It’s almost like a dessert that passes for dinner; and then you are allowed to have dessert afterward, as well!

I will waste no time.

For (approximately) 2 servings, you will need:

• 5 chicken thighs (you can use your favorite chicken cut here; you can use skinless or skin-on, as well)
• 3 plums
• 2 tbs butter
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• salt & pepper
• 1/2 medium onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4c brandy or dark rum
• 3/4c chicken stock
• 1 tsp ground sage
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice

Start by melting the butter in a large skillet over med-high heat.

In the meantime, combine the salt, pepper, and allspice, and…

sprinkle it on each side of the chicken.

Once the pan is fully heated (be careful not to burn the butter, like I did the first time -.-), add in the chicken. Fry for approx 3 minutes on each side, or until browned.

While the chicken is frying, chop up the onions and garlic. Yea, multitasking!

Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate.

Reduce heat to medium. Add the onions into the pan and saute for 3 mins. Add in the garlic and saute for 1 additional minute.

Add in the brandy or rum; cook for 30 seconds or so until the liquid has reduced. Add the chicken stock and sage; stir.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.

Add the chicken back in and cover. Cook for 12 minutes.

While the chicken cooks, pit the plums and cut into wedges. Yay, more multi-tasking!

Add the plums to the pan and cook for an additional 8 minutes. Add the lemon juice.

Serve with sauce drizzled over the chicken and plums. Yum! The plums are amazing after they are cooked. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as my husband and I did! ^_^

These potatoes are a great side dish, and so creamy and yummy! You can eat them right out of the foil they are baked in, or pour them onto your plate. Fantastic with steaks, or honestly, just about any meat or chicken.

For 2 servings, you will need:

• 2 medium or 3 small potatoes (I used Yukon gold; russet or red work fine, too.)
• 1/4c chopped onion
• (not pictured) 4 tbs butter
• 2 tbs half & half (or heavy cream)
• salt & pepper
• 1 tbs chopped parsley

Start by preheating your oven to 350.

Note: These potatoes will take approx 45 minutes to bake at 350; increase the temperature to 375 or 400 to reduce the baking time by 5-10 minutes if you’re in more of a hurry.

Dice your potatoes into 1/2″ cubes. Doesn’t have to be perfect. You can peel ‘em if you want, or you can take the easy way out like me. (I had an incident with a potato peeler last week. Don’t ask.)

Arrange the potatoes on foil squares on a baking sheet. Just for the record, I recommend using a baking sheet with sides in case there is a leak. Do as I say, not as I do. >.<

If you haven’t already, give your onion a rough chop.

Add the onions to the foil packets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 2 tbs of butter. Don’t judge me. Only add 1 tbs of butter if you’re judging me right now. I hope you learned your lesson.

Pour in the half and half (or cream)…

and sprinkle on the parsley.

Close the packets and bake for 45 minutes at 350.

Yum!

The best part about these potatoes is that you don’t dirty any dishes in the prep or baking!

Enjoy!