Needing a Break

My brain is frying and I'm feeling like I'm going to explode.  I've been studying, reading, writing, living and breathing The Triune God which is the class I'm taking right now.  I'm only 2 weeks into the class, 3 more to go.  I'm learning a lot so I'm happy to be doing what I'm doing, BUT...

So I'm taking a very little break to do some blogging.  It feels like I've been holed up in the house for the last 2 weeks so I don't have a lot to report.  So how about some food pictures?

A couple of weeks ago, we had a couple over for dinner.  I made a favorite recipe:  chicken with stuffing dish along with red skinned mashed potatoes and green beans with bacon (not exactly low calorie, but very yummy!)  

EASY BAKED CHICKEN BREASTS 

 (recipe from my good friend, Jane Wilson)

 

8 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned

8 (4 x 4) slices Swiss cheese

1 (10 ½ ounce) can cream of chicken soup undiluted

¼ cup dry white wine

1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix, crushed

2-3 Tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

Parsley (optional)

Arrange chicken in a lightly greased 12 x 8 x 2 inch baking dish.  Top with cheese slices.

Combine soup and wine; stir will.  Spoon sauce over chicken; sprinkle with stuffing mix.

Drizzle butter over crumbs. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Garnish with parsley.  Yield 8 servings.

Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes (from Allrecipes.com) Prep time:  10 minutes      Cook time:  20 minutes   Ready in 30 minutes serves 8

"This recipe doesn't skimp on creaminess. Unpeeled red potatoes are mashed with butter, milk, sour cream, salt and pepper."

Ingredients:

2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered 1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup sour cream salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, and cook until tender but still firm, about 10 minutes. Drain, and place in a large bowl.
2.	Combine potatoes with butter, milk, sour cream, salt, and pepper. Mash together until smooth and creamy.

 Green Beans with Bacon

(I don't remember where I got this recipe, but probably from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 8 slices bacon, diced
• 2 pounds fresh green beans, trimmed and cut in 1-inch pieces
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Preparation:

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add bacon. Fry bacon until crispy; set aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil; add beans. Boil for about 10 minutes, or until desired doneness is reached. Drain beans; add them to the skillet with bacon and butter. Toss well and heat until well coated. Add pepper; serve.

Serves 8.

For dessert I served Blueberry Kiwi Fool.

 Blueberry Kiwi Fool

(recipe from Better Homes & Gardens website)

Makes: 6 servings

Prep 20 minutes, chill up to 2 hours

Ingredients

• 2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 3 - 4 kiwifruit, peeled and cut up (1 cup)

Directions

1. In a shallow dish mash 1 cup of the blueberries with a potato masher. (Or puree with a mini food chopper, food processor, or blender.) Stir cinnamon into mashed blueberries.

2. In a medium bowl beat whipping cream and sugar until cream is very thick. Fold in mashed blueberries.

3. In individual 6- to 7-ounce glasses or dishes, layer whipped cream mixture with remaining blueberries and kiwifruit. Serve immediately or cover and chill up to 2 hours before serving. Makes 6 servings.

 Ok, break is over...back to the books.  Well, maybe I'll have a snack first.