Chicken Piccata

So so good.

Chicken Piccata

 

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together flour, salt and paprika. In a separate dish or bowl mix together egg and milk. Dip chicken pieces in egg mixture, then in seasoned flour.
2. In a large skillet, heat butter or margarine over medium high heat. Saute chicken pieces until golden brown. Add mushrooms and onion and saute for 3 to 5 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl combine the broth, wine, lemon juice and cornstarch. Mix together and pour mixture over chicken and mushrooms. Reduce heat to medium low and let chicken mixture simmer for 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Sprinkle with parsley and serve 

PS We always make two servings of the sauce! 

Things about Brittany

Well, nothing too exciting has happened lately so I figured I'd let those of you who don't know me well, get to know me better...

*I whole heartedly believe that the Joker was 100% correct when he said "Nobody panics when everything goes according to plan" I am, and always have been a serious planner.

*I am a very particular sleeper. Any of my friends who have stayed at my house, or slept in the same bed with me will know this. I like it COLD. When I lived in Michigan, I slept with the window open, and the fan on my face- even in the dead of winter with snow flakes falling on me. I can't tell you how many time I have frozen my friends to death!! This seems like an appropriate time to say sorry to you all ;-) I like to take 95% of the blankets and 75% of the bed. Michael has told me on several occasions that he tried to get blankets back from me in the middle of the night and I tell him no and get mad! Unless I am really tired I usually have a routine where I start on right side, then to my left, then on my tummy, with my face almost off the bed with a pillow under my chin to keep my jaw closed then finally wiggle my feet until I fall asleep.


*My beverage of choice is always a water with 3 lemons. No, not two or four. Three

*I love to work on different crafts.

* I believe that I can change the world. I know that I can't end world hunger or achieve world peace, but I can make a difference in other peoples lives and I can make a dent. I love going out of my way to make someone feel better or to make a difference in their day. When I die, I want to be remembered for making a difference, not being a selfish, self centered person.

*My family is very important to me and my mom is my best friend. I talk to her on the phone almost everyday.

*When I was little I told my mom that I wanted to have 23 children, no husband (boys were icky, right?!) and live with her! Lucky for mom, I no longer want 23 kids, have a great husband, and will not be living with her. Michael and I have no idea how many children we want, when we were in premarital counseling our pastor asked us how many kids, if any, we wanted. Having had this conversation many times, we looked at each other and chuckled. I think it concerned our pastor when we said we didn't know, but we agreed that we didn't know. We both want more than one, less than 5, and adopt at least one. I guess we'll just figure it out as we go. We definitely want to enjoy at least 5 years of marriage to ourselves and finish school before we head down that road. Friends, keep having babies so I can get my baby fix for now ;-)

*I'd be lost without my iPhone

*I don't like germs and will not eat with my hands before washing them. Even though I catch myself putting my unwashed fingers in my mouth and eyes several times a day.

*I refuse to eat almost everything after its expiration date

That's about all I can think about for now. Hopefully something fun will come along soon :)
Love to you all!

The One who rescued me

I was cleaning up the house when one of my favorite songs came on and I was drawn once again into His arms and stopped cleaning. I'd never heard the song before Michael put it on my "cleaning playlist" but now I can listen to it over and over and over again, and I do! (in fact, I usually only make it half way through the song before I start over) I love the way it sounds and the way it is sung, but the lyrics are so powerful. Every bit, every word. "I was lost, in darkness found You ransomed my heart and I will sing, You are my Strength, You are my Deliverer, The One who rescued me, You are my Hope, You are my Redeemer, Your love has set me free." What an amazing God who forgives our deepest, darkest sin and loves us just the same. Who rescues us from pain, addictions, hurt, loss of a loved one, illness, hell and our sins. He gives us hope when we are lost in our sin and suffering and can't take one more step. I have "Hope" tattooed largely across my left ribcage. I got it a few years ago to remind me that as a child of God, I will always  have hope. Always. "But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:31 What an awesome truth. I pray you find renewed hope and truth in reading this and listening to this song. Take a few moments to reflect. Do you trust Him to be your Strength, Deliverer, and Hope? What has God rescued you from? As we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, don't forget his crucifixion. Never forget there is One who loves you so much He died a unimaginable death to rescue you from of life of sin and pain. He is the One that rescued you. Bless the Lord, oh my soul.

 Son of man, Son of righteousness
King of the earth for sinners slain
I was lost, in darkness found
You ransomed my heart and I will sing

(You are )my Strength, (You are)my Deliverer
The One who rescued me
(You are) my Hope, (You are)my redeemer
Your love has set me free
(Thats why i will)
Bless the Lord oh my soul 

In the splendor of Your Majesty
from deep within my spirit sings, holy holy
Holy holy
Bless the Lord oh my soul

The Best Guacamole Ever

I love this recipe so I thought I'd share. Best guac I've ever had. Extra lime and extra cayenne=extra yummy! Since Avocados are so expensive right now ($2.50 each at our local HT) I would recommend printing out the recipe and trying it when Avocados come back into seasons. It's a must try!

 

Ingredients

• 3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional)

Directions
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, cilantro, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate 1 hour for best flavor, or serve immediately.

 ***When in the refrigerator, place saran wrap directly on the guac or it will turn brown!

Thank God for the Lovings

     I always assumed I would marry a white man and if you would have told me 5 years ago that I would end up being married to a black man, I probably would have laughed. Interracial marriage was the furthest thing from my mind and for the most part, still is. I don't look at my husband and see a black man, I just see him and I don't think of us having a interracial marriage, just a regular one. Even though most of the nations attention is focused on same sex marriage issues right now, there are still a lot of people out there who disagree with interracial marriage. While we have been largely supported by our friends and family, I have recently been thinking about an incident when Michael and I first started dating and we were on the receiving end of a nasty look that clearly read "you guys shouldn't be together" and it got me thinking.
     Being a white female in the U.S., I never felt like anyone made great strides for my race, we never really had to over come anything (remember, I'm talking about race here, not women's rights or our separation from Britain) African Americans, on the other hand, had tons to overcome. I always knew desegregation wasn't that long ago but Michaels parents really put it into perspective for me when they shared their stories of going through it. Thank God for people like Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Fredrick Duglass, Sojourner Truth, and Thurgood Marshall. All who made huge differences in African American history, and changed the future. But I want to write about Mildred and Richard Loving, who changed my future.
     The Lovings were an interracial couple who married in DC, evading the Racial Integrity Act (a state law banning the marriage of any white person to any non white person) After returning home to Caroline County, Virginia, they were charged with violation of the ban. Police invaded their home at night hoping to find them having sex (which was another crime) but instead just found them sleeping in the same bed. Mildred, trying to defend their marriage, pointed out their marriage certificate hanging on the wall, but in the end the certificate proved that they were married in another state and returned to Virginia (also a crime). The Lovings were charged under Section 20-58 of the Virginia Code, which prohibited interracial couples from being married out of state and with the intent of returning to Virginia, and Section 20-59, which classified miscegenation (interracial marriage or interracial sex) as a felony, punishable by a prison sentence of between one and five years. In January of 1959 the Lovings pled guilty and were sentenced to one year in prison or being banished from Virginia for 25 years. They decided to move to DC and fight. On June 12, 1967, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned their convictions in a unanimous decision. The court ruled that Virginia's anti-miscegenation statute violated both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
     So, here we are 44 years later, I am sitting in my living room drinking coffee and writing this blog in the early morning while my husband sleeps comfy in our bed. Thank God I don't have to worry about breaking the law or the police breaking into our home. I often wonder what life would be like if we were placed back in the 50's and 60's. Would have I even taken a chance with him? Would I fight for our rights or would I go to prison? Would I put up with the discrimination? I am so grateful that people before me fought.

Mildred & Richard Loving