Mama and Kisses

Monday at the Harvey house was full of excitement! For the first time, MR said mama! She has been saying what sounded like mama for a few weeks now, but during our trip to the grocery store it became official. We were on the produce isle when it happened. She said it as clear as a bell, mmmmmmaaaa-ma. At first I couldn’t believe my ears; I turned to the lady beside me and asked her if she heard what I did. Unfortunately, she did not, so MR and I went about our way talking and shopping. Well lo and behold, about three isles later, she repeated the word. I couldn’t have been more proud! When G got home later that afternoon she said it again–and again–and again!

In addition to adding hey, dada and mama to her vocabulary, MR has also started giving kisses! However, most of these sweet kisses are reserved for Sadie. Those two have become quiet the team over the last few weeks. MR squeals with delight when Sadie comes near. For the most part, Sadie enjoys the extra attention.

Last night was also special because I cooked for Garrett. After living off cereal, fast food, and frozen pizzas, I was ready to put on my apron and prepare a new recipe that I found. The chicken marsala turned out excellent; it was very rich, but definitely worthy of a second dish. The baked asparagus, on the other hand, almost cost us our house. After coating the asparagus with salt, pepper, olive oil, and lemon juice, I put them on a cookie sheet and placed them in a 400 degree oven. Big mistake! When I opened the oven about 10 minutes later, smoke filled our house. Not just a little smoke, a lot of smoke; enough to make us grab MR and head outside for the remainder of the evening. Apparently the juices from the asparagus ran off of the cookie sheet and burned when they hit the bottom of the stove. Fortunately, everything turned out and we got to enjoy our meal on our outside patio. Because of the oven incident, we had to put off our creme brulee dessert and resort to sugar-free popsicles. Hoping to try out the recipe in the next few days. I’m dying to use my handheld torch!

Chicken Marsala with Pancetta and Cream (3-4 Servings):

Olive oil
2 oz pancetta, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 medium onion, diced (or you can use chopped shallots)
Flour for dredging (about 1/2 cup)
1 lb of skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut or pounded into thin cutlets
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
6 Tbsp heavy cream
Minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 Coat a large skillet lightly with olive oil and set it over medium high heat. Add the pancetta and cook until just crip and lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside. Add the onions to the pan and cook until translucent and slightly browned, 5-10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set aside.

2 Put the flour on a plate. Pat the cutlets dry. Season them on both sides lightly with salt and amply with pepper. Heat the skillet with the pancetta fat over medium high. Add more olive oil, if needed, to get about 2 Tbsp of fat in the pan.

3 When the fat is hot, dredge a cutlet through the flour on both sides. Shake off the excess flour and immediately put the cutlet in the pan. Do the same with as many cutlets as will fit in the pan without touching. Sauté the cutlets, turning once, until browned on both sides. If thin, they should cook through in just a few minutes total. Transfer the cooked cutlets to a plate and continue sauteíng the rest, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer these to the plate as well.

4 Pour off the excess fat. With the pan over med-high heat, add the Marsala and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the Marsala is reduced by about a quarter. Stir in the cream and boil until you get a nicely thickened sauce. Return the chicken, onions, and pancetta to the pan and turn the cutlets over to coat. Let them reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Serve with the sauce and a sprinkling of parsley.

NOTES: Next time I will add mushrooms to the recipe and double the sauce (extra olive oil and heavy cream). Serve extra sauce over pasta. I also used one (instead of 1/2) onion and omitted flat-leaf parsley.

Bill and Hendley came over before supper; Hendley insisted on sharing her sippy with MR. She is such a sweet little girl and I know she’s going to be a great big sister!

Escaping the fumes; wagon ride after supper .