Happy Monday!

Can you detect my sarcastic undertone? Blech! No matter how much older I get, I still abhor Mondays. You'd think the beginning of the week would illicit feelings of unicorns and rainbows. No? Well in the very least a fresh beginning...but unfortunately, Mondays always feel like a giant buzzkill to me. It takes all my willpower not to pull the covers over my head and stay in bed. Well, maybe this week I'll find some time to start a few holiday cooking projects. Anyhow, I hope while I've been MIA, you've been having some fun. Mr.S. and I had a great date night last week. We attended a performance at The Crest put on by Dennis Prager and Adam Carolla. It was a mix of discussion and debate covering everything from politics to parenting, followed up by a Q&A session.  I found the event interesting and had a good time even though my views on politics and religion differ quite a bit from the two speakers. Mr.S. loved it, he's a a huge fan of Carolla's podcast and tends be a bit more conservative than me in his beliefs. He must not be the only one in Sac because I'm pretty sure the show was sold out...it was really packed in there! Luckily we were in the second row so we had some breathing room.



I also got new wellies (in dark red!) and got to break them in this week. I was quite excited to finally get to wear them. They're quite comfortable as well as fashionable...because you know you need to look fashionable when wading through a rainstorm. ;)


And don't worry, I did a little tinkering around in the kitchen too. I would have done more but I just couldn't get myself to go out in the foul weather to the grocery store. It's not the rain that bothers me, it's the crazy drivers! Anyhow, I was craving something rich and hearty to warm me up, so I threw together some chicken and mushrooms with a flavorful sherry sauce. If you love the taste of garlic and shallots (we do!), then you're bound to like this delicious recipe.



Chicken and Mushrooms in Sherry Sauce

Ingredients

3 large boneless, skinless chicken breast- cut into bite-sized pieces

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 cup fresh shimeiji mushrooms

1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, sliced

3 shallots, minced

3-4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 1/2 cups no salt chicken broth

1/2 cup dry sherry

2 tablespoons cornstarch

salt and fresh ground back pepper


Instructions

1.  In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned (about 5 minutes).

2. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside in a bowl.

3. Add olive oil to skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, saute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, stirring frequently until they soften.

4. Return chicken to skillet. Then add rosemary, thyme and white pepper. Cook for 1 more minute.

5. Add the chicken broth and sherry to the mixture.

6. Reduce heat the medium-low and simmer for about 5 minutes.

7. Remove a 1/2 cup of sauce from skillet. Add cornstarch to the cup of sauce. Whisk, then return to skillet.

8. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for another 5 minutes.

9. Remove from heat and serve with with rice, pasta or by itself.