A Little of This and A Little of That

Making dinner is always a challenge if I haven't planned out a menu for the week.  For the past number of years I have tried to plan menus for the week - this way when ANYONE asks "what's for dinner?" there is no ambiguity about it.  My kids used to just go to the fridge and read the menu.  It started getting to be problem when their friends would come to the house and check the menu to see if they wanted to eat over!! But that's a story for another day.

Today is about unplanned meals.  I didn't plan a menu this week which makes each day interesting when I'm asked the famous (and sometimes) most important question of the day.

So this is what I had to work with:  a few pieces of chicken tenders, some bacon (everything is good with bacon in it), 1/2 an onion, some grape tomatoes, Marsala wine, some Parmesan cheese and a package of pesto sauce.  Sounds like a pasta dish.

The ingredients!

So how do I make this come together.  I started out by chopping up the bacon and cooking it in my pan.  Once the bacon was brown and crisp I removed it from the pan to drain.  I then tossed the chicken tenders with some of the pesto sauce mix (dry).  I then put the chicken in the pan with the bacon drippings and browned it on both sides.

I removed the chicken from the pan and added about a tablespoon of butter - and some finely chopped red onion and some granulated garlic.  I sauteed that for less than a minute and then added a good dose of Marsala wine.

The smell is wonderful!!

As it was reducing I added a couple ladles of pasta water (yummy flavor).  When it was reduced by half I added a small handful of feta cheese (this was a waste - didn't need the feta).  I then added about a teaspoon of tomato paste (leftover in the fridge).  Once the paste was incorporated into the sauce I threw in the rest of the dry mix from the pesto sauce and a few grape tomatoes which I halved.  At this point I wish I had some spinach or fresh basil but I was making due with what I had!!

Moving on!  I then put the chicken back in the pan as well as the chopped cooked bacon.  Next I threw in the pasta and tossed it till the pasta was completely covered with the sauce.  I then threw in some leftover Parmesan cheese and tossed.

All in all it tasted pretty darn good.  So look in your fridge tonight.  Find a little of this and a little of that and see what you can come up with.  The one thing that frustrates the hubby is that he can never get the same meal twice!! I never write things down and it's always just whatever you have hanging around in the cabinets or fridge.  Happy cooking!!

Legacy!!

My sisters, niece and one of my daughters took a little trip this weekend to upstate NY to visit with our grandmother.  I'd like you to meet Thirza North.  She is 98.  

Gram!

Gram just got home from rehab/nursing home.  She feel a few weeks ago while she was out shopping. She apparently fractured her pelvis and left elbow.  Funny thing is after the fall she got back up and went on her way.  It was several hours later when she got in touch with her son and he took her to the hospital.  When she was at the hospital they did all the normal things for tests including xrays.  In looking at the xray the doctor saw an old fracture in my grandmother's pelvis.  My grandmother said "yes I broke it when I was 12."  She then proceeded to tell the story of how she fractured her pelvis - a story which her son had never heard.  When she was 12 she was "playing" (actually she said she was doing something she wasn't suppose to be doing).  Anyway in the process of this "playing" she apparently fell and fractured her pelvis.  Since she was doing something she wasn't suppose to be doing she decided not to tell her parents because she knew she would get in trouble.  The fracture eventually healed but she quietly endured the pain and never told her parents.  Sidenote:  when she was little her father would not allow her to cry she was simply endure it.  I am so in awe of this wonderful woman - I can't even imagine having to endure that kind of pain.  She continues to live on her own and her mind is as sharp as tac!!

She is all healed up now and scoots around her apartment with her walker faster than some people walk on their own.  I don't know if you have someone around as wonderful as Thirza in your life - hope so cuz there is nothing like it.   She inspires me and I'll be there are quite a few young folks today that could definitely learn a thing or two from my granma!!!