Tuesdays At The Table - Chicken Cordon Bleu

Welcome to September! I can't believe how fast the summer went by...

Now that the lazy days of summer are behind us (OK, realistically - we're still in for some pretty great weather), the kiddos are going back to school, and the oven can go on again - it can mean some heartier food.

One of my fall and winter favorites is Chicken Cordon Bleu. So easy! Deceptively easy! :-)

Remember to drop by and say "Hi" to Andrea!

Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
6 slices Swiss cheese
6 slices ham
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
3-4 tablespoons of butter

Pound out chicken breast until it's about a half inch think all around. Place a slice of cheese and ham into the center, leaving a half inch border. Fold (or roll) the chicken until all internal contents are hidden. Secure edges tightly with toothpicks to minimize oozing. Combine flour and paprika, then dredge each chicken breast. Shake off excess flour.

Heat a skillet to medium and melt butter. Cook each side of the chicken for 3-5 minutes then transfer to a baking pan and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes.

I know you're asking yourself why you do both stove top and oven cooking. Maybe you prefer not to...and that's fine! I like the outside of the chicken to firm up; it reduces oozing while baking and gives the chicken a little more crunch. :-)

What's cooking in your kitchen this week?

Musical Monday - Life Is Beautiful

Happy Monday, my lovelies! After a long week (I worked 63 hours...ICK!), I happily stayed in the house and enjoyed the windy, rainy remnants of Tropical Storm Bill.

I watched some of the coverage of Ted Kennedy's burial, etc... He's such a political icon, especially if you're from the fabulous state (if I do say so myself) of Massachusetts. However, 14 and a half straight hours of Teddy's life was just a little over the top for my taste.

I'm curious...how much coverage was he given in other parts of the country?

I heard the following song during the trailer for "My Sister's Keeper", and just loved it. I've never heard of this group before, but am going to keep an ear out for them now. :-)

Have a fabulous day!

We Have A Wiener ...Or, Um Winner of the 100th Follower Giveaway

Thank you all so much for all your comments, give away entries and for sharing some of your favorite quotes. You are all awesome!

A huge WELCOME to my new followers! I've already swung by to visit some of you...and I'll be by to check in on the rest of you real soon (probably this weekend if we really get the rain from Tropical Storm Bill that is predicted).

There's not a darn thing I can do about it; but it would be nice if you all didn't disappear until my next giveaway...mmmkay?

And, without further ado:

The winner is CASEY!! Congrats, my dear! When you have a minute, just email me your address.

Don't worry gang, there will be another giveaway soon. Promise!

Wordless Wednesday...

I wish I was at home cuddling them instead of here at work.

Tuesdays At The Table - Confetti Barley Salad

Welcome to another yummy Tuesday, gang! I've been trying a lot of your recipes lately and want to (again) thank you for all the great stuff that you continue to contribute to Andrea's weekly meme. :-)

We've had a few new people join us in the last few weeks; WELCOME! Please share your favorite recipes and/or food tips, then link up and visit all the other contributors. I want everyone to have as much fun as possible and perhaps get a few new followers!

This week I decided to share something healthy since the past few weeks (or, um, month have been junk food).

Confetti Barley Salad

4 cups water
1 cup dry pearl barley
1/3 cup dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves (or 2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary)
2 teaspoons grated orange peel
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 cups diced peppers (red, yellow or green)
1/2 cup sliced green onions
1/2 cup sliced pitted olives (optional)

Rosemary, orange peel and tomato slices to garnish.

In a saucepan (3 quart or so), bring water and barley to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 45-50 minutes (when barley gets tender). Drain and cool.

In a small bowl, whisk mustard, oil, vinegar, parsley rosemary, orange peel and sugar until combined. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine barley, bell peppers, green onions and olives. Stir in mustard dressing and toss to coat well. Garnish and serve. (This tastes best when it's been refrigerated for a few hours to absorb all flavors.)

What's cooking in your kitchen?

Musical Monday - Weather With You

Ah, it's been another wonderful summer weekend. Bright and sunny; hot and humid; fun-filled! Fine, I admit I don't like humidity...but otherwise; a gorgeous weekend!

I hope you all had fabulous weekends too!! :-)

This weekend I did all my usual errands, plus a field trip to the airport and Billy's 6th birthday party. The trip to the airport was to get my grandmother who was coming back from Cincinnati. The airport always has such energy, that I can't help but be happy when I'm there. I really had the urge to just jump on a plane and go. Anybody else have wanderlust or the urge to just get up and go? Somewhere...anywhere?!

Billy's birthday was great! I can't say enough how lucky Kirstren is to have this little boy as her son. He's AWESOME! Below is a picture of the cake she made. Didn't she do a great job?

Crowded House must be making another comeback. I heard this song twice in UK based concerts in the past few days (Isle of Wight and Glastonbury Festival...both in Scotland).

How was your weekend?

P.S. Did you remember to enter my giveaway?

Coming Soon - A Product Review

I've never done a product review, and am so excited that Living Rooms Direct contacted me to do one on kitchen furniture (and accents)!

There's a first time for everything and this site has some amazing things. I know what you're thinking. Wait, if this place is called Living Rooms Direct - how did you get asked to review kitchen accents? You know, I don't understand the full progression & understand that it links to Kitchen Accents Direct... am really happy they asked me. Everything on their site looks so great.

What will I review? I don't know. There are a few things that really interested me, but I asked to be surprised.

When will I do the review? I'm not sure. It depends on what they send me and when it arrives.

Do I promise to be honest? YES!! I will tell you all the good, the bad and the ugly. (I'm really hoping that nothing classifies as bad or ugly though.)

I leave you with a few things that I saw and loved....

I can't wait to see what they send me!!