Sometimes you get nice gifts for your birthday or Christmas and other 
special days or from a friend "just because. It's always nice to receive a gift!
I'm pretty old and over the years have recieved quite a few gifts. Now gifts are not something you can just toss out -- over time they become even more sentimental, whether attached to memories of a person, a season in your life, or other significant events.
I continue to sort and pack...I have even gone through all the boxes I packed a year ago trying to find my
Mary Engelbreit Collection so I could sell it on Ebay to make some money. I am happy to say I only have four more boxes to go through and all of the Mary E has sold or is being sold on Ebay. I have not had any luck with china or vases or other types of things at all. But Mary E lovers LOVE Mary stuff. .
I've had to snap out of it! regarding my collection of Mary E. It only tore my heart a little bit.
At any rate, over these many years and though I've moved and gotten rid of at least half of my 'stuff' each time I do so, I still have so much to pack. I have gone to the Goodwill every week for many weeks now and still have another big pile by my front door to take this week. The more I go through my 'things' the less I care about paying to move them or have them for the long haul ... well at my age it would be the short haul!
I don't really need 50 cookbooks..cute as they are and darling as they looked in my kitchens..you all know I rarely cook or bake! I am finding it less important to keep certain books, so off they go into the pile to give away. These are the cookbooks I will keep. The I Hate To Cook Book was one I received in 1964 when I was married. I guess I have always had issues with cooking. There is one recipe from Peg Bracken's cookbook though that I have used for a company dish over 44 years now. It's EASY and YUMO! (long before that word was invented by Rachel)
Freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon paprika
3 pounds cut-up chicken or chicken pieces
6 tablespoons butter
4 ounces mushrooms, quartered
2 tablespoons flour
2/3 cup chicken broth or bouillon
3 tablespoons sherry
1 (12-to-15-ounce) can artichoke hearts
2 to 4 medium baking potatoes (optional).
1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Mix together 1 ½ teaspoons of salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and the paprika and sprinkle on all sides of the chicken.
2. Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken prettily on all sides, in batches, adjusting the heat as needed. Transfer the chicken to a large Dutch oven or casserole.
3. Pour off the butter from the skillet, wipe it clean and return it to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter. When the butter starts to foam, add the mushrooms and sauté for about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over them, stir in the chicken broth and the sherry and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Halve artichoke hearts and arrange them between the chicken pieces. Pour mushroom-sherry sauce over them and cook in the oven, covered, for 40 minutes. If you choose, put your baking potatoes in the oven 20 minutes before the casserole, and things will come out even. Serves 4. Enjoy That!
Well I have more packing to do, this little picture only depicts a small number of boxes on my shelves in the garage, and many sitting waiting in my bedroom,but i'm paring down, down, down. So that's what I've been doing and why I haven't blogged lately...Ebay and Packing! Soon I'll be known as Karna, The Minimalist!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment