It's a Boy !!!!!!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. It was an exciting time for our family, our early Christmas present came on December 23rd when we found out our new grandbaby is a boy. A Baby Boy, I am so excited. Somehow, I was certain it was a boy all along. I can't wait to go shopping. Just as soon as I can get out of my driveway.................

Can you believe we had a white Christmas? I love it, it created magic on Christmas morning. Even today, it is so beautiful outside, with the sun sparkling on the snow. It makes it difficult to get anything done, I just want to stand at the door and gaze outside into the woods. Our first white Christmas since the year Lacy was born, 1981.

Kids grow up and traditions change over the years but the constant for me has always been Christmas morning. Our family gathers for a mid morning breakfast with my Daddy doing the cooking. Daddy is a great cook and this is something we look forward to all year. No matter how I try my gravy is never as good as Daddy's.
Fluffy biscuits like you wouldn't believe, tender sausage and crispy bacon, breakfast never taste as good anywhere else.

Today has been a tad busy trying to catch up in the house with the laundry and simply putting things back in their place after the rush of the holidays. So, I was looking for something quick and easy for supper tonight. Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins used to be a standby and when I thought about them today I realized I haven't made this recipe in a few years. Give it a try on these cold days between Christmas and New Years. A simple recipe always tastes good after all the rich treats of the last few weeks. It is so easy but still a guaranteed hit with your family.

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins in a Skillet*
Chicken Herb Rice
Green Beans
Parker House Rolls

Cracker Barrel Grilled Chicken Tenderloins in a Skillet

4 -boneless - skinless chicken breasts - cut into strips or or 10-12 tenderloins
1 cup Italian dressing (don't use the fat free here)
2 tsp. lime juice
3 tsp. honey

Place chicken in large zip-lock bag. Combine all other ingredients and pour over. Seal, place bag in a bowl and marinate in refrigerator for at least an hour.

Pour all ingredients into a large skillet and cook over medium heat until liquid evaporates and remaining marinade becomes thick and caramelized. Coat each piece of chicken in marinade by rubbing it around on the bottom of the pan before removing it.

So, Until Tomorrow.................,

S~~~

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas

.........................., just not with every Christmas card I write. Don't you just love that song?
Truthfully, I am dreaming of a white Christmas, and with good cause this year. It's the Christmas card part that doesn't work for me. For the first time in my entire adult life I did not send out Christmas cards. Earlier in the month I was feeling extremely stressed with tons of things to do so I just decided that was one task I was going to take off the table. Oddly, just making that one small concession helped. Now, of course, all the things that I was stressing about are finally done and I feel sad that I let this holiday tradition slip by. I have resolved not to let this happen again. I am usually excessively organized, lists, lists and more lists, but somehow the holidays got all jumbled up this year. I'm really not sure why.

Now a days Ronnie and I share a very quite Christmas Eve at home. I am working on the menu, which always includes a beef tenderloin. This year I think I am going with a coffee rub recipe that I came across several months ago and filed away for Christmas. Now, I know you have heard me talk about how much Ronnie and I both hate coffee, so perhaps it seems a bit strange to know I am about to use a dry rub containing ground coffee beans on an expensive cut of beef. Truth is, I have had coffee encrusted steaks (actually once it was a rib eye and once it was a pork loin) a couple of times in restaurants and you would never know it was coffee. The taste is a bit hard to describe, but oh sooooo good.
If you haven't decided just what to fix just might want to give this a try.

Coffee Encrusted Beef Tenderloin

One 2-pound beef tenderloin, trimmed of fat and silver skin

Rub:

1/4 cup finely ground coffee beans

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp. chili powder

2 Tbsp. paprika

2 tsp. sage,

1 tsp. onion powder

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

1 Onion - Quartered

Remove meat from refrigerator 1 hour before roasting. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Fold over thin end of meat and tie with string.

In a small bowl, combine spice rub ingredients. Rub meat generously with the spice mixture. Let meat stand for 15 minutes and repeat rub.

Place meat on a rack in a roasting pan; arrange quartered onions around meat. Do not cover. Place in oven. Turn oven down to 400 degrees F. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until internal temperature of roast is 130 degrees F for rare to 145 degrees F for medium. Remove from oven; let meat rest for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Serve with Coffee Gravy.

2 cups beef stock

1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. instant coffee

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

1/4 tsp. seasoned salt

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/4 cup water

3 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper

In a medium saucepan, combine broth, Worcestershire sauce, coffee , dried thyme and seasoned salt and bring to boil. Reduce heat to simmer.In a small bowl, dissolve cornstarch in the water and whisk until smooth. Stir into broth mixture. Cook until gravy has thickened. Cut butter in small pieces and stir in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

So, Until Tomorrow..............

S~~~