Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Two for one, what a great deal!

So, I have a little problem "working" on the long weekends.  I do enjoy the break.  But I did cook last night and tonight, so I am going to let you in on a little deal: two reviews, one post! 
Last night we had Moroccan-Spiced Apricot Chicken with Couscous from Pampered Chef 29 Minutes to Dinner.  By the way, the dinners are, as promised, less than 29 minutes to cook.  As always, I did a couple of modifications.  For the couscous, I used regular couscous and omitted the almonds and apricots (both Drew and I are disturbed, for the most part, by fruit in savory items).  We are large couscous fans in this house and this was wonderful.  I can take my regular couscous and my Pampered Chef spices and make any flavor combination I desire.  This discovery has made me really happy (it doesn't take much).  The chicken was incredibly flavorful and easy to make.  I made it in one of my pans, instead of pulling out the George Foreman, but had good results.  I really need to get another one of the thermometers that I like.  I am really frustrated not having it, while trying new recipes. 

Somedays, you discover new things about your spouse that you did not know before.   Yesterday, I half-discovered something about Drew.  I cannot call it a full discovery because he would probably say it was not true and it is mainly my conjecture (you will have to read the comment I know he will post).  What was this discovery/conjecture?  Drew does not like dark meat.  There I said it.  He did not like the texture of the chicken.  This led me to question all previous attempts to make chicken thighs (catalogued in my brain), which led to this conclusion:  He prefers it if it is slow cooked or cut up and then cooked.  Both of these are acceptable, but he does not prefer his chicken thigh to be whole and boneless.  You can psycho-analyze him according to your own parameters, I will just be sure to fit within his in the future.

On to tonight...
We had a late dinner, because I went to Ralph's for Triple Coupons before the end of the grocery ad week and saved a really, really good amount of money!!  Then I came home and got started on the Zesty Ravioli Skillet from Pampered Chef's Seasons Best Cookbook.  Quick review: Good flavors.  Like the spinach.  Great for a busy weeknight meal.  Drew says, "it was too pasta-y, not that that is a word."  This review from my husband is to be expected.  We have pasta about once or twice a month, because it is not his favorite.  This is proof that God gives us someone to balance out our weaknesses.  If He gave me a pasta lover, I would be the size of a barn.  If He gave Drew someone else...well, I don't know how I balance him out on that one. I enjoyed my pasta and have some leftovers for lunches.

2 comments:

Curator D said...

Woman gone crazy! no mo' bacon, no mo' sausage...anywho, you would think that I'm picky. ;-)

Conni said...

just a question are you working through the Pampered Chef cookbook and then going on to another or is it a fluke? Love the cookbooks, just wondering if you have a system. I like your systems, you know. Right now, Ken and I are savoring the smell of our chicken pot pie dinners - how pathetic am I?!