Oh hi Monday, it's you.

I can't believe it's Monday already.

I have to really think what I did during the weekend; it went by so fast!

On Saturday, The Hubby and I got up early and went out for breakfast. It's been awhile since we went out for breakfast so I really enjoyed that. Right afterwards, we went over to his friend's place, The Mentor and went through the script with another friend, Coach. (Hopefully I'll remember these nicknames!)

It was fun and we accomplished quite a lot. I think the script is getting stronger!

We left around 2pm and decided to watch a matinee: S.eason of the W.itch. The movie was alright. Entertaining enough. I just didn't like the 'twist' at the end. Though The Hubby seemed to really enjoy it which surprised me. He's usually very critical when it comes down to rating movies.

We kept it casual in the evening. Watched some TV, ordered sushi for dinner, nice and relaxing.

On Sunday (yesterday), I got up early for C.hurch. The Hubby volunteered to go with me which was really nice but I told him to stay home for lazy reasons. I had errands to do right afterwards and I didn't want to drive back and drop him off. Sigh. I know, it would have only taken 5 mins (we live really close). Next week. If he wants to come, I'll definitely bring him with me.

I went to a couple of stores, in search of b.aby s.hower items for my friend. I scored and found these cute mugs for 45 cents each that we can give away to our guests. And I found these funky blue straws which goes along with our theme: Dr. S.euss.

As soon as I returned home, I said goodbye to The Hubby. Yesterday was his first day of acting classes. I think he signed up for a couple of months - every Sunday from 2pm to 6pm. He thought he would try it out and learn some tips for his Acting/Drama class. Plus, the knowledge would come in handy when he is directing.

So I had the whole afternoon to myself, stranded in our home with my darling pups.

What did I do?

I did a couple loads of laundry and tidied up the kitchen, meaning washed the dishes. Our dishwasher broke so I had to re-wash a whole bunch of dishes. Fun.

I read a few more pages of B.reaking D.awn and treated myself to a movie. I wanted to see I.t's C.omplicated for the longest time and finally had the chance last night. I liked it, actually, I enjoyed it a lot!

Before I know it, The Hubby was on his way home so I started preparing dinner.

I made caesar salad, baked a couple of chicken breasts (with olive oil and Greek spices) and tried a new side dish recipe: Baked Tomatoes and Potatoes with Cheese.

The new dish turned out good. I baked it for 1 hour and unfortunately the potatoes weren't completely done. Other than that, it was deliciously healthy. And it wasn't a complicated dish. I'll post the recipe another time.

And there you have it. A wonderful weekend that went by so quickly.

Simplicity.

This year, I want to keep things simple.

The Hubby and I spent Christmas at his parents' which is in a rural area. Lots of space and not a lot of people. For a change, it was nice to look out the window and only see nature.

A breath of fresh air.

Literally.

The air smelled, tasted and felt different. Like each time you breathe, it replenishes the soul. I like that.

As much as I enjoyed our trip, I don't think I can ever live in the country. It's a completely different lifestyle but I have to say, I really enjoyed the simplicity of it. You do things at a slower pace which allows you to appreciate and enjoy it more. In the city, things are constantly moving around you and sometimes it feels like you always have to keep up. But I guess it's a good thing. Keeps you moving forward.

So this year, I would like to stop and smell the roses.

I'm turing 31 this year and even though sometimes I feel like I'm still 18, I'm not. Time is going by so quickly, I really want to make an effort to enjoy today. I don't want to sweat the small stuff. I don't want to hold onto negative thoughts. Life is way too short and really, life can be as easy as you want it to be.

Basically, I need to live life like my puppies. Eat, play and sleep.

Happy new year and happy eating.

Hello y'all.

Instead of starting this year with a list of goals, I'll kick it off with a really tasty recipe!

I made this on Monday and The Hubby loved it! Which means it's really good because he's a picky eater.

Chicken with Tomatoes and Cinnamon

Ingredients

1 tbsp of sunflower oil (or olive oil)
2 tbsp of butter
6 chicken thighs (or any cuts)
1 yellow onion (finely chopped)
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 large pinch ground ginger
8-10 tomatoes (cored and roughly chopped)
2 tbsp clear honey

Directions

1.
Heat 1 large pot (I used my beautiful dutch oven), then stir in sunflower oil and butter.

2.
When oil/butter mixture starts to sizzle, lightly brown the chicken.

3.
When chicken is browned, add: finely chopped onions, cinnamon, ginger, and roughly chopped tomatoes. All seasonings like salt and pepper. Stir.

4.
Lower the heat and cover for 1 hour. Occasionally, stir the chicken and sauce.

5.
After 1 hour or when the chicken is cooked through, take the chicken out.

6.
Increase the heat and stir the sauce frequently. Keep cooking until the sauce thickens. This process took about 25 mins for me. The sauce was really runny and it took a long time for it to thicken.

7.
Once the sauce thickens, add the honey and cook for 1 minute.

8.
Lower the heat and then add the chicken. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Then serve on a bed of rice or potatoes.


Delicious! It was really tasty and I especially love the aromas ! You can taste a hint of cinnamon which gives the dish a bit of wow factor in my books! The spices were not overpowering at all. It was just a simple and different dish. Love, love, love! I am definitely going to make this again.

The only 'bad' thing about this dish is that it's a bit oily. Probably because I used chicken with skin, plus oil and butter. I removed the skin when I took out the chicken in Step #5. It helped a little bit but not enough. So next time, I will definitely use skinless chicken and maybe only use enough butter to brown the chicken.

Oh and one more thing. I was supposed to peel the tomatoes as per original recipe but after trying one tomato, I said forget it! So if you are an advanced cook, peel and core the tomatoes before chopping them. It might make the sauce a bit more smooth. But to be honest, we didn't mind the skin at all. Plus, it's good for you! Oh and you can also add blanched almonds, whatever that means :D

So there you have it! Chicken with Tomatoes and Cinnamon!

Happy New Year everyone!