A Typical Sunday

The windows are open because we are having a rare warm clear day in New York's November. Paul is outside teaching S. how to mow the lawn and N. is wearing barbie knee and wrist pads and running around pretending to be a super hero on the grass. I am inside, burning my new "Welcome Christmas" candle, watching the food network and making dinner. The menu is a common one for our family, an old standby, Chicken Cutlets, pasta with butter, and peas.

Chicken Cutlets and Pasta

6 thin sliced chicken breast cutlets
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1 egg
1/2 cup water
2 T Olive Oil
1 t mixed up salt (I use Janes)or other seasoning
1 pound pasta (any shape)
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
1/3 C fresh grated Parmesan cheese ( I use my micro plane to grate this right into the pasta)
A few pinches of Fresh Parsley, chopped fine.

Season the chicken cutlets on both sides.

Beat egg and water together.

Dip chicken in egg wash and then in bread crumbs.

Heat olive oil in large skillet on a medium flame.

Cook breasts a few minutes on each side until lightly browned. Take out and rest on paper towels to de grease.

Meanwhile I prepared the Dittalini Pasta (Small tubes) on my pasta pot until al dente.

To the skillet I add a spoon full of Pasta water and scrape up the browned chicken pieces. Then I add about 2 T of butter, a sprinkling of the mixed up salt, and three cloves of minced garlic.

When this is all combined, I add the pasta and cook for another minute or two.

Top with fresh grated Parmesan Cheese and parsley.

I made steam fresh peas to go with it.

It was really good, and my kids eat it for dinner and the next day for lunch. Sometimes I double the chicken and freeze some for quick weeknight dinners, this time I didn't.

I wrote the above yesterday, today, things have shifted. S. is home sick after the nurse called me to pick her up. I had just finished my food shopping and bought soup greens to make stock for Thanksgiving. So, instead of that, the chicken soup is bubbling on the stove while my feverish girl watches the Jungle Book in her pink Snuggie.

Maybe soon I will take a break from my plan of cleaning up and read her a whole chapter book at once. Maybe...