Anthony n Diane's Adventures

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"Every sunset is an opportunity to reset" - Richie Norton

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"You can never cross the ocean until you have courage to lose sight of the shore." - Christopher Columbus

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“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – Henri Matisse

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"The earth laughs in flowers" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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At the end of the day, you are solely responsible for your success and your failure. And the sooner you realize that, you accept that, and integrate that into your work ethic, you will start being successful. As long as you blame others for the reason you aren't where you want to be, you will always be a failure.

Erin Cummings

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"You have to accept the storms and the rainy days and the things in life that you sometimes don't want to face." - Bai Ling

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"Where flowers bloom, so does hope." - Lady Bird Johnson

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"A cat understands how to be pleasant in the morning. He doesn't talk." - Tamora Pierce

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"Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone." - unknown

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"Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home each day." - John Grogan

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"Spring is nature's way of saying 'Let's party!'" - Robin Williams

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Recipe to Remember - French Onion Chicken

Ingredients for Chicken:

4 med chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness

2 1/2 T Flour

1 t Salt

1 t Garlic Powder

1 t Onion Powder

1/2 t Pepper

1/2 t Paprika

2 T Butter

2 T Olive Oil

Ingredients for Sauce:

2 Large Yellow Onions, sliced into 1/4" thick rings

4 T butter

1 T Olive Oil

4 Cloves Garlic minced

1/8 t red pepper flakes

1 T Worcestershire Sauce

1 T Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce

1 14 oz can Reduced Sodium Beef Broth

2 T Flour

1 t Beef Bouillon

1 t dried Parsley

1 t dried Oregano

1 t dried Thyme

4 slices Provolone Cheese

4 oz grated Gruyere Cheese

1/2 C grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Prep Chicken: Whisk the flour and all chicken seasonings into a shallow dish. Dredge each breast, shake off excess, and transfer to a dry plate.

Cook Chicken: Melt 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a large, oven proof skillet over Med High heat. Once hot, add chicken and cook for 3-4 min or until golden brown. (Note: it will finish cooking in the oven). Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil. Don't wipe out skillet.

Caramelize onions: Melt 4 T butter and 1 T olive oil in chicken drippings over Med heat. Add onions, 1/8 t salt and 1/8 t pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are caramelized and deep golden brown, about 20-25 mins. Note: if onions start to scorch, turn down the heat and add butter.

Preheat oven: During the last 10 mins of cooking the onions, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Make sauce: Once onions are caramelized, add the garlic, red pepper flakes, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook for 30 sec. Add the flour and cook for 1 min. Add the beef broth, beef bouillon and all sauce seasonings. Bring to a simmer until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Add Cheese: Once the sauce has thickened, add the chicken back into the skillet. Spoon some sauce over the chicken. Top each piece with 1 slice of provolone cheese, followed by shredded Gruyere and shredded Parmesan.

Bake: Transfer to oven and bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 min.

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"Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, So ... get on your way!" - Dr. Seuss

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"Life is full of adventure. There's no such thing as a clear pathway" - Guy Laliberte

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"Nothing can bring you peace but yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

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"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage" - Lao Tzu

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Recipes to Remember - Mediterranean Black Bean Salad

Ingredients For The Salad:

2 Cans of Black Beans, drained and rinsed a few times

1 whole English cucumber, semi-peeled and roughly chopped

2 C cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 red onion, roughly chopped

1 C shredded red cabbage, chopped

1/2 C fresh Italian parsley, roughly chopped

1/4 C fresh mint, roughly chopped

4 oz feta cheese crumbles (Optional)

Ingredients For The Dressing:

4 T of your favorite balsamic vinagrette dressing

1 T Honey

1 Zest and juice of lemon

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the dressing. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a large serving bowl, toss the cooked black beans with the dressing. Let marinate for 15-30 minutes.

Add the cucumber, cherry tomatoes, red onion, red cabbage, Italian parsley, and fresh mint to the marinated beans. Gently toss everything together until well combined.

Top with feta cheese and croutons if desired.

Other options: Add avocado or cooked chicken or salmon.