Mother’s Day
It’s Mother’s Day weekend!!
I didn’t have enough of them before tragedy struck our lives. Now, Mother’s Day is bittersweet. Bitter, because I’m reminded of my angel baby boy who I don’t have physically with me, and so many other moms do. It’s a reminder I try to avoid because it makes me sad, and I’m trying to be less sad these days.
Mother’s Day is also very sweet for me. For one, I still have my mom on this earth to celebrate. I know many don’t and I am blessed we still have time together. A friend of mine was reflecting about Mother’s Day on her blog, as she lost her mom when she was only 13 years old. That struck me. I took life for granted before we lost David. But, for my sweet friend, life got all too real at a time in her life when it should’ve still been a fairy tale. We need to never forget how very precious life is and how quickly it can change. My mom lives in Windsor and I’m in Toronto. Unfortunately, I won’t be seeing her this weekend, but we are never far apart. I will make sure she knows how much I love her. Not just on Mother’s Day, but every day!
I, also, have my sweet, sweet little 4 year old girl who brings me more joy than even I sometimes realize. Yesterday, I joined her at her Montessori for their Mother’s Day tea. If I could’ve taken pictures, I would have! Each mom was given a time slot, so that the room wasn’t overwhelmed with people, as this school’s philosophy is to remain calm and quiet. There were four other moms in the class with me, and I could not hear them or their child, let alone what they were talking about! Leila met me at the door, held my hand and walked me to our table, which was reserved for us. Cute touch.
She set up the table, poured my tea, poured herself some milk, put a plate of pastries on the table, and together we sat and visited. She summed it up perfectly when she asked me, ‘Best day ever?’, and I answered, ‘Best day ever’.
At the end of our tea, Leila got up and went to get me her present.
This sweet clay mold of her little hand, cupped perfectly for my rings or other jewelry.
It really is the simple things that matter. It’s times like these that put life into perspective. I may have lost, but I have also won. My baby girl needs to know that.
To all the angel moms, especially those that don’t have any living children, and will be celebrating this Mother’s Day in their hearts. I see you. Happy Mother’s Day!
Yummy Chicken ‘Stroganoff’
Guys, this dish is a new go-to!!! It’s soooooo satisfying to the palate, but so easy!!! Just account for the cook time, and this is a great weeknight meal!! A perfect Sunday dinner, though.
I’m still working on my photo quality. Don’t judge this dish on my poor picture-taking! It almost looks like a stroganoff, which in some ways, it is. But, also, not. The original recipe calls for sour cream, but I used plain yogurt, as that’s all I had. It was soooooo goood!! My 4 year old had seconds!!! The mustard flavor is really secondary. So, don’t be scared off if you hate dijon.
I’m in love with my newest Le Creuset pan. Look how good the chicken looks inside of it! I’m biased…
For the noodles, the original recipe calls for ‘super noodles’, and they sound delish! But, I didn’t have chicken bouillon on hand, so I couldn’t do them. I simply added butter and parsley to my egg noodles and that was plenty good! Although, I do plan to try the original method, if you don’t have all of the ingredients for the noodles, don’t let that stop you from cooking this chicken!
I PROMISE you will enjoy this dish.
Yummy Chicken 'Stroganoff'
Ingredients
- 6-8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 to mato chopped, juice and seeds removed (I used a beefsteak tomato)
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons sour cream or plain yogurt
- *Buttered egg noodles with parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat and brown chicken on both sides, working in batches, if necessary, so that the chicken doesn't steam. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Add remaining oil to the same pan, and sauté the onions till translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook down for about the same amount of time. Stir in the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add in the tomato and flour, and cook for about 1 minute, to cook off the flour flavor. Add the dried tarragon. Deglaze the pan with white wine, allowing it to cook, so that the alcohol can burn off. Return the chicken to the pan, and add your chicken stock. Cover, and place in the oven for 45 minutes (30 minutes covered and 15 minutes with the lid removed).
- When finished, remove the chicken from the pan and add the mustard and yogurt, and whisk until blended. Return the chicken to the pan, and spoon some of the sauce over the chicken, so that it is well coated. Serve with butter and parsley noodles.
- Enjoy!
Notes
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