Monday, December 14, 2009

Here Comes the Bride ...

"Love at first sight is easy to understand; it's when two people have been looking at each other for a lifetime that it becomes a miracle."








Ok, so technically eight years is not a lifetime but it is pretty close ;o) Today Jr & I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. Of course we both had to work and of course the weather is horrible so I decided to make him his favorite resteraunt dish for supper - Stuffed Chicken Marsala. It was a success! I wish I would of taken pictures of it, I was so proud! When I thought about it, he was shoveling the last few bites into his mouth. Heehee.



I am one blessed wife! Despite our downs, we've had many many more ups and that is what truly matters. How unordinary & unchallenging would it be though to live each day the same as the last? Without struggles we can't appreciate the good things in life.



Jr comes from a family where his mother & father (whom I really adore) have been married for over 30 years - no divorce. I come from a family where, uhmmmm it is actually quite the opposite. My mother has been married & divorced four times and my father - too many times to honestly count ... HONESTLY. Divorce terrifies me. I think that's why during our first year of marriage, I was stubborn beyound a doubt - it didn't matter how many times we fussed or argued or what problems came our way - I was determined not to be another statistic. I was already putting myself out there for that possibility because I was only 18 (he was 21) when we were married.



I wouldn't have it any other way, though. Jr is truly my soulmate. He loves me and always wants the best for me. There were several friends who didn't understand it and tried to make me believe that he was controlling. That wasn't so - he just didn't want to see me where those people were during the bad times of their lives. He knew my worth and he knew I could succeed. He's always encouraged me and he has ALWAYS been there for me throughout any struggle I've come across. He's listen to me cry, wiped away my tears, held my hand when I was scared, shared my laughter - he's who God chose for me. I firmly believe that.



Being that we were both young - I was newly graduated from school, working part time in a grocery store and he was fairly new at his job - we didn't have a whole lot of money (the song 'We aint' gotta alot of money' comes to mind). We got married in the courthouse, nothing fancy. Of course I would go back and do it all over again and would of least had a small wedding, but like my mother in law says, "A beautiful wedding doesn't always make for a beautiful marriage." We did have a nice reception at his mother's church. It's the memories of our innocence, how simple yet wonderful life was eight years ago - we were more happy knowing we would spend the rest of lives & eternity together than having a traditional, costly wedding.

So I'm going to share a couple of things - first the recipe for the Stuffed Chicken Marsala and then 2nd a few pictures from our wedding in 2001. Enjoy!

Stuffed Chicken Marsala

Stuffing:

1 Cup of Provlone Cheese (I cut the slices into strips)
1/2 cup of original breadcrumbs
1/2 cup of Parmesean Cheese
2/3 cup of sour cream
2/3 cup of Sun Dried Tomato Alfredo Sauce (Bertolli)
Pinch of salt & pepper

Mix all ingredients together in mixing bowl.

Chicken:

2 lbs of boneless skinless chicken breast (butterflyed - almost cut in half)
Pinch of salt & pepper
Garlic Powder
Oregeno
2 Cups of Flour
1/2 cup Cooking Oil (I use Canola)
3 pieces of Provolone Cheese
Sliced Tomatoes w/olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary on top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Cut/Butterfly chicken in half, spoon in your stuffing mix and close chicken shut.
Heat oil in frying pan - add salt, pepper, garlic
Drench chicken in flour/salt/pepper mixture.
Place chicken in frying pan - pan sear until golden brown on both sides.
Put chicken in baking dish, top with a slice of Provolone Cheese and tomato on each piece of chicken.
Bake for 30 minutes.

Sauce:

1 can of beef broth
1/2 can of beefy mushroom soup
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
2 Tbs of Canola Oil
2 cups of mushrooms sliced (I used baby portebellos)
Pinch of Salt & Pepper & garlic powder

Sauteé mushrooms in oil, soup, and broth until soft. Add cream and bring to boil. Turn heat down to medium and let simmer for approx. 3 minutes. Pour on top of chicken after it is done baking.

Bon Apetité!!!

And here are the pictures :)













































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