Chalk another one up on the board for ELD!

I never take to talking about work on this blog, but I want to today. I own a stationery company called Every Little Detail, and was just informed that we won Bride's Choice Award for 2011. This is the 3rd year in a row for us. I just wanted to take a moment to thank the brides and moms who raved about me to all their friends.


And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

First Fabric Project of 2011

As part of my New Year's Resolution, i said i was going to use to my sewing machine and do more fabric project this year.

well here's the first.

We had a snow day here in MA, 16 inches and still coming down. So it was the perfect day to tackle the dining room chairs!

Here is a picture tutorial

Before. Ugly. Awful.

Unscrew seat from chair.

Did i mention I am using my curtains to do this??Cut the fabric to the side needed


and start folding the fabric over and using your staple gun, kind of like a christmas present!

Now finish that and screw back on to your chair and TA-DA new chairs!



So much better!!

Homemade Hot Chocolate

I vow to never buy instant again!

We've been slammed with snow again. So much so, that both myself and my husband were told no work today! I felt like a little kid with school being canceled.

After Paul went out to shovel for the final time tonight, I decided I would make hot chocolate from scratch, since I didn't have any instant.

A quick google seach and here it is! So easy and so good. Of course i added a shot of Godiva Liqour to give an extra little warmth ;)

Homemade Hot Chocolate

4 Servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1/3 cup boiling water
3 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup half-and-half cream
DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine the cocoa, sugar and pinch of salt in a saucepan. Blend in the boiling water. Bring this mixture to an easy boil while you stir. Simmer and stir for about 2 minutes. Watch that it doesn't scorch. Stir in 3 1/2 cups of milk and heat until very hot, but do not boil! Remove from heat and add vanilla. Divide between 4 mugs. Add the cream to the mugs of cocoa to cool it to drinking temperature.

Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Dijon Sauce

This.was.fantastic.

There are no other words for it.
Sorry for the crappy picture, only had the phone on hand.

Chicken Cutlets with Creamy Dijon Sauce

Ingredients
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1 rosemary sprig
3 tablespoons whipping cream ( i used half and half cause it was what i had on hand)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preparation
Place chicken breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; pound to 1/2-inch thickness. Sprinkle chicken with salt and black pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil to pan. Add chicken; sauté 3 minutes on each side or until done. Transfer to a serving platter. Add shallots to pan; sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in chicken broth and rosemary sprig; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Stir in whipping cream; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and discard rosemary. Stir in Dijon mustard. Spoon over chicken.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 266
Fat: 9.7g (sat 3.6g,mono 0.0g,poly 0.0g)
Protein: 0.0g
Carbohydrate: 0.0g
Fiber: 0.0g
Cholesterol: 0.0mg
Iron: 0.0mg
Sodium: 519mg
Calcium: 0.0mg

Thai Coconut Chicken

I bet you know where this recipe is from :) Sorry, no pretty picture this time...

Thai Coconut Chicken

Ingredients
1 cup light coconut milk
1/4 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 teaspoons Thai chile paste
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 thinly sliced shallots
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preparation
Combine coconut milk, soy sauce, fresh lime juice, fresh ginger, Thai chile paste, sugar, and shallots. Reserve 1/2 cup coconut mixture; pour remaining coconut mixture in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken breast halves; seal. Marinate in refrigerator 2 hours. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with salt. Add chicken to pan; cook 7 minutes on each side or until done. Serve with reserved coconut sauce.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 205
Fat: 5.2g

You know what's tough?

When you just finish a very healthy meal and the neighbor brings you an a mile high pie of apples and 4 different berries.

AND....a container of Cool Whip.

Do the apples and berries count as my fruit intake for the day????? *sigh*

Hawaiian Chicken

Another gem from Cooking Light magazine's Jan. issue. I love this magazine so much.

Hawaiian Chicken

Ingredients
* 1/4 cup pineapple juice
* 2 tablespoons ketchup
* 2 tablespoons lower-sodium soy sauce
* 1 1/2 teaspoons minced peeled ginger
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
* Cooking spray
* 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
* 2 cups hot cooked long-grain white rice
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation
1. Combine first 5 ingredients. Reserve 1/4 cup marinade; place remaining marinade in a zip-top plastic bag. Add chicken to bag; seal. Chill 4 hours.

2. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade in bag. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Add chicken to pan; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes. Turn chicken over; baste with 2 tablespoons reserved marinade. Cook 6 minutes.

3. Combine rice, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cilantro.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 247
Fat: 1.8g (sat 0.5g,mono 0.4g,poly 0.4g)
Protein: 29.9g
Carbohydrate: 25.2g
Fiber: 0.5g
Cholesterol: 68mg
Iron: 1.9mg
Sodium: 674mg
Calcium: 26mg

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca

We like to use perfect portion chicken, and since it was sale at like 50% off this weekend, we stocked up!

Then I got the mail and my new Cooking Light magazine was there...with a feature on Chicken Makeovers...fate? I say yes.

So i decided to make the recipe on the cover. Done in 20 minutes. Easy for a weekday. I did make a little more sauce that i was suppose to, so i could toss the angel hair in it.

EDIT: after eating this, i would cut back on the lemon JUST a hair. Hubby thought it was ok, but it was a little too lemony. Next time i'm going to add some fresh crushed garlic as well.

Lemony Chicken Saltimbocca
Ingredients
4 (4-ounce) chicken cutlets
1/8 teaspoon salt
12 fresh sage leaves
2 ounces very thinly sliced prosciutto, cut into 8 thin strips
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Lemon wedges (optional)

Preparation
1. Sprinkle the chicken evenly with salt. Place 3 sage leaves on each cutlet; wrap 2 prosciutto slices around each cutlet, securing sage leaves in place.

2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, and swirl to coat. Add chicken to pan; cook for 2 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

3. Combine broth, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small bowl; stir with a whisk until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture and the remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil to pan; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 1 minute or until slightly thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Spoon sauce over chicken. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 202
Fat: 7.5g (sat 1.5g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.9g)
Protein: 30.5g
Carbohydrate: 2.3g
Fiber: 0.2g
Cholesterol: 77mg
Iron: 1.1mg
Sodium: 560mg
Calcium: 18mg

A New Year, A Few New Resolutions!

I can't even believe its 2011. How did that even happen?? Where the hell did 2010 go??
Regardless of how quickly it got here, it's time to make those new promises for the new year.
This year, I've kept them pretty simple.
1. Eat more fruit and vegetables. Vegetables I have always been pretty good about, but towards the end of the year we slacked big time on this. We are a fan of starches. We can't help it.
2. Eat more healthy. We've always been pretty good about this, but lately, we've been on a bacon mac-n-cheese kick, and that needs to stop, STAT.
3. Use my sewing machine. I've owned it for 3 years now, and have to yet to use it. It's pretty embrassing. My husband took his pants to be hemmed to my mother. *hangs head in shame* I want to finish at least one sewing/fabric craft a month for the entire year. I was going to start with a camera strap cover for my D60, but hubby decided to slip an entire glass of soda on our cream color dining room chair seats, so needless to say, that's up first!
4. Blog more. I enjoy blogging, but i go on a kick and then stop. This blog needs to be more than just cookies damnit!

What are your resolutions? Does anyone even read this?