change in plans

Howdy foodies!!  I had a long day today at the middle school and now it's even longer because I just had this whole blog written out and it disappeared on me!!!!  Well, I'll start from scratch.  After work today I had to go to the dentist which is always so much fun (can you hear the sarcasm?).  I did enjoy visiting with Angie my hygienist who is leaving her job tomorrow.  I think we are going to be good friends as she has invited me to her women's group and I believe I will attend.  Anyway, I was very tired by the time I got home and took a short nap.  I got about 20 minutes before I had to get up and get supper cooking.  Well, I go downstairs and open up my cookbook.  I always like to prep the veges before I get the meat going, so I prepped the stir-fried asparagus and mashed potatoes.  Next I turned to the chicken recipe.  I scanned the recipe and my heart dropped.  I opened the fridge and confirmed my suspicions-no apple juice!!!! Those darned kids!  I have to mark everything I buy that I need for a recipe or they would eat/drink it all!  Well, now I had to have a change in plans.  I flipped through the recipes that I had for this week and found one that would work.  So instead of maple glazed chicken we ate spicy bronzed chicken.  It was absolutely delicious! This recipe is packed full of spice so if you don't like it spicy cut back a little bit on the cayenne, chili powder and pepper.  Todd really loved it and has packed up the leftovers for tomorrow's lunch.  The stir-fried asparagus was delicious as well.  This was a successful meal despite the chaos in the beginning.  I will just have to make the maple glazed chicken some other time (after a trip to the grocery store that is).  Here are the recipes:

SPICY BRONZED CHICKEN

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (5 ounces each)
• 1 teaspoon each garlic powder, salt and paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon each onion powder, ground cumin, chili powder and pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

• Flatten chicken to 1/2-in. thickness. In a small bowl, combine seasonings. Dip chicken in butter; sprinkle with seasonings.
• In a large skillet, cook chicken over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until chicken juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings.

STIR-FRIED ASPARAGUS

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 3 tablespoons chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

Directions

• In a large skillet or wok, stir-fry asparagus in butter and oil for 2 minutes. Stir in the broth, lemon juice, soy sauce and pepper. Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until asparagus is tender. Sprinkle with almonds. Yield: 4 servings.