A Long Post

I'm a bit behind in posting some of this, but I am determined to finally get some of this up! And I will also appologize to Meagan because the first two news items are recipe related! First of all, I made the Chicken Purses I talked about before last night. Holy Moly! These things are fabulous. Everyone needs to try these! It is one of those classic Italian recipes where a few simple ingredients blend together to create the most incredible flavor. You can really taste each individual flavor, but at the same time they come together to be something totally awesome in your mouth. I am really, really looking forward to enjoying the leftovers for lunch today! Sadly, mine aren't as pretty as the ones in the recipe picture (they actually look kind of gross), but here they are anyway:

The other recipe news I have goes back to the post where I asked you all for inspiration for using up the meat in my freezer. Joanna sent me her recipe for Chachere Chicken which she thought would work well for my bacon wrapped beef filets since the recipe has bacon and chicken in it. I adjusted it a bit to account for having beef and not chicken, but it was great! Here's what I used:

• 2 slices bacon (unwrapped from the filets), chopped
• 20 oz. filet mignon
• 1/2 onion, chopped
• 1/2 green pepper, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 c. beef stock
• Montreal Seasoning

Cook bacon on medium high until crisp, remove. Season beef with Montreal Seasoning and put beef in pan and brown in bacon fat on both sides, then remove. Reduce heat to medium. Put onion, garlic, green pepper, and celery in pan and cook until onion is translucent. Slice beef into thin strips. Add beef, bacon, and stock to pan. Reduce heat to low and cook until beef is done. Serve over rice.

This was so yummy! I served it with asparagus that I sprayed with olive oil and sprinkled with the same Montreal seasoning and roasted at 450 for 12 minutes. Having the same seasoning on both tied it all together. And I just love asparagus. It is my favorite veggie. I always know spring is right around the corner when asparagus starts being featured in the grocery ads. Take a look:

Now I have to tell you how awesome Tina is! Tina totally rocks! Yesterday when we went out to get the mail, there was a package waiting on my doorstep from Tina! Back when I was looking up British recipes, Tina helped me out with knowing what the British people actually did. And now she has sent me a box full of British foods! Bisto gravy granuals, cookies, pancake mixes, Yorkshire pudding mixxes...I hit the jackpot! Before I could even get a picture, my family removed one of the packages of cookies - they were a big hit! I plan to make toad in a hole this weekend with one of the pancake mixes!

Finally, in other news, my baby, Ethan, turns three today. ::sniff, sniff:: I cannot believe that he is already three! I think that because I had postpartum depression so bad after he was born I have blocked out his first year or so. So in my mind he is only turning two! Here's the big birthday boy: