We welcomed the year of the chicken (or rooster) at an Asian restaurant which had a special celebration - a discount on all chicken entrees, a dancing Chinese lion that frightened babies and a drum whose loud thump made white powder fall from above with its every pulse.
Speaking of ethnic food. We didn't know it, but we have been missing out when it comes to eating Venezuelan food. Thanks to a new friend, we discovered some of the rich and fresh tastes at a restaurant nearby.
We thought the cheese stick couldn't be improved until we tried these.
And then there's what the waiter described as their version of an english muffin - a mixture of corn flour, salt and water pan fried and then baked until it puffs - then filled with moist tasty chicken, cheese and avocado. Our next mission is to try making these amazing arepas at home.
Even though work sucks up a lot of my creative juices these days, I still do my best to cook yummy dinners during the week. I've become a big fan of marinading meats, and the one I threw together for Isaac's meal below turned out really good. Too bad I didn't measure anything or write it down. Marinades are nothing special of course, but since becoming a wife/homemaker, I have realized their power to make a meal a little more tasty and a husband a little more happy.
Baked potato wedges with salt, pepper and cayenne were a recent stand out side. That wonderful combination of easy, delicious and not too unhealthy.
And then there's yum pasta. It's a dish I've made so many times now, I usually don't bother snapping a picture of it. It's the first recipe I've kind of made myself that I think is worth sharing.
It started out as a copying a dish from The Cheesecake Factory, but evolved to be more healthy and simple.
The chicken is marinaded in lemon and honey, then cooked with all of the marinade juices until it forms a brown, sticky, caramelized layer of yum on each piece. The pasta picks up a heavy-handed dose of sauteed garlic along with some parsley and red pepper. Cook some chopped onions, bell peppers and whatever green veggie is lying around, mix it all together and it's done.
It's delicious. Even if you're not an extreme garlic lover like the two of us are, the lemon honey chicken is so simple and delicious on its own or alongside just about anything.
I look forward to better weather and packing up food to take outside and enjoy some place new. But for now I'll keep messing around inside, occasionally trying new things and continuing to make yum pasta. The sun did shine this glorious Sunday, and the high was 53. We took advantage of the day - getting some vitamin D and giving both of our cars their first good wash since November.
And what about Cookie? She has been trying out new things as well, climbing to new heights and remaining spoiled as ever.
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