Cook This Chicken Once A Week

Best way to learn- when you taste something delicious ask how they did it. Jeannie is a great cook and has the incredible gift of hospitality. She treated me to the best lunch. First, a sliced chicken sandwich on a croissant roll. The chicken was very moist- here's how she did it. Buy split chicken breasts and cook with the bones and skin . Let the chicken get to room temperature, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken in pan with some water. Bake 3 breasts for 40 minutes @ 400. Remove chicken, cover with foil and 2 towels to keep the steam in. Let cool, then remove skin and bones and slice. Use for sandwiches instead of deli meat, chicken salad, pasta ...good-tasting, better for you than processed meats and a great cost-saving protein to have on hand. Try Jeannie's yummy and colorful salad: salad greens, shredded red cabbage, corn and canned shoestring beets with your favorite dressing. All this topped off with peppermint ice cream and home-made sugar cookies. Priceless!

Co-Op Lessons from State Tennis Competition

My 3.5 tennis team went to Newport News this week-end to compete in the USTA tennis districts and I learned some valuable lessons. One) I thought I was the only one who made mistakes - I found out everybody, even the 4.5 ranked players make mistakes. Are you holding off starting your cooking co-op worried you might make a terrible dish? The fire truck has already showed up at my house, but you might discover a new out-of-this world recipe too. And two) I could not believe all the ankle and knee braces I saw- that includes me. But despite these impediments, 500 matches of tennis were played. Are you letting an active schedule impede your forming an amazing cooking co-op? I had the priviledge of spending time this week-end with 9 incredibly talented women- playing, laughing, learning and savoring the most gorgeous tennis racquet cupcakes ever created. After coming in second in our bracket, the reward was a night at Virginia Beach. Thank you Kara Butler! Quit worrying about mistakes and impediments. The savings of cooking co-op could give you a week at the beach.

Google Cooking Co-Op

See what comes up. The NY Times article "Saving Time and Stress With Cooking Co-Ops" has created quite a "stir." I particularly liked Jan Cho's blog: "Every step to eating well takes time. From planning the menu and choosing recipes to shopping for ingredients... I love the idea of eating well and broadening your palate in less time, with less stress, and being neighborly while you're at it." So doesn't this economic environment present a great opportunity to get going on saving money and consuming fewer calories by eating better? You and your fellow co-oppers will be hooked the first week you see prepared meals ready to be pulled out of your refrig. at a moments notice (review my helpful resources tab and click on the slideshow) and ready to eat in 5 minutes with the help of your microwave. Invest in yourself, your family and your own kitchen.

John Adams and the Importance of Dinner

David McCullough shares this story in his book "John Adams": The Jay Treaty was hotly debated- the French Revolution had begun- side with the British or the French?- and Adams told Abigail he was fearful the Constitution could not stand "... I see nothing but a dissolution of government and immediate war." At this point Adams had known Washington approx. 20 years! During this turmoil, President Washington invited John Adams to dine alone. "He detained me there 'til nine o'clock and was never more frank and open about politics. I find his opinions and sentiments are more like mine than I ever knew before, respecting England and France and our American parties." Sit down for dinner and have "table talk" with friends and family and see what you discover!