Chicken Parmesan

Ahhh Dinner tonight was AHmazing! I just can never get enough of Italian based meals. This meal is simple, yet impressive enough to wow your family. "Wow..mom made this???"

You will need: Yields 3
3 Skinless Boneless Chicken Breasts
2c Unseasoned Panko Bread Crumbs
1c Freshly Grated Parmesan (fresh is best and highly recommended)
1 egg
1c All Purpose Flour
Olive oil
Thinly sliced Provolone Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese 
Spaghetti Sauce, I used a chunky Garlic Herb Sauce (Prego Brand)
Parsley
Basil
Salt/Pepper
Cilantro

While we are preppin' the chicken go ahead and preheat that oven to 450f

Panko:
2c Panko
1Tbs Parsley
1Tbs Basil
1Tbs Cilantro
Salt and Pepper
**You can also buy pre-seasoned Panko**


* Trim your chicken breasts of any fat and butterfly each one. In between two layers of wax paper take your frustration out on the chicken until it is 1/2 inch thick. This isn't hard if you've had a bad day. Your kids might think you're crazy..but you probably are, right?
*Salt and Pepper your chicken breast BEFORE coating in flour or anything else
*Coat the chicken breasts in flour, then dip in egg, then coat in the Panko Mixture
*Sit the chicken separately, not on top one another, on a plate and sit aside for about 10 minutes

In the meantime, heat up 1 inch of olive oil in a large skillet. By time your 10 minute holding time on the chicken is done, your oil will be hot enough for the chicken.

*Cook the chicken on each side for about 2 minutes or until a golden brown color. Don't worry about how well it is done at this point, it will finish cooking in the oven.
*Place chicken breasts in a casserole dish
*Layer on each breast 1/4c spaghetti sauce - I really don't recommend using more, about 1/4c Mozzarella cheese, and 1 slice of provolone cheese. If you are like me you'll be temped to use more cheese..don't...trust me.
*Sprinkle about 1/5c (a palmful) of grated Parmesan cheese over the contents of the dish.
*Add a pinch of parsley on top of each breast
*Lastly, sprinkle 2Tbl of olive oil over all the chicken breasts (2Tbl for the entire pan, not each)

*Bake at 450f for about 20 minutes or until done.

*Cook angel hair per directions of the box, when done add in a mixture of 4Tbl butter and 2tsp of garlic powder.

Until Next Time..
Lady Bea

A Letter to my Boys

Dear Christopher and Zachary,
         My dear boys, Christopher..you are beyond handsome, intelligent, so bright and determined...I love you so much, I am sorry. Zachary..my how mommy loves you so. Such a miracle, so beautiful and on the go, you're perfect in every way possible, I am sorry.
         I'm so sorry for the world mommy brought you into. All the bad you'll have to learn and see. I am sorry I can't protect you from the violence and hatred that you'll grow up hearing about, seeing on the television, reading about online...I'm so very sorry.
          I look into your deep dark brown eyes, and your bold bright blue eyes and I am saddened by the thought of that the innocence I see there being taken by anything. I never want you to be corrupted by the world, by the people in the world, by all the bad that happens. I know..these things seem inevitable but I pray each and every day that I raise you to know that although bad things happen there are always good people in the world..and you are one of them.
           I want you to stand up for yourselves, but I am sorry that you'll have to.  I want you to fight for what you believe in, but I am sorry that you'll ever have to give reason for your beliefs. I want you to protect your children, and yourselves but, I am sorry that you even have to think about how you will protect your family. I am so sorry.
          I want to vow to you, my beautiful perfect children, to fight for you. To fight for your rights, for your freedoms. I vow to do everything in my power to make sure you're taken care of medically, financially, emotionally and another other way you need mama to. I vow to love you unconditionally even when you do things I disapprove of. I love you, that will never ever change. I am so sorry for all you will see, hear, or experience. I am sorry that you will have to learn the hard way through life.
          With all the bad you will see, hear about or experience I promise there will be so many things making life worth while. College, children, experiences you'll have will make you so thankful you are alive. When you look into your children's eyes for the first time, I promise you will forget the bad, you'll forget all the hatred in the world and all you will feel is love. The same love I feel every time I look into your eyes. When you graduate high school and go on to College, you'll feel accomplished. When you buy your first car, or home..you'll feel rich. When you marry the woman of your dreams you will feel as if you've won the lottery.
          I guess what I am saying, my beautiful little men, is don't focus on the world as a whole. There will always be war, hatred, and crime. This is the devastating truth of our existence. Focus on what is important. Your family, your success, your world is what you want it to be. I am sorry for all the bad that will be around you, but I am not sorry to be able to witness you grow up and be the incredible people I know you will be.

I love you to the Moon and around the sun and back,

I am your Mommy and you are my son's.

Mommy <3
        


 

Statistcally Speaking...

         Did you know that the world has only been at peace 8% of the last 3,500 years? Pretty sad in my opinion. 8% of 3,500 is 280 years, that's less than 3 long lifetimes over 3,500 years!

         I came across this statistic online while researching for my midterm in Statistics class. Honestly,  I can't help by feel very saddened by this fact. Why can't we get along? It must be human nature to fight and bicker all the time. Someone always wants to be better than the other person. In this case, we are talking countries and territories but this holds true on even smaller scales...even children fight all the time. We have to constantly reteach their human nature of violence and show them that being jealous of one others toys or whatever they are fighting over that second is wrong. We have to constantly show them that being peaceful and talking about our feelings is the better way to handle disputes. We teach our children not to fight or hit...but why can't we as adults practice the same lessons?

       For the sake of our children and their children, and their grand babies and their grand babies children..I hope and pray that the next 3,500 years are much more peaceful...otherwise..we might just end human civilization on Planet Earth ourselves. 

       Heading to bed feeling very blessed for my children, and hoping I can raise them to love one another and help them make their footprint on this planet a peaceful one. I want to teach them right from wrong and have them pass on those lessons to their children.

    Question for you....How does this statistic make you feel?



Until Next Time ...

Lady Bea