At my house dinner is often planned a month in advance. But today was busy and I didn't have anything planned. So this afternoon I threw some frozen chicken in the oven and mixed some whole frozen cranberries, onion, ketchup and brown sugar into a pan on the stove (I vaguely remember some ingredients from mom's cranberry chicken). The onions softened up and I dumped it all on top of the chicken in the oven after 30 min and let it bake for another 30 or so.
I couldn't decide then, potatoes or rice, and came up with mashed potatoes using vegetable broth instead of milk. Oh and some green beans on the side.
Watch out Rachel Ray!
The kids gobbled it up (shocking since I frequently want to throw my dinner plate across the room right along with the monkey when it comes to pleasing him) and went on and on about how it was so good and they want me to make this for dinner every night and I'm the best mom and I make great dinners etc etc. I even got and unexpected squeeze from Mr. Baseball!
I guess I've been stifling my food creativity all this time and I didn't realize it.
Or maybe it was just magical cranberries. I LOVE cranberries*, just like my dad. Maybe the kids inherited the cranberries-are-awesome gene passed through two generations now and they'll rave about anything I make with cranberries in it!
I'll make some cranberry orange bread and let you know...
*In case anyone wondered I also happen to love THE Cranberries. As in the band. Yep, these guys:
6 comments:
LOL! last night the QB mentioned this post and I didn't get what she was talking about with the whole cranberry gene thing (Maybe one of my rare moments when I'm not listening as well as I ought). But now I've read it and I can't stop laughing. And in case anyone is wondering, the cranberry chicken was amazing. I didn't get home from school until 6:30 pm--a half hour after the fam had already eaten, and after FHE there was a hot plate of food waiting for me in the oven, wrapped in foil. She is amazing, basically, and not merely because she can cook a mean cranberry.
Melissa, you are amazing when it comes to whipping up random things - I remember how you made that yummy pizza a couple of years ago for our girls get together- no recipe or anything. Rebekah and I still talk about how good it was.
I'm still stuck on "a month in advance" a month in advance? A MONTH IN ADVANCE? A.Month.In.Advance. ((sigh))
Can I have some leftovers? That sounds very delicious.
Oh, and I have sung The Cranberries at the top of my lungs in my 1980's car with the sunroof rolled down, only to be interrupted by a random guy asking for my phone number. Oh, to be 17. Takes me back...(there were really cute girls in the car with me...I wasn't alone).
It is fun to read your blog. Everytime I log on, I see my roommate Jill staring at me (your Prop 8 video--we were roommates for practically 3 years! Sort of...)
...a month in advance...
Like mother, like daughter? I hope so! Gotta love that cranberry chicken, and you were close on the recipe. Just missing a little vinegar, ketchup, and dry mustard in the sauce. It's coming on cranberry chicken season, and it will for sure be coming out of my oven on Nov. 14th when Daddy-O turns 51.
P.S. - I heard The Cranberries on the radio just the other day. Reminded me of you.
Yay for cranberries. Especially cranberry orange bread. I bought four boxes of the mix from Trader Joe's and hauled them all the way back here from Oregon yesterday. I have yet to find a recipe that I like as much. Maybe I'll give this one a try.
Cranberry lovers, unite! I am so happy to hear that my progeny have detected the cranberry gene early in life. Please give the tart-loving types a hug and kiss from me.
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