Spring Cleaning! And Chicken Cordon Blue!

Happy Weekend Everyone!! Yay!! It's my 3 day weekend, so double YAY for me! 

What's on my agenda? Spring cleaning! Yes, yuck. Today mom came over and we washed the windows. Now, I know it was getting dark when I took this picture, but looks pretty shiny, huh? And you can almost see some of the kitchen's reflection in this picture! :)

Now, unfortunately as I looked at which window to take a picture of, I found this----

Can you see that white "poop spot" in the center? (Next to the flash) Ugh... dang birds!! Seriously, what has it been? 4 hours!!!! Oh well, I'll be out there tomorrow with Windex... easy fix, right? 

During the afternoon I tackled the entry porch and kitchen. Emptied out the porch closets and everything! It is so neat and organized now! And then in the kitchen I emptied the fridge and washed all the shelves and drawers. I didn't know it was that dirty when I started! But look at the finished product--

 Beautiful!! 


I organized my "leftover" containers and pantry also, but otherwise my cupboards and stuff gets used enough, I know it's good to go. 


So, how did I nourish my body for all this cleaning?


Chicken Cordon Blue & Wild Rice with Butternut Squash

Chicken--

INGREDIENTS:

4 chicken cutlets

4 slices deli ham

1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

1 tsp cornstarch

Salt & Pepper

Pinch of Thyme

1/2 cup Swiss cheese

Whole wheat flour

3 egg whites

Panko bread crumbs

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a small saucepan whisk together evaporated milk, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and thyme. Cook to a boil, whisking constantly and then reduce heat to low. Add Swiss cheese. When combined spray an ice cube tray with cooking spray and divide cheese mixture into 8 cubes. Freeze.

2. Pound chicken with meat mallet (or a skillet works) until it is thin. Top chicken with a slice of ham and 2 frozen cheese cubes. Roll chicken up and secure edges with toothpicks, if needed. 

3. In a shallow bowl place whole wheat flour. In another bowl whisk the egg whites until extremely foamy. In a 3rd shallow bowl place the panko. Take a chicken bundle, dredge in flour, then eggs and finally the panko. Place on a wire rack. Continue with remaining chicken.

4. Bake at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes on a wire rack over a cooking sheet. (I use my cooling rack over a large cooking sheet. This lets the chicken stay crispy on all sides. Sometimes I check the meat halfway through and flip it.)

I did make some extra cheese sauce to serve with the chicken, and I would recommend doing that. 

Rice/Squash-

INGREDIENTS

2 cups rice (I used a box of wild rice & long grain rice, so it had some seasonings too, and then added brown rice to = 2 cups)

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups water

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

4 green onions

1/2 cup dried cranberries

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan heat chicken broth and water to a boil. Add rice and cook until rice is tender. Be sure to watch your liquid. Mine ran out before the rice was tender, so I probably added about 1 cup extra liquid. I think it depends on your rice.

2. Toss the butternut squash with olive oil and some salt. Place on a baking sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. 

3. Combine cooked rice, squash, chopped green onions, and berries in a baking dish. Cook at 400 degrees for about 10-15 minutes or until warmed through.

See you later!!