Chicken and Rice

So I'm learning a lot about blogging.  For example, I have learned how to create a hyperlink.  Not only can I create one, but I know what the word means and I can use it appropriately in a sentence.  Maybe you've noticed, but I'm not the most tech savvy person in the world.   Truly tech savvy people probably don't even use phrases like "tech savvy".   Maybe I shouldn't either.  At any rate, I am not one of those people.  For example, I still have one of those old blue tracphones,  and half the time I don't even know where it is.  If you try to call me on it, there is a pretty good chance it will be answered by a sales associate at the mall, who wants to know who it belongs to and if you know how to get in touch with me.   It drives my friends crazy.   But hopefully, by the time anyone actually starts reading this blog I will have made some serious progress.  Maybe we'll even have pictures.  Cool, huh?

Ok, I still have no idea what I'm going to have for dinner, but since I've already made beef twice this week, let's go with chicken -- chicken and rice.  How nice.  Now I need recipes.  If I consult the internet, I will only end up drowning in a sea of endless chicken possibilities.   I don't have time to deal with that -- I'm supposed to be going to work.  In, like, thirty minutes.  Oh my gosh, the pressure!!  I don't need to see a hundred billion chicken recipes, I just need one good idea.  So I'm going to pick up the first cookbook I see and go with the first summery chicken recipe I find.  Luckily, this has turned out to be the Foster's Market Cookbook, one of my all-time favorites.... this should be good.  Alright then, tonight's dinner will be:

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Artichokes, Lemons, and Capers

Herbed Rice

Honey Glazed Carrots

I picked carrots for my children's sake.  I'm not sure how they are going to feel about lemony chicken and artichokes and capers.  But I know they will like glazed carrots and rice.  And I think the sweet carrots will go nicely with the citrusy, somewhat acidic chicken.  Adding herbs to the rice will give us something green and make it prettier.  I was just looking over the side-dish recipes and I noticed they both contain lemon.  I definitely don't want everything to taste lemony, so I will:

1. Leave out the optional lemon zest in the rice. 

2. Substitute orange juice for the lemon juice in the glazed carrots, and omit the parsley (there's   enough of that going on in the rice.)

And since there is otherwise no source of calcium in this meal, I will make sure to offer the kids milk to drink (white or chocolate.)   

Now, do I have all the ingredients I need for this meal? No.  So I'm going to have to go back to the store again? Yes.  But I can deal with that.  I will take the children with me.   We will divide and conquer.  And we will not buy potato chips, gummy fruit snacks, cosmic brownies, and/or pink frosted cookies.  Nope, we won't.  On second thought, maybe I should go by myself.  Well, I'll have to worry about all that later; right now, I have to go to work!