Happy Holidays!

It's been a busy November. Last weekend we had our Annual Holiday Wine and Cheese Party. It was a little early this year because the big Pacquaio/Cotto fight was on November 14. The party was quaint but fun. We had a ton of food and cheese and wine, but we had a problem with our cable at the last minute so unfortunately I was on the phone with Verizon for most of the night. At around 10:30 we finally gave up on the cable, grabbed some desserts and wine and watched the fight over at Mae and Dennis's place. It was a great fight and I had a great time catching up with everyone. However, unfortunately, since I was distracted most of the night I didn't get a chance to take any pictures :(

Pumpkin Gingerbread

Ingredients
3 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
2/3 cup water
1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
2. In a large mixing, combine sugar, oil and eggs; beat until smooth. Add water and beat until well blended. Stir in pumpkin, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, and clove.
3. In medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, and baking powder. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and blend just until all ingredients are mixed. Divide batter between prepared pans.
4. Bake in preheated oven until toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour.

My thoughts: Great seasonal bread. Made it for Noah's Halloween party. Very easy.

Marine Corps Marathon

Last weekend we headed downtown to check out the Marine Corps Marathon and take some pics around downtown . . .

Chicken with Artichokes and Angel Hair

Ingredients

Coarse salt and ground pepper
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds total)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) artichoke hearts packed in water, rinsed, drained, and quartered
2 tablespoons rinsed and drained capers
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces angel-hair pasta
1/2 cup parsley leaves

Directions

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. Place flour in a shallow dish, and season with salt and pepper. Dredge cutlets, shaking off excess. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high. Cook chicken in batches, adding remaining oil as needed, until light golden, 1 to 3 minutes per side; transfer to a dish.

2. Add broth to skillet, and bring to a boil; cook until reduced by half. Add artichokes, capers, and the chicken with any juices. Gently swirl to combine, and bring just to a boil. Remove skillet from heat. Swirl in butter, and cover to keep warm.

3. Add pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente; drain. Serve chicken and sauce over pasta, topped with parsley.

My thoughts: LOVE this recipe from MarthaStewart.com. I used palliard chicken breast instead of culets. Used Italian Bread Crumbs instead of flour. Super fast. Super easy. Inexpensive, few ingredients. Great for a busy week night. Pasta is nice and light.