like a car crash

 I am usually good at looking away. today I failed. This not one of my usual cheerful posts but this is my blog and I'll write whatever I want damn it.

Confession- I searched the name of somebody who betrayed me to the core and a page for her birthday party showed up. I looked at it and despite knowing better couldn't help but think the list of people attending is  a whole bunch of people who hate me...I am well aware of how ugly and stupid this is..I know I know...
This is NOT a cry for help but rather just a real, honest moment of slipping into the pitfalls of betrayal.
Life is good. I have no reason to do this but still, every once in awhile I feel compelled to pop in and look. It's so easy. I shouldn't, but I do. It's reality, It's me being imperfect and vulnerable.

Lemon Pepper Chicken makes us happy, a.k.a. 'fake fancy food'

This is a staple here at the Scott house. In regular rotation it ends up being made 2 sometimes 3 times a month. Its fairly simple to make, super tasty, and mostly nutritionally sound. We've had a whirlwind week so far and it's only Wednesday. BJ is back on a submarine duty and working long hard days. I'm picking up odd jobs here and there and trying to keep up with my fitness goals, keep the house in order, and things running smoothly in general. We needed a real deal sit down family dinner complete with vegetable eating races so,  Voila`...

Lemon Pepper Chicken with Asparagus and Rice

1 lb of chicken (use about 8-10 pieces of chicken from frozen bags of chicken tenderloins, they are easy as pie, no thawing required)
1/2 of a small red onion thinly sliced
Garlic ( I use a jar of chopped garlic and add about 1/2 a teaspoon or so but you could use fresh or even sprinkle on some powdered garlic)
Olive Oil
Lemon juice
Lemon pepper seasoning(I really like McCormick the best, the one with the red lid)
Oregano (I used ground oregano)

2 cups White(or brown) Rice

1 bunch of fresh asparagus
1 tablespoon butter
1 table spoon soy sauce

Prepare  about 2 cups of white(or brown) rice and start it cooking while you work on the chicken and asparagus

Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with olive oil and add about the same amount of lemon juice to the pan.I never really measure anything so I'm totally not sure how much..I guess it depends on the size of your pan. You can't screw this up , trust me.
Sprinkle a generous amount of lemon pepper seasoning, at least a table spoon, over the lemon juice and olive oil. Now add a couple taps of oregano around the pan..about 1/2 a teaspoon or so. Turn the heat on and warn up the pan for a few seconds and then add onions and frozen chicken. Let chicken cook turning a few times until the excess juices start to cook off. Now add garlic and cook on medium heat until onions begin to caramelize and chicken is lightly browned on both sides. If its still soupy looking keep cooking it...

The Asparagus is easy...
First of all get good fresh not too skinny not to fat stalks.
Rinse them well under cool water and then chop off about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the stalks to be sure you are getting rid of any woody hard fibrous pars and leaving only the yummy green tender stuff.
Be sure the tops are fresh and not slimy, nobody want to eat slimy veggies right?
Prepare a pan frying pan with a fitted lid that is large enough to accommodate the full length of the stalks.
Add about 1 tablespoon of butter (we use smart balance,..yum!)and let in melt a little then add asparagus. Drizzle some soy sauce over top, cover tightly and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes or until you've reached desired tenderness(I like mine a with a little firmness left in em)

You can dish it up all fancy like me or better yet just dump the rice in a casserole dish dump the pan of chicken on top and dump in the asparagus and bring it to the dinner table and serve it up!

Tip 1-I used a measuring cup rinsed in cold water as a rice mold. Looks fancy huh. It's not.

Tip 2-we lucked out and don't have picky eaters...per say...but we do have to get tricky with the veggies sometimes. Veggie races seem to do the trick. We all grab one piece and see who can munch it down the quickest. A little unsafe maybe but it works for us. Lilly and Logan each ate 3 whole stalks of asparagus at dinner tonight. Not to shabby eh?

Tip 3-WINE(with everything)---nuff said.

Oh and YES. I make the dinner, plate it up and then take a bazillion pictures before I allow my family to eat. They are used to it...just wait till I start really bloggin about food and taking pics of the whole process..ha!