Thursday, October 21, 2021

Sunny Thursday

 

Chicken Breast with Hoisin and Peanut Butter Sauce

Last night, I took the meat off one and a half chicken breast halves and sliced it up, then, sauteed it, with some finely minced onions, in a little sesame oil mixed with regular vegetable oil until cooked.  In the meantime, daughter mixed up half a cup of bottled hoisin sauce, half a cup of creamy peanut butter, about two teaspoons of freshly grated ginger, and a little dried chili flakes into a sauce.  When the chicken was cooked, I added the sauce and cooked it until the sauce bubbled and thickened, almost caramelizing.  We had some of that for dinner with freshly cooked rice.  My daughter loves this sauce.  

In the meantime, I baked the rest of the chicken breast halves in the oven - there were two full halves plus the two from which I cut off the meat. They are in the fridge for future meals (might freeze one of the full breast halves).  Having the oven on to bake them warmed up the house, nicely, too.

Today was a sunny and warmer day.  At least, the afternoon was warm and the house warmed up to 70F inside!  

I had a scrambled egg and a slice of toast for brunch, around noon, with a glass of diluted apple juice.

Spent the afternoon outside, in the back yard (it was warmer outside than inside!) reading.  Bun Bun slipped in from under the gate and enjoyed snacking on the sweet potato vines, among other things!  He spent the entire afternoon and most of the evening in the back yard, because I didn't go chasing after him.  He even joined the garden cats for dinner:

Bun Bun Enjoying Cat Food!

Not the best picture since it was taken through the sliding glass door (Bun Bun ran away when I opened the door to get a better picture); the mostly dark gray/almost black mother cat is to the right of the picture - you can sort of see her white paw).  

Today, I practiced the piano for about 30 minutes, emptied the dish washer, cooked rice and broccoli to go with the leftover chicken from last night for dinner, chatted with Aunt C and friend R, and checked the grocery ads for this week's deals: 24 oz. brand name pasta sauce $.97; 18 oz. jars of ready to eat soups, $.99 (must buy 8), pork shoulder roast $1.99/lb., boneless/skinless chicken breasts $1.99, and salmon fillets $7.99/lb. (last week, they were $12.99/lb.; meanwhile, the ethnic grocery store I used to go to, pre-Covid, has salmon steaks for $6.49, but, they don't have curbside pick up, so I don't go there anymore).   That is a choice I make to keep my exposure to Covid-19 to a minimum, even after being fully vaccinated (yesterday's new virus count for the county was 1,267; today's is 1,167).  I am very grateful that I can afford to make that choice.

Today, I am grateful for:
- A sunny, warm day
- Spending time outside in the garden
- Chatting with family and friends
- Being able to afford to choose curbside pick up
- Chatting with family and friends

Today's joyful activity was reading.   

Plans for tomorrow include vacuuming the house and tending to the garden with M.  

How was your Thursday?  What are your plans for Friday?

16 comments:

  1. Your meals always look and sound delicious. I would be thrilled to have a bunny visit my garden, he must be very comfortable in your yard to share dinner with the cats. I had a glitch with my online grocery order yesterday when my bank card could not be validated for some strange reason. I spent an age on the phone to the bank, no problems with my card or account. Logged out and back in to the supermarket website and it went through OK. Frustrating afternoon.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen. :) That bunny is almost too comfortable in my yard! LOL. Sometimes, I think that my garden is a wildlife sanctuary! There is an opossum that visits regularly (it cleans up whatever food bits the cats left) and raccoons that visit every now and then!

      Oh, how frustrating to have the computer glitch and the rejecting of your bank card! My daughter usually does the online ordering for me and I know she's had problems with the system not allowing her to check out, etc. She, too, finds that logging out and back in often helps. Glad your order went through after all the delays and frustrations, though. :)

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  2. The chicken breast in sauce looks so good. Hoisin sauce isn't the best for me but I like the idea so will have a think about how I can substitute that. Thank you.

    I've decided to stick to grocery deliveries for the time being. Covid numbers in this area have risen to be the 6th highest in the UK. This is from having one of the lowest numbers all the way through. It's due in part to the dreadful mistake by a test centre who wrongly advised 43,000 people that their PCR test results were negative when they were actually positive and those people, thinking they weren't contagious, didn't isolate.

    Bun Bun is making himself at home in your yard. Is his entry under the gate a new gap or just one that you have uncovered? I hope your heating engineer arrives as promised so that you can get the inside of the house warm enough for you.

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    1. Thank you, Eileen; I checked online and there are several recipes to make your own hoisin sauce substitute with garlic and teriyaki sauce, with black beans and plums, with hot sauce and molasses, etc.

      Oh, wow! That was a terrible mistake by the testing center! Yes, continue to get the groceries delivered and keep yourself safe!

      Bun Bun is creeping through the uncovered gap at the bottom of the gate! The gate is a metal gate covered by a type of wire mesh called chain link, over here (not sure if that is what it is called over there, too). There is a narrow gap under the gate, between the bottom of the gate and the cemented ground. But, I guess not narrow enough to keep Bun Bun out! I need to get more wire mesh, probably! Thank you; I am looking forward to the inspector's visit! :)

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  3. That chicken breast dish looks and sounds delicious! How cute that the garden cats have accepted Bun Bun as one of the gang. As long as he doesn't teach them to go after your sweet potato vines too.
    This morning was coffee with friend and grocery shopping as usual for a Friday. Now I'm taking it easy.

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    1. The chicken dish was a hit with my daughter. :) Bun Bun and the Garden Cats - sounds like a band, doesn't it? Their hits are the "Bunny Hop", the "Cats' Meow", and the "Sweet Potato Vine". :D

      Sounds like you had a good morning, a nice combination of socializing and productivity. I highly approve of an afternoon of relaxing. I relaxed in the morning and plan to be a bit more productive in the afternoon!

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    2. "Bunny and the Garden Cats" - hilarious!

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  4. You are a busy gal, my friend. My Thursday was pretty good-got a lot done. Today I am laying low and being a bit lazy. I have a full day of work ahead of me tomorrow. xo Diana

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    1. Thank you, Diana; I try to keep myself busy - keeps me from getting into trouble, you know? :D Sounds like you are keeping busy, too! Enjoy your day of relaxing before having to work, tomorrow.

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  5. Sounds delicious!

    I love Bun Bun - what a cute visitor to the garden.

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    1. Thank you, Sharon; kind of you to say so since you are a vegetarian. :) I think this sauce might work well with vegetables, too - cauliflower or sprouts, maybe?

      Bun Bun is very cute, but, he ate the tops of some of my sweet potato vines! My gardener tried to block the space under the gate, again, and I put some cat food outside of the gate for Bun Bun when he looked through the gate, unable to come inside!

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  6. Yum
    The sauce you made for the chicken sounds delicious. I never think to have hoisin sauce on hand. I should pick some up next time I'm in the store.

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    1. It was a very flavorful sauce! Hoisin sauce is one of the sauces I keep on hand at all times, along with soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, chili sauce, and ketchup, of course! :D LOVE ketchup!

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