'Tis November!!!!

Yes, I realize we are 5 days into November. 
5 days into the biggest foodie month of the year.......

So far, November has been a whirlwind of visitors and cooking and cleaning and entertaining and running here and there. 
There's been no time to stop....until right now. 
Today is a very special day here in Judiland.
My new college grad.....my smart, creative and wonderful daughter......begins her big girl job.
Full time.  In her field of study.  With benefits.  
Today is the start of her career.
Ah, to be young.
Such an exciting time......for all of us.  
But, especially for my  fashionista girl.....

My Career Girl and I.....celebrating her new job with a bunch of fun girls at Rumfish Beach this past Friday night! 

  Oh, and before I forget....speaking of cooking.....I wanted to share this new-to-me recipe that I whipped up this past Sunday evening during one of my cookathons.  I'm working on a few new menu items for the next round of guests we are entertaining this month.  We had a chance to sample it last night and let me tell you......it's definitely an easy yet elegant meal.....and it tastes scrumptious!  It got rave reviews from my taste testers!  
Romantic Chicken with Artichokes and Mushrooms 
I experimented a bit with the recipe and made the following adjustments (based on the reviews):
-Before sauteeing the chicken, I dredged it in flour seasoned with a little salt, pepper and lemon zest.  It helped to thicken the sauce.  
-I used frozen artichokes from Trader Joes instead of the ones marinated in the can
-I added a heaping tablespoon of  Herbs de Provance when I was sauteing the artichokes and mushrooms.
-I added a splash of heavy cream at the end to give the sauce some richness.
-I served it over linguine (I may switch it up and serve it over Farfalle--bow-tie pasta).  
-I am still working on the type of salad I want to serve.
-I have decided on serving a cheese course with this meal.....this one looks yummy and simple.   
-I served this last night with a simple white table wine--a Verdiccho---that I had on hand.  But, since I think artichokes can be a complicated taste to pair with a wine, I might spend some time researching what wine might work best.  The Verdiccho might end up being what I will go with since it did work well.  Note:  I did not use the Verdiccho in the recipe.  I had a half a bottle of Pinot Grigio sitting in the fridge so I used that.  



Yes, it's November.
Let the cooking begin.....