recipe

Go Pink Chex Party Mix

/ Jodi / 21 Comments


go-pink-chex-party-mix

I made this fun pink chex snack mix for our baby shower last week, but it is very also appropriate this month for Pinktober.

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and I have a few people very near and dear to me who are survivors – as well as the memory of a very special sister-in-law we lost at the age of 50 to breast cancer.

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So Go Pink!

Celebrate… remember… create awareness… enjoy… by sharing this yummy treat with people you love.

Go Pink Chex Party Mix

Ingredients:go-pink-chex-party-mix-closeup

Directions:

Mix cereal, peanuts, and pretzels in a large bowl.

Place candy melts in microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for one minute.  Stir.  Return to microwave for one more minute.  Stir.  Microwave for additional 30-second intervals if needed until completely melted.  (My microwave only took two minutes total to completely melt.)  Pour over cereal mix to coat evenly.

Spread in single layer onto waxed paper or parchment paper, and let cool completely.

Once cool, break into pieces, and store in airtight container.

I made a triple batch for our party.  I made one with white candy melts, one with light pink, and one with bright pink, then mixed all together.

You could also make this with milk chocolate, dark chocolate or any other color candy melts to match your party theme or celebration.

It is really yummy…. and really addictive!

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Mac ‘n Cheese

/ Jodi / 27 Comments

crockpot-buffalo-chicken-mac-n-cheese

While my furry son was busy playing pumpkin bowling in the front lawn the other day when I was at the office, my chicken-lovin‘* son (who is amazingly turning into quite the cook!) kindly prepared a scrumptious dinner for hubby and me to enjoy when we came home.

What a treat!

And ooohhh how I am going to miss this guy when he moves out soon…

Who doesn’t love a yummy macaroni and cheese recipe on a cool Autumn or winter day?  And buffalo chicken… well – I can eat that any which way.  But – mixed with mac ‘n cheese!!  WOWZA!  Holy Swooning Wowza!

This would be such a yummy dish to give to someone (you know when you want to help out when a family member or friend has a baby, a loved one is mourning, a new neighbor moves in across the street, a friend has surgery…) or take to a potluck event, because it is one of those recipes that keeps well and gets even better the next day or two as leftovers when the flavors fully meld.

This is a keeper friends!  Hope you’ll give it a try, because it is another Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!

Crockpot Buffalo Chicken Mac n Cheese*

Ingredients:crockpot-buffalo-chicken-mac-n-cheese

  • 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (Nick made his by combining approximately 60% Franks Red Hot Original Cayene Pepper Sauce,  30% Cholula Hot Sauce, and 10% Sriracha Hot Chili )
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp celery salt
  • 8 oz pasta (Nick used Penne, but you could use macaroni, shells, or any shape you like)
  • 3 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 2 1/2 cups milk
  • 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

Add chicken, broth, buffalo sauce and seasonings to crockpot.  Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Shred fully cooked chicken with fork and return to crockpot.  Add UNCOOKED pasta.  Stir to combine.  Cover and cook on high for 30-40 minutes until fully cooked.

Make cheese sauce separately by melting butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Whisk in flour.  Slowly pour in milk while continuing to whisk until smooth.  Bring to a simmer for 4-5 minutes until sauce thickens enough to stick to a spoon.  Remove from heat and stir in cheese until melted and smooth.

Add cheese sauce to crockpot, and stir to combine.  Enjoy!

OPTIONAL:  If you like, top it right before serving with a sprinkle of freshly crumbed bleu cheese to kick it up about 10 notches!!  

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*Nick found and slightly adapted this recipe from Jennifer @ Slow Cooker Gourmet

*For more yummy Winning Chicken Dinners, just type “Chicken” into the search box at the top right corner of  the blog or click here.

Jewish Apple Cake (Bread)

/ Jodi / 39 Comments

jewish-apple-cake-3

What better smell is there in Autumn than cinnamon and apples baking up in yummy cakes and pies and breads?

This recipe for Jewish Apple Cake is one I got from my BFF Jill, who doesn’t necessarily love to bake or cook, but when she does, she has some amazing recipes.  This is one of them.  The first time I tasted it, I had to have the recipe, and now I make it more than her.

In fact, she texted me yesterday morning, and I said, “Guess what I just took out of the oven?”  She mentioned she hasn’t made it in “forever.”  (That might be why she is thin, and I’m – well  – Not!)

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I’m not sure why this is called “Jewish” Apple Cake, so I did a little Wiki research (and I’m going to look forward to hearing what my BFF Bubby has to say.)

Per Wikipedia:  Jewish apple cake is a kind of dense cake made with apples and sold mostly in Pennsylvania in the United States. It has limited known connections to Jewish cuisine. It is thought that this cake is actually a Pennsylvania Dutch culinary item that was erroneously attributed to Jews because it seemed “old world.”  It may also be considered Jewish because it contains no dairy, and it may therefore be eaten with meals containing meat, in accordance with Jewish laws of kashrut.

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Seems most people make this in a bundt cake or springform cake pan, but Jill always made it in loaves of bread, so that is the way I do too!

Besides… when you do, you can keep one, and give two away… which is exactly what I plan on doing.

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This cake/bread tastes delicious with coffee or tea for breakfast or a snack or dessert.  It is not too sweet, but cinnamony, and apply, and nutty enough to rock your world!

Hope you’ll give it a try.  Let me know if you do.

Jewish Apple Cake (Bread)

Ingredients:jewish-apple-cake-3

  • 4-5 pared apples, sliced thin (I used Honeycrisps)
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts
  • 2 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup orange juice
  • 1 cup oil
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour 3 bread loaf pans (approx. 8″x4″).

Mix together, apples, walnuts, 1/2 cup sugar, and cinnamon.  Set aside for sugar and cinnamon to soak into the apples and nuts.

Whisk together 2 cups sugar, eggs, vanilla, orange juice, and oil.  Add baking powder and flour, and stir just until batter is incorporated.

Alternate layering:  batter, apples, batter, apples, batter.

Bake 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Cool  in pan 10-15 mins.  Remove from pans and cool on wire rack.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired.  Store in airtight bag.  Freezes well.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

New Lighter Chicken Parmesan

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

new-lighter-chicken-parmesan

Our little garden is just bursting with tomatoes this time of year, and the little cherry tomatoes are so juicy and sweet and delicious and plentiful that I wanted to use them creatively in a recipe instead of the usual simple throwing of them into our dinner salad.

I also have a really healthy crop of fresh basil.

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Anyone that’s been around thecreativelifeinbetween.com for more than a minute likely knows I LOVE chicken for dinner and am always looking for new, creative ways to prepare it.

So last night, I decided to try a newer, lightened-up version of the classic chicken parmesan recipe that is typically dipped in milk and egg wash, rolled in bread crumbs and fried in oil before topping it with cheese and baking it.

For this recipe, I marinaded the chicken in buttermilk – a great tip for making baked (or fried) chicken moist and tender – and then simply topped it with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano instead of rolling it in bread crumbs.

I’ve said it before, and many of you know this well, but there really is no substitute for the real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.  Powdered cheese in a green plastic container will not do.   Other cheeses called “Parmesan” will not do.  The real deal –  Parmigiano-Reggiano is worth the spend (even if you have to skimp somewhere else – like that Starbucks latte or the pricey bottle of red wine).  Nothing can compare to the sharp, complex, fruity/nutty, strong savory flavor and slightly gritty texture of Parmigiano-Reggiano.  Inferior versions can impart a bitter taste, so if you think you do not like “Parmesan” cheese, because you ate the powdered stuff from the green plastic container as a kid, please give the real “parmesan” a try!  You won’t regret it.

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I then roasted it along with lots of sweet, juicy marinated tomatoes with tons of fresh garlic and basil and healthy extra virgin olive oil.

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We ate ours over whole grain thin spaghetti and a tossed fresh green salad.  It was divine!

Don’t expect it to taste like the familiar fried version soaked in sauce (which is quite yummy in moderation!), but allow yourself to enjoy the fresh, lighter flavors of this wonderful winner, winner of a chicken dinner!  (You knew I had to say it – right?!)

new-lighter-chicken-parmesan-2

Here is my recipe, which is adapted from one I found on Epicurious.  Hope you’ll give it a try and let me know how you like it.

New Lighter Chicken Parmesan

Ingredients:new-lighter-chicken-parmesan

  • 3 lbs boneless chicken breasts and thighs
  • 1 cup buttermilk (you can easily make by adding 1 Tbsp vinegar to 1 cup milk)
  • 3 cups cherry tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh garlic
  • 1/4 cup finely minced fresh basil
  • 1 tsp dried oregano
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  • 8 oz. fresh Mozzarella cheese, sliced

Directions:

Wash and prepare chicken.  If chicken breasts are thick, cut them in half horizontally so they will cook faster and more evenly.  Marinade chicken in buttermilk for a minimum of 2 hours or up to overnight in an airtight container or large Ziploc bag.

Whisk together olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, and salt.  Pour over tomatoes and stir.  Let marinade a couple hours if time allows.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.  Remove chicken from buttermilk marinade and place on a baking stone or dish with sides that will fit all pieces evenly without overlapping.  Top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pat to press into chicken.  Spoon marinated tomatoes in between chicken pieces pouring remaining oil marinade over top.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes until chicken is cooked, cheese begins to brown, and tomatoes begin to bubble and brown.  Add a slice of Mozzarella cheese on top of each piece of chicken, and return to oven for approximately 5 minutes until the Mozzarella is browned and bubbly.

Serve over whole wheat or regular pasta or by itself with a fresh green salad.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chocolate-Covered Cookie Butter-Stuffed Oreos

/ Jodi / 54 Comments

About

chocolate-covered-cookie-butter-stuffed-oreos-7

O. M. G!  Have you tried the new Oreo Thins yet?  If there is one store bought cookie I love, it is Nabisco’s Oreo.  There’s really nothing like them.

I rarely buy them, but I have been curious about the new Oreo Thins I’ve been hearing about.  Double Stufs are DIVINE, so how are the Thins?

I needn’t wonder long, because when I saw an incredible idea for Cookie Butter Stuffed Oreos from Ruthanne, the incredibly creative baker at Easybaked, I knew I had to try them.

And they are AMAZING!

chocolate-covered-cookie-butter-stuffed-oreos

But who stops at amazing, when you can make them doubly amazing by topping them with a scoop of cookie butter…

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placing another on top of that…

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sandwiching….

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and covering with chocolate?!

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I was dying to try them, but knew we didn’t need a batch of these around the house for the three of us.  So when my son Nick was heading over to celebrate his future father-in-law’s birthday yesterday, I asked if I could make them for him to take over for a little birthday gift.

He offered to help, so I gave him the jobs of “hand model” and sampler to assure they were okay to send.

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He approved!

I filled a little pint-sized red berry basket with a dozen, wrapped it in clear cellophane and tied with some raffia to send on it’s way.

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And now we only have to worry about having eight of these decadent little buggers around to taunt us with their amazingness!

Such a fun treat!  I hope you’ll give them a try.  And for more cuteness, check out Ruthanne’s Emoji Oreo Pops!    I’m kinda tempted!!   😉

Chocolate Covered Cookie Butter Stuffed Oreos

Ingredients:chocolate-covered-cookie-butter-stuffed-oreos-7

Directions:

Place 20 Oreo Thins Cookies on a cookie sheet.  Top each cookie with a teaspoon-sized scoop of cookie butter.  Press a second Oreo Thin on top to make a sandwich.  Freeze for approximately 30 minutes.

Melt Candy Melts in microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each increment, until chocolate is melted and smooth.  (It took mine about 3 increments.)

Take 3-4 cookies out of the freezer at a time, and carefully dip – one at a time – in the melted chocolate.  Use a fork to tap excess off, and slide the bottom of the cookie along the edge of the bowl to remove excess.  Set on parchment or wax paper to harden.

Add sprinkles (if desired) before chocolate hardens, or drizzle with white or contrasting chocolate after it hardens.

Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Cinnamon Pie Crust Leaves

/ Jodi / 30 Comments

cinnamon-pie-crust-leaves

I consider myself a pretty good pie baker.
But we all have “those days” – eh?

This past Sunday, I decided to bake a cherry pie.  It’s been quite a while since I got my hands on tart red cherries, so when I found some in the frozen food section at our local supermarket recently, I swooped them up with all good intentions of baking a surprise cherry pie for my guys.  Sunday, especially with Fall approaching, is always a good time to have dessert as a special treat.

cherry-pie

The simple recipe I found online in a quick search called for using cornstarch as the “thickener.”  I typically use flour, but found a box of cornstarch in the back of my spice cabinet and decided to follow the recipe and use it.

I prepared the pie and baked it (10 minutes longer than the recipe called for because the filling was not bubbling out of the slits on top yet – and Grandma always told me a pie is never done until it bubbles over).  I decided it had to be done, so removed it from the oven, cooled it, and looked forward to serving it to my guys who had been working hard chopping and splitting and stacking wood in preparation for Fall and winter fires.

Well – the pie filling just didn’t thicken.  My guys ate their whole slices like champs, even though they were more like cherry soup topped with crust and vanilla ice cream.

I had a major cherry pie FLOP!

I’m glad I also followed Grandma’s guidance and made cinnamon pie crust treats with the leftover dough that wasn’t needed on the pie.  Grandma typically just cut the leftover dough into strips, brushed with milk, sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar, and baked until brown.  I had fun cutting mine out into maple and oak leaves with cookie cutters to make them a little fancier.

The cinnamon pie crust leaves didn’t make it to the next day.  Glad something turned out right!

Does cornstarch go bad?  Does it loose its “thickening” ability?  I must admit it wasn’t sealed very airtight, and what I used was at the very end of the box.  Or did I just not bake the pie long enough?  I actually put it back in the oven for 15 more minutes after serving the two pieces to my guys wondering if it might thicken up.  No luck.

I guess we all have “those days” right?!

Cherry Hugs,
Jodi

Jodi’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

/ Jodi / 42 Comments

jodis-peanut-butter-cup-cookies

If you stopped by our house, and there weren’t any cookies (in the freezer)… well….

it just wouldn’t be our house.

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Nothing fancy really.  Usually just some sort of chocolate chip or oatmeal raisin, but always some cookies in the house.

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This week, I baked some peanut butter cup cookies.  One batch with Reese’s White Mini Cups and the other with traditional milk chocolate Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Minis.  You could combine the two in one cookie if you like, but I think people typically take pretty firm stances on liking white or milk chocolate, so I kept them separate.

I’ll be taking these to our book club party this weekend, but if you stop by, there will be some I’d be happy to offer you.

I share my cookies with Mike the UPS man, Cliff the mailman, and Adam the bug spray guy.  Most of our friends and family who stop by know to just check the freezer drawer to see what this week’s treat is and help themselves.  I love that! When you are comfortable enough in my house to help yourself to whatever is in the fridge or freezer, I am in my happy place.

Here is  my recipe if you are looking for a delightful treat that is sure to please.  You can substitute the peanut butter cups with chocolate chips or any other type of chopped candy you love.

Jodi's Peanut Butter Cup Cookies

  • Servings: 4 doz large cookies
  • Print

Ingredients:jodis-peanut-butter-cup-cookies

  • 2 cups (4 sticks) butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (16 oz) miniature Reese’s Milk Chocolate or White Chocolate Peanut Butter cups, coarsely chopped

Directions:

In the bowl of electric mixer, beat butter until creamy.  Add sugars, vanilla and eggs, and continue beating until light and fluffy.

Add salt and baking soda.  Then gradually add in flour, one cup at a time, and mix just until incorporated.  Stir in coarsely chopped peanut butter cups.

Chill dough in refrigerator for several hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Form dough into golf ball sized balls and place on baking stone or cookie sheet.  Bake approximately 10 minutes until lightly golden brown.

Allow to cool on baking stone/cookie sheet for 10 minutes.  Transfer to cooling rack, and cool completely.  

Enjoy, and Happy Friday!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

My Favorite Cocktail: Dirty Martini

/ Jodi / 38 Comments

Dirty Martini

Happy Labor Day in the USA!

In honor of this day to relax,
and celebrate,
and take a break from work,

I thought I’d share one of my favorite cocktails.

If I’m not drinking a dry red wine,
my favorite adult beverage of choice is gin.

And when I really want to celebrate it’s
Hendrick’s Gin – a lovely Scottish gin infused with rose and cucumber.

And when it is the end of a vacation,
a holiday weekend,
and after 5pm (which it was when I had this yesterday),

I adore a Hendrick’s Dirty Martini
with gigantic green spanish olives
stuffed with tangy blue cheese.

Food and drink can be an art form
when prepared with the utmost detail,
and that is how I prepare this special cocktail.

Here’s my recipe if you are an olive, gin, blue cheese lover like me.

If not, what is your favorite cocktail to celebrate with?

Jodi's Hendrick's Dirty Martini

  • Servings: 1 Cocktail
  • Print

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 (or so) shots of Henrick’s Gin
  • Splash of Vermouth (or not)
  • 3 large Spanish olives
  • Splash of olive juice
  • 1 Tbsp. fine bleu cheese

Directions:

Stuff 3 large olives with bleu cheese and skewer with large tooth pick.

In a shaker full of ice, add Gin and Vermouth (or not), and shake vigorously to chill.

Strain and pour into martini glass, add olive juice and stuffed olive skewer.  Enjoy!

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

Chunky Homemade Granola

/ Jodi / 23 Comments

Chunky Homemade Granola 0

I was itching to get back in the kitchen and make something after almost a week away.

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And after a week of indulging, I thought I’d make something a bit healthy, but yummy to have on hand for the coming week.

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Homemade granola it was, and oh how yummy too!  Made with healthy ingredients like oats and nuts and dried fruits and held together with raw local honey and coconut oil, this recipe is delish just as is, but also delicious as a cereal with some extra fresh fruit like blueberries,

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or on top of Greek yogurt with some fresh fruit like blackberries!

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It also makes a lovely hostess or nice “thinking of you” gift in a clear bag with a pretty bow.

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It’s as simple as mixing everything together, packing it into a baking sheet, and baking.

Hope you’ll give it a try.  Enjoy!

Chunky Homemade Granola

  • Servings: a large batch!
  • Print

Ingredients:Chunky Homemade Granola 0

  • 1/3 cup raw local honey
  • 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup coconut oil
  • 5 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped
  • 1 cup raw cashews or almonds, chopped (I used cashews)
  • 1 1/2 cups dried fruit of your choice
    • I used:
      • 1/2 cup dried cranberries
      • 1/2 cup dried blueberries
      • 1/2 cup dried tart cherries
    • You could also use:  raisins, dates, apricots, goji berries, coconut, or any other dried fruit you like

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Whisk honey, maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, salt, and oil in a large bowl.

Add the oats and nuts, and stir until well coated and incorporated.  Add dried fruit and combine well.

Pour and spread mixture evenly onto a jelly roll sized  baking stone or parchment-lined baking sheet and pack down to compress.

Bake for 30 minutes until lightly browned.  Cool at least one hour in pan.

Break into pieces of your desired size, and store in airtight container.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi

*recipe adapted from Foolproofliving

Lemon Butter Chicken

/ Jodi / 48 Comments

Lemon Butter Chicken 2

We found yet another way to make an easy and oh so delicious chicken dinner this past week.  My son, Nick, actually made this from a recipe he found and we adapted slightly.

lemon butter chicken

He’s been practicing cooking more, and is getting really good (at breakfast and chicken at least!).

He will soon be moving out, and I am trying very hard not to be sad.  I am trying to focus on the fact that we have done a great job in raising our boys to be independent, competent men who have found wonderful partners to share their lives with.

Both of my boys know how to cook and are very handy.  They are smart and kind and generous.  (I’m not partial at all – right?!)   They both have found amazing women who are just right for them, and who we love dearly.

I digress….

Back to the point….   Chicken!

Here is another Winner Winner Chicken Dinner we hope you will try.

Lemon Butter Chicken

Ingredients:Lemon Butter Chicken 2

  • 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts and/or thighs
  • 1 stick butter
  • 4-6 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • Juice of 3 lemons
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 1/2 cup Half and Half, Milk, or Cream
  • 1 pt cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
  • Salt & Lemon Pepper to taste
  • 2-3 Tbsp olive oil
  • Cooked Rice to serve with it (I love Jasmine)

Directions:

Season chicken with salt and lemon pepper.  Heat olive oil in large skillet.  Add chicken and sear until golden and cooked through, about 5-7 mins. per side depending on thickness.  Transfer chicken to a plate and make the sauce.

Add butter to pan drippings and let melt.  Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add lemon juice and zest and half and half.  Bring to a simmer.  Add cherry tomatoes and basil.  Simmer until thick, about 5 minutes.  Add chicken back to sauce and coat.   Serve over rice.

Enjoy!
I’m sure we will be making this one again.

Cheers & Hugs,
Jodi