The Third Day

Today was a little slower because of the rain, but it ended up pretty well! We went to a butterfly exhibit where we were able to walk amongst hundreds of white butterflies and enjoy the calming atmosphere. They also had a fun 3D video about bugs to watch and a display of jungle bugs and amphibians and reptiles. I forgot the name of them, but there were some giant cockroaches that were probably a good 4" long. We should all be very glad that they aren't native to the midwest!

After that fun, we cooked the pork chops that we bought the day before. I finally have my mom's recipe! I brined the pork overnight and it really did make the meat really tender and everybody was glad that they learned a new trick. Everybody helped make a little bit of the lunch too so it was great that it didn't become really chaotic even though the kitchen in the hotel is very cramped! The pork chops were just like I remember from childhood and I was very happy!

After lunch we lounged for awhile while dad got some work done and then everybody went shopping at the local outlet mall. My mom and my sister both bought a bunch of clothes. And if you count the boots my dad bought earlier today, I don't know how we're going to fit it all in the car because the trunk was full on the way down and we had stuff on the floor and in our laps on the way down!

For dinner we went to Lambert's Cafe in Ozark, which they claim is the "home of the throwed roll" We had to check it out because I think we heard about it on TV years before and my sister's co-worker recommended it. They had southern style food and they gave us way too much to eat, but it was delicious! I had the meatloaf with green beans and peaches. Along with that, everybody got "pass arounds" which included fried potatoes, black eyed peas, fried okra, and macaroni and tomatoes. Of course we all had a roll thrown at us from across the restaurant!

clicky!

Chicken Saltimbocca

I was looking for some baked chicken wings with some delicious looking glaze I had seen on Food Network while working out, but I found this first... mmmm. I think I'm going to make it!


Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis
Show: Everyday Italian


6 (3-ounce) chicken cutlets, pounded to evenly flatten
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 paper-thin slices prosciutto
1 (10-ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 (14-ounce) can low-salt chicken broth
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place the chicken cutlets flat on the work surface. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Lay 1 slice of prosciutto atop each chicken cutlet.

Squeeze the frozen spinach to remove the excess water. Season the spinach with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, toss the spinach with 1 tablespoon of oil to coat.

Arrange an even, thin layer of spinach atop the prosciutto slices. Sprinkle the Parmesan evenly over each. Beginning at the short tapered end, roll up each chicken cutlet as for a jellyroll. Secure with a toothpick.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and cook just until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Add the chicken broth and lemon juice, and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium. Cover and simmer until the chicken is just cooked through, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Simmer the cooking liquid over high heat until it is reduced to about 2/3 cup, about 5 minutes. Season the cooking liquid with salt and pepper, to taste. Remove toothpicks from the chicken. Drizzle the reduced cooking liquid over the chicken and serve immediately.