Though the Internet is loaded with recipes, sometimes a cookbook is nice to hold and use!
I think this in my current favorite!

Tonight's dinner, "Nouvelle Chicken Veronique"! It is easy, and delicious. It uses red seedless table grapes instead of the traditional green grapes. I substituted champagne vinegar for the balsamic vinegar (because I had no white wine in the house and didn't want to run out for some...I thought the "white" taste of the champagne would work. It did!)



Here is a link to the recipe....I know you will love it!

P.S.--Wini Maranville, the cookbook's author came by with a comment, recommending a salad with blue cheese to compliment the grapes. [coincidentally, I had served romaine with apples and blue cheese with this dinner!]

I have never been to Japan, but I am so sorry about the horrible time they are having now.
They seem to be a people with much inner strength and resolve. I think they have a philosophy of accepting things as they are......and seeing the inner beauty.

Very difficult at the moment!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~(of course I romanticize)~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Whenever I think of Japan, I think of their unique art and aesthetic sense. For generations they utilized indigo fabrics in their every day life. Now these are being collected and some are for sale on-line. [Just Google "Japanese indigo fabric"]

This is an antique boro, a futon cover which has been mended many times. [Wonderfully "wabi-sabi"!] Rather like our patchwork quilts, especially those from Gees Bend, Alabama.

Below is a stack of vintage indigo pieces. I have ordered these, for backgrounds in primitive applique and stitchery and possibly for wonderful pillows and a table runner.

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This iron skillet holds a delicious meal! The recipe is for Apricot Glazed Chicken Thighs from "Delicious Living" magazine and website.

Such a wonderful warm spring weekend. Yesterday at work I added gold machine embroidery to the neckline of this tunic. Now to add tiny gold beads.....

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I had made some crepes on my day off, Thursday. They were ready when I invited a good friend to join us last night for dinner and an evening of watching British mysteries....Midsomer Mysteries with John Nettles this time!

I quickly made up the chicken crepes while Karen made the salad and sliced strawberries for dessert.

Ingredients
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cooking spray
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1 c thinly sliced onion
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1 (8oz)pkg. presliced mushrooms
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3 c chopped cooked chicken
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1/2 c slice green onions
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3/4 tsp salt (divided)
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1 (10oz) pkg frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeeze dried [ I used fresh!]
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1 tbs butter
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2 tbs flour
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5/4 c 2% reduced fat milk
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1/4 tsp pepper
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10 Basic crepes
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1/2 cup (2 oz) shredded Monterrey jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
Instructions
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add sliced onion and mushrooms to pan; saute 5 min or until mushrooms release their moisture and darken. Stir in chicken, green onions., 1/4 tsp salt, and spinach.
Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add flour to pan; stir with a whisk until blended. Cool 1 min, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk and stirring constantly cook 5 min or until thick. Remove from heat. Stir in remaining salt and pepper. Pour milk mixture over chicken, stir to combine.

[Note: regarding the instructions in green... I just put some cheese into the white sauce and skipped the broiling...and it was good!]
Preheat boiler
Spoon about 1/2 c chicken mixture in the center of each crepe, fold ends and sides over. Place seam side down in a 13 x9 in baking pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle crepes evenly with cheese. Broil 2 min or until lightly browned

Here is the recipe again! [Choose the format you like for a copy!]

I am "handicapped" for the moment....can only type with my right hand today. So this will be a brief post! [I strained my shoulder back and left arm doing several days of machine quilting on a quilt top. Even though I took breaks, I over did it!]

I want to share this delicious salad recipe which I found from Martha Stewart! It tasted so refreshing (but still "filling") after eating the usual comfort foods of winter! [ I tried several times to make a link within the text here...and haven't been able to. Could it be my MEDs???? LOL! Or more likely, Martha has some programing which takes away the link!]

The ingredients are spinach, cooked chicken (sliced thin), avocado slices, almond slices, red grapes cut in half and dressing of your choice. Delicious!

Sunday Dinner(tomorrow) for relatives dropping in.....everyone will be wanting to see the great niece! "Baby Ella"!

Since we don't know how many will be here, I will make chicken gumbo and "dirty" rice...yummmmm!

Must go, Baby Ella just arrived!