Hey Guys! Recipe for the Perfect Valentine's Day

Hey guys!

I know that I, for one, am not interested in getting "things" for Valentine's Day. I have enough lingere (which is really for YOU anyway, right?), am no longer into stuffed animals, and DON'T need any chocolate. I would rather have my honey do something thoughtful for me, and I'm sure that your girlie probably feels the same way (especially if she's a mom!).

Here's one suggestion: I know that some of my guy pals can find their way around the kitchen pretty well, but for those of you who have no idea what all those funny gadgets are for, here's an easy recipe for you to use. I call it my "gourmet ghetto" recipe because it's delicious but you don't even need to measure in order to get it right.

Here's your shopping list:
1 chicken breast for each person you're cooking for
1 18oz jar of apricot preserves
1 bottle of dijon mustard
1 bunch of asparagus
1 clove garlic
1 loaf of pre-buttered garlic bread
1 bag of salad and any extra veggies you choose
salad dressing of your choice

Ready? Ok, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Wash the chicken and remove any yuckies, then cut into 2 inch strips, put into a bowl and set aside. In another small bowl, stir together equal parts of apricot preserves and dijon mustard. If you feel like measuring, a good start is 1 cup of each. You just need enough to coat the chicken. Mix it with the chicken then pour it into a baking dish. Cook for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, put the loaf of bread in the oven with the chicken. Check the cooking time on the bag. You might need to broil it a bit after you take the chicken out.

Now chop off the flat end of each asparagus and start boiling a big pot of water when the chicken has about 20 minutes left. When the water is boiling throw in the asparagus and squeeze a clove of garlic in the water using a garlic press (or chop it into tiny pieces if you don't know what a press is). Boil 6-8 minutes then drain water.

Put the bag of salad in a bowl along with any extra favorite veggies your girlie likes, slice bread, put everything in whatever fancy dish you can find, and serve :)

Extra credit: Pick up some fresh flowers for the table and clean up when you're done.

Ok...it won't hurt to have a little box with some jewelry in it for dessert. I can help you with that too www.ShiningLightJewelry.net