As far as homemaking goes, I may be a little behind the curve.

Strengths: cleaning, organization, scrapbooking, getting the bills paid on time, and taking care of you if you’re sick.

“Growth areas” (this is therapy speak): sewing, gardening, decorating, and COOKING.

I am completely inexperienced with cooking, which at times makes me feel like less of a woman, or something. (I’m exaggerating, people.) Anyway, I know I’m not going to go from newbie to chef extraordinaire overnight, so I’m starting slow. Hence my goal #2, cook dinner once a week for a month.

This is the meal I cooked on Friday, and hopefully I can follow it up for the next three Fridays to complete the goal.

Honey Mustard Chicken (from my friend Ellen)

Ingredients:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup honey
1/2 cup prepared mustard
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased baking dish.

3. In a small bowl combine the honey, mustard, basil, paprika and parsley. Mix well. (I used a whisk.)

4. Pour 1/2 of this mixture over the chicken.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over and brush with the remaining 1/2 of the honey mustard mixture.

6. Bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear. Let cool 10 minutes and serve.

My notes:
I made the full recipe so that we would have leftovers, but I have also cut it in half before and it was just as good. I made Rice-a-roni to go with it, and I’m so proud of myself for also making green beans! Neither David nor I particularly like vegetables, so it’s hard to get each other to eat them. Also, in the interest of full disclosure, this did sort of stain my pan yellow. So you might want to stay away from using any pans you bake brownies in.

Verdict:
The meal turned out nicely and David liked it too even though he doesn’t really like chicken. He said there was so much good sauce that he barely noticed the chicken flavor. I’ll definitely make this one again. Remember, if I can make it, you definitely can!