Okay, so no – I didn’t eat my birthday cake for lunch…BUT I spruced it up at lunch and waited all day patiently to eat it after my b-day dinner.

I started with a Wegman’s Ultimate White Cake:

Then I added a lovely cookie heart:

And then finished it off with some raspberries:

Here’s the final product:

Yummy Chinese Food leftovers from China Star on Penn Ave. here in the Southside of Binghamton.

Check it out here. (It’s a DIY instruction site.)

Made this yummy stew last night. Great comfort food. Used leftovers for my bento today.

CHICKEN & ARTICHOKE STEW

This, I believe, comes from “Everyday Food.” It’s a nice easy little stew that’s quick and easy to throw together. I use roasted chicken from the grocery store though instead of cooking my own chicken to whip it up even faster. Oh yeah – and I leave out carrots ’cause I think they’re yucky.

INGREDIENTS
3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
2 tablespoons butter
2 large onions, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) reduced sodium chicken broth
6 medium carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cans (14 ounces each) artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed, halved lengthwise
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
coarse salt
freshly ground black pepper

cooked white rice for serving

METHOD
Generously season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a Dutch over (or 5-quart stockpot) over medium-high heat. Brown half the chicken on both sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining butter and chicken. Set aside to cool.

Reduce heat to medium. Add 1/4 cup water; scrape bottom of pan with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits. Add onions; cook until golden, about 5 minutes. Stir in flour; cook 1 minute more.

Add broth and 2 cups water; bring to a boil. Add carrots, thyme, and salt and pepper. Simmer until carrots are almost tender, about 5 minutes.

Cut chicken into small chunks and return to pot; cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce is thickened, 10 to 15 minutes. Add artichokes; cook until warmed through, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and serve over rice, if desired.

December 02, 2005 in Chicken & Poultry, Chilies, Curries, Soups, & Stews | Permalink

So my Bento for tomorrow is from yummy leftovers from dinner tonight. So speaking of a yummy steak dinner I made about a week ago…

Leftover grilled steak, “smashed potatoes”, animal crackers, grapes, and a half of a blueberry bagel.

Here’s my Bento today. Cheetos, PB&J sandwich, grapes, and a brownie.

This Tupperware lunch container makes it almost too easy to make lunch. There’s only so many spots to put things. It practically screams “Sandwich in the middle!” So here’s my lunch today:

Apples with peanut butter for dipping, cauliflower, pb&j sandwich, and chili cheese fritos.

To, oddly enough, a link here on Weather.com about packing a good lunch.