• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. 
• In a small bowl, mix together mustard, syrup, and vinegar. 
• Place chicken breasts into 9×13 baking dish. 
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Pour mustard mixture over chicken. No need to marinate.
• Bake for 40 minutes.

• In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, soy sauce, honey, sugar and sesame seeds. Set aside.
• In a separate bowl, whisk egg white and cornstarch until combined. 
• Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. 
• In a large ziploc bag combine cornstarch mixture and chicken.  Refrigerate for one hour.
• Heat skillet to medium-high. 
• Add butter.
• When melted add garlic and saute until fragrant.
• Add chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown.
• Lower the heat. Add the sauce and veggies to the pan with the chicken, toss to combine, and cook on medium for a minute or until the sauce has thickened. 
• Serve with rice.

I don’t know about you, but these triple digit heatwave numbers have me craving NOT TURNING ON THE OVEN OR STOVE!! That said, this watermelon salad with prosciutto chiffonades really hit the spot tonight.

watermelon chunks
prosciutto chiffonades
green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra light extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

• In a small food processor whip together the vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Gradually add the oil until well blended.
• Pour over salad makings and toss gently.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

watermelon chunks
prosciutto chiffonades
green onions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine or balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra light extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

• In a small food processor whip together the vinegar, salt and pepper.
• Gradually add the oil until well blended.
• Pour over salad makings and toss gently.
• Serve immediately and enjoy.

1. I walk in the front door and turn to pick up my movie.  A woman with a small child in her cart pushes the cart in front of the Redbox kiosk and then turns away talking on her phone.  I wait a few minutes, but all the while her kid is pushing on all the screen buttons with sticky fingers and she’s not even looking?  I have to tap her on the shoulder and ask her if I could please use the kiosk and she turns waving me away while she’s discussing some club she’s going to tonight.
2. I’m walking down a main aisle when a couple turn their cart right out into me from a side aisle and I was startled, but more pissed since they asked me if I felt like I owned the whole aisle.  WTF?
3. I’m in the food section and not 1, but 2 carts had small dogs (a chihuahua and a mutt) in blankets in the basket seats.  When I asked a manager, they said the people said the dogs were service dogs so they had to let them in.  As I pointed out to the manager, a service dog is required to wear a vest and be of service to someone disabled NOT be wrapped in a blanket in a cart seat that a child sits in.  He wasn’t interested in getting involved. Once again WTF?
4. Walking down a main food aisle I’m behind a woman with a gentleman heading my way when she abruptly stops leaving her cart in the middle of the aisle turning it sideways so no one can get by.  As I start to say excuse me so does the gentleman coming the opposite way and this seems to confuse her so she just keeps picking out papayas.  The gentleman finally physically moves her cart which she then takes offense to as if he’s going to steal her purse or something.
5. So I’m at the 20 items or less check out, an older woman pulls in behind me and starts to peruse the magazines as she waits. It seems the quick line is the longest one in the store as the lady in front of me contests every price that rings up.  Suddenly I feel someone bump against me and look back assuming she lost her balance and I see a large teenager standing right on my butt and pushing his way in between me and her basket. The woman looks at me and I look at her astonished. Trying to give him the big picture politely, I said, “I think you just cut in front of this lady”.  He has the audacity to say, “Well she left room in front of her basket.”  He isn’t getting the hint or even a direct statement.  She looks like she’s afraid of him and he isn’t budging so I walked over and pulled her basket around him and helped her unload her items.  I guess I’m getting bold in my old age.
6. Ticked me off then when the cashier spoke to me only in Spanish right down to asking for payment. HELLO??  I’m in an American based store, in an American city – the mere fact that I’m speaking English to her should have clued her into my language preference.
7. After I check out, pick up my movie and am heading to my truck when I see a mom loading her car, talking on the phone and ignoring her 4 kids.  3 of the kids were playing tag around the basket in the middle of the parking lot and the 4th, a toddler was standing in the seat and was lucky not to fall on his head as the other kids kept grabbing the basket to round corners.  She never even noticed that a car from the opposite side of the aisle who didn’t even look behind him for pedestrians came within inches of her children as he backed out to leave.  BTW he was on the phone too.
8. Then as I’m almost to my truck I just about get hit by a car cutting through the aisles perpendicular to traffic and guess what?  He was on his phone too!

WEEKS 7-8 ON THE MODIFIED DIET

Next time I’m going to add rice.

• Preheat oven to 350˚.
• Spray 13×9 baking dish with PURE.
• Combine the cracker crumbs and butter until well blended.
• Press cookie crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle raisins, walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips evenly over top.
• Bake 25 minutes.
• Cool 20 minutes and cut into squares.
• Store in a covered container.

• Preheat oven to 350˚.
• Spray 13×9 baking dish with PURE.
• Combine the cracker crumbs and butter until well blended.
• Press cookie crumbs into the bottom of the baking dish.
• Pour sweetened condensed milk over top and spread evenly.
• Sprinkle raisins, walnuts, coconut and chocolate chips evenly over top.
• Bake 25 minutes.
• Cool 20 minutes and cut into squares.
• Store in a covered container.

BEER AND CHEDDAR FONDUE 
 
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/3 cup minced yellow onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 cups grated Swiss cheese
2 cups grated extra sharp white cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Gruyere
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dry mustard (I omitted as I’m deathly allergic)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds, ground
1 12 ounce beer, preferably Budweiser (I used Dos Equis)
3 tablespoons Amontillado sherry 
Sea Salt
Dipping items – crusty bread, apples, sausages, etc…

• Melt the butter in a fondue pot or heavy sauce pan.
• Add onion and garlic, stirring until it carmelizes.
• Add the caraway seeds and stir to brown them.  
• Add the beer, increase the heat and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat and simmer to mellow the flavor, about 5 minutes.
• In a separate bowl toss the cheeses with the cornstarch, mustard and pepper.
• Sprinkle the cheese mixture, a handful at a time, stirring each batch until smooth and all cheese is incorporated.
• Stir in sherry and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• Keep warm over a low flame.