Serve it with Love!
I think most women tend to get into a nesting routine during the winter months, especially married women with a family.

I normally get started mid-October as we celebrate what has come to be known as “the birthday week” to family members. The guys all have their birthday the third week of the month.
I continue my baking and cooking marathon in fits and spurts until late February when my focus is diverted to getting outside and the sooner the better. My biggest problem these days boils down to – if I cook it, someone will eat it. None of us needs it.
Over the weekend I decided I couldn’t wait any longer for a batch of Chicken Paprikash. It sort of hit the spot but I’m so disappointed in it. For starters, I try to use the best products when I make family dishes, so I splurged and bought the Sweet Maui Onions by Maui Sweets are way out of season. Darn.
I sliced them thin, chopped them fine and cooked them in olive oil, just like always. I added the and let the mixture simmer before adding the chicken back in. Everything should have been fine, “Should” being the operative word.
Time to make – I got the crazy notion that I should use the new to make the batter. Well, I’m not exactly sure what happened. I think I beat too much air into it. My noodles were thin and runny. They just didn’t hold up like they should. I tried to fix the last bucket full of batter but it was too little, too late. Are there any experts out there?
I put it all together and let it simmer for a while. We sat down and had a dish together. My son devoured his in a hurry. It had a great flavor but those darn onions were still crunchy. I love the onion flavor but I really can’t tolerate the texture. I’ve simmered the dish for hours; those onions aren’t giving in at all. I’ve never had this happen before.
If you haven’t tried making Chicken Paprikash, don’t be afraid. Even when I’ve messed it up, it’s always been edible. It’s one of my favorite foods and I think my family knows how much they mean to me, when I serve it, because of the time and care I take in preparing it. It’s a very economical and versatile dish that lends itself well to substitutions and it’s ok if company drops in unannounced, there is plenty to go around.
I guess I’ll just have to try again next month. Darn.
Check out Annette’s Favorite Recipe links for more terrific cooking ideas for the family.