Loss

My great-grandfather, John Clyde Campbell passed away last weekend at the age of 95 years old. What a long and wonderful life he had! He was my granny Holloway's father. He was a loving grandfather who was always so caring for his family. As my granny said, although we were mentally prepared for his death, none of us were emotionally prepared. Thankfully, we were in Natchez for my friend Sarah's wedding, as well as Laura and Brandon. We were able to spend time with relatives who came to Natchez for the funeral. Through all of this I learned I am truly blessed to have known four great-grandparents, and still have four grandparents with me today. My family means so much to me and I thank God for allowing me to have them in my life. Please pray for my grandmother and her siblings as they go through this tough time of loss.

New Recipe!

I recently bought a new cookbook from Williams-Sonoma that has some really great and quick recipes. Tuesday night, I tried one of the recipes and we really liked it! So, I decided to share!

Lemongrass chicken & asparagus

Ingredients:

Skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - 4, about 1&1/2 lb, cut into thin strips

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peanut or canola oil - 2 tablespoons

Green onions - 3/4 cup thinly sliced

Ginger - 2 tablespoons minced

Lemongrass - 1 stalk, bulb part only, trimmed and finely chopped

*If you can't find lemongrass, substitute 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 teaspoons grated

lemon zest. Add the juice and zest to the pan along with the garlic and ginger.

Garlic - 3 cloves, minced

Slender asparagus - 1/2 lb, trimmed and sliced on the diagonal

Chicken broth - 3/4 cup

Asian fish sauce - 2 tablespoons

Peanuts - 1/4 cup chopped

Steamed white rice

Directions:

Step 1: Stir-fry the chicken

Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper. In a wok or frying pan over high heat, warm the oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until golden on the outside and opaque throughout, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the green onions and stir-fry until fragrant, 1-2 minutes. Add the ginger, lemongrass, and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the asparagus and stir-fry just until tender-crisp, 2-3 minutes.

Step 2: Finish the dish

Add the broth and fish sauce to the pan and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken and any juices from the plate to the pan, reduce the hear to medium-low, and simmer for 1 minute to hear through. Sprinkle with the peanuts. Spoon the rice onto individual plates, top with the chicken and asparagus, and serve.

Here's how ours turned out!