I confess…it’s not even December and I’ve already been somewhat of a Grinch this holiday season.
You see, amidst the “Trimming the tree & listening to Christmas music!” and “Decorating sugar cookies & drinking eggnog after decorating the tree” posts on Facebook and Twitter this weekend – was me. Sitting at home with tubs of Christmas decorations in the basement, but without the will to put them up.
Why?
I thought I was the only one in my house that cared about the glittery lights and festive tree. The only one that got giddy seeing the decorations twinkling in the windows. In true Grinch fashion, I decided that after 3+ years of putting Christmas decorations up all by myself, I’d had enough. Ben didn’t really care, I thought, so why go through all the trouble for just me?
Imagine how giddy/shamed I felt when I woke up this morning to…THIS.
Ben saved Christmas!!!!!!!!
My dear, sweet, thoughtful husband knew I was feeling a little blue and, after I went to bed last night, put up ALL our decorations by himself! I MEAN!!!!!!
After I got over the shock and gulped back a few nearly-shed tears, I thanked “santa” and vowed to never throw myself such an evil little pity party again.
The grinch has officially left the building…
Merry,
Christmas! 
I suppose this makes up for stuffing his socks under the couch every night… 
In other news, you knew what was coming for dinner tonight…Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken!!!
I honestly don’t think I’d ever had prosciutto before Ben and I went to Italy this Fall. Never before had I tasted the salty, silky lusciousness that is Italian dry-cured ham…I hadn’t LIVED, I tell you!
This super-easy recipe for Prosciutto Wrapped Stuffed Chicken, courtesy of President Cheese, paired the prosciutto with chicken breasts, feta cheese,
and sun dried tomatoes. YUM – ‘nuf said.
The “stuffing” part of the recipe was technically “rolling.” I laid a piece of prosciutto down, topped it with a chicken tender, feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes, then wrapped like a cigar.
The prosciutto is great because it sticks to itself and keeps everything tucked inside.
Baked @ 425 for 20 minutes…
and PRESTO!
Crispy, salty outside, warm and cheesy inside. Mouthwatering!
The prosciutto was SO crispy that you could really eat these like chicken fingers, but I cut mine up so you could take a look inside. Scrumptiously stuffed!
SERiously one of the best dinners I’ve had in a long time. And so easy! FYI I got the prosciutto at Trader Joe’s. What amazing ingredient DOESN’T that store carry?!
I paired my chicken with some simply steamed broccoli on the side. Da best.
After dinner, encouraged by my new, cozy Christmas decorations and today’s bone-chilling weather, I undertook a quick baking project – Chocolate Chip Cookies!
It’s a fact that the second best Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in the entire world (the first takes 3 days to make – I MUST show you some time) is from the Better Homes and Gardens RED Plaid Cook Book.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the Limited Edition PINK Plaid Better Homes & Gardens Cook Book I got for my birthday a couple years ago and found they had CHANGED THE RECIPE!
You see, I grew up baking from my Mom’s original 1970′s BHG cookbook and the ccc recipe that was inside it. That sweet, salty, chocolaty, flat, crispy, gooey, amazing recipe. The one in the limited edition cookbook? Fluffy, too sweet, and just…WRONG.
I called my Mom in a panic that day and made her recite the original recipe to me over the phone so I could write it in the margins. Ahhh, that’s better!
And here it is!
BHG Original Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
Yield: 24 cookies
Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 bag semisweet chocolate chips
Directions:
1. Cream cold butter and sugars until it’s the texture of cornmeal. Add egg and vanilla then mix until combined.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda. Add dry ingredients into wet ingredients in three batches. Add chocolate chips and mix briefly.
3. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Flat and crispy on the outside, chewy and gooey on the inside. Just the way I (and Santa – who eats them like chips) like ‘em!!!
Marathon festive post!!!!! Ho, ho, ho.
Off to go enjoy my evening – I hope you do the same!
~~~~~
Two Question Tuesday:
1. Do you decorate your house for the Holidays?
2. How do you like your CCC – fluffy, or flat?
Aww! Ben is such a sweet guy. I’m in a fairly new relationship with a guy that came from a little too much privilege and I swear I have to guide him to do all kinds of common sense things like putting dishes in the dishwasher, not leaving the dryer door open for me to run into, etc. I’m not sure if he’d put up the tree for me or not. Heck, when I was fighting with my pre-lit tree’s unlit strand last night he didn’t seem to be too interested yet he offered to help decorate. I guess that’s something.
Domestically he’s not so much a finished product but he’s good to me otherwise!
Anywho, about the prosciutto…I can’t believe you hadn’t had it before! Do yourself a favor and swing by Gateway Market and pick up some of this locally produced prosciutto from Norwalk! http://www.laquercia.us/. It’s amazing! It’s gotten rave reviews from some of the big food minds out there saying it’s almost as good if not better as the original stuff from Parma! I can’t compare them, but I know it’s tasty as can be!
Oh, and I prefer my chocolate chips fluffy! This is my favorite recipe: http://www.kitchenmonki.com/recipe/Soft_Chocolate_Chip_Cookies
Kim
Twitter: @yogagirl
Now that you’ve discovered the wonders of prosciutto, you MUST try prosciutto-wrapped asparagus! Wrap a slice of prosciutto around two or three asparagus spears, depending on size, and bake in the oven as usual. What’s not to love?
Awww – what a keeper! – That is the most awesomest husband you have – and yes – more than must make up for the socks!
Used to be a major decorator – and baker – would cook, bake and decorate all THE TIME! – Xmas took up the whole year….
not so much anymore – lol. A group of us even had a craft group to make decorations for xmas year round! I’m trying to downsize now from a four bedroom w/walkup attic and full basement to a 2 bedroom apt. – AWK!
Fave chocolate chip cookies come from “Chocolate on the Brain” – start out crunchy, put them in a plastic container and they turn soft over night. Amazing!
What kind of chicken did you use that you were able to wrap it?
I’m not sure what chicken Kristin used, but if you pound a chicken breast flat with a meat mallet (or you can improvise – when I made this recipe tonight I used the heavy end of a can opener!) it not only tenderizes it but also makes it flatter and easier to wrap!
I just used chicken tenderloins (like chicken finger size.) The original recipe called for using a full sized chicken breast, cutting a pocket into the middle of it, stuffing with feta & tomato, then wrapping several pieces of prosciutto around it. This way was a bit easier!
That is adorable that Ben decorated your tree! I love it when guys do uber cute things like that. Those cookies look delish. Thank goodness moms are around to save the day.
So sweet of your hubby to decorate! Why do all boys do weird (gross) things like stuff their socks under the couch? Hilarious!
I have that same cookbook! Matt’s mom makes thin chocolate chip cookies and he and his two sisters swear by thin chocolate chip cookies. I’ll have to try it sometime…
OMG, I can’t even believe Ben did that! He definitely is too good to be true! Where did you find him??? (Does he have a brother?!)
I like my cookies like you do. I just use the recipe on the back of the choc. chips, which is almost exactly the same as yours, & they are awesome!
I have tubs & tubs of Xmas decos, too. It’s sometimes daunting to put them all up ‘cuz it takes so long, but it always gets me in the Xmas spirit.
That was SO sweet of Ben!! It’s a great story though and I’m glad he saved Christmas. I know what you mean though, it’s a bit daunting to put it all up just to take it back down in a few weeks. How sweet though! That would make the whole season merrier
You are one lucky, lucky girl! That’s awesome!
I’m not a big fan of CCC (I know, I know) but I like them soft as soft can be.
Aww that was sweet of him
. I decorate on a smaller scale of what my mother did when I was younger. I rent a small apartment and live alone so don’t have room for as much stuff. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday so I always have to put some stuff up. I like my ccc flat, chewy, and warm….mmmmm!!
that is so sweet!!!
1. i try to decorate, but i don’t have much decorations…slowly building up my arsenal!
2. thick and chewy!
How awesome – a Christmas miracle! Yes, picking up those socks won’t seem so bad now
I see you spray your alum. foil. I recently discovered Renyolds Non-stick which is awesome! Yes, a little more spendy but when I’m in a rush it works great. Also, I agree with you about the cookie recipe. My mom uses the new recipe with shortening and her cookies turn out perfect, but when I use shortening, mine are flops…I stick to all butter.
Inspired by your recipe (and the fact that I just so happened to have bought prosciutto this week!) I whipped up almost the same recipe tonight – I just stuffed the chicken with cream cheese blended with oregano, instead. Yummy! When I lived in Iowa I would get prosciutto over the counter at the Hy-Vee deli – my fiance actually made prosciutto sandwiches for the picnic he took me on when we got engaged!
I have also tried prosciutto wrapped dates (or figs? I can’t remember) that had a sliver of Parmesan tucked inside – SO good, esp. for a holiday party!
[...] Comments « How My Husband Saved Christmas [...]
That’s the best! Last year my hubs totally surprised me and BOUGHT us a tree, after humbugging about it so I know the feeling! I really will be stunned the year he actually decorates, though!! =D Hehe, you definitely have a keeper!!!!
I’ll admit, I’ve been a little Grinch-y lately too. Your post cheered me up, a lot! Your house looks very warm and festive now! Good husband!
never had prosciutto?! my god you hadn’t lived. I’ve made this before with SAGE! add a leaf in when you roll it. sage lends some incredible flavor
oh and Ben is just awesome. he did such an impressive decorating job.
This is exactly why I love Ben like one of my own…..
That is SO SWEET! Go Ben!!!
Nice job Ben!
I’m decorating this afternoon. Not putting up much this year though because we’re going to be gone (back in Iowa! yay!) for the last two weeks of December.
I think chocolate chip cookies are on the menu for tonight. I like mine flat but oh-so-slightly under-baked so that they are nice and chewy!
I tried the proscuitto wrapped stuffed chicken last night… DELISH!
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This sounds so delish but I don’t care for sun-dried tomatoes, any sub. suggestions?
Thanks so much for everything you do; you are greatly appreciated!!
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