God Made Us Sisters, Hearts Made Us Friends and Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms

My sister and I haven't always gotten along.  If you would have told me 15 years ago that she would one day be my best friend I would have laughed in your face.  And then I would have shown you my favorite teddy bear whose arms and legs she had just ripped off.  Ha!  But it's true!  She is one of my best friends today and I thank God every day for her unconditional love and constant support in my life.


My sister was born with the most severe case of spina bifida.  Most babies born with spina bifida have to have shunts put in their heads or are confined to wheelchairs or worse, don't live into adulthood.  She has defied all odds by living a completely "normal" life despite her many back and foot surgeries.  She married an incredible man and went on to have three beautiful and healthy children. 


I tell you her background so you can get a small glimpse of how special she really is.  And how much she has overcome.  If you met my sister for the first time you would never know she has gone through numerous surgeries and chronic pain, that she somehow manages to deal with on a daily basis.  You would just see a beautiful woman raising three beautiful kids who somehow completed college while raising those kids and working a full time job as a youth director.  You would see a woman who has an unfailing and unashamed love and passion for Jesus.  You would see a woman who always does for others before she does for herself. 


The point of this post is not only to brag about my sister, but to tell you how deeply important sibling relationships are.  My sister and I are lucky that we have a lot in common (faith, raising kids at the same time, etc.) and I know not all siblings have things like that in common.  But I encourage you today to develop or deepen your relationship with your siblings.  If you are an only child or already have a close relationship with your sibling(s) I encourage you to help your children form that relationship with each other from a young age.  That is one of the most precious relationships God has given us.  I pray that one day my boys are as close as my sister and I are.

Now, as promised I am posting the recipe I made last night.  Ladies, if you want to impress your man you HAVE to make this yummy dish!  (P.S. It's low carb.)


Creamy Chicken with Mushrooms (2 Servings)


2 large chicken breasts, pounded/flattened as much as possible (this is important)
*I use a meat pounder.  This is a picture of the one I use.  And I put the thawed out chicken in a big ziplock bag so the juice does not go everywhere.

2 T butter, divided
1 T olive oil
salt and pepper
1-2 C thickly sliced mushrooms
1/4 C chopped onion
1 garlic clove- I just used 1/2 T of the minced garlic in a jar
1/2 t each, dried basil and parsley
2-3 T dry white wine (optional, but not in my book)
1/4 C heavy cream

In one pan, melt 1 T of the butter over med high heat and sautee the mushrooms and onion until golden brown and starting to crisp. Turn off the heat and stir in the crushed garlic. Set aside. (As a note, I'm sure you could remove the mushrooms to a plate and cook the chicken in the same pan!)

Salt and pepper the breasts (go easy on the salt, mine was a little salty). In another pan, melt the remaining butter and the olive oil over medium heat and add the chicken breasts when butter is hot. Cook, turning as needed, until a good golden brown and "just" done. Remove to a plate and keep warm. To the drippings in the pan, add the wine, the herbs, the cream and the mushroom/onion mixture. Stir well and simmer until it begins to thicken a little, a few minutes. When it reaches the desired thickness, pour over the warm chicken and serve immediately topped with more parsely (fresh or dried).

Here is a picture of the final product (with grilled asparagus)!  Enjoy!!!

*Jewels