I made the mistake of running a few errands on Saturday with the mister. He loathes errands. It's SO beneath him. But there we were - across the street from the costume shop - so I bravely told him we were going in. Had I said he was going to have a root canal without anesthesia I would have received a better response but he did follow me in. I was looking for nylon witches hats - for a little project I have in mind...the mister said, "Do I want to know what you're going to do with those?" I told him not to worry, he was on a need-to-know-basis and he did not need to know. Surprisingly, he didn't ask again. Then, since I had the hats, I decided that I would get the rest of the supplies I needed and told the mister we were headed to the fabric store. Well, if there is one place he truly hates going, it's there. He made a big to-do about it in the car...after he finished foaming at the mouth we went into the store...I reminded him that he was in a public place and tantrums weren't allowed...snideness becomes him.
We were standing by the cutting table, patiently waiting while the lady cut my fabric. The mister couldn't hold his tongue and he leaned over to me and said, in what he thought was a whisper, "Why do they hire idiots?!" Oh, did I mention that the mister can't whisper? He is physically unable to do so, I think it's because he loves the sound of his own voice so much that the thought of stiffing it, even momentarily, would cause him serious pain - but that's just my opinion. He might as well of had a microphone in his hand...the woman looked up, smiled at him, and then went about her cutting, more slowly than humanly possible.
When we finally got home, the mister retreated to the back room to watch TV and I went to the kitchen to make dinner. My Silver Palate Cookbook was open on the counter and the first recipe I saw was Raspberry Chicken. I quickly read it and realized I had all the ingredients so that's what we had for dinner - and it was the perfect ending to our imperfect day.
Raspberry Chicken - Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook
3 chicken breasts, skinless, boneless, sliced thin
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion
4 tablespoons raspberry salad dressing (the recipe called for raspberry vinegar, which I didn't have but I did have a raspberry salad dressing which was a bit tangy, like the vinegar would have been and it tasted great so I used it)
1/4 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon canned crushed tomatoes
1/2 pint fresh raspberries
Cut each chicken breast into thin slices, pressing it flat with the palm of the hand. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Raise the heat and add the chicken and cook for about 4 minutes per side, or until they are lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and reserve. Add the onion to the fat in the pan and cook, covered, over low heat until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the salad dressing, raise the heat and cook, uncovered, stirring occationally, until the dressing is reduced slightly and is syrupy. Whisk in the chicken stock, heavy cream and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 1 minute. Return the chicken to the skillet and simmer gently in the sauce, basting often, until they are just done and the sauce has been reduced and thickened slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the raspberries to the skillet and stir gently until they are heated through. Serve chicken with sauce and raspberries. Makes 4 to 5 servings. 
"Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyhow." John Wayne, Pilgrim.
